#she helps out a ton and simply never does anything stupid to get injured

[scrimblyscrorblo]

Some more of my wisteria wives

Yuri and Hanako are very trusted by some slayers, sometimes they babysit for their children/siblings/etc

They’ve fostered orphans who lost their families in demon attacks until they find a permenant home a couple times too

Kimetsu Academy AU: Yuri is the school nurse who tends to lecture students on their injuries. Hanako helps run the flower arrangement club - she loves the lil butterfly girls

They’re very parental lmao They do want their own child one day…

[rootin-tootin-cum-shootin]

Inosuke College AU 

Word count: 1,350

Major: Kinesiology 

Minor: Psychology 

Sports: Judo, Rugby

Clubs: Tanjiro signed him up for a ceramics club, and he goes only to try and one up him (Which is not the point of the club at all smh) but he attends every meeting without fail.

He's that dude that walks into the lecture hall wearing the most outrageous and eye-catching outfits

You just can't help but see him and instantly know what he's like to talk to 

Neon orange athletic shorts with a hawaiian shirt so stereotypical it makes your eyes twitch in displeasure 

Add some burkenstock sandals worn with mismatched socks and you have Inosuke

Just by looking at him you know he is quite the personality to work with

And he is, but he is intelligent and definitely pulls his weight in projects

Will chastise his classmates if they get injured while doing the more active labs 

But he does that while tending to their injuries so you know he cares about their wellbeing

It's quite sweet of him! 

Well it would be if every 3rd word wasn't a swear

That doesn't mean he has terrible grades though.

No he actually does quite well in his courses and there's one simple reason as to why;

he's genuinely hard working 

Which surprises nearly everyone who sees him.

But that only makes him work harder

You see Inosuke decided to actually get an education for the simple reason that everyone assumed he was too stupid to do anything with his life

He originally wanted to do Zoology but then he realized that he has too much energy, which ends up scaring off most animals 

Which defeats the whole "study of animals" part of Zoology 

Of course his Mom was in his corner despite this, really only wanting her son to be happy and find his own success

So he wouldn’t make the same mistakes she did in her youth

Inosuke actually got advice from his mom which helped him settle on Kinesiology as his degree

But once he settled on his degree he was set in stone

His pseudo-step dad offered to pay for his schooling but Inosuke said "I would rather swallow a truck whole than be indebted to you"

And then took out a shit ton of loans to pay for everything 

Which only amused his pseudo-dad and made his mom worry a tad

He manages to work a part time job flipping burgers over the summer which was enough to let him pay for his books and meal plan outright for the first year

And yet despite seeing him bust his ass to be able to go to school people still tried to dissuade him from doing anything further with his life

Which only made him work harder

His whole attitude towards school is "man this sucks but also fuck anyone and anything that tries to make me quit: No You" 

Inosuke even takes pride in the dropped jaws that come from seeing him at the top of his courses

The boy has never once gotten lower than an 80% on an assignment 

He does best in his statistics course simply because both Tanjiro and Zenitsu are also enrolled in that block 

Inosuke is competitive 

In his other courses nobody stirs up that aggressive competitive spirit like Tanjiro and Zenitsu do in their shared Stat course

And with the pair of them around him, Inosuke feels the urge to out do both to the point where he likes to imagine their feelings of inferiority will crush them like a 1 ton block of the densest concrete imaginable 

Inosuke actually made Zenitsu stop breathing from sheer shock and awe when he realized what Inosuke's minor was

Psych is Zenitsu's major (the duo don't share any courses for psychology so they didn't know until then) and it caused Zenitsu to go on a rant to the effect of, " to think that pig headed idiot is doing better than me, that must be a lie! LIAR" 

That rant made Inosuke laugh so hard he fell off the table he was sitting on

He actually bruised a rib because of it

It remains Inosuke's favourite memory of Zenitsu because of this

And he wants to see how else he can make him turn purple with rage 

Hence he often comes up with weird ways to try and express his perceived academic superiority over his friends rivals 

Zenitsu falls for the weird competitive schemes Inosuke comes up with 

Tanjiro decidedly does not, in fact he doesn't really care so long as nobody actually gets hurt

Does that stop Inosuke from trying to outdo him? N o p e

If Tanjiro gets 96% on an assignment Inosuke must get 100% 

What can I say Inosuke is a competitive guy 

And it works for him as motivation 

Maybe a little too well if Inosuke has anything to say about it 

(He was embarrassed bc he got called out publicly at his grad ceremony for not just outstanding academic excellence but by the elderly head of the department for "being the Kinesiology student with the highest grades since the founding of the department" )

The metal he received from the department head totally does not hang on the wall in his mom's house 

Speaking of competitive spirit at school

He trains really hard for both Judo and Rugby

Its a great way for Inosuke to burn off both his aggression towards all the frustrating people he's stuck interacting with and his pent up energy 

Kicking ass just makes his temperament a lot easier to deal with for others and he will use ' sports practice' excuse to leave whatever social situation he doesn't want to be in

He just really likes contact sports okay

And by God is he good at them

Like takes home trophies and metals kinda good

Which also aren't being kept at him mom's house where he definitely doesn't have displayed where she can see them and be proud of him

However due to his tendency to be aggressive with the intensity of interest he has in things

Tanjiro signed Inosuke up for a ceramics class 

He thought that Inosuke would do well with something relaxing to do while still keeping it tactile enough to keep him interested 

It did not go over as well as Tanjiro had hoped

But despite this Inosuke still goes to every single club meet up without fail

Is he good at it? No 

Is Tanjiro? Definitely 

Does that make Inosuke steaming mad? Yep

Inosuke generally sucks at making clay things symmetrical 

So every plate or bowl or vase he makes ends up lopsided 

Inosuke will die before he admits to Tanjiro that he was glad for being signed up after he gave his Mom the successful first mug he made and she smiled brighter than she had in years 

It was bright green with blue and purple childlike butterfly drawings on it and the glaze wasn't spread evenly so it looks a little patchy 

And the handle is proportional too large and thin for the cup itself

But Inosuke's mom loves it more than any other mug in the house

And now every time he goes home to see her and she uses that mug, he finds himself quite happy 

But he will deny it thoroughly. 

All in all he loves getting the chance to go to College 

He may hate the judgy people he's forced to encounter regularly but Inosuke does adore the chance to learn and explore new interests 

Not to mention the people he gets to interact with 

Even if he knows the debt will weigh heavy on his bank account for a long while.

He still thinks it was all worth it.  

[ilovethecompanions]

Companions react to a cat imprinting on them and following them around

Cait: At first she is annoyed. She doesn’t want the thing to follow her around! Tries to scare it away but the cat still stick to her. In the end she decides to ignore it. But as weeks passes she grows accustomed to it and ends up taking a liking to it. A great liking. This is her cat and if anyone hurts it she will hurt them. She enjoys the company, even though she will deny it. Cait ends up naming it Charlie, regardless of gender, and gets proud every time it brings her a mouse or a bird. That’s right, who’s her little killer? You are, you are!

Curie: Oh, she’s so happy when she realizes the cat likes her! It’s so cute after all! If it’s a male cat she names it Alan and if it’s a female it’s Fabiola. Curie makes it a large bed made out of various fabrics and makes sure the cat is as healthy as possible. She really loves the cat and pets it all the time. Would snuggle it 24/7 if she could. Brushes it every day and baths it once every week. This is the healthiest and cleanest cat in all of the Commonwealth.

Codsworth: This poor little bot is so confused, help him. He doesn’t understand why it follows him all the time, he is made out of metal after all! Nevertheless, he lets it stick around and does his best to make it comfortable. Codsworth is a bit distressed since he can’t pet it without accidentally hurting it and feels terrible for not returning its affections. The most he can do is let it rub against him and sit on his ”head”. Poor, poor bot has never wished he had hands more in his entire life. Names the cat Marvel, since it’s a marvel it chose just him.

Danse: Doesn't even notice at first that the cat is following him. When he does eventually notice he just assumes it wants food and that it will go away once it realizes it won't get any. But when the cat still follows him, into battle nonetheless, he is confused, more so than Codsworth. Why does it follow him? What should he do with it? This man is clueless. Eventually he decides to keep it. It reminds him of proctor Quinlans cat, Emmet. Probably names it after some high ranking and important Brotherhood member, that dork. Totally babies the cat and talks to it as if it is a two year old child. His two year old child to be precise. It’s both adorable and terrifying how this hunk of a man can turn into such a blubbering mess in a few seconds with this cat.

Deacon: Instantly turns the cat into the mascot of Railroad. Likes to dress the cat up with different bandanas, glasses and hats. Names it something like Oscar or Claire but demands everyone call it agent Fluffington. Oh yeah, totally makes it an honorary agent and makes it write reports (it’s just paw prints on a paper to be honest). Everytime the cat meows he responds. “Meow”. “Gasp! No way! Tell me more!”. “Meow”. “She did? That’s amazing!”. He somehow finds some cat toys for it. Also; cat puns, tons and tons of cat puns. Please stop him, Glory is about to kill him.

Dogmeat: This doggo loves its new friend! He will protect it with his life!

Hancock: Ok, this cat is the most well protected thing in Goodneighbor, seriously. Everyone knows not to mess with it since Hancock will literary cut anyone who does. He loves it so much that it’s almost scary. No, scrap that, it’s totally scary. The cat has its own personal seat in the Third Rail and in his office. When Hancock has a speech it sits on the railing on the balcony while he talks. Totally does the Bond villain thing where he turns his chair around while petting his cat when negotiating with someone in order to intimidate them. It’s surprisingly effective. There’s also this unspoken thing that if the cat does not like or trust someone, neither does Hancock. Names the cat Cookie, just because he can.

Maccready: First things first, Maccready is more of a dog person. There were many dogs in Little Lamplight and he loved them all. But just because he prefer dogs does not mean he dislike cats. It’s actually the opposite. He appreciates their independent nature and aloof personalities. So when the cat starts following him around he’s all for it. Carries it on his shoulder when walking or in his backpack. Accidentally gives it a dog name since he knows shit about what to name a cat. Probably names it so something like Buster or Buddy.

Nick: The cat is his new best friend and sidekick, he is Sherlock and it is his Watson. Totally names it something like Noir or Bobby. Nicks favorite thing to do is sit in his office and pet the cat after a long stressful day. It always helps him unwind and sort his thoughts. When traumatized clients come in seeking help he always lends them the cat in order to calm down. It always works and the cat is loved by all. Wherever it goes people gives it treats or pets it. Everyone in Diamond City refer to it as Nick Jr..

Piper: Probably found it as an injured kitten, nursed it back to health and after that it stuck with her. The cat is incredibly fond of both Piper and Nat and they love it unconditionally in return. It’s part of the family. Is named Scooter or Marble. Piper swears she doesn't spoil it but she totally does and everyone knows it. It sleeps in her bed and eats what she eats. Plus all the treats. Oh god, the treats. If the cat did not move around so much it would undoubtedly get fat. It’s extremely embarrassing to watch when Piper talks with her cat since she used the most extreme baby talk in the history of mankind. It sound like incoherent babbling and only Nat knows what Piper is saying. If Piper had a functional camera she would totally be one of those people that have hundreds of pictures of her cat.

Preston: If there’s someone that deserves a pet it’s this guy. With everything he’s been through he sometimes get depressed and when that happens he needs someone to keep him grounded and calm. This someone is his cat. Whenever he starts to panic it always snuggles up to him and starts to purr. This never fails to calm Preston down and he’s so grateful for it. When the cat first started to follow him around he hesitated to take it in, afraid that he would not be able to take care of it. He never realized it would take care of him instead. Loves his cat immensely and treats it with respect. Preston names it Sunny.

Strong: When he first meet the cat he tries to eat it. Several times. But the cat still follows him. Either it’s incredibly brave or really stupid. Maybe both. Strong thinks it’s weak and pathetic. But then he sees humans with their pets and wonder if it has anything to do with the milk of human kindness. So the next time the cat approached him Strong started to pet it. This was the start of a wonderful friendship. The cat is always sitting on Strongs shoulder, wherever he goes, and Strong constantly talks to the cat. He simply calls the cat Kitty and he’s incredibly fond of it. Anyone who even looks at it the wrong way is killed. Strong totally feeds it the flesh of his slain enemies. He is very gentle with the cat and loves how fluffy it is.

X6-88: Ok, this one is long so bear with me . Let’s say that the Institute made synth cats and let them roam around in the base. Everyone loves them and they love everyone. Except for the coursers. Whenever a courser approaches they start to hiss and claw at them. Nobody knows why. But then there’s one cat that’s different and decides to imprint upon a courser. And that courser is our dear X6.

He doesn’t know why it follows him but he decides to ignore it. This only serves to make the cat more determined. Whenever X6 sits down it jumps up on his lap and when he’s got paperwork to do it lays down on it. But X6 is stubborn and won't give in to it’s adorableness. At least that’s what he tells himself. But he just can’t help to scratch behind its ears when it rubs against him or pat its head when bored. It’s not his fault, seriously.

But really, X6 and the cat is inseparable. Everybody knows that wherever X6 are the cat is close behind. And eventually X6 grows so accustomed to its presence that he grows worried when it’s not nearby. What if something happened to i? Of course he never voices these concerns but he visibly relaxes when it returns. The Institute have already officially “named” the cat so X6 sees no use in doing to himself.

[gobigorgohome2016]

The Allure of High Mileage Running

The 100 Mile Week. For as long as I can remember, high mileage has intrigued me.  Of course, this probably partly stems from spending high school glued to message boards like letsrun, dyestat, and indianarunner, where a person’s worth was strongly tied to his (rarely her) running ability.  I’m sure that growing up reading stories about Deena Kastor’s monster mileage didn’t help with my fascinaton, either.

In high school I was a fairly high mileage runner, topping out around 45 or 50 miles per week.  I think a lot of high schoolers do that now, but at the time we only trained for a 4k race.  I have always enjoyed mileage, and my body seems to respond better the more that I run.  

In college, I was a low mileage runner because I was always injured.  I remember the first time I ran a 60 mile week.  I was pretty proud of that moment.  Also in college my fascination with 100 mile weeks grew after hearing legends of former (male) teammates that pursued 100 mile / 100 beer challenges. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even do a 100 mile / 10 beer challenge in a week (the beer being the limiting factor), but nevertheless my interest was piqued.  Would I be able to run 100 miles someday?  At that point, I figured likely not since I could barely make it past 40 miles without injuries.

When I got to grad school I realized it didn’t really matter how much I ran, since I wasn’t planning to take running seriously anymore.  What if I just pushed my limits instead?  I distinctly remember my first 70 mile week in January 2012.  Dave and I went to The Rail (now defunct) to celebrate.  Well, Dave didn’t need a reason to celebrate, but 70 miles in 7 days without getting hurt seemed as good a reason as any to have overpriced hipster drinks.  That night we also realized that I never picked up my car from a trail head I had parked at during the week, since I ultimately just ran home one day to add on miles.  (it’s easy to forget about your car when you live in a college town!)

My first 80 mile week was when I was training for Chicago, the time I didn’t finish the race, in 2012. I felt badass, especially because I completed the mileage during one of the hottest weeks in July, and in 5.5 days (I had taken a day off and had a 4 mile day that week as well).  I felt strong and badass.  I knew the mileage was working for me.

I didn’t hit 90 for the first time until I was training for Chicago the second time, in 2014, when I did finish the race.  6 weeks out I did an over distance training run of 32 miles, and easily got 90 in 5 days of running that week.  If I wasn’t so dead from 32 miles on horse trails, I would have surely gone out and gotten in the extra mileage to hit 100, but I fortunately realized that would have been dumb.  

My first 100 mile week came when I was training for the trials.  I have never been as simultaneously exhausted and satisfied.

For me, my satisfaction with running has always been intrinsically tied to two things:  doing new things I’ve never done before, like highest mileage ever or longest streak of 100+ mile weeks, and my success as a runner. I guess for me I have seen the most success when my mileage is high, so I’m hooked.  Of course that begs the question:  am I successful at running simply because I am satisfied with my training, or is the training making me a better runner?  I have always strongly believed that the foundation of success is simply believing that the way you are training is the best, and never doubting.  

But, why is 100 miles a seemingly magic number for me?  

No matter where you look, it appears that 100 mile weeks is what separates the elite runner from the super serious runner – at least if you read online message boards, running magazines, or talk to old school coaches.  

Yet, the pursuit of the 100 mile week is ultimately the undoing of many runners.  Where did this arbitrary number come from, and are we so wedded to the idea of 100-or-bust?  

From my research, Jack Daniels suggests that aerobic benefit ceases around 70 – 75 miles per week. Beyond that number, runners simply improve their running economy as they add more mileage.  What I have yet to find, however, is any research on how a runner feels after hitting certain barriers in training, and how that mentality ultimately affects training.  

For instance, I take a shit-ton (that’s a scientific unit, right) of pride in being able to sustain 100 mile weeks sans injury.  Assuming I finish out this week as planned, I will have three 100 mile weeks under my belt in a row.  (kind of. One was a 98 mile week and the other a 97 – close enough).

As an aside, that’s another funny thing about 100 mile weeks – 98 miles is pretty damn near 100 miles, so why didn’t I round up?  For whatever reason, that 2% difference feels more significant than the difference between, say, 45 miles and 50 miles.  2% versus 10%.  This fact doesn’t make a whole lot of logical sense.

Also, this is where runners tend to run into problems.  You may be asking, if you were 3 miles from a 100 mile week, why didn’t you just go out and run an extra 3 miles?  Well, because that would be stupid.  It seems like high mileage would be filled with a lot of junk runs, but it really isn’t (at least not for me).  At a certain point, you realize there are weeks where you really shouldn’t run extra mileage for the sake of extra mileage, no matter what your log looks like at the end of the week.  I think that reaching this level of maturity is important, but it took me being a complete idiot to grasp that concept (i.e. the time I ran 115 miles the week I got food poisoning.  Not my best life decision).

So, again, why is 100 mile weeks considered this magic training number?  As far as I can tell, this started with Arthur Lydiard, who advocated high mileage running, but I can’t find anything that specifically says 100 miles is the magic number.  I’m curious if anyone has an idea why runners seem to feel that 100 mile weeks separate the women from the girls?

Frankly, I think that high mileage – at least when run consistently – is probably beneficial because it forces you to take care of all the little things that runners neglect if you want to continue to sustain this type of training.  For instance, there are certain rules one must abide by when hitting mega mileage, and those include:

Sleep:  my first few weeks of hundreds will require 10 – 12 hours of sleep (including naps). I hear stories occasionally of runners attempting 100 mile weeks off of 6 – 7 hours of sleep.  I think adrenaline can get you through maybe 2 weeks of that before your body crashes.

running lots of miles makes you tired.  coffee is important.

Self Care:  Even though my body feels best during big mileage, I acknowledge that it requires more care.  You can injure yourself in the dumbest ways when you’re running a lot (ask my massage therapist, she could probably write a book on the stupid ways I have tweaked muscles).  At the same time, a little bit of self care goes a long way at this mileage because your immune system is on high alert.  The other day I tweaked my calf muscle, and 6 hours of icing, recovery yoga, legs up the wall, foam rolling, stretching, compression sleeves, and having Dave dig his fingers into my calf resulted in a pain free run the next morning.  

Nutrition:  This is the trickiest part.  When you’re averaging 14.3 miles per day, you’re bound to run through a meal.  If you’re like me, you’re also not at all hungry after a hot and humid longer run.  Kefir, cheese, crackers, whole-fat foods, yogurt, protein shakes, and high-carb / high – calorie / high-protein foods are your best friend.  Also, all the popsicles.  

There is a conundrum at this mileage when it comes to nutrition.  You want to eat as healthy as possible, but healthy foods aren’t always calorie dense.  Sometimes your stomach fills up before you reach your caloric or macronutrient needs. It is so important at this mileage to remember that quantity (of calories) is sometimes more important than quality.  If all that is available to me in the foreseeable future is a big mac and fries, you better believe that is what I’m going to eat.  

sugar = glycogen = necessary

Singles vs. Doubles:  At 70 – 80 miles per week, doubles seem easier.  But, when I am 90+ mpw, I would much rather run singles.  I’m not sure why this is, but going for a 14 mile run sure as hell beats a lot of 8 and 6 mile days.  

Weight lifting:  I used to attempt high mileage weeks without lifting.  It was fine, for like 3 weeks.  Then I started noticing my imbalances and lack of lifting is probably what contributed to a lot of the problems I had in my right leg last year. My biggest takeaway from that experience:  if you can’t sustain your mileage + lifting, drop your mileage to the highest level you can sustain while getting in the extra work.  

Flexibility:  My massage therapist does range of motion and flexibility work.  Without seeing her every two weeks, there is no way I could ever sustain this mileage.  I also go to yoga once per week, and try to incorporate as much recovery into my weekly routine as possible.

Speed:  I was talking to someone recently who asked me what my three pieces of advice would be for a marathoner.  He was surprised when I said speed work, like strides, were one of the most important components.  There is a misconception that running a lot of mileage results in slowness.  That’s only true if you only run all of your mileage slowly.  I do speedwork and strides every week, and I know that when I am in peak marathon shape I could also PR in nearly every other distance.  

Pace:  I think another misconception is that “slow” miles are junk miles at high mileage - but I also think this idea is perpetuated by people who believe that all mileage must be fast.  There are times when I am in the best shape of my life that I do 10 mile runs in 90 minutes, or 20 mile runs in 2:40:00.  Some days you just have to meet your body where it’s at, and respect that when you’re running mega mileage there will be more opportunities for bad days. When that happens I just throw on some extra strides at the end and call it even.  Slow days (for you) don’t mean you aren’t in shape or that you’re losing fitness, it’s just important to remember that effort is more important than speed sometimes.

What Does a 100 Mile Week Look Like?

Here is what my most recent 100 mile week looked like:

Monday:  10 miles (double, 6 and 4) + yoga – I always do super easy 10 on Mondays, whether that means 10 in 90 minutes, or a little bit quicker but in doubles.  Recovery yoga is also an every Monday occurrence.

Tuesday:  2 mile warm up, strides, 8 mile tempo in 48:27, 2.5 mile cool down + weight lifting.  My plan was to hit 5:55 – 6:00 pace for this run, but with 14 mph winds and most of the route affected by the wind, I was very happy with this run.  Overall average was 6:03 pace, which is faster than my marathon PR and the effort felt great.

Wednesday:  8 miles easy AM, 3 miles easy PM, + massage.  Normally I would do 10 and 4 on Wednesday, but my sister was in town so things got changed to accommodate for all the walking we were going to do (4 miles of walking).

Thursday:  14 miles w/ last 400 m of each mile hard + weight lifting I love this workout.  Makes the miles go quickly and has great aerobic and anaerobic benefits.  I forgot my watch and nutrition, so I had to make an adjustment and run it as an out-and-back on a path that is marked every 400 m.  Not my favorite way to do this workout, but it’s always good to practice things going wrong for when crazy things happen on race day.

Friday:  4 miles AM, 12 miles PM + strides having friends to run with is nice!

Saturday:  21 miles, I have been running 20+ milers since early July, so now I am focusing more on quality than just time on my feet

Sunday:  15 miles, I like to join friends during their 20+ milers on Sunday so that I can get in a relaxed semi-long run.  Back to back long runs have been good for me!

So there it is.  I don’t know why I’m obsessed with high mileage – especially when I don’t really love running for the sake of running – but it does make me feel badass and powerful.  Do I think everyone should run 100 mile weeks?  No – especially if you are unable to recover from them or are unable to take care of the little things.  I do think there is something to be said for running the highest mileage that you can sustain individually if you are going after a goal, but much of that comes from the extra vigilance people use when chasing a new benchmark as well as the satisfaction they feel when new achievements have been reached!    

[spectrumscribe]

Could you write a piece about what the hell were Casey and Shini doing during "When Worlds Collide"? I looked for fanfiction about it for some comic relief (yes, I have no life) and didn't find any. Btw, I love your blog! :)

you know, i’d been meaning to do something like this anyways. kudos to you anon for reading my mind.

In the middle of locking down the whole compound,Shinigami’s phone rings.

It could be Karai, finallysummoning them all to battle instead of leaving them all here twiddling theirthumbs- so she answers it immediately.

It’s not Karai.

“Hey, so. The world’skind of ending for the fifth time or something,” Says a teenage boy overthe line; the one that clings to the turtles and April like a stubborn bramble,despite obviously lacking any formal training.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Shini replies dryly, burying her thrumof worry underneath her persona. It’s not Karai on the phone, and thus herSenpai remains out of contact and unaccounted for. Worrying. “Why are youcalling, I would have thought you’d be throwing yourself into the fray alongwith the turtles.”

“In a sitch like this,kind of not my job.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

This doesn’t sound like something Casey Jones would do, fromwhat Shinigami has observed of him. He seemed like he’d be the sort to keepcharging into things until he either won or died, whichever came first.

“Why?” Shinigami asks, because even with all the chaoshappening around her and her heart clenching with fear about Karai being missing and in danger, her curiosity remains present as always.

“The brothers don’t reallygot people to worry about up here,” Casey Jones says tightly. The sound ofscreeching tires and muffled yelling momentarily takes over the phone line, andthen he adds, “-but me an’ April do.”

“…ah,” Shinigami says, garnering his situation.

“I have a van full of relativesand kind of in-laws, and not a whole lot of options for a hideout. Lair’s toofar and- FUCK,” Tires scream even louder, and Shinigami thinks she hearssomething go thoom, followed by anexplosion. “Okay long story short I need aplace to crash before we literally crash!You got- you guys have basically a fortress, right? The bugs won’t be able toget inside?”

The flurry of evacuation, to lower levels, is stillhappening around Shinigami. Foot soldiers, technicians, and medical staff, allmoving into the sublevels of the church compound. As soon as everything vitaland everyone vital is down there,she’s going down herself, and they’re locking the reinforced doors behind them.No one will get in, or out, untilKarai calls to tell them the apocalypse is over.

Or, she doesn’t call at all, and then the decision of theirnext move will fall to Shinigami.

…they admittedly have room for a few more.

Shinigami has always prided herself on looking out for herfew trusted close ones, leaving everyone else to do what they will, and surviveif they can.

But, Casey Jones isa member of Karai’s extended half family… andhe helped save her Senpai, once or twice before.

Shinigami sighs. Debts are not something she is fond of.

“The bugs won’t be able to get inside, no,” Shinigami says, andthen adds without pause, “How soon will you be able to get here? We’re lockingdown as we speak.”

“Kind of already here,”Jones says, because of course hedoes. “Open your back door so we don’t all getabducted by FUCKING SPACE BUGS-”

The line cuts off. Shinigami doesn’t have to wonder why.

She sends a small squadron to retrieve Jones and his people.Let it never be said she didn’t do a kind thing, or leave a debt like thisunpaid.

–/–

Casey Jones is many things, and fears almost nothing.

But, because he’s an older brother, a son- he’s scaredshitless of losing the small family he’s got. Hence the calling of one personhe never thought he would.

He’ll thank Leo for pushing them to have all numbers of their social group,later. This might’ve saved his family’s life and Mr. O’Neil and Ms. O’Neil’stoo. Probably his as well, since he would’ve stood between them and any stupidalien bug who attacked them until he couldn’t anymore, and then would havestood longer.

As much as he hates being pulled back to defense, Caseysupposes he sees the purpose to it. Maybe he can’t blow things up with hismind, or hide a hundred and one ninja weapons on his person- but he can keep a promise, and he can face downa whole army for the sake of that promise.

Especially when it’s his little sister and dad standingbehind him, and the last two human relatives April’s got.

It still sucks royally,hiding in an underground laboratory while the world goes to shit. While hisfriends are off risking their lives for the millionth time, and he’s not thereto back them up.

His father isn’t making anything easier, questioning Caseyagain and again why they’re hiding in what resembles very strongly a supervillain’s lair, and currently surrounded by armed men and women who donothing to dispel that impression.

“Dad, please, don’t ask about- any of this,” Casey waves hishand at the stone walls and creepy lighting of what used to be Stockman’s lab.Fuck that guy, for real. “If you don’t know nothin’, then you have deniabilitystill.”

His dad’s eyebrows sink a little lower. Ah hell, that wouldbe the ‘I’m worried and angry right now’ expression. “Deniability?” His dad asks in a lowvoice. “Arnold Casey Jones, just what in god’sname did you get yourself mixed up in?!”

Casey winces at the full naming. Oh boy. “Now see, that’sthe part where you don’t ask and keep your deniability…”

“Mr. Jones,” A smooth, sly voice interjects before Casey’sdad can work up another round. Shinigami’s heels click against the stone floor,cool gaze and a coy smile in place as she approaches. Casey sees his dad standstraighter, on guard, and notes that his thirteen year old sister watches theolder woman with interest. Well, can’t fault his sister for her taste.Shinigami is about as beautiful as she is deadly. Which is very.

“Your son assisted us… in saving the life of a very dearperson to me, not more than a few months ago,” Shinigami says, and Casey knowsthat’s not entirely a lie. “Myself and that person gave him a single favor touse as he needed, in exchange for that assistance. He was simply in the rightplace, at the right time, and we’ve hardly interacted since.”

“So… you’re saying my kid saved someone you’re close to, butyou didn’t drag him into any of…” Casey’s dad glances around at the Footsoldiers milling around, clearly uncomfortable. His hand on Casey’s littlesister, placed around her shoulders and keeping her close, makes that evenclearer. “…this?”

“No,” Shinigami says, still smiling. Casey only vaguelyknows her through their mutual social group, but it’s still enough that he canspot the subtle, but purposeful beguiling. “Your son has only been someone wemet with… very, very rarely. He has never been involved with the clan’sbusiness.”

Kind of a lie? Casey doesn’t mind, though. Anything to keephis dad from prying further, and possibly finding out about the shit ton of really dangerous stuff he’s beeninvolved with. Or finding out his friends, and his situation with them.

Casey’s dad examines Shinigami for a moment longer, and thennods once.  He’s probably decided to notlook a gift horse in the mouth, at least until they get home and he’s got Caseycornered for questioning. Won’t that be fun.

“Thank you for saving us,” He says, and Casey knows it’ssincere despite the gruff tone. His eyes go to Casey’s sister, same time as hisdo. They’re both probably thinking the same thing. “I don’t know what we wouldhave done otherwise.”

Shinigami smiles a little wider; kind, but mysterious. “It’sno trouble, simply repaying a debt. Now, if you would please follow one of myattendants, they’ll take you to a place you can rest until this whole- invasionnonsense is over…”

Shinigami works her magic, (possibly literally?), and hasher Foot soldiers lead Casey’s family away. He lingers, because he’s gotsomething to say, and because he really doesn’t want to hold still long enoughfor his dad to potentially start asking questions again.

“Hey, Shinigami?” He asks, getting the woman to turn hereyes to him. He meets them evenly, because he’s gotten kind of used to beingaround people with subtly dangerous gazes. “Thank you, really. I… it’s my jobto take care of our families when everything goes to shit, and I don’t want tothink about how this could’ve gone down without you lettin’ us in. So. Thankyou.”

Shinigami looks at him for a long moment, and then smilesone of her more unreadable expressions. “Like I said, Jones, it is simplyrepaying a debt. For all the times you saved my Senpai.”

–/–

Hour four drags by, and Shinigami fights with herself aboutgoing after her dearest Karai.

The news channels have all gone down, and only shaky videostaken and posted from cameras remain to relay the situation aboveground. Fromthe looks of things, it’s not going well.

Her scythes weigh heavy on her hips, begging for use andurging her to slip away to search for Karai. Damn the Foot clan- the onlyreason she ever joined was to be by her Senpai’s side. There’s nothing holdingher here except for Karai’s wish that should the worst happen… Shinigami is tocontinue the Foot on its current course, until she finds a suitable heir.

Shinigami doesn’t want to lead the Foot, or find an heir.She wants to be by Karai’s side, protecting her back.

Her fingers trace the very edges of her blades, not drawingthem but unable to keep her hands off them completely. There’s no tellingwhat’s going on with her Senpai at the moment. She could be in danger, shecould be injured, she could be…

The phones won’t connect anymore, not because they’reunderground, but because Karai’s phone seems to have turned itself off. And theturtles’ and April’s…

All of those phones, turned off at such a dire time? All atonce? It’s suspicious, and worrying.

Shinigami is barely holding herself within the safe zone ofthe church. It’s all she can do to not let panic and passion seize her, andsend her running through the chaos stricken streets to find Karai.

“Got the battle-itches?”

Shinigami is caught pf guard by the absurdity of thatsentence, enough that she actually stutters internally. She turns, to findJones leaning on a hockey stick, looking as drawn and frustrated as Shinigamifeels.

“Excuse me?” Shinigami asks. In all her years, that’s a new one for a man to try withher.

“You wanna be up there too, am I right?” He clarifies,nodding vaguely upwards. “I get that feel. This is drivin’ me nuts.”

Shinigami considers him for a moment; the extended hand ofunderstanding and sympathy.

She takes it.

“I… worry for Karai’s safety,” Shinigami admits under herbreath, wary of passing soldiers hearing her concern. Their leader must beunbeatable, unbreakable; she can’t be seen as anything else, no matter how muchShinigami fears for her dear Karai.

Jones rubs his face, sighing harshly. “Yeah, I figured you’dbe. I’m worrin’ about the brothers and April, personally speaking. But they goteach other, all seven of ‘em and whoever else they dragged into things.They’ll… they’ll be fine.”

“You say that, but you don’t look like you believe it,”Shinigami points out softly.

Jones smiles crookedly, more of a grimace, and then laughs.“What? Nah. Not me. They always come through, no matter what. It’s just the waiting that gets to me, you know? I’mnot made to just sit around when there’s ass to kick. They need Casey Jones outthere with ‘em, backing them all up and taking point. Or something like that.”

Shinigami thinks for a moment, and then says, “I should beup there with Karai, protecting her back and taking her right flank. Notsitting here and waiting around like some abandoned sentinel.” She smileswryly. “Or something like that.”

Jones laughs, a sort of startled sound. He seems to relax alittle, out of the wary stance and gait he’s been carrying since the moment heset foot inside Shinigami’s realm of rule. It’s understandable, since theirfriends and loved ones are likely in mortal peril, and this is far from part ofhis territory.

A moment of silence passes, the two of them standing in theentrance to Stockman’s old laboratory. It’s not as awkward or strange likeShinigami might’ve guessed it would be. There’s something to mutual understanding,after all.

A low volume siren suddenly goes off, and Shinigami’s menand women start rushing around. Within seconds, a Foot soldier approachesShinigami, and relays that bugs have breached the upper levels. From what theirsmall team of scientists can discern, the aliens are able to tell there are alarge number of humans below ground, and are looking to break through thedoors.

Shinigami glances at Jones.

He’s already grinning, more so baring his teeth inchallenge.

Shinigami snaps her fingers, and gives the order to engagewith utmost caution. And to get the hell out of their way.

They’ve waited around long enough. Now, they fight.

–/–

When all is said and done, and bug aliens start falling deadwithout Casey hardly tapping them, he figures things could’ve been a lot worsethan they turned out.

Sure, New York is pretty much coated in a layer of slime andguts, but they won and everyone is mostly safe. He knows not everyone was aslucky as his dad and sister, or April’s father and aunt, but hey. He got hisown people to safety, and then he keptthem safe.

It’s enough for him. Infinitely better than the alternative.

He will never, everleave them behind again. Not even if the world starts falling apart under hisfeet a second time, he won’t.

He refuses to go through that again.

Shinigami somehow has barely a hair out of place, despitebeing right on the frontlines with him as they drove out the bugs from thechurch. Casey sees the angle of liking a lady like this, the sort that’suntouchable by anything around her. But, personally speaking, he still digs theblood streaked, messy haired, dirt smeared red-head type more.

He’s a little biased, but everyone knows that.

As he ushers his dad, sis, and the O’Neil’s into the PartyWagon, he’s a little surprised to see Shinigami seeing them off. He waits untilshe approaches, and then waits further to hear what she’s got to say.

“If you see Senpai before me…” Shinigami’s mask of aloofnessbreaks for a moment, exposing genuine emotions. “Please remind her to call. Andtell her the Foot remains as she left it, and that…” She mends the cracks, andthen they’re gone. “And that’s it. I apologize, I am a little tired.”

Casey jerks a nod. He gets it without having to ask at all.Being separated from the people really important to you sucks, and it’s not aneasy thing to admit aloud.

He sticks out a hand. “I’ll make sure she calls you, if shehasn’t already by the time I meet up with everyone else. I’ll find ‘em soon asI drop my folks and April’s off, okay?”

Shinigami blinks at his hand, and then slowly takes it. Sheshakes once, and then they let go.

“I wish you and yours good luck, and I hope no serious harmhas come to your dear ones,” Shinigami says, and for once, Casey’s pretty sureevery word is real.

“Yeah, same to you. See you around.”

Shinigami is back to being unreadable and masked by the timehe starts to leave, and gives only an enigmatic smile.

He gets in the Party Wagon, and starts weaving through thedisaster zone New York has become once again. His father and sister sit tenselybeside him, watching the damage go by with cautious eyes. April’s aunt sits inthe back, trying to help Kirby keep calm as they navigate the fresh trauma intheir lives. Casey feels kind of badly for all of them; they’re not as adjustedor familiar with insanity as he is, or as ready to embrace it.

He gets them home safely though, and promises to come rightback as soon as he has April and his friends again. His father gives him adeeply concerned look, but lets him go. Kirby who knows how his daughter and their friends are mixed up in this, justgives him a pale, but thankful smile.

His little sister grabs him before he runs out the door, anddrags him into as bone crushing a hug as her thin arms can manage.

“Don’t be an idiot,” She whispers in his ear. “and come homesoon, okay?”

He squeezes her back, tight. He could’ve lost her a lot oftimes over the years, and he hasn’t refused a hug since the first time. “I’llbe back before you even miss me.”

Walking away from his family is hard, because the sense ofdanger isn’t quite gone yet, but he manages it because he still has people tofind.

His phone finally lights up, as he’s circling the worstimpact zones, and he answers it immediately.

“You son of a fuck,” He says into the phone. “None of you could’ve kept your fuckin’phones on?”

“Sorry, electricalinterference scrambled the signals,” Donnie says, sounding tired andachingly relieved. “Newtralizer cameback, able to teleport of all things,and yeah, that screwed up every single cell tower in the area.”

“How so?”

“Fuck if I know. I’mtired and I’m just trying to get over the fact that yet another of my brothers has died and come back tolife within minutes of each event.”

“Oof,” Casey winces with a grimace. “Which one?”

“Mikey,” Donniereplies flatly. Casey winces again, because yikes.

“He okay?”

“He’s-” Donniesighs. “He’s naked for whatever reason, and breathing, and apparently okay despiteblowing himself up? God I don’t know. I have to do a proper examination later.Anyways. We’re on a rooftop in the middle of day, and the air force is doingcircles nearby. Please come get us before we have to break out of a lab again.” A pause, and then he adds. “I’m really glad you’re okay, by the way.Did you get to somewhere safe with yours and April’s families?”

“Shinigami let us into the church, it was real nice of her,”Casey says. “And I’m glad you’re okay, too. I’m glad all of you guys are okay.How’s April?”

“I think she has thethird highest kill count for bugs today, but only on the account of Y'Gythgbadecapitating anything that got within ten feet of her, and Mikey and hissuicide bomb act. I’d say she’ll be fine after a good shower and some food. Samewith all of us, honestly.”

“I could eat,” Casey turns the steering wheel, avoiding asizable pothole. “Hey, location?”

Donnie rattles off the address, and Casey breaks a fewdriving laws to make it there in less than ten minutes. They shoot shit on andoff as Casey drives over cracked roads and obliterated sidewalks, minding bug corpses strewn about and leftover goop stuff.

“I think I’m going tohave to hold him down until the shock wears off- he won’t stop bouncingaround, Casey.”

“Yeah, Mike’s a little shaky on the whole self-preservationthing.”

“None of my brothersunderstand basic first-aid protocols. And like you have any leg to stand on,adrenaline junkie.”

“You’re just a worry-wart, nothin’ can kill Casey Jones.”

“Sure. I’ll makecertain that’s carved on your tombstone.”

Casey laughs, feeling light, and he draws a chuckle out ofDonnie as he does.

Seeing Donnie, April, and all the rest (plus Y’Gythgba,because she’s sticking around apparently) clamber off the roof is a comfortingsight. No one is limping more than worth worrying, no one has cuts beyond aband-aid level, and they’re all accounted for.

Raph is grinning, with a black eye and an arm around Mikey’sshoulders, who is beaming at everyone around him and still very naked. Leo is walkingwith Karai, and Y’Gygthba, and none of those three look any worse for wearbeyond alien guck caked to them. Donnie has what looks like alien bloodsplattered all over him, same as April, and everyone else. April’s eyes arebright though, alert and high on victory as she smiles at Casey, and thoughDonnie looks tired as he usually does, he gives a weary smile as they allapproach.

It’s the best damn sight Casey’s seen all day.

Casey grins, and salutes lazily as his second family and co.gets into the van. Safe and sound, and where he can watch their backs again.

–/–

When Karai slips in through the window of the church,Shinigami feels her whole body relax.

Her Senpai smiles, wide and confident despite the filth andlight injuries all over her. Shinigami can’t help but smile back, warm to hertoes with relief.

The throne room is crossed in a blink of an eye, and thenKarai is warm and safe in Shinigami’s arms. Curling around Karai, in a brief moment of care beforeanyone sees, solves everything that had been snarling itself with worry in herchest.

“Welcome back,” Shinigami says softly, holding Karai closeas she can without hurting her.

Karai’s arms tighten around her neck, and she replies, “Gladto be back.”

When they break apart, Shinigami allows herself one lastindulgence to brush Karai’s messy bangs from her face. Her Senpai’s makeup isslightly smudged on the edges, and a blooming bruise graces her jaw. Well, thatwon’t do at all.

“Come,” Shinigami says, taking Karai’s hand and pulling hertowards the exit. “I have the medical staff, a bath, and dinner ready. You looklike you need all three.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Karai says, gratitude clear in hertone. As they walk briskly, her hand around Shinigami’s is tight, unrelenting,and so very alive.

It’s more of a relief than anything could be.

AN: it would have been really fuckin simple for the writers of TMNT to add a phone call cameo somewhere in the episode, or off-hand mention that Casey and Shini are the ones who hold down the fort when things go south. literally so simple.

and by the way, if you feel like it, consider buying me a Ko-fi so i can keep busing to work and making you all fanfics. :)