These portraits are about the Hamato family and their current situations with their families (I already explained this in the headcanons). I'll also take this opportunity to explain a little about their separations.
The pact:
In the case of the turtles, they decided to form their own families, but, "why separate?"
This is because they were all aware of the enemies and dangers their ancestors (including Splinter) left behind. Even if they followed their own paths, enemies could still affect them. So they all agreed that if they married or had children, they'd separate to make it harder for their enemies to find them.
A clear example of what could happen was what happened to Donnie with Tatsu, and the consequences of that.
However, this drastic decision wasn't solely based on that reason, but also on what Splinter had done to them. After seeing Splinter and his paternal treatment of them from a different perspective, the turtles decided not to repeat the same mistake Splinter had made: leaving their children to carry their problems and conflicts.
They were protecting their children from the consequences of their past battles and enemies (again, this took its toll on Donnie). So the separation is not only to have their own lives and families, but to protect their next generation from the disasters of their ancestors, and to start a new era with more peace.
So yes, for the sake of their own children, they won't let them meet yet, until they're old enough to face the potential dangers. This is another reason why their children are trained from a young age (unlike Splinter, who didn't teach his sons well).
However, on April and Casey's side, after April accepted the job offer in San Francisco, they both decided to raise Jon in a quiet and "normal" environment for their son, far from danger and supernatural things. This was also because it was a goal of Casey's: to live peacefully with his own family. For a time they lost contact with the turtles, until after their return to New York, will resume contact with Donnie and Leo
I've improved a lot at drawing pecs and abs. Plus, I finally learned to draw feet with toes (lol). Thanks to the result, I'm now tempted to draw NG in reverse AU. I'm really looking forward to experimenting.
THANKS SM FOR 90K ON TT AND 12K HERE ON TUMBLR!! This community has given me so so much. To give back a little, I wanted to showcase all of the wonderful talent shared during my dtiys. All of these artists are immensely talented and if you see art that you like, I would highly recommend finding the artist and letting them know! The biggest part of why I love this community is the friends I've made here and spreading gratitude is a great way to start friendships
How badly do you think the other Splinters would roast/judge Rise Splinter then?
This meme xD
For those who don't know, at this point I don't care if you like this Splinter or not, for me he'll always be the worst version (at least until something worse comes along).
Ok, so we all know you do not like the Rise tmnt Splinter (for rather justified reasons). So what is your opinion on the other Splinters then (the ones in the 80s, 2002, 2012?)
80s: I think he's a filler character. It doesn't bother me, since, let's be honest, the show isn't anything special. It worked in the '80s for obvious reasons, but since the show was pretty simple, so were its characters, including Splinter.
2003: I don't think he's a bad character, just somewhat mediocre. His origin story is rather absurd, and I think it only works within the standards of the series.
2012: I think he's a good character. He has the most interesting origin story, and I really liked his development and his connection with the turtles. He's not a perfect character, but he's quite well-balanced in my opinion, both in his role as a father and as a sensei, he has quite acceptable flaws as a character.
2023 plus: My favorite version of Splinter so far. He may not be the martial arts sensei we're used to, but he's a loving, genuinely dedicated, and committed father to his sons. Despite being overprotective due to his own personal fears, he knows when to let go. He learned martial arts just by watching tutorials (XD). Plus, Jackie Chan voices him…JACKIE CHAN!!
One: do Donnie and Lorelei ever find each other again? Are either in anyway aware of the other still being alive at all? Their story right now is genuinely heartbreaking to me.
Two: so I know you had some inspiration such as Kida from Atlantis, Megaera from Hercules, and Mona Lisa, what about Hintasuru? Also why choose those official don't characters for inspiration?
Three: How did you come about creating the characters to feel like the right kind of match?
Four: which OC are you most proudest of?
1- They will definitely reunite. For now, neither of them knows the other is still alive, so Donnie doesn't know he has a son. I've prepared an arc for their reunion as the final mission of the main turtles together (Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey). In fact, I'm going to rewrite some details in the headcanons of their story, so that it fits with the reunion and the conflict of why Tatsu attacked.
2- Actually, Megara's inspiration was only the name, since its meaning (Envy/Jealousy) fits both the character and the context of her main story. A while ago I did some drawings portraying each character that inspired me with my OCs. Megara inspired by Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, Mona Lisa inspired by The Bride from Creature Commandos, Hinatsuru inspired by Lily Munster from The Munsters, and Lorelei inspired by Kida from Disney's Atlantis
3- It wasn't easy. All the characters started out different, and I evolved them over time into what they are now, making them fit both the story and the character arcs (in terms of design, personality, and backstories). In fact, I'm thinking of doing drawings that compare their initial concepts with their current ones. In Lorelei's case, there was a more specific reason that prompted her change. Donnie's canonical type is the "Cute but mean" type, so I used that as the main motivation for adapting Lorelei.
4- It's hard to choose; all my OCs have a part of me in them, and I love them all very much. Plz don´t make me choose, cause I love all of them
As I said, his appearance and participation will be very brief, but very important. His arc will take place while Donnie is absent (dealing with Tatsu and his adventure with Lorelei).
Story:
Dr. Dome was a former lab partner of Draxum. This was because, while studying together at the school of alchemy, they used to be friends who shared ideas and goals, especially their interest in the powerful mutagen.
Both were interested in creating their own mutants; Dome seemed to greatly admire Draxum, as he showed evident potential and superior abilities. After graduation, they went their separate ways but remained friends. Draxum began experimenting in New York, while Dome paid raiders to obtain Empyrean and start creating his own mutants. Unfortunately, Dome, not being as brilliant as Draxum, ended up creating failed mutants.
Every attempt failed, and despite having other projects, he sadly never managed to successfully create a mutant. While Draxum had his own purpose in creating mutants, Dome only wanted them to have personnel at his beck and call. As the years passed, Dome didn't know Draxum's whereabouts, oblivious to everything he had experienced, so he began to focus on other projects. However, he was attacked by the Mutanimals, who completely ransacked his laboratory, stealing many of his artifacts; to top it all off, he was betrayed for conducting illegal experiments in his lab.
With no other option, he fled to New York in search of help from his old friend. After tracking him down, he learned about Draxum's life. They ended up in the sewers, and now he was informed of what was happening. Dome was disappointed in what his friend had become. He had grown fond of his mutants, no longer seeing them as "objects or servants" but as his "family."
Dome nevertheless asked Draxum for help, explaining his situation. Leo, as leader, obviously didn't trust him, so they reached an agreement: Lacking a permanent "brain" on the team, Dome would temporarily fill that role in exchange for protection. He was wanted not only by the law but also by the Mutanimals. Leo knew it was too convenient to have Dome as "part of the team," but he wouldn't stop keeping a close eye on him.
For a time, the Turtles accepted Dome as part of their technical, chemical, and scientific support team, and he also provided important information about the Mutanimals and what they had stolen. During this period, no one on the team left him alone; they were very meticulous. But Dome made it his mission to break the team members' spirits, especially those of Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Cass, as they were the most emotionally vulnerable.
Although Mona was already helping a little, she was the one who stood firmest with Dome and put him in his place. Dome wasn't subtle with his passive-aggressive comments, always making it clear how little mutants were worth in the yokai hierarchy. This gradually increased Leo's insecurities as a mutant. He felt worthless to both humans and yokai. At this point, Leo began to lose patience, becoming increasingly open in his disdain for Dome. This created tension within the team, since even as leader, Leo was usually more patient with enemies, but not with Dome.
As time passed, using the isekai gadget, they went to Dome's laboratory, located in the hidden city of Athens in Greece. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Draxum went with him to inspect the lab and investigate if the Mutanimals had left any clues about what they were up to. They managed to collect what they had stolen from the lab, and Dome concluded that they were building something.
However, the laboratory was in ruins, as if a wrecking ball had been there, and as the team investigated, they realized... they were not alone. Dome revealed to them that his "failed mutants" had been released and were lurking around the lab, which was why they hadn't vandalized the place yet.
After that revelation, and seeing what the failed mutants were like, the three brothers were shocked by the cruelty of that nature. These failed mutants were resilient and agile; they were a danger. This created a conflict in Leo, who didn't know what to do. He didn't want to abandon these mutants, but he also didn't want to risk the others. To him, they were victims, and he wanted to be able to save them somehow. Dome, with his indifference, explained how they ended up like this, and that it was no longer worth saving them, as they were condemned for life.
Leonardo and Dome had a conflict; although Leo's duty as a hero told him to keep Dome safe, his human and personal side told him to abandon him to the mercy of the failed mutants, since they didn't even care about him. After Dome and Leo escaped, by chance they arrived at the laboratory's foundry, a place with a huge lava pit used for molding materials. They were cornered by the failed mutants. Leo could only defend himself, but he didn't want to kill them. Dome tried to emotionally manipulate him into sacrificing himself so he could escape, and although Leo almost gave in to this manipulation, the little consciousness that remained in the failed mutants took over, causing them to let Leo go and instead attack Dome, causing all four of them to fall into the lava pit and die there.
This shocked Leonardo; they had lost their brain, but at least there were no more victims to suffer. After returning to New York, Leonardo found himself overthinking everything, now carrying an even heavier burden: He had let someone die, even if they were a villain; he should have protected him. He realized they were a minority worthless to everyone, neither to yokai nor to humans, and his vision and glorification of Splinter shattered even further.
This led to a conversation with Meg about how she saw them. Meg obviously never cared that they were mutants; she was only frightened by the fact that they had human blood. But even so, she wouldn't care, because she loved him for who he was, not for "what" he was. Leonardo received the support of his family, who were clearly still missing his twin. Dome was gone, taking with him some more secrets he wanted to know, but at least he left behind important information about the world around them.
Fun facts:
Dr. Dome is a satyr Yokai
The reason he has a metal plate in his head is because in his adolescence he had an accident with a magical explosion, so he made himself a metal skull.
He adhered closely to the yokai hierarchy, since he was a humanoid being a satyr, therefore he treated "artificial yokai" as inferior beings that only exist to serve
"Dr. Dome" is his nickname; no one knows his real name. Ever since he put on the metal badge, he's adopted this pseudonym.
For someone so intelligent, he's incredibly cowardly. He treats others like cannon fodder.
He's a master at manipulating people, preying on the most mentally vulnerable and slowly breaking them down emotionally, making them do his bidding by making them believe it's what they want.
Draxum used to be a role model for Dome; he admired him. But seeing him reduced to a cook in a cafeteria for the humans he swore to hate, he'd grown fond of their mutant monstrosities and consider them "family"; hattered that illusion.
His main motivation for becoming an alchemist was his Napoleon complex (not because of his height, since satyrs are naturally dwarfs), but because of his metal plate; he felt like he didn't fit in, so he compensated for it by being a sociopathic scientist.
He's somewhat inspired by Zim from Invader Zim, because of his perspective on himself.
Dome was the one who revealed how the hierarchy for artificial yokai worked, and along the way it was discovered that Splinter knew everything.
Dome didn't get rid of his failed mutants, because, again, he saw them as cannon fodder, so he only kept them in case they might be useful to him someday.
During this arc, Leo was the most affected, as he took all the revelations personally and took this perspective more seriously because of his mutant identity.
During this arc, something important about Splinter was revealed: He was aware of the hierarchy, so by being mutated along with the turtles, he knew he would lose his rights in the yokai world and be condemned as an outcast. That's why he didn't take refuge in the Hidden City and kept the truth from his sons. HOWEVER , he didn't do it out of concern for his sons; he did it out of his own shame. He was ashamed of his mutant identity, and he was ashamed that they would discover that "the great Lou Jistu ended up a mutant because of saving four simple turtles."
In the previous poll, this ship was the winning choice for a mini-comic! Maybe I'll do another special!
This comic takes place during the turtle brothers' stay at the Tetsudo Clan (more context in the pinned post). Before it was known that they were half-human mutants. That's why Meg doesn't know Elvis Presley, because he's a human entertainer.
Btw, if you see a resemblance to a scene from "Guardians of the Galaxy," well, yes, I was inspired by that scene to make this comic (also, remember that Meg is heavily inspired by the character Gamora).
