This week on "Dadrius can still win" I bring you:
Dana's newest art of the Hexsquad & Hagsquad, focusing specifically on Hunter.
1. That outfit is FAR too fashionable to be clothes Hunter picked himself, or any other adult in his life would've for that matter (no offense to Camila, offense to Eda tho). From the nice dress shoes, to the fitted yet baggy jeans, the sleek jacket, sunglasses, and slicked back hair, this entire look screams "Darius picked it out for me :)"
2. Patches on the jeans & jacket, both a reflection of Hunter's current obsession with mending clothes but also that sewing is a part of his relationship with Darius, being the one who initially taught him & that Hunter observed enough of his handiwork to notably recall details of how it looked vs the sewing machine.
4. Hunter's demeanor. Hunter's a dork, that's what we love about him. Yes he's a competent fighter & has decent parkour moves & has confidence in his abilities, but he's not exactly suave or cool. That air he's got feels so much like Darius', with it being even funnier that Darius is also putting on fronts a bit with it.
3. The patches themselves!!! We got a King face, one polkadot patch & two striped patches (patterns are another fashion thing, aka something Darius cares about), a flower (that looks similar to the ones Willow has all over her jeans), the "Quitter Badge" that Eda made for her Bad Girl Coven that she offered to Luz back in "The First Day" (it took me FOREVER to read it before I realized it was a show reference. Also there's a second connection to the Clawthorne fam on his jacket), a Cardinal wing in the center of his back (rip Flapjack my beloved), and last but not least an abomination coven logo. Hmmm, that's a bit random isn't it! He's never shown a particular interest in abomination magic -- unlike how he has for wild magic -- but also the Coven system was a product of Belos, someone Hunter has finally cut off from his life. So. The abomination logo can only be a reference to Darius, otherwise Hunter has literally no ties to it so it'd make no sense being one of the patches on his jacket. And the fact he has that patch that can ONLY be for Darius feels like an extremely blatant reference to their relationship.
Edit: 3.A. The abomination patch is actually not the exact coven logo, it has a ponytail added to it, which is Darius' signature style. Further points to Dadrius with the abomination patch
Anyway here's teen Darius to match because omg he's so fucking cute & a GOOBER. DARIUS HAS BEEN A LIFELONG GOOBER.
Perry really cuts into the way Darius' cloak elegantly swishes behind him. But he can't be bothered to care when he has to Strike A Pose ✨ And All rn. His giant smirk with his hand cupping his chin is the best detail
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I Got Bored So I Analyzed Mikey And Splinter’s Relationship, As One Does
I love rewatching the 2012series after hearing about how terrible Mikey&Splinter’s relationship is because it always leaves me so confused to the point where I have to reconsider everything the internet says and everything I believe.
What if, for a moment, we see what the episodes have to say.
One thing they make very clear is that Splinter does not see Mikey as any less intelligent than his brothers. Several times during the series, the Sensei does not hesitate to openly agree with his youngest’s statement. He holds him to standards that are equally as high as the one Splinter gives to his brothers.
“How many times have I told you not to skateboard in the lair?”
“None, Sensei.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you!”
“No, Michelangelo, you are right.”
“I am?”
“He is?”
“We gotta take him down.”
“Yes, Michelangelo, you do.”
Beyond agreeing with him, Splinter allows his youngest to have his say when he argues with the Sensei. He doesn’t shut him down or talk over him. Even if all of his sons disagree with Mikey, Splinter will hear him out and can even be seen changing his mind.
“There is no monster more dangerous than a lack of compassion.”
“My mistake.”
“We’re doing to him what everyone else does to us! Judging him for his looks!”
“But he was fighting the Kraang, Master Splinter. It’s like you always say! The enemy of my enemy is my bro.”
“That is not exactly what I’ve said…”
“Mm. I see. You’ve made a wise decision, Michelangelo.”
Master Splinter also doesn’t doubt his abilities. He can recognize his son’s strengths and won’t hesitate to put them to good use.
“When he awakens, Michelangelo, you must find a way to befriend him.”
“No problemo.”
The Sensei doesn’t challenge Mikey any harder than he challenges his brothers. Splinter never makes him out to be inferior when he’s teaching him something compared to them.
“Michelangelo. Why did you give up so easily?”
“There was nothing I could do.”
“There is always something you can do. Observe.”
“The key is to unbalance your opponent.”
“But how?”
“However you can. For example…”
While he doesn’t exactly understand how his mind works, he comprehends that his unique way of learning is to be nurtured and molded. He knows that some of his quirks are gifts to be appreciated. He even goes as far as using Mikey’s natural skill as an example of how to fight in order to instruct his brother.
“The nunchaku because… Um, they are perfect for you!”
“I just don’t understand how you can fight without thinking.”
“Observe… You see? Mikey does not think.”
“Thank you~”
“You must find the space between your thoughts and learn to live there. That’s what Michelangelo does.”
Mikey idolizes his sensei, but not quite to Leo’s extent. He takes in all the lessons that resígnate with him to heart, even to the point that he can quote them back to his father and brothers. (Revisit: “But he was fighting the Kraang, Master Splinter. It’s like you always say! The enemy of my enemy is my bro.”) Splinter spends a good amount of the show teaching lessons, such as don’t judge those who are different from you, peace is better than war, and a lack of compassion is the true monster. Mikey is consistently seen prompting these ideals in everything that he does, consciously or unconsciously mimicking his father.
“Raphael! Clearly, April is upset.”
“Yeah, dude, that’s so insensitive.”
“Yeah, that’s all good, but like Master Splinter would say, we must accept the hand that the universe has dealt usssss.”
They recognize cues from one another without anything being said. Reading their tones and expressions with ease, catching things that others in the room don’t notice, at least, not yet.
“You okay, Sensei?”
“Forgive me… My thoughts are… Elsewhere, Michelangelo.”
“Well, yeah. Cause old people never care how they look. Or smell.”
*sus Sensei squint*
*awkward laugh* *whistling*
“My son. I sense there is something you’d like to tell us.”
There are even times when they are in sync. A favorite example would be when Mikey throws down a smoke bomb and Splinter reappears in the same instance. It may be played off as a joke, but this is crack that the show takes very seriously.
“This is serious. I better get Splinter.”
“Um, we don’t really need-”
“Michelangelo said you wanted to see me?”
The two of them don’t have a lot of one-on-one screen time, but I often think that this isn’t because Splinter is outright ignoring his youngest. In fact, this is because, despite not being “as smart” as his brothers, he doesn’t need to give Mikey as much schooling as the rest of them. Leo seeks him out for advice, Raph needs help to mold his temper and impulsive nature, and Donnie needs to learn how calm his anxieties or how to react to social situations.
Mikey vibes with the world and follows his brothers’ leads. His mistakes are theirs and the rules that he follows are based off Sensei’s teaching. He’s smart in his own way, he has the instinct and the skills to fight and defend himself and his brothers, and he doesn’t need Master Splinter looking over his shoulder all the time.
He’s not useless. In some ways, he’s just a daddy’s boy.
Maybe the memory in Requiem wasn’t simply lazy writing.
Maybe, to him, this was an unspoken moment where Splinter acknowledges that and more.
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