#tmnt is short 4 teenage mutant ninja turtle

[mipmoth]

If they lived in the subway tunnels they'd have these surfaces accseses and get in & out tmnt style through random manhole covers

[harveylikestoart]

*smiles in I ignored the poll and did what I wanted to lol*

Anyways I did my own little iteration of da turts like all da cool kids!

[lec743]

TMNT All 4 - 1 Challenge Fic

The Challenge

[prompt: “I wouldn’t use that towel if I were you…”] 

@turtle-babe83

*******************************************************************************************

           It was a cold December afternoon and Tina had invited Mikey over to hang out with her at her house. Both friends were wet and cold from playing in the snow.

           As they were taking off their wet clothes, the chunky blond girl said, “My Dad is out on a supply run. So we’ll have the house to ourselves for a while… Kind of…”

           As they walked through the shop and up to the second floor where Tina’s living room is, Mikey notices that there was a lot of cats in their home. Nine cats so it seemed.

          “The cats are new.”

           Tina nodded and said, “Yah. They’re living here for a while… Don’t accept anything they give you. Okay.”

           “Uh. Okay?”

          Before he could question her, he spots a black cat that has a white dot over its eye, that was close to him, and he cooed, “Hello, little fella!”

           The cat’s hackles raised, and it hissed at Mikey, then ran down the stairs back into the shop.

           Mikey paused at the top of the stairs with his wet jacket hanging from his arm and said, “Oops. Sorry.”

           “It’s okay,” Tina said as she took Mikey’s wet clothes from him to put in the dryer, “Patches doesn’t like men. If she tries to trust you, don’t interact with her, kay?”

           “But she’s so fluffy,” Mikey whined.

           “Which is exactly why you can’t make the first move,” Tina stated as she took off her shoes and started walking towards the laundry room with both of their wet clothes. Then over her shoulder she said, “I’ll get you a towel in a second.”

           As Mikey waited, he looked around at the remaining eight cats that had all started to congregate into the living room. There was a fat orange one. There was a siamese cat. There was a white haired and blue-eyed cat. There was a long-haired gray calico cat. There was a grey-haired cat with little stumpy legs. There was a pure black cat with orange eyes. There was a hairless cat wearing a green sweater. And there was a white long-haired cat with a scrunched-up face.

           Since Mikey knew that Tina and her father delt with protecting magical animals, he figured that all these cats were magical in some way. However, his ninpō wasn’t picking anything up. So maybe it’s only normal rescue animal stuff that the Kurama family is doing.

           The pure black cat with orange eyes trotted into the kitchen. Mikey watched the cat disappear into the kitchen, then seconds later, the cat was coming out with a towel being dragged between their legs as they held it in their mouth. The action was making the cat look like it was waddling.

           “Awe,” Mikey cooed.

           The pure black cat with orange eyes dropped the towel at Mikey’s feet, and then the cat gave Mikey a high-pitched, “Mrow,” as he sat by the towel and looked up at Mikey with big eyes.

           “Awwwwe, thank you,” Mike said as he picked up the towel.

           He started drying himself off. As he was drying himself, he noticed a funny smell coming from somewhere. It wasn’t until he was drying his face off that he noticed that the smell was coming from the towel.

           Tina screeched at Mikey. Making the orange turtle jump in surprise as he looked up at the blond chunky girl.

           “I wouldn’t use that towel if I were you! That’s the cat piss towel!”

           Mikey immediately dropped the towel and the cats all around him started to laugh like humans would.

           “That always gets them,” the hairless cat laughed. She was laughing so hard she fell over into the couch cushions.

           “All of you,” Tina scolded, “What did I tell you about pranking my friends while you’re living here!”

           “Not to do it,” the scrunched-up face cat said as they wiped away a tear, “but they make it so easy to prank them.”

           Mikey stood there feeling super gross. Sure, he actively lives in a sewer system, but it’s not like he actively goes to roll around in sewage. Let alone actively wipe himself down with a cat pee towel.

           Tina sighed, then she waved Mikey over to her, “Come on. I’ll get the shower running for you.”

           Mikey, gratefully, followed Tina to the bathroom.

[just-phils-things]

Holy hell screw this game lol. The frustration is real with this one 😆

[unluckilylvcky]

TMNTherapy Group: Welcome Leonardo!

From ancient books of ninjitsu to comic books tucked neatly in the shelves, who better to confide in than the Leonardos? After all, the greatest honor a ninja could ever have is a nice cup of tea! Leonardo made sure that his comrades would feel right at home!

What is TMNTherapy Group about?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Therapy Group, or simply abbreviated to TMNTherapy Group or TMNT Group, is a fun little comic featuring your favorite turtles from all current running cartoon iterations joining together to, well... Get therapy! Or at least, that's what the turtles from the 1987 universe say. In OOC terms, yes, this is basically a crossover au.

Currently, the AU has 5 introduction comics (including this one), 1 filler comic and many more fun and angsty comics to come! Join the '87 verse turtles as they try their best to unite these 3 VERY different turtle iterations with each other! It's gonna be an... Interesting ride, to say the least. Stay tuned!

DO NOTE THAT :

This AU is strictly for fun and is only meant to explore the dynamic of each turtle iterations with each other! Nothing more, nothing less, just all 4 generations of turtles either venting to each other or having fun. None of this is meant to be reflective of real life scenarios, anything of the latter is completely unintentional.

You're gonna notice a watermark on most of these panels, and I can assure you that that is me; my old user! I unfortunately do not have the original files to these, nor do I have the time to redraw these to my current style. I'm pretty sure I stopped watermarking it with my old user after the Raph group intro :]

This was posted on Instagram during October 15th of last year!

Thought I should mention: The lineart quality for this AU is LARGELY inconsistent. I really just wanna have fun with this au so sometimes you're gonna see some clean and cool lineart, but mostly you're gonna have to deal with my sketchy lineart like in this comic haha

Seeing as Instagram is my main platform, you'll have to keep in mind that this format was made with the square format in mind. Stick with me here hehe :^))

Gonna start introducing Bonus Comics! These are just short disconnected comics that I usually include out of a whim. Just click on Keep Reading and you should see it! This will be the only time I'll mention these on the notes section.

<<< Previous: Teenage Mutant Ninja... Therapy Group?!

Next Up: TMNTherapy Group: Welcome Raphael! >>>

Bonus Comic:

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Pheebs' masterpost!

2k UIFY DTIYS!

COMMISSIONS: OPEN

Commissions info

Original Stories

The Future and a Robot

Character sheets

Origin comic

Animations: Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic 4

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My username is the same across all platforms: PhoebePheebsPhibs

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Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Until I Found You: an ROTTMNT separated AU

Character sheets and minor story explanations / Mikey's scars reference sheet

Mock interview

TMNT AU Competition: First post / No Fun in Fungus Crossover / TMNT AU Competition propaganda / The Tots' Arc / Family Reunion

The Other Side Animatic

Fic on AO3

Short explanation of the Bad Timeline

Fics

Hide & Seek: fic, short story, compendium

NFIF/UIFY Crossover / Alternate Ending

Double-Mutated Mikey 🎉(FINISHED)🎉: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. DM Mikey Housetraining Days, TCRI Chronological Order

TMNT Write-Fight Compendium

Comics

Draxum's Nightmare

Matching: a Turtle Tots comic

Sunset Duo: Carry Me Home

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Peaches - ROTTMNT OC

VelCro Duo - ROTTMNT OCs

Fix You — A Portal Pals Animatic : 1, 2

Lou Jitsu's Kids AU: Character designs, origins, tiny plots, rambles, inspiration artwork, sketch comic, Adoption photo

[artoatsblog]

What your favorite Nick toon says about you but it's EVERY Nick toon

Doug- When you were asked what you wanted for Christmas, you said "plan white bread."

Rugrats- You're a "90's kid" who wants the modern cartoon enjoyers to get off your lawn.

Hey Arnold-Same as Rugrats, but 5 time worse.

Rugrats (2021)- You only said this one to piss off the above two.

Ren & Stimpy- You're a gay man and all you OCs are ugly men who you need to kiss each other or else you'll die (This isn't an insult, you're the strongest member of our society.)

Rocko's modern life- You relate to at least one character way more than you would like to admit to others.

CatDog- Weird furry.

The angry beavers- Weird furry with taste.

Aaahh!!! Real monsters- You like the idea of Tim Burton's movies but your too cool to actually enjoy them, also your probably non-binary.

Kablam- As a kid you wanted to make something with this exact energy and now, you're a youtuber.

Oh Yeah! Cartoons- same as Kablam but you really miss Cosmo's old voice.

The wild Thornberry's- You worship the ground Tim Curry's walks on SO BAD.

Rocket power- Honest 90's kid.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 1-4- You're annoying about seasons 5+.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 5+- You know better than me about those people being annoying about seasons 5+.

As told by ginger- You were going to say Hey Arnold, but you didn't want to be lumped in with certain other people.

Action league now- You made at least five short films that look exactly like this.

Chalkzone- Your playlist for working out has the theme song for this show looped for five hours and nothing else.

The fairly oddparents- Your trans, and you hate no other person more than Elmer Hartman.

Invader Zim- You were a vary emo kid/teenager in the late 2000's (same, no shade)

Jimmy Neutron- you're really glad that that you picked the show in "Jimmy Timmy power hour" that wasn't made by an asshole.

All grown up- Come on guys "As told by ginger" is right there.

Avatar: the last airbender- I don't want to hear the lore of the fantasy book you wrote.

Avatar: the legend of Korra- Same as atla but You also made a LOT of shipping fanfics.

My life as a teenage robot- Transfem.

The X's- You don't exist, if you're going to go into the comments and say this is your favorite Nicktoon, you're lying.

El Tigre- This is just the good version of Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom- That was a Joke don't yell at me.

Mr. meaty- You want this odd but cool type of puppetry to come back (if you thought I was going to make fun of this one your wrong.)

Tak and the power of Juju- Your enjoyment of this show is based entirely on the fact that you liked the games.

Back at the barnyard- Shitposter.

Fanboy and Chum Chum- Shitposter but awesome.

Catscratch- Yeah, I think Wayne Knight's voice is hot too.

The mighty B- Gay.

The penguins of Madagascar- I don't have a joke for this one I just think you have impactable taste.

Planet Sheen- You always wanted Jimmy Neutron to have more "Rawr XD" swag.

T.U.F.F puppy- You ether are Jerry Trainor, or you have a Jerry Trainor stan account.

Kung fu panda: legends of awesomeness- You have a three-hour lore video on this franchise, and I hope it does well.

Winx club- You wanted to help them get free from Netflix.

Robot and Monster- It may just be me, but I think you might enjoy Dan vs.

Teenage mutant ninja turtles (2012)- You don't like rise of the tmnt.

Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles- You don't like tmnt (2012).

Sanjay and Craig- You used to freak other kids out with your scabs.

Monsters vs aliens- You can deny Coverton's rizz (sorry).

Breadwinners- Your about to go into every cartoon reviewers house with a shit ton of water balloons.

Harvey Beaks- In the middle/late 2000's you were more of a cartoon network kid, you loved Cowder.

Pig, Goat, Banana, Cricket- Same as Harvey Beaks but with Flapjack instead of Cowder.

Bunsen is a beast- Your Elmer Hartman.

Welcome to the Wayne- You wrote at least one fanfic for the ending of this show.

The adventures of kid danger- We don't talk about this one.

Middle school Moguls- it's ok monster high is about to come to Nick for real.

The loud house- Your ether a sapphic girl or a straight guy with a DeviantArt account who needs to be punished.

The Casagrandes- Same as the loud house but with the added advantages, because if you have a DeviantArt account in this one you're more likely to have a normal relationship with your family.

It's pony- You don't hate the British as much as the rest of us.

Middlemost post- John trabbic III is such a bad ass name though, wait this show has Del the funky homosapien and Tony Hawk as guest stars, I might need to which this.

Star trek: prodigy- You really like Netflix original animated shows don't you.

Big Nate- You haven't read the books.

Monster high- You the perfect in-between of goth and prep.

Transformers: earthspark- Why does this show have better non-binary rep than most other shows...I mean they are called Transformers for a reason.

[rainbowfoxes]

Yet Another IDW TMNT Theory: The Mystery of Donnie's Kids

Since the existence of Donnie's kids were first hinted at in #139, I have been foaming at the mouth about them. I adore turtle tots with my whole entire soul, so to say I was happy to have them confirmed in #146 is an understatement.

However, as we get closer and closer to #150 without seeing hide nor hair (or rather, shell nor mask) of these turtles, I become more and more insane about them and concerned that we will never see them at all, given the impending relaunch. I've got some Thoughts about these kids and since none of my friends read IDW TMNT, I'm going to inflict them upon you, the general public.

What are you even talking about, anyways?

For those of you who don't know, IDW! Donnie was recently confirmed to have kids in issue #146

[Image ID: Two panels from IDW TMNT #146. A young/current Donatello speaks with an elderly Leonardo. Their conversation is as follows: Leo: You created your children, and you left. Donnie: What? My Children?! Leo: Ah... I've said too much already. It's still hard for me to talk about. Donnie: I'm sorry, but... Is my future self still alive in this time period? Leo: Yes. He Lives in a Tower west of here, near Venus and Bludgeon's Aura Clan training grounds. :End Image ID]

These children were first hinted at in issue #139, during a vision Donnie had

[Image ID: A full page from IDW TMNT #139. Donatello holds a meditative hand sign with deep concentration as he sees four visions. The first is a vision of his past life as a human boy. The second is a vision of how he and Venus are connected through her having parts of his shell. The third is a vision of him looking into a tank containing four small turtles. The fourth is him in a cloak, holding a staff in one hand and small stick emitting some sort of energy in the other. In the air and on the ground around him are drawings of mutant turtles. behind him are three mutant turtles we've never seen before. There is a short monologue in text boxes scatter across the page. The text boxes read: "The lives you touch all have their own pasts and futures, and these are part of you, as well. And, in turn, your past and future are part of them. It is an eternal cycle. This is what the tenth cut represents. It is the whole." :End Image ID]

Now we don't know ANYTHING about these kids besides the fact that they exist. But there's enough hints available to us that I've come up with some Theories...

(Theories below the cut, to save you the long scroll)

Theory One: Donnie's Kids were Created Via Magi-Science

This one I'm pretty confident in. In #139 we see Donnie holding that weird looking stick. But this isn't the first time we've ever seen it! It actually first appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game — Alliance #4. Donnie, having been messing around with time manipulation, ends up in the future.

[Image ID: Two panels from IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game — Alliance #4. On the far left is a fully body image of a much older Donatello. He is wearing a ragged cloak and various mystical-looking accessories. In his right hand he carries a staff with some sort of skull strapped to the top. In his left hand he carries a small stick with a glowing crystal attached to the end. He is saying "... Before my memory is wiped of all of it." Behind him is a larger panel, set inside his workshop / wizard tower. It features a close up of old Donatello contemplating his stick, which now appears to resemble a pencil. Hiding in the background, young Donatello looks on, whispering "It's me." :End Image ID]

But more importantly, we see the stone on that stick even earlier! It's part of Donnie's Gofu, an amulet he made back in #132 with crystals from the thin place to help him channel mystic energy.

[Image ID: Two panels from IDW TMNT #132. In the top panel, Donatello contemplates a glowing green crystal. To the right, a textbox reads "Rin, the first cut, is 'strength' and 'confrontation.'" In the bottom panel, there is a multifaceted glowing green crystals wrapped neatly in what appears to be some sort of vine or twine. To the right, a textbox reads "It is courage and steeling oneself for what will be confronted." :End Image ID]

And in IDW TMNT #135 — which takes places before Alliance #4 — we see Donnie experimenting with some of the crystals. Most notably, we see it attach to a pencil on his desk.

[Image ID: A page from IDW TMNT #135. It depicts Donatello in his workshop, tinkering with his gauntlet and adding pieces of his mystic crystal into it. A small chunk attaches itself to the eraser of his pencil. Swirls of energy curl off the various chunks to twist around his outstretched hand. As he is working, he is speaking into a tape recorder. His monologue is as follows: Donatello: After cutting the thin place crystal into sections, the gauntlet installation is much smoother. The energy of the crystal fragments — I hesitate to say magic, maybe arcane energy is better? — is successfully powering Dr. Lilja's gauntlet, but it's inefficient. Until I can determine where the crystal's power actually comes from, I won't know what limits this energy has, both physical and temporal. In any case, it's a very promising start, and I hope whatever I can create with these materials... will be enough to protect my family, friends, and community. Seri, off page: Donatello? :End Image ID}

So you might be asking: What's so important about these dang crystals?

I'm glad you asked!

Way back during Mirage Vol. 1, the very first Micro-series came out. Donatello's book was a story called "Kirby and the Warp Crystal." In it, Don meets April's downstairs neighbor, an artist named Kirby (in honor of the late great Jack Kirby). Kirby has a magic crystal that, when strapped to his pencil, makes whatever he draws become real, but only for a short time before they disappear.

That in-of-itself gives credence to the theory that Donnie drew up his children, but wait, there's more!

Mirage Vol. 4 #22 it's revealed that April is a living drawing herself. After being unable to conceive a second child, her father found the crystal and discovered it's magical properties. First attaching it to a pencil, he drew up a bouncing baby girl, who disappeared after a short period of time. He tried several more times before giving up. But he had one last idea — he strapped the crystal to a pen and drew the baby one more time. And she remained real, growing into the April we know today.

So, not only is it possible to create life with the crystal, it's possible to create permanent life with it. And it's not just the Mirage crystal, either! in Alliance #4, we see old Donatello draw up his family so he can say goodbye to them.

[Image ID: Two panels from IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game — Alliance #4. In the top panel, old Donatello draws ghostly green images of his family onto a blank white background using a pencil with a glowing green crystal attached. In the bottom panel, he addresses the drawings of his family morosely, "Hey, guys." :End Image ID]

So knowing what we do, we can conclude that magic was definitely involved in the creation of the Donnie-Spawn. However, I do not believe it's the only factor. For one, these drawings of his family are generally lifeless and disappear quickly. For two, We did see him looking at those baby turtles, and there were all those drawings in that vision, too...

I posit that Donnie did his preliminary designs on paper, then used magic to mutate his children from ordinary turtles. It has a nice circularity to it, I think, considering Donnie's own origin as an animal test subject.

Also of note is that Sophie Campbell once said that she wanted to make a turtle character that was a drawing come to life but for the life of me I cannot find the source on that.

Theory Two: One of Donnie's Kids is Artemisia

This one is really just me going

[Image ID: The "I've connected the two dots." "You didn't connect shit." "I've connected them!" Meme from Buzzfeed: Unsolved. :End Image ID]

But I like it and you can't prove me wrong (yet).

In IDW TMNT #117, we get a shot of what the future Splinter Clan will look like.

[Image ID: A page from IDW TMNT #117. Along the bottom, the six core members of the Splinter Clan observe a portal haloed in sparking blue energy that shows them a glimpse of the future. The image shown to them is a camp set up in a desert. There is a small waterfall and what appears to be a Japanese maple tree in the background, as well as the ruins of skyscrapers to the right. The clan and their various allies are there, along with new members we haven't met yet. Despite the rough conditions, everyone looks happy. :End Image ID]

At the top left, sitting on a balcony, there is a mutant turtle. She has a bow and pink face paint. Her name is Artemisia — her name is not mentioned in the comic, of course, but we know this thanks to Sophie Campbell's presence here on Tumblr and the website formerly known as Twitter.

Notable about Artemisia is that she's the ONLY turtle in that glimpse into the future we haven't met yet.

I'd also like to draw attention back to the panel from #139:

[Image ID: A panel from IDW TMNT #139. It is framed in wispy purple smoke, indicating it's part of a vision. in the center foreground, Donatello stands wearing a dark cloak. In his right hand he carries a staff with a bird's head on it, in his left a short stick with a crystal emitting a magic aura attached to it. Behind him stands 3 mutant turtles. In the air above them and on the ground below them are drawings of mutant turtles. :End Image ID]

That turtle in the middle reads female to me. They have a more feminine shape language — wide hips and a slim waist, softer facial features, and the impression of wearing a skirt and crop top.

Plus the naming scheme fits. Artemisia is named for Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi — it would not be out of line for Donnie to name his kids in a similar manner to how he and his brothers were named.

And that's about it for this one, really. The only "extra" turtle we have is a girl, one of the Donnie-Spawn reads feminine, ergo Artemisia = Donnie-Spawn.

I will not be upset in the slightest if this is not the case; the more turtles the merrier if you ask me!

Other Interesting Information

There was once a TMNT TTRPG called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness. One of it's expansions, Road Hogs, included a small comic set in a post apocalyptic future that featured old man! Raph with three students he all calls Mike (I am SO NORMAL about that fact, I promise). This is likely the inspiration between the old man! Raph we've been seeing in the current arc, as well as potential inspiration for the Donnie-Spawn. Sophie Campbell is a fan of the TTRPG turtles, and even drew them herself. It would not be impossible for her to have drawn inspiration from there.

Sophie Campbell also created another turtle for the group shot in #117. His name is Kirby, but he didn't make the final cut. His name is clearly a reference to Jack Kirby (tin-foil hat time: which could be a link to the Mirage Donatello Micro-Series story). There's another scrapped turtle named Kirby (again, for Jack Kirby), who was going to be in the would-be fourth TMNT movie who could also be a source of inspiration. He was dimensional traveler. Make of that what you will.

Fero Pe's designs for the Donnie-Spawn remind me of the new turtles from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin — The Lost Years. Particularly, the one on the far left is rather large like Odyn, and the one on the right is tall and slim, a bit like Uno. Considering IDW TMNT #139 came out in April of 2023, and the first issue of The Lost Years came out in January of 2023, it's possible that this is a result of synergy at the office — artists taking inspiration from each other.

Donnie being spiritual/magical isn't entirely out of left field. In Rick McCollum's "Donatello: The Ring" and "Twilight of the Ring" stories, Donnie proves to be very spiritual. I believe it also makes sense specifically in this context, because the crystal has always been heavily associated with him, even after the reveal of April's true origins. It'd be Odd to give the Kirby Crystal to anyone else, and having him use it to create his children is a nice homage to the original. Which also — it didn't come up in the main post, but old Donatello leaves a note for himself that reads "Life at best is bittersweet." This itself is a callback to "Kirby and the Warp Crystal" as Kirby leaves Donnie a note reading the same thing just before his death.

Donnie's design as an old man could possibly be a reference to the character Tsou-T'an-Jin from the TMNT/ Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa crossovers, being an elderly, mystically inclined turtle. That would be a bit of a stretch, I think, but it's not off the table.

Unanswered Questions

How many kids does Donnie have? We see four turtles in the tank, but only three mutants. For there to be a "true" next-gen, there should be four (potentially five, if you include Jennika, or even six if we consider Venus) turtles. If Lita is included in the count, there could be three Donnie-Spawn, which would be in line with one of their potential sources of inspiration the TTRPG turtles. But there were four turtles in the tank Donnie looks at, and why wouldn't he make a "full set," so to speak? Were there four at one point, and something happened to the fourth?

Where are they? We only see Artemisia in the group shot from #117, and Leo is not specific about what happened to the kids after Donnie left, and that conversation takes place after that group shot. Where are the others? What happened to them?

Why did Donnie make them? We don't know why, exactly, Donnie made them. We just know they exist. Does he make them because he was told by future!Leo that they exist? Because he wants children? Because he's lonely? For some larger purpose?

PLEASE talk at me about IDW turtles. Do it in the reblogs, send me an ask, messenger pigeon, smoke signals — l do not care so long as it's about IDW turtles. Tell me your theories, argue with me about MY theories, I do not care. I am chewing on my own arms for lack of people to talk IDW TMNT with.

[whispering-about-the-tmnt]

Just posted a new recipe/short in my TMNT Cookbook!

Not sweets this time, but Sausage and Kale Soup... and a little bit about how Donnie (in my 70s AU, anyway) can't get enough spicy food!

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Review

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are about the show or the upcoming final season! :)

Stranger Things Reviews/Theories

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Lucas On The Line

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: Set before the events of Season 3, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max take a field trip with Mr. Clarke's class to New York City (with El secretly tagging along) to explore all the sights in the Big Apple. However, when the group gets separated from the class and encounters an old enemy, they're forced to join with some unexpected allies as they attempt to stop a world-ending threat........

Observations:

This is one of those comics where I wish I had been in the writers room so I could understand what their thought-process was.

The premise: Sometime in 1985, the Party is in New York City on a field-trip with Scott Clarke's class (why and how they get this trip arranged is never explained). Along the way, they split from the main group and end up lost in the underground subway. As they try to come up with a plan, they hear sounds coming from the tunnels and go to investigate. Guess who they end up running into?

DEMODOGS...........except with robotic parts attached to them?!

To make this more surreal, the Party gets saved by (you guessed it) the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMMTs for short):

Later on, after introductions are made and explanations given, the kids and TMNTs (with encouragement from their sensei Splinter) discover that:

a.) The robotic demodogs (referred to as Demomousers by Dustin) are being controlled by Baxter Stockman, a mad scientist who's one of the Turtles adversaries.

And b.) There's a gate in NYC allowing demodogs and demogorgons to come through, and the Mind Flayer is preparing to invade.

Realizing they need to join forces, the Party and TMNTs attempt to take down Baxter and the Mind Flayer before they bring ruin to the city.

If all of this sounds weird, you now know how I felt reading it.

I'll admit when it comes to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I'm not an expert. I have some knowledge of the franchise from when I was growing up, mainly from the 1987 cartoon and the first two live-action TMNT movies (no, NOT the Michael Bay produced ones), but as far as the comics go, I've never read the original ones. In terms of my knowledge:

I know the 4 turtles are named after famous Italian Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

I know they have a sensei named Splinter, a former human martial arts instructor from Japan named Hamato Yoshi who was transformed into a rat via a chemical mutagen (since the chemical mixes the DNA of living beings who've been in contact with one another, and Splinter had constantly been in contact with rats while living in the sewers).

I know that the turtles were originally ordinary turtles that Splinter adopted in the sewers before they also got infected with the chemical and (because they were in contact with Splinter when he was human) became humanoid turtles.

I know Splinter named and trained the turtles in ninjutsu, adopting them as his students/children.

I know Splinter and the Turtles arch-enemy is Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder. He was responsible for dumping the chemical that transformed them, he runs a criminal ninja organization called "The Foot Clan," and (in the 1987 TV show at least), he has two animal/human hybrid henchmen named Rocksteady and Bebop. Also, Shredder aims for world-domination.

I know Shredder was allied with an alien brain named Krang from Dimension X, and they operated from a station called the Technodrome.

I know there was a scientist named Baxter Stockmam (who's one of the main antagonists in this comic) who created MOUSERS (also present here) that did his bidding and reeked havoc.

I know about April O'Neil, the news reporter who is an ally to the turtles, and Casey Jones, a violent vigilante who wears an ice hokey mask and has a bag of weapons, who is also an ally to the turtles. They make a brief appearance in this comic towards the end:

Finally, I know about this earworm of a song:

Like I said, my knowledge primarily comes from the 1987 show and the first two movies. What little I'm aware of about the original comics is that the turtles all wore the same red-eye masks before later media would color-code each turtle (likely so audiences could tell them apart). In typical 80s fashion, the comics were dark and gritty. Judging by how the Turtles are depicted here in this crossover, it appears they based the Turtles characterizations off their original comic book iterations:

This brings me to one of my problems with the crossover: Because it's dead-set on portraying the characters in a grim fashion, it doesn't leave much room for humorous interactions between the turtles and the kids. What little humor is present is either forced, or just recycled jokes from the show. Stranger Things is rooted in the science-fiction/horror genre, but it balances it out by having funny moments between the characters to level out the tension. Same thing can be said for the 1987 TMNT cartoon: Part of what made that work is the creators realized how absurd the premise was, and embraced the weirdness while having fun with it. This comic expects the reader to take the story solemnly, and all it does is highlight the ridiculousness of its premise.

Another issue I have is the whole crossover aspect. I know this isn't unique to TMNT and characters from this franchise have done crossovers with Batman, Power Rangers, Street Fighter, Transformers, Archie Comics, etc. The difference though is that 1.) These were usually done with other superhero or cartoon characters franchises, and 2.) To my understanding, most of those crossovers weren't usually considered canon in either universe.

This comic on the other hand tries REALLY HARD to make itself canon in the Stranger Things universe by setting it between seasons 2 and 3, before The Battle of Starcourt:

On top of that, when the kids and the Turtles finally confront Baxter at his lab about his motivations, he reveals he was a colleague of Dr. Brenner, which is how he knew about El:

This ends up creating several plot-holes:

1.) You'd think that if the events in this comic took place in the show's continuity, the kids would have talked about it at least once during seasons 3-4. I have a hard time imagining, for instance, that Dustin wouldn't have been chatting Steve's ear off about encountering a bunch of humanoid turtles living in NYC sewers, or the Demomousers they had to fight off.

2.) Same problem with Baxter Stockman and Dr. Brenner's relationship: No mention of it on the show? That's not even including how this relationship is at odds with Brenner's character since he considered other people (even fellow scientists) to be beneath him in terms of intellect. Brenner was NOT a man who saw others as his equal.

3.) Since Stranger Things is a show set on referencing 80s media and paying homages to it, and since the TMNTs were a big franchise in the 80s, does that mean the first volumes of the TMNT comics that came out in 1984 don't exist in this universe? Especially when the kids reactions to first encountering the TMNTs is not knowing who they are:

I get that Stranger Things is a fictional show that requires suspension of disbelief when it comes to its science-fiction elements (i.e. The Upside Down, El's powers, etc), but for the most part, it was grounded in a believable way. By that, I mean its universe was set up to be one that could conceivably take place in this reality. From its references to historical moments that occurred in real life, to its disturbingly realistic portrayals of bullying, bigotry, Cold War paranoia, homophobia, racism, government corruption, abuse, forced conformity, trauma and grief, and other social issues, to the whole dynamic of the Party being outcasts trying to survive middle school and high school. It's a coming-of-age story that also acts as a deconstruction of the 80s, and uses science-fiction elements in service of that goal. I've talked before about the Upside Down being a not-so-subtle metaphor for Hawkins and the 80s as a whole: Things look shiny, bright, and appealing on the surface (especially since the 80s continues to be a decade our current culture is obsessed with romanticizing), but when you actually dig deeper, there is rot underneath.

By setting the Stranger Things universe in the TMNT universe, it breaks that illusion in favor of turning it into popcorn entertainment. Some would argue Stranger Things was already this to begin with, but considering how the Duffer Brothers incorporated the themes I've just described into their work when they could have ignored them altogether, and considering how Stranger Things has a passionate fanbase dedicated to analyzing the show, its characters, and how it acts as a commentary for events and situations in the present, I would argue the show transcends that in a way TMNT never could. This comic tries to achieve this, with the Turtles (and Splinter) preaching about the importance of friendship, how everyone has challenges, not being defined by where you come from, etc, but all of these themes were already examined on the show way before this comic ever came out (and in a much more satisfying manner). Here, it comes off as repetitive without offering anything new to the table.

This isn't to say that the comic itself is bad. It still has cool moments and impressive visuals, and the fights between the heroes and the monsters of the Upside Down are a treat to behold:

The levels of detail put into these images is impressive, and it's neat seeing each member of the Party take up weapons to deliver damage to the Mind Flayer and his monsters.

On top of that, there were elements in the comic that (whether intentional or not) tie into the show and leave a lot to chew on.

For example, the whole fight against Baxter Stockman's forces and the Mind Flayer gives an idea of what we might see in Season 5. Whether it's the main characters dealing with Colonel Sullivan (who's still set on capturing El) or Vecna's impending invasion.

Even Baxter Stockman and his ambush of the heroes reminds me of Colonel Sullivan and the soldiers under his command from S4:

There's also Will's description of the Upside Down being worldwide and how the dimension isn't just limited to Hawkins (which is something S4 also confirmed):

There's also the Turtles speculating that El's powers are tied to the Upside Down, which is something I've discussed in my reviews (specifically Six and Suspicious Minds):

Additionally, the comic introduces the idea that there are other dimensions out there besides the Upside Down that can be traveled to.

While I doubt the Utroms (i.e. the alien brains) that the Mind Flayer possesses will be making an appearance in season 5 (or the TMNTs for that matter), the idea of multiple dimensions is something the Duffer Brothers could explore in the final season. It could also give more detail about what the Upside Down is, and whether the Mind Flayer really was just black particles with no conscious that Vecna formed into his avatar, or it was a multi-dimensional conqueror (as I've seen speculated by parts of this fandom) and it was simply dormant until Vecna woke it up and started collaborating with it:

But like I said, this is all speculation.

Overall, my feelings about this comic are mixed: On its own, it's a decent read and has plenty of cool moments and creative imagery. However, when you look closely at the story and how it's supposed to tie into the Stranger Things universe.........it starts falling apart. I think fans will enjoy this crossover for the sheer entertainment of it, but I seriously doubt this is going to be counted as canon.

[my-name-is-bunnyfoxy]

TOP 10 FAVORITE ROTTMNT CHARACTERS

10) Big Mama

9) Baron Draxum

8) Kendra

7) Splinter/Hamato Yoshi/Lou Jitsu

6) Cassandra Jones

5) Casey Jones Jr.

4) Oroku/Hamato Karai

3) Raphael Hamato

2) April O'Neil

1)Leonardo Hamato

Happy 5th Anniversary Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I'll always appreciate you for being the thing that brought my love for TMNT back and got me all obsessed over it again. Plus it helped me a lot since I got back to TMNT in 2022.

While it is most likely you will probably not return, I will still hold you close to my heart and love you with every inch of my body. Even if it's cancelled or nah I don't care. I love you a lot.

Thank you and shout out to the creators for bringing such an amazing series. It's sad to know that it lasted really short but hey. Whether it will come back or won't, we can still love it all we want.

So thank you ROTTMNT.

[akimasuri]

Blood warning on second picture

Leonardo, leader of his family (but just on missions)

Big, big info dump and some doodles (and my rant):

Also I know I fucked up and wrote 27/7, let's just ignore it for now

Leonardo's trauma response was becoming the funny one.

If you laugh loud enough, no one will notice darkness inside of you.

- or something like that, pretty sure that's how Raph commented on it. Leo is not so sneaky about seriousness of his trauma. But he will fight and win. You just have to hope he will listen to at least one thing he heard from countless speaches.

It's not a final character sheet for Leonardo. (it's his second one actually) But I like writing informations. I'm a writer... After that, an artist.

And

Most important. I finally got a name for them. First, they were supposed to have some sort of mutation powers (probably still will, just weaker), definetly not the level of RotTMNT guys.

But then I changed kinda concept. I like slice of life parts of TMNT, so I decided to make them focus on it more. (except Leonardo, but someone has to collect trauma like pokemons)

So, there it is, I present to you all:

Family of Mutant Ninja Turtles

Or FoMNT for short. They are different age, so Teenage part had to go.

Also, I like to think that is really more family of that 4. Don't worry, Master Splinter, April and Casey exist in this world. Just, some of them are different.

April has a concept almost finished. Casey is just a few quotes. And Master Splinter has a story for now and future, but I'm missing design.

What is consistent style :)

[nintendowife]

I'm super late to the party but I finished Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge on PC about a week ago. What a pleasant nostalgia trip! I used to be a big fan of TMNT as a kid. Feels like it wasn't long ago that I was running around with a shell made out of cardboard strapped on my back and pretending to be Turtles with my friends (ok, actually that was over 30 years ago and now I almost hear the crowd go "whatever, grandma").

Anyhow, the game is quality stuff! You should play it if you even remotely like side-scrolling beat 'em ups. Gameplay is fun, the pixel graphics are beautiful, detailed and humorous. Level design is quite good and there's plenty of interesting environments to go through and there's a co-op possibility. The soundtrack is very good and in some songs they had even managed to capture that 90s recording sound.

I started with Donatello who is my favorite turtle and at some point I noticed April O'Neil is a playable character too, so I tried playing as her as well. I ended up liking her agility and combos. The characters learn new moves as the game progresses so there's more to do than just press one attack button.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a nice short game and it took me 3-4 hours to finish the story mode (Chill difficulty level). There's replay value in form of clearing additional challenges, seeing all the characters' endings, etc. There's many difficulty levels to adjust for your own skills/preferences. I had fun playing this via Game Pass and maybe you'll find an enjoyable game here too.

[verybigvag]

Harmony

Teenage mutant ninja turtles

Summery

After everything that happened; even if they are no longer enemies, there are unresolved issues lingering in the air between them. Little did Karai and April know this conversation was inevitable. It's what they needed.

This would theoretically take place after season 4, ep. 16: Broken Foot and before ep. 17: The Insecta Trifecta.

This is my first fic ever and I'm pretty nervous about it as I've wanted to write fics for years but this is now me taking the first step. To anyone who happens to read this, I hope y'all enjoyed it. I would like to do more fics going forward but I can't say they'll be immediate though. Also I would like to get into other fandoms besides TMNT. Anyway, thanks again if you read this, I hope to be back here again soon.

Posted on my AO3, feel free to subscribe to me there! 2k+ words

~

“Do you remember when we first met?”

Karai disrupted the tense silence like a rock shattering glass. There was a soft ringing in April's ears as the words echoed, her body could only stiffen awkwardly. She knew the brevity of speech would come to an end, but the words chosen almost seemed unwarranted… Almost.

April looked off to the distant sky line of towers and skyscrapers as she sat on the concrete edge. Initially unable to find the intent to face karai, but when the redhead finally forced herself to look over her shoulder, the fellow Kunoichi gazed to the right of them; unwilling to make eye contact.

“uhh, why do you ask?” When finally replying back, she made sure her tone was as simple as possible.

Even though it happened almost a long time ago, negative feelings were heavily associated with their first interaction. April always told herself she'd grown past it, Learned from it (which was true of course) she remained resentful; but worst of all, scared of the new enemy. Now with more than just the Kraang to worry about, splinter decided it would be best for April to remain in the sewers for her protection. It wasn't what she wanted but it was the best way to protect her. She’d spent so many nights, training sessions and moments alone, internally questioning her defensive abilities, how it wasn't enough and she hated it.

The quietness rang longer than expected, but finally a deep breath broke free from karai. “I never… apologized for that.”

That wasn't too bad of a start, it was better than nothing after all and it definitely had April paying attention now.

“I was so focused on my vendetta, I never thought of-” it was like the words were caught in her throat.

“I never thought how wrong I could've been but to find out I was raised with a lie like that.”

“You mean about your mother…”

The words reigned with sympathy, enough for Karai to finally look back at her and nod.

“Yeah.” It was the truth after all. Both shared a similar pain in their gut.

Neither knew where to go from here. April had given in to the strain on her neck and faced back forward, Leaving karai no choice but to take the first step forward. It was only a few short feet needed to make it at the ledge and awkwardly setting herself down right beside April; both immediately tensing at the now occupied space.

Who knows why Leonardo would set these two on patrol together, one would think he'd be more interested in partnering himself with Karai but it really doesn't matter now.

They weren't on bad terms, good might as well a fine word at best. Just acquainted if anything. Weird isn't enough to describe the allyship given the familial relation karai had with the turtles, Splinter and to an extent, April. Realistically a stranger shouldn't know the nuanced details of what life was like before what became of Karai, yet April did. Now they're alone.sitting on this cold ledge together, contemplating the day at murakami's shop.

“You know…It's not your fault,” April started.

It's almost like she deflated; ready for the wind to drag her away, but she persisted.

“s-some things are just beyond our control.”

Giving comfort to others was something April didn't do much, especially people she didn't know but what else was there to be said, especially now?

Karai could only give April a questioning look, hazel eyes scanning the reluctant face.

“I see…” Everything was still as she soaked up the words, It sounded like something splinter might say. Just the thought of him made her smile.

Life is strange like that. To think of the events that lead to our current point in time, even if we weren't involved directly.

“I suppose you're right.” Karai sighed “To be honest, I wish I had more control of things.”

“...me too.”

While there wasn't much said, it felt nice for both of them to know they weren't alone in their stances. There was an odd comfort found in it.

April took this moment to lose herself in her memories. Going back again to that day, being chased and cornered. She almost lost, could have been taken but by sheer luck, found an opening. An opportunity to take advantage of. “When you told me those things, I didn't know what to think. I don't think I'm special-”

“Wait, I don’t-”

“Karai let me finish?” The raised tone caught them both off guard. April paused to compose herself, taking a deep exhale before apologizing and continued.

“I didn't want to be special. I just wanted my life to be- in order… I just wanted my dad back. I lost my mother, I didn't wanna lose him too.”

This admission wasn't surprising but Karai's irises dilated for a moment, catching her off guard just like the first time she heard the confusion. That pain of being tumbled down the metro stairs seemed to shroud her once again. Given the situation Karai never held that against April, she was only protecting herself. Like she always had to.

“It's stupid, I know.” An exasperated groan left April's life as she massaged her Temple, believing the self deprecation would alleviate any embarrassment she felt after her statement, but she was thankfully met with reassurance.

“No, it's not.” Karai began, her voice the softest it's ever been.

“You were the center of an alien conspiracy, protected by mutants, trained by a great ninjutsu master, and now a kunoichi for one of the possibly last Ninja Clans left in the 21 century. That's pretty Stupid if you ask me.” only a jaded smile remained on Karai lips.

There’s an angst that settled in the air between that lasted just for a moment.

“Oh, my god you're right.” April’s hand went to trap the erupting chuckle, instead a soft muffle was heard. It was so silly after all. To think of everything that happened, it was a lot for one to deal with. It was a Marvel to think April was still here on earth. To have this moment of peace, and it was so nice. So, so nice.

For once, everything felt so still, so calm. Tranquility seemed like a rarity nowadays.

The turtles, April. Karai. They had more in common than they'll admit. The way a single man who’s obsession burned like a scorch from the sun, to affect them the way it did. Yet nobody ever wanted to talk about it, how could they? It seemed easier to forget and to just live on. The only time it was ever brought up was a private moment between Karai and Michaelangelo.

He was always so thoughtful, open-minded and emotional, and even angry under his chill and bubbly front. It was genuine of course but Mikey couldn't help but let down his guard, especially for his sister.

It was a brisk conversation. There were some things she couldn't answer for him but he understood that. At the end Mikey had given karai and hug so friendly, tight and caring; it almost made her uncomfortable but it was just how he was and she was ok with that. Never had everyone been so overly affectionate with her in such a manner, or affectionate at all for that matter.

It was different being here with April, watching her hold back laughter from a snarky comment. Karai didn't really see the humor in it. Maybe it was just a way to cope, to find the sense of comedy in those unforeseen circumstances. Unfortunately she didn't laugh much, or nothing could make her laugh like how another person would.

“Is it really that funny?” Karai’s head tilted in confusion.

“No…but yes?” The last remaining chuckles seeping out of April, giving her lungs room to breathe.

“I don't know, but I think so anyway.”

“I see.”

As the silenced peck, both only made eye contact and gave reassuring smiles. It gave them each other time to really study the other's face.

Karai finally realized just how large and blue April's eyes were. A deep hue that was uncommon, almost a little strange to her. Especially with bright ginger hair to contrast. Some couldn't help but think of the logistics of it.

“I just have to ask, do you ever think about…this?” Karai motioned her index finger in a circular motion, indicating at April's bust.

“What- y-you mean me?” A now confused April, her tone almost offended.

“No? I mean your whole, red hair and blue eyes…you're the only person I meet with recessive traits like this.”

“R-right…yeah.” It took a few seconds to understand what she meant. Genetics talk wasn't something she ever partook in. Except with the one exemption when Donatello explained how rare her gene combination was. She had already known how uncommon her hair type was but it made her head spin to realize the rarity of her gene combination.

“I've heard that alot.” April fingers began to fidget with each other as one of her thumbs began to rub against the leather of her suit.

“how people would assume both my parents were redheads. My dad was a ginger. My mom is the one with blue eyes…”

Karai’s face had fallen, but it was noticeable for anyone to notice. The way it seemed to be a sore subject for them both. At this moment though, there was a new interest, a curiosity in each other that extended beyond just them.

“What was she like? If you're ok to talk about it I mean.”

“Oh, it's ok…it's just- I never really knew her. I was really young but I have some good memories.” Off-putting ones she'd rather not reveal either, perhaps a story for another day.

“Even if I didn't know a lot, I still love her, I miss her and I feel maybe…it's wrong to feel that way with how little I knew her.” There was a heavy swallow from April, she closed her eye’s to deeply inhale. An attempt to stop the heavy weight in her irises.

“It's not wrong.” Karai interjected, a new sadness in her that she made sure to tame.

“I never knew mine. she di-... She was killed when I was only a few months old.” The correction in words seemed like an unusual thing to correct but it meant something to Karai. A truth she wished for soon but now, there is no need to hide what really happened.

“I can't help but think about her often. Wondering. Wishing for what could've been..” She sighed.

“All I had was a torn picture that Saki let me keep. He'd never really talked about her, he’d just tell that she was ‘the love of his life, and if only she was here with us.’, A truth to cover twisted lies really.”

April had given up trying to remain disciplined and let her eyes water. She's heard the story from splinter and the turtles, the first time even made her shed tears. Initially Yoshi was always brief and vague with his previous life, the implications were always unsettling to say the least. It made sense why he was always so distant, that isn't to say was not inattentive to his sons. Every parent has their issues somewhere, it's a given but truthfully Splinter could have been more emotionally available to his son's and in turn the turtles would have learned this, but it was never something to hold against splinter. Despite appearances, he's still human.

“I'm…I'm really sorry.” The words were crinkled as April attempted to wipe the watery residue from her eyes, even worried how she would be perceived at that moment but she was thankfully met with reassurance.

“It’s ok….well, ok isn't the right word but I think you understand what I mean. I'm sorry too.”

“Thanks.” April nodded back as she got the last of the watery residue from her eyes.

It was an unexpected thing to do. Neither didn't realize how they were now seated closer together; close enough for April to lean her head to rest on Karai's shoulder, sending a shiver up her spine at the physical proximity. She felt conflicted…or did she? It was hard to articulate how she felt about this. It was completely harmless but yet, karai didn't think she deserved this, the comfort.

Her lips pierced together as she thought about what to say, what to do. There wasn't a coherence thought in her head, it started small but now it feels like bees have somehow found their way into Karai's skull, a colony buzzing around as they did so many things at once.

Is this ok? Do I want to feel ok with this? Is April-

“Hey. it's ok."

It's like she knew the perfect time to interrupt Karai's headspace, making her chest deflate. It honestly wasn't hard for April to feel the other's rapid heartbeat. The swarming cloud that only April can feel. She didn't know how to help but the only thing that seemed appropriate was reassurance.

A weight seemed to be lifted from the atmosphere, as if the air became cool, flowing freely and Safe to inhale. Safe.

“Is this o-ok?” April asked quietly, but never lifting her head.

A hum rang from karai, letting her guard down just enough. Heart rate sinking to a steady place, and her head leaned to her right, resting on April's. Their shoulders connected, causing a meek smile to grow on Karai's face.

“Yeah. I think so.”

[bucketofbugz]

TMNT Masterpost

Aka the post that connects all my tmnt things. Great, huh?

Anyway.

I am the #1 fan of the Brains n Brawn duo. They are THE siblings ever. [I have a sideblog where I compile every post I see of them] I am also a huge fan of Raph. Live laugh love Raph [One of my ____posting tags is dedicated to her]

My official iteration tags:

rottmnt- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mutant mayhem- TMNT: Mutant Mayhem tottmnt- Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I have like 30 rottmnt aus but I only talk about a few of them:

One Turtle Short of a Lair- Splinter dies while freeing the freshly mutated turtles from Draxum's lab, and the turtles have to survive in New York alone. Also Mikey's missing. Fun! [Ao3 series collection] [Start of the Bad Future Comic] Mama's Wishes- All four main series turtles are raised by Big Mama and Draxum, while Venus and Jennika are raised by Splinter. [The fic] [The askblog] [Sibling Bonding oneshots] Magic and Masks- Splinter only managed to save Mikey from the exploding lab, leaving the other three (four) behind. Raph and Donnie (Rose and Dawn) end up in witch town while Leo ends up in the pirate bazaar. Also Big Mama's there being a horrible mother to Jennika!! [Leo oneshot] Sole Successor- The original plot of Mama's Wishes before I decided I wanted to make it sillier (didn't have the confidence to make it serious. But I do now. So we get this). Aka literally the exact same universe and setup as MW but Big Mama is significantly worse of a person and also refuses to let Draxum coparent with her. [The fic] Grounded x rottmnt- The turtles get shrunk. Follows the same plot as the game Grounded by Obsidian Entertainment Rise of the Hollow Knight- Mixed the Hidden City with Hallownest and am simply writing down what resulted from that. The turtles are vessels, Draxum is the Pale King. and NO I have had to answer this question Splinter is NOT the white lady there is no white lady it is all Draxum. [Sunita oneshot] Apocalypse Children- The Foot Clan decided to release the Kraang before the Shredder, and much earlier. Instead of being mutated to save Yokai from humanity, the turtles were mutated to save the earth from the Kraang.

I also have a few fanmade iterations of my own:

Ruins- My very first tmnt iteration! Holds a special place in my heart but I also hate it. Almost everything on this iteration is quite old and could use a redo. If you know this au through the iteration comp no you don't <33 [Oneshot Spiralling] [Main Ruins Masterpost] TMNT Overgrown- A good chunk of New York got very very very messed up in a nuclear incident!! Now it has to be contained. There's nothing living inside there but plants I promise there are no mutants I swear. Underwater Iteration- I've posted absolutely NOTHING about this!! And I never will!!!! But it's pretty much a "fanmade iteration meets separated au meets mermaid au" iteration. Iteration 4- Yes that is its name it will never be changed. Hamato Yoshi, along with his two sons (Leo and Mikey) get kidnapped and mutated by Yoshi's old rival (Shredder). And bonus! Their two pet turtles got mutated too. So now they live in the sewer and also have to take care of these two mutant turtles out of like. moral obligation I guess. [The oneshot] Collaborative Effort- The turtles & everyone else that's important are a bunch of highschool students wanting to make an amateur short film!! It's also a horror film because why not? you get to see your friends get murdered on screen. The theme park one- ..I genuinely do not know what I was doing with this one. Kind of a crack iteration I guess? They live at a theme park and pretend to be mascots. April works there and knows they aren't mascots but lets them stay anyway because they fight off weirdos. Found Family- Apocalypse iteration!!! Freaky lil alien turtles and orphan April and Casey.

[reelvibes91]

Top 10 Movies of 2023

10. The Creator - It had a really poignant message about how far we can take technology. Can we replicate the human experience but have it be placed in a human body. It raises the questions about what the future of warfare will look like. Add in some of the most stunning visuals that have been seen in a sci-fi movie, and the final product leaves you in a debate. One that does not have a wrong answer.

9. Scream 6- Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera return as the Carpenter sisters, and this film takes the franchise to a new location. Changing up the scenery allowed for fresh thrills to be infused into this series and created a new level of tension. It was a very solid entry as it developed the legacy characters more and continued to give depth to the new core 4. Very good movie.

8. Talk to Me- One of the most original horror films that has been released in a long time. It plays on themes of loss, the supernatural, what happens after death and contact with the world beyond our own. It is well made, well acted and completely immerses you in this unique premise. This is a gem among other films that thankfully makes the list due to other films being pushed back beyond 2023.

7. The Killer- Fassbender is a revelation in this stylish action thriller. It may have a simple plot but sometimes all you need to do is breathe fresh life into something that has been done before. Fincher relies on the fast talking narrative and multiple set pieces to beautifully craft this story that plays out before us. It works and excels because you connect with the story and want to see how it plays out.

6. The Super Mario Bros- This film sat atop the list for a long while but ultimately found itself bumped down. It is such a fun experience for anyone who grew up with the games and a delight to share with the younger generation. This is the single movie from this year that has played the most in my household. It holds so much Nostalgia and brings such a smile to my face.

5. Air- Ben Affleck brings this story to life in such a compelling manner. For anyone who followed MJs career this story is not new. For those who have forgotten MJ used this platform to become the single most recognized athlete of all time. This story, this deal and how it played out changed the landscape of the name, image, likeness game. The Air Jordan symbol is truly iconic and now this film will fully cement that legacy within cinema. Absolutely the kind of film we need more of.

4. Oppenheimer- When Nolan's career is said and done there will be so many achievements we can look back upon. This one will be considered the most important due to the historical nature of it. The way Nolan paints the picture of how this all came to be is a crowning achievement in film making and could likely win the director a slew of awards. Nolan knows how to make a stunning film while getting the most out of his cast and he was some amazing talent to choose from here. 

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse- Miles Morales is my favorite Spider-Man and this movie continues to showcase all the reasons why he is a phenomenal character. The sequel also added more layers to how the multiversal aspect of it all works. Easily some of the best animation we have ever seen. This film is on the short list for best picture at the Oscars and definitely deserves all the praise it is getting. 

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - No kid grew up in the 80s and 90s without knowing who the Ninja Turtles are. Now we have them present for the next generation and what a treat it was. There was so much story and world building in just over 90 minutes. You could feel the chemistry among the actors as well as they brought the brothers to life. The animation was once again on point, and the stellar cast overall helped bring the classic characters to life. This is the TMNT movie we have been needing for the last decade or more.

1 Killers of the Flower Moon- This 3.5 hour long Martin Scorsese epic told probably the most heartbreaking story of the year. What we see in this movie is the death and betrayal of the Osage people. Led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone this is the type of story that needs to be told to help educate people on the past. The Osage murders were about greed and corruption. Scorsese continues to make films with bold statements and that will help preserve the truth about history.