#specifically what their splinter values more

[turtleblogatlast]

Something I love to think about is every iteration of Leo’s relationship with Splinter and how Splinter’s interests always define how a Leo presents himself.

I used to abide by the idea that a Leo will simply emulate his Splinter directly, and to an extent I still believe that to be the case, but moreso I think Leos have a tendency to mold themselves into what they believe is their Splinter’s ideal son - someone who embodies all the traits Splinter has explicitly shown to admire or value in a person.

Most of the time, they try to be a dutiful and honorable boy abiding by the full extent of ninjitsu teachings. Then you have Rise Splinter, who very much still has undeniable prowess in the art of fighting and being a ninja, but when it comes to how he shows his interests to his boys…one thing reigns supreme.

Acting. Shows. One liners. Flamboyance in the name of gaining an audience’s attention.

He showcases Lou Jitsu movies on repeat for the boys, passing down the morals and words from those movies to them with no small amount of pride. All while fully expecting them to respect these teachings.

So, of course, Rise Leo picks up on this. He’s a Leo, after all, as much a daddy’s boy as any other variation of him, only he clocked his father’s interests to be different than most others. He picks up on the art of showmanship, of keeping things to himself so as to be a more exciting twist later, of treating the world as a set to act in.

He’s an actor, not just because Splinter himself was one, but because Splinter likes acting and showed one particular actor (unknowingly to the boys, it was himself) as the pinnacle of all his teachings. As someone to value and admire. And even more than that - Splinter focuses on the character the actor is portraying rather than just the man himself.

And I think this is all even more interesting when taking the turtle tot short into consideration, because very, very briefly, just as with many times else throughout the series, we see how easily Rise Leo aligns with his other selves, seeming to pick up the sword easier than his brothers do their own weapons - after quoting Lou Jitsu of course. After emulating his idol - the person who his father seems to admire so much.

Point being, it’s so interesting to see how Leos tend to mold themselves in one particular way throughout every variation - that being, what their father is shown to value most in people.

#rottmnt #rottmnt leo #tmnt leonardo #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #this is mostly a rottmnt post but it aligns with others as well #idk I just think it’s so interesting #because at his core rise leo is the SAME as the other Leos #they’re all goofy they’re all natural leaders they’re all quiet wanderers they’re all daddy’s boys #but these inherent traits take second to what they believe is valued more #specifically what their splinter values more #and sometimes what is valued allows them to more commonly broadcast themselves as who they actually are #but other times their core personalities directly go against what they think they NEED to be #so they stifle it #and soon enough their emulated selves become so tangled into their real selves that it’s a struggle to tell who they are without it #god I love Leo #and this is not to say that the other bros don’t do a similar thing #they just tend to be much more separate about it in terms of what they admire and who they are #whereas Leo blurs that line #don’t mind me just once again overanalyzing a fictional turtle boy #edit: AND ANOTHER THING #but Splinters value placed on Lou Jitsu ALSO helps push Leo into being someone who does things on his own #sure he loves his brothers and they’re everything to him #but he pre invasion he often does things himself or just expects to handle things on his own #y’know #like Lou Jitsu who notoriously does NOT have a team #so this Leo doesn’t care about being a leader - because who he’s emulating isn’t one #he’s like ‘okay we’re just a group of Lou Jitsus’ #and there’s something so painfully childlike about this

[headspace-hotel]

update on Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves: I looked up reviews for the book on Goodreads and uhh. Uhhhhhhh.

????????????????????????????????...

I'm taking the word "worldbuilding" away from y'all. Please stop. This book barely even has worldbuilding. It's an alien planet and all the animals are the same as Earth animals, except with weird made-up words attached, and the book has yet to explain or describe how they're even different from regular bears, foxes and rabbits.

The politics and culture are vague and developed using preachy infodumping. The planet is controlled by a corporation, and there are "scavvers" which live away from corporate control, and most inhabitants of the planet are prejudiced toward "scavvers." That's it! That's all there is!!

There seems to be a city and there's a forest, but the setting is not described well enough for me to tell how these things are spatially related to each other.

Also can we talk about how the planet is named "Tundar?"

...

Anyway. These reviewers in many cases seem to be confusing "worldbuilding" with "how vividly the setting is evoked/described," which, okay fine, but...this book's descriptions are the absolute opposite of evocative. They are so ambiguous and non-specific.

Here i've got the book I'll give examples

The protagonist's cloak, which has important sentimental value to her, has strands of "silvery-black" in it, which is important because it's connected to the scavver culture. What material? Why is it significant? How does it connect to her culture? What is it even called?? We don't know!

"She'd sing songs the scavvers passed down for generations, not the corpo-produced ones they play in bars around the Ket...those same melodies haunt my darkest dreams." Okay?? Maybe give more details so I'll care, maybe?

"The ion storms mess with most tech, especially things that send signals." (page 116) I have so many questions about this. It's repeatedly emphasized that Technology Doesn't Work on Tundar...except when it does. The wolves can be tracked down using microchips that transmit signals. The wolf races are televised using drones. All the "technology" (what that means isn't consistent) shown in the story is supposed to be constantly broken down and nonfunctional, but no one has thought to USE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY in the "hundreds of years" the planet has been colonized.

"Something messed up when the corporations tried to calm Tundar's environment hundreds of years ago...the terraforming attempt that was supposed to stop the ice just made it worse, along with making all the species bigger and more aggressive." ????? (page 23)

And then there's the "splinter woods." There are "splinter trees" that are constantly trying to take the city back. What do they look like? What are they? Is that the only plant in the "splinter woods?"

The main glaring problem, though, is that the "splinter woods" cover the whole area of the world we're shown...which is constantly and repeatedly referred to as a "tundra."

Did the author not google "tundra???" Did she somehow miss, when researching for this book, that a forest is definitionally not a tundra?

Like???? SGSGVVFGVFGBHFFGfsafghjbfbcv

"I say one of the few scavver phrases that has been adopted into everyday speech." Do scavvers speak a different language?? Are there different languages?? We don't know!!!

Because nothing is ever described specifically or clarified!! The dialogue is both unnaturally infodumpy and so vague. Like, the protagonist says "I can show you guys how to strip some bark from the splinter trees and mix it with a few different herbs." (page 119). I've never read anything like this before. "I tell them which animals most likely make which noises." What do you mean, most likely????

We spend a lot of time with a team of scientists, but it's not actually clarified what their actual fields are. Pana is an "expert in many scientific fields, including medicine. The main scientist says he's "not an animal expert" as if "zoologist" is too difficult to say.

The whole book is like this, whatever "Like This" is.

Let's not forget the "slightly scientific-looking junk."

Like, all the reviewers claim the world is so "vivid" and evocative and when you read the book, literally every description is like, "It looks almost like some sort of thingy."

Oh, on the subject of the cold: In the beginning, the protagonist says something about frostbite scars being distinctive of people that have lived on the planet for a while, and then...any sort of behavioral or technological adaptation to cold is Never Mentioned Again.

Like, I don't get the sense that it is cold. The way the main character dresses, acts, prepares for travel, does not suggest that she's going somewhere dangerously cold. Her cloak gets taken away from her and this is important because she's sad about it, not because the planet is deadly cold like the author tells us. The scientists don't have to wear gear or special clothing to protect themselves from cold.

It's so frustrating to hear this being called good worldbuilding I can't take it

#books #negativity #bitching about ya #young adult books #reading #young adult literature #ya books

[miicycle]

Leo insisting that he and Donnie are twins is basically just him desperately seeking value in his existence as a whole. (Obv just headcanon and way more in depth under the cut)

Consider this:

Leo is consistently shown to be insecure about his role in the family. Everyone has their special thing and special place.

Raph is the oldest, strongest and thus a protector. He is also appointed leader and definitely helped support and care for his younger brothers the way an oldest siblings would.

Donnie is the smartest (funniest to splinter) and most tech savvy, making sure to create for his family all the time every time. (Donnie pods to save his family, security system to keep his family safe, Shelldon to make his family's life easier, arcade to make sure his family has fun, battle shells that work along with his family as well etc etc).

Mikey is the youngest and the most optimistic, the most wild ninpo and the most artistically creative. He makes everything lively and fun. Not to mention a complete hypeman. He is literal hope incarnate.

But Leo?

He's the second oldest.

He talks a lot.

He makes jokes that rarely land.

He makes himself out to be big when he feels oh so small compared to his siblings.

He reads comics and knows a lot about Jupiter Jim.

He has faulty portalling skills.

Add the whole movie debacle and Leo is the perfect muse for people who feel as if they are insignificant and replaceable.

He feels small. He's no one's "funniest". He's no one's go to for support or for joy the way Raph and Mikey are. He's no one's specific skill that aids and consistently helps the way Donnie is. He's no one's hope, strength, skill or support.

Of course he'd latch onto the idea of being a twin in the family. Something other than just a brother, another son, another friend. He's Donnie's TWIN. That's big! He gets to be considered essential in a way because if one is gone, there are no "twins". Leo gets a proper "role" in the family.

This is all because he never truly gets the chance to grow into the fact that he is so incredibly perceptive, intelligent and quick. Leo understands and knows his family like the back of his hand, and thus can utalize all their skills to make the best of a situation and knows exactly what to say to motivate and encourage them. He makes up strategies and ideas on the spot to throw people off and sweet talk his way through any trouble and any obstacle.

When his ego is dampened, he makes the plans that never fail. But he never truly gets to grow until he's put in charge because he knows how to play the game to win, he just chooses to goof off because he believes he's not a valuable asset.

But being twins with his closest brother? That's big!! Especially when Donnie slips up in speech or behaviour that proves that he isn't at all against the idea. That makes Leo essential.

Because if one is gone? There are no "twins."

(You don't need to do something special or be something special to deserve love and care because you're valued for YOU. Not what you DO! Leo doesn't need to prove himself to be worthy in the eyes of his family. Of course he doesn't feel that way though.)

#describing leo the way leo would #rottmnt #mii talks #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt leonardo #rottmnt headcanon #rottmnt leonardo headcanon #discussing character #text post #rise leo #hamato leonardo #Leo is insecure #headcanons #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt movie spoilers #rottmnt spoilers

[lackablazeical]

🤍🍷Splinter Hamato🍷🤍

Specific Trigger Warnings -

Involvement with crime organizations, obsessive relationship, child neglect, violence

General info -

Splinter's birthday is July 4th. He is a Cancer ♋️

Splinter's love language is Physical Touch and Quality Time.

Splinter is pansexual.

Splinter has AuDHD (Autism + ADHD).

Splinter has minor PSTD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Personality traits -

Splinter is caring, dense, gullible, obsessive, protective, egotistical, lazy, and welcoming.

Splinter is caring and fatherly, always willing to comfort his sons and calm them down.

Splinter is pretty dense, often not picking up on fairly obvious hints that things aren't awesome. He's also very easily convinced of things, and believes people at face value, then refuses to change what he believes.

Splinter is obsessive of his loved ones, and would fight to the death to protect them and keep them safe.

Splinter is very egotistical, loving to tell all of the dramatized Lou Jitsu stories and stories from his time in the Yakuza.

Splinter is welcoming, always warm and friendly to new people who join his family.

Important details -

His mutation -

Splinter's mutation proceeded the same as it does in Rise.

Because of the unfiltered rat DNA he experienced, this altered his brain chemistry. He now has more animalistic thought processes, especially when considering a 'pack' mentality.

He believes that keeping the pack intact is the most important thing, meaning that he doesn't recognize the bad behavior displayed by, say, Big Mama.

His relationship to Big Mama -

Their backstory is the same as Rise.

Splinter is absolutely head over heels, obsessed with Big Mama.

He visits her frequently, but they live apart, as it works out better for both of them.

He believes she has an excellent relationship with all of his sons.

Splinter has stayed a hopeless romantic, always showering BM in gifts, affection, and attention.

Fun facts -

Splinter's favorite food is pizza with anchovies, and his favorite drink is plum wine.

Splinter was involved in the Yakuza when he was human. He escaped to America to get away from it all, and ended up becoming an actor.

Because of this, Splinter is very desensitized to a lot of horrific things, which is why he allows and supports his sons and their terrible behavior.

Splinter calls Usagi 'Sapphire', Ishida 'Jade', and Kenichi 'Gold'.

Tags that include Splinter -

#addams! Splinter, addams! Rattrap, addams! Hamatos

#addams! tmnt au #addams! splinter #addams! rattrap #addams! hamatos

[bonefall]

decided to try my hand at some oc clanmew translations because i think it's fun :3c i have more but here are the ones that are either my favorites character-wise or took some thought!

STAR HIVESWARM - shai ffawsbabfsfsafen

star bee-home swarmed. there's no word for a hive in term of bugs, so i just shoved ffaws with the first part of babipanna to make hive. She's called hiveswarm because her gray ticked fur looks like a swarm of bugs and she was overwhelmed with many things as a warrior and deputy, swarmed with them

ISOPODSPOTS- booiwoowoo

rollypolly-spotting. Isopodspots is white with black spotting like a dairy cow isopod! He's in star hive's clan, which has an abundance of bug names

booiwoowoo is really fun to say.

BLUEFLOWER - luparponma

blue flower... hers is very simple but i like her. she was named for her blue eyes, bluish grey parts of her dilute calico patterning, and for her knowledge of medical flowers as a medicine cat. If her clan knew what lotuses were she'd be bluelotus (blue water-flower?) instead. a very straightforward name, but as a character she's far from straightforward!

STAR BREEZESONG - shai hraa'ahwuosoon.

star breeze wind-whistling. i would have used the singing verb, but I thought the hypothetical literal "song" the wind sings would be fitting for her name instead. she wasn't named breezesong for any super specific reason in particular but i imagine she may have been born on a particularly windy day, or maybe her fur flows in a specific way akin to a breeze

HOUNDSNIPE - bayaokikaboohafefyl

large hound-wader-bird. her name is a joke about guns since the character she's based on uses guns as her main weapon, but uses the name of a wading bird! as for why the hound prefix... she looks somewhat doglike, being large with black and white markings and having huge paws, teeth and distinctively pointed ears. she's breezesong's sister. breezesong looks like a normal cat

JUNGLEHOPE - papayaogshaba

steady rain-forest-prayer. jungles and rainforests would probably be synonymous to warrior cats since they don't know a lot about em, and i'd imagine a prayer to starclan is similar to hoping!

SPLINTERFLOOD - boekarkworrl

a lot-broken piece-flood. the clanmew word for splinter, as in the piece of wood or thorn that gets stuck in your paw pad, isn't what i imagined for splinterflood's name. splinter as in the verb, splinter as in breaking into many small pieces. he's flooded by the splinters in his namesake, parts of himself. his old name was floodheart, but he changed it to splinterflood, then eventually splinterheart again. (worrlbabun, boekarkbabun) he's indecisive and also very dramatic, almost like cat the shakespeare

MOTHFLARE - ffyyfyn

moth-flame, her name is an honor title! she survived major burns as an apprentice from a forest fire that occurred during a battle with a warring clan, and when she recovered she was granted her honor title. she's also a sorta charcoal black color, with long fur that wisps like a flame

ffyyfyn is a very nice coincidence of a name. it's very pleasant sounding

very nervous to send this but who cares i'm having fun it's clanmew time. i love better bones it's super cool

No need to be nervous! These names are all great! Booiwoowoo my beloved!

I'm going to give you words for homes that insects construct. I AM GOING TO BE POSTING IMAGES BELOW THE CUT. So here's a Trypophobia warning!

There's BEES down there, and SPIDERS, and HOLES. And weird plant tumor things called galls. Basically, bugs are adorable but they are also horrorshows who bend nature to their little leggy whims.

A home that an insect constructs is a Kin. Kin is also a word with many meanings in Clanmew. It can mean...

An insect's home

A clay pot with only a small opening

A strange object

A belonging of someone, especially an object that has special value to that person; a prized possession

A hole with a biting animal in it

Something that someone will fight you for; something you may have to fight to keep

There's a LOT of words for specific Kin.

Large, flat web = Yyb

Cobweb = Feep

Gall/Bauble = Kichaw

Honeycomb = Mlogur

Hive = Skib

Anthill = Shein

Yellow Meadow Anthill = Eebo

Large, flat webs = Yyb

The sorts of webs made by orbweavers, hanging straight downwards. Big, strong, and sticky. Word can also mean that something is vertical-- perpendicular to the ground.

Cobweb = Feep

NOT made of dust. Cobwebs are formed first by cob spiders, and then dust can settle on them in a house after they've been abandoned, damaging them beyond use.

In Clanmew, a cobweb is a fuzzy, 3D web with an odd structure. It can describe any spiderweb that doesn't have the "classic" flat shape, like the webs you may see in your cellar or the corner of your house.

Gall/Bauble = Kissaw

These are ALL galls that Clan cats can find on oak trees alone. They're specialized growths that certain types of wasps and flies can force the tree to grow into, to protect and feed a larvae before it pupates.

The word can mean gall, or it can refer to any interesting little natural object or adornment. Clan cats also can't always tell these apart from blights, chawb, so the word tends to be applied to useful galls (ink can be made from one type) or ones that are particularly interesting.

Honeycomb = Mlogur

SPECIFICALLY the hives of honeybees. Cartoons lie to you; honeybees do not create the grayish, papery hives that wasps and hornets do. A mlogur is yellow, droopy, and sometimes drips with honey.

And they're VERY important. Honey is one of the best natural antiseptics in the entire world, INVALUABLE for treating wounds. The wax can also be repurposed into all sorts of useful things, and even the larvae can be eaten.

Hive = Skib

EXACTLY what you usually imagine when you hear 'hive.' A nest of stinging bees, wasps, and hornets; but NOT honeybees.

Dangerous and useless. Clan cats avoid these at all costs; nothing good comes from messing with them.

Anthill = Shein

The hilly, bare structures that 3/4 of the ant species they encounter create.

Yellow Meadow Anthill = Eebo

A term mostly used by WindClan! At first glance, one may think these are strange little natural landmarks, but in reality, they're actually colonies of yellow meadow ants. After they build their homes, grass comes up to cover the structure.

Sometimes WindClan apprentices like to play hopping games with these, seeing how many they can successfully bounce over without stopping.

#Clanmew #Insects #Hives #anthills #tw trypophobia #Spiders

[bestworstcase]

I enjoy a lot of your posts and while I know she's not your focus any thoughts on Sienna "The Hero Queen" Khan?

truly think killing sienna off is THE weakest narrative decision in the story to up to this point and likely to remain so through to the end—which isn’t an unpopular opinion necessarily but whenever i’ve encountered this sentiment coming from other people, it’s generally predicated on the feeling that she was super cool (true!) and deserved more screen time on that basis. whereas i tend to think about it more in terms of the purpose her death served to the wider narrative of the white fang plot arc and if that purpose was realized, and i think the answer to that is no.

the white fang plot arc was always going to fall rather flat bc of the vocabulary problem—in essence, they tried to explore what ‘violence’ means in the context of civil rights activism and tripped because the binary non-violent/violent language applied to the narrative is inadequate to articulate the actual ideas being expressed, and the storyline would have been better served by a model focused on the tactical value of offensive vs defensive methods and the sharp divide between tactical violence to further specific, narrow goals (sienna) vs violence as the end in itself (adam)—BUT, the killing of sienna khan is the structural flaw that causes the storyline to collapse.

the point of killing sienna is to illustrate why adam is wrong (he refuses to differentiate oppression from merely being denied something he wants, and consequently inflicts violence on his notional allies as readily as he does his actual oppressors). taken in isolation, the beat accomplishes what it’s meant to do and in that sense it’s ‘successful.’ however, it also removes the key narrative argument for tactical violence from the story at precisely the moment when that argument most needs to be put forward (i.e. the culmination of adam’s corruption of the white fang), leaving it represented solely by ghira’s respect and support for sienna’s leadership of the white fang. even with all other factors being ideal—which they aren’t, but for argument’s sake—i do not think this is enough to develop the narrative arc to its intended resolution. and indeed the white fang plot arc ultimately fizzles out.

i think the stronger choice would have been to structure the entire adam-vs-sienna conflict as a schism. this takes some reconfiguring of the arc as a whole but isn��t difficult to accomplish; i think the most significant change to the set up is for one (or both) of the albain brothers to be genuine—for what they tell ghira early on about adam’s splinter group going rogue and sienna’s white fang repudiating his actions and moving to intervene to be entirely true. meanwhile ilia and her little enclave of adam loyalists can be in menagerie with the goal of supplanting the albains, who remain loyal to sienna.

setting the pieces up this way serves two purposes. first, it brings the question of violence as means vs violence as ends to the forefront from the beginning; and second, it allows for a much greater degree of narrative clarity with respect to the belladonnas being pacifists who support, rather than condemn, sienna’s more violent methodology. the latter reason is something that already exists in the narrative—ghira is quite vocal in his support for sienna’s leadership and his stance that her activism is worthy of admiration regardless of his personal discomfort with violence—but it’s a lot punchier and a lot cleaner if the locus of the conflict in kuo kuana is about the belladonnas allying themselves directly with sienna’s white fang against an attempted coup by adam’s splinter group.

with this setup the blake-vs-ilia conflict and its resolution can still unfold more or less as in canon; it simply allows for, again, a greater degree of clarity regarding what is wrong about ilia’s choices if blake is aligned with sienna’s white fang throughout.

anyway, all of that builds toward adam making an attempt on sienna’s life—but in the context of his splinter group being a minority of the white fang, so she isn’t betrayed by her personal guard, and thus the result is an explosive skirmish probably ending with sienna injured and carried to safety by her remaining guards. you still get all the shock and bloodiness of adam’s coup, you still get hazel’s utter disgust with the betrayal, but you also get to keep sienna herself, and the part of the white fang that still answers to her, on the board.

& from there it becomes very easy to weave sienna and her faction into the confrontation at haven academy, because the belladonnas—working with very limited information about what is happening in mistral—bring a force of their own to intercept adam’s splinter group. you can just bring in sienna’s faction to pincer adam’s, then either portray the reclamation of the white fang as a joint effort by the belladonna faction and sienna’s faction or structure the resolution more along the lines of “the white fang is fully back under sienna’s leadership, and ghira is starting up a second organization to focus on separate but similar goals, because activism is complex and having multiple, ideologically diverse activist groups working in tandem is better than putting all our eggs in one basket.”

also she’s cool and deserved more screen time jkgdjfbsjs

[supergoodfilmanalysis]

La Planète Sauvage (1973) Race in the Imaginary

René Laloux’s La Planète Sauvage (1973), an experimental animated science fiction art film, is as strange as it is dense with implications. The politically charged dissonance of psychedelia combined with the film’s Dali-esque surreal cutout stop-motion animation universe, realized by French avant-garde artist Roland Topor, has solidified this film as a seminal work of animation and a cult science fiction feature. The film is set in the hallucinatory landscape of the planet Ygam, where gargantuan blue humanoid creatures called Draags who rule the planet enslave humans (called Oms–a play on the French homme)--Terr, an Om who has been kept as a pet since Traag children killed his mother in his infancy escapes from his child captor and bands together with a band of radical escaped Oms to resist the Draag regime and impending genocide. The film is markedly allegorical for its use of imagined alienness to establish otherness and marginalization, and the techniques the Draag use to subordinate the Oms evoke historically significant racist discriminatory practices. Simply, it feels like a movie that is bluntly about something beyond what it appears to be, and the slight heavy-handedness of its messaging reifies its goal of engaging in racial discourse.

The racial politics of Fantastic Planet are strange in that the broadness of the trenchant sociopolitical commentary imminent in the dynamic between oppressor and oppressed has led critics to draw comparisons between the plot and the narrative around “animal rights” and the (mis)treatment of domesticated animals, yet the human-ness stitched into the film’s fabric positions it as a text specifically interested in the ways humans create divisions among themselves. The Draags and the Oms, despite their vast difference in physical size, do resemble one another and take on different forms of the corporality of a human being, and for this reason and many others, Fantastic Planet seems to be a film about how we could recognize ourselves in one another and still splinter into factions and enforce senseless violent domination.

Terr’s captor, a girl named Tiwa, has given him a collar to control him as he attends “school” with her, which involves her wearing a headset that transmits facts into her brain, and a defect in his collar inadvertently allows him to learn the same knowledge as Terr, knowledge he ends up using to save the Oms. Intelligence is the gateway to capital in Ygam and the Draags are highly intellectualized beings who pride themselves on their inborn wisdom and biological superiority that allows them to far outdo the meager Oms in their knowledge–the film comments on the complications of the racialized bioessentialist understanding of knowledge that would posit that being smart, and subsequently having value, is a fixed innate biological trait. The Oms navigate the world through cunning, outwitting the Draags practically in ways they might fail to do so intellectually and the Draags and Oms counter one another in the film on what “counts” as knowledge: the Draags favor transcendental meditative practices that imbue them with highly complex perspicuity, whereas the Oms argue that their knowledge is more useful for the ways it enables them to survive despite their circumstances. The Oms are made alien not only through their physical inferiority but also because they exist in a society that was not built for them. Fantastic Planet depicts an idea of home that is stringent upon exclusivity and requires technical superiority to belong; shoring up racial politics, Fantastic Planet deploys a social constructionist standpoint that colors these divisions as the products of structural forces benefitting only those who erected them.

#oxyfilmidentity

[anamenooneowns]

Healed

A/N: hi! i've started watching the OBX and i wanted to just write something platonic for rafe bc i feel like a lot could have been prevented if this kid just had love in his life, lmao. uh, so previously this was with the reader as him mother but i'm changing it to just be a woman who is his stepmother and black. anyone can read this though.

Warnings: light talking of animal abuse, talk of therapy, she/her pronouns.

This is entirely platonic.

IN WHICH: Rafe is Loved.

-Coming into Rafe’s life when he was starting to go through his issues at ten. He wasn’t stupid, he could see that his father was focusing more and more on Sarah and less on him

-So what did a young kid who wanted his father’s attention do? He tried harder. He tried harder because trying harder must have meant he just wasn’t doing enough in the first place. He stopped playing video games, studied 24/7, read books in his free time, took care of four year old Wheezie and of seven year old Sarah

-His stepmother saw how desperate he was for approval. Waiting for even just a splinter of a bone, like a dog, to take away and nurture secretly from everyone else’s eyes

-She also realized that when he saw good things weren’t getting his father’s attention, he turned to bad things… really bad things

-Starting fights, locking Sarah in places like the basement or closet if she got on his nerves, telling Wheezie scary stories that made her too afraid to leave her bed and gave her nightmares she couldn’t sleep from, catching him outside one day torturing a poor stray cat that was always near the house by pulling its tail until she found him

-Rafe was still wary of her: the stepmother. Maybe not as wary as he was filled with pre-conceived notions. She had to think he was just a nuisance, an annoying boy who got into shit and was just acting out and being a spoiled brat. Rafe saw nothing meaningful in being a child because the adults around him were always staring at him like some big disappointment, whispering condolences to Ward as if he had died as a kid. That it was just a phase and when he was older it would stop

-That was where Rafe’s desire to become a man had blossomed, until she stepped in and squashed that bullshit right in the bud.

-She opened her heart to Rafe in a way that scared him. This had to be a trap. What did she gain from being so nice and sweet? Brownie points with his father because she was a good step-mom? A good reputation among the other parents for stepping up for these motherless kids?

-He responded the only way a wounded dog could. By biting.

-He was nasty and rude and mean in a specific way branded to her. Hitting where he felt it would hurt the most, wanting–needing–to drive her away because he knew if he didn’t then he’d have to face the most painful truth of all

-That someone loved him

-And she did love this precious boy. This ten year old boy who was a maelstrom of pain and hurt and anger and confusion and a bone-aching loneliness that she swallowed for him with every smile, every defense of his actions, every meal, every ruffle of his hair, and every unsaid ‘I love you’

-The early grieved childhood of Rafe Cameron turned around with the help of one woman who made being a kid have value again.

-She was incredibly patient. Soon, very early mornings became ones of meditation for her and Rafe, silence befriending both as them as they sat outside on specific, comfy pillows to start the day. Incense in the air from fragrances like lavender and vanilla to frankincense

-Rafe never thought himself to be the creative type, but he shyly found himself really enjoying pottery with her. Painting too

-He liked the idea of being able to make whatever he wanted and give it new life and redo it if he made a mistake

-He loves listening to old-school R&B and Hip-Hop with her while doing it. He has one of those reversable plushies so if it’s smiling then he wants the session to be a talking one, if it isn’t then he doesn’t want to talk but it can change mid-session too

-Rafe also never says anything about it, but he adores her curly hair and she only knows because she caught him trying to peek discreetly at her while she was doing the last braid of the row she was on

-He’s so sweet and shy too, telling her that he likes the products she uses because they smell really good and just quietly watching her do the rest

-As Rafe grows older, it’s clear he’s changed a lot but she actually forced Ward to do something about this disconnect that she sees he still has. Rafe isn’t a bad kid but he still doesn’t see that when he does certain things, they hurt people’s feelings, and his empathy isn’t fully there 

-Rafe initially resists it because his thought process is ‘they think I’m crazy’ until he actually attends with her–for support–and really enjoys it

-Rafe is kinder to his sisters and is more like a big brother now, bothering them by going into their room for no reason, messing something up, then leaving

-Rafe is always in the kitchen when she is, watching her cook and helping too at her gentle instruction

-Rafe’s best friends have been Topper and Kelce his whole life but with her intervention, he finds himself not caring at all about ‘Kooks vs. Pogues’ similarly to Sarah and I see him not choosing to be friends with them anymore because he doesn't want to become the same rotten apple. You know what they say-one (two) rotten apples spoils the whole barrel.

-Healed Rafe is completely about protecting his peace. This kid meditates, drinks tea, has been learning to not react impulsively, and is super responsible

-Rafe actually going to college and not just fucking around with Ward's money and doing drugs, all because someone saw him and helped him instead of just watching him drown

-Rafe chooses to head to college outside of the OBX and North Carolina in general to just get away from it all and on the last day, all moved into his dorms in NYC, he hugs her tightly and for the first time in the decade she's been in his family he says, “Thank you, mom, for–for everything, okay? … I love you. Sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”

-There’s a lump in her throat as she hugged her son, her baby, and just held onto him a little tighter

“Don’t apologize, baby. I already knew.”

#obx imagine #rafe obx #rafe cameron #rafe cameron imagine

[phlve]

Socionics Quadras — Delta

Delta, or the ‘fourth’ quadra, includes LSE, EII, IEE, and SLI.

Reinin caracterises this quadra as Judicious, Serious, and Aristocratic.

Dominant elements

The dominant IM elements of the Delta Quadra are Te, Fi, Ne, Si. Grouping together the elements of the Ego blocks of the Delta Quadra types, we get a picture of what aspects of life Delta Quadra types strive to bring to the forefront of life, as well as the kind of group atmosphere and lifestyle they pursue.

Te blocked with Si

Delta types make a point of talking about the rationale behind their actions and emphasizing the productiveness or unproductiveness of different ways of doing things - even in such emotional areas as personal relationships.

Delta types value peaceful, refreshing activities where they are doing something useful and balancing out their inner world at the same time.

Delta types have the philosophy that they will have to rely on their own industriousness to achieve their goals rather than on luck, speculation, group effort, or strong leadership.

Ne blocked with Fi

Delta types love to share personal experience mixed with their own sentiments regarding their experiences, but all in an insightful and non-dramatic manner.

Delta types like to talk about new beginnings, opportunities for personal growth, and their plans and prospects for the future.

Subdued elements

The subdued IM elements of the Delta Quadra are Fe, Ti, Se, Ni. Grouping together the elements of the Super-Ego blocks of the Delta Quadra types, we get a picture of what aspects of life Delta types strive to keep hidden, avoid, not focus attention on, and keep at the periphery of their lives.

Fe blocked with Ni

Delta types rarely display their deep passions and vision, preferring instead to talk in more neutral terms about what they want to do and why.

Delta types reject dramatism and emotional affect in favor of wry humor and understatement.

Delta types don’t tend to form or maintain groups based on fun, emotional interaction, but only take groups seriously that perform some common productive or restful activity.

Delta types generally dislike using poetic wording when describing their inner state, but talk simply about what they feel or their bodily sensations.

Se blocked with Ti

Delta types do not fare well in high-pressure situations where they are being forced to do things, are facing threatening opponents, or are submitted to rigorous discipline, but wear out quickly and look for a more peaceful and welcoming environment.

Group behavior

Groups made up of primarily Delta types tend to be focused on working on projects, enjoying physical recreation, or finding out interesting things about each other. Laughter is usually subdued and brief; instead, people smile a lot and try to be witty and welcoming. Groups need to be focused on some specific productive activity or topic of discussion, or else they fall apart. In Delta groups, there is a lot of splintering and decentralization. This allows for more focused and productive interaction with only those who share your particular interests or sentiments. People jump from small group to small group easily to keep up their interest level. No one demands that the entire group listen to one person or that everyone do the same thing. Delta Quadra types believe that if everyone just pursues their own interests and makes some accommodations for others, the group will be better off anyway. Delta Quadra types do not focusing on building group identity or unity of purpose, but prefer for the group to remain splintered and decentralized.

Romance styles

Delta romantic relationships usually begin simply as the encounter of two individuals interested in a relationship and each other in a particular moment, with very little in terms of outward demonstrations of “romance” in the “wooing” sense of the term or in strong external demonstrations of emotions. Deltas are more focused on the present moment than Gammas, and therefore even relationships of very strong attachment do not lead to constant concerns as to their longer-term practical feasibility. Deltas see as optimal romantic relationships those where partners spend time together on fun activities and sharing ideas of potential practical application. Romantic atmospheres are low-key, based on comfort but practicality.

Perception of other quadras

Alpha

Deltas tend to see Alpha types as fun company and interesting people to discuss ideas and prospects with, but naive and inconsistent in their personal and business relationships. Alpha types seem to lack the common sense to turn their fun and creative energy into something productive and often seem overly idealistic.

Beta

Deltas tend to see Beta types as people who “dream big” and always want to turn things into grandiose endeavors, yet can’t manage day-to-day affairs effectively. Also, Beta types seem unwilling to consider things from the point of view of others, which gives them a streak of meanness and cruelty.

Gamma

Deltas tend to see Gamma types as driven and reliable in personal and business relationships, but not sufficiently understanding of people who want to pursue their own individual path in life. Gamma types sometimes become too demanding and can have a streak of vindictiveness or spitefulness which prevents them from being accepting and forgiving.

Source: Wikisocion

#personality theory #personality types #typology #socionics #sociotypes #iee #lse #eii #sli #enfp #estj #infp #istj

[redstringraven]

#someone meta about don and raph and their non verbal communication for me (@isitdonproof, on this post)

i'll take a swing at it from the context of this moment specifically, mostly because 1) i think we can agree that all the boys communicate with each other non-verbally to varying extents AND do it differently depending on the bro-combination, and 2) if i start combing through the series for more examples, this'll devolve into a much longer post. it's already gotten long, so forgive me.

uuh, this'll also be pulling a lot from my previous enneagram discussion, but i'll do my best to be to-the-point, so you can follow along without reading my other nonsense.

i checked the episode just in case and the gifset doesn't show it, but don looks down at raph first. then raph tilts his head back to look up at him. this kiiind of disrupts the immediate concept that came to my head, but i'm gonna follow through with it anyway. disclaimer that their enneagram placements are headcanons of mine because that's of course not officially listed anywhere, feel free to disagree, etcetera.

raph's an 8; 8s are very alert to where the 'power' in the room is, because their own power/autonomy/sense of control is integral to them. they also want the truth and don't appreciate it when information is withheld "for their protection", because if they don't have all the details how can they hope to control the situation?

don is a 5; 5s are very objective and capable of responding to problems rather than reacting to them (whereas the other three tend to be reactive types). they will look at a situation and shoot straight with you whether it hurts your feelings or not.

raph and don are connected on the enneagram web, because an 8's stress number is a 5 and a 5's security number is an 8. i'm not gonna dive into that again here, just know that it means they're capable of sharing behaviors and traits; it's one of the reasons i'm not too fond of the idea that don and raph are "opposites". they're on different wavelengths, yes, but not opposing ones. and as i mentioned in don's enneagram post, i think it's the 5's ability to be objective that makes raph much more receptive to being 'called out' by don rather than leo or mikey; he knows don will be straightforward and not tap-dance around things, which is something an 8 values.

returning to the gifset, this interaction takes place a minute or so before leo's lowest moment in the series. splinter says "for months now, you have been brooding, surly, and stubborn" but it's when leo says "yeah. right." that raph and don actually pause and look up. the following exchanged glance, in my opinion, is don and raph checking with each other.

splinter is trying to get through to leo, and leo is pushing back. but he's not just pushing back, he's being outright disrespectful--he tells splinter that his lesson 'stinks' and his overall tone is aggressive. there's a power shift happening in the room.

up to this point in the season, raph's been growing increasingly hostile toward leo's change in behavior. at first he found it amusing (s4ep1), but in the prior episode, samurai tourist, he said leo was "going mental". in that same episode mikey came to leo's defense and pushed back on that statement; after that it seems raph backs off leo's case a little (through what dialogue we get). don, on the other hand, has been distant and avoidant when it comes to addressing leo and his *vague gesturing* everything.

since this moment comes after mikey's push-back, this feels to me like raph sensing an upcoming explosion from leo, but maybe pausing to think "am i judging him too harshly again by expecting the worst?". so, he looks up at don as though to silently ask "am i being a bonehead and jumping the gun, or is something about to happen?" only to find don is looking back down at him. don's not shaking his head or signalling to raph that he's wrong to have this reaction. instead, he's maybe looking to see if leo's backtalk has warranted something more than a growl or an eye roll from raph--a sign that this is something to be alarmed of.

in that glance: raph's getting from don that his intuition is correct and it's not his frustration with leo triggering again, and don is getting from raph that there's been a power-shift and something beyond an argument is about to happen.

tl;dr: yo i'mma check his vibe... --bAD VIBE--

i hope this made sense HFJKDHSJKG.

#tmnt 2003 #;hannah's meta #;tmnt #;donatello #;raphael #[ i guess i should also link this as an addendum on their respective enneagram posts ] #[ sorry if this is a mess; my birds were screaming for half of it and my brain flew out the window e-e;; ] #[ *crawls back to trying to finish my comic pages before bed* ]

[whattraintracks]

27. Human Friends - TMNT 1987

Buffy and Raphael should've been best friends, spread the word

"Poor Little Rich Turtle" is a spectacular episode

almost entirely because of Buffy Shellhammer

all the boys need more friends their age, Raphael especially

and these two could have gotten along SO WELL

in that episode, Michelangelo’s level of attraction to Buffy is inversely proportional to Raphael’s begrudging respect for her

I bet Raphael tells her about Michelangelo's crush as a joke

and she declares she has no interest in anyone human, turtle, boy, girl, or otherwise, and they high-five/three about it

he would love having a rich friend that lets him hang out in her mansion

he makes fun of her for said mansion but still shamelessly takes advantage of her wealth

which is fair since she’s been trashing his sewer home since day one 

Leonardo’s joke about seeing "how the other half lives"? Yeah, they run that bit six feet under

she does not care that Raphael and his brothers are local heroes they’re just some weird little dudes from beneath the city to her

she is, however, so excited to learn about all the hidden sewer routes around the city so she can escape her more boring responsibilities

they're both made of pretty tough stuff and predictably bond over their abnormal childhoods and limited connections/friends

"don't get out much, do you?" he says like he doesn’t have equally negative amounts of experience with normal teenage fun!!

zero understanding of typical friendship rituals between them

they wrestle, gift each other weird stuff, and spend a lot of time trying to figure out what normal teenagers do, only to give up and do something else because the things they thought of sounded boring

they'll just randomly ask each other stuff like, "did you know most people only eat three meals a day with specific foods for each meal?" and be totally confused together about it

they also have the most skewed concept of money

Raphael has never paid for anything in his life other than pizza, and while Buffy knows the exact value of super niche chemical tech supplies, she could not give you a reasonable estimate for produce

a lifetime with Donatello has made Raphael a surprisingly good sounding board for the more technical aspects of Buffy’s work

which she does enjoy, as well as cutthroat business operations, she just hates her public persona and sucking up to adults who think they know better than her

he likes to hold the fact that t(he)y saved her life (multiple times) over her head, but like as a joke

except for when he tries to use it to win arguments

unfortunately, it never works, she is the most ungrateful brat ever thank you much

they very much share that I don’t owe anyone anything attitude

EXCEPT for Master Splinter, whom they mutually respect and agree is the only acceptable adult

she unironically complains about humans with him but particularly has beef with adults, and he heartily encourages this

they love that they can be total jerks around each other without hurting anyone else’s delicate feelings

THEE besties who judge people and hate each other affectionately

all the insults: "martian" "nerd" "pet store reject" "spoiled brat"

when they’re not coming up with colorful insults for each other, they’re doing it together for other people

it's their favorite bonding activity <3

since she enjoyed their initial misadventure so much, she asks if she can go out with the turtles to fight and stuff again, and Raphael laughs at her

until she takes a bunch of martial arts classes and totally kicks his shell

and, well, he supposes a nice easy patrol or two might be fun

unfortunately, the team cannot handle the strength of their combined sass, and she’s forbidden from ever joining them again, even though she has a mean left hook

ultimately, I think they’d mellow each other out now that they have an outlet for their angst and eventually grow and learn a lot from one another

but, mostly, they just talk so much crap together

#march for raph #buffy is one of my favorite one-off human characters from this series #i unironically love her and i am totally correct about this #raphael hamato #buffy shellhammer #headcanons #character analysis #episode analysis #poor little rich turtle #tmnt 1987 #tmnt #whattrainofthought

[bathturtle]

the reason why Leo left in the 2007 movie

the reason why I thought Leo left his home was because he was scared, scared of failure, of not being enough for his own family.

Because we like it or not the whole family lies on Leo, or at least that’s what splinter made Leo think.

I’m the fight he has with Raphael on the rooftop he kinda say it.

“I was training, training to be a better leader…for you…why do you hate me for that?

here Leonardo shows how he feels about his family, mainly talking about Raphael. why I say he’s talking about how he feels about his whole family, even when he’s talking just to Raphael? Because he’s assuming he hates him, not just angry at him, that he hates him

This Leo probably feels so lonely and canonically has low self stem

He is so focused on being the responsable one that he lost himself on that, he values his worth on what he can or can’t do, for an example, in the ps2 video game when you lose, (you fall or smth like that) the four guys make a sound

Raph says “Look what you make me do” (referimg to the player) or just screams

Don and Mike says the same, they just scream or said “Nooo”

But when you fail as Leo (the same “mistake” that you can make with the others) he says “I’m a failure” “I don’t deserve being here” “I’m sorry master splinter”

That show us how Leo thinks about himself.

Also I think he felt free for once in his life, he was responsable just for himself and no one more, he could find peace on his mind for at least days. And that mixed up with the fear of what his family and specifically his father would think about him coming back, we’re the main reasons of why Leo didn’t come back when he should have do it

And it’s important to remember that Leo wouldn’t had came back if it wasn’t for April that personally talked to him. If no one has come, Leo would probably stayed on the jungle

#tmnt fandom #tmnt leonardo #leo tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #tmnt 2k7 #tmnt 2007 #tmnt headcanons #tmnt 2003 #tmnt donatello #tmnt donnie #raph tmnt #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt splinter

[thissliceofnonsense]

Some Donnie Headcannons

Donnie learned everything by memorizing it in song form. This is because Splinter would put on shows for the each of them so he could just... rest for a little bit. Donnie would always want to put on a science show with song and dance numbers and always loved things like that. (Also, I think the Atomic Lass character was a side character in some of the Jupiter Jim movies and that is probably his favorite of all time...and she probably had song and dance numbers of some sort... maybe... that's the head cannon)

My siblings will sometimes ask me a question as if I'm the encyclopedia. I think the others would do the same to Donnie.

Mikey: Hey Donnie! Do you think I could do a *insert ridiculously difficult skateboard trick*

Donnie: Well, you'd have a 12% chance in perfect conditions, given your center of gravity and your average rate of acceleration... but these are less than optimal conditions Angelo, so my conclusion would be: not reccomend-

Mikey: *proceeds to do it*

Donnie likes to infodump to Mikey as he's drawing. Mikey specifically - although he will infodump to anyone and everyone - because Mikey is somewhat listening, and it's nice to get thoughts into words without having to worry about criticism or being blatantly ignored.

(Mikey will pop in with random questions about if his art looks right, and sometimes gives Donnie wild suggestions that Donnie takes and runs with.)

Tried to research the supernatural after discovering the hidden city, that's why he was able to get his goggles to work with the crystal, but he got frustrated after figuring out there aren't much rules with that.

ALSO ALSO: He doesn't like quantum physics, or chemistry (I don't remember any evidence to the contrary) because there are some blockages to what can be known, and he wants all the variables.

And he's so bad at history. Like ridiculously bad. He often has dreams of going to school and being with his 'intellectual peers who can actually have a conversation with me' but he would fail history.

He has made an 'evolving bio' for all of his brothers and his dad, and all of the recordings go into filtering out necessary information to go into digital files for all of them. Definite plot points and concrete evidence to predict their future patterns and any consistent weaknesses.

This is the info he used to make his gifts with.

Donnie would sit with April as she explains her homework and how to do it, and he would obsess over finding the information to solve the problem and be useful to her. April never had THAT much motivation to do homework, and Donnie had way more energy re-explaining it than her teachers.

Donnie also loved being right.

Has made simulations trying to model social interactions before they happen so he can figure out how to communicate before the day starts.

(Basically pre-defining the variables he will need to call upon throughout the day so he doesn't get an error message.)

Everything can be explained with science or coding or engineering. Everything.

(He has tried to formulate the science for fashion and dancing... in essence applying science logic to those things.)

He may deny that he is wrong on the surface, and he will apologize for being wrong - as long as it isn't mystic beings that are replacing him-

But being wrong eats at him.

Donnie, the tech one, the one who is supposed to be smart, the one who has a subset that he is great at. This is his use, this is his value...

and he was wrong.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt fandom #rise donnie #donatello #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt2018 #rise donnatello

[sewerpeaches]

The Answer to the Age Old Question:

Who is older, Donatello or Raphael?

The long answer that you didn't come here for is: it depends on the continuity. So you can find my breakdowns for each continuity here (eventually).

The short answer:

Donatello

Why?

#1. "Word of God" #2. IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011), volume 5 #3. Character/family/team dynamics #4. Aesthetics

~ 1 ~

For those unfamiliar with the term, the Word of God is "A statement regarding some ambiguous or undefined aspect of a work, the Word of God comes from someone considered to be the ultimate authority, such as the creator, director, writer or producer of a TV show / video game / film / etc."

With that in mind, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird co-created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984. Unlike a fair amount of co-created series, TMNT is actually an evenly split brain-child (ie neither Eastman nor Laird seems to be any more responsible for or involved in its creation/production/etc than the other).

On August 14, 2014, Kevin Eastman stated "I'm going to take a bold step and say Donatello is older" during a Reddit AMA .

I couldn't find so much as a whiff of Peter Laird's explicit opinion on the matter (for all my searching... and there was a lot), but that also means that I never found him contradicting Kevin Eastman's statement. (More subjectively, Laird seems to have essentially directed the 2k3 run and I'll post my take on why 2k3 has peak little-brother Raph energy here (eventually))

At any rate, if you're the type of person who accepts the "Word of God" at face value, then continue no further! I, however, don't do that—hence why this is only reason 1 of 3 (4).

~ 2 ~

If you're not familiar with IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011) then read it, because it's phenomenal, it's the franchise's longest running piece of media ever and up until volume 100, original co-creator Kevin Eastman co-wrote the series and collaborated on page layouts. The much acclaimed Last Ronin, the first thing written by both Eastman and Laird since the original Mirage run, is set in the IDW-verse as its own version of SAINW.

The premise of the IDW run is that Splinter's and the Turtles' souls are reincarnated from those of a human family that lived in feudal japan (yes it sounds stupid, but it's touched on very little and is executed surprisingly well). And that means that the Turtles' corresponding human-selves are all visibly different ages (because unlike turtles, it's not so common for humans to have quadruplets).

So when we see the Turtles' human selves in volume 5...

It's clear in both appearance and mannerisms that Don is older than Raph.

They're definitely the closest in age of the siblings, but still most assuredly different ages.

Besides Raph being smaller than Don with shorter and chubbier limbs, his hairstyle also strikes me as more baby-like (kinda like the ancient version of the ponytail parent's give their 1 year olds when they don't have enough hair yet to actually do anything with). His mannerisms also lend themselves to that of a younger child—more sleepy, much more oblivious to his surroundings, and more clingy. Don's also shown to be able to stand, while Raph seems like he might not be able to yet.

~ 3 ~

This reason is subjective, which is why I've listed it last and need more space to elaborate on it. You'll find the unabridged version on my blog at some point under this tag (eventually), because I simply have Too Many Thoughts™ to contain within a post not dedicated specifically to it.

The short of it is: Donatello's character has always seemed to be designed around being second-in-charge—both in team and family contexts.

I don't think anyone would argue against the fact that Don is the go-to turtle. Doesn't matter what continuity you look at, when Leo anyone runs into a problem, they turn to Don.

You could argue that Donnie's the smart one and "so it only makes sense to turn to him to fix a problem" (and that's a bit of a catch-22 that I'll talk about in more detail in the unabridged version!). However... he's not a real person and so him being the smart one that characters always turn to when Leo falters (including Leo!) is a deliberate choice by the creators. And in the context of the The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's very traditional operating style—with heavy emphasis on hierarchy by age, blood, etc.—it's very telling.

Were they a real family, yes, they would have developed their personalities/aptitudes mostly independently of their birth order, but given that specifically assigning children roles/ideals based on birth order is a significant player in Japanese culture (especially ancient Japanese culture which pertains to ninjitsu on which TMNT is based)... well... (I mean just look at how Splinter treats Leo).

Anyway, looking at the TMNT franchise as a whole, the advancement of the plot, in 9/10 cases, hinges on Don coming up with a solution either (1) via Leo coming up with something, pointing him in a direction, and asking "Don can you make [insane thing] work?" or (2) when Leo stalls entirely and Don has to take over. And though it's a formula, it's a formula with a million different permutations so it stays interesting.

Raph's role is to go into a berserker rage and brute force a second-wind powerup when when fighting is the only option. He's as the one who makes the first option work when Leo & Don are stuck and he has to, not the one who comes up with the second option. And, narrative-wise, it would be boring and lazy for the Turtles to only ever brute force plan A. (Happy to say I wrote this before I saw Laird say the same thing about Raph (bottom of #55))

That very distinct chain-of-command is why we get things like this, which is much more interesting and satisfying than beat-the-thing-until-it-stops:

The same follows in terms of family dynamics. Leo & Raph are simply too similar for the family to feel "balanced" if they're the two eldest brothers. There's no functionality in a family where 1 & 2 are providing nothing different or, worse, butting heads. Don holds the emotional stability of the family in the palm of his hand, largely just by existing as the buffer between Leo & Raph (we all know what happens in SAINW).

And, just from a characterization perspective, it seems much more natural for Raph to turn to Don for comfort than vice versa.

(Again, I'm gonna just... aggressively point to IDW.)

I'll go into this much more in the unabridged version, but I wanted to touch upon it here: setting Don aside for a moment, I see so many people argue for Raph being the second son based entirely upon his attitude towards Leo and ignoring everything and everyone else. It sorta drives me insane, tbh. I think it's a wildly shallow interpretation of his character.

Raph's entire hang-up is not around being second best, it's around being denied authority/autonomy in general—you know, stemming from being a mutant and being banned from doing 9/10 things he'd like to? That's why we see him fighting with Leo; Leo is the only authority he can fight (putting aside crime syndicate-type authority which he also fights obv). But more importantly, we also see him exerting as much power as he can by playfully, not cruelly bullying Mikey //glares at 2k12 (and in more source-compliant adaptations, yes, it is only Mikey that he truly messes with //glares harder at 2k12) or going off solo.

As much as I love 2k7, specifically the Leo/Raph dynamic, it's not actually a good representation of their real relationship—more of a spin-off "what if" (which Laird has also said). And 2k12 is ok plot-wise, but as far as I'm concerned it mostly fails at creating any compelling character dynamics and it crashes and burns in terms of staying true to source material. C':

~ 4 ~

Finally, I will end this post with my strongest argument for Don being second-eldest...

Sunset Aesthetic

#tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt donatello #tmnt raphael #raphael tmnt #donatello tmnt #tmnt don #don tmnt #raph tmnt #tmnt raph #donatello #raphael #tmnt age discourse #the age old question #sewerpeach prose #Kevin Eastman

[hyperlexichypatia]

World Autism Day -- "Shifting the Overton Window Even Further" edition!

I'm pleased and heartened that the message of autism acceptance has started, ever so slightly, to become mainstream. Great! Now let's push for more. Here is a list, in no particular order, of principles I want to affirm for World Autism Day.

1. Autistic people are people.

2. Autism is not (classified as) a psychiatric disability/mental illness, but almost all autistic people also qualify for at least one psychiatric diagnosis.

3. Therefore, civil rights issues of psychiatrically disabled/ mentally ill/ mad people are also autistic civil rights issues.

4. It's common for autistic people to have exceptional talents in specific areas. It's not okay to call those talents "splinter skills" or "savant skills."

5. Our human value and right not to be exterminated does not come from having exceptional talents. It comes from our personhood.

6. Autistic people whose talents you can't identify, whose talents you don't see as important, or whose talents aren't economically valuable are still people.

7. All people have the right to be presumed competent to make their own decisions in life.

8. That includes autistic people.

9. That includes people who can't talk well and who type to communicate.

10. That includes people who can't talk well and who need assistance typing to communicate.

11. That includes people who don't have a job or a traditional source of income.

12 That includes people who need help with daily self-care tasks.

13. Yes, even people who need help using the bathroom.

14. That includes people who get low scores on IQ tests.

15. That includes people who have never been given an IQ test because it's just assumed that they'd get very low scores.

16. That includes people with psychiatric disabilities.

17. That includes people with the really "bad" "scary" "serious" psychiatric disabilities.

18. "Functioning" isn't a thing. It isn't a meaningful concept. Humans aren't machines. We don't have a "function" beyond existing.

19. What people generally mean by "functioning" is "meeting certain arbitrarily-selected culturally normalized goals in socially acceptable ways."

20. Because the concept of which skills and goals constitute "functioning" is socially constructed and fairly arbitrary, the concept of "functioning" is inseparable from institutional discrimination.

21. There is no such thing as an intrinsic ability, separate from external social constructs, to do things like "hold a job" or "graduate school" or "live independently," since the definitions and requirements of institutions like "job" and "school" and "independent living" are all socially constructed.

22. Saying "Some of the challenges of autistic people are from functioning impairments, and others are from institutional discrimination and ableism," while well-meaning, is Not Even Wrong, since the definition of "functioning" is also a product of institutional ableism.

23. Attempting to redefine "functioning" to encompass intangible qualities like "happiness" or "fulfillment" is similarly well-meaning but Not Even Wrong.

24. "General intelligence" is also not a thing. People have different degrees of natural aptitude for learning many different kinds of concepts and skills.

25. Most people with a low natural aptitude for learning certain skills can still improve those skills with time and practice.

26. Making decisions about one's own life does not require any particular aptitude for analogies or shapes or math.

27. A person's age is the amount of time that has transpired since that person's birth. That's it. There is no such thing as "mental age," "emotional age," "developmental age," or "developmental level."

28. There is no such thing as "developmentally appropriate."

29. There is no such thing as a "fully mature" human brain.

30. It's okay for adults to like media aimed at younger audiences.

31. Allistic (non-autistic) adults sometimes get judged for enjoying "children's" media, too, but allistic adults who like children's media get concern-trolled in clickbait articles, while autistic adults who like children's media get stripped of their civil rights.

32. Believing that one type of genetic trait is better or more desirable than another is bigotry.

33. Trying to prevent a genetic condition is eugenics. The belief that certain genetic conditions should be prevented is eugenics.

34. Eugenics is morally wrong.

35. Yes, always.

36. Eugenic goals are sometimes achieved through reproductive practices like sterilization or abortion, but that isn't what makes eugenics wrong. What makes eugenics wrong is the belief that some genes are better than others.

37. It is okay for informed, consenting adults to try to change their own cognition (through drugs or other methods).

38. It is also okay to refuse interventions designed to change cognition.

39. Both choices are equally valid. Neither choice should be framed as "doing the right thing" or "being responsible" or "setting a good example."

40. It is not okay to force drugs, therapies, or health practices on other people against their will.

41. Not even if they're psychiatrically or intellectually disabled.

42. Whatever hypothetical scenario you're about to ask "But what about...?" -- no, not even then.

43. Most autistic stereotypes made up by allistic people are dehumanizing, offensive, and inaccurate.

44. Except the ones about autistic people liking trains. Those are pretty much true.

45. Autistic (and otherwise neurodivergent) people have always existed, so historical figures and other dead people should not be presumed allistic by default. Neuroqueer your history.

46. Autistic people are between 1% and 2% of the general population, so you probably know at least one. If you don't think you know any, they're probably closeted.

47. The correct terms for autistic people are "autistic people" or "people with autism" (some people prefer one over the other, but neither is inherently offensive) or, if you want to be a bit more florid, "people on the autistic spectrum." The correct terms for people who are not autistic are "allistic people" or "non-autistic people." The correct term for people whose cognitive patterns are considered "normal" and privileged by the society they live in is "neurotypical people."

48. Universal design should be default design.

49. Autism Speaks is a hate group, ABA is dehumanizing in theory and often abusive in practice, institutions shouldn't exist, guardianship is a civil rights violation, 95% of violent crime is committed by neurotypical people, regulating brains is not equivalent to regulating guns.

50. Trains actually are awesome.

#ableism #neurodiversity #mad pride #stop being ableist #liberation #psychiatric survivors #eugenics #actually autistic

[gloriousskivvies]

There's a thing I've noticed with characters that get described as "emotionless" either by themselves or by other characters but the actual characterization completely condradicts that. My main examples are Data and Rise!Donnie, Data explaining multiple times that he has no emotions because he's not built to have them and Donnie describes himself as an "aloof badboy". Both are described as lacking emotions by other characters, Donnie's "emotionless passion" from Leo in the first episode, and more times than I can recall specifically for Data. But both of them are visibly and demonstrably full of emotions! Data actively shows how much he cares about his crewmates, his care instructions for spot include telling him what a pretty kitty he is (something spot has no way of understanding because he's a cat and has no bearing on his well-being), he yearns to be more human (yearning is an emotion!), etc. Donnie is just as expressive as all the other ROTTMNT characters, he makes up a rap for the library directions and gets so into it he gets nabbed for being too loud, his glee about Jupiter Jim's weapons cabinet, getting mad at Splinter hiding from them after stealing the Turtle Tank, I could keep going on!

But a lot of fans for both shows tend to completely buy in that these characters really have little to no emotions! Idk if it's just me with my adhd brain and how I process my emotions that makes it obvious how much these characters feel, or if it should be obvious to other people and they're just taking the spoken descriptions at face value for some reason?

It feels a lot like when autistic people and adhd people are called emotionless when it's clear they/we just process and show our emotions differently than neurotypical folks.

Idk there's just something that always rubs me the wrong way about this stuff. I know there's tons of other characters this applies to as well, hell Star Trek as a franchise is full of them, and I'm kind of curious if others have noticed this with their blorbos?

#ableism #Fandom #Star trek #ROTTMNT #Fandom analysis