#the leonardo hamato instinct

[disastertwins9000]

facts

Leo literally heard Splinter's saying of:

"The first rule of being a ninja is 'Do not harm.' Unless you mean to do harm, then do lots of harm."

At least once, and he's been living by this saying ever since.

[citruswriter]

imagine raphs partner scenting him now that theyre together

scenting is the thing were cats rub themselves alllll over you to get their scent on you, like just imagine raphs gf aggressively nuzzling him while cuddling

imagine leos partner wearing a collar in his colour now that their dating

just the canine instinct to make it obvious whose pack their apart of, and whats more obvious than wearing his colour around their neck

mikey partner whistling to him and “preening” him (polishing and cleaning his shell)

most birds have a call and response whistle or tune for their mates and mikeys partner would definitely do that. polishing his shell and repainting the kanji on his shell

donnies partner absent mindedly having their antenna seek him out

moths use their antenna to smell, so naturally donnies partner’s antenna would lean in his general direction

Animal Love

Listen in with me! ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

A/N: Love how I said I was finishing the series and ya'll pull up like "but how about no?". 😭😂

Previous Part

Leonardo x Reader 🧡

Warnings: Reader is a wolf neko, Reader has golden eyes.

It started as a joke. Vern had gotten you a dog collar in a pretty blue. It was cute and you gave a good laugh, until you saw the heart medallion, your name engraved on the front and the words if lost, please return to Leonardo Hamato on the back. Both you and Leo had been shocked but laughed none the less. Until he noticed you wearing it. You brushed it off, saying it was cute so why let it rot in your dresser? But you kept wearing it more and more. So finally Leo questioned you.

"Well um... it kinda ties into the whole canine thing?" You said, fiddling with the heart on your collar. "You know, make it obvious who's pack I belong to. Usually this would be done with things like scent. But not everybody would be able to just smell you on me. So the collar is a bit more obvious. Kinda itches my canine urges the right way". Leo just tilted his head, staring at the ceiling for a few moments in thought before nodding slowly. "O-kay. Yeah that make's sense. You essentially want people to know who you belong to." He pondered and you perked up, tail wagging. "Yeah! That's right! But also, if it makes you uncomfortable. I-I can take it off." You sputtered, eager to please him. Leo looked down at you, blue meeting gold and he just laughed. "No lotus, it's ok. I was just curious. That's all". He said before pressing a kiss to your lips.

You hummed against him, happily wagging your tail before pulling back. "Anyways," he said before sweeping your feet out from underneath you. You wheezed out a cough as your back smashed against the dojo floor. "Lesson two. Never get distracted".

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Raphael x Reader 🧡

Warnings: Reader is a cat neko, angy kitty.

He had been gone for three days. Three days! And when he came back, the scent you worked so hard to leave on him was gone. How rude. So as soon as Raph sat down you lept into action. You huffed angrily as you crawled into his lap, aggressively rubbing your head and tail against him. Every time he moved too much, a growl would erupt from your throat and you'd just bonk him more aggressively.

"Work so hard. And then you just leave. Now I gotta do it all over again. Stupid fucking- It's all gone." You kept muttering as you worked. Raph just laid there utterly confused as you did whatever you were doing. Eventually he got on his phone to google whatever you were doing. "Oh your cute, babydoll." He laughed and you glared at him. "You're scenting me?" He asked and you glared. "Yes I am now hold still. Because the scent I worked so hard to leave on you is gone and I need to start all over again!" You seethed, utterly exasperated. Raph just held his hands up in surrender before placing them on your thighs.

"Don't act like you don't do it too." You growled, staring at him before bonking your head against his plastron and aggressively rubbing your scent all over him. Raph felt his cheeks heat up at the call out. He just let you scent him until you were satisfied. He could tell you were done when you pulled back, nose twitching, and you gave a nod with a proud smile. Raph just chuckled and pulled you closer to him, kissing you softly. "My turn". And before you could protest, he was all over you, returning the favor while you squirmed and giggled.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Donatello x Reader 🧡

Warnings: Reader is a moth mutant, eepy babies.

It had been another late night. Casey had asked Donnie to work on a new project for the NYPD and Donnie had been tinkering away for literally hours. You tried your best to stay up with him but the day had been long and before you knew it, you had fallen asleep. Your arms supported your head as you snoozed on his lab table. Donnie would occasionally look over at you to check in on you, sometimes stroking your hair or kissing your forehead. But hours later and he had yet to touch you again. He got so wrapped up that he stopped checking in on you, tunnel visioned on his project.

He looked over at you when he heard you whine. He moved his goggles up and noticed that you were still asleep but your antenna kept moving. He watched curiously as they twitched and wandered. You groaned and moved your body, almost as if you were about to wake up. Slowly, he brought his hand closer, allowing your antenna to find his hand and brush their fibers against his scales. Your wings fluttered softly and you instantly stilled. You had been searching for him. Even in your sleep, you were reaching out to him. He allowed the antenna to poke him and brush around his hand as he got out the notebook dedicated to his study of you and scribbled down some notes.

"Donnie?" Your groggy voice came and your lovely boyfriend looked over at you, eyes cracked open and arms stretching. You were barely awake and it was absolutely precious. "Yes little one?" He questioned, grabbing your hand and brushing your knuckles over with his thumb. "Mm. Bedtime?" Was all you came back with. Donnie glanced at his work before sighing. You heard him shift before you felt your body being picked up, melodic clicks erupting from your throat, causing the purple terrapin to chirp back in response. You smiled softly and nuzzled into him, whining softly as he set you down in bed but settling after he joined you not too long after. "Hush you". He whispered, pulling you close to him. You giggled, antenna and hands already seeking him out. You hummed as he placed a gentle kiss to your lips, you sleepily kissing him back. As the sun began to rise on New York City, you and your nocturnal boyfriend found peace in each other's embrace.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Mikey x Reader 🧡

Warnings: Reader has large feathered white wings, Reader has long elf-like ears, sickeningly sweet sappy love (I love this man).

Mikey perked up as he heard a whistling noise echo brought the lair. "Hey angelcakes!" He called out before he had even seen you. A chorus of happy chirps was then heard before you bounded into view. "Hello, my love." You said, your voice a slight sing song. "Dude how did you know that was (Y/N)". Raph asked and Mikey rolled his eyes. "Come on brother, do you know nothing about birds?" He asked, already knowing the answer. He felt your arms wrap around his neck from behind as you leaned over the couch. Leaning back into your touch, you churred and nuzzled into him, ears twitching.

It wasn't long before you started to pick at the dirt on his shell and rubbing at it with your palm. He sighed. When the two of you got together, you became more comfortable touching him in general. But he soon noticed that you would start to pick at his shell and fuss over him in that avian way of yours if it ever got too dirty. This was your equivalent of you preening him and he enjoyed it, just not in the middle of trying to bet his brother's ass at COD. "Hey baby," he spoke up, making you pause and look up, "Let me finish this game ok? After that we can go to my room and I'll be all yours." You immediately perked up, wings fluffing in excitement before you skipped your way to his room to get everything set up.

A few minutes later, he finally joined you and he could tell you were holding back any further bird noises. He laughed and sat down. "Go at it, starburst". He encouraged and you immediately sprang into action. You began to gently scrub at his shell, chipping away the old paint on his shell before. Before long he heard you singing. Avian noises and humming left your throat softly in a pattern that would only come forward when you were with him in private. You took a gentle soap to clean at his shell before wiping it off with a warm wash cloth. He relaxed into your touch, churring softly and creating a sort of duet with you.

Grabbing the paint you looked at the symbol he always had on that shell of is in your phone. You practiced it so many times but you still had it just in case. Carefully you repainted the symbol onto his shell. When you finished, you and him softly spoke to each other. Gossiping about the latest drama and softly whispering tender love to each other.

Once the paint had dried, you grabbed the concoction you called his shell polish you spread it, the cold liquid making Mikey shiver. You spread it, taking your time and being thorough. You leaned up and kissed his shoulder before sinking back on to your knees. "Doing ok?" You murmured softly and Mikey nodded. "Perfect, angel," he cooed back. He always enjoyed moments like this. As much as he loved being the energetic jokester that never calmed down and couldn't take life seriously even if it strangled him, the calm and tender moments the two of you shared meant the world to him. "Gonna start waxing." You said softly before getting back to work. More time passed by before your whole process of "preening" him was finished.

"All done". You finally chirped and Mikey sighed softly. You laid down on his bed, opening up your arms to him with a soft pout. Mikey just crawled into your arms and laid on your chest. "So how long you gonna stay this calm?" You asked with a laugh and Mikey pinched your side, causing you to squeal and giggle. "Maybe fifteen minutes max. Got a lot of energy today". He mused, nuzzling into you. "Love you so much, Mikey". You said with an endearing smile and Mikey smiled back up at you. "I love you too, angel." He said, pressing a kiss to your lips. But he pinched your side again and you pulled back to glare at him. "I lied. I'm energetic again right now."

This is so tooth rottingly sweet and cringy. I love it. Please rot ur teeth with me. Donatello and Mikey my beloveds.

[our-happygirl500-fan]

A few years ago, Nickelodeon did a video for World Turtle Day where they talked about some Turtle Facts on the different Turtle Species of the Rise Turtles

Narrator: Leonardo, the wise cracking hotshot, is a red eared slider

And something I found interesting about the video is that it talked about red eared sliders being territorial

Narrator: Red eared slider’s are peaceful & mostly harmless turtles but they can also be very territorial so don’t mess with their home or they might send you home

A lot of turtles are known for being territorial especially soft-shell turtles which are very territorial so I was kind of surprised that when talking about territorial turtles they specifically chose to mention red eared slider’s being territorial over any of the other species of turtles which made me wonder if that particular fact was chosen due to Leo’s characterisation.

Leo: Hey, nobody does that to my brother! Except my brother.

Leo: Back off, he's ours. Apparently.

Throughout Rise Leo has been shown to be extremely protective & defensive of his friends & family jumping to defend or protect them whenever someone tries to hurt them in any way which can be seen when Leo gets protective of Raph in the episode Shell in the Cell or when Leo immediately defends Frankenfoot from the Foot Clan the moment he learns that Raph considers Frankenfoot a friend in the episode Sparring partner.

Leo: Hey, future me would be real proud of you. I’m proud of you

Leo has also been shown to be someone who cares about family more than anything else & the second someone can be seen as a family member he gets attached & would do anything for them (even put his life on the line). Which can be seen by how the second he found out that Karai was a Hamato she became ‘Gram-Gram’ to him & he was willing to fight the Shredder for her or how attached he was to Casey Junior after only a day because he knew that his future self was important to Casey Junior.

Leo: But when I see what’s happening to you, and what’s happening to them... I realised it wasn’t about me.

It has been shown time & time again that Leo’s biggest motivator is arguably his families safety which can be seen in the movie where one of Leo’s biggest motivations when fighting the Krang is arguably his family being in danger & one of the biggest anger responses that Leo has ever really shown has been due to Raph getting hurt.

It could be argued that Leo’s protectiveness over his family could possibly partially stem from the fact that Red Eared Sliders are very territorial making Leo especially protective over what he possibly considers ‘his’. As Red Eared Sliders are traditionally territorial & protective over their homes, Leo might be protective over his friends & family as they are his ‘home’ to him.

Leo being protective & possibly territorial towards his family might also explain why Leo seems to hold grudges against former enemies such as Draxum & be reluctant to trust them as Leo’s instincts may still view the former enemies as threats to what he wants to protect.

Leo: You threw me off a roof!

Mikey: Isn’t this nice? When’s the last time we all got together like this huh?

Leo: The time Draxum dropped me off a building?

It might be possible that Leo’s grudge against Draxum isn’t actually motivated over Draxum’s actions against Leo but rather because there might be part of Leo that struggles not to see Draxum as a threat to the people he cares about.

I’m not sure whether or not a red eared sliders territorial nature was supposed to translate into Leo’s protective nature over his family intentionally but I thought it might be an interesting link to make between Leo & his turtle species.

The fact that Red Eared Sliders are known for being peaceful & mostly harmless except when their home is threatened might also be similar to how Leo seems to prefer to act laid back except for when his family needs protecting.

[ziipzeepzop-eez]

Greetings, i hope you're doing good🤍

Can i please request ROTTMNT brothers with their little sister?

Type: hc, platonic, hurt/comfort.

Scenario: it's about little sister reader who had been in a relationship - since she's the same age as Mikey - but she got cheated on and dumped so once her family knows - *cough* thanks to Donnie and his trackers *cough* - they go get revenge for their heart broken little sister.

(If it's okay with you can you add future Leonardo acting like the oldest brother/father to reader? It's okay if you don't want to, no pressure)

❝ home is where your heart is. ❞

⋆ ˚☁️ ⁀➴ − ⌗ 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

❝l 𝓪/𝓷: the wayyyyyy, i actually feel kinda baddddddd, for the fool that had the audacity. to even consider - much less f o l l o w through, with cheating on THE. ✋ Hamato [Name] ................. *crickets chirping* .... nah, no i don't. HAHAHAAA (also i am so so sorry this is so late- you sent this in to me LAST YEAR....... 😀............. *runs off bawling*)

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | aiight. to summy this entire shindig up: i feel sorry for the sucka that did you so wrong. because lemme tell you right now babygirl lah– you. you? you, are the most estimable treasure. the cherished jewel of the Hamato Clan. whoever this joker is, just know, they fumbled the bag DEVASTATINGLY HEAVY. oh, the agony is unimaginable. unimaginable, i say!

kinda like . . . how you felt that day.

numb,

yet every nerve ending felt like it'd been cauterized – an open wound burned closed.

the same way you'd burned your heart shut, sloppily, hurriedly, with the same grace as you'd gathered your dignity as soon as you laid eyes on your once-beloved,

. . . and their new one.

THAT DAY you come home from up top, eyes red and puffy, heartbreaking whimpers streaming from your lips as you stumbled through the main entrance. –where had your heart gone?

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | in my professional opinion (*mocking hyena laughter echoing through the trenches*) : emotional pain, is unarguably, the worst kind of pain one can go through.

by fate, by coincidence, by the supreme pizza maker in the sky − all of your siblings were joined together in the main living room the moment you came home.

it'd be later on that you'd find out that each one of their sibling senses were tingling. it's exactly why they all coincidentally commence a living room rendezvous – which in of itself wasn't odd! it just became a tragic thing very quickly.

you didn't know whether to be relieved or even more devastated.

i concur you'd decide on a secret third thing −

when the previous relaxed vibe was wiped clean as soon as you'd stepped in and everyone caught wind of your devastation immediately, leaving a cold backwash of worry and alarm.

mikey was the first to reach you. when quickly followed by the other three, voices overlapping, all in varying tones but all uniform in inquiring 'are you okay?' . . . well. *blows heavy breath* you couldn't help the utter anguish that crashed into you in a relentless wave. being in a familiar and safe environment allowed your mind to slow down to a coherent level, and therefore allow what you witnessed to really sink in . . . you collapsed. metaphorically and physically.

"hermana? n/n, hermana, hey- hey hey- shhhh, what happened, what happened—?" leo, for all the panic that was pumping through his bloodstream, tried his best to comfort you: his foremost reaction to when you were in pain or discomfort of any kind. raph was a mess above all three of you; having previously been checking for wounds of any kind, he cringed back instantly when your cries only got louder. for a split second he was horrified he had hurt you, but a once-over showed that it . . . blessedly wasn't that? then- what . . .? donnie hovered nervously, eyes wide and shiny but even then, his hands were outstretched to you. reactive instinct. like he wanted to pull you - his only little sister - into a hug of sorts, but didn't know if it'd be received. –yet you clung to mikey with all you could hold yourself up to right then. even though he himself had no clue what was going on, he held you close and tight, tears of his own burning behind his eyes at the sight and sound of your wailing. "[n-name]? sisi, what–?" "t-they broke up with me," you bawled, your own words folding you over in despair once more. the room instantly got colder. no voices besides your own were heard. "they, th-they dumped me," you gasped, choking with hiccups, "a-and they, th-they were w-with someone e-helse! an- another per, hhu, person!"

seeing you in the aftermath of such an affair nearly killed all of your siblings.

you were so devastated that it just, broke their hearts. almost as much as yours.

you weren't like yourself.

and sure, that's to be expected!

i mean, it was your first ever relationship − your first everythings concerning intimate romance.

(well, that can happen in one's teenagehood, more or less.)

and to have what you'd thought was a beautiful bond, just.. flushed down the drain? just like that?

tha shii hurteded mayn, ngl. 😔✊

justice for [name] hamato, seriously. tf is wrong with people and dumping one of a kind gems??

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | there are five stages of grief, even after a breakup. denial, anger, bargaining, depression, then acceptance.

and though it's a messy, painful time for you – your family is there with you through it all.

mikey (bless him) is of course, the one who assists in you recognizing all these stages and is an immense aid for caring for your delicate emotional state.

also helps that he's practically your twin. i mean, c'mon: ever since you both were tots, you were inseparable.

dare you say he knows you better than you know yourself. and that'd go even without his impressive emotional depth.

"you're amazing." he whispers. under your shared blankets and the dead of night, in contrast to the cacophony of invasive voices in your mind, his voice connected to your conscience buried beneath the mental rubble and held taut like a string of fate. no, is what you want to say. but you don't. you can't. because deep down, you know your brother is right. that all of them are right. mikey sits up in your shared hammock, the one used for special occasions, and tugs you up with him. he presses his forehead to yours and it's no secret that his gaze is made of fire. but instead of burning right through you, leaving you to shrivel up and disintegrate, to wallow in the wake of its aftermath – it's warm. it's light. "say it." "'you're amazing,'" you drawl; it's the clearest you've spoken in days. your pseudo twin blinks, eyebrow ridges met to his invisible hairline. a moment passes. two. then mikey snorts, quickly followed by you, and before you know it you're both dissolving into a mushy pile of giggles and obnoxious snorts. it was gleeful and euphoric and by the end of it, mikey is clinging to you like a koala, overjoyed. and you let him. it felt heavenly to laugh like this again. to smile.

as for your other brothers,

i can imagine Leo dragging you into self-care sessions at random.

i would say nights but really, with you guys' schedule, it could be for any time at all aksjhhd. nights are generally reserved for patrols and on the town's !! self-care is all day, every day !!

painting your nails; smoothing a face mask with care from his esteemed varietal top-notch collection on you as well as himself; stashing up a whole bunch of snacks, pizza, candy and comics (he makes sure to get your go-to orders + whtv you may be craving in the moment); turning on some fairy lights and happily binges all your favorite movies/series with you.

he'd give you tight hugs & make a bunch of well-timed jokes to get you into a better mindset on your gloomier healing days — but he can be serious as well !!

and when that happens, it's usually accompanied by heartfelt words and him tucking you against his plastron, like he could shield you from all the monsters and bad, evil things of this world.

(he'd always damn sure try.)

for all of his annoyingness, you mean the world to him and if losers like your,

🤢 ex 🤮 can't see that—

🗣THAT'S THEIR EFFIN' PROBLEM. ALL THEIR LIFE. NOW ISN'T IT??🗣

ahh one way or another, your other two dumpling brothers get lumped into the soup of self-care too !!

they do it for you, [name]. even if they don't always really want to,

they do it for you. 😤

Raph is so sweet. as your eldest brother I feel like he'd feel somewhat responsible for your heartbreak, but you get reassured that it's not your fault, and you reassure him that it's not his either. (please be patient with his logic, he'll get there eventually 😮‍💨😅) and in the aftermath he's spoiling you absolutely rotten.

carrying you everywhere (if that's whatcha dig.) getting you whatever you want: snacks, food, books, stuffies . . . anything man, he's already got it. and he cuddles you at night, giving you gentle shell rubs and churring deep in his chest — it never fails to lull you to sleep. 🥹 worked then, works now.

Donnie is a constant presence. He's not good at this "emotional stuff", or so he claims, but Don's the one who you subconsciously think of for a gentle, solid place to just be safe and be. not for distractions and laughter like Leo, not for being overly coddled and doted on like Raph, but... to just. Exist.

To be grounded.

Brought back to a steady surface.

ironically, it's the most sorting out of your emotions that you do in Donnie's presence: the most emotionally constipated of all your siblings c:

& he gives surprisingly good advice when you ask for it!!

but here's the thing.

Donnie always believed nobody was (or ever will be) good enough for his little sister, and this just solidifies it.

"Trash, everywhere."

"Donnie please—"

so ya might want to either retreat to a different mindset when this comes about or just don't take it to heart. there are wonderful suitors out there !! this one was just a bad rep. 🥹

(don't worry! dr. delicate touch elegantly exits stage left. don't mind the path of fire left in his wake! it's simply protocol. 😇)

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | you know the mainstream energy that all siblings carry? when they get annoyed with you but the second anybody else tries you — they're out for blood?

your

🤢 ex 🤮

never stood a chance.

donnie had it alllll handled that exact night.

he was slinking off and typing away furiously at his little tech-wrist, even as raph cradled you

even as leo quickly made up the bedroom with all the combined blankets and pillows and stuffies throughout the lair

even as mikey clung to you with big, watery eyes and tried his best in reassuring you (he might've been more devastated than you about the situation ngl ✋🏼)

and while donnie hovered, he was working.

y'all should know homeboy by now —

he is always working.

i imagine all of them would wait until you're sufficiently distracted, and that's where your sister and dad come in!

april taking you out for some one-on-one time, some fresh air, either to go for something fun around the city or back to her place for an evening in, (aaaand because your big sis needs to get her get back on your behalf too *slings bat across shoulders* —) quality time cuddles and movie night with papa splinter!! <;3 : your dad is good at damage control; you're his only daughter, of course he cherishes you. plus, he raised you alongside your brothers. your very rambunctious brothers. (/lh) all things considered, i think he's a wonderful parent where it counts. he was heartbroken for you that very same night. after all, you'd cried for him like a baby, hands reaching weakly while marble sized tears dribbled down your cheeks..... he hadn't seen such behavior since your tothood.💔,

but splinter is an accomplished man. he was much more in control of his emotions and therefore acted as an anchor of sorts to you in the moment you needed it most.

he was the one to calm your brothers down and gave them all one by one tasks as he cradled your body in his arms. no matter how old or big you'd get, you'd always have a place in your dad's loving embrace. and the night your brothers plan to make their move, which would probably be a day or so after you came home, the old man took up his role and fed you milk and cake while doting. giving you his undivided attention and care whilst he strokes your head and cheeks, reminding you of how precious you are to him —

"my precious [name]," splinter says lowly, cupping your face with his small hands. his eyes are grim, but they shine with fondness as they gaze into yours. "my jade. my little shining sky. you never cease to amaze me. life is a relentless ocean, and you will sometimes be swept away by the waves and crash against the shores . . ."

he takes your chin gently, stroking just so with his thumb. "but we will not let you drown. your strength and resilience is a true testament to how valuable of a being you are, my daughter. never forget that."

" . . . m'kay, papa." you croak. you bury your face into his chest, comforted by the warmth and softness of his fur. "alright. i promise."

meanwhile, snap clip to your siblings. blending in with the night as they move with deadly swiftness and silence, moving with intention. purpose.

whether you know what they're up to or not is entirely up to you

but i think they'd go that mile in ensuring you didn't know the mapped out details of what they were planning.

because — well, y'knaur,

they didn't hold back one bit. 🙂

whether your 🤢 ex 🤮 was a human, yo'kai, it don't MATTER.

"these hands rated e for everyone" 🗣️ — the mad dogz fr.

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | a detail I won't be letting anyone forget any time soon: you're all super powered genetically augmented mutants that were initially created for the sole purpose of war and worldwide domination.

you really think your

🤢 ex 🤮

— stood a chance?

nah fam....... nah.

I wanna say your siblings would be lenient, I really do (no tf I don't LMAOAOAOA-)

but realistically, I think they'd deal some heavy damage.

whether physically, emotionally, or mentally-

because you're their sister.

their baby. their princess.

and no matter how much they may lovingly tease you, and vice versa, they ain't about to let that ish slide.

the dealing of their cards is definitely not as worse as it could've been! but bad enough to not wish it on nobody else.

I mean you've got Dr. Delicate Touch, Raph in his big burly glory, and bro is Big Mad™, April is armed with her trusty bat and a Mayhem that's ready to be sicced, not to mention the deadly disaster twins —

they're all out for blood.

ohhohooooo man, they would render your

🤢 ex 🤮

into a pile of MUSH.

there are no remains. there is no recovery. the [name] hamato protection squad takes no prisoners. they kick names and take ass, even.

Dr. Delicate Touch had no preservations. (Ion even need to get into detail for that *shudders in fear*)

Donnie has the homewrecker's information, from birth to present day, down to the very microfibers of their genetic information to what they had for breakfast that morning - and he uses it to further inflict the irreversible damage that was started from Dr DT,

Leo can be, and was, terrifying. He's a broad two-edged sword that can slice through, clean and precise - so sharp you wouldn't feel a thing until he's done with his job of sawing you asunder, splitting through every atom with lethal precision.

and Raph definitely used his height and build to the highest advantage. He's got your 🤢 ex 🤮 cornered and trembling in their boots, tail between their legs (whether literally or figuratively that's up to you c:).

now legally, I cannot tell you what they did!! ,,,

but just know that they brought you to some serious justice.

"you so much as breathe their name again," they growl, "it'll be the last breath you ever take."

they wouldn't hold back their disgust. they probably make your 🤢 ex 🤮 (I will never get tired of typing that PLSSS) feel like a worthless pile of [redacted] from words alone.

and for good reason, tbh.

your 🤢 ex 🤮 had shared space and time with your family as well.

now - whether they were close with each other is ambiguous,

but realistically speaking: if they were your partner, I'd imagine they'd all at least be tolerant of one another to a certain degree.

because, well..... your siblings value your happiness.

even if you may or may not have had to scold them countless times for any odd behavior towards your now 🤢 ex 🤮, they left you both be.

......for the most part.

you'd think the shovel talk was enough!!

but after that encounter, they wouldn't give your ex a second thought.

they weren't worth the time, and you were an absolute enchantment. not even worth whatever your 🤢 ex 🤮 had going on.

they probably wish your 🤢 ex 🤮 "a happy life" to conclude the whole ordeal sksnsjdnk

oh I just know the sarcasm from the disaster twins was dripping with venom.

left boo boo kitty SHAKING FR 💥

but it simply cements the fact!!

your 🤢 ex 🤮 just wasn't the one.

when the wound of betrayal isn't as fresh, some time down the line, Leo would probably try to make you feel better by saying this is a "canon event" and essential to your "badass character development" 😭✋ (I can't stand him y'all plss-)

and even tho Raph cuffs his shoulfer for it, it really did make you feel better.

because, you know your worth.

you know you're a catch ✨👑💞 and if anyone can't see that,

then that's simply a personal problem of theirs.

YOU DESERVE BETTER QUEEN 👑💪❣️💅🏾 THEY AIN'T NOTHING.

‧₊˚ 🍮 ⋅ | bottom line, no matter what. your family has your back.

it didn't matter how much time it took, and how much time it will take:

they will always be there for you.

they're not perfect but they try the most!! 😭❤️

and in the times where your brothers act like.... well, brothers (/aff),

you've got a kick-ass sister to turn to.

and she's MORE than happy to lend a helping hand and back you up in the midst of tragedy 😉

and it's with them that you really do see the situation for what it is.

did it hurt? yes.

but that's the motions of life, babe.

and you WILL rise (see what I did there? AHA-) from this stronger.

not only because you're an absolute LEGEND.

..... but also, because your family is pretty great at reminding you of that too. 🥹

headers / dividers credits !! : @chachachannah @rookthornesartistry

subject to editing after posting for grammatical corrections and polishing! :)

sniper baby I'm so excited to finally have this out for you, I hope you liked it !!! muwah muwah ❣️ good things come to those who wait. 🫂 and boy oh boy have you WAITED AND MORE. XD

© ziipzeepzop-eez all rights reserved, all reservations apply.

[misteria247]

SGSSHSHSHSGSGS THE ABSOLUTE GLEE ON HIS FACE I CAN'T-

Also it appears he's not the only one who craves violence, a certain red hair seems to be just as giddy as our favorite boy lad lmfao.

picture taken shortly after they knocked a mutant car off a cliff to its death

[tmntkiseki]

Big Brawl rewatch, let's goooooo

Part 1

"But we need not fear the past. It is the future we must fear." Gotta love it whenever Splinter is narrating the cold opening.

I feel like Splinter should know at this point in the series that if he tells his sons not to do something, they are going to do it anyway.

Also, I keep forgetting that the Battle Nexus takes place every three years, not four. (Why do I keep thinking it's four?)

"Nice going, Donny. You got any chalk in your magic bag of tricks?" Honestly, it would be hilarious if one of the only things Donny doesn't have in his duffel bag is something practical, like a pen or a pack of tissues.

All of the turtles staring at Michelangelo when he reveals he knows what a nexus. The reason being because he, like Donatello, watches Star Trek. Pfffffft

ATTACK OF THE TOOTHPICKS

Once again, I love it whenever the animation suddenly becomes a lot smoother and more detailed during action/fight scenes like this

I'm not surprised that Leo is so upset over his swords being broken during this quick fight. (I mean they're the same swords he forged with Raph back in "The Monster Hunter.")

There is something I really love about the Gyoji as a character and I do not know what it is. His voice? How calm, composed, chill, and reasonable he is? The fact he literally dies at the end of the arc and yet he's brought back during "Grudge Match" as if nothing happened?

The Gyoji is actually god

Turtles see Splinter being attacked by someone unfamiliar; first instinct is to try and help him. These boys love their dad <3

Raphael instantly admitting he was the one who talked Leonardo into following Splinter when Splinter starts scolding Leo... If I had to pick one thing I love about his character, it is the fact he does take responsibility for his actions.

Tell me again why the Djinn was never brought back after this arc? He seems like a nice guy and I wanna see what his dimension looks like.

I'd say of the Big Brawl Episodes, Part 1 is probably my least favorite? But it's entirely circumstantial seeing as this is basically the exposition episode explaining the Battle Nexus and Splinter's history with the competition.

The first appearance of Usagi... Even as a pre-teen, he is powerful. Though why was he at the Battle Nexus three years ago? Was Katsuichi competing maybe? Gimme the lion sensei, damn it.

Drako is such a piss baby loser jesus

I adore this moment where Splinter agrees to let Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey compete. He's been very overprotective of his boys for the longest time, but he's starting to realize that they are growing up and becoming more independent.

I still firmly believe that had the Fast Forward reboot never happened, TMNT 2003 would have been the first animated iteration to kill off Splinter. Just saying.

I never realized how much of a giant the Ultimate Ninja is compared to the turtles, holy shit

I recall seeing a theory somewhere that the reason Leonardo didn't get a mystic weapon in Season 5 is because of his katanas getting reforged in the Battle Nexus, where the swordsmith likely used magic to get the job done quickly? I dig it.

TRAXIMUS

Forever kills me how even though the turtles never got a chance to meet Hamato Yoshi, they still revere him as an ancestral figure (especially Leo, since this episode ends with him praying in front of his statue.)

Also you're about to be assassinated, Leo. Leo. LEO.

[itzzaira]

Withering Butterflies || future Michelangelo story

TW: Spirits, main character is dying and is aware of this. Mention of passed loved ones (who are also confirmed to be just fine and here)

When a mystic warrior is close to death, no matter the cause or reason of their passing- there are signs.

Signs their mystic magic sends out because it can sense that death is near, that it won't be long before it's time to leave the mortal realm, that their clock is almost done ticking. Such signs could be exhaustion, illness, a following sense of doom, weakened mystic magic, losing control of said magic, mystic aging, increase in visions-

Seeing spirits.

Not like his ancestors whom he tried to talk with on purpose. No, in his everyday life.

This is what they would call Mystic Sickness.

It didn't matter what you died off- it could be because of mystic magic, an attack, it didn't matter. Your mystic energies would sense it. It will let you know. It will make sure you know.

Michelangelo had ignored the signs for as much as he could- the mystic aging was because of the overuse of his ninpo, the exhaustion and loss of appetite was because of said aging, the sense of doom that followed him everywhere was normal they lived in the apocolypse-

He really had ignored it, for as long as he could.

Until the first butterfly had landed on his snout.

The white, glowing butterfly.

Butterflies had gone instinct years ago.

As soon as Michelangelo had seen that first butterfly... he knew he couldn't ignore it anymore.

He was dying.

Hamato Michelangelo was not afraid of death.

He knew he would die much younger than everyone else- he had always known. He was the only mystic warrior the resistance had, the only one who could cure those corrupted by Krang, the only one who could heal, the strongest out of them- which resulted in the overuse of his ninpo. He had assumed it would be his mystic powers that killed him.

He was right.

But no one needed to know that.

Instead of going to Leonardo, like he probably should, Mikey had ignored it. He had ignored how sick he felt, he ignored his hair that fell off in chunks, he ignored the sense of doom that seemed to get worse, he ignored the butterflies that only he could see that followed him everywhere.

...Butterflies that seemed to get more each and each day. The amount of spirits that seemed to be more, much more, following him around-

Until he had sensed the first spirit in Donnie's lab.

"...It is sad to see you sensing me so soon, Michelangelo."

Mikey had just smiled, gently closed the door behind him, and opened his eyes. "Good to see you again, Bary."

"Is it?" The sheep yokai crossed his arms, that same annoyed yet worried scowl on his face that Mikey had missed so much. His body was glowing cyan and his pupils were gone, just like every other spirit he had met until now- did that mean he was Hamato? He wasn't sure, the man didn't have the Hamato symbol- "-because I had hoped to see you hit your forties before you joined us."

Mikey smiled. "Heh... h-hah... hic..."

His smile fell.

He covered his mouth and allowed himself this moment of weakness- letting the orange-glowing tears drip down his cheeks as he slid onto the floor- his legs were too weak to hold him up. Part of the reason he had started floating everywhere. His legs were too weak to stand on.

The butterflies that had been surrounding him went down with him, landing all over his shoulders and head, trying to drink his tears. Michelangelo didn't know what was worse- the fact he was crying like a child... or the fact that the spirits seemed to think they were on the same plane of existence.

"...Oh, child." Draxum bent down next to him- he didn't have any of the old scars he had gotten, Mikey noted. The spirit winced at the orange tears, knowing full well they shouldn't be that color, but didn't comment on it. "You look so tired, Michelangelo."

"I am." The turtle wept, wincing when his tears burned his fingers. He shivered at the sensation of ghostly fingers touching his cheek- it felt cold. So cold.

As cold as he had been feeling, for the past couple of weeks.

Hamato Michelangelo was not afraid of death.

He knew his passing would be painful- probably by his magic ripping him into a thousand tiny pieces, or maybe he would get stabbed or something by Krang- he didn't know. He didn't care.

He foresaw all possible futures, all the possible outcomes, all the possible ways he would wither away. Made sure to be prepared, made sure to fight alone so no one would see him perish. Yet, he was worried.

Worried because until now, he hadn't been able to communicate with any of his family. "Where are my-"

"With your brother." Draxum pulled away, sat down properly, and folded his hands in his lap. "They didn't want to leave, but Leonardo seemed to be having a hard time."

...

"...They're... here?" Mikey could have cried with that knowledge if he hadn't been crying already, but didn't know if that was because of relief or hurt. They had been here? Here? All this time? When he had been searching for his brother's spirits... they had been he here? He... they never left?

They never left them alone.

They hadn't been resting like he'd hoped.

"...Cassandra is here as well," Draxum muttered, recognizing that his adoptive son was getting stuck in his own head again. "She wanted to make sure that Leonardo didn't raise her son to be a, and I quote, 'whimp'."

Mikey snorted. He couldn't help the giggles, covering his mouth with both hands. That sounded like Cassandra alright. She had seen him grow up after all? It... wasn't the best way, but- it was something.

"...Would you like to speak with your father?"

His head snapped up. Mikey looked at the spirit with disbelief, bloodshot eyes blown wide. "...Dad is here too?"

"He never left."

"..." The turtle curled up and winced once his legs ached at the movement. With a flick of his hand, his mystic magic lifted his legs and curled them to his chest. Mikey thought, for a moment... and then shook his head.

"...I doubt I could see him anyway." He mumbled. A butterfly got close to his cheek when a single tear slipped down.

"...I know." Draxum sighed. "I assume I'm the first spirit you're seeing?"

He nodded.

Selfishly, Michelangelo had hoped to find Donatello today, once he sensed the spirit in the lab. But thats okay. He would see him soon enough.

"I'm dying."

Not a question. A statement.

"But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Instead of answering, Michelangelo held out his hand. Another butterfly landed on his finger. Draxum sighed, muttered under his breath, and shook his head. "If you had stopped using mystic magic when I told you to you wouldn't be."

"I was needed." He watched the tiny creature's wings- so fragile, so small- so beautiful. No wonder it hadn't survived this world. "I didn't have a choice, Barry."

"Your magic is destroying you as we speak." Another grumble. "Your future visions are getting out of hand."

The turtle couldn't help it- he cracked a smile. "...You know about those?"

"You wake up floating in the air surrounded by mystic particles and many spirits all around you." The man crossed his arms. "I'm surprised Leonardo hasn't noticed yet."

"I don't want him to know." Mikey cringed when he felt some hair slip down his cloak when he shifted his position to sit more comfortably, then winced when his legs ached. He sighed, defeated. And with the flick of his hand, mystic magic lifted up his legs and crossed them.

Another butterfly settled on his knee.

"...Do you know how you're going to..."

"No." He didn't know if that was good or bad. Michelangelo knew it was important to stay prepared... but he didn’t exactly want to predict his own death. That was just how his visions worked. They were set in stone.

...Which brought up another issue.

"...I can't die yet, Draxum." A single tear slipped down his cheek, which immediately caused a swarm of butterflies to get closer to his face. "I'm needed here."

"You've destroyed yourself doing too much." Blunt, without sugar-coating it- yep, that was Draxum alright. "Your body can't hang on anymore. I'm sorry, Michelangelo."

If he had the energy, the turtle would fight it.

He would get up, say something about how you needed to do more to take this turtle down, then either get S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. to scan him or attempt to heal himself, fail, find some books, a cure- something.

But he was just so tired.

Hamato Michelangelo was not afraid of death.

He knew what death was. He knew what it felt like. Cold, lonely, dark. At least. That was what death used to be. These days, death seemed warm. Peaceful. Lovely. And even though he couldn't sense their spirits yet, knowing the rest of his family was near and waiting, made it look so so much better. Heck, even the spirits with him right now- they felt cool, sure. But not freezing. This was a nice cool he used to feel when there used to be Summer breezes, offering relief amongst all the heat and allowing him to breathe.

But just as death had changed... so had life.

Life, which used to be joyful and warm and happy and bright, had turned dark and cold and full of grief. Never full, never well rested, always on the move, always dirty, always cold. Being cold bothered him the most, for some reason. Probably because instinct kept screaming at him to brumate but the turtle couldn't let himself.

Life had changed. So had death. And the other, brighter side didn't seem as bad anymore.

But...

"What about Leo?"

Draxum turned his head back so quickly, looking shocked and... something else. "...You are the one dying. Let me repeat that. Dying. And you worry about your brother?"

"I can't leave him, Barry..."

"He has April and Casey."

"It's not the same."

When their father had been... lost. The four had been together. They had grieved, they buried him somewhere worthy, they prayed.

When Raph had... left. The three had been there. They had been there the moment the building collapsed on top of him, had been with him as he moved from one plane of existence to the other, unwilling to let go and holding onto each other instead.

When Donnie...

...

"What will happen to them when I'm gone, Barry?" His breath hitched in ways it hadn't done for what felt like eons. His shoulders started shaking as he tried to curl up- but the pain that shot up his legs made him freeze instead, which just. Did it.

He couldn't move his legs. He knew damn well why.

Draxum's expression softened as he watched the turtle fall apart, watched the butterflies land all over his face to try and lap up his tears- it was fine. He could be weak. Just this once.

Hamato Michelangelo was not afraid of death.

Heck, he even longed for the warmth and love on the other side.

But...

Magic lifted his legs so he could curl up as he wanted to, and pulled up his cloak so his head was hidden, ignoring the hair that fell at the action alone. He buried his head in his knees, hugged himself, and- apologized.

How selfish.

To leave this cold, horrible world... when he was still needed here.

Needed by April, who needed her little brother to try and light up others- the only positive thing left.

Needed by Casey, who had lost his mother at such a young age, lost half his uncles, and shouldn't be losing another...

Needed by Leo.

Leo, who still blamed himself for something that wasn't his fault every single day. Leo, who started leading the resistance at such a young age to make up for said thing. Leo, who kept trying to give his portions of food because the younger brother just looked so sickly.

How selfish would he be to leave?

He couldn't do that to Leo. Not to Leo.

"They'll find ways to go on." The yokai mumbled, getting closer and letting a ghostly hand rest on Mikey's shell. It felt cold. A nice cold. But still, the mutant flinched away. No. "They've got each other."

"Leo won't survive, Barry." Mikey cried, looking up- okay the tears were starting to burn. It hurt. But at least that meant he was alive. "He barely did after Donnie. He can't. He won't... Barry. I can't leave yet."

"..." Draxum let a butterfly land on his finger. Looked at the insect, lost in thoughts. "...I'm afraid you do not have a choice."

He knew that. He had known for quite a while, even when the turtle tried to lie to himself and make up excuses for all of his symptoms.

But this...

He couldn't lie to himself anymore. Not for this. There was no other explanation as to why he was seeing spirits.

Hamato Michelangelo was not afraid of death.

He was afraid of what would happen to Leonardo after.

[imagionationstation]

OKAY— so like, we had scenarios of which the B-Team were raised by the Shredder, but what if it was the A-Team??

Shredder telling both Leonardo and Raphael (who now goes by Takeō and Akihitō respectively) lies about their younger littermates (Donatello and Michelangelo, whom he named as Junkō and Kōta)— telling them that their younger siblings have been ruthlessly killed by Hamato Yoshi, who had deemed them as an abomination.

In fact, Shredder wasn't even aware of the existence of the younger two; at least, not until both Takeō and Akihitō brought it up a few months after they were officially able to carry out missions and daily patrol. However, he couldn't deny that it's truly a blessing— there's a chance that they might know of Hamato Yoshi's location, and even then, Shredder can expand his army of powerful mutants.

Donatello and Michelangelo, on the other hand, aren't so thrilled about having to 2v2 their older brothers at just about everytime. There's also that the two have the tendency to play dirty. Stalking their friends and whatnot, it's driving them up the wall.

I don't know if Karai should be with the Shredder, because her rivalry with the A-Team over the younger onces is delicious.

What do you think?

I love this. No, no, wait, see my vision, look-

Takeō and Akihitō are everything that Shredder needs them to be. They took up training from the moment that their little legs could walk and they excelled past anything that he’d ever seen before, and one of Shredder’s greatest fighters happens to be blind, mind you, so he knows what greatness looks like.

He knows it has to relate to the fact that they’re mutants, but he couldn’t care less. With one student who bears a determination to please and the other with the violent fury to be molded like his own, they’re better than an entire legion of Foot soldiers. Takeō makes sure every command is followed and Akihitō leaves no enemy unpunched- what could be better?

They’re perfect. No, they’re better than perfect. They’re a miracle.

One that he never hesitates to take advantage of. If Yoshi had done one thing right in his lifetime, it was leading him to them.

And then- AND THEN-

Enter Mikey and Donnie.

The universe throws out two turtles with on obvious ignorance of surface life and an instinct to defend those that dwell on it. Leo and Raph’s world is thrown out of whack the first time that they spot them- considering Mikey is a younger-shaped replica of them with freckles. They keep an curious eye on them from a distance, but uncertain what to make of them, don’t interact.

They inquire about it to their father and (considering Saki likely stole them from Yoshi) he fabricates a story that horrifies them. They already know about Yoshi and how he killed Karai’s mother- but he tore apart their family too?

Afterward, it takes about five seconds to connect the dots on who these mutant turtles are. They go out to track down and reconnect with their brothers. *insert canon plot stuff*

When Donnie and Mikey try to save a kidnapped April, they fail pretty badly. The Saki brothers step in, stop the Kraang from taking the girl before Donnie and Mikey’s brains get blown out, but don’t really do much about them taking the dad. They don’t really care about the humans. They’re far more interested in prodding the turtles.

And, after taking April to her aunt’s, prodding absolutely happens from both sides.

The childish giddy air of the Junkō and Kōta upon finding their siblings obviously cements them as the younger siblings in the Saki brother’s minds. They don’t doubt for a moment that they are who they say they are because Splinter told them that they had two missing brothers as little kids.

Mind made up, Leo insists that they come home. Mikey insists that they have a home and Donnie admits they shouldn’t really wander off with strangers. They both vocalize that their rat dad needs to meet them first since he’s the one who lost them and he’s misses them and they don’t have to abandon their dad or anything, they just really want them to meet Splinter! (The Foot symbols on their gear mean nothing to the Hamatos and the name Splinter means nothing to the Sakis. Oopsy.)

And so they wait around for Mikey and Donnie to collect Splinter and then Splinter comes across his sons and Leo and Raph are tolerant until he introduces himself as Hamato Yoshi and then it all clicks that the man who Shredder thought killed their brothers and he had stolen them away instead and he’s the reason that they haven’t see them for fifteen years-

They don’t even give Yoshi time to explain before they’re attempting to eliminate the threat. Donnie and Mikey are insanely confused until one of the brothers lets it slip that their dad is Saki and- oh wait are they evil?!- so now there’s fighting, attempted forced reasoning and kidnapping of little brothers, but the Hamatos manage to get away.

So now Leo and Raph’s are simply DISTRAUGHT because the madman had stolen and brainwashed their little brothers so how were supposed to focus on anything else when they’re out there but actively on the wrong side of this war??

It trashes their game and suddenly his miracle team is no longer a shinning example of perfection. Once again, Yoshi has ruined something great and, instead of seething, Saki gets creative.

He fakes an understanding with what his sons are going through and expresses a wish that he knew where Yoshi was so that he could put an end to the threat. If only, they could find the lair where he was keeping their brothers prisoner, maybe then they rid the world of the rat and bring them home. Once they’re free from Yoshi’s dark influence, they could all be one happy family.

And Leo, like the helpful little leader he is, realizes that they could find the lair. Him and Raph could totally find a way to convince the brothers to take them home, or even find a way to get in without their knowledge. They were ninjas, masters of deception and lies. They could do it, Master, if only he would give them a chance?

So he does because an end to Yoshi and two new powerful warriors is more than he could hope for. Exactly what he deserves.

And the rest of the series is just Raph and Leo doing everything in their power to inch their way into their brother’s trust. They stalk them in a desperate itch to make sure they’re okay, which leads to them intercepting and assisting on a bunch of Kraang mission.

They run into each other when Donnie and Mikey try to stop the Foot from being evil, and Leo and Raph are more concerned with making sure nothing happens to their brothers that the Hamato brothers end up completing their mission more often than not.

Leo and Raph are still dedicated to the Foot but their priorities are skewed every time their brother come into play. Nine times out of ten, baby brothers take first priority. And Saki lets these mishaps happen because his sons are insistent upon gaining the Hamatos trust.

It doesn’t take Donnie and Mikey long to realize what Leo and Raph are doing, protecting-them wise. They don’t quite understand it, but they assume that even though they have been misguided and brainwashed by Shredder, they still are good people deep down. It’s incredibly annoying that they are always in the way and can’t seem to realize how what they’re doing is obviously evil, though.

Like plotting younger siblings do, they adapt to use the brother’s new apparent weakness against them, putting themselves in situations where the Saki brothers have no choice but to interviene- even if that means slicing their own bots or preventing their own missions from succeeding. And the best part is that the Saki brothers have no idea that they’re being played- they really just believe that their baby brothers are kinda bad at their jobs.

Which really doesn’t help with the whole PROTECT alarms constantly ringing in their brains.

As for Karai, I think she would still be with the Foot, but instead of a doting older sister, there would be jealousy vibes. She’d been overshadowed her entire life by these ‘perfect’ brothers and she jumps at the opportunity to impress her father when they start slipping. She could even play an antagonist role- actively trying to dissuade her father’s approval of Leo&Raph’s activities in order to get a better standing. She doesn’t want them murdered at the stake or anything, simply taken out of the favoritism role so that his actual human daughter (or so she thinks) can have a scrap of his attention.

I WAS GOING TO STOP HERE BUT YOU HAVE ME THINKING ABOUT PLOT AND SUCH NOW-

Like, Donnie would now be the eldest with the responsibilities of genius and leader, which means that he probably feels like his baby brother’s one line of defense against an entire universe. Splinter didn’t train his boys for war- but Saki did. Imagine the pressure on his shoulders to keep his family safe while actively on deadly missions with brothers who could turn on them at any second, stuck under the weight of wanting to get April reunited with her missing family.

Leo’s side of the spectrum is spent worrying that two of his brothers are under the abusive care of their kidnapper. He desperately hones the “but I can totally bring them to our side and make them see things our way!�� attitude that he has for Karai during the canon series. He does everything in his power to keep the blame from falling on them when missions go wrong, fabricating stories for their father, like he’s always done to keep Raph out of trouble. He doesn’t care for the Hamato’s missions, but he cares greatly for their safety, so he makes sure they tag along at every opportunity, whether they are wanted or not. Stalking is never out of the question, even if it doesn’t take long for the Hamatos to adapt to their presence.

I CAN’T SHUT UP ABOUT THIS SUDDENLY:

So there’s this song “Our Word” from 36 questions that absolutely has the vibes from this au that has taken root in my brain and when I think of Leo being a sneaky little guy and keeping Raph out of trouble- IT FITS. Well, these specific verses anyway:

When I was a little [boy] Like really little, like eight or so I was playing in my father's study A place in the house I wasn't supposed to go

My father fancied himself a sailor His study was filled with nautical decor He kept a boat in a bottle on the top of a shelf And it shattered on the ground when I slammed the door

I told my [brother] everything I told [him] I was so, so sorry [He] told me, "Don't cry, When he comes home tonight We can make everything okay This is all we have to say"

"We don't remember a boat in a bottle It must've fallen off its shelf alone We know you loved it, we're so sad it's broken But neither one of us was even home"

And it's our word Yes, our word Against his

HOLY MOTHER OF MUTATIONS I AM DEVOURING THIS AU AND NOW I HAVE RETURNED WITH CONCEPT:

“You shouldn’t be out alone.”

Donnie lands as irritation crawls up his spine and becomes fuzzy little ambers in his brain. He has a few irrational thoughts, such as giving the nuisance a taste of throwing stars, but they’re dismissed as he pretends to check his t-phone. He can sense one entity behind him, but his partner doesn’t seem to be hovering nearby.

He turns, t-phone at his side, the cheese phone on speed-dial. He doubts the Foot ninja wants to kill him, but if this is another kidnapping attempt…

Well. Better safe than sorry.

“Apperently, I’m not. Need something?”

“You almost got caught tonight.” Takeō cocks his head, face passive. “You shouldn’t be breaking into military junkyards. There have to be safer options. There’s a place in Chinatown. Less guns.”

“Well, as soon as civilians throw out this kind of equipment,” Donnie pats the bag on his hip. “I’ll consider it.”

He frowns. “You’re taking risks.”

“Weren’t your men trying to slit my throat last week?”

“That was not my doing.”

“Oh, sure, Shredder doesn’t want to lure Splinter out of hiding and you would never kidnap me or Mikey, right?”

“I didn’t know about Bradford’s scheme until it was to late.” Takeō scans his face and Donnie denies the sincerity any thought. “You have to believe us- why else would we help you escape?”

“To earn our trust? For future blackmail? As some part of some evil Foot plot to hurt Sensei?” Donnie sneers. “I don’t care what your excuse is when you made my brother bleed.”

“I told Bradford to back off, but I can only do so much.” The tone is defensive, but his frown softens guiltily. “I can’t stop the bots from doing their programing. Maybe if my clan did not see you as a threat- if you would rethink your position-”

His grip tightens over the t-phone. “This is not a conversation that I am entertaining. Goodbye, Takeō.”

“Wait-”

He does not.

And then Takeō is across the rooftop and roughly taking hold of his arm before he can take more than two steps. The t-phone clatters, adrenaline surging as he stops dead in his tracks. His attention shoots from the weapon on the warrior’s hip and then to the blue gaze that is drilling holes into his skull.

He swallows, proud that his voice doesn’t shake. “Let go.”

Takeō tightens his hold. He steps forward, their gazes locked, face unreadable. Donnie thinks it might be an intimation tactic, but he’s not scared, per say. His gut squirms in discomfort and he feels weirdly small despite being inches taller. He expects a low warning, or some kind of dark threat to cut the air between them.

Instead, he gets a soft promise laced so heavily in passion that it might as well have been shouted across the rooftops.

“I would never hurt my brothers.”

Donnie is silent for several seconds.

“You’re hurting me right now.”

Takeō tears his hand away as though he just found out that Donnie was radioactive. Donnie rubs the area, mostly for show, in the hopes of dissuading him from trying that again.

“…I-I meant…” Donnie looks up. No hesitation crosses his face, but his words come with uncertainty. “Not like that. Never like that.”

Donnie humphs.

“Is- Is Kōta-”

“Mikey.”

Takeō stares and Donnie glares back.

The warrior relents. “How is he?”

“It was a flesh wound.” Donnie picks up the t-phone, unsure why he’s telling him anything. “He’s already back to being a hassle.”

A beat of quiet. “I suppose that means we’ll be reunited soon.”

“To kick your shells in? Yeah. Probably.” Donnie puts away his device, looking somewhere over Takeō’s shoulder to the bulky shadow who has been inching closer through the extent of their conversation.

“You know, family means more to me than biology. Shocking to hear from a scientist, I know.” He pauses for effect, considering. “A family with differences is still a family. You might be serious about this whole hurting thing when it comes to Mikey and me…” He narrows his eyes and trains the hostility on the piercing gaze. “But if I find out that you even thought about touching my father again, you can forget any chance of brotherhood. I might seem like a weak joke to you, but I promise that I can make your life a living hell.”

Donnie stares him down, grip tight over the strap of the bag filled with weaponry that he’ll use to make Metalhead truly surface worthy so nothing can harm Mikey again, and dares Takeō to challenge him.

“There’s no stronger warrior than one whose greatest virtue is their loyalty.” Takeō decides simply. “And there is nothing more that I’d expect from a brother.”

Donnie is pretty sure that’s a compliment. He’s not sure what that he to do with backing off his father, but he accepts it.

He releases the bag. “Glad we understand each other.”

He turns his back to the ninja, looking over his shoulder. “And don’t have Akihitō follow me home.”

Takeō stiffens, eyes widening. He smirks. “See you later, bro.”

With a burst of speed, he takes off.

To their credit, they don’t follow.

Donnie knows better to assume that this’ll be the last time he has eyes on his shell. But, for the first time, he thinks he won’t mind.

[000marie198]

@misteria247

Their reaction to literal murder is hilarious.

Leo is literally the most excited and even backs up to nudge Donnie like this is too much amusement 😂

[bluepeachstudios]

GitS thought: Currently entertaining myself by imagining how the SAINW bros would react to Ghost's newly-acquired (to them) Dad Voice

Like Leo his kid is doing some reckless shit off in the distance and Ghost bellows "HAMATO LEONARDO", only to turn around and find Leo his brother has ALSO frozen and instinctively assumed the "being scolded" position

FHGKDHFHGHD his brothers like :O every time he uses his Dad Voice and they're like "oh. oh my god you sound like sensei. help."

[raphsmuneca]

𝓔𝓮𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓮𝓮𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓸𝓮

[Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe] Pt. 2: Leo’s Version

NSFW/18+/suspense/romance/fluff/agedturtles

𓆉✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

Initially, your story was shaky, but you had a clear vision. The challenge lay in persuading the creature and the audience, all while dreading the soon arrival of an arranged marriage.

They were seated, eagerly anticipating your participation, as your creative vision devised diverse narratives for the love story between Leo and yourself from start to finish.

Behind your calm facade, you were internally conflicted, struggling to suppress your emotions and genuine feelings for the four brothers, each of whom drew you in for unique reasons. But in the end, you had never decided who was best suited for you, and now it lay in the palms of another to make that choice. But you had to remind yourself, you’d only be married on this planet, so technically on Earth this wouldn’t count. Besides, this was just a means to escape. Nothing you couldn’t handle. Right?

You continued with Leo’s version of this would be romance fallacy. Or was it?

𓆉

Leo was the epitome of cool and laid-back, always eager to share his world with you, and at one point he treated you like you were the center of it. You had recalled one of those special moments. He was remarkably alert and he had caught you when you spaced out while working on an art piece, lost in brushstrokes and color choices. As you began to fall, he swiftly picked you up, smirking, "Remind me how you're a ninja?" Afterwards, he settled into his turtle-shaped chair cushion, a gift from you, and became absorbed in his novel. That was one of the many sweet memories you cherished.

But that was a long time ago, when the turtles weren’t accustomed to interacting with humans. After leading a life of freelance operations for the city under the auspices of the NYPD, he gradually engrossed himself with work and performing search and rescue missions as a hobby. He was a uniform away from being called officer Hamato. He was the best of the best so there was no blaming him there, but still, your friendship began to dwindle over time and now you were being treated like the next coworker, whereas you were once his favorite teammate.

What had changed?

You sulked in your window seat, staring outside, where showers continued to fall at 7 pm, contrary to the forecast calling for clear skies by the hour of 6. You silently rebuked the weather channel. It was the first time in months you’d be meeting with Leonardo. In the last two years you could count the times you’ve spent with him on one hand. Well technically four (human) hands, but still! Talking over the phone wasn’t the same as having a face to face conversation and you could admire those beautiful features and expressions he made.

Lately, thoughts of him have been on your mind. The possibility of losing him led you to call him on impulse. As you were no longer working together and you traveled to Japan periodically, you wanted to maintain some connection with him, fearing total loss. You have been secretly in love with Leonardo for years. You realized it the moment the two of you had grown further apart. You thought it was too late to confront those feelings and instinctively buried them deep inside, throwing away the key to prevent them from resurfacing. Somehow, the brief scare you experienced earlier beckoned you to contact him. You weren’t planning on telling him directly, but rather showing him?

The light tap on your windowpane frightened you, prompting you to leap off your seat and prepare to confront your attacker. You quickly lowered your defenses when you recognized it was Leo smiling through the glass. “Hurry up, I’m getting wet out here!” You felt embarrassed. You had invited him over and lost in thought over him, somehow you forgot you were expecting him. You used to leave your window unlocked for him and his brothers, until the visits became seldom. But that was then.

Seeing his face, you were reminded how much you had missed him and without thought jumped into his open arms and he spun you around in a tight embrace. “Wow! It feels like forever since I last saw you sweetheart!” His words were soft and meaningful. You instantly sensed that something was different about him. “Is everything alright Leo? Did something happen while I was gone?” His smile quickly turned upside down. His eyes never lied; something was amiss. “Leo?”

He put you down and pat your head gently, dismissing your questions as was his custom. “Everything’s swell! So, how were things in Japan?! Did you find that asshole that broke into your trainer’s dojo? Did you bring him to justice? I sure hope you did! Eh, who am I kidding? It’s you! Of course you handled it perfectly.” His words were haste and giving him away, but you chose to follow along until you could find the right time to get real answers. He was good at deflecting questions. That was his genius and why he made the perfect leader. “Not exactly. I feel like I’m losing my touch. It was so much easier when I had you around…”

His head turned as fast as you recognized the vulnerability in your voice. His brows furrowed, the look of concern written across his face was unmistakable. For a space, you looked into each other’s eyes and there was an unspoken understanding between you two. It was perfectly clear that he had missed you as much as you had missed him. But when and where did this come from? As long as you could remember, you meant very little to him. There was a sudden hint of guilt in his eyes. Either his eyes were developing tears or you had officially lost your mind and were seeing things. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry beautiful.”

When the fuck was Leo ever sorry? He never apologized to anyone. Was what you read in his eyes true? Did he really miss you that much? When? Why now? How? “What?” He inched closer to you and lowered his head to meet your eyes. You shied away for a second, out of both fear and anticipation. “Look at me baby. Look..” You met his gaze and your mouth opened to speak a peace you had prepared a while back for this exact moment, until you saw the teardrop roll down his face. “Baby?” You were obviously still stunned by that word. He never called you Baby. Sweetheart, Honey, Cutie Pie…endearing terms he used when addressing or calling to you. That was ages ago, but “Baby?” For two whole years he went back to using your given name, until tonight. “I need you to listen. I’m sorry I haven’t been around as much. I know it’s been a while since we’ve shared any real time with one another. This is all my fault! I got caught up with the outside world. I started to forget the people that truly mattered to me. Why I became a leader. My family. My friends. And you.”

You tensed up in his firm grasp. Afraid to ask, you wondered why he singled you out from his family and friends. What made you unique? Time and space orbited around you for what felt like forever. “An…and me?” His chest was heavily rising and falling, and his grip was likely leaving small bruises on your delicate shoulders, which were clasped tightly in his large hands.

You slapped them away! How dare he express his feelings here, after all this time of leaving you wondering about his indifference and distance! You were about to confess your feelings, eventually, but he surprisingly spoke up first, despite being the one who abandoned you, discarding you like a used rag! “Out with it! What is it Leo?!”

His glare became more intense. His eyes revealed everything, and you wouldn't let him escape this time. You'd endured enough hurt. It was as if he knew your thoughts, and he quietly confessed, "I love you. I've always loved you."

At the last drop of rain, an eternal quiet followed.

“But I thought you didn’t care for me anymore? I mean, you haven’t even been a real friend lately, so how? How Leo? When? I’m so confused.” You stood there, as if you had a choice, you were still bound in his hands, looking like a sad puppy begging for a home.

“Baby, I've been too afraid. I fell for you hard, and the thought of rejection terrified me. But I've reached my limit. Even if you don't feel the same, I need to accept it. Keeping this secret has been torture. I love you!”

That was the truth you'd been waiting for. Going from his favorite team member to an overweight donut-eater seemed implausible. You'd known the truth but avoided contemplating his response, believing no mutant turtle could be interested in a weak little human like yourself. You were part to blame.

“So?” His question surprised you. “Sooooo what?” You feigned ignorance and twiddled your thumbs while he patiently waited. “Ahem! Tell me. I can feel it you know? That and you’re a terrible liar.” Suddenly his face beamed. You had forgotten how well he knew you. This was it. This is what you had been waiting for. Don’t let him go, you fool!

“I…I love…”

“You love….?” His face matched his encouragement. He always did have to pull the truth out of you, being you were stubborn. Damn he was good!

“Okay! I love you Leo! I always have…” Again you lowered your head afraid to meet his gaze. You had finally summoned the courage, but this was HUGE! You were both your first loves. This was soooo awkward…

Later that night, you both marveled at the clear midnight sky for the first time, in a loving embrace, basking in the warmth and happiness after experiencing the most incredible pleasure.

Who knew he was such a lover?

𓆉

You unintentionally sounded excited after sharing your true feelings about Mr. Jerk, finally realizing Leo's jerkish nature. Did you miss his reaction? Was he genuinely your Romeo? In the back, Leo thought, 'Did you really feel this way the entire time? No, it was just a fabrication. You're intelligent and capable of outwitting powerful enemies. Well done, sweetheart.’

“Nicely done Earthling. You have three more tales to share. I must admit, this one alone has convinced me the beast donning the blue mask is your true match. But I promised to let you present me with all four endings. Continue…”

𓆉✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

Okay turtle crew! I’ve decided it’s up to YOU to decide which turtle deserves a “happy ending?” Okay now, relax. I won’t be taking it that far, but I realized during the making of this fic I didn’t have a final answer my damn self! So I’m gonna leave it up to you guys to decide who gets married! I’ll take a poll after releasing the other endings and let you decide.

The Introduction <- Read here!

Leo’s looking pretty freaking hawwwttt 🥵 rn!

@leosgirl82 @eveandtheturtles @happymoonangel @fyreball66 @iheartchv @imthegreenfairy86 @moonlightflower21 @m1dnyt3-w0lf @memes-in-a-half-shell @thelaundrybitch @replicasey @raphslovemuffin80 @dressycobra7 @angelicdavinci @leowleow @inspiredwriter @akari180

*𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪 𝓫𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓭/𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓭 𝓵𝓶𝓴! *

[misteria247]

Leonardo Hamato Instinct spotted-

My guy is literally perched on a ledge swords drawn and ready to kill Bebop and his lackies god I love this feral lil guy

[misteria247]

The bloodlust in his gaze, it's both so unsettling and absolutely hilarious lmfao.

he craves

V I O L E N C E

[starsinthenigth]

Momohiki Ash x Yandere!Rise!Raphael!Hamato Headcanons !!

★..guess where this is pulled from— (wat-padd)

|✷| REQUESTED & ORIGINAL CHARACTER BY: @ash1kun !!

|✷| ROMANTIC OR PLATONIC: romantic.. it may come off as platonic as well, I dunno, but keep in your minds that is meant to be romantic (0‹  0).

|✷| TROPES: yandere x oc.

|✷| TRIGGER WARNING: yandere themes, overprotective themes, forced relationship, jealousy, kidnapping, forced isolation, self isolation, mention of intrusive thoughts, self doubt, property destruction.

|✷| CONTENT WARNING: oc x canon, most likely out of character, brain isn't braining, some headcanons, as well as words, may be repetitive. bare with me. plea-.

★this is not proof read, I repeat this is not proofre—★

— |☆| M'alright so, somewhat like my Donatello headcanon, due to Ash being a softshell turtle, therefore just like Donnie, being more vulnerable to the outside dangers, let's just say that Raph tends to keep a close and careful eye on them, to say the least. To ensure that he is there to protect them in case they get injured or if something or someone that could potentially be a threat to them is present. Needless to say that he is also quite reluctant to let them get out of the lair. Think of it as his protective instincts with Mikey, but they may or may not be a little extreme.

— |☆| Now, I fully believe that Ash will get gifted their very own battle-shell from Donnie, or heck even creating one of their own to make things safer for themselves, something that would relieve and put Raph at ease, sure. Though, I believe that he wouldn't be able to shoo away the fact that he finds them seeking out safety to anything or anyone else some sort of an offense to his wants and capabilities to keep them safe. It makes him feel as if he is unneeded- as if he is an unnecessary asset to Ash's life, since they do have other means of protection other than, well, him.

— |☆| ..Well, of course they have other means of safety. They are basically a tech wiz who can create some pretty defensive and offensive inventions that they could use to their advantage, which is something that he finds himself to be quite mesmerised, though confused by. Maybe even a bit intimidated by them as well.

— |☆| Though he still could avoid them getting harmed in his own way. Maybe restricting them from going out on solo-missions, cooking up reasons as to why they are going to be more than okay if they let him keep a close eye on them. He might as well keep them tucked snuggly in his arms whenever a threat is nearby, as well as when he senses danger or something. He may though, just get lost in having them in his embrace, and maybe even hold them even if they are nowhere near a threat anymore.

— |☆| However, the coddling could stop if it gets too much for Ash and it would lead to Raph forcing himself to give up on overwhelming them by ensuring their safety. Y'know, he is doing it to give them some space to breathe, as well because he doesn't want to come off and feel as if he is being obnoxious or suffocating.

— |☆| But don't expect him to back down completely, he still ensures that they are alright by hovering around their space, offering to help them with tasks or even their work and such, despite him having no experience with machines and inventing stuff whatsoever. Well, some things may have stuck in his brain from when Donnie rambled about his inventions and ideas, to which he tried to listen and learn from. Now, sticking with that information, he may also see this as an opportunity to hang around with Ash more often, as he- much like my Leonardo head canon, will voluntarily sit and learn about Ash's interests and concepts. That way, he both gets to know them better, while being at ease that he is assisting them in a way that is not viewed as suffocating. Not suffocating, at the moment, at least. However, he has to be there for them in some sort of way.

— |☆| Although for now, for the sake of keeping Ash comfortable, as well as keeping a positive relationship with them, he just complies, or at least tries to shove off the urge to look over them 27/4. So he keeps his cool, not wanting to feel or be seen as a burden to them. However, don't be fooled by his calm and patient demeanor, he might get jealous rather quickly if any of his brothers offer them assistance with, well, anything. It might as well lower his self esteem just enough for him to doubt if he can actually keep others, more importantly, Ash— safe as he thought he could. Who knows, he may even get embarrassed or a bit self conscious if they express that they find his protective instincts towards them odd or unnecessary. It is also confusing to him that they don't understand why he wants to be the one to keep them away from harm.

— |☆| Sure, for a while he leaves them be, as to not weird out Ash more than he already has. He shoves off whatever envy he has over others grabbing their attention and such for their very own sake. It would be a true shame if he drove them away now and the thought of them leaving because he got too pushy or jealous is gnawing at his brain.

— |☆| And honestly, I see it like a circle if anything: Raph protects Ash, they find it odd, he lets them be, he gets insecure and tries to get back into their life to get rid of his insecurities and for his presence to have some meaning in Ash's life. And it starts all over again. It's a circle that Raph feels like he is obligated to break but he can't find the right time or way to do so. In an ethical way that is, one that he is not quite ready to put into action yet.

— |☆| So, he just lets his envy shimmer inside. He sits by the sidelines as he watches his brothers offer Ash their assistance and he silently watches them as they work on being more independent. Something that is slowly driving Raph mad, with his insecurities and doubts for himself growing and growing each and everyday he distances himself from them.

— |☆| It is also evident to him that it's unfair how they don't understand and are refusing to accept his services. As if his younger brothers can do a better job at ensuring their well being. That could be his tipping point. The straw that broke the camels back could be Ash's constant avoidance of letting him take care of them. Them frequently questioning his motives behind his want to protect them despite him claiming time and time again that he is only doing it for their own good would just push him to the edge.

— |☆| So, with his patience growing thin, he decides to take them in his room, where he can always make sure that they won't engage in activities that could harm them. It's also a way to put an end on his brothers grabbing a hold of their focus.

(..the following headcanons may not line up with one another.)

— |☆| I also think that Raph would empathize with the fact that Ash has a voice looping in their head that is influencing them to do vile and violent things whenever they are left alone for too long. It's like a reflection of 'Savage Raph' in his eyes.

— |☆| Letting their intrusive thoughts win is not something that Raph will allow to happen, which to him— is another opportunity to keep them company to prevent them from either hurting themselves or those around them.

— |☆| And with that in mind, after he locks them in his room he always makes sure to be near them most of the time, even if it means skipping training or avoiding missions. Practically isolating both himself, and Ash away from the world, all while discarding their discomfort and distraught with him forcing himself onto them, glossing over their demands to be set free. He doesn't see why they are defiant and grossed out, he only wants them to be okay !! ..Shouldn't they be grateful that they have someone who wants their very own well being ??

— |☆| ..oh, and if they try leaving their walls of safety, otherwise Raph's room, there will be consequences. No no, don't get the wrong idea, he won't harm them physically. He is not the one to take out his anger on his darling. . . However, the same cannot be said for the work that put their life into. In shorts, he smashes and bashes all of their inventions in blind rage, all except one. Their pet robot—dragon Plutonium, as he is mindful of how much it means to Ash— and it would be difficult for them to ever forgive him if he did destroy it. Though it's not likely that he is going to earn their forgiveness any time soon. Plus, I think that he would be intimidated by how deadly it can become in just a few seconds of sensing danger. Yeah, getting mutilated or blown up by his darling's horrifyingly advanced AI is the last thing that he would want.

— |☆| I also expect him that once he comes back to his senses and looks around the mess he has made, as well as the expressionless yet— I suppose dreadful look on Ash's face, his personality does a complete 180° and goes from furious to apologetic in an instant, murmuring apologies and pleas that they forgive him, promising that he won't do anything like this again if they just stay with him. He pull them onto his lap and hug them tightly as he continues to apologize for his actions, hopeful that they understand that he did what he had to do to prevent them from running off and potentially getting into themselves into trouble. What he is not realising, is that it's a little too late to be asking for their forgiveness and closure. Seeing their inventions and getting snatched away from their freedom by Raph would take a toll on how Ash views him, wouldn't it ???

[soapiemomorphine]

His Firsts

When he first came to

Leonardo startles. There’s a commotion but nothing registers besides white noise.

He’s dead. He knows this deep in his soul. His heart no longer beats and the floor feeling like an afterthought, as if the earth it’s self was a fleeting memory.

The afterlife is colorful. And loud.

He gets up, only for his eyes to be bombarded with green light.

His instincts tell him to assess the situation.

He appears to be in a collapsing building; there are only two people in it. And neither of them pay any attention to him despite being in there direct line of sight, only confirming his beliefs.

He is indeed dead, but his apparition is among the living.

He just wants to see his father already.

The two people are yelling at each other. They both tower a staggering six feet.

Leonardo takes a deep breath. Not that he needs the oxygen, but he needs to calm himself. He needs to get out of the fighting for your life headspace.

He needs to not think about he’s a failure. He can’t think about his brothers, oh god his brothers-

Pieces of rubble phase through his spirit. The guy with horns and goat legs runs toward the exit, while the rat looking man is furiously dodging the falling bits of the ceiling.

Leonardo squints at the rat man. He seems to be holding something, and his distress makes the hero in Leo want to help him.

Then he sees what he has in his arms.

Four turtles.

Then it clicks.

He won’t be able to move on to the afterlife, because he’s not in his dimension. He’s witnessing the origin story of another Hamato clan.

He doesn't know what compels him to follow this Spliter.

That's a lie. He wants to see his family again.

The first difference

This Splinter is different.

If you forget the fact that Leo’s hands tremble whenever this one speaks, Leo feels sorry for him.

(This first time he heard his voice, he had a breakdown. Not that anyone could see.)

They are camped in an alleyway, his arsenal of stolen clothes swaddling both him and his turtles.

Babies are hard enough on there own, but four of them? While homeless?

The babies weren’t the only ones constantly crying. This Splinter’s hair is already going grey and Leo is pretty sure it hasn’t even been a month yet.

His rat features are becoming more obvious.

Leo has the suspicion that this Splinter used to be a movie star.

Leo has seen posters and DVD covers in the trash, starring a man that shares a striking resemblance to this Splinter. Sans the ears and tail of course. Not to mention for the first couple weeks, the only outfit he had was the one this ‘Lou Jitsu’ wore.

Leo can see the headline on the newspapers that he uses as a makeshift shelter, news of a missing action star, beloved by all.

His suspicions were confirmed in one of this Splinter’s breakdowns.

Usually, the turtles are pretty compliant, but babies can only cry, and when one cries, the rest follow suit.

“ I can’t do this.” The mutant rat grips his hair in frustration at the wails of the children, “ I can’t fucking do this,”

Leo can’t do nothing but watch as both parties meltdown.

“I DIDNT ASK FOR THIS!” Tears cascade down his cheeks, mirroring his young, “ FUCKING BIG MAMA, FUCKING YOKAI, FUCK, FUCK,FUCK, FUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!”

His babies wail even louder. Leo just stands there useless.

The ratman freezes at the sound of a window opening, and rushes to scoop up the turtles.

Leo stays close behind.

They move to a different alleyway.

“Shush, shush, I’m sorry I’m sorry,” Splinter holds his sons close in a desperate effort to quiet their cries.

“I didn’t mean to yell, I-“ His voice breaks in his apology, “ I don’t know how to handle kids, fuck, I don’t know how to handle myself.”

“This whole time I’ve been running toward the limelight, but it always bites my in the ass, huh?” He starts to hum a Japanese lullaby.

Leonardo watches as the babies slowly fall silent.

“Guess Im a father now, huh?” Splinter let out a wet chuckle.

Leo gets the closest he’s ever gotten to this Splinter and takes a seat against the wall right next to him.

Despite his voice, and despite Leonardo’s own heavy heart at this similar yet so different image of his family, he smiles.

It’s not like anyone can see.

His first name

It’s been a month or two and he may have been wrong. About the whole no one being able to see.

The turtles, unlike him and his family are all different species.

They do not have names however, with Splinter calling them all “Little One”, or “My son,” and either addresses the one he’s holding or all of them as a whole.

But they are all different.

One is much bigger than the others, with spikes all up and down his body. He often bites the blankets and on some rare occasions, Splinters finger. The big one hardily makes a fuss though.

The same cannot be said for the smallest one. He is covered in warm colored speckles, and is half the size of his brothers. Yet he is somehow the loudest. He is constantly clinging on to someone, whether it be his brothers or Splinter.

Another one if the turtles has a softshell. Leonardo was flabbergasted at this, none of any other dimensions had a softshell turtle. He’s never even seen a wild one, let alone one as a mutant. Both Leonardo and Splinter worry the most about him.

Then there is the one who has red stripes. The one that Leonardo is almost certain can see him. He is often climbing over his brother and causes mischief, and pushes his brothers over. He’s often smiling and enjoys pulling on Splinters fur.

But what scares him is the way the red striped turtle looks at him. Not through him. At him. He looks him is the eyes, looks him up and down, and the scariest thing of all is that he reaches for him.

Leonardo doesn’t know what to do. So he keeps his distance.

He’s gotten used to the whole ghost thing, where no one could see him.

It was lonely but he was used to it after a while.

But now one of the turtles can see him.

He now looks to him when he cries, when he’s climbing on the big ones back, he smiles at him from Splinter’s lap.

It’s all very terrifying.

Especially when, he pushed one of his brother and listened when Leonardo on reflex said no.

So that’s Leo’s life now, following Splinter as he raises four nameless turtles.

That may have something to do with Splinters terrible eyesight.

Leo has the suspicion that Splinter has near-sightedness.

He can only read the news with his eyes nearly closed and millimeters away from his face. He doesn’t see the profanities on the alley walls, that make Leonardo worry, will the children learn that language?

He also is only able to tell the turtles apart once they are in his face or in his hands, “Ah!, you’re the big one!” He has to feel the turtles to differentiate them, and when they’re together he addresses them as a whole.

His suspicions are confirmed when Splinter finally loses it one July, “You’re all growing old now, how am I going to be able to tell you apart?” He grumbles and grabs his hair in frustration.

Leonardo is worried. What will Splinter do when they can walk? If only one is doing something dangerous how will be able to tell that specific turtle to stop? Leonardo feels a heavy weight in his gut at the possibilities.

He’s snapped out of it with a lound ripping sound.

In an act that is most certainly considered illegal, and probably come off as a hate crime, Splinter rips a rainbow pride flag hanging from a store front.

“HEY!” An angry voice emerges from in inside the store.

Splinter scrambles for his children as he scurries away.

Only the red-eyes child can see Leonardo following.

When the chase is seemingly over, Splinter find a different alleyway and takes a seat.

Leonardo doesn’t know what to think. Why would he steal a pride flag?

He is given the answer with Splinter ripping each stripe apart.

He accidentally makes a rip right through the yellow and green stripe and he tsks.

“Didn’t need all seven anyway,” Splinter grumbles under his breath.

He then pulls all of the turtles out of their cardboard box, awaking them from their slumber.

Leonardo takes a seat as he watches the turtles each stir and whimper. The softshell seems particularly upset and is trying to go back in the box, but to no avail.

The small one then starts whimpering as he is taken off the biggest brother.

Splinter take the red stripe and ties it like a ribbon around the big one’s neck.

“Red,” he then places him in the cardboard box.

He then grabs the smallest turtle and shushes his whimpers. He gently ties the orange stripe around his neck.

“Orange,” he places him right on top of his brother.

The red-striped one realizes the fastest way in the box is through Splinter, and he reaches for him.

“Blue,” the turtle practically scrambles to be a part of the turtle party in the box.

A loud cry comes the softshell, still going at the wall of the box, watching all his brothers go in but unable to.

“Shush, shush” Splinter gently picks him up. The turtle is awake enough to squirm when he ties the last color.

Splinter, despite cutting an indigo stripe forgoes it completely as he tied the purple stripe around his son.

“Purple” He whispers and puts his child in the box with the rest.

Leonardo feels his heart beat heavily in his chest, despite not having one. Of course.

Splinter smiles and points to each of his children, “Red, Orange, Purple, Blue,”

Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo. He realizes.

The same colors.

It may not be the same but nothing here is.

He swallows the lump in his throat as Blue smiles at him.

[juukeboxx]

The Leonardo Hamato instinct to become the ultimate mom friend and constantly worry about everyone and everything and making sure everyone is taken care of