#a new casey fray

[somerandomdudelmao]

there's something so potent about mikey's spirit protecting leo and i'm going to try to put it into words here but forgive me if i don't accurately get my point across

by all accounts - mikey should have shattered along with his body. and you can see the evidence of that because his spirit is cracked and fraying and glitching just like when he was alive and pushing himself too far. and yet against all fucking odds he's holding himself together and ripping through the veil almost the same way casey is just so he can stand over his big brother and return the favor leo's been doing for years - saying 'don't touch him'

leo's been acting as a shield, but even shields wear down and crack and break because they're meant to take hits, to protect the person on the other side, but nothing in this world is indestructible - not forever.

recently i learned more about radiation therapy, the way it can target certain areas in the body with the right settings, but also the way it progressively wears you down because as much as it can help you, it's also hurting you. it feels very similar to the way leo stands directly in the path of the krang's power because 'i don't have magic, it can't hurt me' but it can because the magic was there once and nothing is ever fully erased from existence. it doesn't feel like it's hurting him, but it is. and like a wilting plant trying to sprout new growth, repeatedly exposed to blistering sunlight but never being watered because 'it's already wilting and dying, there's no point' - but there's always something beneath the soil, some remnant that toils ever upward to keep growing and living. leo's never really given himself a chance, has he? because he's been so focused on keeping mikey out of harm's way that he never stopped to dig down a little further and find those roots, still trying to take hold.

there's no way of knowing at this point in the story if leo is ever supposed to find his magic/ninpo again, but wouldn't that be something? anything can grow, given the right environment and attention. take what's left from the ruined timeline and plant him in new soil, free of warfare, safe with his brothers, and who knows what could grow.

and if mikey is there? if his family is there? you can be damn well sure they're going to water anything that looks like new growth - why wouldn't they? it's time to return the favor, after all.

Yes yep mhm uh huh YES T H I S

[katanadepapel]

GOONGALA!!!!!

Finally I did my Casey Jones of TOTTMNT!

I decided to mix it with the Casey Jones 2007, Casey Jones 2012 and Casey Jones Jr 2022 versions (my third favorite), since my first one is this one and the second one is the 2012 one 😍🥰

Here's my summary about him, his bio, my headcanons and more!

•Name: Arnold Bernin Casey Jones Jr, also known as "CJ"

*Other nicknames: Case, the avenger, toothless.

•Age: 17 years old

•Sign: Sagittarius

•Country: Mexico 🇲🇽

•Religion: Catholic (not a stereotype, but I thought it was cool that Casey was Catholic)

•Like: April O'Neil, his sister Victoria and his sister (of consideration) Naomi, annoying Raphael, working out, playing Freefire and Fortnite, eating hot dogs, sleeping late if he lets them, Coca Cola zero, strong coffee without sugar, and beating up villains.

•Dislikes: Waking up early, cockroaches, too much candy, going to the dentist, injustice at school or on the street, corruption and bandits like the purple dragons.

•Physical description: Casey is a tall, thin mexican boy with wavy black hair that he usually wears in a half-up ponytail, or ponytail. He has a unique style, half geek, half rocker, usually wearing ripped jeans, graphic t-shirts, and his frayed hoodies and vests. His eyes are dark blue and he has a mischievous and confident expression.

•Personality traits: Rebellious, talkative, passionate, loyal, and adventurous.

•Background: Casey's father is an FBI agent and his mother owns a beauty salon. He has two sisters, Angel and Victoria, and a close-knit family. He is a talented hockey player and enjoys roller skating and playing video games with his best friend Raphael, or skate with your sister of consideration, Naomi Mendes.

•Motivations: Casey's main goals are to impress his crush, April O'Neil, and prove his independence from his overbearing father. He also wants to protect his new friends, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and maintain his rebellious image.

•Weaknesses: Impulsive, hot-headed, and sometimes reckless in his actions. He can also be insecure about his father's high expectations and his own self-worth.

• Relationships: Casey is best friends with Naomi Mendes and Raphael, and has a crush on April O'Neil. He is also close to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who he considers his friends and allies. He is a very protective and caring brother to his four-year-old sister Victoria (I made up the name), but also worried about his older twin Angel.

• Character arc (my fanfic): Over the course of the story, Casey learns to balance his rebellious nature with more responsible behavior, and he gains a deeper understanding of his family and the importance of his friendships.

• Quirks or habits: Casey has a habit of chewing on the end of his hockey stick when he is deep in thought. He also loves rollerblading and often does tricks to impress his friends.

• Dialogue: Casey often speaks in a confident and sarcastic tone, with a hint of a Latin accent. He is not afraid to speak his mind and is not afraid to stand up to authority figures.

•Language and speech style: Casey speaks primarily English, but also incorporates some Spanish slang and expressions, reflecting his Latino heritage. He has a rapid, colloquial speech pattern, frequently using phrases such as "rostro", "hermano", and "de verdad".

•Internal conflicts: Casey struggles with his desire for independence and his need for approval from his father. He also deals with feelings of insecurity and fear of disappointing his family.

[moonshynecybin]

casey/enea sound of music.....idk how but i want it....

okay its crazy how this actually says rosquez...

marc is the worlds worst nun lbr. like yes he is catholic yes he feels the faith and loves god. praying in the abbey with that little intense focused freak face of his you know the one. but good lord. annoying. thrill seeking. hates rules he doesn’t understand. will nawt shut up. constantly dancing in a most unpious manner. sneaking away to see his brother. how do you solve a problem like marc marquez. hes a darling he's a demon hes a lamb.

well. for his own good!! they send this man to babysit valentino rossi’s gaggle of insane children/wards. not knowing that mr rossi broke marc’s heart some years ago when he was very young and foolish after some perceived betrayal… (side note. rosquez could do casablanca. to explore later.) so marc arrives to a risk-taking werewolf pack of young teens who hate his ass. or are at least very wary after the last 8 governesses imo. pecco is one of the oldest and is doing a slightly secret very coy romance with vale’s baby brother (we are not setting this against ww2 politic bc i said so). cele is the nicest and youngest obv. he still helps bezz put a pinecone on marc’s chair and a lil snake in his pocket. stinker. marc gradually wins them over by doing some sort of series of risk taking activities with them and lying to vale about their mild crimes... finds a lot of joy in the process <3 his brother can visit whenever he wants... he's almost. happy.

BUT. in the years since vale's has developed a new love interest: the BARONESS. who i refuse to develop. (sorry women.) and everyone says they are to be married....so marc turns up and they did NOT tell vale who the new governess would be but he's at the end of his rope with his insane kids (he started adopting after him and marc imploded to fill his time but they were always supposed to do that TOGETHER. and its overwhelming). so marc's in the house with his ex and his ex's kids and it’s awful and awkward and its soooo close to what they both wanted and so far at the same time. they REFUSE to talk about it and how they used to mean EVERYTHING to each other… but over time things gradually begin to thaw. marc is so good with the kids. the house starts to feel alive again with marc’s big dumb laugh…. vale starts joking with marc how he used to. but every time marc lets himself think just maybe… the baroness is there. and its killing him.

so it all comes to a head when the kids make vale throw an extravagant ball adn marc puts on his best (still fraying...) tux and looks so handsome and vale cant keep his eyes off of him all night. the children (parent trap mode: level expert) make them dance and literally everyone. and i mean everyone (sorry to the baroness). can see that they are so so in love that it is SICKENING. please go look at these gifs from the movie i think about them all the time. like marc and vale's bodies press together and its so warm and their faces are so close and there's a moment adn they lean in... and then marc sees the baroness watching and its like someone poured ice water down his spine.... he cant ruin this for the kids they deserve a family!!!! and he runs away. leaves in the night without saying goodbye. returns to the nunnery so vale can get married without him...

[officiallordvetinari]

Wikipedia Featured Article Poll, Biographies Edition. Summaries and links below the cut

Margaret Ives Abbott (June 15, 1878 – June 10, 1955) was an American amateur golfer. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic event: the women's golf tournament at the 1900 Summer Olympics.

Lilias Eveline Armstrong (29 September 1882 – 9 December 1937) was an English phonetician. She worked at University College London, where she attained the rank of reader. Armstrong is most known for her work on English intonation as well as the phonetics and tone of Somali and Kikuyu. Her book on English intonation, written with Ida C. Ward, was in print for 50 years. Armstrong also provided some of the first detailed descriptions of tone in Somali and Kikuyu.

Morris Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Although he played 15 seasons in the major leagues, almost entirely for four American League teams, Berg was never more than an average player and was better known for being "the brainiest guy in baseball." Casey Stengel once described Berg as "the strangest man ever to play baseball".

Edward Dando (c. 1803 – 28 August 1832) was a thief who came to public notice in Britain because of his unusual habit of overeating at food stalls and inns, and then revealing that he had no money to pay. Although the fare he consumed was varied, he was particularly fond of oysters, having once eaten 25 dozen of them with a loaf and a half of bread with butter.

Harold Francis Davidson (14 July 1875 – 30 July 1937), generally known as the Rector of Stiffkey, was a Church of England priest who in 1932, after a public scandal, was convicted of immorality by a church court and defrocked. Davidson strongly protested his innocence and to raise funds for his reinstatement campaign he exhibited himself in a barrel on the Blackpool seafront. He performed in other sideshows of a similar nature, and died after being attacked by a lion in whose cage he was appearing in a seaside spectacular.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998) was an American journalist, author, women's suffrage advocate, and conservationist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Moving to Miami as a young woman to work for The Miami Herald, she became a freelance writer, producing over one hundred short stories that were published in popular magazines. Her most influential work was the book The Everglades: River of Grass (1947), which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp. Its impact has been compared to that of Rachel Carson's influential book Silent Spring (1962). Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, enabling her to advance her causes.

George Went Hensley (May 2, 1881 – July 25, 1955) was an American Pentecostal minister best known for popularizing the practice of snake handling. A native of rural Appalachia, Hensley experienced a religious conversion around 1910: on the basis of his interpretation of scripture, he came to believe that the New Testament commanded all Christians to handle venomous snakes.

Margaret Alice Murray FSA Scot FRAI (13 July 1863 – 13 November 1963) was a British-Indian Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, and folklorist who was born in India. The first woman to be appointed as a lecturer in archaeology in the United Kingdom, she worked at University College London (UCL) from 1898 to 1935. She served as president of the Folklore Society from 1953 to 1955, and published widely over the course of her career.

Dom Pedro Afonso (19 July 1848 – 10 January 1850) was the Prince Imperial and heir apparent to the throne of the Empire of Brazil. Born at the Palace of São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro, he was the second son and youngest child of Emperor Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. Pedro Afonso was seen as vital to the future viability of the monarchy, which had been put in jeopardy by the death of his older brother Dom Afonso almost three years earlier.

Elias Abraham Rosenberg (Hebrew: אליאס אברהם רוזנברג; Hawaiian: Eliaka Apelahama Loselabeka; c. 1810 – July 10, 1887) was a Jewish immigrant to the United States who, despite a questionable past, became a trusted friend and adviser of King Kalākaua of Hawaii. Regarded as eccentric, he lived in San Francisco in the 1880s and worked as a peddler selling illegal lottery tickets. In 1886, he traveled to Hawaii and performed as a fortune-teller. He came to Kalākaua's attention, and endeared himself to the king with favorable predictions about the future of Hawaii. Rosenberg received royal appointments to several positions: kahuna-kilokilo (royal soothsayer), customs appraiser, and guard. He was given lavish gifts by the king, but was mistrusted by other royal advisers and satirized in the Hawaiian press.

[percyaugod]

ROTTMNT: Donbot AU

AU where Donnie's old robotic backups for when he and his brothers die is still back at the destroyed lair. Most of them were damaged or destroyed in the Shredder attack. Donnie decides it's best to just abandon them and start over. Only taking some of the smaller pieces to use as scrap.

Cue months later. Donnie falls in battle, probably protecting one of his siblings. As he programmed it all memories are sent to the backup to be activated after someone's untimely demise. The new backups he was working on with Casey Jr aren't finished. Donnie is transferred to his old backup.

While his was the least damaged, it was still very much damaged. One arm was crushed and completely useless from falling debris that also left dents and craters throughout the body. The metal casing melted and warped from the heat of the fire. Delicate wiring is frayed and exposed.

When Don n°13 activates it can't see. Its visor that's supposed to relay visual input is cracked, only showing partial and corrupted images. For some reason it can't seem to process where it is or what happened. Something bad happened, it knows that, it's just not sure what.

It is… home? That statement feels both correct and incorrect. How is that even possible? Maybe because something seems missing? Something, no someone, is supposed to be here. Multiple someones. But it can't remember who.

It misses them. It doesn't like being alone.

It waits for… hours? Days? It's not sure, but it feels like a lifetime. Then again it just activated so technically it is a lifetime? That thought makes it sad. It doesn't like being sad. Or alone.

It wants the someones. It's not sure if it should wait more or not. The someones might come back but what if they don't? Maybe they are looking for it but don't know where it is? Yeah. If it went missing they are looking for it. This it knows for sure.

Maybe it would be easier if it looked for them too? They could find each other and it wouldn't be alone anymore. Then once together it can go home. Then maybe things would make sense again.

It tries to stand but falls hard on its front. Oh no. It doesn't know how to stand. Or probably walk for that matter. This is going to be a lot harder than it initially thought.

It spends so much more time just trying to stand than it wants to, but it stands, using a severely deformed metal stick it was able to glance through its glitching vision. Only to nearly trip over rubble as it took its first step. In its defense, it couldn't… see… it. Revaluating the situation it seems the problem isn't the ability to stand and walk, but the disadvantage of its vision causing it problems.

New objective: Find a replacement visor to make repairs.

Surprisingly, finding another is an easy task. The pieces of the other backups are still in the activation chamber. Parts from the L30 model would work best with its similar size and structure but it looks like that isn't an option. More of the same rubble that crushed its arm seems to have crushed L30's head. L30's arm on the other hand…

It can almost hear obnoxious laughter at the unintentional joke and it feels annoyed… and more lonely.

It looks at the other two backups. Mik37 and Ra94. Both heads are intact and the visor should be functional. Ra94's visor, as its size in general, is large and cumbersome and would probably get in the way. Mik37's though is small and compact and would be a far better mat-

Small round eyes look up from behind a piece of paper. He's holding up a detailed painting of a Galaxy and smiles hopefully. I hear myself say something but I can't understand what. His eyes light up brighter than any star. I want to protect that look no matter what.

… On second thought, Ra94's visor would probably offer more protection since it's overall built for durability. And the larger size could fit more upgrades.

It takes a while but it's able to make repairs. Luckily its creator was thoughtful enough to give it built-in tools in its back compartment to work with. Maybe it was supposed to fix things, maybe that's why it was created? To assist and better the lives of the someones through fixing and creating? It hopes so. It likes fixing things. Even if it's not maybe the someones will kind enough to let it.

Objective: Find replacement visor to make repairs- Completed✓

Returning to main objective- Main objective: Find Someones.

While the visor is big as it predicted it's not bothering it nearly as much as L30's arm. While extremely similar in size and shape the coloring is completely different. It doesn't know why but the asymmetry is extremely upsetting! It needs to cover it up. It searches the destroyed lair for anything to cover it. There's, not a lot here. Seriously, what happened here? Yet another question to ask the someones, great.

After endless searching through the rubble, under a particularly large pile of small rocks and metal, was a dirty purple hoodie. It's honestly absolutely filthy but it's big enough to fit Donn°13 and then some. It hangs loose and easily covers its arms. It thinks it really likes the color purple.

Now he just needs better parts for repairs.

The turtles are on patrol and see some guy trying to rob a place, been there and done that. Of course, Leo, trying to pretend everything is fine and his twin isn't dead, goes in guns blazing. Knocks the guy flat on his face, grabs the stuff, starts to gloat, etc.

Then he notices the hoodie. The very familiar hoodie with several stains that Leo himself caused. The hoodie that was lost in their lair, their old home, and this guy had the gal to go walking around like he owned the place. So of course Leo demand answers. Only to be sent flying.

Don n°13 is being actively attacked and self-defense protocols have been engaged.

All It could really process is that it's being attacked. While actively defending itself it doesn't have the time to diverge resources to identify the would-be attacker. Attackers when the others come to defend Leo. They just lost one brother, they're not risking losing another.

The only thing keeping it from doing more major attacks is they're likely to draw unwanted attention and would be draining its battery. Which could put it at a disadvantage if it powers down while fighting. Raph and Leo are fighting for their lives and Mikey is just, frozen. That's Donnie's hoodie. They thought that was lost with the rest of the lair. That's Donnie's and if this keeps up it's going to be destroyed, just like… He's got to get it back.

The other three are so caught up in the fight they don't notice Mikey creeping up behind Don n°13. Not until Mikey grabs the edge of the hood and it whips around to face the new threat.

Except, it's not a new threat. It's the orange someone from the… file? Memory? That doesn't matter! It found one of the someones! I finally found you! Do you have any idea he long I've been looking? Neither do I! I'm not very good at keeping track of the passage of time.

It stops when it notices the someone wincing. Are they in pain? Wait. Were they one of the ones it was fighting? Oh no. It was just a misunderstanding I swear!

Then it hears it. When it tries to talk all that comes out is a horrible, garbled static. Its voice box is busted. It never thought to check it. It never needed to there was no one to talk to before now.

This is awful. It messed up and attacked the someones and now it can't even apologize. They're still holding onto the hoodie weakly tugging at it. Do they want it? Maybe if it gives them the hoodie they'll realize it's sorry?

It quickly slips off the hoodie and hands it to the orange someone. They look at it and start… crying? No no no no. This wasn't what it wanted at all! It wanted to make them happy not sad! Why are emotions so complicated!?

It completely forgot about the other two until it heard an almost painful intake of breath. Turning around showed similar faces of pain and sorrow, the red someone also crying. What did it do wrong?

It would be so painful. At first, none of them were sure what it was even supposed to be. They want to hope that it somehow is Donnie but it still attacked them. Is it some project that Donnie tried to scrap because it got out of control, is that why it looks so awful? Donnie probably would have had a reason to. Maybe they should just destroy it?… No. They can't do that. There's so little left of Donnie as is.

They decide to take it back to the lair. Let Casey Jr and Shelldon take a look at it. Maybe they know what it is or what it's meant to be used for. Raph leads the way while holding a still sobbing Mikey and Leo watches it from behind to make sure it doesn't try anything.

As soon as they enter the lair they hear the system say, "Donatello back up designation: Don n°13 active and recognized. Lifting lab lockdown. Welcome back, Sir." Everyone slowly turns to the equally confused robot.

Just as they're about to start asking questions Casey Jr runs straight into it. "Why didn't you tell me there was an operational backup!? I thought the incomplete project was the only one! I thought you were gone! I thought that I lost you again!" It doesn't respond. Just stares back and blinks slowly.

Fear starts to cross Casey Jr's face as he starts to really look at the robot. "Oh pizza supreme. There's so much damage. How is it even active? Donnie? Are you in there?" It doesn't answer for it doesn't know.

[midnightcreator12]

And We'll Keep Marching On Chapter 25 - Within the Woods

idk why this chapter took me a month, I swear I write faster than that. I guess I hope y'all think it was worth that wait! Hopefully, the next bit will be out faster!

AO3

Raph could admit that he may have…overreacted.

But could anyone really blame him? Leo had just vanished without a word! Raph had pretty much torn the farmhouse apart looking for him before running to the barn and by then his entire brain was screaming that something was wrong, that there was something in the house, that something had gotten Leo-

And then Mikey and Raven had shown up, basically dragging Leo into the barn, and Raph’s already frayed nerses had just…exploded.

He felt a little bad for yelling at Mikey but he still stood by what he’d said to Raven. He’d trusted her, trusted her to get Leo help, had put up with weeks of tension from Casey and Donnie. And all they got was some weird do-hickey taped to the TV satellite.

No big army to fight the Kraang, no powerful war general to help them take back New York and definitely no doctor who could actually help Leo. Just one de-aged space soldier.

But he did regret that his snapping had also made Leo clam up.

Leo and Mikey had planted themselves on the couch to watch cartoons when they all came in from the barn. Leo was obviously giving Raph the cold shoulder, only speaking if Raph spoke to him directly…and speaking was generous when most of Leo’s answers were grunts and hums.

Mikey was very carefully avoiding direct eye contact.

The thin amount of tension in the living room made Raph feel riled up again. Made his metaphorical hackles rise and made him want to run and punch things. But he could not do that because he wasn’t sure if Leo would try running off again.

So he settled for walking to the kitchen for a snack.

Casey was sat at the table, a sketchbook open in front of him with the bare beginnings of a mural design. He looked up when Raph stepped inside, “Yo, angry Raph finally back?”

“Zip it,” Raph huffed, pausing by the table to scrutinize the sketch. “Your layout is uneven.”

“I’m not done yet, you know that,” Casey tugged the book closer so he could lean over it. “I think your family issues are a much bigger problem right now.”

“We’re fine,” Raph snapped. “It’s just…it’s been a day.”

“Sure,” Casey rolled his eyes. “Or maybe Leo is just as stir-crazy as the rest of you are right now?”

Raph jaw ticked, “He can’t just go running off into the woods. It was stupid, he could’ve hurt himself worse and…” Raph trailed off.

If Casey noticed the hesitation, he didn’t comment. Instead, he pointed his pencil to the living room, “Look, I get it, your bro’s all banged up and you don’t want him getting hurt again. But honestly? I think you and Donnie need to ditch the kid gloves already.”

Raph’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t know if you heard but his knee is in pieces.”

“I thought Dee said the bones were healing up?”

Raph growled low in his chest, “Yeah and it’s still fragile and could rebreak if he tries doing stupid stuff like, oh I don’t know, running around in the woods full of tree roots and random holes.”

Casey sighed, rubbing at his face, “Look dude, you gotta let up a bit or Leo’s gonna suffocate. Or stab you, pretty sure he’s got a hidden blade in that crutch.”

He did. Both him and Donnie hadn’t wanted Leo to have katanas yet but they also both agreed that he needed something to protect himself, especially with the Mom-Thing still fresh in their minds at the time.

Two tanto blades were hidden in the cross bars of the crutch and Leo knew where they were. Raph knew he hadn’t been particularly happy and had been braced for questions about his swords. They had yet to be asked.

And Raph hadn’t brought it up again because the tanto knives were a precaution that wouldn’t be needed because Raph was not going to let anything get anywhere near his big brother again.

So he gritted his teeth, hard enough to make his jaw creak, “Maybe I’m being overbearing because I know Leo will pull something stupid? Ya know, cause I grew up with him.”

Casey sighed heavily, bending back over his sketch, “Whatever man, I’m just trying to help you out. But if you wanna get clocked when Leo finally gets fed up with you, be my guest.”

Raph rolled his eyes and continued to the cabinets, “Bit late for that.”

But he was okay with that. His brothers being upset with him wasn’t an uncommon thing for Raph and that went double for Leo. He could deal with Leo being upset if it meant he stayed safe.

That’s what mattered at the end of the day, that they all stayed safe.

“Sooo, we gonna lock him in the basement when we go back?”

Raph had been starting to scarf some saltines but the comment made him choke, clapping a hand over his mouth to keep crumbs from spraying everywhere, “The hell are you talkin’ about?”

Casey shrugged, “Just seems like you wanna lock Leo in the house and never let him out. It’s cool, we can leave the murder-bot here to guard him.”

“Are you nuts? I’m not gonna abandon him here!”

Casey blinked, “So why are you making Donnie go so slow with his recovery?”

“I’m not,” Raph growled.

Because he wasn’t, he’d left the medical recovery stuff to Donnie. He’d even let Donnie make that stupid mutagen crap and feed it to Leo for days. He’d hated the idea the second Donnie showed him the final product but he’d trusted Donnie not to poison Leo.

And he didn’t think Donnie had meant to make Leo sick but seeing…

Seeing Leo being held up and walked into the barn brought a lot of unpleasant memories back to the surface, ones that Raph really did not want in his mind’s eye. The mutagen medicine probably was helping more than hurting but….Leo was already so weak, Raph wasn’t sure if he could deal with him having another dip in his recovery.

Speaking of which, “You’re gonna take me to the closest pharmacy this week.”

Casey raised a brow at that, “Why?”

“So we can steal painkillers for Leo.”

“Uhhh, aren’t you guys, like, super against stealing?”

Raph crammed down another cracker, “Yeah, not feeling very morally high right now.”

Casey opened his mouth to reply when the front door swung open.

Raph sat up, taking a few steps so he could see who’d come in. Donnie had returned, a bit muddier and slightly damp but he had the glass container in hand.

Raph frowned when he saw how little liquid was left inside, “Did you dump out some on the way back?”

Donnie startled at the question, head snapping up and staring at Raph for a moment before his shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh, “No, I think Leo decided to just chug some and the rest spilled when he dropped it.”

Raph glared at the flask, “Good.”

Donnie sighed again, moving closer and dropping his voice, “Look, Raph, I know how you feel about this stuff but it's probably Leo’s best bet at recovering fully. Knee injuries like his can take months to years to fully heal and we really don’t have that kind of time-”

“The Kraang have stayed put for months, don’t see why they wouldn’t keep staying put.”

“We can’t bank on that,” Donnie hissed. “There's been basically no information about what's going on in the city. For all we know, they spent all winter building more Technodrones and they’ll launch them any second.”

Raph bit inside his cheek, looking away, “....we prioritize Leo, we’ll deal with everything else as it comes up.”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“And this gunk is not going anywhere near him,” Raph jabbed the flask. “Make a list of normal meds, I’ll get them.”

“Raph…” Donnie paused. “...We shouldn’t steal what we can make-”

“Leo is the priority,” Raph repeated. “I don’t care what Master Splinter or anyone else will say about it.”

Donnie paused, tapping the flask, “.....sorry.”

“Ah, geezzz,” Raph groaned, reaching up to tug roughly at Donnie’s mask tails. “Don’t get all sappy with me, I’ve had enough of that recently. Just….write me a list.”

“Okay,” Donnie nodded before pressing the flask into Raph’s hands. “Um…you should hang onto this.”

Raph wrinkled his beak at the concoction but took it anyway. There was a chance Leo would try to steal it back or that Donnie would cave and give him more.

Raph wasn’t going to make either of those things easy for Leo.

Donnie nodded again before slipping off into the living room. Raph watched as Mikey gleefully scooched over and made room for Donnie to squeeze onto the couch. Leo looked up at the shift, watching Donnie for a moment before his eyes locked with Raphs.

Raph’s arm moved without him thinking, hiding the flask and, more importantly, its contents.

And Leo definitely saw that because his eyes flicked down for a split second before returning to Raph’s face.

There was a silent moment between them. And the longer it dragged out the Raph felt more and more like one of Donnie's weird experiments under a microscope. But he refused to squirm under Leo’s gaze. He was not getting the glowy junk back, ever. Nothing made out of mutagen resulted in anything good.

Leo’s eyes narrowed, his beak wrinkled slightly.

And then he turned away, slouching into the couch so that he was hidden by Mikey and Donnie.

Raph sighed, tucking the flask into his belt and wandering back into the kitchen for water.

Casey kept his eyes very firmly and pointedly fixed on the drawing pad.

—----------------------------------

The farmhouse was tense and quiet for the rest of the afternoon.

And into the evening.

Especially when Raph finally went into the living room.

Pretty much everyone else had migrated in there at some point for cartoons. Except for two individuals.

And that absence was more highlighted by Mikey sighing heavily from the window, “Dudes, I’m getting kinda worried about Raven.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Donnie mumbled from the couch.

Casey turned in his seat so he could cross his arms on the back of the couch and grinned, “Yeah man, she's, like, a space marine. The woods are nothing compared to space.”

“But she’s never been gone this long! And she was really up-” Mikey turned to see Raph in the doorway and his eyes went wide. “Uuuuuh, hey Raph!”

Raph just rolled his eyes and took a scan of the room.

April was sat on the couch, squished between Donnie and Casey. Mikey was curled in the rocker that he’d dragged over to the window. Leo was by the lit fireplace in the large armchair, a mug of tea held to his chest.

Raph’s eyes lingered on the cup, mostly because of how little Leo’s hand shook. It settled something in his chest, seeing Leo’s hands steady enough to hold a cup without worry.

But Leo was looking at the fire. Pretty much fixated on it.

So, still mad. Great.

Actually, yeah, it was great, in Raph’s option. He’d rather have Leo mad and not chugging poison or trying to go on an impromptu nature hike. It wasn't like he wasn't used to Leo being mad at him anyway!

Raph made his way to the only seat left, the rickety little chair next to the couch, and sat down hard enough that it squeaked in protest. He only glanced at the show running, finding it was the weird fantasy sci-fi show that Mikey had gotten hooked on.

Conan, Corand…something something about a Barbarian. Either way, it was Mikey’s newest fixation and he’d torn through the house several times when he thought he was about to miss an episode.

A slimy and uncomfortable feeling worked into Raph’s shell. 

Because Mikey was staring out the window and worrying over his friend, completely ignoring the show he’d dubbed ‘the best thing made since stuffed crust pizza’.

He was still angry with her but, damnit, he didn’t want to chase her off. Even if she hadn’t kept her word about the backup, she at least was helpful in distracting Mikey and, to an extent, Leo.

…maybe-

Raph’s musings were cut short when the lights suddenly flickered.

Everyone froze, glancing up at the ceiling. The lights stabilized for a moment, filling the room with a warm yellow glow…

And then everything went black.

There were various sounds of shock and annoyance from everyone, bumps and thumps from people undoubtedly running into each other in the dark. Raph stood up, blinking hard to try and force his eyes to adjust faster.

The only light source was the slight glow from the fireplace so Raph stumbled his way over, hands flapping at the air blindly. He made a small sound of surprise when another three-fingered hand grabbed his.

He knew it was Leo. He could hear everyone else still stumbling around blindly. There was a particularly loud bang of someone's shins hitting the coffee table, and a string of swears that told him it was Casey.

And then there was a click and Raph squawked when Donnie turned the flashlight on right in his face.

“Whoops,” Donnie pointed it down, sheepishly rubbing his neck. “Sorry Raph.”

Mikey popped up at Donnie’s shoulder, looking around the room warily, “Dude, what happened to the lights?”

“Relax, it’s probably just a blown fuse,” Donnie said. “It happens with old houses. I’ll have it fixed in no time.”

Raph frowned after Donnie as he left the room. Even if it was spring, the nights were still chilly and the house did not hold heat well. 

As if to cement his fear, a gust of wind whistled down the chimney and sent a cold burst of air into the living room, snuffing out the soft glow from the fireplace and leaving just blackened bits of wood.

Leo shivered.

Raph’s jaw ticked and he glared at the dead fireplace. His eyes had adjusted enough that he could grope his way to the box where they kept extra wood. His fingers only found the metal bottom of the box and a case of matches.

“Damn.”

“Language,” Leo croaked out.

Raph glared over his shoulder, knowing that his eyes would be visible enough for Leo to see. He himself couldn’t pick out Leo’s features very well but…he had the oddest feeling that Leo was smirking at him.

It settled something in Raph’s chest a little.

But that feeling was stirred up again when a stronger bust of cold air ghosted through the fireplace.

“I’m gonna get more wood,” Raph stated. His vision had fully adjusted now, so finding his way to the doorway was a piece of cake.

There was a thump and another grunt from Casey, “Ack, where- ah, nevermind. Hey, Raph! You sure you should wander around alone?”

Raph paused to look over his shoulder, seeing that Casey was trying to navigate around the furniture…and was looking a bit too far to the right to be facing Raph fully.

Raph snorted, “Our eyes adjust faster than yours do, Case. I’ll be fine for two minutes.”

Leo grunted from his chair, “Ca…careful.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Raph continued his trek. “I’ll be back in no time.”

The moon was full that night, so Raph could see even better when he made his way outside. The woodpile was normally stacked by the side of the house, facing towards the forest for easy drop-off.

Raph frowned when he circled the house and only found trampled dirt and a few sticks.

They had been keeping the pile stocked over winter, the fire being a pretty big part of keeping the building warm enough. The frequency had gone down when the snow fully melted but the chill of spring nights meant that someone usually tossed another log into the hearth every few days.

But it seemed no one had really thought to restock it as rigorously.

Raph sighed, grabbing the axe from its place next to the remnants of the wood pile. He didn’t have to go far, he knew, but it was still annoying.

He could just give up and go wait for Donnie to turn everything back on….but he was already out here.

Raph could still see the house when he stopped. He’d probably be able to see the lights of the living room if the power wasn’t out, so he felt more than comfortable enough to start hacking away at a fallen tree.

The moon was high, the nightlife in full swing around him as the axe thwacked into the tree over and over. It wasn't until Raph paused to gather what he had so far into a pile that his senses suddenly flared to life.

Some small, inner voice, cultivated and refined from years of training, recoiled and hissed in his ear: danger, danger, danger!

Raph stood, bringing his fists up, eyes going white as he scanned his surroundings, “Who’s there?”

The woods didn’t answer. If anything, they’d seemed to have gotten quieter.

Raph’s lip curled in a snarl as he glared into the shadows of the woods, straining his ears and eyes to try and find what had gotten his hackles raised.

He took a step forward.

A set of antlers suddenly rose from behind a bush as a pair of black, beady deer eyes stared at Raph for a moment. And then the animal was bolting away in a flash of brown and white fur.

Raph blinked, his arms falling to his sides and a huff escaping him, “Just…was just a deer I guess.”

He did one more scan anyway, before turning back to his previous task, “Geez, I’m starting to sound like Mikey, jumping at shadows- YEOW!”

Raph crashed to the ground when something suddenly wrapped around his ankle and tightened. He rolled, kicking his free leg to try and dislodge it quickly. But whatever had latched onto him tangled around his other leg.

Raph twisted, grabbing his sai and levering himself upright, grabbing hold of the-

Of the vines that were snaking up his legs!? “What the hell?!”

He went to cut the vines away, but more sprung from seemingly nowhere, ensnaring his arms and tightening hard enough to force his weapon from his hand.

Raph struggled, kicking and pulling, even biting as more vines pinned him to the ground. But he didn’t start to truely panic until the vines started dragging him deeper into the trees.

His struggles became more frantic and he managed to roll himself onto his plastron, claws digging into the dirt to try and keep himself from being dragged away, “Guy! Gu-”

Raph’s yells were cut off when something large grabbed the back of his head and slammed his forehead into the ground.

—------------------------

Raph groaned. 

His head was pounding and his entire body felt stiff and achy and sore….probably because he was lying on the very cold ground in an extremely uncomfortable position… 

Had he fallen asleep during another cartoon marathon? Had everyone just left him? Shut off the lights and walk away without even giving him a nudge?

….no, he wasn’t watching shows…the power had gone out?

Geeeezzz, his head hurt….

Raph blinked slowly, trying to remember what he’d been doing that had made him end up sprawled on the floor.

But his brain screeched into high gear when he heard the unmistakable sound of a Kraang laser gun.

Had they been found? Was that why the Kraang hadn’t moved out of the city? Had they been looking for them?!

They couldn’t fight them! Not now! Leo couldn’t-

Raph tried to stand, shoved shaky arms under himself and started to push himself up-

Something clung to his legs, something that had burrowed deep under his scales and burned through every cell in his body and forced him back to the ground as pain ripped through him.

Raph gasped for air, his hand scrabbling at the ground. His skin felt like it was buzzing, like he’d just gotten shocked but the stinging sensation afterward wasn’t fading away.

He tensed when the laser screeched out again, several shots in rapid succession.

But…it sounded like it was only one?

That didn’t make sense. The brain-faces tended to travel in groups of two, at least, and they definitely wouldn’t be dumb enough to just send two after the turtles that had caused them so many setbacks. 

But there definitely was just one laser gun going off. Why was there just one?

Raph squinted at his surroundings, trying to make his foggy brain work and at least tell him where he was.

….he was a little embarrassed to admit, even to himself, how long it took him to think ‘this isn’t the farmhouse’.

He was in some kind of building, but it was small. The walls, floor and roof were all made of the same cracked and rotting wood that didn’t do a thing against wind or vegetation invading. Raph shuddered and looked around, taking in the random assortment of rusted tools, dirt, bits of grass poking through the floorboards. He also saw a rickety-looking door, partly open, just enough to let him see the flashes of pink outside.

He also saw a glass flask shoved into a corner. A very empty glass flask that he knew had had more mutagen in it not too long ago, “What the hell…is goin’ on?”

The shots sounded again, closer now.

And a familiar, female voice.

“Why. Won’t. You. Stay. Down! Slana'pir, jari'eyc vaar osi'yaim! B'epa slaat bal ramaana!”

When did Raven get here?

He didn’t have much time to ponder that before there was a loud twacking sound of something hitting flesh and a yelp of pain.

Raven came flying through the door, vines pinning her arms to her sides. She rolled when she hit the ground, twisting and growling as her feet scrabbled to right herself, face twisted into an expression of pure rage and directed towards the now open door.

Raph turned to look at what had invoked her ire.

A massive, looming figure stood there. Green skin, almost leathery-looking in texture, like a bunch of vines had coiled themselves up in a rough mimicry of a human, broken up by streaks of florescent teal and small clusters of white flowers and leaves. It was wearing faded overalls, some of the seams popped open and frayed from the sure size of the creature, and a burlap sack hid most of its face, only a singular glowing teal eye visible through a rip.

Raph inhaled sharply as his heart rate skyrocketed.

The creature lumbered into the shed, towering over Raven as she braced her back against the wall to sit herself up. The shadow from the thing made it hard for Raph to see her face but he could make out her still trying to fully stand.

The creature growled.

Raven yelped as vines burst from the ground itself, lashing around her legs and dragging her down to the floor. The creature watched, its head tilting as Raven continued to struggle.

And then it slowly turned to Raph.

Raph hackles went up and an involuntary hiss punched out of his throat. He pushed his hands against the floor in an attempt to shuffle back, put some distance between himself and…and whatever this thing was.

But whatever was holding his legs down kept him firmly in place and Raph hissed in pain again when his attempts to move were rewarded with the burning, tingling sensation under his scales.

The creature stomped over, standing over Raph for a moment before it leaned down.

Raph hissed again when he felt pressure on his shell, squirming under the weight, “Get off me you freaky-” The threat Raph had been preparing was cut short by his pained screaming.

Raph’s entire body felt like it was burning, the heat more intense on his lower body but inching higher. He screeched as his body got hotter and hotter, convinced he was about to burst into flame and burn away to nothing-

And as fast as it started, it ended. Leaving Raph heaving and exhausted on the floor.

The creature walked away, teal streaks glowing more intensely as it shuffled back outside, closing the door to the shed behind it.

Raph listened as the heavy footfalls got further and further away.

He lay there for a bit, just breathing, waiting for the tingling pinprick feelings to dull before he looked back to Raven.

And promptly gaped when he did, “Are you..are you crying?”

“Shut it!” Raven barked, tears flowing freely down her face. “Be pissed at me later I can’t deal with it right now!”

Raph’s jaw snapped shut. His brain was still sluggish, unsure of how to best respond to the situation playing out in front of him.

Raven twisted and strained, tears still dripping off her chin, “Stupid kriffin’, di’kut, nerf herdin’-”

“Dude….you’re freaking me out,” it was the only thing Raph could think to say.

Raven snarled, heels digging into the ground, “You think this is fun for me?! Kriff, kark, damnit, motherfucking weak body! I should’ve been able to beat it! GodDAMNIT!”

Raph couldn’t do anything but watch as Raven’s voice got louder and her swearing got more colorful. And cried, the crying was really throwing him for a loop because…he really did not know how to deal with that.

He was still upset with her, some little voice in the back corner of his mind still growled at her for not helping Leo. But much more of his mind could only comprehend that he’d never seen her cry before and he barely knew how to handle his own brothers crying, let alone a borderline stranger.

So he just watched as her struggling lessened and she screamed herself hoarse.

It felt like an age before she finally slumped against the wall, panting and hiccuping, eyes red and face blotchy.

Raph shuffled, wincing when the movement tugged painfully at his legs, “Uhhm…where have you been?”

“What?” Raven’s voice was shot, raspy and cracking, as she looked towards Raph.

“You were gone all day…Mikey was worried.”

Raven blinked at him a few times before looking up and thunking her head against the wall, “...was in the woods…thinking….everything’s too loud now.”

“...what?”

Raven heaved in another breath, “Everything. Is. Loud. Ever since I got…de-aged everything’s been so loud. My own thoughts are loud, everything is so kriffing bright and this crying shit keeps happening! I don’t….gods, I shouldn’t be dumping this on you.”

“Eh?” Raph frowned. “Naw, naw…is fine. What’d you mean loud?” His interest was peaked now, and the conversation was giving him something to focus on other than the itchiness that had wormed under his scales.

Raven inhaled shakily again, “...I shouldn’t….and I shouldn’t have lied to you to make myself feel better…”

Raph blinked, sluggish brain trying to comprehend what Raven was trying to say, “What?”

“The longest….the longest any trooper has had to wait for rescue was a month…I should’ve told you after the first month that they weren’t coming.”

Raph’s frown deepened, “What happened…to that big speech about how you guys don’t leave people behind?”

Raven didn’t speak for a beat, just breathed heavily as she stared toward the shed’s roof, “...General Ader wouldn’t just abandon me, she would never abandon any of us. So if no one has shown up yet…it means they can’t.”

….oh.

…Oh, crap, now Raph felt like a horrible person.

Raven kept talking, sounding like she was about to burst into tears again, “Gods, why won’t….damnit, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry Raphael. I really did want to get you all help. You’re all just kids and you’re dealing with so much-”

“You’re a kid,” Raph huffed.

“No I’m not,” Raven didn’t sound very confident in her statement.

But she didn’t elaborate further. Raph really felt like she should but he wasn’t sure how.

So he just lay on the floor, watching Raven.

They should probably be figuring out how to escape…but he was getting tired, the brief rush from the creature and Raven showing up leaving his system.

He didn’t notice the layer of moss slowly climbing further up his shell.

He barely heard Raven start calling his name again.

His vision went dark and the world was quiet.

-------------

Translations

Slana'pir, jari'eyc vaar osi'yaim! B'epa slaat bal ramaana - Piss off, you ugly, underdeveloped shithead! Eat dirt and die!

Di'kut - idiot, stupid

Kriff - fuck

kark - shit

[firstprince-ao3feed]

In The Shadows Of The Storm

by Pixiewilson Henry tries to adjust to his new life and his new role as father to the 6 year old boy he didn't know existed all while both Alex and Henry are struggling with the trauma of all they have been through and with family relationships hanging by a thread, can they come together as a family? In London, England is up in arms over Mary's crimes and in America, Alex and Henry are being hounded by the press. With relationships frayed and their lives turned upside down, how will they manage to keep it all together? Or will in the end, the damage done be too much for them to overcome? Words: 2029, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Red, White and Royally Broken Hearts and New Starts Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue (2023) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Shaan Srivastava, Zahra Bankston, Ellen Claremont, Oscar Diaz (Red White & Royal Blue), June Claremont-Diaz, Nora Holleran, Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Beatrice Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Catherine Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Martha Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Queen Mary (Red White & Royal Blue) Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Cash & Alex Claremont-Diaz, Cash & Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz & June Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Nora Holleran, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Oscar Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz & Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Ellen Claremont & Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Catherine Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, June Claremont-Diaz & Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Oscar Diaz & Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Zahra Bankston/Shaan Srivastava, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Shaan Srivastava Additional Tags: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Loves Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz Loves Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, rebuilding relationships, Parents Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Wedding Planning, Recovery, Caffeine Addiction, Medication, Some smut lots of plot, We Just Love Each Other, mentions of divorce, Angst and Hurt/Comfort via https://ift.tt/4fIbCYE

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Anonymous asked: Thoughts on Kneel Before Zod's first issue?

Apologies for the delay, caught a case of Covid I'm still recovering from.

Kneel Before Zod #1 - Loved it. McDaid's art evokes memories of the DCAU for me, and his style is fantastic when it comes to scifi concepts. Casey has a great approach to Zod here, his son is the hot headed conqueror who wants to force everyone to KNEEL immediately which forces Zod to be the adult and actually plan things out. Complicating things is the cosmic politics of the United Planets breathing down Zod's neck which I've been begging to see for ages. Bendis formed the United Planets out of pure optimism and almost immediately after everyone started deconstructing the hell out of them. Zod's philosophy that peace can only be assured through mutually assured destruction is exactly the kind of philosophical differences I've wanted to see explored between him and Superman. Kal believes you can unite everyone by appealing to their better natures, Zod believes you can unite everyone by terrifying them into submission. Ursa here is an interesting question mark - she's no less ruthless but maybe a touch softer where her son is concerned? Speaking of which, Lor getting banished out into the galaxy where he's forced to undergo a version of Jon's own trip through space is actually brilliant and I adore it. Sets Lor up as a contrast to Jon in a way where I actually want to see the two meet. Oh and for those who want to see some Injustice type violence, we get that. Normally I'm not a "feats" guy but I actually am eager to see Zod kick ass and claim some skulls for his trophy room. Glad to see Casey following up on that plot thread from Williamson's Batman/Superman run where Zod has half of the Kandorians and is working on curing them. Zod tapping into the planet's core for his super weapon makes me think this series will end with New Kandor being destroyed as a result of Zod's own hubris, but Zod will successfully revive the Kandorians and they will blame the United Planets for what happened/not supporting New Kandor as agreed, causing them to attack the United Planets in retaliation.

Superman '78: The Metal Curtain #3 - Think I get why this series isn't hitting as hard as the first. With Brainiac Venditti had a take that allowed him to position Brainiac as a foil for Superman, plus he had the Bottled City of Kandor to give Superman a new internal conflict. Here there's no new internal conflict for Supes and Metallo doesn't contrast well at all. The Soviets view Superman through the lens of being an American icon, but Superman himself isn't even aware yet about that being why they're targeting him. Hopefully Lex entering the fray spices things up.

Blue Beetle #5 - Will the twist be Victoria doesn't betray Jaime, because right now they're practically screaming what's coming in your face.

Fantastic Four #11 - North speed running his way through a topic that the X-Line has been dealing with since HoX/PoX, and doing a better job of it than the post Hickman X-Writers generally have in the bargain, is one of life's funniest twists. Glad that the kids are finally back.

Dr. Strange #11 - Teasing that maybe Strange and Clea will one day have a kid of their own? Or that they'll raise Donna full time? Could get behind either one of those.

[nickgerlich]

Pump It Up

I’m pretty sure I have said this a few times this semester already, but it seems like everyone wants to be in the advertising business. Alphabet (Google) and Meta (Facebook) recognized the potential years ago. More recently, Amazon and Walmart, thanks to its acquisition of Vizio TV, are also now in the ad business.

But then there’s convenience stores, another platform we have discussed. Chains like 7-Eleven (with 9200 stores in the US), and Casey’s (with 2665 stores) have already formed media company subsidiaries to do just this. Between ads at the pump, and online and in-app ads, they are not only communicating their own wares, but also those of third parties willing to pay to reach us.

Wawa, the popular chain from Pennsylvania, just entered the chat.

While the chain, which was founded in 1964, chose to remain clustered in the middle Atlantic states for much of its corporate life, it spread to Florida this century, and recently expanded into Indiana. Wawa is a fan favorite, and has 1058 stores today.

They just announced their own subsidiary, Goose Media Network, tasked with doing much the same that 7-Eleven and Casey’s have done. Given the rapid growth as well as consolidation going on in the c-store industry, it makes sense that the largest companies in the fray would double down on this lucrative proposition.

Thus we wait for Canadian-owned Circle K (6618 stores) and Speedway (3270 stores) to enter the chat soon as well. You know they’re watching, and probably scheming. Oh, and don’t forget QT either, with 1051 stores.

As I have said before, advertising at the pump is brilliant. These are five minutes of wasted time in our busy lives, and while it may not seem like much, there’s really little else we can do aside from check email. And at that, we can still hear the video ad.

C-stores don’t make much money selling gas. Gross profit is about 15 cents per gallon, but after you subtract expenses, it drops to about 2 cents. Remember that the next time you’re griping about the price of gas. The only way the retailer can hope to make money is if you walk inside the store.

And you can bet that this new wave of digital marketing is trying to accomplish just that. So…be a good citizen, move your vehicle when done fueling, and then go inside, where you can buy coffee, soft drinks, snacks, heated food, and more. That’s where the money is.

Now think about your normal gas buying habits. When was the last time you actually went inside the store? Yeah, I know…when you are traveling, it’s a pit stop, so you definitely go inside to take care of business and buy things. But when you’re just on your daily commute, you likely get your gas and go. This is a consumer behavior issue that c-stores must try to change.

Through the years, c-stores have grown considerably bigger than they once were. It is common to find two dozen or more pumps, abundant parking, bright lights, and large stores. The new QTs in Amarillo even have truck fueling stations in the back. That’s another way of saying that the footprint of c-stores is now measured in acres. Curb appeal is critical for success.

It could also be argued that Buc-ee’s, with their 75,000-square foot stores and 120 pumps, are the world’s largest convenience stores, but they are in a league all their own. I suspect they too will find a way to introduce digital marketing in their eco-system.

The broader takeaway from all this, and Wawa just happens to be the latest example, is that we are rapidly losing a safe haven free from the siren calls of marketers. Hang on to your wallets, because they’re coming to get it. Like I said before.

Dr “Sell Me Something Good” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[ducknotinarow]

[2k7 - something silly]

Casey had headed out for a PTA meeting, like a usual parent would do. He was just trying to be a good dad for Summer, do those stereotypical parent things. Except, Casey was far from a normal dad, and the fact he returned home with a black eye was proof enough of that.

Course he huffs when he's, understandably, asked by Raph what happened. How did a PTA meeting end with Casey being bruised?!

Casey collapsed back on the couch, crossing his arms,

"Some snooty bitch made a comment 'bout our kid," Casey grumbled, "Said she looked like a gang member an' a buncha other fuckin' nonsense."

Looks like someone was still stuck in protective dad mode as he continued to mutter to himself.

| Muse interaction

Dinner was early that night, Raphael wasn't all to sure what a PTA was even with Casey explaining it to him. Nor did he fully understand Case being part of it. But, Casey had it in his head this was what a good parent had to do. But the meetings were held not long after school got out meaning the time window for getting dinner done in time for Casey to eat before leaving was small. Raphael might not get what put the idea into his husband mind but he could at least make sure they ate before doing the 'parent thing' as Casey put it.

Likely why the sauce for the noodles ended getting the Jone's-Hamato family specialty season. Which others would call burnt. Not a single meal in their home was ever cooked with out it happening. Didn't matter if Casey cooked the meal or Raphael cooked. For whatever reasons it ended up the same way likely blame the fact neither of them were the most patience of people, so the stove and oven were always constantly cranked up as high as possible. So the food would cook faster that way. Seemed like a logical solution. It cuts the cooking time clearly. Casey wasn't the best cook before hand and Raph? Well he never really learned how to cook himself per say. Was mostly Mikey's job to handle the cooking at best sometimes Raph was roped into helping. So trying to take the reigns over? And in no way would Raphael ask for help to not burn their food. It's fine Casey dealt with frozen meals most his life and Summer has never really known food could be anything but burnt. Unless she was with Don's family or in the lair at least. Sides it didn't fully ruin the taste of the food just because it was a tad burned.

Or the fact they were all just used to every dish being a touch of brunt that they grown to be in either denial over it or their own taste buds were just that wrecked. Likely a mix of both. The real issue wasn't so much the cooking, they never really had food left over after all. So clearly the fact ever meal made being burnt wasn't a big deal. At least when it came to that part of cooking. It was the clean up that became a problem.

Raphael had been scabbing away at the built up ashed sauce for the past couple of hours. Even when letting it soak it didn't seem to help all that much. Summer had done her own share to help by putting away anything that did mange to get washed and dried. Raphael was just taking steel wool to the sauce pan. The built up mass was not giving in to easily as Raph told Summer she could go off he be in there for a good while. Eventually having to giving up with the steel he was work with as the force from his scrubbing was making it fray. Nothing but the gunked up burnt sauce stuck in just about even space of the wool. Raphael quirked his beak and went to run it under the water when hearing Summers voice in the background get excited over Casey being back home.

"jeez I brunted this real good if he back already." Was all Raph muttered under his breath. Deciding to take a break for now leave it to soak a little longer maybe it would help to loosen everything up again.

"Didja fing a dragon on your way home?" Summer could be heard asking once the door shut.

Raph rounded the corner soon after finding Casey sporting a new shiner around his eye. Arms moved to cross over in front of his plastron as he fixed Casey with a look. "Dim sum go get somethin' for ya Dad's eye please." Summer offered a nod before taking off.

Raphael soon turned his attention back to Casey and smiled amused at the sight. "So, who got in the lucky shot?" Raphael teases a little as he chuckles. He could in the least tell Casey hadn't gotten into a scuffle with any purple dragons. They wouldn't have stopped with just a black eye for one. "Aww what matters sweet heart PTA didn' 'ike ya pitch for a lemonade stand and kick ya ass over it?" He tease mote thanks to Casey's pouty expression it was the second clue.

" 'ight i'll bite what happened Case?" Raph asks onces he done taking the humor in this. Leave it to Casey Jones to go to a PTA meeting and turn it into a fight. Raph was sure Casey could go anywhere and leave with a story of a fight happening. Just from Casey being there in the first place alone after all.

"Weren' ya jus' meant to be talkin' bout school funding or whatever?" Raphael continues to add in as he watches Casey huff and move over to the couch. Someone was feeling sour it seemed. Which just made it funnier to Raph that Casey was clearly upset over what happened. Meaning said fight didn't go in his favor. Childish man he was Casey always boasted over his wins no matter how bad of shape he was in.

"Some snooty bitch made a comment 'bout our kid,"

"Ah 'hat makes sense," Not that Raph would have liked hearing anyone say something bad about Summer either, but it did explain a certain hot head current look. Raphael moved to sit on the arm of the couch nearest Casey, as reached over brushing back blue locks of hair for a better look at their eye. Wasn't took bad. Casey had worse that's for sure. "So what did they say 'bout Summer? Sure anythin' get ya heated. But had to be somethin' more than I dunno jus' sayin' she wasn' good with grades or whatever." Raphael presses to ask as he takes hold of Casey's face tilting their head back a little.

"Said she looked like a gang member an' a buncha other fuckin' nonsense."

"Our Summer?" Raph went on to ask lifting a brown over that Summer looked like a gang member? How? Far as Raph and Casey at that were aware of Summer was nothing like any gang members. Seeing as they made near about a living, with out the being paid part that is, kicking ass of gangs in the city. No one would know better than them. Speaking of Summer she soon return with a frozen ice pack for Casey's eye. Handing it over for Casey to take.

Raphael looking at Summer now before taking hold of her shoulders as to present their daughter to Casey "how? look at her shes the sweetest little girl to ever exist?" Nothing but Raph's own biased showing when he spoke up. Despite the fact she did had some bandages on her face from getting into a fight at school earlier that week. Like what sparked said snooty bitch remark about their kid.

"Summers nothin' but a good kid, the best kid even." Raphael gode to add on.

"Pops please stop." Summer softly begs more than well aware of both her father's love for her and how unneeded it was in this moment

"I can' believe you let that snooty bitch get away with givin' you a shiner over that load of bull crap." Disspointment coming out from Raph now that he had the full context of what happened. Clearly Casey had no choice but kick the other parents ass. Like how dare they get away with such slander on thier Daughter!

"Sure she a lil tough and will kick someone's teeth in but 'hats jus' cause she don' take shit." Raph claims proudly throwing his arm over Summers shoulders and tugging her in for a hug mostly because he knows she'll hate that. Not getting a hug just that he tossed it in. Even if she did smile at his remark. "Sure she gose round with color in her hair but 'hat means nothing, or with a few scarps and bruises here and there even."

"Well if kids weren' dumb I wouldn' havta kick thier asses." Sunner mutters a little not really caring that appenrtly this was about her.

"Excatly! Our kid at some punk who won't 'ight. She's a punk who will." Messing with her hair as he tussle it little before turning attetion back to Casey. "If anything Case? Ya jus' explained why she 'ike this in the first place." Raphael more than happy to point out with the largest grin on his face . Of course Raohs got fault her too but to humans? Raphael don't exist meaning Summers 100% the product of Casey's parenting.

Moving to sit beside Casey and even taking over holding the ice pack on thier eye. Figuring his husband earned some care for defending thier daughter after all. Even if he chuckled a little over it again. "Still can' believe ya let some chump get the betta of ya to get ya squar in the eye." Soaking in the huff Casey give in return to that before sneaking in a kiss to Casey pouty lips. Ignoring Summers protest of 'ew' over the display. "Pout all ya want know I jus' think it's cute."

Summer added on some gaging sounds as she went to walk away now "you guys are so gross!"

"Aw come on Dim Sum, ya Dad jus' stood up for ya! An' ya not gonna give 'em any thanks?" Raoh yelled after her over chuckling as he did "fine guess I got make out wit' ya Dad then!" Earning a other gag from Summer had him chuckling a bit louder now. "Jeez get in a fight for her and no thanks, where we go wrong uh?"

[writinganon1]

The idea of her accidentally starting that with her giving him the bandana had been eating at my head for what feels like forever. Everyone else also apparently had the same idea lol. Also big on the idea that Cass looks for Raph because even tho he left her alone and all that, she still cares for him and wants him to see their kid even if they never become a thing again. She can still care, but she gonna be bitter about it

Anyways here’s this

~

Casey watched the net sink under the water. She kept her face carefully blank as she tossed the bait into the water. Small fish flopped against the surface of the water, already taking to the worms. She took a deep breath as she stared off into the water, a flickering of red scales catching her attention.

Part of her wanted to jump into the sea to follow it. She watched as a stupid fish jumped into the air, a vain attempt to free itself from their net.

It wasn’t him.

It was never him.

She took another deep breath and continued tying the knots for the net. She furiously forced away all her thoughts as she fumbled through the knots. The last thing she needed was for the annoying purple one to see her having a moment.

Her stomach clenched as she tried to keep her face steady. She didn’t need to think about him. That was behind her. She was happy now. She’d made a life for herself without him. He wasn’t important anymore.

She pinched her lips as she tied up the net to the rig. No need to dwell on the nitty gritty. She was doing her job and nothing else. No other reason she was at sea. Just a job to pay the bills.

Something tugged on her pant leg, tearing her from her thoughts. She looked down, patting her son’s head absently as she moved to tie the last knot.

“Mom.”

She didn’t say anything, just nodded her head. He apparently didn’t take the hint.

“Mom. Mom. Mom. Momma. Mom. Mom. Mooooommm.”

“What do you need?” She asked quietly. “You’re supposed to be in bed bug.”

He stared at the clear open night and grinned. “I like the dark.” He said, instead of answering why he was up. He walked to the edge of the boat and tipped his head over the side. “Mother I yearn for the waves.”

She rolled her eyes. He was a strange little guy when he wanted to be. Where had he even learned that word? Certainly not from her crew mates. His tail was practically wagging as he bounced on his feet, excitedly pointing towards the waves.

“Tell ya what bug,” she hummed, “We can go swimming tomorrow when it’s morning, yeah?”

“But I wanna swim now.” He pouted.

“Well I can’t see you in the dark so we’re gonna have to wait.”

He nodded solemnly as he sulked off to his room. She would ask April later if they could anchor somewhere for a bit so he could swim where she could watch him. She turned her head back to the waves, hoping to see, if even for just a glimpse, another hint of that familiar shimmering red.

~

Kendra stared dumbfounded at the shell in front of her. The creature, whose name she had recently learned was Donatello, was looking at her expectantly. What on earth did he want?

Sure they sat and watched the sea, occasionally talking about their lives. But never really anything deep. They were friends. And just barely at that. Their trust for each other was nearly nonexistent, both wary of their actions.

This was- this was new.

He pushed it closer when she didn’t pick it up. His bandanna was just barely hanging onto his head, the knot un fraying before her eyes as he pushed the shell a little closer again. She picked it up, slowly turning it around in her hand.

She smiled awkwardly before setting it aside. “… Thanks I guess.” She mumbled, “I’ll put it on my desk.”

He smiled that stupid little smile as she tied a new bandanna to his head, this time a little tighter. “Oh, ok you’re glowing now. That’s- that’s pretty cool actually. Wow.”

He blinked a few times before pulling out a variety of trinkets, placing them in a bear pile at her feet. How odd. The moonlight glittered against his scales as he dipped back under the waves back to what she assumed was an underwater cave of sorts. He didn’t look like the kind of guy to have a decked out anemone or palace under the waves. “Aight.” She said standing up, “I’m just gonna head back then.”

She gripped the shell in her hand as she climbed the ramp to their boat. The rest of the baubles he had left behind were small purple rocks and bits of coral. Those were safely tucked away in her pocket.

The shell was pretty, its shiny and iridescent hue reflecting the gentle glow of the moon light. Shells didn’t look like that. It was almost as if the thing had been cleaned. How strange. Where on earth had he found that at the bottom of the ocean? Some ships must have dropped their cargo a while ago in a crash.

“Careful dragon.” A voice came from the side.

Cassandra Jones. She rolled her eyes as she turned to face her. “Don’t you have a kid to be watching?”

“He’s asleep.” She said pointedly, eyeing the shell. “All I’m saying is don’t get too attached. They’re not what they seem.”

She didn’t say a word as she headed back to her room. She set the shell on her desk, its shimmery hue lessened by the dark of her room. She smiled despite herself as she looked at it. It felt special somehow. The rest of the trinkets were placed on her dresser, arranged neatly.

She turned her head as a glint of purple dashed past her window. She closed her newly fastened curtains and pulled her covers over herself.

She knew what she was doing. She didn’t need Casey to tell her what to do. She’d been at sea long enough to know not to get attached to the very thing that was paying her rent.

~

Idk how boats and fishing nets work sorry guys 🫠

So mer! Donnie just kinda started reciprocating Kendra's accidental courting

Kinda yeah. At first it was just giving a gift in return then into growing pretty fond of her. Tough to tell tho if it’s his actual thoughts or just deep down animalistic instinct

[void-inked-pen]

Yo, sorry for the Like spam, but I have some questions, if you've got time?

I was reading through your posts about the turtles' fighting techniques, just because they were interesting at first, but I have a 2012 AU I'm working on in which their fighting styles change drastically over time, and I learned a ton from those posts. Trouble is, I... Don't actually know much of anything about real martial arts or combat in general. I want things to be more realistic in my AU, mainly because of how each weapon ties into their character development. If you have any, like, "actually decent combat techniques for dummies" video recommendations, that'd make my life a million times easier.

More importantly than that, though, I'm interested in what you have to say about archery. The AU is called "Sniper Leo" for a reason; he swaps to a bow in the middle of season 3 after discovering (or rather, finally accepting) that his knee injury isn't just something that can be brushed aside like Splinter was raised to do, and sure, he doesn't have all the same capabilities he's used to, but he's still a badass, competent leader with a longbow instead of twin katanas. His disability has changed his life, but certainly hasn't ended it.

(Similarly, as Don takes more of a tank role, she finds another weapon that fits her new style and allows her to adapt, but I'm not sure what it is yet; meanwhile, Casey gets a tomahawk, bc (1) he's Seneca and it ties him back to his roots before New York was New York - I'm native, this is important to me, y'know? And (2) that hockey stick is cool and all, but it's not great for fighting up-close and personal, so he needs to have something capable of dealing serious damage and punishing opponents who get too cocky, thinking they can just duck in past the effective range of his main spacing weapon. Plus, it's great utility-wise.)

Infodumping about traditional Iroquois weapons aside, my main three questions are:

(1) What kind of bow would best suit Leo, if he's trying to be stealthy, make use of his absurd upper-body strength from all that katana training, stay at a safe distance, and pierce enemy armor where possible? If those three things don't mesh well, what compromises would you suggest?

(2) What kind of secondary melee weapon would be good to combine with this? If someone manages to sneak up on him, he'll need a smaller, likely concealed Plan B to defend himself while his siblings are busy on the front line. I'm thinking a blade of some sort, since he has training with them and it'd lend nicely to him getting a better variant when Splinter... Y'know. There might be more fitting options, though, and any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

(3) What sort of hurdles would someone go through when switching from melee weapons like katana to a long-range one like a bow? Like, any base technique concepts that he might have to unlearn. I'm guessing there'd be a lot to do with positioning and stance, but again, I'm just kinda assuming right now.

This is a long-ass ask, and if you read all the way to the end, thank you. Even if no answer pans out, I appreciate you taking the time to listen. Keep being badass ✌️

your not spamming dont worry! i'm happy to help with this (I actually get these kinds of asks all the time on discord so this isnt anything new lol)

One of the biggest difficulties that your gonna face when switching weapons is the different requirements that each weapon needs. Bows, believe it or not, actually need more upper body strength than most melee weapons because of the tension in the bow itself and pulling the arrow back. Patience as well as accuracy long range is gonna be his main issues i thing both narrative speaking and training with a new weapon. Imagine being in a leader role for so long, running into the fray yourself, and then suddenly switching to being long range where the goal is to stay as far away as possible from your target but still in range to hit?

in terms of what kind of bow? i would suggest he get a more current era bow. old style bows like the traditional long bow in japan require a huge bow that doesnt really allow for much movement but are VERY GOOD at shooting long range. Japanese long bows were able to pierce through samurai armor and same for Europe long bows (which had to pierce through chainmail and steal.) so putting current era bows with a strong arrow head which gives the bow its flexibility, range, stealth, and piercing ability (plus maybe a little donnie tech on the side) could EASILY get through robots and armor, no problem! I would suggest you look at this video of the worlds greatest stunt bowman who helps with movies and stuff to give you an idea on what leo could still do with a bow:

for a secondary weapon, i feel like he'd still stick with tradition. which is a short katana. Japanese archers tended to have both a long bow and a short sword to defend themselves if samurai broke through the flank or came at them from behind. (they also had something guarding their back like a samurai to help with that but short katana helps too). I've seen people also have archers use the pieces of their bow as weapons in a fight as well like wrapping the string from their bow around an arm or their neck to stop opponents, stabbing with one of their arrows if they got to close and couldnt draw their sword, that sort of thing.

you don't HAVE to follow traditional martial arts to make a fight interesting, in fact the reason fights can be cool is because a character uses the weapon that has a traditional style for something new and unique! having an understanding of the basics DOES help with how a fight should go and what could be possible for a character but creativity is also important in a fight. not every fight is gonna work like a traditional "honorable" dual or tournament match.

I think leo would just have to relearn to be a stealth fighter, fighting long range, hiding in the rafters so his enemy has to find him with some interesting arrows that could cause smoke screens or explosions (both of these are actual things traditional bowman could do, especially ninja. this is not like a "oh donnie would come up with this!" kinda thing no it is very common to attach things to an arrow it just depends on how you use it creatively). it would be cool to see him become a long range expert when he used to be so close range. like he gets good at Senbon (throwing needles) which target pressure points but dont kill, or throwing knives, maybe even darts!

leo stepping back also... lowkey might be good for his mental health just saying~

(also to comment on the hatchet thing, i would LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN!!! we dont see hatchet combat much anymore and its such a good and useful weapon for both long range and close range. like hatchet throwing? sick as shit. also imagine casey throwing a hatchet above an enemies head, teh enemy being like "haha you missed" and they look back to see casey running up to them, jumping to HANG ONTO THE HATCHET IN THE WALL and use it as momentum/leverage to kick harder! just an idea ;3c )

thank you for the ask!!! I appreciate talking combat like this, trust me~ feel free to ask any other questions anytime! (that includes anyone who reads this lol)

-Pen

[watching-pictures-move]

Put On Your Raincoats | Derelict (The Pope, 2019)

I watched Deception from The Pope and Kink.com a while back to get a sense of what a modern narrative roughie would look like, and my takeaways were that these things would be better if shot on 8mm or 16mm film, that some of the sexual activity was genuinely uncomfortable and as a result worked as horror for me, and that I would have appreciated if the movie didn't zoom in on the actresses' rear ends during the non-sex scenes. I think this is a more accomplished piece of filmmaking on the whole, benefiting most greatly from its astute use of its locations and sets. I understand they're used in other videos by the studio (although let's just say I wasn't paying close enough attention to the sets during the nonzero amount of times I've watched their output), but they really add to the harsh atmosphere of the movie. Even the camerawork seems better here, as we get some moody drone shots of the landscape, no ogling of the actresses' posteriors during the non-sex scenes, and camera setups that pull back from the action so you grime of the sets seeping into the proceedings. (There's also none of the crappy grindhouse filter from the other movie.) Again, if this were shot on film, it would probably complement the textures of the milieu nicely, but I guess that's not a fair expectation for a porno shot today. As for the sexual content, if you've seen anything from this director or this studio before, you kind of know what to expect, as the movie works through a number of BDSM acts with fetishistic attention and unwavering intensity. (I'll be honest and say that some of what transpires here is not my bag. What that exact percentage is I'll take with me to the grave. I should note that there is one vanilla scene that I understand was actually shot last.) What perhaps distinguishes this from some of the other stuff I've seen from this studio is that there is a convincing veneer of horror throughout, and some imagery that very much brings to mind the roughies of yore. (There was one stretch where one of the actresses is menaced with a cattle prod that genuinely stressed me out.) So as a work of horror, good job, movie. As a porno, yikes! I do think the acting is not as sharp as it was in the other movie, although let's say I've...enjoyed the work of both Casey Calvert and Charlotte Sartre in the past so I won't hold it against them too much. I could say that they are effectively expressive during the torture scenes, but that would make me sound like a serial killer, so I won't say it. (But they are.) I was trying to work in a joke about how Calvert can do but Sartre is smartre, but we don't actually get much from either one in terms of personality or their relative levels of intelligence, so I'll just leave that there. (I will say that Calvert's jeans really annoyed me, as they looked like they could fall apart at any moment, frayed all the way down the front of her thighs, and with two big tears right below her ass. I hope she used her paycheque to buy a new pair of pants. Yes, I know people wear ripped jeans, but I don't have to like it.) The Pope himself plays the villain again, with a similarly inhuman presence (this time he wears a Leatherface-style mask for added spookiness). The movie tries to give him some psychological depth and humanize him with flashbacks. (I guess it was nice when he folded up their clothes so neatly.) I wish the movie didn't throw these scenes in, as they're undercooked and detract from the singleminded griminess of the affair and the sense of unmotivated evil that I personally find a lot more unsettling. Perhaps the Pope was afraid we'd think he was a bad person if he didn't include this stuff, but with the before and after interviews with the cast (de rigueur for the studio), we have no reason to believe that. Collapsing morality goes with the territory. As they say (usually in a more critical context that has nothing to do with this genre), the cruelty is the point. There are also structural problems, in that the first torture scene goes so hard, that the rest of the movie feels like more of the same when there should be a sense of escalation. And like Deception, there's a twist ending, which frankly doesn't land at all, although if I were directing a roughie with locations doing the narrative legwork over any actual plotting, I don't know how I'd wrap mine up either. But yes, this is better made than it probably needs to be, and is surprisingly potent as actual horror. And if it gets your motor running...this is a judgment-free zone.

[mej2235]

I went out with friends for a few hours and I come back to my friends yelling for more propaganda because I’m now losing. Well eat up! There will be more to come!

For context, Sewer Raph is known as the Big Guy because the gang hasn’t picked out a name for him yet and the Big Guy doesn’t care

“So who do you think is going to win?”

April glanced up at her ginger counterpart before looking back at the chaos unfolding. She knew better than to expect something to happen as planned. At first, there seemed to be a clear winner, the Big Guy clenching his immovable jaw around Giovanni’s leg and swinging him around.

About an hour ago, Giovanni brought out the big guns and the Aprils decided they were done with turtles today.

Van decided to T-Pose.

As it so happened, April’s lesson plan for human culture was covering T-Posing, along with many other ‘stances’, like dabbing, next week. She sorely regretted it, watching the snapper panic and swing the still T-Posing turtle in his jaws faster around like a glorified bat. Her Donnie and Mikey had decided enough was enough and gave up on trying to rescue their alternates’ brother from the jaws of a terrified, feral alligator snapping turtle. It was not worth the potential loss of limbs.

So they took up residence in the relative safety being near Leo offered, the red eared slider having gotten bored of the show and now learning how to play Go Fish from the several Caseys. April really hoped that number of Caseys did increase. She already had two to deal with.

Mikey had been dealt in and Donnie, despite appearing engrossed in their phone, kept offering Leo advice. In Leo’s defence, the need for advice was becoming almost nonexistent as he learned the tricks and tips. Leo’s own counterpart collapsed down next to them and grabbed his own newly dealt set of cards, scanning them.

Meanwhile, the Big Guy was still on his rampage and Van was still T-Posing, neither willing to give in. The tiny turtle, that April had found out was called Raph, tried to charge them with sais to put an end to the madness.

The Aprils didn’t even flinch as a Raph-shaped hole in the wall appeared next to them. April watched her counterpart float a sai into the air and watched Raph leap from the hole, grab the sai and launch himself back into the fray. The other Mikey and Donnie had decided to take a smarter course of action and run like their lives depended on it (and they probably did), occasionally leaping through the mini-fires that had started midway through the T-Posing arc.

“The Big Guy hasn’t broken Van’s leg yet, so I think he likes him,” April told her new ginger friend and pointed at her Mikey, “If he didn’t like him, he would try to kill him. No hesitation.”

“Well… that’s reassuring?”

April just sipped at her juice carton, “Whoever wins will be the one that drops first. They will deserve it.”

@mej2235 - Sewer @enthblaze - Giovanni Twins