I Love This A Normal Amount I Swear - Tumblr Posts
SOMEONE DID IT! I WAS THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO DO IT BUT THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I THOUGHT!!
I have no words for how beautiful this is
The second Halloween’s over.
Looks familiar? Yep! It's a re-animated of the one I did last year :)
https://href.li/?https://x.com/emichen88/status/1603009897096155137?s=20
oof I def drew them way differently then...
*shakes silently with a hand over my mouth as my mom asks me why I’m suddenly crying*
You have no idea, NO IDEA, how much the Disaster Twins relationship means to me
@somerandomdudelmao *cough-cough* *COUGH* Sorry I'm still not over this arc... *disappears*
Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life
Random TMNT Thunks
I had to get my windshield replaced today, and I was chatting with the said dude when I noticed a very specific shade of green on his wallet.
My fangirl brain was like “there’s only a handful of fandoms with THAT specific shade of bright green”
Lo and behold, it was indeed my beloved masked boys. We needed up chatting about TMNT and it’s many conduits for the rest of the time.
Nearing the end of our conversation, I turned to the dude and said, “Since you’re my TMNT brother, I feel like you would be the only person to appreciate this.”
And then I proceeded to go to the back of my car and pull out not my one, not my two, but THREE of my katanas. Like the complete casual fan that I am.
I unfortunately get a lot of grief from my family because of my great love and appreciation for TMNT, but once again I was pleasantly surprised at the connections I get to make because of these silly turtle boys.
I know it’s crazy, but you can reach people by being a fan. I got the sweet privilege of being the facilitator of a smile today. Just because I was a silly little fangirl who loved family and ninja turtles, and I will be forever grateful for that.
💙💜❤️🧡🥷🏼🐢
LEO LEO LEO LEO
Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok
OK
So @luckycharms1701, this probably wasn’t what you meant by Femme Fatale Donnie, but this is what my brain decided to come up with so I’m tagging you with the source of inspiration.
Has this been rotting my brain for the past week? Yes. Did I completely come up with an entire brand new AU?
*Donnie voice* Nooooooooooo… of course I did….nt
AnYhOo please enjoy my concept art for my new upcoming AU “🖤 The Dapper Snapperz🖤”
Part 2 coming soon!
Special shout out to @doreen090 and @anobodyinabog for listening to my nonstop rambles. Love ya ladies!
🖤 The Dapper Snapperz🖤
As a creator, I really should not be left alone with my imagination and access to this site because I am really having too much fun with this.
Plz send help. I’m eating my TMNT Mac and cheese I’ve been cackling like a hyena for the past couple hours. My roomate is concerned.
Part B of this
headbonks @doreen090 and @luckycharms1701
Sometimes you do crazy things
For the things you love. At least… I think that’s how the phrase goes…
AnYhOo, I may or may not have been planning to make a fool of myself for WEEKS to attempt to do this little photo shoot with @kathaynesart Yeehaw Peepaw shirt just because I adored it so much.
I took Peepaw with me on a little adventure to my friends little farm where he got to meet Scout, Fancy and little Dash. (The wee little devil decided just to nom on my fingers the entire time I was trying to take pictures. It was awesome 😆).
Just wanted to say thank you so much Mz. Kathy for all that you do. You’re a HUGE inspiration to me and I very much want to be like you when I grow up. Please also tell Replica Leo how much I love him too. Big hugs because I’m BIG fan! (I believe in you big guy. You’re doing a great job) 🙌🏼🧡💙🤠
ALSO CONGRATS ON POSTING YOUR COMIC! I literally sat open mouth when you posted like “DAYUM! Now THAT is some serious character development, plot lining and story world building”
*rolls hand with an authoritative air*
I was requested by @magicmike5000 to share my opinion about what I think of Mikey, and I simply can not refuse such an opportunity to rave about one of the most intricate and fascinating characters of TMNT franchise.
*pushes up glasses with a clearing of my throat* Behold the ramblings of an insane person:
*I love how Mikey is unapologetically himself at all times, in all things and in all places
*I think he’s an incredible asset to the team who is unfortunately underestimated and appreciated.
*I be always affectionately considered him to be the the cheese that holds this whole turtle pizza together and it just wouldn’t be the TMNT without him.
*Mikey has fascinating undeveloped and growing potential that is so unfairly unexplored.
*His simple pure goodness is far reaching and a total game changer which I absolutely adore.
*He’s one of those rare few good people and I genuine believe that he’s the type of person where the world is a better place simply because he’s in it
*Mikey is refreshingly emotionally intelligent, empathetic, spiritually intuitive, and is CANONLY the most suited for ninjitsu out of all of his brothers.
*He’s a subtle master at ninjitsu due to his flexibility and adaptability.
*Mikey is fascinating to study in action because due to his ADHD it allows him to react quickly and work with what he has within the environment.
*It doesn’t matter his size or strength (even though he is woefully under appreciated for his strength) m because he knows how to use energy and motion against his opponents on MANY different facets.
*Mikey also doesn’t even necessarily needs to be the smartest either because he knows how to read the situation and interact with people and situations of all types.
*Bottom line, I love Mikey and I personally affronted that he is so unexplored as a character. It’s a down right CRIME I tell y’all that he and I can’t be besties because I feel like we would vibe like none other🧡
WHAT ABOUT MIKEY
*tilts head with a confused smile*
Howdy there friend? What about Mikey hon?
I’m sorry but I am the confusion 👉🏼😅👈🏼
I have no words for this…this is what I want to say…this is what NEEDED to be said… my heart is literally healing over reading this
Aftermath Family Meeting 4 | //squishes them all in my hands T_T
PREV | NEXT | FIRST
I have literally no words to describe how absolutely gobsmacked I was with the friggin DETAIL of this.
Like mouth open almost dropped my phone that somehow, somewhere, a person MADE this.
Good friend, what magical art juice are you drinking and WHERE can I get some?!
CW: Loud Music / Bright Colors
//Covert AU - Intro [ 100% ] Song: Tapz Relapz - Vorrnn [ Formerly known as Vorlaw ]
My reaction photos including my niece
CONGRATS AT FINISHING THIS! ✨🧡🙏🏼🙌🏼
This story means so much to me, that I am both so happy and devastated that it’s done. But it was done beautifully, so don’t mind me cheering at work rn
And finally, Aftermath Family Meeting 7 | double post for the special occasion~ :) PREV | FIRST
I cannot believe its finally finished. Aftermath was the biggest project I've completed to date and I am so honored to have so many of you along for the ride with me. Now, you may be wondering: what now?
yeah. Me too. It feels really weird to finally have this completed. But, as a donnie core individual, i have PLANS :3
I will be taking some time off of Turtles, Dreamworks Trolls is currently making my brain all fuzzy and happy so I'll be skerdoodling about in that fandom for a bit before I return to start my next Turtle Project. It's all written. You guys aren't ready. It's gonna be SICK.
Once again, thanks for being here for Aftermath. it means the world to me that so many people liked to read something I made. Remember to be kind to yourselves and that healing isnt an all at once thing, its a every day tiny steps thing. See ya soon :)
My 12 reaction photos to this comic because I swear I love this a normal amount
The eye of the hurricane. I like to think Cassandra sometimes called the brothers by the nicknames their dad used, given they were probably pretty close before his passing.
BEGINNING || PREVIOUS || NEXT (SOON) MASTER POST
Man oh man, this one was way messier and off model than my last few updates but whatever, we got to keep this ball rolling! Life's been crazy so I've had to take some unwanted breaks in between updates. Thanks everyone for your patience as always!
One thing I wanted in this flashback was to really get a sense of how the brothers worked as an experienced team with Leo at the helm as a proper leader. It's something we never got to see much of in Rise and I felt it was important to include since half the team is already gone by the time of Replica. Team Dynamics Ted Talk under the cut!
We know from Casey Jr that Leo stressed the importance of listening to your team. A big part of that also means knowing how to communicate with them in general.
With Michelangelo, he keeps it short and succinct, trusting his brother to know what he's doing when in his element. This trust goes a long way with Mikey, having spent years of his youth as the baby striving for the respect he felt he deserved. Leo knows it's best to not bog Mikey down with details, allowing him to improvise as needed. This unspoken freedom has only grown over time as Mikey has dipped deeper into spiritual arts that, frankly, go completely over Leo's head.
The greatest sacrifice Leo has ever made was read Donnie's Big Book of Bad Guy Codes. While he doesn't remember ALL the numbers, he has memorized the ones that matter and it has helped tremendously in avoiding miscommunication with his genius brother. More importantly it silenced any of Donnie's usual belly-aching. As Leo's "twin"/"equal" the two still butt heads from time to time. Donnie respects his brother's authority (mostly) but will still push the boundaries of what he's allowed on a semi-regular basis. Give Donnie an inch and he will take the mile and then find a loop hole that allows him to go twenty miles more. This is partially due to him often being the one left behind at HQ, making the turtle just a TAD stir crazy. Leo does his best to keep him in line regardless.
Big brother Raph will forever and always be big brother to Leo. As such he holds a place of authority in Leo's heart and is someone he still regularly seeks counsel from in both the ways of leadership and more. Raph is always happy to support his younger brother and does a surprisingly good job (albeit after years of practice) of walking the line so as not to step on his brother's toes in the process. At least not since the secret of "the Key" blew up in their faces several years ago. They don't talk about that anymore. Leo is the leader now and he's done a great job in recent years as far as Raph is concerned. He trusts him to make the right call. The two have a close bond and regularly use mind meld to quickly communicate rather than speak ...this will be important to remember for the future.
Hope that overall feeling came through for this group!
Covert AU
*comes sliding into, excitedly holding a picture like a hyperactive 5 year old*
GUYS GUYS GUESS WHAT?!
I COLORED!
for @chessman-protocol, you inspired me Broski and I just had to try and capture your Mikhal. I hope I made him dangerous enough because deh man is the bomb. Literally 😏👉🏼👉🏼🙏🏼🧡✨
Anyhoo, part 2 coming soon!
You had a warning of don't touch. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm a bit much. It would appear it's a lesson you haven't learned, That when you play with fire, You'll always get burned.
~Jayus
I am not sure how much you are into analysis but I want to ask. Do you think raph isn’t as good of a fighter compared to his brothers? because I have a feeling either he’s holding back when sparring with them over fear of harming them or he’s not as good as them.
Anon, you just made my day because this gives me an excuse to nerd out at length. (Though apologies that it took me so long to get this fully written out and posted.)
Disclaimer before I launch into it in full: to fairly compare Raph to his brothers I'm going to do a brief run-down of the three of them before breaking into the full details on him. A lot of this is built on extrapolation from details in various canons and at times might edge toward headcanon territory, though I'll be trying to stick with what's actually present.
With that out of the way--
Comparing Raph to His Brothers
So to start with, I can only fairly do this deep-dive by briefly touching on each of his brothers before getting to Raph himself. I'll say upfront that I think it's less a question of which one is the "best fighter" and more that they're each different types of fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and which might land any of them in the position of "the best" depending on the circumstances.
Leo
Strengths: This is an extrapolation based on various iterations (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014/2016, ROTTMNT, 2023, Batman vs. TMNT, and a little bit of the IDW comics), but Leo strikes me as a tactician-- as the guy who can extrapolate to fifteen different possibilities for the outcome of a fight and fifteen steps ahead of everyone else on each of those possibilities. At his best he knows how to play to his brothers' strengths, put them where needed, and let them go to do their own thing. He's also persistent and willing to put himself through his paces over and over again until he 'perfects' what he wants to learn how to do. As a "traditional" (romanticized) example of a warrior, he is the golden boy of the family. Rise Leo might be a little less likely to get every step 'just so,' but most iterations of him aim to be as flawless as possible in terms of his combat skills. In his ideal world, he will never have a misplaced swing of a sword or inflict any damage he doesn't intend to. That depth of knowledge and highly-trained skill can be damned terrifying for his enemies if it's taken to its fullest extreme.
Weaknesses: His perfectionism and desire to get things 'just right' is a double-edged sword. In the 2003 series it got wrapped up in his PTSD and the need to never make a critical mistake again (which... didn't work out well for him-- hi, shades of Raph at his worst); in the 2007 movie it led him to think his efforts to learn how to be a better leader weren't "good enough" and kept him away from home for two years; in the 2012 series it led him to ignore critical injuries and try to bully himself into being 'better' (when realistically what he did during the farmhouse arc probably would have permanently destroyed one of his knees); in the 2014/2016 movies it led him to temporarily damage his relationship with his brothers by spilling over the worst of his internal perfectionistic vitriol onto them; and in Rise it at times has turned him into a showoff who'll act without letting the others in on his plan (which can backfire horrendously in a worst-case scenario) because if he does it without telling others what he's going to do, then he gets bragging rights if it works out like he planned. Underlying all this is what could turn into an unmanageable case of anxiety depending on the version of Leo and how personally stable he is, as well as how susceptible he is to ruminating over where he feels he went wrong. To say nothing of how many versions of Leo have a GIANT self-sacrificing streak when it comes to their families. Under the right circumstances-- and if someone really intended to make it hurt-- they could easily play all that against Leo and get him to freeze due to overthinking. (Though getting him to that level would take an extreme case and some severe emotional damage to weaponize his guilt.)
Speed: OKAY. Here's where things get a little more cut-and-dried in my opinion-- if a fight is down to just speed anyway. Leo might be pretty neck-in-neck with Raph in terms of speed, maybe just a touch faster due to (generally) being more lean-built than Raph. Leo's not a tank; yes he can fight in close quarters or mid-range and hold his own, but if he can then he tends to be 'slippery' about it. He's not going to batter away at an enemy if he can spin out of range before darting back in and dodging whatever hits he can. If it's just a matter of speed without any other factors involved, then there's a good chance Leo will win in a fight against Raph. If it's a question of strength and endurance though... Well, I'll expand further on that when I get to Raph.
Adaptability: This is something that is absolutely dependent on which version of Leo we're talking about and how hung up that version is on his plans without taking the general chaos of life into account. 2012 and 2014/2016 Leo both are guilty of getting so hung up on the idea that their approach to a combat situation is the right way that they fail to plan for the fact that their brothers' ways of doing things isn't their way of doing things. Which blows up in their faces spectacularly sometimes. IF it's a version of Leo who's more likely to fail to take into account his brothers' differing styles, then Raph might easily play that against him and deliberately do things Leo would find unpredictable (though probably not as much as Mikey, lbr). For versions of him that are better about knowing that his own approach isn't the only/'best' approach, then Leo would be better able to roll with whatever Raph throws his way, within reason.
Combat Style/Approach: Mid-to-close-range, tactician, and definitely NOT a grappler. Yes, his skills and training have him moving with muscle memory when he needs to, but even so, there's a split-second awareness of what his opponent(s) could do and instinctively reacting based on what he's met with. A lot of that means he has to be free to move and avoid getting held in place, or things might go bad quickly.
Donnie
Strengths: No matter which iteration of Donnie you're talking about, you're generally talking about an engineer who's able and willing to casually heft up and carry around a car engine with his bare hands. And considering (with a quick google search) it looks like the average car engine weighs anywhere between 300 to 700 pounds, that alone is proof enough that no one in their right mind would ever want to be punched by Donnie. And considering there are instances where he's able to temporarily support the weight of himself and his brothers (a couple of scenes in the 2003 series are what immediately come to my mind, but that's just my favorite iteration showing itself) it's proof that he has that strength not just in his arms. To give you an idea of just how much weight that implies he can lift, here's a size and weight comparison of some of the largest turtle species currently living.*
Notice anything? Like how... Oh... I dunno... a 4-foot-long Loggerhead sea turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds? Or a 3-foot-long Leatherback sea turtle can weigh 550 pounds on the light end? (Note: this is not meant to be snarky or condescending, just a simple statement of fact that all signs point to these boys are fucking HEAVY.) And that huge amount of weight relative to their body size seems to be pretty consistent among turtle species from what I've seen with my digging around. Which logically implies that the same holds true for these boys, and if we play fast-and-loose with the idea that we can roughly translate length to height... well... For general weight of the boys, I tend to assume at least 200 pounds, at least for those under and up to about 5-foot-tall. For the 2014/2016 set I might even suggest somewhere between 400-500 pounds-- but roughly comparing weight to size with that table of large turtle species, I'm probably severely underestimating their weight all across the board. Being generous, hypothetically saying all four of the 2003 turtles are about 240, that then means there are moments in the 2003 series where Donnie is temporarily lifting around 960 pounds, including himself. AND THAT MIGHT BE A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATION. Terrifying, right? So yes, Donnie is unquestionably strong as hell and maintains that strength by working on his various projects, and a full-force hit from him would land someone in a hospital-- if they're lucky. The other main thing working for him is that he's a tech genius. No, he's typically not as rigid or disciplined in his training as Leo is, but if he has access to tech and distance then he has a whole host of weapons and traps he can bring to the party (something which Rise Donnie excels at in spades). Raph's a much more physical direct-confrontation fighter, but Donnie has the capacity to turn entire environments against his enemies, depending on the means he has at his disposal.
Weaknesses: For better or worse, Donnie's primary personal strength-- the one he leans on above all else-- is his intellect and being able to puzzle things out. And again, he's an engineer: yes he can lift and move that terrifying amount of weight, but he's usually not doing it at speed. (Because let's be real, moving heavy and potentially very breakable machinery is not something you want to do quickly when you want to be able to use or repurpose said machinery.) He's not a slouch when it comes to his ninjutsu training, but there's a reason why the concept of Donnie pulling the 'I'm too busy to train right now' is a widespread fandom concept. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's not 'as good of a ninja', but more that he's not a 'traditional' ninja and has had to adapt things to his preferred methods. Yes he has a lot of physical strength, but he prefers to keep a distance from his opponent(s) if possible. Doing so, having that distance, gives him more time to plan and respond-- because unlike Leo, a lot of iterations of Donnie don't have that ingrained ability to read the possible actions their opponent(s) might take and respond on a dime (or at least not to the same level). Raph's tendency to brute force things-- something which Donnie technically could do but clearly does not like to-- might be somewhat unpredictable for him, especially because that puts Raph in close and doesn't give Donnie as much time to respond as he would like. All that said, Donnie could technically win a fight against Raph without his tech if he pretty much said to hell with fighting and decided to do an imitation of an octopus. At the very least he could probably hold him in one place if he was quick enough and managed to get Raph's arms pinned. And somehow kept him from walking. (It wouldn't be a dignified win, but it might still technically be a win.)
Speed: I'm gonna be honest, I do not think speed is on Donnie's side in comparison to his brothers. If he really makes an effort (rather than just going his own route and pursuing his interests) he'd probably be able to keep up with the others going at full tilt for a little while, but he'd probably tire out first. A lot of the work he does due to his areas of expertise is fairly sedentary, and frequently he needs to move with slow and deliberate precision. There's a lot of fine muscle control involved in that kind of work (especially if it involves maneuvering something heavy), but being able to consistently do that doesn't automatically translate to being able to do something similar at high speed. But that's okay, because if he has the distance and varied means of attack he needs, then he doesn't have to worry about keeping up with his brothers for an extended period of time-- it just has to be long enough.
Adaptability: If it involves tech or computer systems, Donnie's ability to adapt to a situation is unparalleled. Give him unrestrained access to an unfamiliar and shiny (and incredibly pervasive) system and he'll be able to make it seem like a tech apocalypse is targeting one specific person if he wants to. If it's a head-to-head physical fight though, it really depends on how desperate he is or how much breathing room he has (or both). If he's frazzled and panicky then there's the possibility he'll miss several opportunities or potential tools and, in a worst-case scenario, he might freeze. (An extreme example of this is how Rise Donnie gave up fighting the crab men when his tech failed, after all his brothers had already failed in that fight.) If he has time and space to think then he's practically unstoppable, but if he doesn't have that breathing room then chances are things won't end well for him.
Combat Style/Approach: Distance fighter, brain-over-brawn, could be a grappler if necessary but uncomfortable enough with it that it might work against him, might as well dub him a 'trap master' for the little surprises he might leave in his wake if he's feeling spiteful. He's a schemer, but not a chess master.
Mikey
Strengths: If there's one thing that can be said for Mikey it's the fact that most versions of him are innately gifted at picking up kinesthetic knowledge, to say nothing of the fact that he tends to be the most spiritually gifted of the brothers. In fact in several series (2003 and 2012 off the top of my head, though I'm certain it may have popped up in others) it's briefly mentioned that if Mikey really buttoned down and was completely serious about his ninja skills he would outclass Leo-- which means that he can naturally slide into the level of skill Leo has worked for years to achieve without even really thinking about it. If he wants to. And most of the time he doesn't want to. (Too much responsibility being that serious, so who can blame him?) However, his not constantly going at the equivalent of Level 99 in a videogame in fights isn't necessarily a detriment to him, because he has other ways to stay true to himself while giving himself an edge. Like being annoying on purpose. And knowing how to aggravate the hell out of his opponents until he tricks them into getting sloppy. Until he tricks them into giving him easy openings they should REALLY know better than to give him-- and would if he hadn't deliberately torn their nerves to shreds. If it's not obvious, I'm saying versions of Mikey like to play mind-games, and if they really want to they can be vicious about it and make it HURT. (Though again, most versions of Mikey are more invested in goofing off and playing around than being outright vicious or serious.) The point is, if he finds a mental opening that sticks, then how invested he is in winning the fight will dictate how serious he is about exploiting that weakness. To say nothing about how creative he can get when he really wants to be.
Weaknesses: The downfall of a lot of Mikeys is how distractable a lot of them can be. (I won't say this is a universal fact because I'm a big fan of there being variation among different realities, but a lot of Mikeys definitely being ADHD doesn't help. How well said version is able to compensate probably also varies.) So depending on the circumstances and the environment, Raph might be able to play that distractibility against him. (Buuuut that would require Raph to play mind-games, and most Raphs aren't the 'mind-game' type.) Plus, for better or worse, it takes a LOT to get most versions of Mikey to the point where he's ready to say 'Fuck everything' and throw everything he can into ending a fight right that second.
Speed: Mikey is, in my honest opinion (and based off most of the series and movies I've seen), the fastest of the brothers-- bar none. Which means if he tore off at full speed with the intention of skipping a fight entirely and just making Raph chase him, Raph probably would never catch him. Until after he wears down anyway. But if he zipped off and found a good enough hiding spot, then he could probably avoid Raph for a while. In a fight, because of his speed, there's a good chance that Mikey might be able to get in more hits than Raph, but that comes with the risk of getting in close to Raph-- and that can easily work against him in very short order.
Adaptability: Mikey's adaptability is through the roof. Most versions of Mikey, you can throw damn near anything their way and they'll roll with it in such a way that they land on their feet while their brothers are still scrambling for stable footing. There's also the fact that he's a very lateral thinker and able to apply concepts from seemingly unrelated sources to scenarios many others wouldn't even think to combine-- and he does so to his advantage. So yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, given enough room and space to work with (and not panicking), then there's a good chance Mikey's going to catch Raph off guard with something he'd never expect.
Combat Style/Approach: Close range, flighty, dart in-range to hit and then dart back out of range, mind-games and making his opponents angry to the point of getting sloppy seems to be his preferred tactic. He could be the most terrifying to go up against in a fight if he went absolutely stone serious, but 99.9999% of the time he does not want to and would much rather slip in some fun where he can. (If you don't believe me on that last point, consider that in the 2003 series I'm reasonably sure he has the highest body count of all the brothers, in the 2012 series he killed a kraang and wore the dude's skin on his head multiple times, and in Rise ALL of Dr. Delicate Touch and the frothing maniacal rage he has when angry. 'Nuff said.)
Raph
And here we come to the turtle in question himself, Raph. Hamato Raphael, Raphael Splinterson, Raphie-boy, take your pick.
Strengths: Raph is a TANK. Barring '87, this boy in most iterations pretty much makes it his mission in life to be the strongest of him and his brothers. He's also stubborn as hell and WILL NOT give in if he thinks it's important to stand his ground. Which means he can and will hold his ground and dig in long past when his brothers each have to retreat or fold; he can take the hits they can't and come out the other side still kicking. And what's more, if he feels the need to and is able to get up and be mobile, then he WILL hunt you down for as long as it takes and damned near nothing will stop him-- he is that. damned. STUBBORN. Let's be real, that combination is terrifying. Of course, naturally, this brings up questions of just how physically strong he is. I pointed out up in Donnie's section that Donnie is ridiculously strong, but just how strong is Raph? To answer that question, the infamous scene from 2007:
Just how much psi does it take to snap a katana? WELL, it turns out that finding out that information is really difficult (at least when I was nosing around and trying to find out). When I was doing my initial searching I found a video on facebook examining an anime scene (at the time-- back in September-- it was literally the only thing that remotely came close to answering my question that popped up) that claimed it would take at least 20,000 psi. Being that the person who posted that video didn't include any sources for reference, I'd take it with a grain of salt (especially since despite my best efforts I'm having a hard time finding that video again), but still. If-- for the sake of argument-- we assume that the 20,000 psi measurement is accurate for what it would take to snap a katana, that would mean that our boy Raph is capable of exerting that much force with each hand. And not just a brief spike of getting there either. No, for him to be capable of the force in that 2007 scene (again, assuming the number is accurate) then he has to maintain that force for longer than a second or two.
I don't know about you, but that makes this scene just that much more dangerous and intense in my eyes. It's not just that Raph could have killed Leo by stabbing him; it's also the implication that he could have easily torn Leo apart with his bare hands if he wanted to. So yeeeeeaaaahhhh, if Raph is able to get his hands on any of his brothers and is able to hold on, they're probably toast.
Weaknesses: Whoo boy. In most iterations, point blank, his biggest weakness is his temper. If he gets set off too thoroughly or if someone knows how to play it against him, his temper can make him get sloppy and lead to his defeat-- regardless of how ridiculously strong he is. It also means that, unless it's a version of him who has worked his ass off to keep himself in check, there's a good possibility that he might wind up doing things he'll regret when he's angry (and if someone really wants to twist the knife they can play that guilt and self-blame against him). If you go by 2003 and 2012 there's also his bug-phobia which can be played against him. (Even though 2003 Raph covers it with 'KILL IT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE'.) If you go by Rise, then you DO NOT. EVER. WANT THAT BOY TO BE ALONE. And on a much more brutal note, going back to his stubbornness which is also one of his strengths
...there's a good chance that this boy might try to push himself past the breaking point if he feels it's necessary.
Speed: I've said before that I think Raph is pretty neck-in-neck with Leo when it comes to how fast he is, Mikey has them both beat in the speed department hands down, and Donnie is most likely to be the slowest moving of the four of them. If Leo has to deal with heavy weights while trying to move at speed however, Raph will have him outclassed due to having more practice in that department. For Raph to have a hope of keeping up with Mikey going full tilt in running away, Mikey would have to be carrying enough to weigh him down considerably. And while Donnie might stand a chance in trying to grapple with Raph, Raph having more experience in moving heavy weights at speed would probably mean Donnie would be better off trying to glom onto Raph like an octopus rather than outright grappling. So Raph's not the fastest, but he's not a slouch either.
Adaptability: As much as I love my boy, Raph is a tank, he's bruiser, he's a bulldozer who freely makes use of sharp and pointy things he can use to stab people with. Adaptability-- barring variation between sneaking in and out versus barreling in as loudly as possible to cause mayhem and destruction as a distraction-- is generally not in his wheelhouse. Given time and learning how to play mind games (and I don't doubt that an adult Raph could pick up and use the skill when he needs to) he'd probably become more flexible, but with where he's portrayed to be at in most iterations he hasn't gotten there yet.
Combat style/approach: Close-range, grappler, brawler, TANK. He WILL hold the line, he WILL dig in and hold his ground, he WILL be the wall and PROTECT with everything he has if he has to. He's also not above being outright brutally destructive when he feels it's warranted. And that "when he feels it's warranted" is key.
Details that affect the outcome:
Raph has a protective streak 500 miles wide. A lot of iterations try to be the wall for his family, the last line of defense when needed. He would sooner see himself hurt than anyone he cares about.
And it's not just his brothers, father, April, Casey, anyone-he-considers-family that he's protective of either.
Seriously, if someone pushes the protective button on this boy and his sense of right and wrong kicks in, he WILL get involved.
Raph cares and feels deeply; to him, family is everything.
You
have
NO IDEA
how much
this boy
LOVES
HIS FAMILY
or how much he'd tear himself up if he ever seriously hurt any of them. So the chances of him ever actually going all-out against any of his brothers is slim. (And the few instances in various iterations where he's come close it's seriously screwed him up emotionally every time. Like 2003 and the pipe incident, 2007 and the after effects of his fight with Leo, the implied guilt Rise had after he snapped back to his senses after reuniting with his brothers after he'd been alone, etc.) He might fight with his brothers, he might disagree with them from time to time, but overall he comes off as someone who firmly believes you don't ever deliberately hurt someone you should care about if you can help it. Which is backed up by instances of him panicking in various iterations where his decisions might result in his family's deaths, as well as the fact that he only really turns on any of them (think SAINW) if they cross the line of not being there for each other like he feels they should be. Some iterations might threaten to run off a lot, but he never will without a damned good reason because he loves his family too much to ever want to do that to them.
Final Assessments
Raph vs Leo: If it's in close and is just down to strength-- Raph wins. If Leo has the time he needs to scheme and play Raph the way he needs to-- Leo wins.
Raph vs Donnie: If it's in close-- Raph wins unless Donnie pulls off an imitation of an octopus and gets all of Raph's limbs pinned and holds on for dear life. If Donnie has the distance, time to scheme, and the means to set traps to his heart's content-- plus tranqs, no one wins against tranqs-- Donnie wins.
Raph vs Mikey: If Raph can get his hands on Mikey and keep him in one place-- Raph wins. If Mikey plays Raph like a fiddle with his mind games and stays out of reach-- Mikey wins.
Raph vs the three of them together: Well shit, that'd be a losing proposition under the best circumstances unless the goal was to try to out-stubborn them at something. 10/10 if he had to, Raph would keep dragging himself along even if all three of his brothers were hanging on to him to try to keep him from reaching his goal. (And if Raph hasn't exploited that fact during some wild-as-shit game of theirs, then Casey Jones is the queen of England.)
Raph vs his guilt if he actually seriously hurt them: Instantaneous loss that Raph would probably have a hard time ever forgiving himself for.
So do I think Raph is as good a fighter as his brothers? Yes.
Do I think he's holding back so he doesn't hurt them? Also yes.
Do I think anyone he went up against if he didn't hold back would be thoroughly screwed? Emphatically YES.
-----------------------------
*The site I got the turtle size table in Donnie's section is [here], if anyone wants further details on sea turtles.
I don’t know if I can show you, but here’s a piece of one very cool thing
How can be there toxic masculinity in this world when something as beautiful as THIS exists
kind of a follow up to this, but not really, but yes
also, they are totally unaware this is happening
anyways, vote for them on the @tmntaucompetition<3
*deep inhale before belting out*
I have like…so many words about this storyline that cannot be contained in a mere tumblr post. Lucky for y’all, I’ve saved you the headache from having to read it and placed it as a comment on A03 instead.
THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE ART TO APPRECIATE AND APPRECIATE IT I SHALL
(I wanna add comments to every delightful picture, so please understand that for simplicity’s sake, I’ve numbered the pictures in the order they appear and said comments will correspond)
1: Classic April look. Live the glasses and how you captured the tenacity in her eyes. Such detail for such a simplenoutlins. I am in awe of your prowess with the pen 😤🤌🏼✨
2: Mikey WOULD be the pop in and our of frame individual #adhd go brrr. Also he is rocking the suspenders 🙌🏼 I am WEAK for Raph in a poncho, like he just St looks so delightfully huggable. Just wanna into his poncho to give him a big ole h u g. Also Leo is slaying it over there with the long trench coat. I appreciate the nod to the “Clothes Don’t Make The Turtles” and low-key wanna try coloring this because it's so clean. Donnie expressions will forever be the light of my life, and this one is no exception. 😙👌🏼🔥
3: I am just in love with the little details in this: the slow drop of the wheat stalk, the hat slipping back, Donnies surprised wide-eyes. Like he looks so absolutely flabbergasted and I love it. April as always is a vision in anything she wears and you certainly did her justice in this outfit, yesiree bob.
4: I legitimately giggled at this. Donnie is one big bad ninja for sure, but put him up to April no matter the AU and the poor pancake boy is nothing but a wet paper towel of a man and I am HERE FOR IT. Like his bum is in the air, he's completely folded over and again his expriession is just *chef kiss* Also how on earth did you get this reference for this pose because it is so positively delightful.
5: *shakes head with a low whistle: Im surprised Donnie didn't combust into flames on the spot when she shot him this look because whew…she is H A W T. Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande can be heard playing
6: Again the tiny details are so delightful: Donnies soft life ok, Aprils carefree laughter, the slight cradle of the small of her back and the gentle but firm lead of her hand. Dance is just poetry in motion and I think you captured this beautifullly 🧡🥰
7: As silly as it sounds, my favorite part of this was how clean the poses and lines of action in the background. It was just clean and expressive and I really appreciate that.
8: Did I mention Donnie is a wet paper towel of a man? Please see exhibit B here. Also we live a woman who makes the first move. Go April, ya queen 🙌🏼👏🏼
9: HIS LITTLE HAT PULL-DOWN MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME INCLUDING THE TEENY HINT OF BLUSH LIKE…AWWW BABY BOY.
Seriously tho, I was incredibly impressed by the simple detail, the vibrancy of the expressions and the fluidity of movement of your pieces here. Really helped capture the vibe and moved the story along quite beautifully I may add.
Thank you for blessing my eyes with these fine pieces of literature, and may you continue to bless the lives of others as y'all continue to create. ✨🧡
All the art I made for a collab between @hersheyotaku and I for an Apritello server event! We made a western AU! Fic can be found here on ao3~ (Please give Hershey some kudos for her *fantastic* writing.) And if you'd like a special flip book version, you can find that here!
*through gritted teeth and weepy eyes*
It's fine, I'm fine.
I don't need a heart.
Toooootally fine
“Future you would be so proud on how far you’ve come.” …. “We all make mistakes, but that’s what makes you person.”
“You learn and develop over time, don’t be TOO hard on yourself okay??”
