Tmnt Leo - Blog Posts

Tmnt As The Grinch Quotes

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Leo-

Raph-

Donnie-

Mikey-

Splinter-

April-

Casey-

Vern-

The Turtles-

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Have a very Merry Christmas guys!😄🎅🏻☃️❄🎁.

Favourite moments: Leonardo and Michelangelo

So cute

Nii-san ~

Leo: Konnichiwa Méla-chan.

Méla: Ah ! Konnichiwa Leonardo ~

Leo: … You know, you don’t have to call me that.

Méla: What ?

Leo: I noticed I’m the only turtle you don’t call by his nickname. Raph Mikey and Donnie are okay. You even gave them personal nicknames. But not me.

Méla: …

Leo: Is there a reason ?

Méla: U-uhm… Maybe because I respect you more ? I’m sorry, I never noticed before today…

Leo: Don’t worry. I know I look strict and intimidating sometimes since I’m the leader, but you and I are friends, you don’t have to be that respectful with me.

Méla: … *Shyly nods her head* Hai.

Leo: *Smiles* How about you try it now ?

Méla: … Okay…

[Nii-san = big brother]

Leo: !!!

Méla:… Leo ? Daijoubu?

Leo: Y-yes I’m fine. (Kawaii.)

-

Fanarts by @kawaiibunga​

You sat at the table, looking at the box while fumbling with it in your hands

Only a couple weeks ago, the turtles interrupted you while you relaxed in the comfort of your apartment

You were unwinding after a long day, bathed in candlelight and sipping on some sweet wine

Suddenly Mikey and Raph crashed down on your balcony while Leo and Donnie were standing in the hallway (damn them for being ninjas)

And it was no accident, they intentionally scared the living fuck out of you

Throwing the glass of wine across your living room you let out a high pitched scream and fell to the floor

As they were all laughing hysterically, you made it your mission to get back at them

So you waited patiently until the right moment would present itself

And today it finally did

Tearing at the tape of the cardboard box, you ripped it open and triumphantly eyed the object inside

Quietly getting to your feet, you lightly stepped towards the dojo

Stopping at the door, you grasped at the knob and ever so slowly turned the handle

Silently peering in, you saw the turtles in the middle of the room

Sitting in an indian style pose, their hands on their knees in an om position, eyes closed, they all quietly meditated

Keeping your intrusion a secret, you leaned your hand into the slightly opened door, grasping at the white can

Using your index and middle fingers, you positioned them on the button of the small red horn

Using your other hand, you braced yourself on the door frame

This was it, you were going to get even with them

Firmly pressing down on the red controller the sound almost took your breath away

The damn Titanic might as well have been pulling into port with the booming blare coming from the small white can

Slamming the door shut while falling back, you laughed your ass off while leaning on the floor

You could here the cacophony of yelling and cuss words coming from turtles inside

Quickly getting to your feet, you ran down the hall and heard the door swing open

You may have gotten even, but the thunderous footsteps running towards you signified you were in for a serious ass whooping

I was bored at work when this little drabble came into my head. My mind is a scary place sometimes. Much love 😘🤣

TINY TURTLE-

For TMNT 2012 Fanfic Writers, Can I Have Some Pointers on How to Portray The Characters as Close to Canon?

I’m storyboarding a long TMNT 2012 fic and I’m nervous that I won’t portray the characters accurately.

I need some pointers.

Here are the characters:

1. The Turtles

2. April & Casey

3. Splinter

4. Karai

5. Shinigami

6. Tiger Claw

7. Mighty Mutanimals

8. Mona Lisa

9. Renet

10. Alopex

11. Pulverizer/Timothy

12. Fugitoid

13. Bishop

Thank you so much to anyone who replies.

-I imagine Rise Usagi as a teenager like Rise Leo. All Leos and Usagis are in the same age range.- *2003 & 2012 Leonardos having a conversation*

2012 Leo: So, anything going on with your version of Usagi? *asks shyly and awkwardly*

2003 Leo: *slightly blushing* What?

2012 Leo: Don’t worry. Me too. *winks*

2003 Leo: *relieved* Not great, it would be better-

2003 & 2012 Leos: if he didn’t keep brotherzoning me.

*both surprised*

2003 Leo: He does it to you too.

2012 Leo: Yeah, and I can trying to get out of it.

*Rise Leo suddenly shows up*

Rise Leo: I don’t know about you guys. *brings out Rise Usagi(his boyfriend)* But Neon Leon is doing fantabulous!

Are There Any Actors That You Want to Voice a TMNT Character?

I don’t really have that many since I never really focus on a celebrity’s voice and say, “Their voice can fit this character.”

But, if I think about it for a moment, I think Jesse McCartney(he voices Nightwing in Young Justice) would be good for Leo or Donnie since Nightwing is generally similar to them.

Ryan Potter could be a good Leo or Mikey since he’s done a fun and naive kind of character like Beast Boy from Titans.

Maybe Will Smith could be a good Bebop. 2012 Bebop had this sly, comedic attitude and I think Will Smith would do a good job.

Ron Pearlman would do really good as Bishop similar to the 2003 series. He has a sinister and calculated voice he used for Slade from Teen Titans.

Stephanie Lemelin(Artemis from Young Justice) would be a cool choice for a more tough and badass April.

I’m interested to see you guys’ choices. 😁

*If you have a specific voice your voice actor choice does, can you mention that so I can what your choice fully meant. Thanks.*

From Most to Least Favorite, How Would You Rank Each TMNT 2003 Seasons?

1. Season 4

Really enjoyed Leo’s arc. I love focusing on the effects the traumatic situation had on a character’s mental health. This season improved Leo greatly.

My only gripe is I wished Bishop was a major villain.

9/10

2. Season 3

I liked a lot of the episodes and it had my favorite final stories like Ultimate Draco and Exodus.

Same As It Never Was was probably my favorite episode, though I wished there was more payoff with it afterwards.

8/10

3. Season 2

S2 has my second favorite finale with the Battle Nexus, and it was an improvement of S1.

It was the season that really got me into the show.

Usagi was a great addition. He’s one of my favorite characters.

7/10

4. Season 1

I didn’t get into this season until the Shredder was a major part of it. I mostly found the introductory episodes meh but it was probably because I wasn’t used to the new iteration yet.

It’s higher since the next seasons are not as great.

6.5/10

5. Season 5

I liked the concept but the execution was not as great.

The plot felt rushed and the villain was meh because it was another Shredder. I would’ve enjoyed the story more if it was a new villain.

The other 4 acolytes didn’t serve a purpose other than the writers trying to digress how special the turtles are, which didn’t work since the turtles became the dragons like their mystical instructors.

6/10

6. Season 6

The new setting and concept barely keeps this season from last place.

It was a new fresh take, but the more childish tone ruined it for me. Total tone shift distract me most of the time.

The Dark Turtles, Cody, and Sterling were cool editions tho.

5.5/10

7. Season 7

The last season was… disappointing.

I would’ve preferred this season being about the Turtles learning how to relax after all that happened to them. Like, a moment when everything is peaceful and they are not needed to protect the city. Exploring how to move on from their sense of purpose would’ve been fun to see. It would’ve coincided well with April x Casey’s wedding since they are also move towards a different path.

4.5/10

Comment your thoughts

2012 Karai & Her Foot Arc

Wouldn’t have been cool if there was an arc about Karai and her journey of becoming a leader and redeeming the Foot?

I would’ve loved to see that. Karai got really sidelined after S2 and it sucked. I liked her and wanted to see more. She could have learned how to be a leader from Leo, it would be fun brother/sister bonding. Don’t you think? 😁❤️

Can I also say that her new foot ninjas are crappy fighters? They either lose tremendously, don’t do anything, or run away. Shini is the only good one. The previous foot ninja may not have been amazing fighters, but at least they weren’t chickens. 😂

I wish that was a storyline in season 5 instead of the arcs we got(mostly Mutant Apocalypse, I don’t like that arc).  

Also, did Karai seem weaker in the later seasons?

Compared to the earlier seasons, her fighting skills are lackluster in S4 and 5. Maybe it’s because of the mutagen in her blood or she relies on her snake too much? I don’t know but something felt off when watching Karai fight.

She also kinda lost her edge. In the first two seasons, she was cunning, flirtatious, and pretty much a badass. Now, something is off. I can’t really describe it.

My Version of the Hamato Family

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and liking part one. It made my day!

So, this is where I shine in writing. I love creating characters and their backstory; it’s so fun. I think it is more important to focus on characters than the plot since a character can create the storyline- well at least for me.

I’m excited to share! Hope you enjoy!

Comment your thoughts! It would be cool to read them! 😁

……………………..

 Leonardo:

We’re starting with the usual leader-in-blue!

Although I adore Leo, his “perfect” personality can get a little boring. His versions usually have flaws, though they are the kind that makes you sympathize with him rather than feeling indifferent like with Raph’s anger issues.

Season 1 Leo would be a toned-down Rise Leo. He can be cocky when he succeeds over his brothers and would jokingly comment how he is Splinter’s favorite. However, it doesn’t come without hard work. Leo trains the most out of his brothers and spends most of his time studying fighting techniques. He is not naturally talented in ninjitsu like the past incarnations. Also, Leo’s motivations for training very hard and wanting to be leader is more for himself than anything.

Compared to his brothers, Leo was relatively average. Donnie was extremely smart, Mikey had his kind and joyful soul, and Raph was naturally a great fighter. Leo felt left out and decided that training to be a hero would be his way of standing out. He also believed that being special like his brothers was the only way to get Splinter’s attention; and it kind of worked. With all the progress Leo made, Splinter praised him, and they had a way to connect.

Around the beginning of S1(maybe ep. 5), Leo became the leader though how was different. Instead of Splinter deciding, the brothers did; the explanation was the turtles were a team and should make a consensus as one. This news made Leo ecstatic; he was finally living his dreams. Even so, he didn’t realize the baggage and responsibility a leader had to shoulder. Over the course of the story Leo grows as a great leader and fighter.

The Karai/Leo subplot will follow the 2003 version. He is convinced that Karai is a good person and tries to have her switch sides. There will be romantic feelings but its not the main motivation for both of their actions. I can’t say too much since this plot revolves around Karai more.

   Donatello:

Donnie is a blend of 2003/12 versions. He is intelligent with an extremely high IQ and was a gifted child. However, his intelligence came with a cost; making connections with his brothers and father was really tough for him because of their different interests. This left him withdrawing from everyone and focusing on his inventions. His social skills evolve once the turtles visit the city and meet April. The increasing danger of the Kraang further builds his relationships since communication is important in teamwork, and Donnie’s talent in inventing grew more in the spotlight.

Because of her fascination with Donnie’s smarts and inventions, April and Donnie become good friends as the story continues. Donnie also gets close with April’s best friend, Irma since they are science lovers. At first, Casey irritates him as they have clearly different personality; Casey’s impulsive and extroverted attitude conflicting with Donnie’s plan-based mindset.

Donnie’s love for his family is showcased after witnessing a terrifying, apocalyptic future where his family suffers. Paranoia sets in. His work to calculate the cause of this terrible, and its solution leads Donnie to rarely take care of his needs. He has to learn to trust in others instead of doing things alone.

 Raphael:

Unlike Leo, Raph is instantly gifted in fighting. He has more physical strength than his brothers and would constantly beat them in practice. Since childhood, Raph was Splinter’s “favorite” in the dojo and that definitely got into the red-banded turtle’s head. He would brag to his brothers and jokingly poke fun at their techniques. It wouldn’t affect anyone. Except for Leo.

Raphael’s ego started taking hits once Leo caught up to him and beating him in practice once in a while. It turned into anger after noticing Master Splinter praising Leo more. The tension soured their brotherhood. Unlike most versions, Raph’s anger is fueled by insecurity. He believes that fighting is the only thing he is good at and will get territorial if his spotlight is threatened.

Throughout the story, he learns to move on from his demons and realize his worth.

Family is important to Raph. He can be hard on his brothers yet will do anything to keep them safe, especially Mikey- his positivity must be protected. Casey and Raph become best friends for their similarities and love for fighting- they are impulsive bros.

 Michelangelo:

Mikey’s role is to be the positive and glue of the team. He loves to make people happy and would always do something goofy or kind to do that. His family have nothing bad to say about their youngest member and are very protective of him. The youngest brother doesn’t take ninjitsu as seriously as skateboarding, dancing, or just general fun. Though, he will be serious when the situation calls for it, such as the fate of his family and the world.

Although being an open ear to anyone, Mikey is not open to expressing his negative emotions due to his fear of damaging the family dynamic. It is noticeable when he is upset because he jokes more often and not focus. A lesson he must learn is to accept the good and the bad. Mikey can be reckless, mostly when his brothers rarely let him participate in missions. He wants to prove to his family that he is strong enough to protect himself and others. Reading people is his best skill and takes great pride in it, usually taking on the role of a therapist.

 Splinter/Hamato Yoshi:

I really wanted to take Splinter’s role in the Shredder’s descent to evil in the grayer area. He is usually the victim/innocent party of the story, which can get boring after a while.

Hamato Yoshi was born as the heir to Hamato Clan and childhood best friend of Oroku Saki. The Hamato and Foot clan were allies for centuries and would usually fight by each other’s side. Matters changed when the Foot’s beliefs grew more sinister. This left the Hamato Clan to eradicate their former ally. Splinter saved Saki before he could be killed, though, it came with consequences. Oroku Saki vowed to exact revenge for his fallen home. Growing up, Splinter became one of the strongest martial artists in Japan and married a woman named Tang Shen, later becoming a father to a girl. His world ended once he saw his clan destroyed and his family killed by the renewed Foot Clan.

Yoshi decided to move to New York and forget his old life. Years later, the martial artist noticed strange people caging defenseless animals. He would fight them long enough to protect four humanoid turtles, deciding to keep them after a moment of compassion. Splinter would continuously fight the strange men until a strange liquid turned him into a rat. This turning point banished Splinter and the turtles to the sewers for protection.

Splinter equally loves his sons. He would always make sure to give them equal amounts of love to avoid lasting issues. Though, he has made some mistakes. Emotions were rarely discussed because of Splinter’s unintentionally withdrawn attitude. The rat master wouldn’t instantly notice problems between his sons, and usually didn’t know how to resolve them. No matter what, Splinter is proud of his children and would do anything to keep them safe; sometimes not realizing that it could hurt them.

Hamato Yoshi’s guilt and trauma over the terrible moments in his life would be the main focus of his development.

2003 Shredder Rant

Am I the only one who was annoyed the writers kept “tricking” the audience into thinking Shredder was dead?

It was so annoying. I was fine with it the first time since one fake death usually happens in shows. But doing this over 4 times is excessive and bland. This writing choice really made it hard for me to keep going with TMNT 2003. Killing off the Shredder wouldn’t have been the end of the world. Bringing new villains would have been fun and unique. A version of Shredder was the villain for every season except S6. There was Utrom Shredder, Karai Shredder, Demon Shredder, and Cyber Shredder.

This over reliance was the show’s crutch.

I still enjoyed watching the show tho.

Rise Leo Headcanon #2

Leo sometimes rick rolls his family.

He has enough lovable, chaotic energy to do this. He dabs and that is pretty much a meme. 😂 The one he would torture the most is Donnie. His "twin" would retaliate by hacking into his phone and have it constantly play Leo's least favorite songs.

Hi everyone! Ever since I’ve seen some Instagram posts about TMNT fans’ versions of the show, I’ve wanted to do this. But most of them had drawings so I felt insecure since I’m not a great artist. But I still wanted to give it a try.

Anyway, lets get this started.

Note: This is in beta and changes might happen in the future.

…………………………………

It all starts similarly like the other versions.

The turtles want to explore the city and sneak out. Everything is as normal as New York can be, but it changes when the ninja turtles come across a certain red head (😉) sneaking around. They follow her and discover an alien ship. Having no choice to take the role as the new girl’s protectors, the turtles watch over as she gains information on the aliens such as their species- the Kraang- and their objective with Earth. When the girl is captured, the brothers save her and escape.

She reveals herself to be April O’Neil and explains what she was doing. April is a high school sophomore who works in a news station as an intern, and she wants to prove her abilities with a breakout story. Unlike other versions, the turtles and April don’t have an immediate connection and have no expectations to meet again. The turtles are distrustful of humans since their father/sensei warned them that being accepted by humans will be nearly impossible. Due to underlying issues, April is prone to avoiding people and rarely lets anyone in, except her roommate and best friend Irma. It would take a few episodes for their friendship to really grow and develop.

Splinter doesn’t intervene with his sons’ visits to the city for weeks until they come back injured from a Kraang fight. He decides to ban them from leaving the house in his extreme view of keeping them safe. Splinter lifts the rule when he learns the gravity of the Kraang. With that, he trains his sons harder than ever.

The first season focuses on the brothers’ relationship and growth as a team. Leo learns how to mature and become a leader; Donnie learns to follow his instincts more. Raphael learns to get over his insecure and impulsive nature. Mikey learns to be more mature and open with negative feelings.

The Shredder takes a backseat as the villain until season two, though he appears in season one alongside Karai.

[B]“A” Plots:

-Turtles vs. Kraang

-Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey arcs begin: 1-3 episodes will focus on each of them

-April/Turtles’ Friendship

[B]“B” Plots:

-April’s Past

-Splinter’s Past

-Shredder

-Karai/Leo’s Relationship

-Casey/April/Irma Friendship

……………………………

This is all I have so far. I’ve only just started on this and I mostly focused on characterization and character development. I’ll have more info to reveal once I post about the characters. I’ve been thinking about writing my version as a book, but I don’t know. It would be fun to see people’s thoughts.

I hope you enjoyed it! 😊

Comment your thoughts.

Have Any of You Ever Had Crushes on TMNT Characters?

I am totally guilty for having crushes on TMNT characters-especially my blue-banded husbando.

I’ve had crushes on almost every iteration of Leonardo. The 2012 Leo is #1.

He’s just so sweet, brave, strong, and a great swordsman. His voice was heaven to my ears, especially when it changed in season 3. Leo also has the cutest smile. Still have a crush on him to this day. 

I also had a crush on 2012 Donnie because of how cute and smart he is. Donatello was my second favorite in the series. Rob Paulsen did a really good job making him super likable. Donnie’s smile is almost as cute as Leo’s. 

2012 Donatello Headcanon

Leo almost dying twice and Splinter’s death effected Donnie more than the others.

*MENTIONS OF BLOOD & DEATH*

This is one of my favorite headcanons I wrote since I really delve into Donnie’s character even if it is not canon.

I came to the conclusion based on something Donnie said in season 5 in the Monster arc. While in a fight, Donnie mentioned that he hated blood. Someone had a headcanon that Splinter’s death was the reason. After getting stabbed and dropped from a building, there would be a lot of blood, but it was censored.

With Leo, Donnie felt like it was his fault his brother almost died the first time because Leo separated from the group after their argument.

I don’t know if I overanalyzed Donnie’s reaction to Leo’s second near death experience. I know the brothers were all there, but Donnie was sort of the medic and was trying to revive Leo. A lot of things must have been going through his head. Like if he does the wrong or no action, Leo will die and it will be his fault. Everyone would be devastated, but Donnie would make it tougher to handle since he will always wonder, “I healed him once, why couldn’t I do it again?” It would eat away at him of what might have been.

Leo survived, but those questions will never stop running through Donnie’s mind.

Splinter’s death had an affect on him because as I mentioned before, Donnie is the medic of the family. Seeing that he couldn’t do anything to save his father, only hug him along with his brothers. For the first few months, Donnie will try to find ways to prevent someone from dying, so he could save any of his loved ones.

Well, that’s it. Can’t believe I wrote so much.

What do you guys think? 😊❤️

I’ve been trying to improve my digital art lately, so here are some of my favorite pieces I’ve worked on! (Rottnmnt edition :D)

Prolonged Agony

Chapter 6

End of movie... or at least it should've been.

The Krang successfully grabbed Leo's leg and pulled him back into the Prison Dimension. When, unable to keep it open, the portal closes, locking Leo in the void with the most malicious creature he's ever met.

Now its a race against time to bring Leo home. But with each attempt they see Leo deteriorate... and Mikey starts to question whether or not Leo should be allowed out of the Prison Dimension at all.

I actually made some art for this chapter. I'm pretty thrilled how it turned out but I will warn you, the lower images do show explicit injury.

ROTTMNT: SPIRITS WITHIN THE WEAPONS

Masterpost

That's not usual.

Plot: Oda is up alone while everyone is sleeping when Leonardo does something unusual. 

Genre: Fluff/Slight Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet, Family-Feels, Original Character, AU/Cannon Compliant

Notes: This was meant to be a much shorter fluff drabble, but it ended up being over 2,000 words. Oh well, this is my first short fic for Spirits Within The Weapons (SWTW). I'm not planning on writing a full fic for SWTW but I am hoping to write quite a few drabble pieces like this. 

I hope you enjoy reading. 

Oda lifted the Odachi in front of his eyes, admiring the sharp blade glistening under the pale blue glow of his ghostly form. Then he frowned. It wasn't perfect. It could still be sharper. He lowered the sword down again and started meticulously running it along the whetstone. Slow, precise, skilful. He repeated this calming action a few more times before lifting the blade to examine it again. His focused expression lifted into a pleased slim grin. It was sharpened to perfection. There wasn't anything this Odachi couldn't cut now. 

If only he could rely on the weapon's wielder to care for the blade himself. But then again, it was Oda's obsessive need to not see the weapon go blunt that made young Leonardo take for granted the need to sharpen it himself. Instead, the turtle found it magically sharpened the next day and never questioned it. In other words, Oda had spoiled Leonardo. He'll probably regret that in the future. But for now, sharpening the Odachi was his favorite pastime while all the others slept. 

Each of the young turtles had turned in for the night, having had a very exciting day of chasing down a magician hippo and the self-imposed "greatest foe of the teenage mutant loser turtles"… a talking worm. Warren Stone and Hypno-Potamus. Warren Stone and Hypno-Potamus. He mustn't take on the habits of the youngsters to forget the names of those that pose a danger—however slim that danger may be— to innocent civilians. Oda was wiser, nobler and more honorable than that to forget anyone's names. Though he will excuse the young turtles for doing so, they were still children after all. 

Fundi on the other hand had no excuse. The spirit occupying the Kusari-Fundo may look and act young, but Oda knew that he was ancient one way or another. He may not have lived long on earth (Oda finds that Fundi turns into a mindset of a young child when he's caught in a flashback of old, old memories), but he has been a spirit for too long not to have matured during that time. Tonfa seems to encourage Fundi's youthfulness though. And Oda doesn't like to disagree with the Tonfas inhibitor. Not because he's currently the size of a huge half-alligator-snapping-turtle-half-human mutant, but because Tonfa has done a lot to help Fundi deal with his flashback episodes. Tonfa knows Fundi. Oda knows Tonfa. And so Oda will trust Tonfa when he says to leave the fiery spirit to live a youthful lifestyle. But that also means Tonfa cannot complain when Oda repremans Fundi for his sometimes too destructive behavior. 

Thankfully both spirits were in a sleep-like state. Being that the spirits don't actually sleep, the closest they can get to such an act is to withdraw back into their weapons and enter a space only the individual can access. Like an inner mind or a dreamscape. It's restful in itself. Peaceful and safe. And it also leaves Oda time alone to mediate, practice his sword-skills and sharpen the blade of the Odachi. 

He was blissfully alone. 

In the rarely silent lair. 

Peaceful.

Relaxing.

Still.

Footsteps.

…?

Footsteps?

Oda turned to look where the soft sounds of footsteps where coming from. If it had been anyone else they probably wouldn't have noticed the slowly approaching sound and could've been unaware of an impending attack. But this was Oda. Oda had honed all his senses to an impeccable level. Oda had also memorized the sounds and scents of all four turtles, their rat-man father and their human friend. 

So even before the culprit behind the footsteps was within sight, Oda knew who it was.

Leonardo plodded into the kitchen unknowingly passing Oda on the way. Usually Oda would've moved fast to put the Odachi back where Leonardo last left it, however, right now he knew there was no need for such haste. The huge black bags under the teenagers eyes, the slump in his shoulders, endless yawning, and defeated aura told Oda all he needed to know. Leonardo's insomnia had gotten the better of him tonight. 

"Oh Leonardo" 

Oda followed his wielder to the kitchen, sitting himself on a stool with his fingers fidgeting restlessly on the table. What he would do to be able to—no, thinking about such wasn't helpful to anyone. He couldn't communicate with nor touch the young turtles in any way, so wishing so would be meaningless. If he so wanted to he could dwell on such later, after Leonardo was better. Leonardo takes priority now. Not that there was anything he could do. 

Although…. He could pick up the Odachi and wave it around to make his presence known. Leonardo would be able to see the weapon flying around the air by itself… and then would probably scream. Oda would effectively be making the child believe he was seeing things in his sleepless state. Frightening the poor thing to death. Then, even if the others did believe Leonardo about a floating Odachi, or even if Oda shows the others by making it float in front of them too, ghost hunters would be called. Donatello would be making anti-spirits weapons. Panic. Fear. More sleepless nights. Oda wouldn't be helping anyone that way. Plus it'll be a terrible first introduction. 

He was overthinking it.

He needed to meditate. 

Clear his head. 

But first Leonardo. 

Usually Leonardo would make himself a cup of tea and either carry it into Donatello's lab to sit and watch his twin work, or sit at the kitchen table drinking it idly and then wander into either Raphael's or Michaelangelo's room and sleep there. Curiously though, tonight, Leonardo decided to make himself a coffee. That's not usual. Then the young turtle stumbled with the hot mug into the living quarters, flicking on the projector to an old Jupiter Jim flick they've all watched a zillion times on an almost silent volume, and slouched comfortably into one of the well-used beanbags. Next, he slipped off his blue mask and sipped the hot coffee, mindless of what was on the screen. Very unusual. 

Oda stood behind Leonardo, one eyeridge raised suspiciously, pondering over what this unusual action meant. Steady a saddened frown formed on his features as he slowly figured out what was going on with his wielder. 

Leonardo was determined not to go back to sleep. Coffee and a film to stay awake instead of tea and the comfort of his brothers to fall asleep. This wasn't just insomnia. This was nightmares. 

Oda knew all too well how disorienting, unnerving and isolating nightmares can be. He couldn't blame the youngster for not wanting to close his eyes for the rest of the night. But to not go to his brothers… that was unusual.

He flicked his gaze over the clock on the wall. The others won't be up for many hours. He knew Leonardo knew this and yet the turtle made no move to wake anyone up. The nightmare must've been about his brothers in some way. The fear of losing them by his mistakes? Of them hating him? Abandonment? Hurt? Guilt? The list was endless. Obviously, Leonardo didn't want his brothers to know about his nightmares. Not yet anyway. That was concerning. 

What could Oda do to help though?

He was an unseeable, untouchable spirit. 

He was…

No, he wasn't useless.

For sure Leonardo would've been much more hurt—or worse— if Oda hadn't been watching his back. 

But right now, while the child was scared and alone, Oda felt useless. 

He settles on sitting on the beanbag next to the young turtle, keeping an eye on him like he always did. Maybe in the still of the lair Leonardo would sense his presence… wishful thinking. 

It was rare for all four brothers to be asleep at the same time. Leonardo usually did stay awake late before going to bed, and, with the help of a few useful methods, his insomnia wasn't as big a problem as it could be. He had plenty of restless nights, sure, he'd gone three days without sleep at one point—Oda would've strangled the young turtle during those nights if he could, or maybe just hug him— but with tea, help from his brothers and ASMR, he had learned ways to overcome a fair few of his restless nights. 

Donatello was the other with sleeping problems. Honestly, if it wasn't for how similar the two can be despite their countless differences, Oda would never have pointed them out as twins. But at least with Donatello it wasn't insomnia keeping him awake. No, it was hyperfixation. His machines. Computers. Ideas. Designs. Plans. Games even. Once the purple-turtle got fixated on something, that was it. Hooked… for days… and nights. Unhealthy so. Okay, so maybe Donatello was worse than Leonardo on that front. At least Leonardo wasn't the one keeping himself awake, his insomnia did that to him. Donatello just didn't want to sleep when something else seemed so much more appealing. 

Miraculously though, Donatello was too knackered to stay awake any longer and welcomed sleep with ease. Wrapped up in an extra soft, weighted blanket. Probably still snoring lightly since the last time Oda did his usual night checks on them all. That's one less person for Oda to think about at least. 

Raphael and Michelangelo were easy when it came to sleep. The pair were diligent in keeping a healthy sleep schedule. They knew the value and importance of sleep, and even if they struggled on some occasions to get to sleep, or nightmares woke them up, they gave themselves a nice breather before trying again. Which usually worked a treat. And if it didn't work, snuggling up with one or more of their siblings always worked.  

So only two out of four were a handful when it came to bedtime. That's not too bad. It could be worse. 

It was worse for Leonardo right now though. 

Hours pass by. Three Jupiter Jim and one Lou Jitsu film later, three cups of coffee, (which is a alot coming from someone who typically did not enjoy coffee much), and half a tub of neapolitan ice cream later and Leonardo was still alone. His brothers will wake up soon enough, but the lair was still deafeningly quiet. At least that's what Leonardo knew.

In reality, halfway through the second film, Fundi and Tonfa woke up. Fundi, determined to get up to his same old antics to annoy Oda, stormed in loudly with a mischievous fire in his eyes. However, the fire quickly dimmed when he spotted Leonardo sitting solely on the beanbag inches away from the huge screen. Oda shushed him and Fundi smirked. 

"It's not like he can hear me, y'know." The Michelangelo look-alike said playfully. 

"Insomnia?" Tonfa mused as he ignored Fundi to sit on a beanbag on the other side of Leonardo. "Wait, no…. Nightmares." He whispered and he hunched up his shoulders. Tonfa may not have any memories before being a spirit, and spirits can't get nightmares, so he doesn't know what nightmares feel like, but he has seen the effects on the brothers. He hates seeing anyone in such pain and torment. It honestly breaks Tonfa's heart to see such a fun-loving, boisterous teenager suffering like this. 

Oda knew the feeling. 

If they could, Oda knows Fundi and Tonfa would've stopped at nothing to help Leonardo, but they couldn't. So they sat with the lonesome teenager hoping he would somehow feel their presence and be somewhat comforted while they all waited for the others to wake up. 

It's the quietest Fundi has been in… years? Decades? Ever? Sadly, this time, quiet wasn't what was needed. 

Not long later, Michelangelo woke up to start breakfast and Leonardo wasted no time barging after the orange brother while tying his mask back on. With his usual playful tone, he bombarded the youngest with a request for pancakes and fruit for breakfast. Oda spotted the quick glance Michelangelo gave Leonardo, head to foot, knowing the observant orange turtle was piecing together what had happened during the night. His eyes flicked to the coffee jar Leonardo had accidently left open on the side. The bags under his eyes. The credits from a film on the big screen.

Michelangelo didn't hesitate to make the pancakes and slice up the fruit. 

Raphael joined not long later and caught on just as quickly. He gave Leonardo the mission to drag Donatello from bed, which he completed quickly by dragging his twin and half the bed sheets into the kitchen moments later. Their father walked in not long after. 

The spirits also joined them in the kitchen for breakfast, just as they usually did. Fundi sat like a cat on top of the kitchen counters—despite how many times Oda has told him not to. Tonfa leaned against the side of the fridge, as far out of the way as he could. And Oda stood in the doorway, watching with a small almost unnoticeable smile as the four brothers and their father chatted away. There was still one of them missing, but that's a problem for another day. 

As he watched, all Oda could think about was that, even if he couldn't do anything to help Leonardo himself, he's thankful that Leonardo had brothers who do care about him. Who notice such small things in him. Who will give Leonardo time before asking questions. And will be patient and understanding when he does talk. 

"He's in good hands," Oda muttered to himself. He choked back a chuckle as the blue-clad turtle flung his pancake like a Frisby at the still half-asleep Donatello only to miss and quickly find a few slices of banana slap him on the face in retaliation. "Back to the usual."

~End~

sorry for being dead i got hit with a cold :C

i was gonna draw more frouse content but some old childhood hyperfixations just kinda exploded outta nowhere oopsies

(this was my attempt to get out of artblock,,)

the gangs all here pt2

the gangs all here

ref sheets of my tmnt au (forgive me for how unorganized they look/silly)

so do we all agree that Leo’s love language is acts of service and/or physical touch?

He watched Space Heroes to become a hero and now he has an entire fan base watching him for the same reason lol

I couldn’t take it anymore you guys, so I colored em rq

Original sketch here

(Open for higher quality)

small shitty doodle of how Ralph got his first (and most prominent scar)

It was all this time basically when the turtles first got their real weapons they started training it was going good until Leo accidentally cut raph’s face open (Leo was terrified and still apologizes to this day)

when Ralph saw it, he thought it looked so cool I decided not try and heal it so it would stay a scar, and he still doesn’t regret it >:)

OOTZ TURTLES LOVE LANGUAGE

(Bc it’s important to me)

Leo- acts of service, quality time, and words of affirmation

Donnie- gifts and acts of service

Raph- quality time (& although he’ll never admit it physical touch)

Mikey- basically everything tbh but he a very physically affectionate guy the most :)

Eldest twins, I love their dynamic and am having so much fun with them!!

Atm I’m building a bit of angry tension between the two in planning, so it’s nice to chill with them being happy siblings

(Thinking about making them both trans instead of just Leo)

I feel like your Leo would like Radiohead, thoughts?

Absolutely I feel like his favorites would be Creep, Exit music for a film, and No surprises

Radiohead is probably on his sad playlist for when he needs some music to commiserate with him

Here's a quick illustration of how he feels listening to radiohead bc idk if I can describe that very well with words

more shitty doodles to pass time