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takingovermidnight · 1 year

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TMNT OTP MEME

Sliding into a new hyper fixation, here we go. I need to build my confidence in posting and I love @tmnt-tychou 's work, so when they came out with this idea I wanted to join the fun! Without further ado, self-indulgence!

1. In which TMNT universe does your pairing exist?

Beatrice exists across the turtle-verse in different forms. She might stay close friends with the brothers in one world, have a polyamorous relationship with two of them in another, and get together with April in the one over yonder! Infinite possibilities. But no matter where she is, the turtles are a HUGE, beloved part of her family, and they feel the same about her. For this version of the meme, however, I am focusing on our beautiful Bayverse boys. <3

DISCLAIMER: Beatrice is autistic and has fibromyalgia. Each exists on a spectrum and a lot of her experiences reflect my own: the good, the bad, and the complicated.

2. Introduce us to your OTP.

Leotrice. Beanardo. Tol and smol. Bumblebee and bonsai tree. Certified goofy goobers.

Grgikau’s picrew can be found here! https://href.li/?https://picrew.me/image_maker/426722

Missing details: proper body type, braces

This is the closest I could find in a world with a frustrating lack of plus-size options in picrews, so this is not entirely accurate. I would love to see this pair come to life, and these gremlin hands do not belong to an artist, so if anyone is doing commissions and would be interested, please let me know! I have been looking around!

3. How did they meet?

Almost a year has passed since they gave Krang the New York Goodbye and with their 18th birthday approaching, the brothers have a lot on their minds. Working alongside the NYPD means more missions and higher stakes. Stress is running high. With both Shredder and Stockman still at large, the Foot lying in wait (with others anxious to take their place on the ladder), and the lingering threat of interdimensional warfare, Leo is especially pissed off that crooked cops harassing a homeless encampment are on his radar this evening. That anger quickly stutters into intrigue when a five-foot-nothing young woman bares her braces at the officers and refuses them free food.

It does not take Donnie long to collect evidence of their harassment and send it to the desk of Chief Vincent. And the brothers come to realize it is not a new encampment at all, but a gathering around a Little Turtle food cart, their favorite Japanese restaurant. Run by the Murakami family, they make an effort to set up every weekend possible. It is quite the complex operation of serving food and putting together bags of donations, from canned goods to toiletries to books for children to read. They are all a bit overwhelmed by the brothers at first, maybe even a little afraid. But they are also grateful, and Mikey approaches first, appreciative of their honesty. He would rather someone be open to getting to know him and asking questions out of genuine curiosity than let fear or assumptions guide their judgment. And Leo feels something clench in his chest when the young woman from before offers his baby brother a silver-studded smile and a hand, asking if he is hungry.

She introduces herself as 18-year-old Beatrice, a high school student and family friend who babysits for the Murakamis and helps out on such weekends. When the brothers have a night off, you can often find them helping prep and serve, hidden within a tent to protect them from the cold and prying eyes. They get to know a lot of the locals (sworn to secrecy), including Beatrice, and even play with some kids that show up for a hot meal (Raph and Donnie get the jungle gym treatment).

This year they have one more invitation to their birthday party, and Beatrice would not miss it for the world. The rest is history…

4. How is the relationship now?

You gave me permission to gush. BIG mistake. <3

After their birthday, someone is always asking her down to the lair to hang out, so much so that after graduation, they invite her to move in with them to save money and have an easier commute to college.

April and Casey, still barely a couple at this point (they are both disasters that cannot get their shit together and I love them for it), come together as well-meaning, but weird surrogate parents for Beatrice. April loves taking her out for gut-busting ice cream sundaes and go-carts and the boys laugh until they cry as Casey recalls, with much higher blood pressure, his attempts to teach Beatrice how to drive. Though they can be awkward and dysfunctional and she values her independence, she appreciates their love and support, both of them equally hyping her up and being phenomenally embarrassing.

Beatrice and Splinter? These two were made for each other. She is a little shit and he loves her dearly, thrilled to have another daughter around to keep his sons on their toes. At first, Beatrice was not sure what to make of him, or Casey for that matter, as positive male role models after not having one before. But she comes to see him as someone she can lean on, and look to for advice and strength. She loves him very much, and she treasures the time they spend together watching Will and Grace, playing pranks on the boys, helping each other cheat at Game Night, and him teaching her self-defense.

Now for her beloved “big” brothers! Short jokes aplenty. They call her “Squirtle” and there is joking that Donnie needs to make a booster seat for the garbage truck. And honestly? She kinda digs it. Being an only child your whole life is often very lonely and exhausting in its own way, and having somebody to look out for you and give you that unique brand of protective sibling love? Yes please, she is overwhelmed but in a good way, and needs a minute. They are a LOT to love, but she loves them just as much, and it all works out.

Donnie: She has different interests in common with all the brothers, and they are all good listeners, but it is really nice being able to talk about your special interests and know that the other person not only understands it but is just as passionate as you are. Beatrice loves marine biology (there are many benefits, I hear), and she could talk about hermit crab migration patterns and which species of sea snails are venomous for hours if you let her. She knows enough about chemistry and physics to try to keep up with Donnie, or at least ask him questions. And he is HILARIOUS. Mikey would be devastated to know that Beatrice thinks Donnie is the funniest dude alive. Upon learning more about fibromyalgia and autism and her life with them, he installs different accommodations around the lair and even tricks out her emergency portable cane with a few defense mechanisms for when she goes out. He loves helping her with homework, especially when he gets the textbooks after, and she tries her best to keep an eye on him and make sure he eats something besides stale Poptarts and sleeps more than two hours a night. Each of the turtles has their own way of asking for cuddles or comfort, and with Donnie, she usually ends up on his lap while he sits in his computer chair, playing on her Switch or watching him type soothing lines of code.

Mikey: Most days you cannot go five minutes without these two parroting Tiktoks at each other or making a mess of the kitchen table cooking or doing crafts. It is with his encouragement that Beatrice picks up her sketchbook again, and she finds plenty of inspiration in his antics alone. They rope Raphael in a third of the time and inevitably the kitchen gets messier when the boys start throwing glitter and peppering shells with googly eyes. On those days even Beatrice ends up in the Hashi. What they get up to depends on the day. Monday through Wednesday they could be bouncing all over the place, pelting each other with Nerf darts, swimming in the pool, and dying all the underwear in the wash pink. On Thursday Mikey might be feeling a bit down and she ends up in his bed with his head on her stomach. Friday Beatrice might be sore and tired from work or school and they find themselves on the couch in the middle of a video game marathon with the rest of the family. Beatrice grows protective of Mikey, forever grateful to bask in his radiant warmth, but also that he trusts her with his cloudy days too.

Raph: Beatrice is close with all of them, but her best friend, aside from Leo, of course, is Raphael. Neither of them ever really says it out loud. It becomes this unspoken thing that they are a safe space for one another, a place to let it out and wind down after. No judgment, no rules. They share a lot of the same insecurities, even though they express them differently. She likes that with Raph sometimes the world just sucks, and they can leave it at that. The others are a bit mystified by the vibes these two cook up. Beatrice is so relaxed around him that she often just falls asleep on his chest or against his side if they are both reading or knitting or playing cards or watching trashy reality TV. Not out of boredom, but trust. Raph appreciates that he can vent to her, even about her boyfriend, and that she never hesitates to go to town for him and his brothers. They have a deep bond that is very special, and it is this closeness that inspires Splinter to choose Raphael to be the first to take over her martial arts training.

Leo: Amazing how this is an OTP meme and it takes me five pages to mention the OTP. When you date one turtle, your experiences with the other three are an important part of developing that relationship, none more so than for Leo. These two do not have much of an opportunity to get to know each other until she moves in. Even then, initially, he is still the most reserved. It is not personal and she knows. He just has so much on his shoulders already, it can be hard to stay in the moment, and he wants his brothers to be able to spend time with her. They all want her attention and affection, and Beatrice is at a loss on how to get to know someone with such a full plate. Speaking of plates…she finds a solution in cooking lessons! She has no Michelin stars, for sure, but she likes cooking and baking, it is one of the ways she shows her love. And it is unacceptable that Leo is banned from even using the toaster. Leo hesitates and grumbles a bit, but a nudge from Splinter sends him in her direction, and he is surprised at the amount of pride and warmth he feels when one of his better attempts not only draws all three brothers to the table, but makes them smile and ask for seconds. They talk a lot around that beat-up old stove, and both find their walls crumbling. Feelings quietly start to grow. Life does what life does and gets in the way, and so do his own insecurities and worries, but finally, after three years of pining, the pot boils over, and he confesses. And now? They are closer than ever. Both are young and inexperienced and stubborn; every couple has their squabbles, especially when you also have four other roommates to consider and their dimension might even be at stake. The world throws a lot of curveballs, but loving one another makes it easier to step up to the plate.

5. What is each other's love language?

Leo’s Receiving: Words of affirmation go a long way with Leo. Not just praise and appreciation for what he does, but the reassurance that he is more than enough as he is, and that one argument or mistake is not going to ruin what they have. He is not a mind reader and feels deeply insecure over his compulsion to be perfect. The boy in blue puts a lot of pressure on himself and at this point, Beatrice can feel him ruminating across the room. Communication becomes very important, and she is patient while he tries to put his thoughts together, whether it be about their relationship or the tremendously heavy weight on his young shoulders. And we know all of these boys have to be touch starved. While he is not the type to makeout on the living room couch, once he becomes comfortable with the fact that he can ask for what he needs, more subtle PDA like cuddles, nuzzles, and gentle kisses and touches are definitely on the table, especially if he can gross his brothers out like “Really? In front of my pizza?”

Leo’s Giving: If Leo loves you, he wants to help you in any way he can. Prove his usefulness. Be of service. Fix the problem. And it confuses and distresses him at first when Beatrice gets upset. It takes time to wrap his head around the fact that there are no “solutions” to chronic pain. You can do things to help manage it, but it is something you have to learn to live with, adapt to, and sometimes concede to. Beatrice has a lot of good days. She enjoys being active with him. But she has flares, and they can be bad. Frustrating for her. There are things she cannot do anymore or should limit in the future, days when her body just crashes. And she understands why he has that mindset in the beginning. It is how we are socialized to see disability: something to overcome, something that can be improved with better choices, and something he has little to no frame of reference for as a mutant turtle. No one wants to see someone they love in pain and not be able to help or protect them from it. So he works to change that mindset and adapts with her. Finds ways that he can show his love in this manner that also make her happy. Sometimes she has brain fog or gets distracted and forgets things, so with her permission he checks her bag for her pain meds, noise-canceling headphones, and other important doodads before they head out. He learns how to do special massages that help with nerve pain. He knows what her safe foods and textures are, and how to help her ground herself. Seemingly little things that actually mean so much to her.

Beatrice’s Giving/Receiving: That sweet, sweet quality time, baby. When she and her favorite turtle man can just be and be together. She encourages Leo to be open about and share his interests with her, to indulge in his non-duty-based hobbies, and it makes her so happy to see that boyish, bashful grin light up his whole face. She reads the books and mangas he recommends to her, helps him tend to his bonsai trees and meditates beside him, and listens to him geek out about his sword collection and favorite TV shows he has not allowed himself to watch lately. And he does the same for her when he can. Arts and crafts, sports (when they play basketball he lifts her up so she can dunk and he thinks she is the cutest thing in the world; playful sparring in the dojo usually leads to something more amorous; not necessarily a sport but they explore the sewers and rooftops together, etc), their cooking lessons, etc. Donnie shuts down the security at the local aquarium and it becomes one of their special spots. Even if they are each doing their own thing in the same room, or she needs to rest, she loves when he has the opportunity to be beside her. On that same note, each has to learn the boundaries of the other. For him, she likes to be touched, but it needs to be on her terms. No ambushes and he usually asks if he can come in for a landing (cue her smile and grabby hands). For her, it means understanding and respecting when he needs alone time.

Beatrice’s Giving: “Hey Bea, could you do a few loads of laundry tonight, please? I can help you fold it when we get back from patrol.” “Hell yeah, I call the socks!” His brothers tease that it is very old-married-couple-y of Leo and Beatrice to LIKE cleaning and doing chores together, but she genuinely enjoys some of the tasks and finds them calming. She is an acts of service gal and will happily help lighten your burden if she feels capable. Her other favorites are helping Donnie hose down the garbage truck (SO satisfying, and Mikey and Raph laugh their asses off seeing her completely sopping wet and covered in mud from their water fight) and going grocery shopping with one of the boys decked out in the most ridiculous amalgamation of trench coats you have ever seen. She also likes giving gifts. Not expensive, fancy, Christmas-list sort of things necessarily, but if she sees something and thinks of you, it is going in her bag. It might be a cool rock or a wrench set she found on sale and remembered that Donnie lost his on the highway the other day when they were being chased by the Foot.

6. Do they get married or have any kids?

Beatrice and Leo are together for about three years when she hears crying one night on her way to where the boys will be picking her up from work. Tiptoeing into the alley, she moves aside some garbage and is shocked to find a baby mutant turtle chirping weakly at her. With no sign of a nest or other presence, Beatrice rushes the baby to the truck to get them out of the weather. After some Donnie-patented TLC, little Rain settles into their new home. While trying to solve the mystery of their origins, the whole family pitches in to care for them, but it is not long before they have imprinted on Bea and Leo and chosen them as their parents. Kids are complicated; they are not biologically compatible, and even if they were, Beatrice finds just the idea of pregnancy horrifying. Both of them accept that adoption is also impossible, and feel more than content just being together and enjoying their youth in a life where danger and uncertainty lurk in the shadows. But they fall hard for the little red-eared slider. And a year later they are so proud to include them in their special ceremony, making a promise to one another as partners, and to Rain as their parents.

7. What is your favorite thing about this pairing? (Gush as much as you want!)

I must have put you all to sleep by now, but this pairing is very therapeutic for me, and I’m happy I got all my word vomit out, even if this is as far as it goes. This isn’t a self-ship, but I have a lot in common with Beatrice. I don’t see a lot of positive or realistic representations of women that look like me or have lived my experiences in media. Fatphobia and ableism, as we all know, continue to suffocate the world. And I’m new to fibromyalgia and unmasking my neurodivergence, which comes with a lot of complicated feelings I’m trying to understand and process. So seeing someone like Leo fall in love with someone like me for who I am and everything I have going on feels nice. Plus found family is my favorite trope and you can pry it from my cold little hands.

I also really wanted to see more of Bayverse Leo being an absolute dork. The goofy, sweet, insecure, and emotionally exhausted teenager he is underneath all the weight he carries. Push him away from the window and onto the couch where he can be cherished as he deserves. Beatrice is locked and loaded, ready to love him.

#tmnt #tmnt 2016 #tmnt bayverse #leonardo #raphael #michelangelo #donatello #april o'neil #casey jones #my writing #tmnt-tychou #TMNTVDAY #otp meme #beatrice oc

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