Turtles - Count them off!

She/her ~ In my 30's ~EmeraldHaze15/EmeraldHonour on Ao3 ~ Likes and follows from @emeraldhazeart

[emeraldhonour]

Hi there.

You can call me Emerald.

This is my side blog for all things Ninja Turtle 🐢 (and Klunk! 🐱)

Likes and follows will come from my main blog: @emeraldhazeart

You can find all my TMNT fics on my Ao3 Pseud: EmeraldHonour

I'm almost exclusively a 2k3 fan, and it will surprise absolutely nobody that 2k3 Leo is my beloved 💚

My TMNT OC is this mutant bat named Aura. 🦇

I have adopted a nekomane from @/familiar-emporium - her name is Tangle, and she is a menace/affectionate 🐈‍⬛

A masterlist for my TMNT fic recommendations series, Writing Gems 💎

This is a Tcest free zone.

Y'Lyntian Lair bedroom refs!!!

2k3 Concept Files

2k3 Official model sheets

How to draw the 03 Turtles

Redstringraven's 03 injury spreadsheet

✨🦉✨

[topphair-deactivated20180703]

Okay so, I wanted to expand a bit about what I meant in this post about Leo and Raph’s similarities. Pictured above are two scenes which highlight this very well: how they are two sides of the same coin, and can rather easily tap into that other side (coin metaphor be damned).

For Raph, here we have a scene where he is separated from the others, in “Across The Universe”. He doesn’t act his normal hot-headed self so much in this episode; instead he lectures his temporary companion about honour, before berating himself for sounding like Leo. This implies that he very much understands Leo’s personality as well as the necessity of it - so when Leo’s not there to fill that role, he steps up to do it.

For Leo, although season four isn’t the only time this happens, he gives in to his emotions, and is shown as much more aggressive in the scene above. Raph states that he doesn’t mind, that he enjoys Leo talking tough. This also suggests a kinship because they understand each other’s emotional sides very well. In “Lone Raph and Cub”, whilst Donnie and Mikey just tell him to calm down, Leo lets Raph take off to blow off some steam - understanding his emotios, as we also often see Leo take off to vent on his own.

Both sides are essential, which they clearly acknowledge. Raph prefers to be able to go head first into battle, but he understands the necessity of a leader and honour too: and trusts Leo in this role, to the point that he mimics Leo when he’s not there. Meanwhile Leo prefers the role of the leader, but he isn’t above giving into emotions and venting his frustrations on his opponents every once in a while: and understands Raph’s emotional needs because he shares them.

This is the (part 1 of 2) dynamic I love about them the most. Not the overused and exaggerated anger about following orders or whatever, but the similarity and mutual appreciation for their roles, and understanding. How easily Raph can act like Leo, even though he’d rather be Raph, and how easily Leo can act like Raph, even though he prefers being Leo. This is why I find their relationship so intriguing.

[relatablepicsoftmnt]

[friesinsoup]

mikey and klunk sticker i made for myself lol

[mikubobba]

"You may not have him, assassin!" goes so unbelievably hard tbh

[side-shuffling-hyperfixations]

Which one of the Super Turtles do you find easiest to write the perspective of, and which one of them do you find the hardest to write? Is this the same as the regular 2k3 boys? (For example, do you find Leo/Grav easiest to write or do you find there's some switching around and Leo/Grid is actually the easiest for you to write?) Thanks!!! Happy fic-iversary!

Yeah, easiest to write is the same as the '03 boys, I definitely find Grav and Grid easiest to write just like I do with Leo and Raph -- although unlike the usual universe, I find myself flowing a little more easily with Griddex than Gravi sometimes. I'm not sure why, maybe just because I have so many feelings about Griddex and he's the one who inspired me to write that drabble and go down this path.

Blob and Shelle alternate being the hardest to write but I think it's more often Shelle, which is surprising considering in the normal universe Mikey is the hardest for me to write. I think because it can be hard to strike the balance with Shellectro's sharper, more hardened edge while still retaining some of the softer Don we know in '03.

Happy fic-iversary! <3

[side-shuffling-hyperfixations]

He's just so <3 Something about how he lives with his complicated contradictions

Thinking about all the Raphs and their deep seated fear of scaring or hurting the people they love, and how Grid's super strength makes him even more capable of doing that and thus even more at risk and how Sliver's judgment and the public eye put even more pressure on him to so, so carefully toe the line at all times.

Sliver in the comic saying, "We have been unable to max out his strength," and thus Grid always lives in some level of tension and uncertainty, not knowing his own limits. Sliver training him and his brothers by fear tactics and survival instincts -

(Clamped and bolted to the table with the drill, Sliver saying, "You must get out of this if you want to live!" And the voiceover: Sliver's aggression scared us. But we thought he was doing what was best for us.)

- But the training is so backwards because Grid isn't allowed to act on simple aggression or fear or survival instincts out there or anything could happen. What if, what if, what if?

Thinking about this Superman quote: "I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard, always taking constant care not to break something, to break someone; never allowing myself to lose control, even for a moment, or someone could die." And how deeply Grid can probably relate.

How effortless it would be for him to kill someone if he gives into that famous Raph temper for even a moment and he's not a ninja who can vanish anonymously into the shadows afterward. It would be out there for the whole world to see, it would damage his whole family's reputation by extension.

Thinking about the times I've been in my turtle suit and little kids have wanted to come up to me but then they get scared and shy away and hide when I'm just 5' 6". How much more often Grid probably has to deal with that being nearly seven feet tall (and taller.) Something about the concept of gentle giants but by the nature of his work and his home life, he can't be. But with no upper limits, what could he become?

He loves his work, he loves the fight! But he can't love it too much or what if he goes too far and people fear his aggression as he fears Sliver's? What if they get the wrong idea and think what he loves is the destruction rather than the defense?

People judging him by appearances, because people always do. He's probably the automatic fall guy everybody is most likely to point at with accusations of property damage and collateral damage and using too much force and carelessness and etc. etc. etc. out in the field. The biggest target by nature. Made to feel like he's scary. Made to feel like he literally doesn't fit in. Made to feel small for taking up too much space. Made to feel like he's too much or not enough.

It's all of Raph's characteristic struggles with self-control and self-worth and the fear of being his own - and his family's - worst enemy, amped up to as yet unknown limits, put under a constant spotlight, constant pressure, with no real parental guidance or support - with the "guidance" actively worsening it, with the parent being his family's worst enemy.

BUT HE STILL MANAGES TO DO GOOD!

All the torture and manipulation and betrayal and loss of trust, it was all perfectly stacked for him and the team to give in to feeling lost and purposeless but they don't! He doesn't! He's the one who makes the vow to the city on behalf of the team that he and his brothers will not rest until they've defeated the evil!

Sliver tried to instill survival by fear but he survives by doing good! And that's the real showcase of his boundless strength! AAAAAAAAAA

[emeraldhonour]

OK. Now I kinda want these 2 to meet

[sassatello]

been thinking about this transition and how it how much it shows the boys’ personalities while they go undercover to find info on their missing friends in such a tiny time

like leo is very focused on getting as much information as he can (taking his job seriously) and mikey is being talkative and very comfortable talking to humans. (my good guy is chatty of course he loves being involved in the human world)

meanwhile raph emerges from the shadows looking very serious/ threatening (using intimidation to get what he wants) and don just hides as much of himself as he can and goes away very quickly (mysterious and reserved).

huh i had a point but this has been on my brain for quite a while now and i had to get it off my mind!!

[frutavel]

Oh season 4 Leo my mentally ill beloved

[damniteggs]

as you can tell, I was totally normal about one specific 03 turtle as a kid. Bunch of screencap redraws from the show.

hot take: I think he’s one of the more dangerous donatellos. Dude will just casually remove a plutonium core from a nuke and say NBD…

[amascomet]

Been watching TMNT 2003 made some revival designs for fun :] gave them some Insp from ROTTMNT

[turtlesoup1990]

FACEPALM

[darkcrowprincess]

controversial opinion:

@christmasturtles @slady-ao3 @brightlotusmoon @mikubobba

Dont know where the headcanon of where Leo can't cook comes from. At least what I remember from watching tmnt and I'm still doing my rewatches. For me if anyone was bad at cooking it be Raph and Donnie, with Donnie being the worst at it because he gets easily distracted by tech and his experiments, and Raph because he is impatient. Mikey obviously being the best at it. Leo being ok, but he's more good at doing simple cooking. And plus ninja and survival training he'd need to know how to hunt and fish and start a fire. So yeah it would be in character for Leo to know the basics of cooking for basic survival. Because he's ahead of his brothers in ninja training. Just one scene where a toaster messed up does not scream he's bad at cooking too. Seems like they where all chaotic in that scene. So for me the order of being good at cooking in the turtles 🐢 family for me with Mikey being the best, Leo being ok and better when its in the wild, Raph constantly burning shit but it's at least edible and Donnie being the worst because he gets distracted and is more of a tech person.

[brightlotusmoon]

It came out of an old fandom theory that Leonardo should be bad at some domestic task because he's the ultimate warrior boy scout. It wasn't that he was bad at cooking, it was that kitchen appliances broke when he used them. Like the toaster. But it grew into bad at cooking.

Canonically, Donatello is the worst cook, especially 2003.

Fan theory says Raph is best at things like grilling and barbecue, Leo is good at wilderness cooking, Mikey is best at cooking overall, Donnie is better at baking since it's chemistry.

[darkcrowprincess]

I feel like a lot of people miss the point that Leo has flaws but they always try to make it normal flaws. Leo's biggest flaws is he doesn't know how to be normal. And of course he wouldn't, hes not normal. Out all his brothers he's the least of them that could react well to a normal life. He very rarely knows how to relax and do things that aren't connected to being a hero, a ninja, or a big brother. And thats a problem. Why I love him loving little normal things like space heroes or candles because at least he's trying to find something thats his and not something he was raised and taught to be. Like Leo's the type of dork at party that can't fully relax because his ptsd has him on high alert all the time. If he's relaxing he can't relax. But things connected to that, he can do it and do it well and relax. He very much does scream the affects of being a kid who has been parentfied and or has oldest daughter syndrome. Boy scout seems very fitting for him. These skills can in a way translate well into domestic tasks(why I headcanon he'd probably make a good spouse to anyone) but not so well in acting his age and having fun.

[eggbem]

He's Awake: A RotTMNT Making Peace Short Story

Bootyyyshaker9000: He’s awake.

Bootyyyshaker9000: Please refrain from making too much noise whenever you come to visit; he is still quite worn out and needs peace and quiet.

Not two seconds after Donnie sent the texts to the group chat, he heard the sound of pounding feet on concrete.

Donnie glanced over at Leo, who side-eyed him back with his un-bandaged eye.

Leo couldn’t speak, not right now at least, not with his whole…situation. Donnie wasn’t even sure he could use his voice yet, but seeing as how he literally just woke up, Donnie wasn’t about to have him test it.

Leo’s knowing, half-covered smirk communicated enough to Donnie anyway.

Donnie rolled his eyes and smiled too.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Donnie said.

The footsteps came to a crescendo, almost shaking the room. Raph skidded into view behind the glass of the doors to the medbay, Mikey clinging to Raph's shoulder spikes like a determined octopus.

The doors slid open.

“LEO!” They both shouted.

“Hey!” Donnie complained, standing from his seat beside Leo’s bed. He approached Raph and Mikey at the doorway, waving his phone around. “What did I JUST say?”

“Huh?” Raph said. “You said Leo’s awake.”

“And not to make too much noise!” Donnie hissed.

Raph pulled out his phone, barely glancing at the screen. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, Dee, we missed that. The first text was kinda distracting.”

Donnie shook his head, albeit fondly. “Sigh. I suppose I don’t blame you.”

Donnie stepped aside, motioning his arms into the room in an ‘after you’ gesture. Raph ducked and squeezed through the doorway, being careful not to scrape Mikey off of his perch with the doorway lintel in the process.

As the two approached Leo’s bedside, Mikey hopped off of Raph’s shoulder and rounded to the other side, both of them effectively walling Leo in. They didn’t dare touch Leo with the sheer extent of his injuries, but that didn’t stop them from getting as close as possible. All Donnie could hear were both of their (noticeably much quieter) murmured frettings over how Leo was doing, wondering, “how are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Did you have any weird dreams? How many fingers am I holding up?”

Donnie joined the group, posting himself next to Raph. Donnie worried that so many people would crowd Leo. He began telling Mikey and Raph off for being overwhelming.

Over the din of the brothers’ constant stream of nervous and relieved chattering, a single sound, so quiet Donnie nearly missed it, shut them all up immediately.

Leo was laughing.

Donnie looked to Leo, who was smiling his new half-smile brightly, teary but amused and content.

They all stared. Leo continued laughing softly. Then they looked at each other and began smiling too. Mikey started cry-laughing, wiping at his face with the heel of his palm. Raph’s eyes brimmed with tears, his own smile wobbly and proud. Donnie was totally emotionally stable at the moment and definitely not letting any tears slip free, he would never.

Leo’s laugh was small and raspy and cracked and damaged…but it was purely Leo. Oh, Donnie had missed his twin’s laugh for so long. He hadn’t realized how much until now, weeks later. It was the snicker Leo made when he was about to tell a terrible joke, mixed with his overconfident chuckle when he was being a sassy smart-aleck.

That laugh had often infuriated Donnie in moments of brotherly rivalry.

Now it was the sweetest sound Donnie had ever heard.

----------------------------------

Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this! :D And thank you to the wonderful @bowandbrush for beta-ing this one!! I really appreciate it!!!!

Edit: Masterpost

[bowandbrush]

This one was AMAZING to beta read! An absolute joy!

the fluff in this one is amazing and so sweet, I can’t get enough. Currently Shaking the brothers in a snow globe that is my mind

[freak-digit9]

EVERYONE REBLOG WITH UR FAV PICTURES OF DONNIE HERE ARE MINE

Guys i said reblog please im begging you, more Donnie pictures i look like a loser if its just me

[tonystarkwasrobbed]

[alex-louise-3a]

I live every picture he's being autistic. With that said, every single frame

If ya wanna see all the pics

Yes. I was able to fit everything in 4 images

[monebula-art]

Startling lack of 2003 Donnie yall are sleepin

The original Glockatello. Ur welcome

A lil guy. :3

Help him.

[crimsonwolf715]

While I agree with the lack of 03, 07Donnie is also lacking so I am here to cure that. (Free 07Donnie from this prison 🙏)

Also anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about Donnie’s little “blep” moments, so here are some of those.

And a couple more 2012 because I have the most of those on my phone, and a couple 03 pics because @monebula-art is right about the lack of them XD

[emeraldhonour]

03 Don is precious! 💜

[emeraldhonour]

Part 2 because I couldn't narrow it down to just 10 pictures!!

[freak-digit9]

EVERYONE REBLOG WITH UR FAV PICTURES OF DONNIE HERE ARE MINE

Guys i said reblog please im begging you, more Donnie pictures i look like a loser if its just me

[tonystarkwasrobbed]

[alex-louise-3a]

I live every picture he's being autistic. With that said, every single frame

If ya wanna see all the pics

Yes. I was able to fit everything in 4 images

[monebula-art]

Startling lack of 2003 Donnie yall are sleepin

The original Glockatello. Ur welcome

A lil guy. :3

Help him.

[crimsonwolf715]

While I agree with the lack of 03, 07Donnie is also lacking so I am here to cure that. (Free 07Donnie from this prison 🙏)

Also anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about Donnie’s little “blep” moments, so here are some of those.

And a couple more 2012 because I have the most of those on my phone, and a couple 03 pics because @monebula-art is right about the lack of them XD

[emeraldhonour]

03 Don is precious! 💜

[bards-tale]

So been thinking of TMNT and how they work through daily survival.

I live in the western part of the US so I was digging through New York culture

This is a bit of hear me out from my research for this head canon

We know they do supply runs, whether they just steal food or leave money behind. They live in Manhattan so very urban resources. However, they go all over New York City which would include things like Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Jamaica Bay, and coastal Brooklyn. They are reptiles whether red warred sliders, generic turtles, or different species.

I think all four of them would 100% know how to get clams, blue crabs, and mussels. Heck even just basic fishing.

Then you can dig deeper into it where they could forage wild mushrooms, edible greens, berries, cat tails, wild onions, etc all while still in New York City.

I don’t think they do it a lot because it takes time and they still have to be careful to not get caught. But honestly it feels like something that would fit in.

Then you could add ideas of Leonardo having knowledge of New York medicinal plants, and taking forging days.

It is very common where I live that lower income and homeless fish out of our canals and then people of all economic backgrounds fish out of stocked city ponds, so I feel like these kind of aspects weave in well with their life style and needs.

It couldn’t be year round because some times of the year are too cold, but during warmer months supplementing their supplies this way works for me.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feed back on these thoughts!

[forgetful-nerd]

2003 Leo had the right idea to dip out of this conversation at the start.