April O'neil - Blog Posts

happy valentine’s day from miss o’neil <33

me and the boys after fighting shredder for 3 consecutive days straight 😍😍

Hey guys, I just wanna say that anyone who claims 2k12 Apritello is abusive/toxic can leave this blog the HELL ALONE.

I actually find it quite disturbing that people are misusing and casually throwing those terms out, not just because the ship they are throwing it at is pretty much the complete opposite of abusive, but more on that later. Like, thank you so much for misusing and trivialising REAL trauma and pain people go through, especially with a pairing on a cartoon made on Nickelodeon.

But look, in my opinion, you don’t know what an abusive relationship is unless you’ve been through one YOURSELF.

So stop calling out abuse and toxicity in a relationship because you may have no idea what some of these people in the real world go through.

some of the people who are like “i want more nuanced female characters” will literally see a female character with one (1) realistic flaw and then discourse about how she’s the devil 

🌼 Apritello TMNT Fantasy AU 💜💛

Sooo...I thought it would be great to take my part honoring April month starts with apritello 😀 featuring 2012 Tribunal Acolytes Donatello x Knightess April from my TMNT Fantasy AU 💛💜💎⚔🛡🐢👑🐲

If love is the most intense adventure

The endpoint is the warm pocket of holding hands🥰😍💕

(👆The english translated lyrics version from a chinese song Love Exists by Wei Qi Qi, Meteor Garden💝💖💖💕❤❤)

(Attempted to draw them quick after I saw some cute apritello arts from @christeli4 🥺🥺💖💘💝💕 aaaaww mannn, wish i had more time to draw them moree ofteen...I've been busy irl lately🥺🥺🥺)

Sorry for tagging🙏: @swagreecrow @poetique823 @topaz-rabbit @inspiredwriter @crazedpoptarts @nerdgal27 @cthonyxa @wakifogicu

☆ Find me on other socials 👇😃

Bluesky

💜ANY Support like follows, reblogs, comments and likes are GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Toodles, loves!💜⚔👑

Have you ever thought about posting that post about Apritello not being toxic/abusive at all? I know the reason you said you wouldn’t was because you didn’t want to cause problems, but imo your analysis/interpretations are hardly ever wrong, and you pretty much know what your talking about with this topic.

Well thank you very much, but the post I made was less about Apritello specifically and more about people mislabeling things as abusive overall. It was more of a rant on my part. It was one part sharing my own abuse story and one part condemning people who see some thing they don’t like and then label it abusive and because of that, actual abuse isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. 

If you would still like to read it, let me know and I can probably rework it a little bit to include a deeper analysis about Apritello specifically.

“I won’t be bothering you anymore with music boxes. I get it now. Donnie is to April like big foot was to donnie. I’m just a mutant.”

Do you see April’s face? Before you guys start saying she’s leading him on or she’s teasing him I want you to look closely at her face.

To me its the face of hurt. Those words donnie said hurt. It wasn’t a pitty kiss. She kissed him because she wanted him to know that she didn’t deny him because of his appearance she denied him because of his actions. And once she realized he was about to totally give up on her she knew she needed to do something to give him some hope.

“Your my mutant” that line right there should tell us something. This is just my insight.

But before you go hating on her why dont you try understanding her before you join the crowd of haters. She’s a teen with a shitty life. No mother or dad. No friend that’s a girl that she can bond with. Nothing. She literally has no one but the turtles and Casey. And donnie is the closest to her and hearing him about to give up on her…..that would hurt any girl right?

I just believe that she doesn’t want to have a boyfriend right now. And honestly if Casey tries to get with her she would probably put him in his place just like she did with donnie but without the whole kiss.

I don’t know I could be wrong but I definitely know that she is no way TEASING or LEADING HIM ON WITH FALSE HOPE. April isn’t that trype of girl. She’s not a bitch. Or a tease. She’s just no I refuse to believe such things. And just like the boys I will defend her and protect her. She doesn’t deserve this harsh treatment she’s getting. Its uncalled for and completely childish. So please before you call her a BITCH, SLUT WHORE, HOE, A TEASE, try understanding her and her feelings and her side of the story.

THIS REDRAW WAS SO LAZY I GENUINELY PREFER THE OLD ONE

im in that weird period of time where im lazy as shit and finding new ways of drawing ohymgodd SEDATE ME NOW

I need the 2012 fandom to talk about Donnie's contact in April's Shellphone (i forgot what they're called sue me)

This is their first photo together))

Tbh, I respect people who, in their works, make a friendly relationship between Donnie and April. They deserve to be best friends!

(Unlike the canon)

Look, this was my OTP throughout my junior high years, might as well tweak their dynamic

April’s a spunky gal [inspired by rise april :>]. She can be stubborn at times and only Donnie can talk her out of it. Once they became friends, they tend to stand or sit close to each other.

It took awhile for Donnie to realize that he has a crush on April since it’s the very first time he ever felt that way for someone.

April on the other hand was oblivious to it. She only knew about it when Mikey accidentally slipped it up in one of their convo. She never mentioned about the whole thing to Donnie as to not scare him off and just waited until Dee’s ready to tell her about it.

They’re very supportive of each other. Donnie helps her with her schoolworks while April helps him with his socializing skills and getting the stuff he needs for his projects.

Am I the only one who thinks that the romance in the 2012 show wasn’t as bad as people say it was? Like I know it had problems, but I’m pretty certain it’s not as god awful as people say it is.

Even though I’m probably the only one who thinks this😂

No matter where you go there will be some 2k12 april haters anyway who are hiding there ass in a bush and complaining why april is a bitch why she didn't choose donie!! She was obviously playing with both of them ! Such a shitty character..... and you know what's so funny about them? They are like wow april you must accept the feelings of a sewer mutant turtle who is always stalking you without any good reason just because you seem so perfect in his eyes so forget about your shitty life your shitty dad cuz he's helping you!!! If someone help you in a bad situation in your life you must fell in love with him too cuz he helped you!!! :/

It was obvious that april wasn't ready for a relationship her dad was missing and even when they returned him so many shit happened that she cant focus on a fucking relationship specially an odd one !! It was obvious that she was seeking for some normality when she sticks to casey jones but she cant do it when she loved donnie deep down in her heart!! And its just fucking nicks fault for not making it obvious for some stupid haters oh no oh i forgot haters are gonna hate anyway they cant shut there fucking mouth and think for a minute........

I couldn't sleep cuz...

I just read the whole "fixing 2012 apritello headcanon" thingie about protective Raph caring about Donnie's silly crush on April, and Raph been thinking that April has led Donnie on all the time and that made him mad, he followed her and threatened to KILL that poor teenage girl with his sais to make her make up her mind about Donnie's feelings towards her and people in the notes who liked....supported THIS BEHAVIOUR?????!!! 💀💀💀 WTF??? 💢💢💢

I can't believe this fandom 💀💀💀 Okay, first of all, 2012 April slanders are just a different breed of stupid honestly (or they are just a misogynists) and two, STOP MISCHARACTERIZE MY 2012 RAPHAEL!!! 🚫🚫🚫🚫 My 2012 Raphael is a kind-hearted turt who won't ever harm any soul, he's a sweetest turt to his brothers, to April, and to Master Splinter. I love Raph so much as I love Donnie!🥲 Writing a hedcanon justifying a threat to kill a 16-year-old teenage girl just because she doesn't return his brother's feelings ain't gonna solve it, dumbass! 😠😠😠 Doesn't make it ANY BETTER!!!! I love 2012 April so much it hurts🥲💕💕💖💗, you guys are the ONE who needs to BACK OFF from her!! Homegirl has enough on her plate! She lost a mother, lost her father (twice!), lost her only best girl friend, Irma, and lost her only home! GODDAMNIT!!!😠😠💢💢💢 You guys JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HER AT ALL!!! You just DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT HER!!!! LEAVE 2012 APRIL ALONE!

Y’know, one of the best things about the ship that is Apritello is that Donnie is entirely aware of how slim the chances of it actually happening really are.

Donnie’s smart, obviously. He knows the odds are stacked against him, that his appearance is not exactly appealing, and how unlikely it is that April would ever feel the same.

And yet, he hopes.

She is the one person that can derail him from logical thinking, that can make him take something that he would normally see as impossible and believe that it could happen. He has an emotional investment in it, and even though he certainly knows it would be nothing short of miracle if she liked him back, he still wishes for it to happen. If he saw the same odds in some sort of experiment, he would consider it fruitless, but in this, he has faith.

Even in the 2k3 series, Donatello makes himself content with watching April start a relationship with Casey, because it makes her happy. It is obvious that his feelings for her go deeper than friendship, but he still just sits and watches, even though you know it must have been hurting him pretty badly.

It just kills me, and I really hope that Apritello is at least acknowledged in some way in canon in 2k12, because I don’t think I can stand watching Donnie’s heart be broken.

[Gif credit here.]

Hahaha..lol MY CAMERA SUCKS.

The Apritello Kiss

I didn’t make my own Tumblr account until mid-November and my posts weren’t searchable until over a month later, so I’m a little late with posting my thoughts on different episodes. Naturally, I’ve been dying to talk about the kiss in “A Foot too Big.”

I saw another post shortly after the episode aired that perfectly illustrated my thoughts and feelings on the kiss, but once I got my account and tried to find the post so I could like or reblog it, I couldn’t find it. Basically I know I’m not the first one to post these views on Tumblr, and I’m not trying to be unoriginal. I just am unoriginal.  I don’t think April was trying to lead Donnie on. She just didn’t know how she felt about him until she realized she may lose him.  Earlier in the episode, we see her feeling totally awkward about getting the music box, and while we pretty much all agree the music box was adorably sweet, it really is the kind of present you give to someone if you’re going steady. They weren’t in a relationship. Maybe if it didn’t have a heart on top, or a picture of him inside, or if he didn’t stand there awkwardly smiling and not saying anything after he gave it to her, she might have been more receptive.  Also, as she told Casey in “Within the Woods,” their families are gone and/or mutated. She’s not in a very relationshippy place, and that’s ok.  When Donnie said, “I won’t be bothering you with music boxes anymore. I get it now. Donnie is to April as Bigfoot was to Donnie,” her face didn’t look happy or relieved. She looked kind of sad.

I don’t think it was pity, though. If she gave him a pity kiss, it’d probably be on the cheek, not the lips. If it were pity, she would not have called him “my mutant.” April just wouldn’t do things like that if she didn’t mean anything romantic by them. I think this is the moment when she discovered her true feelings.  In “The Invasion,” she shut Donnie down when he tried to tell her how he felt. I can think of two reasons why she reacted the way she did. 1. She probably didn’t want Donnie to say anything that he wouldn’t say if they weren’t about to be killed. 2.She may have still been hoping for a normal life (as she did in “Mutagen Man Unleashed), and maybe she was trying to convince herself that Casey would be more likely to give her a normal life. At least he’s human.   She was more touchy-feely with Casey in “The Invasion,” but in all previous episodes that’s not the case. She always brought Irma along on their would-be dates (“Of Rats and Men,” “The Wrath of Tiger Claw,”) and she’s disturbed by his physical advances (“Plan 10,” “A Chinatown Ghost Story,” etc.)  I think April has slowly come to realize that her life will never be “normal,” and at any rate, Donnie seems to have a lot more moral fiber than Casey.  I think the kiss demonstrated that she did not want to loose the chance of being with him. It was a, “Look, I’m not ready to be your girlfriend, but please don’t give up on me,” kiss. 

So why did she walk away? She’s probably still kind of shy and insecure about liking a mutant (even if she’s one herself). Besides, she’s only 16; she’s not going to handle these things perfectly.  Why did she ignore Donnie in “Buried Secrets,” when he told her to check him out? She’s always had the attitude of “Not now, we have stuff to do.” She’s just task-oriented. She may have also felt a little embarrassed about the kiss. Plus, it may have been one of those “Give ‘em an inch an they’ll take a mile,” situations… and she knows how she feels about him now, but maybe she thinks the kiss was a bit too much and in that moment she was trying to over-correct.  Some people think the kiss was a mistake on the writers’ part and that now it’s like it never happened. I don’t think so. April’s behavior in every episode since the kiss has shown an increased warmth and affection for Donnie, aside from that “Check me out, April,” incident. She even kissed him on the cheek again in “In Dreams,” and gave him a neck rub in “Race with the Demon.“  Poor Donnie’s never been good at figuring out people’s intentions on his own, so hopefully after the last four episodes, he’s begun to understand something. We may not have seen them dtr afterwords, but we can see that the kiss scene was clearly a turning point in their relationship, and not just April leading him on with some pity kiss that’s been swept under the rug.

Just decided to color some of my old tmnt drawings

Check This Out! 🥺💜💛👇

Please do check out and appreciate this beautifully written and drawn 12 Apritello fancomic by the talented Maven Brooke! 💜💛💜💛💜

PART 2 👇👇👇

THIS!!!!👆👆👆 IF YOU WERE WRITING OR DRAWING 12 APRITELLO INVOLVING RAPH, THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!!! 🥺🥺💛💜💛💜💕💕💕💗

IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, DEAR FANDOM!🥺🥺🥺

Sorry for tagging: @swagreecrow @poetique823 @wakifogicu @inspiredwriter

This has come up a lot, and I may be a minor in this fandom but this needs to be said.

Rise Fans, stop comparing rise Apriltello to 2012 Apriltello. It’s not fair to the people who like the show or the pairing. And plus, there is really no point in trying to compare them anyway, it’s exactly like comparing rise and 2012 in general. Neither one of them is trying to be the like the other. They both are trying to be something different so that different people can enjoy each of them.

2012 was meant to be a more of a teen romance perspective, while rise is meant to be a more friendship brother and sister perspective. Neither one of them is the same, and they are both trying to accomplish different things.

Besides, I’m pretty sure rise isn’t even intending to get this versions april and Donnie together in the first place, its most likley just gonna be about their friendship brother sister bond. But hey, i could be wrong.

Besides, it’s pretty shitty that fans have to constantly put down another versions characters just to assure themselves that there’s is the better version. I’m not saying that all rise fans are like that, but there’s quite a few.

So rise fans, all I gotta say is this.

Be respectful to other versions at least. All of them are really good and all brought great and different things to the franchise we love. If you don’t like one of them, that’s fine. But don’t put it down just to make other people feel ashamed that they like that version.

And look. I know you might feel the need to defend rise, but this isn’t how you should do it.

Thank you.

💜💛💞

For me, one of the most adorable things in Apritello is Donnie's thoughtfulness. Oh my Shell, He becomes so contactable when he calms or consoles April🥺💖💖💘💕 (As far as I can see, April doesn't mind this at all)

And in these moments, she hugged Donnie herself💓💓💞💞❤❤❤ She trusts him so so much!💝💕💖

And when she hugs Donnie with joy, it's becomes the cutest thing I've ever seen😍😍😍💗❣️💕💗

💖🌟BONUS🌟💖

Protective Donnie😏😏💕

«Get away from her!»

I COULDN'T AGREE MOREEEE!!! 💜💛💜💛💜🐢🔥🔥🔥💕💕💕💕🥰🥰🥰🥰

Wanna come here and say, thanks for the positive Apritello rep. Like this ships been dear to me since I was a kid in 2012 being introduced to TMNT. There's so much negativity towards it nowadays so to see someone unabashedly love it like i do is nice. Like doing another rewatch with my boyfriend I know the writers did the ship (and other plot points) dirty, so keep up the fantastic art!

I felt really happy when I read this!🥰🥰😍😍😃😄😄💕💕 Couldn't agree more with you 😃 I do enjoy and appreciate every single Apritello moments each seasons, the TMNT 2012 grew on me and this ship INSPIRE me a lot to create 😊 From the bottom of my heart, Apritello deserves more LOVE! Thank you for sending me this!💜💛💜💛💜

Sorry For My Sudden Absence🙏

Guys🙏 I am so sorry for my sudden absence here because my uncle got hospitalized, got diagnosed a diabetes since sunday last week but thank god, his health getting much better and allowed to go home today🙏 Sorry for the lack of my art or writing content for my TMNT Fantasy AU Tribunal Turtle brothers and Knightess April 🥲🥲 and I am still busy preparing for Eid Al-Fitr preparation for my family, this upcoming Eid Al-Fitr...for this year...feels a little different without my mom (we still misses her a lot😇😇😇🕊🕊)...its been a year 🕊🕊💐💐💐💐 I hope you guys are doing good with life, health, love relationship, and family! Best wishes!!😊😊😊

Thank you for your understanding! Happy Turtle Power!!🐢🐢🐢 Keep rocking your shellheads!!

☆☆ BONUS ☆☆☆

Four days ago, I've made a friend, an 2012 apritello fans on xtwitter, named buridanshaku and drew me a cute drawing gift of 2012 apritello, she's the sweetest, kindest person ever 😊😊💕💕💯💯👇👇

Art credits goes to buridanshaku 😍😍😍 Her adorable art cheered me up during tough, difficult times 🥰🥰🥰 really warmed my little heart!💜💛💜💛

Source: https://x.com/buridanshaku/status/1902607411242045541?t=WbKUo1HUCKK4tAr_RD8ceA&s=19

Does 2012 April have flaws? Yes.

Does 2012 April actively show Donnie affection? Yes.

Does 2012 April have feelings for Donnie to some degree? Yes.

Is she 100% sure on those feelings? No.

Does she have more important problems in her life to deal with than whether or not a boy is into her? Fuck yes.

Does April sometimes go too far and overreact? Yes.

So does every single other character in the show.

Her father was kidnapped episode one, and he’s the only family member she is ever shown to have a close relationship with (her aunt literally never appears in the show she doesn’t count.)

Then her life is put in danger CONSTANTLY, her father is mutated by the people who promised to save him (their fault or not), she is forced to live underground IN A SEWER, she tries to train to pull her own weight and contribute because she’s sick of sitting on the sidelines only to be treated like she’s helpless constantly, on top of that she’s got two guys constantly flirting with her and playing tug of war with her.

April has flaws. April makes mistakes. April can be loud and abrasive and takes her frustration out on people who probably don’t deserve it.

But for peoples biggest gripe of her character to be that she’s a “tease?”

Y’all are just as guilty of reducing her character to just a love interest as some of the writers.

(Also for the “you’re my mutant” thing? She said that in response to Donnie putting himself down. He apologized and then proceeded to imply that she doesn’t want to be with him solely cause he’s a mutant.) (She also never said she didn’t like him or that she didn’t have feelings for him, she literally just felt uncomfortable with getting a gift with HIS FACE ON IT. Idc how much I like someone that’s an awkward thing to get) (let’s also not forget that Donnie never confessed to her either? She didn’t reject him cause he never asked her out.)

April & Irma TMNT Fantasy AU

Finished~!!! 🤩🤩🤩 (I gave up rendering April's armor and I suck at drawing BG ;;^;; sorry) currently having a terrible sharkweek cramps soooo that's why I finished this piece quickly 🥲

💖 Knight April & Village girl Irma 💗

SHIPPING

Whoaa...I feel this...this status is so relateable 🥲🥲😭😭

Well, you guys can't blame me....since I am a die hard apritello shipper, I am always be 💛💜💛💜

Knight April doodles 🛡⚔👑

Cuz I suck at drawing turtles 😓🥲, so I drew her instead, I drew the girl better 💕💕💕 (i tried to beat art block) And btw I read the comments from yesterday's status, which made me go all fuzzy and happier 😊😊☺ I am feeling much better thanks to you, great TMNT fans!! Thank you for your kind words & support!!💝💗💗💗 Reaally glad you guys love my Knight 12 April!🥰😍❤❤

Facts: My Knight 12 April design is hugely inspired from an anime show called Shoujo Kakumei Utena (i really adored the characters designs and their outfits💗💗💗) and an animation movie, Nimona

🛡🐲 Sketch Log 5 - TMNT Fantasy AU 🐉🐢⚔

Been a very busy week setting up my portfolio page on behance, and went for job hunting thru LinkedIn, and other adult stuff *sighss and I hardly spent much time to draw some doodles or write my TMNT Fantasy AU...so here's what I got instead for you guys😔👇👇👇

In case you guys been wondering where the shell did she get the purple fire magic on her battle axe? Here's your answer👇😀

My other inspo on kaijus😊👇👇

Close up doodles💕💝💖👇👇

And lastly, Tribunal Leonardo and Chloe 👇💙💕💙💕💙💪😍😍🥰🥰 HAPPY ST. VALENTINES DAY, SHELLHEADS!!!💘💘 (cuz today is their day and I do think they deserved some credits!💕💕💕💯💯)

A little bit Knightess April x Villager Irma of course!!💕💜💕💜💕💜💖💖💖

I think this is the first reaction Irma would make when meeting/encounters a giant talking turtle with glowing markings...walking in front of her (?)

⭐BONUS DOODLES!!👇⭐

Knightess April and Tribunal Donnie reading a map together, what kind of fantasy map...?? Hidden treasure map...???? We'll never know🥲

I HOPE EVERYONE ARE ENJOYING THEIR VALENTINES DAY!!!🥰🥰🥰 MAY YOUR DAY FILLED WITH LOTSA LOVE AND HUGGSSS!!!💘💝💌💕💕💞💞❤❤

💜ANY Support like reblogs, comments and likes are GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Toodles, loves!💜⚔👑

🛡🐲 Sketch Log 4 - TMNT Fantasy AU 🐉🐢⚔

Hellooo~ lovely TMNT nation, what's up...??😄

How's your New Year holidays, guys...?? I hope everyone's had a good time with your family and loved ones💕 Here I am...just wanna share some last year's scraps, doodles, and even newer ones (some are studies, unfinished, clear doodles) 👇

Knightess April, she is into jousting 😄🛡💕💕💕

Had this idea of Knightess April giving a head-pat to Tribunal Dragon Donatello...to calm him down, I drew this piece while listening to some House Of Dragons music soundtracks.

And of course, moreeee apritello doodles, Your Majesty💜💛👑

👆👆 I FEEL PROUD I MEAN LOOK I DID HIS TURTLE SHELL RIGHT!!! I LOVE HOW IT TURNS OUT!!😚💞💞💕💓

Hey, some no-one-didn't-ask-for-angsty Tribunal Donnie👇 (I drew this based on my angsty, angy, distressed mood)

Before💜

After I put on some purple highligther (cuz I don't have neon purple ones)👇

Full pic of Raph, Mikey, and Leo👇

The girlsss...villager Irma, Knightess April, Chloe (Leo's little girl), Renet Tilley (?) the maid who works at the castle. Then, I drew this 👇 when I couldn't even fall asleep at night....

P.S.: I AM SORRY FOR THE BAD QUALITY PICS!!!😩😩😭😭 I AM TERRIBLE AT TAKING THE PICTURES😞💀🙏🙏

💜Any support like reblogs, comments and likes are GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Toodles, loves!💜⚔👑