#T.K. Waters

[tomorrowusa]

Yet another racially motivated mass shooting was perpetrated by a shithead with an AR-15. This one occurred in Jacksonville – the largest city in Florida.

There will undoubtedly be a formal Thoughts and Prayers Declaration from the GOP-NRA even as they plot to make it even easier for the unhinged to conduct future orgies of violence.

Three people were killed Saturday in a racially motivated attack after a gunman targeted Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, in one of several weekend shootings that again shocked Americans in public places – from stores to football games to parades. “This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said at a news conference early Saturday evening. Waters said the shooter, who he described as a White man in his 20s, shot and killed himself after the attack. The suspect left behind what the sheriff described as three manifestos outlining his “disgusting ideology of hate” and his motive in the attack. All three victims, two men and one woman, were Black. Waters said the shooter lived in Clay County, Florida, south of Jacksonville, with his parents. Jacksonville is located in northeast Florida, about 35 miles south of the Georgia border. Waters said the shooter told his father by text to “check his computer.” The father found documents described by Waters as manifestos and called authorities.

At least the Nazi attacker is dead.

Waters showed photos of the weapons during a news conference, which showed swastikas were drawn on one of the guns with white paint. “We have opened a federal civil rights investigation, and we will pursue this incident as a hate crime,” said Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville office.

This is coverage from the CBS station in Jacksonville.

[brexiiton]

Three dead in 'racially motivated' shooting in US convenience store

By CNN, Associated Press, 9:21am Aug 27, 2023

Three people were shot and killed at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, in what policedescribed as a racially motivated incident.

"This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K Waters said at a news conference.

He said the shooter, who is White and is also now dead, left behind evidence that outlined his "disgusting ideology of hate" and his motive in the attack.

All three victims were Black.

Police respond to the scene of a mass shooting at a Dollar General store. (AP)

Waters said the shooter, who was in his 20s, used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

It's understood the assault rifle was covered in Nazi swastikas.

He left behind writing that led investigators to believe that he committed the shooting because it was the fifth anniversary of when another gunman opened fire during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, killing two people before fatally shooting himself.

Residents gather for a prayer near the scene of a mass shooting. (AP)

The shooting happened blocks away from Edward Waters University, a historically Black school where students living on campus were told to stay in their residence halls.

The suspected shooter was barricaded in the store after opening fire and leaving "multiple fatalities," Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said.

State Sen. Tracie Davis told CNN the suspect is now dead.

Authorities report to the scene of a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida (CNN)

The circumstances surrounding the shooter's death are unclear. It was not immediately clear if victims were shot inside or outside the store.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer told CNN the department was "on standby" to treat victims but could not share any information about how many people were hurt.

Jacksonville is located in northeast Florida, about 56 kilometres south of the Georgia border.

There are "multiple fatalities" from a shooting in Jacksonville. (WJXT)

Edward Waters University, a historically Black private Christian school that is located less than a mile southeast of the store, issued campus-wide stay-in-place order. The warning said students, faculty and staff don't appear to be involved, according to preliminary reports.

"Our campus police have secured all campus facilities. Students are being kept in their residence halls through the afternoon until the scene is cleared," the alert said.

Davis, whose district includes Jacksonville, called the shooting a "tragic day" for the city in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"I'm offering prayers to the families of the victims and am on my way to meet with (Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters) for answers," Davis posted Saturday.

"This type of violence is unacceptable in our communities," Davis added.

It was not immediately clear if victims were shot inside the store or at a different location. (WJXT)

There have been at least 470 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting in which four or more people are injured and or killed, not including the shooter.

The nation surpassed the 400 mark in July, - the earliest month such a high number has been recorded since 2013, the group said.

The gun violence in Jacksonville marked one of several reported shooting incidents in the US over two days, including in Massachusetts and Oklahoma.

Shots rang out across several cities, bringing a startling halt to normal summertime activities like high school football games and weekend shopping.

In Boston, at least seven people were injured Saturday morning in a shooting that interrupted a popular parade, police said.

A high school football game in Choctaw, Oklahoma, took a deadly turn Friday night after a possible argument led to three people being shot, authorities say.

One of them - a 16-year-old boy - died. And Four people, including a 17-year-old, were killed at an apartment in Joppatowne, Maryland, Saturday morning, officials said.

[1heartfanfics]

T.K. has never actually seen Carlos sick. He's seen him injured, panicking, grieving, hell even dead (briefly). But in all the years of their relationship Carlos has never been truly ill. Now T.K. on the other hand, has been sick like a million times throughout his relationship. He's always had a useless immune system, but ever since the hypothermia incident it's been even worse, just like they warned him it would be.

But he knows Carlos. So T.K. knows after one look at Carlos, that he's sick.

He'd heard the door open behind him while he was heating up a cup of tea. "Hey babe, I'm just making some tea, you want some?" he'd called over his shoulder.

When Carlos didn't answer he set the tea down and turned around. Carlos was standing just inside the front door. But he was pale, contrasted by the dark circles under his eyes, and had a sheen of sweat on his forehead matting his curls down.

T.K. quickly moved around the counter and to his boyfriend's side. Carlos seemed frozen in place, keys still in hand and his work bag still slung over his shoulder. T.K. gently took both from him, setting them on the floor.

"Carlos? Hey, you with me baby?" T.K. asked, placing a hand on Carlos's waist.

"Hmm?" Carlos responded.

"Let's get you sitting down okay?" T.K. wrapped one arm around Carlos's back, grabbing his elbow with his other hand to lead him over to the couch. He pulled down on Carlos's hip gently until he was sitting, then moved to sit on the coffee table in front of him.

"Hey," he said, leaning forward to place both hands on Carlos's legs.

"Hey," Carlos repeated quietly, his eyes seeming to focus on T.K. for the first time.

"How long have you not been feeling good?" T.K. asked.

Carlos sighed, then shrugged, "Since lunch maybe? Kept getting worse."

T.K. sighed too. Carlos had worked all day like this instead of calling out sick or even calling him.

"Can you tell me what's bothering you?" T.K. asked, going into paramedic mode without even thinking about it.

"Head, stomach," Carlos shrugged.

"Are you nauseous?" T.K. asked, knowing that could be the most immediate problem.

Carlos shrugged again, "Kinda. Threw up at the station before I left."

T.K. sighed. Why hadn't Carlos called him? He never should have driven home in this state. Now wasn't the time though, he needed to get his boyfriend taken care of before he started belaboring him.

Carlos shivered, folding his arms across his chest and curling in on himself slightly.

"Are you cold?" T.K. asked, reaching forward to feel Carlos's forehead for a fever he already knew was there.

"Mmhmm," Carlos hummed, leaning into T.K.'s hand as his eyes slipped shut.

T.K. moved his hand down to Carlos's cheek, which radiated warmth, letting it rest there for a moment before dropping.

"I'm gonna go get you some medicine and stuff okay? I'll be right back," T.K. said, giving Carlos's knee a squeeze as he got up.

He returned a couple minutes later with a glass of water, two ibuprofen, and a change of clothes.

"Here, take these," he said, holding out the water in one hand and the pills in the other. Carlos held out his hand for T.K. to drop the pills into, then slowly took the water with a shaky hand. He wordlessly popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them with the worlds smallest sip of water.

"Think you could take a few more sips of that?" T.K. asked as Carlos tried to hand the glass back to him. Carlos was far too pale and too out of it for T.K.'s liking. His paramedic brain knew that Carlos was dehydrated.

Carlos didn't answer, but took two more careful, small, sips of water. It would have to do. T.K. accepted the glass from him and set it on the coffee table beside him.

"Alright, now let's get you out of this uniform, yeah?" T.K. said, showing Carlos the pair of sweatpants and t-shirt he'd grabbed.

Carlos just stared at him blankly.

“You want me to help you?” T.K. asked hesitantly. Normally Carlos was so stoic, preferring to keep things to himself and do everything himself, so it felt weird to see him so helpless. But Carlos nodded, to T.K.’s surprise.

“Okay,” T.K. reached forward to unbutton Carlos’s uniform top, then pulled it down his arms and tossed it on the floor. He helped him into a worn AFD t-shirt, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.

T.K. stood up, holding his hands out to Carlos, who took them and let himself be helped to his feet. Carlos stayed quiet while T.K. pulled his uniform pants down off his legs.

"Lift a foot up babe," T.K. instructed. Carlos did as he was told, lifting up one foot, then the other, so T.K. could remove his work pants and slide the sweats on instead. T.K. pulled the sweats up Carlos's legs and settled them on his hips.

"Little more comfy?" he asked as they both sat back down.

Carlos just nodded.

T.K. sighed softly. Carlos got like this sometimes, when he was sad or worried about something he'd kind of shut down or freeze up. Apparently it happened when he was sick too.

"Do you want to lay down baby? We could put on a movie, or we could go to bed if you'd rather just sleep," T.K. suggested, now that Carlos was at least comfortable and medicated.

"We can watch a movie," Carlos answered, shrugging.

"Okay. Any requests?" T.K. asked, reaching for the remote.

Carlos shrugged again, but it didn't matter. T.K. knew what Carlos's comfort movie was; Moana. So he put that on, then moved to sit next to Carlos on the couch.

"Come here sweetheart," T.K. said, holding his arms out. Carlos wordlessly shifted himself to lay down in his boyfriend's lap. "There we go," T.K. said quietly, reaching behind him to grab his throw blanket and drape it over Carlos. He rested one arm over Carlos's waist, his other hand moving to run through Carlos's hair.

They watched the movie quietly for a while before Carlos shifted to look up at T.K.

"You okay?" T.K. asked, glancing down at him with worry.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Carlos said, tears welling in his eyes.

"Oh, baby, of course. I love you. I'll always take care of you," T.K. said, cupping Carlos's cheek in his hand, using his thumb to wipe away the stray tears that fell.

Carlos nodded, "I love you too."

"You know you could've texted or called me earlier? If you're not feeling good all you have to do is let me know and I'll come get you or whatever you need," T.K. continued.

"I know, I'm sorry," Carlos responded, averting his eyes.

"Hey," T.K. gently turned Carlos's face back toward him until Carlos met his eyes again, "It's okay. I know you're used to taking care of yourself. I just want you to know that you don't have to anymore okay?"

"Okay," Carlos said shakily, bringing a hand up to swipe at his watering eyes. T.K. had always been able to see right through him. And Carlos knew that T.K. was right, he wasn't alone anymore. A couple years ago if he'd been sick like this he would've just powered through. But now? Now he had someone to take care of him, who was happy to do so. Carlos had never felt so loved.

[chicgeekgirl89]

Summary: Summer is for fun, but sometimes it doesn't always go as planned. Five times the summer handed Tarlos some minor inconveniences and one time it all worked out.

A/N: Did I change the title on this between Sunday and now? Shut up, it's fine. 😅

Read on AO3

Jellyfish

T.K.’s body is fever hot, the sun beating brightly down from overhead, still intense even though the hour is waning toward four o’clock. The sand underneath his towel provides a soft cushion for where he’s lying next to Carlos on the beach, both of them relaxing after a long walk down the shoreline.

Sweat slides down the side of his neck; he’s going to need a dip in the ocean soon to cool off. They’ve been here since early this morning, reading on the beach, playing in the surf, and writing their names in the sand with their fingers like two lovesick teenagers instead of a married couple on an anniversary trip to Galveston. It’s been a perfect day. The most perfect day.

T.K. turns his head to the side, taking in the sight of Carlos lying next to him. He’s shirtless, his chest glistening in the sunlight, a combination of the sunscreen he’s been making them reapply every hour like clockwork, and sweat from the heat rolling over his skin. His blue swim trunks stand out against the gold of the sand, matching with the blue and white stripes on his towel. 

He’s got one arm thrown back, blocking the sun from his eyes, his ring shining in the light, the other hand resting beside him, a little bit of sand clinging to the tips of his fingers. His curls stopped being tame the second the ocean breeze hit them and they’re so soft and fluffy they look like a cloud. He looks like the epitome of a bronzed god.

It’s moments like this, little quiet, nothing moments when T.K. feels the immense gratitude of having a partner who is fun, dependable, and hot as fuck. He knows he’s beyond lucky, to have someone like Carlos in his life. It makes him so damn happy it hurts sometimes.

He looks down and takes Carlos’ hand, linking their fingers together. Carlos turns his head to the side and smiles at him, leaning over to kiss his shoulder. His lips are still cold from the lime flavored sparkling waters they’ve been drinking out of the cooler and they feel amazing against T.K.’s warm skin.

T.K. misses them the instant Carlos goes back to lying flat out on his towel and he doesn’t even think before he’s rolling over so that he’s on top of his husband, his weight pressing him further down into the sand. “You’re hot,” Carlos says, an amused smile on the lips T.K. wants back on him as quickly as possible.

“So are you.” T.K. smirks down at him with that cocky, sexy smile that usually initiates very fun things for them both.

“No I mean you’re physically hot. You’re sweating all over me, get off,” Carlos says, giving him a little push, but T.K. holds firm.

He leans down, capturing those cold lips with his own, his tongue tasting a heady combination of saltwater, lime, and coconut lip balm. His husband tastes like a fucking tropical vacation and T.K. doesn’t waste time diving in deeper for a stronger hit. 

Carlos makes a small noise in the back of his throat and lifts his head up, meeting T.K. with an open mouth, his tongue soft, the kiss slow, but still simmering, both of them barely holding back, vaguely aware of watching eyes all around them. 

T.K. lets his weight drop a little more, pressing their hips together, relishing the way their bare chests and stomachs slide against each other. He braces his hands on either side of Carlos’ chest, digging them deeply into the sand and staring into his eyes. “I want you so bad right now,” he says.

He can feel all of Carlos through his bathing suit. The fabric is so damn thin, being at the beach is practically like being in your underwear in public. The thought of it turns him on even more and he has to resist the urge to grind down in a way he knows drives Carlos crazy.

“There are families on this beach, T.K.,” Carlos says, but his hands come up to rest on T.K.’s hips, and there’s a glint in his eyes that tells T.K. he’s equally turned on right now.

T.K. takes a look around. The area has emptied out considerably in the last hour, lots of people heading home for the night. But Carlos isn’t wrong, there are still plenty of kids and adults nearby, building sandcastles and picking up seashells. They’re not alone enough for what T.K. wants to do right now. 

He lets his head fall. “Ugh,” he groans. “Why do you have to be so fucking hot all the time? It’s not fair.”

He lets out a squeak as Carlos moves suddenly, rolling them over so T.K. is back on his own towel and now Carlos is the one on top. “It’s not my fault you find me irresistible,” he says with a smirk. “Or that you have to keep it in your banana hammock while we’re in public.”

“My banana hammock!” T.K. laughs. He’s wearing the same style of trunks as Carlos and although his are considerably louder, covered in smiling pineapples and coconuts, they are definitely not revealing.

“You’re a menace in those things,” Carlos says, poking him in the ribs right in the spot he knows T.K. is ticklish and making him squirm. “You think I’m hot, you should see how this whole beach has been looking at your ass all day.”

“Nobody is looking at my ass Carlos,” T.K. says with a roll of his eyes. He wiggles a little bit, trying to get comfortable. Carlos is right, it’s slightly smothering to be the one on the bottom in this heat. 

“They definitely are,” Carlos says, lowering his head so his mouth is right to T.K.’s ear. “But that’s too bad because this ass is all mine.”

He pushes himself up and grabs T.K.’s hand, hauling him to his feet and then pulling him toward the water. T.K. stumbles over the uneven sand, both of them laughing as they go crashing toward the surf. They hold hands, pushing past the breakers until they get into deeper water, letting the waves bob them up and down.

“There,” Carlos says as one lifts them up, their feet brushing against the sandy bottom before they land again. “Now this ass is all mine.”

He pulls T.K. in, their lips bumping together a little awkwardly as the under toe pulls at them, but quickly finding their usual rhythm. With their bodies now more hidden from the general public, T.K. wastes no time in jumping up to wrap his legs around Carlos’ waist, his wet hands slipping and sliding over Carlos’ back.

Carlos holds him up, hands gripping firmly under his thighs. Sometimes T.K. forgets how large his hands are, and holy fuck this has to be in the top five hottest things they’ve ever done. Their kisses are not chaste at all anymore, sloppy and a little frantic as the sea buoys them up and down. 

He’s just trying to decide if anyone would really notice if he put his hand down Carlos’ bathing suit out here when Carlos rips his mouth away, a sharp gasp forcing its way out, his hands releasing T.K.’s legs. 

T.K. grips on a little tighter and blinks at him in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“Something stung me,” Carlos says. “Ouch!” he yelps, his body jerking to the side.

T.K. lets go, his feet dropping back to the ocean’s sandy bottom. “Where did it get you?” he asks, concern erasing every drop of lust from his system.

“My leg,” Carlos says, pain slipping into the lines of his face, hand reaching out to grip T.K.’s shoulder for support. “Shit. Ow.”

“Okay, let’s get back up to the towels and I’ll take a look,” T.K. says.

Getting out of the water is way less fun than getting in was. Carlos grimaces in pain with every step and they have to fight against the pull of the waves chasing the tide back outward from the shore.

Once they’re ankle deep in the water, Carlos leans over to try and see the source of his pain. T.K. looks too and winces. Crisscrossing red marks slash their way up his calf like he’s been struck with a whip. 

“Shit,” Carlos breathes out, and then a quick, “Sorry,” when he spots a mom and her kids nearby.

“Looks like a jellyfish sting,” T.K. says. 

“It freaking hurts,” Carlos says, his muscles tight with pain.

They maneuver their way up to the dry sand and Carlos collapses on his towel, a scowl on his face as T.K. drops to his knees and takes hold of his leg, turning it this way and that for a closer look. “It didn’t get you?” Carlos asks.

“No,” T.K. says. “I think because my legs were up.”

“You’re welcome,” Carlos says, a slightly grouchy tease.

T.K. chews his lip as he thinks through his options. “I’ll be right back.”

He jogs back down to the mom and her kids. “Hey, can I borrow this for a second?” he asks, picking up a yellow bucket.

The mom nods her consent and he fills it up with seawater before running it back up to their towels. He gently pours it over the angry welts on Carlos’ leg and Carlos hisses out a sharp breath. “Ouch.”

“Sorry,” T.K. says sympathetically, sitting back on his heels when the bucket has been emptied. “That’s a start.” He reaches into one of their bags for the first aid kit he brought with them and pulls out two Advil. “Here take these.”

He watches Carlos swallow them down, hoping they help with the pain and the swelling. “Do you want to pack up and head back to the hotel?” he asks.

“Um…”

Carlos looks uncertain, which T.K. knows means he’s weighing his own happiness against T.K.’s. So T.K. decides for him. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late anyway. It’s not going to be much fun sitting here with your leg on fire.”

“Are you sure?” T.K. reaches up and squishes his cheeks. “Yes. Shut up. Let’s go.” He pecks his forehead with a kiss before standing and packing up their things.

Carlos tries to help but T.K. shoos him off, shouldering all their bags on his back until he looks like a pack animal. He manages to get to the car without dropping anything, and then gets it all in the trunk while Carlos slides into the passenger seat, wincing in pain the entire time.

T.K. drives them back to their hotel and when they get to the room T.K. sends his husband into a hot shower while he orders up some room service. When Carlos emerges he’s wrapped in a fluffy hotel bathrobe, his hair still damp and curly, his body scrubbed clean of sand and seawater.

“How are you feeling?” T.K. asks.

“Better,” Carlos says. “Still stings a little, but not as bad as before.”

“You okay if I get in there for a minute?” T.K. nods toward the bathroom.

“It’s a jellyfish sting, not a shark bite,” Carlos says in amusement. “I think I can make it fifteen minutes without you.”

“Are you sure? Because if you need me, I can just stay this sweaty, greasy, salty mess,” T.K. leans toward him and Carlos shoves him away. “Get out of here!” he says with a laugh. “You’re gross.”

“But you still love me,” T.K. says with a grin, backing away and wiggling his hips as he starts to push his bathing suit downward, pale skin, untouched by the sun, being revealed inch by inch.

Carlos whips a pillow at him. “Get out of here!”

“Love you!” T.K. yells as he closes the bathroom door.

“Love you too!”

Handprint

T.K. is splayed out chaotically in their bed when Carlos checks on him before heading off to work. His husband had come home exhausted last night after working a grueling double shift. T.K. had barely even said hello, stripping off his clothes as he walked into the bedroom and then face planting directly into their mattress.

By the time Carlos had come in he’d been snoring away, socks still on, his head halfway down the bed instead of up on the pillow. Carlos had gently coaxed him into place before snuggling in beside him and T.K. hadn’t woken up once.

He has moderately more success this morning. He kisses T.K.’s ear, then his cheek, pleased when T.K. sucks in a waking breath and curls up a little bit. “I’m heading out,” Carlos says softly. “Are you guys still going to the pool today?”

The entire 126 has the day off and the plan is to spend it poolside. Tommy is bringing the twins and Grace is coming with Charlie. Carlos is bummed that he has to work instead of participating in the fun.

“Mhm,” T.K. says, his reply muffled by his pillow.

Carlos cards his fingers softly through T.K.’s hair. “Maybe you should skip. You’re exhausted. There’s a new season of Grand Designs out. You could stay home and relax.”

“No, I wanna go,” T.K. says, his eyes still closed. “It’s fine. We’ll just be hanging by the pool. I’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” Carlos runs his thumb over the shell of T.K.’s ear. “I left a towel and sunscreen out for you. Make sure you put it on every hour, okay? And take a hat.”

T.K.’s fair skin is prone to sunburn and Carlos is always extra cautious with him when they’re outside.

T.K. cracks an eyelid. “Okay Mom.”

Carlos chuckles softly. “Sorry. Have a good time. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Love you, be safe,” T.K. mumbles, already snuggling back into bed.

“Love you too.” 

Carlos makes a mental note to check-in with Nancy in a few hours to see if T.K. actually makes it to the pool outing or not. He wouldn’t put it past him to sleep through his alarm and miss it entirely.

When he and Lexie stop for coffee mid-morning he fires off said text and receives an affirmative from Nancy: T.K. has made it to the pool. So Carlos texts him directly.

Carlos

[11:42am] How’s the water?

T.K. ❤️

[11:45am] *Selfie of T.K. in floral swim trunks with Marjan, Nancy, and Mateo*

[11:45am] Water’s great. Wish you were here!

Carlos smiles, but feels a little twinge of concern at the dark circles under T.K.’s eyes. He still looks tired. Hopefully the group is taking it easy and T.K. will come home feeling refreshed.

Carlos

[11:46am] Glad you’re having fun. Don’t forget to sunscreen.

T.K. ❤️

[11:48am] *picture of T.K. holding sunscreen in one hand and giving the finger with the other*

Carlos

[11:49am] Good job.

Carlos finishes his shift without any major issues and heads home on time for a change. He stops at the market for some bread to go with dinner and spies some beautiful sunflowers, so he grabs those too. Something to brighten up T.K.’s evening.

When he gets home he sees T.K.’s bag by the door, his flip flops lying next to it haphazardly instead of in the shoe bin where they belong. This is slightly odd because T.K. is usually pretty good about putting his shoes away.

T.K. is also nowhere in sight, so he must be in the bedroom or bathroom. Carlos heads for the kitchen to drop his groceries, calling out for him as he goes. “I’m home babe! How was the pool?”

There’s a long silence and then a very faint, “It was good,” from the direction of the master bath.

Carlos frowns as he pulls the bread and flowers from his canvas tote. T.K. sounds off. “You okay?” he calls back.

Another silence. “…yeah…”

Something is off. Carlos picks up the flowers and heads toward their bedroom. “You sure?” he asks as he approaches the closed bathroom door. “You sound weird.”

“Don’t come in here!”

Now T.K. sounds panicked and Carlos feels an immediate need to bust the bathroom door down. “What? Why not? T.K.? What’s going on?”

“I…”

When no answer comes Carlos squares his shoulders and grabs the door handle. “I’m coming in.”

He pushes just as T.K. says, “No wait!” but it’s too late, Carlos is inside the bathroom, his mouth falling open in shock at the sight of his husband.

T.K. is sitting on the closed toilet seat, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, a bottle of aloe vera frozen in one hand. His face is so pink it’s practically glowing. And that’s not the only thing that’s pink. 

Carlos’ eyes travel with horror down his torso, past the towel, over his legs all the way to the tops of his feet. T.K. is sunburnt from head to toe save for one stark, white handprint across his stomach.

“Please don’t yell at me,” T.K. says, misery all over his face.

It takes another second for Carlos to find his voice. “I’m not going to yell,” he says, far too shocked to be angry. If anything he’s deeply concerned. T.K. must be in a lot of pain. “Babe, what happened?”

“I put on sunscreen when I got there but then I…I fell asleep,” he says, his voice full of sadness. “For like, a couple hours I guess? I was just so tired and when I woke up…”

He gives a sad little shrug. “Oh baby,” Carlos says sympathetically, taking a step forward and dropping to his knees in front of him. “The hand print?”

“My hand was on my stomach.” T.K. looks down and his face crumples. “It’s going to be like that all summer, isn’t it?”

Carlos nods, pushing down the bubble of laughter inside of him. Now is not the time.

“I was trying to put aloe on but it just, it hurts,” T.K. says with a pathetic little sniffle. 

“Do you want me to help you?” Carlos asks and T.K. nods. 

Carlos gently pulls the bottle from his fingers and globs out a sizable amount into his palm. Starting at the top he runs his hands gently over T.K.’s face; his forehead, the bridge of his nose, across his cheekbones, letting the aloe sit on top of the raw skin instead of rubbing it all the way in. Even T.K.’s ears have a rosy hue and Carlos takes the time to cover them as well before moving onto his chest.

From his shoulders to the tips of his fingers, over his pecs and down his abs, Carlos moves slowly and deliberately, careful not to miss a single patch of tender skin.

Despite his gentleness, T.K. keeps flinching and making smalls noises of pain, so Carlos talks to distract him. “How was the day otherwise?” he asks. “Did you guys have fun?”

“Yeah it was good,” T.K. says, his voice rough. “Charlie had a blast. She had this little toy duck that she would toss in the pool and Izzy and Evie would go get it for her. It was super cute. She’s getting so big, even since the last time we saw her.”

“Yeah it’s been a couple months hasn’t it?” Carlos says, smoothing his hands over the top of T.K.’s thighs. “Crazy how fast they grow at that age. We’ll have to offer to babysit soon so I can see her again.”

“Maybe in a couple weeks after they get back from vacation,” T.K. says.

“Sounds good. I’ll send Grace a text.”

When he finishes, he stands up and washes the goopy aloe off his hands in the sink then goes back to kneeling in front of T.K. “Be honest with me, is this a hospital situation?”

“No, I don’t think so,” T.K. says. “Tommy made me drink a ton of water and sit in the shade after we realized. There’s no blistering, I think it’s just a really bad sunburn, not sun poisoning. I don’t have a headache or feel nauseated or anything.”

Carlos is going to send the literal and metaphorical mom of the group a bouquet of flowers for taking care of his absent minded husband. “Okay, what else can we do then? Some ibuprofen maybe?”

“Tommy made me take some.”

“When?”

“Um, like three hours ago?” 

Carlos looks at his watch and makes a note of the time. “We’ll do more in an hour then. Did you take a cold shower or bath when you got home?”

T.K. nods. “I took a bath for a while.”

“Good. Then how about we get you up and into something better than a towel?”

Carlos helps him into a very loose pair of shorts, T.K. wincing every time the material even so much as brushes against his skin, and then settles him on the couch. “I got bread to go with the soup my mom brought us for dinner,” Carlos says. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, can I help?” T.K. asks, looking like he’s going to try and push himself upward. 

Carlos waves him off. “No. You stay right here. It’s literally going to take fifteen minutes to heat up. I think I can handle it.”

He heads into the kitchen and spies the flowers. “Oh I forgot,” he says, returning to the living room so T.K. doesn’t have to try and crane his head around to see. “I got you these.”

T.K.’s face brightens immediately. “You got me flowers?”

“I did.”

“You’re my favorite husband.”

“I’d better be your only husband,” Carlos warns teasingly, setting the flowers on the coffee table so T.K. can see them before returning to the kitchen.

They make it through dinner without too much fuss, but bedtime comes with new challenges. T.K. can only lay flat on his back without any sheets or blankets touching him, even after Carlos doses him with more ibuprofen. 

“I feel like I’m going to glow in the dark,” he says sadly as he lays perfectly still, arms and legs spread out awkwardly while Carlos changes for bed.

Carlos chuckles. “My little neon sign. You do light up my life, so that seems appropriate.”

“Haha,” T.K. says without any mirth.

Carlos sits down next to him. “What can I do? What do you need?”

T.K. flops his head to the side. “I want you to hold me. But you can’t touch me,” he says miserably.

“What if I just play with your hair, like this?” Carlos says, reaching up and toying with a few strands.

“That feels nice,” T.K. says, his eyes closing.

“Good,” Carlos says, pleased that he can provide a little relief to ease T.K.’s discomfort. “You know you’re still very cute. Even when you’re glowing like a stoplight.”

T.K. makes a face. “Will you still love me when my skin is peeling off like Lou II’s when he molts?”

Carlos huffs a laugh. “I’ll try.”

Amusement

The boiling heat of day has slipped into the balm of early evening in Austin, Texas. It’s cooler than usual, only seventy-five degrees tonight, a welcome relief from Austin’s blazing summer. 

Tonight the sunset isn’t the only thing lighting up the night sky. The Catan crew is out instead of in for a change, visiting the carnival that’s come to town. As the sun has dropped below the horizon, the rides and games have lit up in a dazzling display of color, whirling and blinking rainbows punctuated with screams and laughs and cheers from guests of all ages.

Carlos’ hand is intertwined with T.K.’s and his husband is swinging it back and forth as they wander between the carnival games. T.K. is chattering away to Marjan about Lou II’s latest outfit; a pair of lizard size swim trunks. Carlos had caught him turning their bathtub into a mini water park and just slowly walked out and closed the door behind him. He loves his husband, but some things are better left unseen if he wants their marriage to survive.

Nancy and Mateo are walking ahead of them, their hands also entwined, and Paul is to Carlos’ right. It’s been the best kind of day. Fun and friends and time together without any of the stresses of work to weigh them down.

T.K. is practically bouncing as he walks. So far Carlos has watched him down two corndogs, fries, cheese curds, half of Carlos’ burrito, and a pink cotton candy. He’s currently slurping on a blue raspberry slushee, his tongue now so electrically blue that Carlos isn’t sure it will ever be normal again. He’s hopped up on sugar and fun and Carlos is going to have to have extremely enthusiastic sex with him tonight to get him tired enough for bed.

He’s looking forward to it.

“Ooh babe! Do you have any ones?” T.K. asks eagerly. 

“I think so,” Carlos says, pulling out his wallet and handing T.K. about five dollars’ worth. “What do you need them for?”

“I’m gonna go win you one of those giant teddy bears!” T.K. says, already grabbing Marjan’s hand and dragging her toward a ski ball game.

“T.K. we don’t have anywhere to put that!” Carlos calls after him, but T.K. either doesn’t hear or doesn’t care.

“Ooh I wanna go help!” Mateo says, running after them and pulling Nancy with him.

Paul looks at Carlos. “These are the people the city of Austin trusts to save lives. Everyday.”

Carlos shakes his head. “Sometimes I don’t even know Paul.”

Thankfully T.K. does not win a giant teddy bear, having to settle for a small frog keychain instead, which makes them both happy. 

They go from the game to the petting zoo which takes forever because T.K. feels the need to speak to each animal individually and Marjan won’t let go of one of the bunnies that she declares “needs to come home with her” until Paul points out that rabbits chew everything.

“Carlos, just think about it,” T.K. says as they finally walk away. “A baby goat would be so fun to have. And then it would grow up and become an adult goat and we could get goats milk and make goat cheese! You love goat cheese!

“I do love goat cheese,” Carlos says with a chuckle. “I do not love the idea of a goat living in our loft. We already have one pet. That’s enough.”

“If you had fresh goat cheese for our game nights that would be on another level,” Nancy says.

“Well then why don’t you get a goat and keep it at Owen’s house?” Carlos suggests.

“Oh, I don’t think Cap would like that,” Mateo says. “Can you imagine if it got hold of one of his Gucci loafers? That thing would be goat kabobs in a heartbeat.”

“Mmm, goat kabobs. Now we’re talking,” Paul says, licking his lips.

“All right, who’s going with me on the Twister?” Marjan says as they walk past a swirling mass of lights and machinery.

“Yes!” T.K. says immediately. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Y’all are crazy,” Paul says. “That thing looks like whiplash waiting to happen.”

“Okay grandpa,” Mateo says with a roll of his eyes. “I’m in. Carlos?”

Carlos absolutely does not want to go on the Twister. It swings over their heads, screams filling the air above them and he suppresses a shudder. He’s not a fan of this kind of ride at all. “Come on babe!” T.K. tugs at his hand, glee shining in his eyes and Carlos gives in. 

“Okay, yes, let’s go,” he says and T.K. squeezes his hand excitedly.

“Yes! Nance, you coming?” Mateo asks.

“I think I’m going to sit this one out. I get motion sickness when I spin like that,” Nancy says, her face showing her distaste at the thought.

“Can I interest you in a more sedate ride on the carousel?” Paul asks, holding out an arm.

“Why yes, dahling, that would be delightful,” Nancy replies with a mock southern accent, looping her elbow through his as they wander off in search of a more relaxed ride experience.

They join the line, which is made up primarily of teenagers who are either horsing around or making out. “There’s a ride like this out on Coney Island,” T.K. says. “My dad took me out there one time when I was like eight. We rode it six times in a row.”

“I used to come to this carnival when I was a kid. I think I puked every single year,” Mateo says, a fond look in his eye.

“If anybody pukes on me during this ride…” Marjan says warningly.

“Relax Marj, nobody’s puking on you tonight,” Mateo tells her with a roll of his eyes. 

As they approach the front of the line, Carlos notices that his husband has gone quiet. He looks at T.K.’s face, realizing that he looks a little peaked and there seems to be a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. “You okay?” he asks quietly.

“Yeah,” T.K. says brightly. “Just hot out here.”

It’s not that hot, but Carlos chalks his odd expression up to too much excitement and sugar. 

They board the ride and strap on their seatbelts, their legs cramped up awkwardly because the seat is so low. Carlos and T.K. are smushed together on one side with Mateo and Marjan opposite them. 

Carlos grips onto the safety bar as soon as the attendant lowers it. “This is going to be fun!” T.K. says gleefully, the lights flashing over his face that definitely looks paler than it did before.

The music starts up, something by Aerosmith, and then the next thing Carlos knows they’re moving, whirling around, his legs mashing into T.K.’s even more than they already were, their car whipping around and around so fast that everything besides Mateo and Marjan’s faces becomes a blur.

Carlos can’t help himself, he screams right along with everyone else. It is kind of fun, other than the constant smashing into T.K. and the cramp in his thighs. He hasn’t been on a ride like this in years and it’s a little more painful than he remembers, but also pretty fun.

When it finally slows to a stop Mateo lets out a whoop of glee. “Let’s go again!”

“Hell yeah!” Marjan agrees.

Carlos turns, expecting T.K. to give an equally affirmative response, but instead he’s met with a T.K. whose lips are pressed tightly together. And where he was pale before, now he looks slightly green.

“T.K.?” Carlos asks in concern, but T.K. just gives a sharp shake of his head in response.

The second the safety bar goes up, T.K. is gone, running to the exit as Carlos struggles to free himself so he can jog after him. By the time he reaches his husband, T.K. is retching over a smelly garbage can. Carlos puts a hand on his back and tries not to look too closely at what is coming out of his mouth.

“Easy, easy,” he says, rubbing a comforting hand between his shoulder blades when T.K. starts a second round of puking.

It’s several minutes before T.K. lifts his head and takes a step away from the garbage can. He swallows hard, his face still a sickly shade of green. 

“Here,” Marjan says, offering him a bottle of water she’d run to get when she realized what was happening.

He takes a sip and swishes it around in his mouth, spitting it into the garbage can instead of swallowing. “Let’s sit down,” Carlos suggests gently, guiding T.K. toward a picnic table that’s only moderately covered melted ice cream and powdered sugar from funnel cakes.

T.K. sinks onto the bench, his head in his hands. “I don’t think I should have had that slushee,” he says in a muffled voice.

“Yeah, I’m not sure it was the slushee that put it over the top love,” Carlos says sympathetically, rubbing his back again.

“Good job bro,” Mateo says seriously. “You barfed chunks in the garbage instead of on people or the ground. Impressive.”

“Ew, can you not say ‘barfed chunks’ ever again?” Marjan asks in disgust.

“Whoa what happened?” Paul asks as he and Nancy rejoin the group.

“T.K. got sick,” Mateo shoots a look at Marjan to emphasize his less disgusting language, “on the Twister.”

“Can’t hold your carnival food anymore huh partner?” Nancy asks.

T.K. glares up at her. “You suck.”

“And yet, I am the one who made the mature, adult decision to ride the carousel and avoid this situation,” Nancy tells him in a superior tone. “And also not wolf down snacks like I’m still fifteen years old.”

T.K. opens his mouth, but then looks panicked and immediately closes it again. “Okay, on that note, I think it’s time for us to head home,” Carlos says.

T.K.’s head whips up and he swallows hard. “But we didn’t go on the ferris wheel yet!”

“You really want to risk barfing your guts out three hundred feet in the air?” Paul asks skeptically.

T.K.’s shoulders slump in defeat. “Yeah, I guess that’s a bad idea.”

“Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” Carlos says, pressing a kiss to his temple and then helping him to his feet.

T.K. makes it through the ride home by leaning his seat back as far as Carlos will allow (safety first) and closing his eyes with the air conditioning blasting on his face. By the time they arrive at the loft he looks more like himself, although he still curls up into a little ball on the couch while Carlos finds the Pepto Bismol and makes him some ginger tea. 

“I’m never drinking blue raspberry slushees again,” T.K. says. “I want to forget this ever happened.”

“Your tongue is going to be blue for days,” Carlos says. “I think you’re going to be reminded every time you brush your teeth.”

T.K. groans and buries his face into a throw pillow. “I’m sorry I made you leave.”

“You didn’t make me leave,” Carlos says, patting his calf gently. “You were sick. Of course we were going to go home.”

T.K. says something that Carlos can’t make out. “What?”

He raises his head. “I said I was stupid.”

“You were having fun. Sometimes we don’t think through our decisions when we’re having fun.”

T.K. shifts a little. “Thanks for being nice to me while I’m sick.”

“Thank you for not puking in the car on the way home.”

Mini

“Tío, Tío, Tío watch me! Watch! Are you watching?”

“I’m watching Marco, I’m watching,” Carlos assures him.

Marco takes his kid-sized golf club and plants it into the pathway before putting his other hand on his back and scrunching up his forehead. “Look! See? I’m an old man!”

Carlos chuckles. “I see.”

“Tío T.K.! Look! Do you see me?”

T.K. looks up from where he’s writing down their scores from the previous hole on their scorecard. “Wow! Where did Marco go? All I see is this little old man! Oh no, Carlos, his mom is going to be so mad we lost him!”

“No Tío, it’s me!” Marco giggles and straightens up. “See? I was just pretending!”

“Oh phew!” T.K. pretends to wipe sweat off his brow. “Thank goodness.”

“My turn!” Carolina yells, running across the green.

“Whoa, hang on, we have to let the other people finish first!” T.K. says, jogging after her so he can catch her hand and keep her from interrupting the teenagers in front of them.

The kids have been calling him Tío since the first time they met before the wedding, but something about it still gives him a thrill. There’s something so familial about the term; like he belongs to them. Like they want him to be part of the family.

They’d offered to watch the kids for the afternoon so Ana could spend some alone time with Andrea while they’re in town. So far they’ve had tacos for lunch, visited the playground, and made it through three holes of mini golf without too much drama. Carolina spilled her Sprite at lunch and made a bit of a sticky mess, and Carlos had to grab Marco’s hand to keep him from running across a parking lot to see a dog, but other than that, T.K. thinks they’re doing a pretty great job.

“I need my ball!” Carolina says as soon as the teenagers move on.

“Please can I have my ball?” Carlos corrects gently.

She looks up at T.K. with her big brown eyes, the same ones he sees in his husband’s face every single day, those same, pleading, cow eyes and says, “Please?”

And god, it’s probably good they’re not actually parents yet because she could literally ask T.K. for a pony right now and he’d go get her one.

He hands her the pink ball she picked out when they arrived. “Thank you!” she says brightly. She carefully uses her little fingers to set it down on the green and then brings her club back with a big swing.

“Whoa!” T.K. grabs the collar of Marco’s t-shirt and pulls him back a step so his sister doesn’t hit him in the eye. “Watch out for Tiger Woods there.” So far it seems like most of parenthood is trying to keep your kids from accidentally killing each other.

Carolina completely misses the ball, but it doesn’t deter her from trying again. And again. Finally on the third attempt she makes contact and sends her ball rolling toward an open mouthed whale. It only makes it a couple feet, but it’s enough to satisfy her turn.

Marco goes next, his orange ball managing to go a little further. “My turn!” Carolina says, running up the green toward her ball.

“Hey, what about me and Tío T.K.?” Carlos asks from where he’s just dropped his green ball down.

She glances back at them. “You can go later.”

Carlos takes a step toward her but T.K. shakes his head. “Let her go. It’s fine.”

“Don’t you think we should teach her to take turns?”

“I think that’s her parents’ job. We’re just the fun uncles who take them mini golfing and get ice cream after.”

“Ice cream?” Marco’s head whips around. “We’re getting ice cream?”

“Maybe,” Carlos says.

Marco looks at T.K. who nods and mouths, “Definitely.”

“Yes!” He pumps a fist in the air and then runs after his sister who has managed to get her ball through the whale’s mouth by whacking it repeatedly and then finally pushing it the rest of the way. “Carolina! We’re getting ice cream!”

“Probably should have saved the ice cream detail for later. I’m not sure we’re going to make it through all eighteen holes now,” Carlos says.

“Were we really going to make it through all eighteen in the first place?” T.K. asks with skepticism. 

Carlos looks at the kids who are struggling to get their balls into the cup. “Good point.”

They both take their turns while the kids are occupied with jumping off a big rock between this hole and the next one. Carlos manages to get his through the whale in one hit, while it takes T.K. two to get his onto the other side. 

T.K. watches as Carlos holds Carolina’s hand so she can walk along the raised edge of the green like a balance beam while also listening to Marco talk about Minecraft. There’s something about watching his husband talk to kids that makes his heart a little extra soft. They haven’t revisited the idea of having their own kids yet, and T.K. won’t pressure him, but he can tell in little moments like this that whatever his qualms are, Carlos would make a great dad. He’s so patient and kind and he listens with this kind of intensity that makes little kids feel important.

It’s really special to see.

They head for the next green. This one sits next to a waterfall that splashes merrily into a pool at the bottom and runs down a small river and under a narrow bridge that Marco immediately runs to and stands on. “Look at me!” he cries.

“Okay be careful,” Carlos says. “We don’t want anyone falling in and getting wet.”

“My turn!” Carolina yells, bringing her club back again for another big whack.

“No I want to go this time!” Marco says, jumping down and charging toward them.

“Maybe on the next one we can let Marco go first,” T.K. suggests.

She looks at him, her stare cold. “No. I go first.” Then she takes a big whack at her ball and sends it immediately into the water.

“Okay then,” T.K. says, going to fish it out. 

In the end Carolina simply picks up her ball and walks it across the bridge and into cup on the other side. Marco manages an astonishing swing that sends his ball flying to the far edge of the green and makes par for the first time.

“Wow, good job buddy,” Carlos says to him. “You got it right in there.”

“Yeah!!! I’m so good at golfing!” Marco crows, pumping a fist in the air.

“I’m good too!” Carolina says. “I’m good at golfing!”

“Lina look, I can hit my ball in so fast!”

T.K. sets his red ball down to take his turn. “Is this what it was like for you growing up?” he asks Carlos. “With your sisters?”

“Similar,” Carlos says. “Except there were two of them. And Marco at least has the upper hand being the oldest. Trust me when I say, I never got the first turn. And if you ask my sisters they will disagree and say I always got the first turn. That I was the spoiled baby.”

“Well, they’re not wrong. You’re a little spoiled,” T.K. teases.

Carlos opens his mouth to snark something back, but Carolina lets out a blood curdling scream, causing both of their heads to whip around in panic. “A bee!” she shrieks in terror. “A bee, a bee!”

Both T.K. and Carlos immediately go running toward the kids, but the have to go over the bridge to get there. Carlos takes it first and T.K. follows him over, sliding a little bit on the downslope, but catching his balance easily enough.

“It’s okay,” Carlos consoles her. “Did it sting you?”

She’s wailing loudly but shakes her head, just scared, not hurt thank goodness. Carlos wipes her tears away. 

“You know, bees are actually really scared of people,” T.K. says, squatting down in front of her. “It was probably just saying hello.”

She stares at him with angry, watery eyes. “Bees sting you.”

Maybe this isn’t the right moment for a lecture on pollinators. 

T.K. gets to his feet, crisis averted and Carlos starts to stand up as well, but neither of them have counted on Marco. 

“I see the bee!” he yells.

Carolina screams in fear and bolts away as he charges forward, his club swinging as he goes. It catches Carlos, who is slightly off balance halfway out of his crouch, across the chest.

It’s like watching something out of a cartoon. Carlos’ eyes go wide, his arms pinwheeling wildly as he attempts to catch his balance and fails. T.K. reaches out but he’s too late; Carlos’ momentum sends him flying backward and he lands with a loud splash in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

“Oh sorry!” Marco says, freezing in place and looking scared that he’s just done something really wrong.

“Carlos, are you okay?” T.K. calls anxiously.

“Yes,” Carlos says, his voice full of annoyance. “I’m fine.”

“Sir!” One of the golf course employees comes charging over in his electrically yellow t-shirt. “Sir, you are not allowed to be in the water features! Please get out!”

“I’m trying!” Carlos growls back, uncharacteristically, yet understandably, short tempered.

He pushes himself upright, water swirling around his calves and T.K. reaches down a hand to pull him back up onto the green. “You’re sure you’re okay?” T.K. asks. “Marco hit you pretty hard. And you fell on your back.”

“I’m fine,” Carlos says. “Just…very wet.”

He’s drenched. His clothes are dripping all over the green and he wipes a hand over his face to clear the water that’s running down from his curls.

“Tío, you said we couldn’t get wet,” Carolina says pointedly, crossing her arms in indignation that her tío has broken the rules.

“I’m really sorry,” Marco says.

“It’s okay Marco,” Carlos says. “It was an accident. But that’s why we have to be careful with golf clubs. If you’d hit your sister you could have really hurt her.”

“Can we…still get ice cream?” he asks tentatively.

“Um…”

T.K. steps in. “I think we probably need to take your tío home to get some dry clothes first. But then yes, I think we can still get some ice cream.”

They head home so Carlos can change and then back out for the promised ice cream.

Marco, Carolina, and T.K. had all gone for cotton candy with sprinkles, while Carlos went for a more sedate chocolate soft serve, of which T.K. had stolen several bites. 

They dropped the kids off with Ana and now they’re home. T.K. isn’t sure he’s ever been this tired in his entire life. He hadn’t realized how constantly being called for and answering a thousand questions in a row about everything from “what’s that?” to “is there ice cream in heaven?” could wear you down faster than back-to-back shifts.

“Wow, he really got you good,” T.K. says.

Carlos has taken off his shirt to ready for bed and there is a long bruise running across his chest where Marco struck him. He looks down at it and shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”

“How’s your back?” T.K. asks.

Carlos had claimed he was uninjured after his spill earlier, but T.K. had seen him wincing when he picked Carolina up to put her in the car.

His husband puts a hand on his back self consciously. “I think I landed on a golf ball. And maybe tweaked something a little.”

“Let me see.”

He turns around and T.K. steps closer so he can take a look, wincing when he sees a perfectly round, dark bruise just to the right of Carlos’ spine. “Yeah I think you did land on a golf ball. That’s going to hurt for a while.”

“I don’t know how my sister does it all day,” Carlos says, turning so he can try and see the bruise in the mirror.

“You’re so good with them,” T.K. says. “They adore you. But yeah, they’re freaking exhausting, right?”

“So exhausting!”

The both chuckle. “Come on,” T.K. says. “Lie down and I’ll rub your back. See if we can fix whatever you pulled.”

Carlos immediately flops facedown into their mattress. “You’re so easy for back rubs,” T.K. says with a laugh as he climbs on top and straddles Carlos’ ass.

“I like back rubs,” Carlos says as he turns his head to the side, mashing one cheek into the duvet so he can talk.

“Oh I know.” T.K. digs his fingers into the muscles of Carlos’ shoulders and immediately gets an appreciative groan.

“You know the kids really love you too,” Carlos says after a minute, his eyes closed. 

“Because I bribe them with ice cream,” T.K. snorts.

“No.” Carlos shifts a little bit. “Because everyone loves you. Because you’re the best. You’re going to be a really good dad.”

T.K. freezes. It has to be a slip of the tongue. They haven’t talked about kids at all. He forces his hands to work again. “Oh you want to get kinky, huh baby? I can call you daddy if you want me to,” he says, choosing to deflect the statement with humor.

Carlos rolls over, forcing him to stop. “No I mean like, for real. You’ll be a really good dad.”

T.K. narrows his eyes, very unsure of how to proceed. “The last time we talked about it, you said you didn’t want kids.”

“I remember.”

“So….I feel like we’re having a different conversation now.”

Carlos looks up at him, his face soft. “I don’t know. I guess we are?”

T.K.’s heart is beating a mile a minute. This is the most awkward position ever to be having this conversation in, but neither of them moves. “Okay. That’s…wow. Do you, should we talk about that?”

Carlos shifts a little. “Maybe not right now? But you know, soon. Maybe.”

Okay. Okay. T.K.’s mind is reeling but he tries to slow it down. “So what I’m hearing,” he says, sly grin spreading across his face. “Is that you might want to make a baby with me.”

It breaks the tension and Carlos rolls his eyes. “You are so weird, you know that?”

“C’mon Carlos. Let’s try it.” T.K. humps him a few times, thrusting enthusiastically with his sweat pant clad hips.

Carlos grabs him around the middle and rolls them over, claiming the top position. “Shut up,” he says firmly, dropping his head so he can kiss the stupid out of T.K.

“Wait, but is your back okay?” T.K. says, suddenly remembering how they got here in the first place.

Carlos gives a long, slow roll of his hips that has T.K. arching up to meet him. “Look at that, I think your hands fixed it,” he says with a smile.

“Good.” T.K. smirks. “Then try and put a baby in me Carlos Strand-Reyes.”

“…That is not the turn-on you think it is.”

Camp

The stars are shining brightly overhead, the moon lighting up the night with its near fullness. Fireflies flicker in the darkness, their glow magical as they sparkle between the trees.

T.K. honestly had thought he’d see a lot more of this kind of sight when he’d left the city lights of New York behind for Texas. The stars at night are big and bright after all. It was Carlos who’d pointed out to him that the next line of the song refers to the deep heart of Texas, not the deep heart of downtown Austin. Their loft doesn’t provide much opportunity for stargazing in the night sky what with all the light pollution. 

The air is still a little warm, but the bugs aren’t too bad tonight thankfully, and there’s a slight breeze that’s keeping things on the nice side of pleasant. The smell of their campfire fills the air and the sound of crickets and the rushing of the river on the other side of the trees make for peaceful background ambience above the snapping and popping of their campfire.

“Babe. Your marshmallow is on fire.”

T.K. lifts his stick and blows out the inferno that has engulfed his marshmallow. “That’s how I like ‘em,” he says, waggling his eyebrows in the firelight as he reaches for graham crackers and chocolate.

It tracks that T.K., with his zest for life and penchant for jumping into action doesn’t have the patience to let his marshmallows roast over the coals, while Carlos, with his desire for order and perfection takes the time to make sure his is a perfect golden brown before eating.

T.K. sandwiches his s’more together, struggling to be patient long enough for the marshmallow to cool so he doesn’t burn his entire mouth. He’s planning to put it to good use when they finally retire to their tent for the night and he’d rather not miss out on fun camping sex with his husband because he was in a hurry for treats.

“Oh shit.”

Carlos’ surprised exclamation pulls T.K. from staring at his s’more in the firelight just in time to see his husband’s gooey marshmallow plop off his stick and into the fire. “Aw man,” Carlos says sadly, watching it go up in flames.

T.K. finally takes a bite, chewing with his mouth open to try and release some of the heat. “See? You should have just set it on fire in the first place,” he says around a mouthful of chocolate and graham cracker.

“I’ll make another one,” Carlos says, reaching for the bag.

“Gee babe, I don’t think we have another four and a half hours for that,” T.K. says pretending to check his watch.

“Ha ha,” Carlos says drily, impaling a fresh marshmallow on his stick. 

“Come on. Try mine.” T.K. holds it out so the s’more is within Carlos’ reach. “You’ll see. The char really makes it taste campfire-y.”

Carlos leans forward and takes a bite, sticky marshmallow clinging to his chin as he chews. T.K. feels something flutter low in his belly. Why is this so sexy?

“So,” he says, clearing his throat, “what do you think?”

Carlos wipes his chin with the back of his hand. “Smoky,” he says. “I still think my way is better.”

“Well one of us has a s’more and the other one doesn’t. The evidence would suggest otherwise officer,” T.K. says, taking another bite. 

The poke and tease each other a little more, Carlos eventually managing to get his marshmallow toasted to his unrealistically high standards. When they decide to turn in for the night T.K. takes his job of putting out the campfire very seriously, putting his firefighter training to good use as he douses it repeatedly before joining Carlos in the tent.

It’s lit only by the glow of the battery operated lantern they’ve brought. Carlos has already stripped off his shirt and is kneeling on top of his sleeping bag as he searches for something in their duffle ag. “Babe do you know where my toothpaste went? I thought I put it in the side pocket, but it’s not there.”

T.K. plops onto his knees on top of his own sleeping bag. The tent is small, cozy, intimate in a rugged, slightly dirty kind of way. Carlos is still searching, so T.K. shuffles forward a little bit, crowding into his space.

Carlos looks up, an amused smile on his lips. “Hi?”

“Hi.” T.K. grins back, biting his lip coyly. 

“We’re in a tent,” Carlos says, his expression saying he knows full well where T.K. wants to take this.

“We are,” T.K. says, letting his eyes slide down Carlos’ tank top clad chest to the zipper of his jeans and back up. “Totally, completely, alone in a tent. No one around for miles.”

There’s another campsite on the other side of the trees, but T.K. thinks his version of events sounds far sexier. 

“I smell like campfire,” Carlos says, but his eyes drop to T.K.’s lips and he leans in a little bit.

“Come on baby. Let me live out my Brokeback Mountain fantasy,” T.K. says, letting the back of his hand trail down Carlos’ arm. “Two sexy, star crossed cowboys. Finally alone.”

Carlos’ mouth captures his, smoky and sweet and hot and T.K. devours him eagerly. He pauses between breaths to rip his tank top from his pants and pulling it off over his head so that they’re both shirtless.

Carlos hasn’t shaved in a couple of days and his stubble scrapes pleasantly across T.K.’s skin. “You’re so fucking hot,” T.K. murmurs, sliding into Carlos’ lap, desperate to be even closer to him.

“Mmm, take me for a ride cowboy,” Carlos responds.

The words shoot straight to T.K.’s dick and he pushes Carlos down on top of their sleeping bags a little harder than necessary. “Pants. Off,” he orders, already reaching for his own zipper.

It takes a lot of wiggling around and some awkward angles to get naked, but finally they’re devoid of their clothes. T.K. sits back on his heels and drinks in Carlos’ body. Sometimes he feels like it’s such a miracle that he’s married to this man.

“Are you going to sit there staring all night?” Carlos asks, throwing one arm up behind his head.

“Shut up cowboy,” T.K. says. “I’m in control of this rodeo right now.”

“Oh you are?”

“Yeah,” T.K. sends him a pointed look. “I am.”

He bends Carlos’ right knee up and kisses it, enjoying Carlos’ sharp intake of breath as he moves his lips slowly along his inner thigh, alternating between nips with his teeth and short brushes of his tongue. When he finally reaches the softness where Carlos’ hip joins his pelvis, Carlos’ entire body tenses and he bites out a very sharp, “Fuck.”

“Is that what you want?” T.K. asks, fully aware that his breath is ghosting over some very sensitive parts of Carlos’ body and driving him crazy.

“Yes,” Carlos gasps, arching his back. “Fucking yes.”

T.K. gives that sensitive crux of skin one more sweet kiss and then gets to work. It’s sweaty and hot and slightly dirty and T.K. feels heady with the fun of it all.

He’s laying drowsily with Carlos draped across his chest, still naked and fully considering dragging him down to the water for a late night skinny dip, when he hears something. He instantly stiffens, his ears straining to make sense of a scuffling sound outside the tent.

“Carlos,” he says, tapping his chest. “Carlos do you hear that?”

Carlos is so blissed out that he’s mostly asleep, but he turns his head and presses a kiss to T.K.’s sweat sticky chest. “Your heart’s still beating really fast,” he mumbles.

“No, not that. Something outside.”

“It’s probably a squirrel.”

“What if it’s a bear?”

That gets Carlos’ attention. His eyes open all the way but he doesn’t move. “There are almost no bears in Texas T.K.”

T.K. hears the swishing of grass moving again and sits up, Carlos rolling off of him unceremoniously. “Almost doesn’t mean zero.”

“It’s basically zero,” Carlos says as T.K. gets to his feet and starts digging around in the messy piles of fabric they’ve made. “What are you doing?”

“If we’re going to get attacked by a bear, I don’t want to be naked.”

“It’s more likely a javelina than a bear,” Carlos says with a roll of his eyes. 

“Javelinas are worse than bears! Put some clothes on!”

He throws a pair of underwear at Carlos and almost hits him in the face. “These are yours,” Carlos tells him.

“It doesn’t matter, just get dressed!”

Carlos rolls his eyes but then there’s an odd chittering sound and they both freeze. “Is that a javelina?” T.K. whispers, his eyes huge.

“I…don’t know what that is,” Carlos says, finally starting to look a little disconcerted.

T.K. yanks his hoodie over his head. “Put. Some. Clothes. On.”

“Yeah, okay,” Carlos says, scrambling to try and find some pants. “Did you put all the food stuff away?”

“Yes!” T.K. says, then thinks. “I mean, I think I did.”

“You think you did?”

“Well I was kind of excited about cowboy role play…” He shakes his head. “No I definitely put everything away.”

“Well then hopefully whatever it is will move on quickly,” Carlos says. 

They both sit in silence, listening hard. “Do you think it left?” T.K. whispers when they don’t hear anything.

“I think so,” Carlos says.

T.K. gets up and reaches for the tent flap. “What are you doing?” Carlos asks.

“I’m going to go make sure our stuff is okay.��

“T.K. just leave it. We can check in the morning.”

“If it got into our stuff we should try and take care of it now so it doesn’t come back!” T.K. argues, unzipping the flap.

“T.K.! T.K. don’t!”

But T.K. ignores him, stepping outside. 

The moon is even brighter now than it was before, lighting up the whole area. T.K. glances around and doesn’t notice anything amiss. He checks their food supply, all of it still locked up tightly, just like he’d thought.

He’s about to head back in when he senses a large presence behind him. “Ah!” he cries, as he turns around, only to find his husband has joined him. “You scared me!”

“Well I couldn’t let you come out here by yourself!” Carlos looks around. “Everything seems okay.”

“Yeah it was probably a raccoon or something.”

“So not a bear?” Carlos teases. 

“No, but if you don’t shave soon I might mistake you for one,” T.K. says, patting his stubbly cheek.

They’re wandering back toward the tent and T.K. is thinking about getting naked all over again when they hear the same snuffling sound from before, this time accompanied by squeaking. “Carlos.” T.K. grips his husband’s shirt and shrinks against him as Carlos pulls out his phone and turns on the flashlight.

It flashes over the grass, their doused campfire, the tent, and then lights on something bumbling across the ground. T.K. takes in a sharp breath. “Oh look at it!”

It’s a skunk, but a tiny one. Its little mouth opens and it lets out a squeaking sound before toddling toward them. “Oh it’s a baby,” T.K. says, taking a step toward it.

Carlos grabs the hood of his sweatshirt and yanks him back. “T.K. that is a skunk,” he says.

“Yes I know that, thank you,” T.K. tells him with a roll of his eyes. “I may have been born in a city, but I know what a skunk looks like.”

“Okay so then you should know that we don’t mess with skunks,” Carlos hisses.

“But what if it’s lost? And babies can’t spray anyway until they’re like three weeks old,” T.K. says, sending another look at the tiny skunkling. 

“T.K. you have no idea how old that skunk is. Leave it alone.”

“I’m not going to touch it!” T.K. crouches low. “Hey little buddy. Are you lost? Where’s your mama?”

There’s another squeaking sound and a second baby appears in the light of Carlos’ phone. “Oh look, you’ve got a buddy.”

“T.K. come back here,” Carlos says in a loud whisper.

“But they—“

His eyes open wide as several more babies appear, five in total and then…

“T.K. look out!”

Carlos runs toward him, the flashlight bouncing everywhere, but it’s too late. The most repugnant smell in the entire world fills the air as the mama skunk spots them and lets loose in an attempt to protect her babies. “Oh fuck!” T.K. chokes out, gagging on the fetid air.

“Get in the tent!” Carlos manages, grabbing his arm and dragging him inside. It’s no good. The tent, their clothes, everything they’ve brought with them is well and thoroughly skunked.

After an hour of trying to air things out at the campsite they give up. They pack up, drive home, throw most of their belongings into a dumpster outside of the loft, including the tent and their duffle bag, and now, at four am, they’re both seated in their tub, baking soda infusing the water as they try desperately to get rid of the smell.

“This is the least sexy bath we’ve ever taken,” T.K. says.

Carlos is in front of him and T.K. is using the Dawn dish soap they usually save for accidental grease stains on clothes to try and rid his beautiful curls of the scent. It’s only kind of working.

“So much for our sexy cowboy role play,” Carlos grumbles back.

They’re both mad and trying very hard not to take it out on each other. “Hey,” T.K. says. “Don’t let this tarnish the memories of sexy cowboy role play. It was one of our best ones. You are a very hot cowboy.”

“I don’t smell like a very hot cowboy,” Carlos says, giving his arm a sniff and wincing.

“It’ll wear off. Eventually…”

BBQ

Summer in Texas comes to a slow end, like trying to squeeze the last drops of honey from a bottle, clinging on thick and golden to the final drop. The days slip from blisteringly hot to only moderately uncomfortable as summer wanes and the Ryders invite everyone over for an end of summer barbecue, Judd promising it will be the best meal they’ve ever eaten in their entire lives.

“Babe, we’re going to be late,” T.K. says, checking his watch as Carlos finishes covering an immaculately constructed charcuterie board in saran wrap.

“I’m almost done,” Carlos says, gently pressing the end of the saran wrap into place underneath the board. “There. Perfect.”

T.K. puts a hand on his back and looks down at it. “Stunning. Best you’ve ever made. Now can we please go? Mateo said he’s going to eat all the wings if we get there soon. I want wings Carlos.”

“Okay, okay,” Carlos laughs. “Let me get my shoes.”

He’s slipping them on when his phone vibrates and he pulls it out to look at a text message. “Oh, wait a second.”

“What?” T.K. asks, practically bouncing on his toes. If Mateo eats all the wings before he gets there he’s going to be so mad.

“Grace needs paprika.” Carlos crosses to their spice cabinet and pulls out a half full container of it. “Got it.”

“Okay, great, so we can go now right?” T.K. lifts up the charcuterie board and heads for the door. He doesn’t spot that the corner of the carpet is flipped up until he’s tripping on it. “Oh shit,” escapes his lips as he tries to regain his balance, taking a couple more steps before he catches himself.

“Oh my god!” Carlos lunges toward him his hands outstretched unhelpfully since he’s too far away to catch the charcuterie board or his husband before they hit the floor.

T.K. straightens, the board still in his hands. “We’re good. I’m good.”

Carlos lets out a sigh of relief. “Please be careful.”

“I will,” T.K. says. “It’s fine. I got it. Party is still on.”

They make it across town to the Ryders’ without further incident. T.K. balances the board on his lap while Carlos drives carefully, taking turns with a speed that a senior citizen would be proud of. When they arrive at the house he parks the car and then runs around to take the board gently out of T.K.’s hands. “What, you don’t trust me anymore?” T.K. asks as he climbs out of the car.

“I do trust you. You can take the paprika,” Carlos says, nodding to where it’s sitting in the Camaro’s cupholder.

“Gee, thanks babe,” T.K. says drily, grabbing it and heading for the front door.

“My heroes,” Grace says when she opens it, the sounds of the party spilling out with her from inside. “These deviled eggs are not going to devil without some paprika. And somebody used up the rest of ours in his dry rub without telling me.”

“Happy to help,” T.K. says as they step inside. “Didn’t think we’d be saving the day with paprika, but here we are.”

“Oh my god, Carlos you made that?” Grace asks, when she spots the charcuterie board in Carlos’ hands. “That looks incredible.”

“I just threw it together,” Carlos says, a blush coloring his cheeks.

“He spent three hours on it,” T.K. says, squeezing his shoulder, an amused look on his face. “Many Youtube tutorials were watched. The salami roses have been shaped to perfection.”

Carlos’ face takes on that slightly strained look that it does when he’s miffed at T.K. but trying not to let it show. “It was one Youtube video T.K.,” he says tersely.

“Well your hard work paid off. Go ahead and take it on over to the table. I’ll just finishing whipping these up and be right over.” Grace nods toward their dining area, the table already laden with chips and drinks and other treats.

Carlos deposits his board on the table next to a pasta salad and some carrots and celery, gently pulling off the wrapping and adjusting a few olives that have slipped out of place.

“Hello boys!” Owen says as he wanders in through the slider door, Buttercup hot on his heels.

“Hey Dad,” T.K. says.

“Owen,” Carlos acknowledges. 

“You have arrived at the perfect time,” Owen says. “Judd just pulled some wings off the grill and they look delicious. I also brought along some marinated tofu that I think you might find equally as appealing. We’re going to do a little taste test comparison.” He glances down at the table. “Are those roses made of salami?”

“Hey you two, get your asses out here! We’ve got Giant Jenga going on!” Nancy yells from outside.

They head out, saying a hello to Judd who is wielding a pair of tongues at the grill and Tommy who is supervising all the kids. Izzy and Evie are playing with Charlie in one corner of the yard, while the rest of the crew is crowded around a towering stack of massive Jenga blocks in another.

“T.K.! You’re with me and Marj,” Paul says immediately.

“Whoa whoa whoa, why do you get to pick your whole team? How is that fair?” Nancy protests.

“Okay fine. You want Captain Chaos on your team?” Paul offers.

“Hey!” T.K. cries. “I’m a paramedic! I have excellent fine motor skills!”

“Yeah, fair point. You can have him. We’ll take Carlos,” Nancy says.

“Yeah!” Mateo says, slinging an arm around Carlos’ shoulders to welcome him to the team.

“Play nice children,” Tommy says as she walks by with a bowl of watermelon.

The game starts off with everyone in good spirits as most of their games do, but the tension quickly ratchets up as the tower grows more and more unstable.

“Careful, careful,” Nancy says, watching Carlos closely as he gingerly attempts to pull a piece from close to the bottom.

The tower teeters dangerously and Carlos freezes. “Oh you’ve got no shot Reyes,” Marjan says, glee in her eyes.

Carlos takes his hand off and wipes his sweaty palm on his shorts. “Hey, you can’t choose a different block,” Paul says quickly. “You touch it, you take it.”

“I’m not taking a different block. I’m adjusting my strategy,” Carlos says, taking a breath and going back in again. 

The tower teeters, but it doesn’t fall as he slides the block out and carefully places it on the top. He turns around with a sly grin on his face. “Next.”

Marjan steps up, her eyes narrowed with concentration as she studies the tower. 

“All right, food’s ready!” Judd calls. “Come and eat!”

“And don’t forget to try the marinated tofu!” Owen reminds them all.

They abandon the game for now, leaving it stacked where it is as they all head to fill their plates with the steak, chicken, and ribs that Judd has cooked up. 

Carlos is chatting with Paul about a book they’ve both been reading when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Charlie has wandered over toward the Jenga tower and is trying to pull out one of the blocks with her little fingers. But the tower is currently only balanced on one, singular block, and it sways dangerously.

Carlos cuts off mid-sentence and dashes over, catching her around the middle and lifting her up and away as the tower of heavy blocks comes crashing down right where she was just standing.

The rest of the group turns around at the sound of the crash, everyone’s eyes wide. Charlie giggles, tucked safely under Carlos’ arm, unaware that she was just saved from a probable concussion and/or stitches. 

“Okay little lady, that’s enough danger for you today,” Judd says, coming over to take her from Carlos. “You tell Uncle Carlos thank you. He just saved your life.”

“Thank you,” she says with another merry giggle, still unaware how close she came to ending this party with a trip to the ER.

“And that’s a lesson for the rest of us on child safety,” Tommy says. “No more Giant Jenga towers unattended with children around.”

“Nice save Carlos,” Paul says.

“And he didn’t even drop his beer,” Mateo cheers.

“Whoa, hey, nope!”

Distracted by Charlie’s near accident, the food has been left unattended and they all turn back to find T.K. has only just managed to grab the platter of barbecue, holding it high up out of Buttercup’s reach. Buttercup looks up at him curiously and sits down politely, his face expectant as he licks his lips and waits for T.K. to give him a treat even though he very nearly just made off with their entire meal.

“Damn. Okay, Crisis Number Two averted,” Marjan says.

“Thank God for the Strand-Reyes boys. Just saving this party again and again,” Grace says.

“Amen,” Tommy echoes.

The rest of the party goes on without further incident. Everyone tries Owen’s tofu and most of them regret it. They rematch for Jenga and T.K.’s team wins. Charlie and Buttercup chase Evie and Izzy around the yard while everyone watches and cheers them on and Charlie cries when Grace tells her it’s time to go to bed. She gives everyone a hug and then goes back around for seconds before asking if Buttercup can sleep with her.

The sun sets and Judd turns on the patio lights and they talk and laugh and eat Tommy’s cherry cobbler with Blue Bell ice cream on top and it’s truly the best kind of summer night.

It’s late by the time they get home, both of them tired and overly full, but so deeply happy and content. T.K. flops onto their bed and looks up at Carlos. “We,” he says, “are heroes. We saved that party three times today.”

“I mean kind of,” Carlos says, sliding beneath the sheets beside him.

“No, not ‘kind of.’ That party would have been a disaster without us.”

“Well you do always bring the party,” Carlos says, an amused smile on his lips as he leans in for a kiss.

T.K. obliges him and then snuggles in close. “This has been the best summer. I love being married to you. I love hanging out with our friends and going to the beach and having cowboy sex.”

Carlos laughs. “And getting stung by jellyfish, sunburnt, skunked…”

“Yeah but we did all those things together. None of it was so bad because I was with you.”

“Speak for yourself! That jellyfish sting hurt!” Carlos teases.

“Carlos!” T.K. smacks him gently across the chest. “I’m trying to be sappy here!”

“I know, I know,” Carlos says, tweaking T.K.’s nose fondly. “You’re right. It was a really good summer.”

“The best summer.”

“Sure, the best summer.” 

T.K. flops onto his back and sighs contentedly. “I hope all our married summers are like this.”

Carlos smiles and pulls him in close. “Yeah. Me too.”

[thenighthekate]

Am I the one you want [pt.3] ( t.k. )

This little thing, once proud in love and lust, now hides its face and soon it will be dust.

part one part two

The days dragged on forever, lonely nights and busy mornings stretching out till the very last second. It was draining, there wasn't a minute she didn't regret her choices, her words, her actions. If she didn't push, if she didn't yell, she would be still wrapped up in his arms. His soft kisses planted all over her body, his hands working magic after a long week. It was now that she realized he was her escape. His presence was her escape from the hard reality, from the life outside his warm hugs.

The smell of coffee beans swirled all around her, her hands aching as she worked. She was yet again in her head, her stare far into the distance, not even realizing that she was over pouring espresso into the cup until the hot liquid met her hand.

" Shit!" It was quiet, quick and looking around it seemed like no one heard it.

She basically threw the cup onto the counter next to her, quickly blowing on her palm and putting it under water as fast as she could, the cooling sensation calming her nerves. The sound of a bell rang out through the place, the doors of the small coffee shop opening and closing, inviting laughter into the area. She could hear footsteps behind her, a group of what she guessed four people coming up to the front.

After the burned flesh started to feel better she whirled around, not paying much attention to the person she walked to the register.

" Hello!" And when she finally looked up the wind from her lungs got knocked out. Her body froze, words not able to escape even through her open mouth, her head slightly shaking in disbelief. The woman was beautiful, now she finally understood why he went for her. The wife of her past lover was standing in front of her, her smile bright like the sun, light practically radiating off of her frame. They were nothing alike. She cleared her throat, quickly squeezing her eyes shut before speaking with a forced smile on her face. " What would you like?"

" Would you be a peach and make me a long glass of caramel iced coffee?" Her voice was angelic, soft, pure with a hint of hardness and a slight rumble in her tone.

She couldn't help but notice the woman rubbing her stomach, her hand moving in circles over her dress, the fabric bringing out the roundness of her belly. She quickly nodded to her request, the other womens orders blurring together, she didn't know for how much longer she would be able to keep it together.

As she worked on their drinks one thing was for certain, all feelings of regret disappeared. The second thoughts flew out the window, plans of revenge settling into the empty spaces. His wife had to know, she was carrying his child for fucks sake.

Finished with their drinks she brought them out, her feet bringing her to their table and setting the glasses down. " And just call me if you need anything else." This time her voice was stronger, her tone set sweetly with hardness underneath, she softly smiled at the four women, hearing their thank you's before walking away.

Her gaze was set on the now soon to be mother, she watched as she sipped her drink, some spilling on her lip. She reached for the napkin beneath her coffee glass and when her eyes fully set onto it she abruptly stopped. Her eyebrows scrunched together, her whole body slowly tensing. She looked back to the young girl at the counter, her face pulled in disbelief as the women around her asked if she was okay. Swiftly dismissing them she got up and carried herself to the front.

" Is this some kind of joke? Do you think it's funny?" The girl could only stare at the woman, her eyes sad, begging her to see the truth behind them. " This is the humor you kids these days like, huh? Well it's not funny and it's really hurtful. You should not be joking about things like this." The young girl pulled out her phone, completely ignoring his wifes furious tone she pushed the device into the woman's hands.

There was a beat of silence, both of them waiting for the other to say something, anything. " As far as I know I'm not the only one, there have been many women before me." She clutched the counter to stay stable. " I should have ended things sooner, told you about everything. But for my own selfish reasons I let this drag out for more than a year."

Their eyes met and it felt like they had a whole silent conversation while they gazed at each other.

" When do you get off?"

" I'm sorry?"

" When does your shift end?" Her stare was hard, demanding, wanting answers from the young girl infront of her.

" Six. I get off at six."

" Great." She suddenly smiled, the very same beaming, bright smile she walked into the shop with. " I'll pick you up then. How do you feel about a little wine date at my place?"

She knew what this meant, and with the situation they were at, she was all here for it.

~

" I don't know what went wrong. I mean we seemed so happy. Honestly I thought it was work trips, late night shifts, but he always made time for me." The kitchen table was marble, their home big and modern, neat, but with a woman's touch every place needed for it to be called home.

" He always talked about him being unhappy. Said that you were some controlling freak, made bullshit excuses and made me think that I was his corner of peace, escape." The girl had a mocking in her tone, recalling every memorie she and her once lover shared. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around a crystal glass, dark crimson liquid swirling inside it as she took a sip.

" It's truly impressive how he managed to carry this out for so long." His wife had a sour look on her face, hatred clear in her eyes, flames turning ready to burn anyone who got too close. " More wine? If I could, I would be getting shitfaced right now."

Their giggles and laughter quickly died down when a faint sound of the front door opening and closing made it to their ears, footsteps sounding out closer to the kitchen.

" I bought you some ice cream and there's this new movie out, we could watch it tonight." His face morphed into shock, disbelief, fear almost when he rounded the corner, the bag he was carrying dropping to the floor.

" Oh, hi, honey. I made a new friend at the coffee shop today. Isn't she the sweetest." He didn't answer, only stared, his eyes shifting between the two women at the table.

The moment was quiet, almost peaceful before hell broke loose. His wife was screaming, her finger pointed at his chest while she continued to walk him backwards, his own hands flying around her to try and calm her down. The young girl stared at them, her lips pulled into a smirk as she sipped on her wine. She didn't want to admit it, but it was satisfying, watching his face turn red from embarrassment, his wife and the mother of his child truly putting him in his place.

Her heart finally felt light, free.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x49 - Farewell, Numemon / The Crest of Light

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Needing to fund their war campaign with ad revenue, Taichi went on a mission to acquire Brand Name Pharmaceuticals while Koushiro learned a valuable lesson about Brand Name VPN services. Furious that they were doing this in the middle of his sub-arc, Mugendramon shot them many times with bullets and ad-blockers, plunging them into a dark abyss.

Fun language note: The Japanese language has a number of ways to say goodbye to someone. The "farewell" in the title is さらば saraba, which is an archaic way of saying a solemn, final goodbye to someone that you expect to never see again.

So. Y'know. That's pretty tone-setting, right there.

Now, the remaining children in the war party have been separated into two groups and plunged into "an abyss where darkness rules".

With only the sound of water droplets echoing through a vast sewage chamber, Hikari slowly comes to. Takeru and Tailmon are with her, watching over her. No sign of Patamon, Sora, or Piyomon, however.

Hikari's been laid out on a makeshift bed of leaves, using Takeru's backpack for a pillow. She wakes up slowly, starting to sit up.

Hikari: I.... Takeru: You're awake! Tailmon: Hikari! Hikari: (fully sits up) Takeru-kun... Tailmon.... I.... Tailmon: How do you feel?

Hikari raises her hand to her forehead, checking her own temperature.

Hikari: My fever has gone down. I'm feeling a lot better, too. Tailmon: You were asleep for a long time. I suppose that must have helped you recover. Hikari: Where are the others?

Takeru and Tailmon suddenly look sad, neither answering the question.

In the dub, Gatomon and T.K. quip over the establishing shots of Kari and the sewers. They also use soft, gentle background music to soothe the ominous and unsettling vibe of the original.

The original does have gentle background music once Hikari comes around, but the dub skips the ominous silence and water droplets, and just plays the tension-relieving tunes from the get-go.

Gatomon: How long do humans usually sleep when they're sick, T.K.? T.K.: (cheerful) It's tough to say for sure, Gatomon, but I'd guess anywhere between eight hours and eight years, give or take a minute or so! Gatomon: Wow! Then considering how high her fever is, we'd better get comfortable. T.K.: I wish one of the older kids were here. I bet they'd know how to wake her up. Gatomon: You'll think of something, T.K. (Kari begins to stir) Gatomon: See! I knew you'd think of something! T.K.: I'm still not sure that woke her.

From here, Kari opens her eyes and starts to get up, and the original script begins.

(Kari opens her eyes and starts to get up) Kari: Huh!? T.K.: I could be wrong! Gatomon: Hi, Kari! Kari: (fully sits up) Hit the snooze button... one more time. Please? T.K.: You've slept enough! How do you feel? (Kari takes her own temperature) Kari: I think my fever's gone. So, how long was I asleep for? Gatomon: Let's just say that when you fell asleep, I had nine lives and now I'm down to only three. Kari: Where is everybody?

The dub's going a gag a minute, with even Kari quipping the second she wakes up.

Takeru and Tailmon don't answer Hikari's question, but the flapping of wings soon heralds a return.

Takeru: They're back! Tailmon: Maybe they found someone!

Sora, Piyomon, and Patamon slowly emerge out of the darkness of the sewer.

Hikari: Sora-san! Sora: (surprised) Hikari-chan! What a relief that you're awake! Takeru: What about Taichi-san's group? Sora: (shakes head) They weren't anywhere around here.

Hikari flashes back on the fall, when they all plunged into the abyss.

Hikari: ONII-CHAAAAAAAAAN!!! Taichi: HIKARIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!

Then we return to the present.

Sora: Taichi and Koushiro-kun must have landed somewhere else. Hikari: Onii-chan....

The abyss where darkness rules must have taken them somewhere else. Yes, I'm still stuck on that. We are in a sewer. I am a little baffled.

In the dub:

T.K.: Hey! I hear Patamon! Gatomon: I wonder if he's found anyone? (Sora, Patamon, and Biyomon return) T.K.: Who's that with Patamon? Gatomon: It's Biyomon! Kari: And Sora! Sora: Kari! You're awake! You look so much better! Kari: Have you seen Tai and the others? Sora: (shakes head) Mm-mm. I looked everywhere but couldn't find them. (Flashback) Kari: HELP ME TAIIIIIIII!!! Tai: KARIIIIIIIII!!! (End Flashback) Sora: My guess is that when we all fell, Tai and Izzy landed somewhere else. Kari: I hope they're alright. T.K.: Don't worry, Kari.

In the original, only Hikari is surprised to see Sora return. This is because she was unconscious for a lot of the previous episode and doesn't really know how the teams divvied up.

The dub seems to imply that Sora and Biyomon came down separately from Takeru, Hikari, and their Digimon. Patamon successfully found Sora and Biyomon, instead of Patamon, Sora, and Piyomon failing to find anyone.

While Hikari frets over the fate of her brother, Sora suddenly remembers something.

Sora: Oh, that's right! Look, Piyomon found this.

Sora holds up the medicine bottle that Taichi and Koushiro recovered from the hospital. She places it in Hikari's hands.

Sora: This must be the medicine that Taichi went and found for you, Hikari-chan. Piyomon: This place is like a maze. But if we all search together, we're sure to find the others! Takeru: Hey, cheer up! Hikari: (smiles) Yeah... I will ganbaru and search for him. (affectionately) After all, I am Onii-chan's little sister.

As a reminder, ganbaru is the Japanese cultural value of persevering and overcoming intense hardship through hard work and dutiful rigor.

I have questions about how the medicine bottle, which was in Taichi's left hand while they were falling, somehow landed near Sora's crew instead of Taichi's.

Also, good thing it wasn't made of glass.

But the important thing is that it's in Hikari's possession. She may now begin wildly guessing the correct dosage of a prescription medication. One for which we only have Koushiro's best estimation on whether it's even right for her, based on a spreadsheet he found on Mugendramon's network.

...good luck, Hikari!

In the dub:

Sora: Oh, I almost forgot! Look what Biyomon found! (Sora holds up the medicine bottle) Sora: I'm sure it's the medicine that Tai went to find for you. (Sora gives the bottle to Kari) Sora: Why don't you keep it in case your fever comes back. You can use it as a reminder of how much Tai loves you. Biyomon: This place has a lot of twists and turns to it. I'm sure if we all look together, we'll have no problem finding the others. T.K.: Right! We'll work as a team! Kari: (smiles) Yeah! I'll try to be strong enough to help too. (affectionately) After all, Tai would do the same for me.

Dub Sora advises Kari to use the medicine bottle as an emotional security blanket, and also to hang onto it in case the fever returns - Telling her anything but to take the medication right now, which is probably well advised if we're being honest.

A best guess dosage of a best guess medicine is the kind of thing you should only do as a last resort. The last thing we want is for this to become Taichi's anecdote of "The other time my enthusiasm accidentally almost-killed my sister."

T.K. also has something a bit more useful to say than, "Hey, cheer up!"

From here, Sora's team begins exploring the catacombs.

Hikari: This place contains the underground areas of every city in the world? Patamon: That's what Sora-san said. Sora: That's my best explanation.

Okay, so there is more to the abyss where darkness rules than a sewer system. Mugendramon's domain is all of the cities and urban structures in the world, and so it makes sense that all subterranean areas such as sewers and subways would fall into his jurisdiction as well.

Suddenly, Sora faintly hears a rumbling sound from nearby wheels being turned.

Sora: Stop! Group: Huh? Sora: Quiet. Do you hear something?

The group falls silent. The sound becomes audible; A low, nearby rumbling.

Sora: Listen. What is that? Takeru: It's coming from over there. Sora: Let's take a look.

In the dub, Sora presents her assessment herself so they can keep quipping about it.

Sora: This place is like a museum of the famous sewer systems of the world! Gatomon: I'll pass on the odor exhibits. Patamon: Haha! Too late for that! (rumbling sound) Sora: Stop! Group: Huh? Sora: Listen. Do you guys hear something? (rumbling sound becomes audible) T.K.: Yeah! I can hear it now too! Kari: What do you think it could be? Sora: I don't know, but... it sounds like it's coming from over there! Let's take a look!

Dub Sora refers to the place as a "museum of sewer systems", but we're clearly in a subway terminal judging by all the destination everywhere, so there's more going on there.

The phrase used here is 世界中の街の地下 sekaijuu no machi no chika. It's using 世界中 sekaijuu, meaning "around the world", as an adjective to modify 街 machi, city, which is itself an adjective to modify 地下 underground.

The subs, I should note, also err here and translate it as "all the world's subway systems". Like "museum of the sewer systems of the world", this too is too limited. It's close, but subway is 地下鉄 chikatetsu, adding on the word 鉄 tetsu which means iron. A subway is "underground iron".

(But most people just call it the メトロ metro).

There is no 鉄 tetsu in this line, nor does 下水道 gesuido for "sewer" make an appearance. Sora's theory is not so specific, and contains both. This place they're in is a composite of all of the subterranean urban spaces from around the globe, just like how the city above was a composite of all the above-ground cities.

Uh. Before Plan Z turned it into a parking lot.

Following the rumbling sound, Sora and the others make their way into a deep chamber where Numemon slaves are being whipped and forced to work.

Those collars seem like they would slide right off, but I guess it's hard to put a shackle on a ball of sludge.

A cruel, black version of Monzaemon cracks his whip, yelling at the Numemon to work harder.

Black Teddy: WORK!!! (crack) WORK!!! (crack) WORK, ALL OF YOU!!! Numemon may be weak to sunlight, but down here you serve as the power source for all of Spiral Mountain's urban areas, which Mugendramon controls! Work and work until you DIE!!! (crack)

That's not a very nice teddy bear. Surprisingly eager to share flat exposition with his slaves, though.

Y'know, working slaves to death in a world where the reincarnation village has been destroyed and no new Digimon may ever be born again is incredibly shortsighted. The self-destructive practice of unsustainable consumption is alive and well in the Metal Empire, it seems.

Up on the scaffolding above, Hikari watches with shock and horror; Her eyes glistening with unshed tears. We close in on her for a moment, then cut to a wider shot of the group.

Takeru: Isn't that... Monzaemon? Patamon: That is not Monzaemon! It's WaruMonzaemon! Sora: WaruMonzaemon?

WaruMonzaemon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Puppet Digimon. His name comes from the addition of 惡 waru meaning evil, wicked, bad, etc. onto Monzaemon.

Like Gigadramon, WaruMonzaemon is another recolor created for the Digimon World video game to shore up its enemy roster. They would later join the Metal Empire lineup of V-Pets as the other Virus Perfect, next to Megadramon.

(There's also a WaruSeadramon recolor of MegaSeadramon for the same reason, though that one's pretty obscure outside Digimon World.)

WaruMonzaemon is also the teddy bear stuffy that MetalEtemon has on his person. Fun fact, according to V-Pet lore, both Monzaemon and WaruMonzaemon are actually disguises for a mysterious Digimon lurking within. They're both basically the Pokemon Mimikyu. In fact, you can see the true inhabitant's eye peeking out of WaruMonzaemon's belly.

Narrator: WaruMonzaemon. A Puppet Digimon with a fiendish face, it looks similar to Monzaemon but is completely different! His personality is pure evil! His special attack is Heartbreak Attack! Piyomon: So he's working for Mugendramon now.... Sora: He must be part of the Metal Empire Army.

I have no idea where Sora could possibly have learned the name Metal Empire Army. After all that script-reading the Dub Kids did back in the Etemon arc to learn the Crest names, I guess it's Original Sora's turn now.

The way Patamon and Piyomon recognize WaruMonzaemon seems to imply that he's originally from File Island, which is an interesting detail.

Come to think of it, the Numemon from Cockatrimon's ship didn't seem to have a problem with sunlight. That detail only applied to the File Island ones. I... I guess these are those Numemon specifically.

In the dub:

Black Teddy: WORK!!! (crack) WORK!!! (crack) KEEP WORKING OR ELSE!!!

The dub uses the shadow of WaruMonzaemon whipping the slaves as a good time to take its first commercial break. When we return, it replays that scene, so I guess WaruMonzaemon continued whipping them throughout the Arby's ads and toy commercials.

WaruMonzaemon: (crack) I SAID WORK (crack) YOU LAZY NUMEMON!!! (crack) You slimy Numemon make me sick! If you didn't have such a weakness to sunlight, we wouldn't have to keep you working underground to power Machinedramon's city on Spiral Mountain! You deserve to live in the sewers! Now get back to work before I really get mad! (crack) T.K.: Isn't that Monzaemon? What happened to him!? He used to be so cuddly! Patamon: That's not Monzaemon, T.K.; That's WaruMonzaemon! Biyomon: (rundown) Monzaemon was sweet and cute, but WaruMonzaemon is about as cuddly as a porcupine. His Bear Paw will give you heartburn, along with his Heartbreak Attack. Kari: Big meanie! Biyomon: He's torturing those poor Numemon down there! Sora: How can one kind of puppet Digimon be so nice while another can be so evil?

Dub WaruMonzaemon's awkward exposition is slightly less flat than the original's, but both are pretty glaring.

Unsurprisingly, they also tone down "Keep working until you die" to "Get back to work before I get mad".

I like the way they play up T.K.'s surprise and confusion over "Monzaemon" being a cruel slavedriver now.

From the scaffolding, Hikari watches with tears in her eyes.

WaruMonzaemon: (to the Numemon) What's wrong? Don't slack off now! Hikari: The Numemon... are so scared....

True to her name, Hikari closes her eyes and begins to glow. She passes out, with Sora catching her as her body goes slack.

Tailmon: Hikari! Sora/Takeru: Hikari-chan! / Are you okay!?

Unconscious though she is, Hikari glows brighter and brighter. Her light becoming impossible to miss, the Numemon below look up from their work stations and take notice. They leave their workstations, drawn in by the light.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: I've been too hard on you guys. You need a break. OKAY BREAK'S OVER!!! Kari: If we had... more power.... (Kari passes out and starts glowing) Sora: KARI!!! Biyomon/Takeru: What happened!? / Did she get sick again!?

Small tonal shift: Following the tradition of the dub kids being more aggressive, seeing what's being done here makes Hikari break down with empathy for the suffering Numemon and makes Kari immediately want to throw hands at their slavedriver.

Of course, all this attention from the Numemon is going to draw attention from one other person as well.

WaruMonzaemon: What the hell? WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING!?!? (crack crack)

Despite WaruMonzaemon's whipcracks, the Numemon remain transfixed on the great light emanating from the corner of the room. It takes WaruMonzaemon a moment to realize what's happening, but then he sees it too.

WaruMonzaemon: Huh? (casually) Oh, you did this. Team: (collective gasp) Sora: We have to run! (The kids bolt through the doorway) WaruMonzaemon: COME BACK HERE!!!

It takes WarMonzaemon a moment to process the odd encounter, but he gets there. Waving his whip furiously in the air, he pursues the children. He leaps up onto the scaffolding and smashes through the doorway, leaving a comical bear-shaped imprint as he passes.

Once the light is gone, the Numemon all slouch in disappointment and despair. But then it returns, slowing filling the room again. On the other side of the bear hole, tucked away to the left of where everyone else went, the light begins to emerge.

Tailmon helps Hikari walk back into the room, holding one paw up to her lips to urge the Numemon to silence. Staring transfixed at Hikari's light, they all nod quietly in unison.

Hikari: Tailmon... I'll be okay. Free the Numemon... please.... Tailmon: I will.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: What's going on here!? Get back to work! (crack crack) (WaruMonzaemon finally notices) WaruMonzaemon: Huh? The DigiDestined? Team: (collective gasp) Sora: He knows we're here! (The kids bolt through the doorway) WaruMonzaemon: SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED!!! Sora: RUN!!! WaruMonzaemon: AND HERE THEY ARE NOW!!! (Kari returns) Numemon: (chanting) Kari, Kari.... Kari?: Gatomon, please leave me here. I need to free the Numemon from their chains. Do you understand? Gatomon: ...I guess so...?

WaruMonzaemon makes a gag reference to Goldilocks and the Three Bears to try and lift the tone, similar to the "Time for a break BREAK'S OVER" joke from earlier. The dub is playing him as "monstrous, but still kinda silly" which is absolutely the correct take on WaruMonzaemon. He's Daffy Duck doing war crimes.

I mean, the silliness should be apparent from the fact that he made a Wile E. Coyote hole when he chased the kids through the door. He's a giant teddy bear who's cruelly whipping slaves; There's inherently going to be a dash of absurdity mixed in with the atrocity. That's unavoidable.

Once WaruMonzaemon departs, the dub deviates wildly from script.

Rather than being shushed, the Numemon are chanting Kari's name with religious zeal. This isn't really a plot shift so much as jumping the gun. The Numemon are going to start doing that, but only after a scene cut which presumably gives them time to learn her name.

More glaring is the part where suddenly Homeostasis returns!? At least, that's what seems to be happening. Kari suddenly starts talking in full sentences, ignoring her weariness and using the Deep Homeostasis Voice from the backstory episode. Meanwhile, Gatomon is utterly lost about what's happening and reacts as if Kari's not herself.

Something similar happens to Hikari later in the episode, where she begins talking in this booming echo - which is not the voice Homeostasis used but a different effect. However, the way the dub tweaks Kari's lines to make her seem possessed as well as giving her the same deep voice effect really makes it feel like Homeostasis has returned.

I don't think that's what they're going for here. But they make what's happening to Kari very confusing.

Meanwhile, in what is now clearly the distraction for a plan quickly formed.

Sora: (blows raspberries) Come and get us! WaruMonzaemon: YOU LITTLE PUNKS!!!

Yeah, the tonal whiplash hits hard right here. But that's because we've lured WaruMonzaemon into a deadly trap.

Piyomon: PIYOMON SHINKAAAAAA Piyomon: BIRDRA...mon...? Patamon: PATAMON SHINKAAAAAA Patamon: (weakly) Angemon...?

They play the evolution stock footage but then reverse the footage and dump them back out in their Child forms midway through, with a goofy "running out of fuel" effect. Well.

I guess the trap's on us now.

Sora: You might not have enough energy! Takeru: Sora-san, what do we do now? Sora: DON'T STOP RUNNING, THAT'S WHAT!!!

Unfortunately, that plan is doomed too. Sora's group soon finds themselves at a dead end. WaruMonzaemon closes in on them, cackling proudly to himself. He punches the air, showing off for funsies before the real fight begins.

In the dub:

Sora: (blows raspberries) Catch us if you can, you big throw rug! WaruMonzaemon: I'LL GET YOU!!! Biyomon: Biyomon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Biyomon: Hey, what just happened? Patamon: Patamon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Patamon: Wait a second, I'm still me. Sora: You guys must be low on energy! T.K.: What do we do now, Sora? Sora: RUNNING COMES TO MIND!!!

Dub WaruMonzaemon makes over-the-top martial arts kiai noises when punching the air. The kind you do when you're pretending to know kung fu, rather than real ones.

This is basically perfect. There are some differences in the aborted evolution sequence, with both having their advantages.

I like the way the original 'mons verbally try to finish the evolution as if they had successfully evolved. Piyomon takes a moment to realize it didn't work, while Patamon just sort of... weakly tries to will Angemon into happening.

That said, the original kinda gives away the gag from the start when it plays silly comedy music over the evolutions, rather than something like starting up Show Me Your Brave Heart and failing. The dub uses their standard evolution rendition of the opening credits theme, only to have it fizzle out as the evolutions fail.

Once he's warmed up, WaruMonzaemon strikes with his Bear Claw attack.

It does not go well. He is very big, and the children merely duck under his legs and then run for it.

Team: RUN AWAY!!! WaruMonzaemon: Hey!

WaruMonzaemon tries to chase them. However. There is the matter of his epic Bear Claw attack... which is now firmly embedded in the wall.

WaruMonzaemon: WAIT FOR ME!!!

Climbing up onto the wall, he uses his whole body weight to free his claw. Unfortunately, physics take over when his claw comes loose. He launches himself backwards onto his shoulders and begins tumbling head over foot - soon gaining speed and becoming an unstoppable rolling object, futilely voicing protestations for what momentum is doing to him..

WaruMonzaemon: ABUGPABUPHBAPHUG Piyomon: (eyes glittering with delight) Sora! I'm flying! I've never flown this fast before! Patamon: (eyes glittering with delight) Takeru! I am too! SUCH INCREDIBLE SPEED!!!

Cut to Sora putting those soccer skills to work, carrying Takeru in one arm and pulling Piyomon with the other.

Sora: BOTH OF YOU!!! THERE IS NO UPSIDE HERE!!!

This is all meant to be extremely silly.

The dub keeps the name Bear claw.

Sora: Watch out! Let's get out of here! WaruMonzaemon: WAIT!!! (WaruMonzaemon tries to pursue, but he's stuck) WaruMonzaemon: Lend me a hand! LITERALLY!!! (WaruMonzaemon becomes unstuck but starts rolling) WaruMonzaemon: It's time to play Bowling for DigiDestined! Biyomon: (eyes glittering with delight) Sora, something wonderful is happening to me! I've never been able to fly this fast before! Patamon: (eyes glittering with delight) Me too! Watch me go! FASTER!!! THAN!!! A JET!!! Sora: I don't care what you're faster than, as long as you're faster than a gigantic rolling teddy bear!

Weirdly, they seem to play the WaruMonzaemon boulder seriously. In the original, he makes angry flopping noises while he's rolling. He's clearly no happier about this than Sora is. The dub makes it into a purposeful attack he's throwing.

Biyomon and Patamon are still being silly, but Sora's punchline is cut down to her simply describing the ugly situation they're in.

Dub WaruMonzaemon, for his part, is still doing stand-up comedy.

Meanwhile, Tailmon has succeeded in freeing the Numemon. I imagine it wasn't hard; Those shackles look like they'd slide right off if someone had the height and dexterity to simply lift them up off and over the eye stalks.

Gathered together in what is clearly a church, the Numemon bow in supplication to their savior, chanting her name.

Numemon: Hikari-sama.... Hikari-sama.... Hikari-sama....

Hikari's glow slowly recedes while the Numemon chant her name. Tailmon looks up at her.

Tailmon: (thinking) The Numemon are... making Hikari their ruler.... Numemon: Hikari-sama... Hikari-sama... Hikari-sama....

Hikari smiles down pleasantly at Tailmon, while the confused Digimon struggles to process what is happening.

Then a door on the upper level flies open. Sora and the others spill into the room, falling from above and landing on the Numemon crowd. Even the fliers faceplant into gross Numemon bodies.

(Piyomon, I can understand. Sora dragged Piyomon down with her. But nobody was holding Patamon. He did that by himself. He wanted to be included in the team activity.)

Group/Sora: Hikari!? / Hikari-chan!?

In the dub:

Numemon: Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Gatomon: (gasp) The Numemon... think you're... their queen.... Numemon: Queen Kari... Queen Kari... Queen Kari... (Sora and the others spill into the room) Sora: ...Kari? Numemon: Queen Kari, Queen Kari. Group: Huh!? Queen Kari!?

The dub uses the Queen Kari bit to set up a funny gag, leaving Sora's team as baffled as Gatomon. Well played.

Unfortunately, Sora's group is not alone. WaruMonzaemon enters the room shortly after her - albeit unsure of his bearings.

WaruMonzaemon: (finally upright) Hold on... eh? N-Numemon!? What are you dipshits doing in here!?

WaruMonzaemon refers to the Numemon as 手前達 temae-tachi. In the Japanese language, where second-person pronouns are to be used sparingly as they can be considered rude, 手前 is basically the most rude second-person pronoun. (With 達 -tachi doing its typical job as a pluralizing modifier.)

You wouldn't really use it... in any context, really, outside of anime. It's just an angry, mean, vulgar way of saying "you", when there are plenty of other pronouns you could use instead .

WaruMonzaemon: What the--!? Wait, that can't... Oh, shit! WHO TOOK OFF THE NUMEMON'S CHAINS!?!? Hikari: That... was me.... Group/Sora: Hikari! / Hikari-chan! WaruMonzaemon: You little bitch! Numemon: PROTECT HIKARI-SAMA!!!

More fun with Japanese vulgarities! WaruMonzaemon calls Hikari 野郎 yarou. Which is basically the most vulgar thing you can call someone. There is no particular nuance or context with yarou, it is just an extremely offensive and insulting thing to say to another person.

Between that, 手前 temae, and the 糞 kuso he dropped in there as well, WaruMonzaemon has a bit of a potty mouth.

The Numemon, determined to protect her, dogpile on WaruMonzaemon. He swings his claws wildly, trying to defend himself from the Numemon swarm.

WaruMonzaemon: What do you think you're doing!? Hikari: Numemon.... (faints) Tailmon: (catches Hikari) Hikari! WaruMonzaemon: (fighting the Numemon) Hey! Numemon: PROTECT HIKARI-SAMA!!! WaruMonzaemon: WaruMonzaemon-sama is not about to succumb to some pitiful Numemon!

Despite the Numemon's best efforts... they remain Numemon. WaruMonzaemon powers through their assault until every last one of the attacking Numemon has been broken and laid out before him.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: I'm back! Hahahahahaha! Hey, you Numemon, what are you doing out here!? Isn't it time for your flogging? (The Numemon turn furiously on WaruMonzaemon) WaruMonzaemon: Don't just sit there staring! Get back to work! ...hey! Who cut your chains off? Kari?: (steps forward) I did. Got a problem? Sora: Kari, no! WaruMonzaemon: YOU'RE THROUGH!!! (The Numemon lunge, saying nothing) WaruMonzaeomon: Get off of me, you green blobs of sludge! I'll beat the stuffing out of you! Kari?: Numemon.... (faints) Gatomon: (catches Kari) Kari! WaruMonzaemon: (fighting the Numemon) YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST ME!?!? Numemon: (continue attacking, saying nothing) WaruMonzaemon: Come on, give it your best shot! This is easier than swatting Digi-Flies!

I don't know, man. I've seen the size of the Digital World's bugs.

Unsurprisingly, Dub WaruMonzaemon does not cuss out an eight-year-old.

Kari is still speaking in her Homeostasis voice even after the bright glow has left her.

As with the rolly ball incident, the dub strips out some of the nuance of WaruMonzaemon's competency. In the original, he honestly seemed freaked out and taken aback when he realized the Numemon were free. As if, despite his subsequent bluster, he's sincerely afraid of a slave revolt.

A bee may be relatively harmless to most people, but a thousand bee stings is something to be feared. He wins the fight, but it's still a terrifying prospect to have to fight it.

Dub WaruMonzaemon, on the other hand, remains cool and in control of the situation all the way throughout.

Either way, with the last of the attacking Numemon down, the revolution is over.

Wait, no, it's not. What the shit is this?

WaruMonzaemon winds up to finish off the piled up Numemon. Not a special attack; He winds up his right paw, the teddy bear paw that doesn't have a huge claw attached to it.

WaruMonzaemon: Ehehe... This is the end! Hikari: (opens her eyes) ...Numemon....

Suddenly, Hikari begins to glow again, blinding WaruMonzaemon. Her light blinds WaruMonzaemon, forcing him to stumble back until he reaches the wall.

WaruMonzaemon: Ack! What is this light!? Tailmon: Hikari!

While Show Me Your Brave Heart starts up, the Numemon are all rejuvenated by Hikari's light and stand back up. They're not the only ones.

Piyomon: It's surging inside me! Patamon: The power is overflowing!

Hikari's light not only super-evolves Tailmon into Angewomon, it also restores all of the Numemon's strength and evolves Patamon and Piyomon into Angemon and Birdramon for good measure.

With Show Me Your Brave Heart, which is typically cued up by an evolution, instead beginning when Hikari starts to glow. Just to drive home that this is that energy. The same sacred light that typically emanates from the Digivices, pouring directly out of Hikari's body.

In the dub, WaruMonzaemon calls his soft teddy-paw punch as Heartbreak Attack despite it just being a normal punch.

WaruMonzaemon: DAAAAAAAAUGH!!! WHERE'S THAT LIGHT COMING FROM!?!? Gatomon: KARI!?!? WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!? I'M SURGING WITH ENERGY!!! QUICK, GET ME A SCRATCHING POST!!!

Only Gatomon reacts to Kari's surging light, which causes us to lose the context that it's Kari prompting Patamon and Piyomon's evolutions here.

(Which is probably why those two only go to Adult. Hikari's unfiltered sacred light can stand in for the Digivices, those are universal, but she can't stand in for their individual Crests.)

Similarly, without the musical cue of Show Me Your Brave Heart starting up as the Numemon begin rising back up again, it might not be as readily apparent that they aren't just getting a second wind; She's flooding them with sacred energy too.

This all feeds back into what Homeostasis was saying; That the power comes from the children. WaruMonzaemon demands to know "What is this hikari?" and the question is the answer. It's Hikari.

Her light, her hikari, the light channeled by the Sacred Devices and the Crests, is filling every Digimon in the room with power.

WaruMonzaemon blinks for a moment; His back against the wall. But then he resolves himself to fight them all anyway.

It does not go well.

WaruMonzaemon: N-No big deal. I'll put you all to work!

WaruMonzaemon's bravado lasts right up until they start shooting. Once Meteor Wing, Heaven's Knuckle, and Holy Arrow are all coming his way, he panics and flees the room. He shuts the door behind him, trying to bar it, but the three converging shots blow the door off its hinges and send him flying.

As WaruMonzaemon soars, he lets out an agonized scream like a death cry, though we do not see him pixelate; He's merely blasted offscreen.

Once WaruMonzaemon is gone, Hikari picks up one of the injured Numemon. Sora does the same. This time, when Hikari speaks, her voice does have a vocal effect. It's not the voice of Homeostasis but something different; A sort of booming echo reverberating her words.

Hikari: Are you okay, Numemon? Sora's Numemon: (perks up and starts squiggling) Nume! Nume Nume Nume! Sora: Ehehehe! This one's so full of energy! Hikari's Numemon: Thank you, Hikari-sama. Hikari: I'm glad you're okay.

Out of nowhere, Hikari begins to glow even more brightly.

Takeru: Ah! Hikari-chan's light!

Yes, that line does sound as redundant as you probably expect. XD It's ヒカリちゃんのひかりが Hikari-chan no hikari ga!

(If you're wondering why you can't find two instances of the same letter set in that sentence, it's because Japan has three separate written languages. Hikari's name is spelled in katakana since it's a proper noun but the word hikari is in hiragana. They're ヒカリ and ひかり respectively. There is also the kanji 光 for hikari.)

The light shines out through the doorway behind where Birdramon was standing a moment ago.

Hikari: The light will guide us. Takeru: Maybe if we follow the light, we'll find Taichi-san's group! Sora: Yeah. Hikari-chan, we'll trust your light to guide our way.

From there, the Chosen Children set out, following the course that the light has provided them.

In the dub:

WaruMonzaemon: Uh-oh. (blink blink) Oh, ganging up, huh!? I'll put you to work too! What do you think of that!? (The Partners shoot; WaruMonzaemon flees behind the door.) WaruMonzaemon: That should keep them out! (explosion) WAAAAAUGH!!! (Hikari and Sora pick up Numemon.) Kari?: No more chains, Numemon. Sora's Numemon: (dances and makes non-specific happy noises) Sora: Ehehe! They're cute when they're not so slimy. Kari's Numemon: I love you, Queen Kari! Kari?: You're sweet. (Kari sets down the Numemon and glows brighter) T.K.: That light again! Look at it! Kari?: My light will guide us towards the others. T.K.: Don't look at me but I think it's like this night light I used to have that guided me towards the bathroom. Sora: Oh. Well, Kari, I hope your light doesn't run out of batteries.

Here is where I'm pretty sure that what the dub's been going for with Kari is the same as the original. She's not supposed to be doing Homeostasis voice, but Hikari Booming With Light voice. They just... had her start doing it a lot sooner, weirding out Gatomon and making her seem possessed. And also the two voices are really similar.

The original keeps Hikari's normal speaking voice up until this scene, building up to it so it's more evident that this is just Hikari's power manifesting. This is basically her Crest Episode, since she didn't really get one due to being a late-comer.

(As a kid, I really did think this was Homeostasis coming back.)

While the children take their leave, the still-breathing WaruMonzaemon reports back to Mugendramon.

WaruMonzaemon: (whining and crying) Mugendramon-sama! Mugendramon-samaaaaaaa! Mugendramon: WaruMonzaemon. What is it? WaruMonzaemon: The Chosen Children and their Digimon are here! Mugendramon: They're in your area? WaruMonzaemon: (still whining) I bravely stood up to them because I wanted to make Mugendramon-sama happy but then they beat me up. Mugendramon: YOU IDIOT!!! Why didn't you report in to me first and tell me that you'd found the Chosen Children!?

WaruMonzaemon has no good answer for that, so he instead tries to deflect the conversation by turning around and milking his injuries.

WaruMonzaemon: Um, um... Augh, the wounds that the Chosen Children gave me hurt so much.... Mugendramon-sama! Help me! Mugendramon: Now that I know where the Chosen Children are... I have no further use for you.

WaruMonzaemon has only a second to process what that means, eyes filling with terror, before the communications room he's in explodes. The last we see of him is his severed left paw, which slowly disintegrates into pixel dust.

(Man, Cockatrimon was a way better minion than WaruMonzaemon. He went straight to the comms room to tell Etemon he had the kids. He only took his own initiative once Nanomon disrupted their connection and blocked Etemon from coming to them.)

In the dub, Machinedramon dominates the conversation, peppering it with constant threats.

WaruMonzaemon: Well, you see, Lord Machinedramon, it's actually a pretty funny story-- Machinedramon: Stop stalling and tell me what happened, WaruMonzaemon! That is, while you're still able to talk. WaruMonzaemon: Uh, yes, your Metalness. You see, I found the DigiDestined! Machinedramon: They were in your area!? WaruMonzaemon: (slowly breaks down and starts crying) Yes, uh, I was gonna capture them for you but this one little girl was really strong T_T and then the Numemon were fighting me and it hurt really bad and-- Machinedramon: ENOUGH!!! If you thought that puny little girl was tough, wait 'til I get through with you! Why didn't you alert me, you two-bit carnival prize!? WaruMonzaemon: I wanted to tell you sooner but they wounded me. Look at my owies and boo-boos! Machinedramon: I'm sorry. I should be more sympathetic after your grueling battle. Let me reward you for helping me locate the DigiDestined. WaruMonzaemon: (realizing) !!!

WaruMonzaemon has one more line after the explosion, uh, was supposed to kill him. As his arm pixelates, he quips:

WaruMonzaemon: HE SHOT MY PAW!!!

This may be a reference to the classic Western movie cliche, "He shot my pa!" You don't hear it so much these days but I remember growing up and making all kinds of jokes about, "Oh, you don't like reading? Did a book shoot your pa?"

It could also be meant to deflect WaruMonzaemon's death, implying that the explosion only ripped off his arm and did no further harm to him.

So, did the dub spare WaruMonzaemon, or is he just getting one last quip in for the road? You decide.

From here, we go to commercial in both versions, then come back to see what's up with Taichi's crew. Taichi, Koushiro, and their Partners are exploring a different area of the undercity.

Taichi: HIKARI!!! HIKARIIIIIIIIIII!!!

Agumon stumbles and falls. He picks himself up, breathing hard. Taichi, who also sounds out of breath and at his limit, scolds Agumon for tripping.

Taichi: Agumon! What are you doing!? I'll leave you behind! Agumon: Ack... I'm sorry, Taichi.... Koushiro: Taichi-san, Agumon and Tentomon are tired. Let's take a small break.

Taichi is silent a moment while Koushiro speaks. He offers no response. Instead, he starts walking again, forming a circle in front of his mouth with his hands to project his voice.

Taichi: HIKARI!!! Koushiro: Truth is, I'm tired as well. Taichi: HIKARI!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? Koushiro: (more assertively) Taichi-san, please compose yourself. Even you must be exhausted. Tentomon: (worried) Koushiro-han....

Despite his best efforts Koushiro's words fall on deaf ears.

In the dub:

Tai: KARI!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!? (Agumon collapses) Tai: Agumon, what are you doing, laying down at a time like this!? Agumon: Sorry, Tai. I'll try to keep up. Izzy: You know, Tai, that's the fifth time he's collapsed. Call me crazy but I think maybe we should rest for a while. Tai: Hmm... hmm... KARI!!! Izzy: (sarcastic) That's right, just let our Digimon die! Agumon & Tentomon: Huh!? Izzy: Oh, sorry, guys. It's just a figure of speech. Tai: ... Izzy: I'm pretty tired too, Tai. Why don't we rest. Then we can commence our search again. Tentomon: Please don't provoke him, Izzy!

Differently phrased but still captures the spirit of the original.

The only change of any significance is that Tai makes contemplation noises when Izzy first appeals for a rest, like he's weighing Izzy's words in his head before making a decision. Taichi is cold and silent, and goes back to what he's doing right after.

Unfortunately, Koushiro's words do not fall on deaf ears this time. Worse: Taichi listens.

Taichi: Hikari is sick! Koushiro: Yes, I understand that! Taichi: If you understand, then don't get in the way! Agumon: T-Taichi.... Koushiro: (shocked) I haven't gotten in the way at all! Taichi: SHUT UP!!!

Taichi roars that last line suddenly, sprinting back towards the group and tackling Koushiro to the ground.

Koushiro: You've lost your mind! Taichi: What was that!? Agumon: Don't do this! Tentomon: Both of you, calm down! Taichi: YOU BASTARD!!!

This time, it's Taichi's turn to throw down a 野郎 yarou. He is livid.

In the dub, as before, Tai engages more with what Izzy's saying - In contrast to Taichi, who's shutting out every word from his mouth.

Tai: Don't you understand? Kari's sick! We have to find her.... Izzy: I know that, Tai! But she's not here right now! Tai: THAT'S MY POINT!!! We have to find her now! Agumon: Calm down, Tai! Izzy: I'm warning you, Tai! You'd better stop giving us orders OR ELSE!!! Tai: OR ELSE WHAT!?!? (Tai tackles Izzy and shoves him to the ground) Izzy: I didn't plan anything after "or else"; I just thought it sounded tough! Tai: You want to see tough!? HERE'S TOUGH!!!

Izzy provokes Tai into attacking him in this version, continuing the trend of him being much more aggressive and rude than Koushiro. In the original, Taichi basically just snaps, hurling unfounded accusations and then jumping Koushiro while the poor kid's utterly lost.

Izzy's provocation does lead into an admittedly funny punchline, albeit one inappropriately placed given the tone of this scene. There's really nothing funny about watching the Chosen Children violently self-destruct even further.

Lifting Koushiro up by his shirt, screaming obscenities in his face, Taichi furiously throws a punch. Unlike all the times he's fought Yamato, we cut away before impact, and hear what sounds like him punching the ground.

Taichi: (whispers) Koushiro. Someone's following us. Koushiro: (whispers) What!? Taichi: Listen.

That's right, it was all a fucking ruse! Taichi snapped suddenly and unexpectedly, hurling out wild accusations and attacking Koushiro, to deceive their pursuer - who appears briefly in silhouette after Taichi tells Koushiro to listen. Their heavy footsteps faintly noticeable in the distance.

Tentomon & Agumon: Taichi-han! / Taichi! Taichi: I know. Koushiro? Koushiro: Yes? Taichi: Pretend to keep fighting while we hide behind that door. Koushiro: Understood.

Taichi stands up, pulling Koushiro to his feet by his collar and turning him so his back is to the door. While they yell at each other, Taichi forces Koushiro back through the doorway while Tentomon and Agumon plead for them to stop.

Koushiro: You've really done it now! Taichi: And what are you gonna do about it!? Agumon: STOP IT!!! Tentomon: Stop this, both of you! Koushiro-han, this is no time for fighting!

Nice fake-victim-blaming, Tentomon.

In the dub, when Tai throws his punch, Koushiro lets out a pained grunt. Tai actually hit him in this version.

Tai: Izzy! Did you hear that? Izzy: Huh? Tai: Just listen. Getting closer. Footsteps! izzy: All I hear is my head pounding.... Tai: Someone's here! (Silhouette approaches, heavy footsteps faintly audible) Agumon: Do you think he's been following us? Tai: Maybe. Let's pretend to keep fighting and we'll hide behind that gate. Izzy: Okay, but just make sure your next punch is pretend too. (Tai pulls Izzy to his feet) Tai: BETTER STOP CALLING ME NAMES!!! Izzy: I WILL NOT!!! YOU'RE A BULLY AND... A RUFFIAN!!! Tai: That's the best you can come up with? Izzy: Yes, on such short notice!

Oh, I hate that Tai actually hit him. The dub seems to be playing this like Tai and Izzy really are having a serious fight, only to be interrupted and brought back to reality by the approaching footsteps.

In the original, this is a clever fakeout. We know from his more sincere altercation with Mimi that Tai's trauma response is aggressive and violent. Taichi lashes out to avoid feeling helpless. His fear and his pain make him want to get up and take action, to push back against the thing that's hurting him. Which isn't always a good thing.

Just one episode ago, we saw that violence turned on Koushiro when his anxiety (and some childhood PTSD) over Hikari's wellbeing got the better of him. It's so easy to believe that he's doing that again. But he's not. Instead, he's using his own well-established flaws as a cover to pull Koushiro out of what may be an enemy line of fire.

This doesn't come through in the dub, where Izzy starts the fight and Tai genuinely hits him. There, it seems like they started fighting sincerely, then Tai heard something and realized they shouldn't be doing this.

The "bully and a ruffian" bit is great, though. Being comically terrible at smack-talk would fit perfectly for Koushiro too.

Once they're out of sight, Taichi and Koushiro lie in wait for their stalker.

Koushiro: Are they with Mugendramon? Taichi: Probably. Agumon: Taichi? Tentomon: Koushiro-han? Taichi: Do it. Koushiro: If you would, please.

Agumon and Tentomon kick off their evolutions. It goes as well as Piyomon and Patamon's first attempts.

Tentomon: Tentomon SHINKAAAAAA Tentomon: Kabuteri... mon.... Agumon: Agumon SHINKAAAAAA Agumon: GREYMON!!! Grey... mon.....

Unwilling to accept what just happened, Agumon starts flailing about and trying to make himself look big.

Agumon: GREYMON!!! GREYMON!!! GREY-- Taichi: (forces Agumon's mouth shut) Agumon! You guys must be too tired. Agumon: ... Taichi: I'm sorry, Koushiro. Koushiro: That's okay. I know you're just worried about Hikari-san.

Though the fight was fake, Taichi running them ragged looking for Hikari was not. Now the boys are left with few options against the Metal Empire soldier headed their way.

In the dub:

Izzy: Do you think it could be one of Machindramon's guys? Tai: It's possible. Agumon: Should we... Tentomon: ...Digivolve? Tai: Yes. Izzy: Not a bad idea. (Digivolutions begin) Tentomon: Tentomon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Tentomon: Kabu... never mind.... Agumon: Agumon, DIGIVOLVE TO.... Agumon: Greymon. Greymon! Agumon: (out of evolution sequence) GREYMON, YEAH, I'M GREYMON, I'M BIG AND I'M BAD-- Tai: (forces Agumon's mouth shut) Agumon! Your Digivolve was a Digi-Dud. Izzy: Your energy levels are too low! Tai: Izzy... I'm sorry. Izzy: It's okay, Tai. I know your original intention wasn't to punch me. You were worried about Kari, that's all.

In the original, he's apologizing for exhausting their Digimon and leaving them defenseless. That Taichi pushed Agumon and Tentomon to the brink of exhaustion is kind of a big deal right now, what with the Metal Empire goon bearing down on them.

The dub uses Izzy's response to change the apology, making it about the fight they had a moment ago. A fight which, I repeat, was just a ruse in the original.

With nowhere to run and no better options, it's time to face the music. The team resolves themselves to face this new adversary.

It may not go exactly the way they expect.

Taichi: This is my fault. I'll go fight them. Koushiro: Please don't be so reckless. If we work together, we may be able to prevail. Agumon: He's right, Taichi. Tentomon: You should have more faith in us. Taichi: Guys... Understood. (Footsteps get louder) Koushiro: Here they come....

Taichi was legit about to go out there by himself to try and fistfight the forces of the Metal Empire. To be fair, he did successfully jump a Bakemon once. Kid's vicious.

Finally, their pursuer reveals himself... to be Andromon! From File Island!

It's been a long time since we've seen him, so he gets another rundown. Andromon is a Perfect-stage Vaccine-type Cyborg Digimon. That made him utterly invincible way back when but compared to the Dark Masters, he's practically quaint.

Andromon's putting in a thematically appropriate appearance here. Andromon was included in the Metal Empire lineup as one of its two Vaccine Perfects, alongside the Vaccine form of MetalGreymon that the anime debuted.

So he's returning for this arc because he's Metal Empire, even though he's not... in the Metal Empire.

Team: ANDROMON!?!? Narrator: Andromon. A Cyborg Digimon last seen on File Island. Kabuterimon was able to free him from the effects of Devimon's Black Gear.

Yeah, the spare rundown is just a recap of where we saw him last. Funny that Ogremon, Whamon, etc. didn't get one of those. Metal Privilege, more like.

In the dub, they're still talking about the earlier (real) fight with Izzy.

Tai: What's fair is fair. I want you to hit me right now. Izzy: That's ridiculous! I won't resort to that! Nothing can be settled with violence. I'm not going to hit you, Tai. Agumon: Can I hit you, then? Tentomon: I wouldn't mind a swipe myself. Tai: Okay, I get it! (Footsteps get louder) Izzy: Here he comes!

"Nothing can be settled with violence," Izzy says, in the middle of a warzone we have entered in order to kill the Forces of Darkness with supreme violence.

Agumon and Tentomon wanting to take Tai up on his offer got me, though. XD

Team: ANDROMON!?!? Tentomon: (rundown) I remember now! We met Andromon on File Island! He was the Android Digimon who had a Black Gear stuck in his mechanism, but we removed it and freed him of its evil spell!

Technically, he's a cyborg, not an android. But also he's literally called Andromon so I can see where the confusion came from.

Dragon Ball fans are probably nodding along right now like, "Mm. Yes. Jinzoningen." That word, a catch-all for "Artificial Human", has caused much argument among the Dragon Ball fandom.

But no. The Digimon Analyzer uses English words spelled in Katakana for its classifications. Andromon's classification is サイボーグ saibougu or "Cyborg". And his name is アンドロモン Andoromon. The original Japanese version did this to themselves.

Andromon, it turns out, is as surprised to see the kids as they are to see him.

Andromon: I didn't expect to see you here. Taichi: YOU didn't!? That's how WE feel! Right? Koushiro: Yes. Andromon, what are you doing here? Andromon: I'm here to liberate the cities under Mugendramon's control. I came underground to act as the lone operative of a resistance movement.

We zoom in on water droplets striking a puddle, and in the puddle we see visions from Andromon's memories. Images of destruction ravaging the urban areas of the Digital World.

Andromon: That is why I thought you were Mugendramon's subordinates. Agumon: No way! Tentomon: How awful of you. Andromon: (apologetic) I didn't know.

Come on, guys, let's not beat up the poor cyber-droid too bad. We thought he was with Mugendramon too. Taichi put on a whole song and dance for it and everything.

In the dub:

Andromon: I wasn't sure if it was you or not. Tai: Well, it's nice to see a friendly face! Izzy: Even if it is made of metal. What are you doing down here anyway, Andromon? Tai: And why are you sneaking up on people?

Izzy, was that remark necessary? Why are you so rude?

Andromon: I'm trying to put together a resistance army against Machinedramon. I've heard rumors that Digimon are hiding in the sewers. (Water drip flashbacks begin) Andromon: They fled here when Machinedramon burned the cities. I've come to the sewers to organize them and, while I'm here, I'm going to fix that drip! (End flashbacks) Andromon: I thought you were spies sent here by Machinedramon to destroy my plans. Agumon: HM!?!? Tentomon: How insulting. Andromon: I'm sorry.

We are most certainly in a transit tunnel area of the hybrid undercity. You don't generally find chain link fenced walkways and street art covering the walls in a sewer; Those are rarely considered to be social spaces. However, the dub's committed to all of this being sewers.

Moving right along, there are more pressing questions for Andromon.

Taichi: We're looking for someone named Hikari. Koushiro: She should be with Sora-san and Takeru-kun. Andromon: Is that right? Please wait one moment.

I love how Taichi's like "Have you seen Hikari?" and then Koushiro jumps in with, "Have you seen Sora and Takeru? We're looking for that assortment of people." Like.

Yeah. Ask Andromon about the parts of that group that he knows. That's going to be the best way to find her.

Andromon holds up his arms, and cables shoot up from them. Connecting to the... uh... ceiling?.... he scans for the missing children.

Koushiro: Please, if you could. Hikari-san is Taichi-san's little sister. Andromon: Incoming! Taichi: Hikari is!? Koushiro: She's on her way!?

Definitely Not Hikari suddenly smashes through the wall a short distance ahead.

Mugendramon: Here you are, Chosen Children. Team: MUGENDRAMON!!!

No, although he had intended to scan for the other Chosen Children, Andromon got a little sidetracked by the signal of Mugendramon thirty feet away and closing in fast. That took precedence.

In the dub:

Tai: We're looking for my little sister named Kari. She's sick! Have you seen her? Izzy: Sora, Biyomon, T.K., and Patamon are probably with her too. Andromon: You mean Queen Kari is your sister!? Izzy: QUEEN!?!? Andromon: Wait just a moment! (Andromon begins scanning) Andromon: THEY'RE COMING!!! Izzy: Kari and the others are coming here!? When!? Andromon: NOW!!! Tai: Really!? Izzy: Prodigious, Andromon! (Machinedramon breaks through the wall) Machinedramon: Oh, good. Just what I was looking for: Victims. Team: MACHINEDRAMON!!!

Man, remember when we needed to make a raft to leave File Island and everyone just showed up like, "Oh yeah, word travels fast." They weren't kidding; Those File Island Digimon really do love to gossip. Dub Andromon has not only heard of the Queen Kari incident but readily joined her cult.

The "incoming" confusion in the dub is janky.

In the original, all Andromon says is, "くる Kuru!" That is a verb that means something is inbound, on its way, on approach, etc. He offers no further specification, and Taichi and Koushiro only have room for two quick lines before Mugendramon arrives.

So Taichi and Koushiro draw the wrong conclusions because they don't realize the context has switched.

In the dub, he explicitly says "They're coming." That's a plural term. I mean, it can also be a singular pronoun for non-binary individuals but the dub uses he/him for Machinedramon.

This isn't necessarily incorrect. They are, in fact, coming. Hikari's group is following her light to Taichi and the others, and we will see them shortly. They are closing in, so if he'd left it at that, then it would still work.

But then he says "NOW!!!" right before Machinedramon breaks through the wall. Meaning he was unambiguously referring to Machinedramon when he said they're coming. Um?

Machinedramon's opening line is pretty sick, though.

Standing there now, side by side with Not Hikari, Taichi and Koushiro face down the wrath of Also Not Hikari.

Mugendramon: Andromon is with you? I'll dispose of you all together then.

Mugendramon puts into action his new plan: Being very large. Rearing up to his full height, he smashes through the roof above him. Then he walks forward, collapsing the tunnel in his wake.

Andromon: Find some place to hide. Team: Andromon!?

Andromon moves forward and grabs hold of Mugendramon's ankle, attempting to hold him back.

Team: ANDROMON!!!

He fails miserably, as Mugendramon uses the wheels under his feet to simply roll forward and drive Andromon back. But it buys the children a moment to tuck back into that side door they tried to ambush Andromon from.

Once Mugendramon's passed, Taichi's crew emerges and sprints off in pursuit.

Team: ANDROMOOOOOON!!!

We suddenly cut to another part of the undercity. Hikari, still glowing, lets out a sharp gasp.

Sora: Hikari-chan? What is it? Hikari: Close by.... Takeru: You mean Taichi-san's group? Hikari: INCOMING!!!

Suddenly Mugendramon's face and shoulders smash through the tunnel ahead, continuing right on out the other side.

Sora & Takeru: MUGENDRAMON!?!?

Yeah, that's right, Hikari fucking did it to her team too! XD

In the dub, Machinedramon is inexplicably more interested in Andromon than in the DigiDestined.

Machinedramon: Hello, Andromon. Babysitting? I'll destroy you first while the others watch! (Machinedramon breaks through the ceiling and walks forward, collapsing the tunnel) Andromon: I'll hold him off. You hide. Izzy: Careful! (Andromon tries to hold back Machinedramon) Team: Andromon! (The kids take cover while Machinedramon passes) Tai: Andromon, hang on! We're coming to help! (Cut to the upper floor) Kari: (sharp gasp) Sora: What is it, Kari? Kari: They're coming! T.K.: You mean Tai? When? Kari: Now. (Machinedramon smashes through) Sora & T.K.: MACHINEDRAMON!?!?

As with Andromon, the fact that Kari says "Now" right before Machinedramon arrives seems to explicitly confirm that she's somehow misidentified Machinedramon as Tai, rather than simply communicating the context badly.

Though in this case, at least Tai is fairly close, so the two events could be taken as unrelated.

It's still janky, but at least they got the part where this is an ironic repetition of the earlier bit right.

Unfortunately for Sora's group, being on the upper floor of the ceiling Mugendramon's caving in means they're standing on floors he's caving in. The floor beneath them collapses underfoot, plunging them into the lower tunnel.

Angemon, Angewomon, and Birdramon work together to slow the children's descent, giving Hikari the most messianic symbolism she's had yet. Her light is even shining in the shape of a crucifix.

Taichi's group watches them descend.

Hikari: Onii-chan! Taichi: Hikari! Koushiro: Sora-san! Takeru-kun! Sora: Koushiro-kun!

Tai's group climbs over the debris and hurries over to where the others landed. Now that they're finally reunited, Hikari stops glowing. Taichi runs up to her, picking her up and spinning her around.

Taichi: Hikari! Hikari: Onii-chan! Koushiro: What a relief. Sora: Hey, what's happening with Mugendramon? Koushiro: Andromon is fighting him to defend us. Sora: EH!? Koushiro: He's been down here putting on a solo resistance.

In the dub:

Kari: Tai, it's you! Tai: KARI!!! Izzy: Sora! T.K.! (The two teams reunite) Tai: (picking up Kari and spinning her) KARI!!! Kari: TAI!!! Izzy: She made it! Sora: Was that Andromon I saw fighting with Machinedramon? Izzy: That's him, alright. He's sacrificing himself to protect us. Sora: (wails) Izzy: He's raising an army against Machinedramon.

I mean. Sacrificing himself probably isn't the A plan. I'm sure Andromon would very much like to win this fight if that's an option. We should probably try to make that an option.

Andromon and Mugendramon continue to fight while they have this chat. Suddenly, Mugendramon raises his claw and slams it down on Andromon; An attack the dub names "Dragon Fire" despite just being an open-handed smash.

Birdramon intervenes, shoving back against Mugendramon's bulk while the angels help Andromon get away.

Angewomon: You're okay. Andromon: (weakly) Thank you.... Angemon: We're with you now. Birdramon: Let's fight him together. Andromon: Agreed.

The four Digimon take take up positions in front of Mugendramon and fire their attacks. Meteor Wing, Holy Arrow, Heaven's Knuckle, and Spiral Sword converge on Mugendramon, resulting in a destructive blast that tears up through the ceiling and into the hybrid city above.

Caught in the middle of the blast but entirely undeterred, Mugendramon roars.

Taichi & Sora: (startled gasps) Koushiro: Mugendramon is Ultimate level, isn't he?

Mugendramon returns fire with his Mugen Cannon. Rather than firing two charged-up twin beams of destruction, however, this time he rapid-fires single shots, alternating cannons.

His aim is terrible. We see him spraying fire up into the city above, and one dramatically into the camera. So this is clearly a spray-and-pray firing mode. But he hits his marks, taking out all four Digimon before him.

In the dub:

Angewomon: Are you alright, Andromon? Andromon: Yes, thank you. Angemon: We'll take you to safety. Birdramon: NO!!! Let's fight Machinedramon together! (Everyone attacks to no effect) Tai & Sora: (startled gasps) Izzy: Machinedramon's a Mega Digimon! They can't win!

The initial plan in the dub is to retreat. However, Birdramon - the weakest of the four, mind you - has an attack of machismo and convinces the others to throw hands instead. They all lose and it's her fault.

Once the Digimon are down, Mugendramon turns towards the children.

Mugendramon: Ahahahaha.... These whelps can't even touch me. I suppose the rest of you are next.

Taichi closes his eyes and braces for the end. In the process, he takes his attention momentarily off Hikari, who marches right out there to give this colossal metal asshole a piece of her mind.

Taichi: (realizing) Hikari! Sora: Hikari-chan!

As she walks, sunlight streams down into the ruined undercity from the destruction above.

As Hikari stands before Mugendramon, a swarm of green floods over him from behind. The Numemon swarm him, covering every inch of his metal body.

Mugendramon: Hmph. These pipsqueaks shouldn't play around. Hikari: Numemon...? Mugendramon: (laughing while talking) You're really trying to fight me? Hikari: Numemon...!

We don't see the attack, but Mugendramon slams his right claw down into the ground and a sort of energy blast sound effect plays. But whatever it is, it kills them all. Crying out in unison, all of the Numemon disintegrate into pixel dust together.

Hikari: NUMEMON!!!

In the dub:

Machinedramon: They weren't even worth my time. You're all next!

We go to commercial here, with Machinedramon bearing down on the children.

Machinedramon: Now I've got you, DigiDestined! Who wants to be the first victim? (Hikari walks out in front) Tai: Kari! Team: (gasp) Machinedramon: How brave you are to volunteer. I'll try to make this as painful as I can. (Numemon swarm) Machinedramon: What do you think you are doing, Numemon? Kari: Numemon? Machinedramon: Do you slimy Digimon call this fighting!? Kari: Numemon!

Machinedramon calls Giga Cannon when he kills the Numemon, even though they are way too close for Giga Cannon.

Kari: OH, NUMEMON!!!

The main distinction between versions is that Machinedramon asks one of them to come out to him and Kari acquiesces, rather than Hikari simply doing that of her own volition.

Hikari's light consumes her once more and she passes out on the spot.

Taichi: HIKARI!!!

Taichi runs to his sister. Agumon tries to follow, but the Hikari's light takes him as well, overwhelming him with energy.

Agumon: So much fury and power!

Agumon Warp-Evolves into WarGreymon. Not to the sound of Show Me Your Brave Heart, but to a somber orchestral tune. There is nothing triumphant or heroic here. This is just revenge.

Roaring, screaming, WarGreymon charges forward while Taichi cradles the unconscious Hikari.

WarGreymon: RAAAAAAAAGH!!! Taichi: Wake up! Hikari! WarGreymon: HRRAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

In the dub:

Tai: KARI!!! Agumon: AUGH!!! I feel the power!

The dub plays the standard Digimon Theme over Agumon's Warp-Digivolution.

WarGreymon: HRUGH!!! Tai: Wake up! WarGreymon: RRRRRRGH!!!

Dub WarGreymon lets out angry grunts and growls as he runs, but isn't screaming blood fury like his original counterpart.

As WarGreymon charges forward, the camera briefly closes up on his Dramon Killers, which let out both a visible and audible shimmer. A momentary reminder that. Y'know. Digimon with "dramon" at the end of their name are super vulnerable to his claws.

WarGreymon and Mugendramon strike each other at once, posing dramatically in the classic quick-draw samurai "Which one will fall?" pose.

The answer is WarGreymon.

The energy Hikari gave him now exhausted, WarGreymon degenerates back into Koromon, with a carved line visible across his face.

Taichi: (gasp) Hikari: (weakly) Koromon.... Mugendramon: This is the end. Koromon: And a good one. I have Taichi, Hikari, and everyone else with me!

We briefly pan around the area to see them all smiling at him. Angemon and Angewomon. Sora, Takeru, Koushiro, and Tentomon. Andromon and Birdramon. Taichi and Hikari. Then, as if willed into existence by Koromon's friendships, WarGreymon's attacks suddenly take effect.

Bit by bit, carved-off parts of Mugendramon slide off and disintegrate into pixels.

(Dude was able to turn his head and hold a brief chat; That is a hell of a delayed reaction. Two of the slices were through his head, cutting it into thirds!)

This is too sappy for the dub, which focuses instead on the violence.

Tai: Koromon! Kari: Mm... Huh? Machinedramon: Now I will finish you once and for all! Koromon: I don't think so! You missed what I did as WarGreymon! I sliced you like an onion!

It's another example of the dub being more comfortable with the violent aspects of the show than the emotional bits. But, in their defense, it does segue better into Machinedramon's death. Mugendramon abruptly falls apart once everyone's finished validating Koromon, out of absolutely nowhere.

With Mugendramon's death... there is suddenly a new concern.

The world around them begins to shake furiously.

Andromon: Now that Mugendramon, ruler of the cities, has been defeated, this whole area is going to collapse. Takeru: (worried gasp) Sora: Don't worry. We'll face this together. Takeru: (affirmative) Mm! Koushiro: It's dangerous to stay here. We should escape as quickly as we can! Taichi: Yeah. Let's go!

Real sense of urgency going around with everyone standing there smiling and talking about how urgent things are. XD Come on, guys, I know the Hug It Out Energy got us through Mugendramon but we need to snap out of it and be worried again. At least until we're out of the undercity.

In the dub:

Andromon: Without Machinedramon, this area has become unstable! It's beginning to fall apart! T.K.: (terrified wail) Sora: Nothing can happen to us that we can't handle together! T.K.: Right! Izzy: I think it's becoming a little too dangerous. We better get out of here! Tai: You're right! Let's go!

As the city collapses and the city stripe recedes from Spiral Mountain, the children escape to the airspace surrounding the mountain.

Angemon carries Takeru and Koushiro. Angewomon has Taichi and Hikari. Birdramon has Sora. Where is Andromon? Well.... It's complicated.

It's not complicated. He's clinging to Birdramon's other leg. You can briefly make out his leg through the gap in Angewomon's wings if you look really close in exactly the right shot. But that brief glimpse in which you have to be looking at just the right time is all we see of him. Meanwhile, his voice has the internal monologue or voice-over effect played on it, like the group is remembering words he spoke to them before they left.

Andromon (V.O.?): Now that the cities are gone, my fight is over. Hikari: Onii-chan... When we get down, can I make a grave for the Numemon? Taichi: Yeah. Sora: We'll all do it. Team: Mm-hm!

While everyone has their minds made up on this next course of action, we close on a final shot of the floating island at the peak of Spiral Mountain.

Taichi: You're next, Piemon!

So. Andromon is still with us. He will continue to be with us next episode. But the dub (quite reasonably in my opinion) takes his absence from this scene and the voice-over effect of his line to mean we've parted ways.

Andromon: Machinedramon City is dissolving. My work here is finished. Angemon: Farewell, Andromon! Thank you! Kari: When we get down, can I build one of those memorials to my friends, the Numemon? Tai: Sure. Sora: We'll all help build it. Right, guys? Team: Uh-huh! (Final shot of the peak) Tai: You're next, Piedmon!

To make this a cliffhanger, the dub splices in a closeup of Piedmon's face, laughing maniacally.

Piedmon: WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Narrator: Will the DigiDestined be able to defeat the most powerful Dark Master of all? Find out their fate on the next Digimon: Digital Monsters.

So, I can't really blame the dub for thinking Andromon had left given the weirdness.

...but also I can because. Like.

We've long since determined that they didn't watch episodes in advance and this is just more evidence. He is right there next episode.

Assessment: I said earlier that this is basically Hikari's Crest episode and I stand by that. We were promised an abyss where darkness rules, and the answer to that abyss was Hikari showering it in her light and purging the darkness from every corner.

There is a lot of poetry and symbolism in the way this episode uses Hikari's light. It connects directly to the idea that the sacred energy, the power to influence Digimon evolution, comes from within the children.

It's no coincidence that it's Hikari, the girl from the OVA, who empowers Agumon (formerly her Digimon) to defeat Mugendramon. They even play a bit of the OVA's music when she marches out to face Mugendramon alone.

In a poetic and spiritual sense, this is a very powerful episode.

But in the literal sense... there is a lot of "I guess this is happening now" going around. Hikari's suddenly throwing around new powers, evolving other kids' Partner Digimon and psychic-sensing Taichi and Mugendramon. Abilities that have not been previously established and are not well explained.

Similarly, all that build-up with the Numemon amounts to is them running in, accomplishing nothing, and dying swiftly so that Hikari can go Super Saiyan.

There's a lot of ideas I liked in here, but the Mugendramon sub-arc maybe needed another episode so this stuff would have more space to breathe.

[artgroves]

Illustration for "Water, which laughs at all things", by T.K. Rex & L. Ann Kinyon, for the New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine Issue #2

Issue #0 is a free download if you want to check it out!

New Edge on Insta | Website

[vague-humanoid]

@chrisdornerfanclub

[connieluvsr]

DUTY CALLS / series / 2

pairing : police officer carlos reyes x paramedic tk strand

genre : 911lone star universe, fluff, angst, smut, more to be added

summary : “A glimpse into Carlos and T.K.’s dangerous lives, balancing the chaos of emergency calls with quiet moments. A series.”

warnings : violence, trauma and medical emergencies, mental issues health, substance abuse, natural disasters, homophobia and discrimination, injuries, profanity, frightening and intense scenes, sexual scenes, sweet moments of carlos and tk lol and HOT CARLOS

ao3 :

Carlos walked into the precinct.

He felt a renewed sense of purpose after last night’s events, knowing they were onto something bigger. He headed straight for Detective Ortega’s office, pushing the door open to find her hunched over a desk piled high with case files.

“Morning, Reyes,” she said, looking up with a tired but determined expression. “You’re just in time. We’ve got some leads on that robbery group.”

“Let’s hear it,” Carlos replied, taking a seat across from her.

Ortega pulled up a digital map on her computer. “As we discussed, the guy you tackled has a history. But he’s part of a larger crew that’s been operating in the outer limits of the city. We think they’re trying to expand their territory. The robbery last night was likely a test run.”

Carlos leaned in, studying the map closely. “So they’re using smaller jobs to gauge security responses? That’s smart, but dangerous.”

“Exactly. We can’t let them establish a foothold in downtown. I’ve got officers on the lookout, but we need to be proactive. I want to gather more intel on their previous hits.”

“What do you need me to do?” Carlos asked, eager to jump in.

“We have a witness from last night who saw something unusual right before the robbery. I want you to go talk to her. She lives a few blocks from the store. Maybe she saw something that can help us link the suspects to the other heists,” Ortega instructed, pulling up the witness’s address on the screen.

“Got it. I’ll head there now,” Carlos said, standing up. “Anything else I should know?”

“Just be careful. If this crew is as organized as we think, they might be keeping an eye on anyone getting too close,” Ortega warned.

Carlos nodded, the weight of the situation settling on him. “I’ll keep my head on a swivel.”

He left the precinct and hopped into his patrol car, flipping on the sirens as he merged onto the busy streets. The sun was shining brightly, a stark contrast to the chaos of the previous night. But Carlos felt the tension in the air; the city was still on edge.

After a short drive, he arrived at the witness’s home. The building looked modest, with flower pots lining the entrance. Carlos stepped out of the car, approaching the door and knocking firmly. Moments later, a woman in her forties opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Officer Reyes, Austin PD. Can I ask you a few questions about the robbery you witnessed last night?” he said, maintaining a professional demeanor.

“Of course, come in,” she said, stepping aside to let him enter.

The inside was cozy, with family photos adorning the walls. Carlos took a seat at the kitchen table, pulling out his notepad.

“Thank you for speaking with me,” he began. “Can you tell me what you saw before the robbery happened?”

The woman nodded, visibly shaken as she recalled the events. “I was watering my plants when I heard the commotion. I saw two men by the store, but they didn’t seem to be acting like they were shopping. They were looking around, almost like they were scouting the place.”

“Did you notice anything else? Any cars nearby, or anyone else with them?” Carlos asked, leaning in.

“Actually, yes,” she replied, her brow furrowing in concentration. “There was a dark sedan parked a bit down the street. It didn’t have its lights on, and it was just sitting there. I thought it was odd.”

“Did you see anyone in the car?” Carlos pressed.

“No, I didn’t get a good look. But I did notice it driving away just as the shooting started,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

“Thank you. That’s really helpful,” Carlos said, jotting down notes. “Do you remember anything about the car? Color, model?”

“It was dark, maybe black or navy. That’s all I can say. I was too busy trying to get my kids inside to pay attention,” she said, her eyes reflecting the anxiety of that night.

Carlos nodded, understanding the fear she must have felt. “You did the right thing by calling us. If you think of anything else, please let us know. Here’s my card.” He handed her his business card before standing up. “Stay safe.”

“I will. Thank you, Officer,” she said, her gratitude evident.

Carlos returned to his patrol car, the weight of the new information settling in. He quickly radioed Ortega with his findings.

“Ortega, I’m on my way back. The witness mentioned a dark sedan parked nearby before the robbery. She saw it drive away just as the shooting started,” he relayed, keeping his voice steady.

“Good work, Reyes. That could be the lead we need. Let’s meet back at the precinct to dig into the vehicle’s registration,” Ortega replied, her tone sharp with focus.

“On it,” Carlos responded, pulling away from the curb and heading back to the station.

Upon arriving at the precinct, he walked straight to Ortega’s office. “I’m back,” he announced, seeing her already going through files.

As they dug deeper into the case, pulling up footage and running license plates, the tension in the precinct began to build. Carlos felt a sense of urgency; they were getting closer to uncovering the bigger picture, and he could sense the storm of chaos brewing just beneath the surface.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the precinct, Detective Ortega called for a meeting to discuss the case. Carlos entered the conference room, where he found her reviewing documents with a young officer he hadn’t met before.

“Reyes, good timing,” Ortega said, gesturing for him to join them. “This is Austin. He just transferred here from New York and will be working with us on the robbery case.” Carlos can’t help but think about his man when he hears New York.

Carlos extended his hand, a friendly smile on his face. “Nice to meet you, Austin. Welcome to Austin.” He chuckled lightly, enjoying the play on words.

Austin grinned back, a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Thanks! It’s great to be here. And yeah, I get that a lot. Born and raised in New York, but I figured it was time for a change.”

“So, what brought you to Austin?” Carlos asked, genuinely curious.

“Honestly? The food, the music, and the warmer weather. But I also wanted to be part of a team that makes a difference,” Austin replied, his enthusiasm palpable.

Ortega cleared her throat, redirecting their focus. “Austin will be helping with the investigation, but I want you two to work closely together. Carlos, you’ll show him the ropes.”

Carlos hesitated, glancing at Austin, who was watching him closely. “Actually.” He does a poker face. “I was hoping to continue working directly with you, Detective. I think we’ve got some good momentum going.”

Ortega raised an eyebrow. “Carlos, Austin needs guidance, and I believe you two could make a strong team.”

Carlos shook his head, maintaining his stance. “I appreciate the confidence, but I’m more comfortable working with you. We’re close to cracking this case, and I don’t want to lose focus.”

Austin noticed the slight tension and stepped in, trying to ease the situation. “I’m happy to learn from you, Carlos. Just let me know how I can help.”

Ortega sighed, glancing between the two men. “All right, we’ll play it your way for now. Carlos, you can work with me, but I expect you to keep Austin in the loop on any developments.”

“Of course,” Carlos said, feeling a wave of relief.

“Thanks, Carlos. I appreciate it,” Austin said, his smile warm but tinged with a hint of disappointment. This guy doesn’t know how to be discreet.

As the meeting wrapped up, Carlos exchanged pleasantries with Austin but felt an unfamiliar energy in the air. He could sense that Austin was interested in him beyond just professional camaraderie, but he brushed it off, not wanting to overthink it. Does he look that gay? That boys would hit on him eventually?

As Carlos and Austin stepped out of the precinct, the air was thick with humidity, remnants of the earlier storm hanging in the atmosphere. The city seemed to buzz with energy, a stark contrast to the quiet focus of their investigative work inside the station.

Carlos climbed into his patrol car, with Austin sliding into the passenger seat beside him. “What’s the lead?” Austin asked, glancing at the screen on the dashboard.

“Dispatch received a report of a suspicious vehicle parked a few blocks from the robbery site. Described as a black sedan, possibly a late model,” Carlos replied, shifting into gear. “We need to check it out and see if it matches the description.”

Austin nodded, his enthusiasm palpable. “Let’s do it. I’ve got your back.”

They drove through the streets, the familiar sights of Austin passing by. Carlos kept his focus on the road while also observing Austin’s reactions as they discussed their theory about the getaway car.

“So, what do you think? If it’s the same car, do you think we’ll find any evidence linking it to the robbery?” Austin asked, his eyes sharp with interest.

“It’s possible. We need to see if it’s still there and check for any security cameras nearby that might have caught it leaving the scene,” Carlos responded. “Just remember, if we approach the vehicle and it’s occupied, we’ll need to call for backup.”

“Understood,” Austin replied, his voice steady. “I’ll follow your lead.”

They arrived at the location where the suspicious vehicle was reported. A black sedan was parked along the curb, seemingly abandoned, with rainwater pooling in the nearby gutter. Carlos parked and turned to Austin. “Let’s take a look.”

As they stepped out of the car, the sound of distant traffic and a slight breeze filled the air. Carlos approached the sedan cautiously, Austin following closely behind. They moved around the vehicle, inspecting the tires and any potential signs of recent activity.

“Look at the back seat,” Austin pointed out, motioning to a crumpled bag partially visible through the window. “Should we check it out?”

“Let’s make sure it’s clear first,” Carlos said, pulling out his radio. “Dispatch, this is Officer Reyes. We’re at the location of a suspicious vehicle, a black sedan. Requesting backup for a possible investigation.”

“Backup is on the way,” the dispatcher replied. “Proceed with caution.”

As they waited, Carlos peered inside the car through the windows. “Looks like there’s something in the back seat,” he muttered. “Let’s get a closer look.”

Austin nodded, eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement. “I’ll keep watch.”

With a nod of agreement, Carlos carefully opened the back door. The smell of damp upholstery hit him as he leaned inside, pulling the bag free. It was heavy, and as he unzipped it, his heart raced. Inside were stacks of cash and a couple of ski masks.

“Bingo,” Carlos said, straightening up and holding the bag out for Austin to see. “This might just be our evidence.”

Just then, the sound of sirens approached in the distance, and Carlos felt a rush of adrenaline. He quickly shoved the bag back into the car and closed the door. “Backup is here. Let’s not stick around.”

As the squad cars pulled up, Carlos felt a wave of relief wash over him. Officers jumped out, ready to assist. Carlos approached them, directing them toward the black sedan. “We’ve got a possible link to the robbery. Cash and masks were in the back seat.”

“Let’s secure the area,” one of the officers said, moving to block off the street while others began to gather evidence.

Austin watched, excitement palpable in his expression. “This is it, Carlos. We’re making progress!”

Carlos couldn’t help but smile at Austin’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, let’s keep this momentum going.”

They worked alongside their fellow officers, collecting evidence and documenting the scene. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the streets, Carlos felt a sense of satisfaction. They were on the right track, and the thrill of the chase energized him.

“Once we get everything documented, we’ll head back to the precinct,” Carlos said, looking over at Austin. “We can go through the evidence and start connecting the dots.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Austin replied, his eyes shining with determination. “I’m ready to dive into it.”

After a thorough search of the sedan and securing the evidence, they packed up and headed back to the precinct, the air buzzing with a sense of accomplishment. As they drove, Carlos glanced at Austin, who was looking out the window, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“You know, I appreciate your help today,” Carlos said, breaking the silence. “You’ve got a good instinct for this.”

Austin turned to him, a grin spreading across his face. “Thanks! I’ve always wanted to work on a case like this. It’s exciting.” Carlos thought he should’ve just shut up.

“Just remember, we need to stay focused on the job,” Carlos reminded him, keeping his tone serious.

“Of course. I’m all about getting the job done,” Austin replied, his sincerity evident.

As they arrived back at the precinct, the weight of the day began to settle in, and Carlos felt the familiar pull of fatigue. But with the adrenaline still coursing through him, he was ready to tackle the next phase of the investigation, but had an hour off, so he texted T.K instead.

Carlos: Hey baby, are you at the station? I wanna come by.

Carlos waited for 5 minutes and then he got a text back.

T.K: nope, stuck in the car, we’regoing to some building that got blown up.

Carlos sighs and goes to the vending machine.

“H-Hey aren’t you supposed to be in a break?” Austin called from

the other side of the room.

“How’d you know?” Carlos raised an eyebrow and started opening some takis.

“I-“ Carlos knew how he knew that. He searched his schedule. God he hopes he won’t make problems.

“I just don’t have anything to do, I’ll continue with the case, we’re very close.” The brunette goes to detective Ortega’s office.

“Anything on the prints we lifted from the sedan?” Carlos asked as he joined.

“They matched a known associate of Taylor’s—a guy named Marcus Grant. He’s been in and out of prison for petty crimes but has never been caught for anything this serious.”

“That’s our link,” Carlos said, his mind racing. “If we can find Taylor and Grant together, we might be able to take down this operation before they strike again.”

Ortega nodded, pulling up a photo of Marcus on her tablet. “We’ve got a known address for him. Let’s head there and see if we can catch them in the act.”

The trio quickly gathered their gear and piled into Carlos’s patrol car, tension mingling with excitement. As they drove, Carlos couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the cusp of something big.

“Do you think Taylor will be there?” Austin asked, glancing at Carlos.

“He might be. They were likely working together during the robbery,” Carlos replied, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

When they arrived at the location, they parked a safe distance away and surveyed the area. It was a run-down warehouse, the kind that often hosted illicit activities.

“Let’s go in quietly,” Ortega instructed. “We’ll split up to cover more ground.”

Carlos and Austin moved around the side, while Ortega took the front entrance. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as they crept closer to the warehouse. Carlos could feel his heart racing, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from within the building. “Did you hear that?” Austin whispered, wide-eyed.

“Yeah. Let’s move,” Carlos replied, signaling for Austin to follow him.

They pushed open a side door, and as they entered, they found themselves in a dimly lit room filled with stacks of boxes. The smell of stale air and dust was suffocating.

“Stay low,” Carlos instructed, creeping forward. They moved cautiously through the maze of boxes, searching for any sign of Taylor or Grant.

As they turned a corner, they stumbled upon a small group of men, one of whom was James Taylor. He was loading bags filled with stolen goods into the back of a van. Carlos signaled to Austin to stay back and quietly called for backup on his radio.

“Detective Ortega, we’ve located Taylor,” he whispered into the radio. “We’re ready to move in.”

“Copy that. I’m coming around,” Ortega replied, her voice low but steady.

Carlos and Austin took positions behind some crates, watching as Taylor and the others moved with urgency. The tension in the air was palpable.

“Are we going to arrest them?” Austin asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Just wait for Ortega. We need to do this by the book,” Carlos replied, keeping his eyes fixed on Taylor.

Moments later, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Ortega appeared, signaling for them to move in. With a deep breath, Carlos led the charge, stepping out from behind the crates.

“Austin Police! Hands up!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the warehouse.

The men froze, surprise etched across their faces. Taylor and his accomplices quickly dropped the bags, raising their hands.

“Back away from the van!” Ortega commanded, moving forward with authority. Carlos and Austin flanked her, ensuring that the suspects didn’t make a run for it.

As they cuffed Taylor and the others, a sense of relief washed over Carlos. They had caught them in the act, and the stolen goods would provide crucial evidence.

“Nice work,” Ortega said as she secured the suspects. “Let’s get them processed and see what else we can uncover.”

After taking the suspects back to the precinct, Carlos and Austin helped gather statements and sort through the evidence collected from the van. As they worked, Carlos felt a sense of camaraderie growing between him and Austin.

“You did good today,” Carlos said, handing Austin a folder. “Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime! I’m just glad we caught them,” Austin replied, grinning.

As they wrapped up, Detective Ortega approached Carlos. “We should get the press involved; this will make headlines. Great job today, Carlos. You really brought this case together.”

“Thanks, Detective,” Carlos replied, his chest swelling with pride.

———

“T.K.?” Carlos called out, setting his bag down and looking around. The living room was empty, and the kitchen was quiet. He checked the clock; it was already past nine.

Carlos pulled out his phone, glancing at it to see if he missed any messages. Nothing. A slight frown crossed his face. T.K. usually told him when he’d be running late or had plans.

After a moment of indecision, Carlos sat down and picked at the food that was on the counter, his mind drifting back to the day’s events. He thought about Austin’s attention and the way he’d looked at him. He didn’t like that, obviously.

As he finished his meal, Carlos stood up and decided to give T.K. a call. He dialed his number and waited, but it went straight to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. Just checking in. I got home, and you weren’t here. Hope everything’s okay. Call me when you can.”

He hung up, a knot of worry forming in his stomach. While T.K. had his own life and obligations, Carlos couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. With a deep breath, he decided to focus on the case and try to push the unease aside.

Hours later, still anxiously waiting for T.K. to return, Carlos picked up his notebook and began writing what he did today with the case. He needed to keep his mind occupied, but he found himself distracted. The evening felt longer than usual, and the absence of T.K. lingered in the air.

Finally, Carlos closed his notebook and wandered over to the couch, sinking into its cushions. He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through social media to pass the time. Just then, he heard the familiar sound of keys rattling at the door.

Carlos shot up, relief flooding through him as T.K. walked in, looking a bit disheveled but smiling at the sight of Carlos. “Hey! Sorry, I didn’t text you. We had a big call, and it ran late.”

“Everything okay?” Carlos asked, concern creeping into his voice.

“Yeah, but 2 fires in this evening. No serious injuries, thankfully,” T.K. replied, stepping closer and dropping his bag on the floor.

“Good,” Carlos said, feeling the weight lift slightly. “I was worried when you weren’t home.”

T.K. reached out, wrapping an arm around Carlos’s shoulders. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I should’ve called. I just got caught up.”

Carlos nodded, feeling comforted by T.K.’s presence. “Dinner’s on the table if you’re hungry. It’s cold now, but it’s still good.”

“Perfect! I’m starving,” T.K. said, moving toward the kitchen. Carlos watched him, feeling grateful to have him back. Even after a long day, moments like this reminded him what was truly important.

As T.K. moved toward the kitchen, Carlos felt a familiar warmth spreading through him. He couldn’t help but smile at how T.K. could effortlessly shift the mood from tense to comforting with just his presence. He followed T.K. into the kitchen, where he watched him plate up the leftover food.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” T.K. said, glancing over his shoulder with a grateful smile.

“Of course. I wasn’t going to let it go to waste,” Carlos replied, leaning against the counter. “I figured you’d want a home-cooked meal after a long day.”

T.K. chuckled softly, the sound easing the last remnants of worry from Carlos’s mind. “You know me too well. I owe you one for this.”

“You owe me a few, actually,” Carlos teased, nudging T.K. lightly with his elbow. “But I’m willing to let it slide this time.”

They settled down at the small dining table, T.K. digging into the food as Carlos watched him, an affectionate smile lingering on his face. T.K. had a way of making even the most mundane moments feel special, and Carlos cherished that about him.

“How was your day?” T.K. asked between bites, looking genuinely interested.

Carlos hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share his thoughts about Officer Austin. “It was busy, mostly. I finished the case, thank God. And I met the new officer, Austin. He’s just transferred from New York.”

T.K. raised an eyebrow, setting his fork down. “What’s he like?”

“He seems nice enough,” Carlos replied cautiously. “A little too eager to impress, maybe. Detective Ortega wanted us to work together on the robbery case, but I told her I prefer working with her .”

“So he’s too nice.” T.K adds.

Carlos felt his cheeks flush, a mix of embarrassment and irritation. “No, it’s not like that. He’s just… friendly. But I’m not looking to complicate things, especially with everything going on right now.”

T.K. leaned back in his chair, studying Carlos with an amused expression. “Hey, you don’t have to defend yourself. If he’s hitting on you, just say the word, and I’ll have a little chat with him.”

Carlos chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m serious! It’s not like that at all. He’s just trying to get settled in.”

T.K. smirked, clearly enjoying the banter. “Right, right. Just don’t let him charm you too much. I’d hate to have to compete with someone named after the city we live in.”

Carlos rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m all yours.”

T.K. leaned across the table, his expression softening. “I know that. Just checking in. You mean a lot to me, you know?”

The sincerity in T.K.’s voice made Carlos’s heart swell. “You mean a lot to me too.”

After dinner, they moved to the couch, settling in for a night of relaxation.

Carlos thought maybe T.K wanted to do something, but he let that go, he saw how tired he was, but he wanted the best for his man, after all.

Carlos turned on the TV, finding a show they both enjoyed.

Halfway through an episode, Carlos glanced at T.K., who had his eyes glued to the screen. As Carlos tried to kiss T.K, he got intrerrupted “You know, I was thinking about how much has been happening lately. With the cases and everything, it feels like it’s only going to get busier.”

“Yeah, it has been intense,” Carloss. agreed, nodding. “But we’ll get through it together, right? Just like always.”

“Exactly,” T.K replied, feeling reassured. “I just want us to stay focused and keep each other in the loop. I don’t want anything to come between us.”

Carlos reached over and squeezed T.K’s hand, his thumb brushing gently over his knuckles. “Nothing will come between us. We’re a team, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Carlos grabbed T.K’s neck to press a long kiss on his soft lips, as usual, the boy kissed back immediately.

“Come here.” Carlos tapped on his lap and T.K sat comfortably there, wrapping his arms around him.

“Aren’t you tired?” He adds

“For you, never.” Carlos smiles as he deepens the kiss and moves T.K as they grind between the jeans, creating a hell of a friction.

“Mhm.” T.K whispers and Carlos started sucking on his neck, sliding his large hand in the waistband of his boxers.

He does long, slow strokes on his husband’s cock, listening to his whisper-like moans. He continues like that for a moment, but he knew he was too much of a tease. “Can you go faster.” T.K adds quickly.

“Of course baby.” Carlos listens and does, picking up his pace as he pleasures his man, for him this is better than anything else. He presses on his tip to tease him and T.K whines, making Carlos chuckle. He kept his pace with faster strokes and bites on the neck, here and there.

“Don’t leave marks.” T.K says breathlessly. Carlos kisses every part of his husband’s face with soft, long pecks, and as he does that, T.K starts griding again, making Carlos groan.

“This was supposed to be for you, my love.” Carlos goes even faster.

“I-“ He’s cut out by a moan. “Selfish ass.” Short breathy moans escape his red lips from the kissing before, Carlos could get off just by hearing him.

“I’m gonna come.” He whines and hides his face in Carlos’ crook of the neck, not stopping his humping.

“Go on baby.” Carlos breath hitches.

“Fuck.” He says as he lets go, moving his sight to Carlos’ eyes, and then to his fingers, that he licks right after.

“And there goes the dessert.” He chuckles.

“You’re so fucking hot. I can’t believe you’re mine.” He starts kissing him, as he continues to grind.

“Only yours- “ he wants to continue his phrase but T.K get’s off him and goes down on his knees, quickly unbuckling the belt, he takes Carlos now hard as rock dick into his mouth without hesitation.

“Fuck T.K.” He moans as he lets his head fall back on the couch pillow, placing his fingers between his strands of hair, sometimes pulling a bit too hard.

One time T.K told Carlos he will lose all of his hair if he continues to do so, and he cares about his hair just as much as his dad.

T.K. is now giving little licks, teasing him, they always tease each other. Before Carlos, T.K. hated giving blowjobs, now that’s his favorite thing to do. His tongue flicks across the sensitive head, then he allows his tongue to lick a stripe across the underside of his husband’s dick, he takes him all again, Carlos doesn’t thrust, he actually never does, he let’s his man do what he does best, but bites down on his lip when he feels his cock hit the back of T.K throat.

Suddenly he hears Carlos’ big moan and swallows him up immediately, licking every inch of his dick that may have some cum left.

Carlos just breaths heavily, patting his side as he waits for T.K to sit beside him. He grips his face and kisses him hard, as if it’s his last kiss.

“ I love you” kiss. “I love you.” kiss.

“Te amo tanto mi amor.” T.K replies and sees the smile on his husband’s face grow even bigger.

——-

a/n : hope you enjoyed! if you did leave a comment or like this pls! <3 more interesting stuff is coming!

wc: 4,7k

[odinsblog]

Florida just passed concealed carry where no permit is required

Three people were killed by a gunman inside a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Fla., in what the mayor said was a “hate-filled crime.”

The gunman died after shooting himself, Sheriff T.K. Waters of Jacksonville said at a news conference on Saturday evening.

As news of the shooting filtered through the community, people formed prayer circles outside the scene, which was cordoned off by the police.

The television station Action News Jax reported earlier that there had been a standoff at a Dollar General store with a barricaded gunman.

The sheriff confirmed that the man who killed numerous people in a mass shooting with an AK-15 and Glock was seen on Edward Waters University’s campus on Edward Waters University’s (EWU) campus moments before gunfire erupted.

The shooter, who has not been identified, lives in Clay County with his parents, Waters said. He was involved in a domestic call with no arrests in 2016 and was also Baker Act in 2017, according to the sheriff.

According to Waters, two Black men and a Black woman were killed. No one else was injured, the sheriff said.

Just after 11:30 p.m., Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook told the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that the shooter left the Clay County area and was headed to Jacksonville.

By 1:18 p.m., the shooter sent a text to his father, telling him to check his computer, Waters said. That’s when the shooter’s parents called the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and told deputies they found a manifesto.

Waters said detectives found three manifestos in an Oakleaf home that expressed a “disturbing ideology of hate” were found and written to the media, his parents, and federal agents.

“To plainly put it, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” Waters said. “This is a dark day in Jacksonville. Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter’s killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak.”

(continue reading)

[thatonewatching]

Slenderverse Icky hc's

FEAT: Eyeless Jack, Laughing Jack, Jeff t.K, 'Ticci' Toby, BEN Drowned, Helen Otis/Bloody Painter, Tim/Masky, Brian/Hoodie, and HABIT (emh).

CREEPYPASTA/MARBLE HORNETS

E.J-

He would definitely drool or have some problem speaking due to his multiple tongues. However, during his 'spring fever' as we'll call it, he grows, and his tongues fit normally into his mouth. During the rest of the year, though, they're more of an inconvenience than anything. He might have pockets in his mouth where they rest, but still somewhat have a mind of their own. Also, he has a harsh tongue if he really were to say what he thinks. If he really wanted to, he could be harsh; he could make you cry, even. He bottles up his anger and suppresses his rage until his ruts, then he lets them out however he chooses.

Laughing Jack-

He has bowls and drawers of poisonous candy. Like, do not take candy from him, no matter what charm he uses, or what charm he even has, should I say. He would offer it to you once you meet, sweet talking his way into your naive heart, and trying to poison you. Luckily, EJ has his way with making sure LJ's victims, of which there are lots of, don't die. Or, at least making them last as much they can. He often targets the younger members who work under Slender but isn't opposed to targeting some of the older ones, so long as they haven't heard of his tricks.

Jeff t.K-

He doesn't use deodorant or cologne, and only showers after extremely bloody missions; especially if he likes their house. Often, he'll steal things from his victim's homes and give them to people he likes (BEN, E.J, Toby). Most of the things he steals consist of clothes, drinks, hygiene products (such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, and perfume/cologne), and random trinkets. Often, he gives the clothes to Toby, and the hygiene products to E.J and BEN. The trinkets are distributed between BEN and Toby. He's smelly, okay? Stinky. Musty. Mentally ill eighteen-year-old homicidal maniac. And we love him, isn't that right?

'Ticci' Toby-

He drools, mainly due to bad muscle control and his gash. Gets super jittery around certain people, mainly woman. He gets nervous around females, considering that he has never really experienced love from a anyone, let alone a female. So, when he gets the chance to be a round Jane or Natalie or even Nina, he gets nervous and doesn't really know what to say or do. He cries a lot and often hyperventilates, especially when he thinks about Lyra, but that's only when he's alone. When he gets the chance, he visits her grave, leaving flowers and telling her about his life and what he's been up to. He's asked, countless times, if Slender could resurrect her, or bring her back in any way. Spirit form, even. Slender says he won't.

BEN Drowned-

His room is a pig sty. There are clothes everywhere and it has a kind of smell. The smell isn't necessarily bad, but it smells more like him than anything else. Kind of smells like weed and body odor, but not intolerable. He keeps Funko-Pops and has a mini fridge filled with energy drinks, G-fuel, and Powerade. That's all he drinks. He doesn't drink water. Why would he? It's not like he need to. Although, it's not like he needs food or drinks, either. Very sarcastic and not attentive.

Helen Otis/Bloody Painter-

He has multiple rooms that only he is allowed in. His art studio is the only one you or anyone else is allowed in, and even then, you still have to have permission to be there, along with him accompanying you. You aren't allowed to touch his art supplies nor his art. You are allowed with permission to his studio, but only when you are used as a muse, and solely for that reason. When you are his muse, you cannot speak, whine, or object. He claims you should be honored that he's chosen you, that you are his object of desire, and painting you is a treat to him. He says you are 'akin to an angel' and that perfection has made you its vessel. God complex.

Timothy Wright/Masky-

He smells like sweat constantly. He smells like sweat or cheap cologne and doesn't give two fucks. He smokes at least a pack and a half of cigarettes a day and Brian tries to get him to get down to one or half a pack. Of course, he's tried, but it never seems to stick. It's just a stress thing, he says. Once, he tried to go cold turkey, but ended up breaking two of Toby's fingers. He did not apologize. He has a rusty ass blue truck he shares with Brian, and it smells like cigarettes and beer. Scars are all over his body, and he hates them. Is very good at roller-skating (I hope you've seen the video of him skating; it's amazing). Used to roller-skate but stopped after he nearly rolled his ankles. Brian was recording and still has the video. Shows the video on his birthday.

Brian Thomas/Hoodie-

He is a master shit-talker. Gossiping is his first language; he can and will do it anyone with no shame and has no issue saying it to their face. If you need someone confronted, then he'll do it for you in case you don't want to. He isn't judgy unless he has a reason to dislike you. Knows another language, probably Russian or Romanian, and will speak that language when he's talking to himself, which he does often. He knows how to take care of almost any animal and will do so. Rants and talks about everyone with Tim. Tim is very tired. He literally is attached to Tim at the hip; he is always with him. Tim's getting food? Brian's coming. Tim's coming to the party? Better believe Brian is there. He side-eyes the hell out of people underneath his mask; without his mask, too, honestly. Has no shame. Will be loud and obnoxious wherever he pleases. Makes a mess when he cooks and doesn't clean it up. 'I do the cooking, you do the cleaning', he says.

everymanHYBRID-

Habit-

Absolutely drools. This motherfucker has the best and worst hygiene out there. Smells horrible but his teeth are perfect. He doesn't shower. Has a hoard of Reese's in his room at all times and doesn't see it fit for anyone to know about it other than him. Hits people with his little purple and orange claw thing. Like Brian, no shame. Loud, irritating, and condescending. The perfect way to describe him. (This isn't even a hc, it's just in the show), but he constantly asks how you're feeling, but just brushes it off and says it's because of some miniscule thing you did. Picks out all your flaws but won't make a move to help you. Your hair is messy? You're ugly, but he won't tell you what's wrong with it. Something in your tooth? He'll tell you to look in the mirror until you notice. His ego is way too inflated for him to help something so fragile and pathetic; so pathetic, even, that it doesn't know its tiniest of flaws like he does. God complex.

[t-k-charming]

Credits to whoever owns the image.

I just read a Kung Fu Panda FanFic (I never knew they existed) But when I started reading it I realized it's... Well, NSFW. (I mean I should've known)... And god I cringed at every word there. (No denying, but the author is good with their words, bro literally made me picture EVERYTHING)

You may ask "What's wrong with a KFP NSFW? you're extra TK" I know, but... it's between... Shifu and... Tigress. God Forbid, literally sprinkle holy water. I do read NSFW, but Shifu and Tigress?! They are like father and daughter.

What do you think about it? no offense to the author

Alcina Dimiterscu x Daughter Angst on the way!!!

Alright if you want more just ask.

Until next time, it's me T.K Charming.

[beardedmrbean]

A suspect in the killing of an off-duty Florida sheriff's deputy, who was gunned down at a truck stop while trying to intervene in a domestic battery incident, was captured Sunday in North Carolina, authorities said.

The suspect, 29-year-old Demaurea Grant, was taken into custody without incident around 7:30 a.m. by the U.S. Marshals Service's Fugitive Task Force at a home in Gastonia, North Carolina, about 400 miles from where he allegedly fatally shot Deputy Brad McNew, a corrections officer for the Jacksonville County Sheriff's Office, officials said.

"As the leader of this agency, I'm grateful for the quick arrest of a man who tragically took the life of a member of the JSO family," Jacksonville County Sheriff T.K. Waters said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.

Waters said McNew, a 24-year veteran of the sheriff's department, had just completed his shift when he allegedly encountered Grant at a truck stop in Jacksonville and tried to help a woman Grant was allegedly battering near the gas pumps.

"Today's arrest is about accountability for a person who senselessly took the life of a man attempting to help another human being," Waters said.

Grant's arrest came about 30 hours after witnesses told investigators they saw the suspect lean out the passenger-side window of a black 2000 Ford Mustang, which was being driven by the woman McNew witnessed getting beaten at the truck stop, and open fire on the deputy, officials said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office had issued a notice for law enforcement agencies nationwide to be on the lookout for the Mustang with North Carolina license plates as a massive search for the suspect was launched, officials said.

Waters said Grant was arrested on charges of murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public.

"Grant is a convicted felon with a violent criminal history," Waters said.

Waters said a woman, believed to be the one Grant was seen allegedly abusing, was arrested along with Grant on charges related to another crime in North Carolina. Waters did not provide details on the North Carolina crime or release the woman's name.

The shooting unfolded about 1:20 a.m. Saturday at a Love's Truck Stop in north Jacksonville, Deputy Chief Alan Parker of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said during a news conference on Saturday.

Parker said McNew had just gotten off work and was not in uniform when he stopped at the truck stop just as Grant and his female companion were having a loud argument near the gas pumps.

Waters said the suspect, according to witness statements that were corroborated by security video, got out of the Mustang, put a firearm on the hood of the vehicle and pulled the woman out of the driver's seat.

"He pushed her against the car, looks like he put his hand around her neck," Waters said of the suspect.

Parker added that when McNew approached the pair, he asked the woman, "Are you alright?" He said the suspect responded, telling McNew: "It's family business, stay out of it."

The suspect then went back to the woman and started arguing again as she was grabbing him in an attempt to get him back into the Mustang, Parker said.

Parker said the suspect picked up the gun he left on the hood and pointed it at McNew, but didn't fire.

He said the man and the woman got back into the Mustang.

"They end up leaving; she's driving the vehicle," Parker said. "The male, according to witnesses that we've talked to here at the scene, hangs out the other window and shoots multiple times, striking our off-duty officer."

McNew was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Parker said.

"He's the epitome of what we expect from a law enforcement professional. That is, he was off duty, he was in plainclothes, he saw something happening, he tried to intervene, which is the absolute right thing to do as a decent human being and not only that, but as a professional," Waters said of McNew. "Unfortunately, this clown decided to take his life. But I'm glad that he's going to have to answer for his decision."

[1heartfanfics]

Hi, I write sickfics too. But I'd love a sickfic written for me this time. Lol. Either a really sick Dean needing Sam to care for him, maybe after a really bad hunt. Or super sick TK, needing his dad to call Carlos to take of him. Or maybe a really sick Bucky, with a freaked out Peter swinging around frantic to find Steve to help the man while in the middle of a fire fight. :) Emeto galore would be much appreciated. Pretty please!!!

okay so I decided to write it for tarlos because I just watched the mid season finale, but let me know if you want me to do the supernatural one too.

Also this ended up getting a bit de-railed toward the end and being more about Owen coming to terms with the fact that T.K. has Carlos now and doesn't need him as much as he used to instead of actual caretaking. Whoops 🤷‍♀️

warning: depictions of vomit, brief mention of addiction history

T.K. had woken up with a headache. But that wasn’t uncommon, side effect of being a recovered addict he’d been told. So he didn’t think about it too much.

But it kept getting worse, even though he’d been sure to drink enough water and eat throughout the day. And then he realized when he helped Nancy lift a patient onto a gurney that his whole body ached. 

“You good?” Nancy had asked.

“Fine,” T.K. responded shortly. Nancy gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him, but she let it drop. 

By the end of their next call, he was dizzy and cold. They’d just dropped the patient at the hospital and we’re heading back to the station. 

“Hey. What’s wrong with you?” Nancy asked as she drove, glancing over at T.K., who was practically slumped against the window in the passenger seat. 

T.K. shrugged, “Not feeling super great I guess,” he admitted. 

“You need to tell Captain Vega dude,” she said as she pulled the ambulance into the station bay. 

“Shifts almost over anyway,” T.K. shrugged again, shaking his head. 

But then as soon as they’d parked the klaxon sounded. ‘Aid car BLANK requested’

“Alright then, let’s just head back out,” Tommy called from the back of the ambulance. 

Nancy shot T.K. a look. His face was pale, even more than it already had been. T.K.’s stomach, which had become increasingly upset for the past hour or so, suddenly flipped. He knew he was done for. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, then threw the door open and practically fell out, landing on his knees with a retch that brought his lunch up onto the floor of the station. 

“Woah!” Someone said, then T.K. felt a hand on his shoulder and his back. 

“Who else is a certified medic?” Another voice asked, Tommy maybe. Everything sounded far away and T.K.’s head was spinning. 

“Yo Marj! Paul!” The voice behind him yelled. Judd, T.K. could tell now.

There were footsteps approaching and then “Woah what happened to him?”

“One of you take T.K.’s place in the rig with Tommy and Nancy. The other one of y’all go get captain strand,” Judd instructed. 

T.K. could hear people running around, then the siren as the rig pulled back out of the station.

"Come on brother, let's get you up," Judd said, grabbing T.K. under his arms and pulling him to his feet. With Judd's help, he walked unsteadily over to one of the benches the firefighters use to put their boots on. As soon as he was sitting he slumped over, head in his hands as he breathed through another wave of nausea.

"T.K.? What happened?" his Dad was asking, suddenly at T.K.'s side with a hand on his shoulder.

When T.K. didn't answer Owen turned to Judd for answers.

"I just saw him spill out of the rig to hurl on the floor, that's all I know. You'd have to ask the girls but they had to run back out on a call. I sent Marj with 'em since they're down a medic," Judd shrugged.

"Thanks Judd," Owen sighed. "I've got him, you can get back to whatever you were working on."

"You sure? Cause he's looking pretty green cap," Judd pointed out.

"Son? Are you still feeling nauseous?" Owen asked.

T.K. just groaned in response, he didn't think he'd ever felt this sick in his life. It had gotten so bad so quickly. He was going to throw up again.

Thankfully Judd was on it, and a trash can magically appeared between T.K.'s knees just in time for him to heave over it. His body convulsed with another gag which brought up more of his stomach contents into the bin.

"Aw jeez kiddo," Owen muttered, sitting down beside T.K. to wrap an arm around him and rub a hand up and down his arm.

T.K. coughed and spit into the trash can, willing his stomach to stop contracting. There wasn't anything left in it to bring up. He felt so weak, like he could hardly hold himself up.

"Woah alright, I've gotcha," Judd was sitting on his other side, an arm wrapped around his chest to keep him from falling forward. T.K. dropped his head down into his hands again, elbows propped on his knees to keep himself upright.

Once Judd was confident that T.K. was stable enough, he pulled back, looking over at Owen. "We need to get him laying down," he said.

Owen nodded, "I think I'm just going to take him back to the house. You mind taking over for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"Of course cap, whatever you need," Judd agreed.

"T.K.? I'm going to get my stuff and then we'll go home okay?" Owen said, leaning down to try and meet his son's eyes.

T.K.'s eyes were shut, but he shook his head in response.

"No?" Owen asked, confused.

T.K. shook his head again, "Just call Carlos, please," he said quietly.

"Right. Of course," Owen was taken by surprise, although he really shouldn't have been. T.K. had moved in with Carlos months ago, that was his home now. And Carlos was T.K.'s person, the one he wanted to take care of him.

He looked at Judd, who nodded, silently answering Owen's unspoken request to stay with T.K. while he called Carlos.

"Your dad's calling Carlos now, I'm sure he'll be here soon to get you home. Just hang in there," Judd said, rubbing a hand over T.K.'s back.

As promised, after Owen returned from making the phone call, Carlos arrived within 10 minutes.

"Oh sweetheart," Carlos sighed when he spotted his boyfriend, hunched over a trash can.

Judd quickly stood up, allowing Carlos to take his spot. Carlos wrapped his arms around T.K., gently pulling him from the slumped position to rest against his chest. T.K. went willingly, pressing his face into Carlos's shoulder.

"Thank you for calling me," Carlos said, addressing Owen.

Owen nodded, smiling softly as he watched Carlos take care of his son. He hadn't missed the way that T.K. instantly relaxed a little at Carlos's touch.

"Let's get you home baby," Carlos said quietly. T.K. nodded, letting Carlos help him to his feet with a hand on his elbow and his waist.

"Let me know if you guys need anything," Owen told Carlos.

"Thank you," Carlos nodded, "I've got him, Owen," he added, seeing the worry on the captain's face.

Owen nodded, reaching out to softly clap Carlos on the shoulder, "I know you do." Carlos gave him one last nod, then wrapped an arm around T.K.'s waist and slowly guided him out of the station toward his car.

As much as Owen worried about T.K., he was realizing that maybe he didn't need to as much anymore. Because while most of T.K.'s previous boyfriends hadn't treated him very well, he had Carlos now. Carlos, who clearly loved and cared for T.K. so much. Owen was glad they had found each other.

[thenighthekate]

could you do an angst to fluff with tom based off the way i loved you by taylor swift? if your comfortable with it or have time!! <3.

The way I loved you ( t.k. )

And my heart does not beat. It is still inside my chest. My tears keep on falling and my head will not rest.

There were many ways to love someone. Stolen kisses, morning hugs, late night dinner. The bond between two people only growing stronger with every conversation they had, but ours only seemed to crumble. With every forceful peck, strained embrace, silent meal, the bond in between us quietly disappeared.

He wasn't bad, wasn't the best, but neither was I. We had our problems and once we got out of our honeymoon phase they only seemed to worsen. With every day our arguments grew stronger, louder, the fire in our eyes glowing brighter as our voices raised. It was our new life, we loved each other, just not the same way we used to.

In all honesty I was getting so used to our new reality that when it all flipped I could only cry.

I missed our contact, even when all of it resulted in screaming and crying. Driving down the highway with music blasting just to avoid each other, toxic, but we atleast saw one another. Now it was like we didn't exist, just two separate people living together in what felt like far too small of a house.

The moon was shining that night, rays of silver breaking through the heavy rain that hit the cars windows. It was silent, no obnoxiously loud music that could cover our thoughts, only our breathing filling the empty spaces.

I was staring straight ahead and with a few stolen glances I figured that Tom was too, his brows scrunched, hands tightly gripping the wheel as he looked down the road. He was deep in thought, whatever clouding his mind making him softly shake his head. I didn't pay any attention to it until the car slowed down, drifting to the side of the street and rolling to a stop.

Silence indulged us two as I looked around for any clues, anything that would tell me if something was wrong. " Did something happen to the car-"

" We need to talk." His hands let go of the wheel slightly, his gaze still fixated in front of him. I knew what those words meant, I knew that he wanted to go deep on anything that was bothering us, anything that made us be where we are. " We can't keep going like this. I'm tired of living in this hole, I mean we don't talk, we live two separate lives. We sleep in the same fucking bed, but yet we're different." His rant was pretty short, half of which he looked me in the eye. I could see the sadness behind them, the clear desperation to make things work, fix whatever was broken.

" I don't know what happened to us." There was no cheating, no huge arguments, the lust between us jost slowly seemed to burn out. My fingers played with each other, anxiety filling my brain as it poured out into my words. " I love you, but we can't fix anything if we don't even know what started it."

We stared at one another silently, our eyes in a way almost communicating. " It's either this or we break up."

I knew it, he knew it, but yet something was tugging on both of our hearts, not letting us go with the latter.

In a moment of what felt like a spell was put over us we leaned in, our lips connecting and fighting against each other. This was the first real kiss in a while, no small peck or a smooch presented in front of family to make them know of our so called love. Minutes were shared as our hands traveled bodies, skin blushing and heat rising, I missed this. I missed moments like these, our love for one another just spilling past our edges making us swim in the softly sweet feeling. I missed our dancing in the rain, laughter coming straight from our throats as we got drenched from the water above. I missed us.

We separated with deep breaths trying to catch air back into our lungs, his hands holding mine as we stared into each other's eyes. His palm while clenched around mine raised up, his soft lips planting a sweet kiss on top of my knuckles. " I love you. I promise that whatever was fucked up will be fixed." And for the first time in months I could actually see a light for our future.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x12 - Adventure! Patamon and I / DigiBaby Boom

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Jou conquered the Lord of Halloween by doing homework at him while Sora questioned the life choices that brought them both to this point.

Six kids are now on their way back to Infinity Mountain. That leaves only one, all on his own with no one but his Partner to help him.

We open on Takeru's bed crashing into the ocean near one of the island shards. While Patamon rescues Takeru from the crash, we cut over to Devimon.

Last episode I brought up that the dub seems to think these episodes are happening sequentially rather than simultaneously. Here we see why, as the original offers a scene that makes absolutely no sense in context: Devimon tearing into Ogremon and Leomon for their failures.

(With Ogremon, it could be assumed that this is after he rowed himself back to Infinity Mountain from the crate. But it was unquestionably Day 6 in broad daylight when Leomon attacked Mimi and Koushiro. There's no way for Devimon to now be yelling at Leomon over it on the night of Day 5.

It was the original anime that screwed up the timescale, so the dub is absolved of that. They learned it from watching you, senpai.)

Leomon and Ogremon apologize for their failures - in advance, in Leomon's case. Devimon picks up Ogremon by his throat. Ogremon pleads for forgiveness, and then Devimon drops him.

(I like how he targets Ogremon alone. He's like, "Leomon's a zombie; I only expect so much from him. You actually work here.")

In the original, just before he drops Ogremon, we get this exchange.

Ogremon: W-What are you doing sir!? Devimon: I don't want to hear your excuses! Ogremon: Forgive me, Devimon-sama! Please forgive me! Devimon: ... (cruel grin, then drops Ogremon) Ogremon: (pained) ...thank you.

The dub punches it up with an oldie but a goodie.

Ogremon: No, wait! I can explain! Devimon: Spare me your pathetic excuses! Ogremon: Yes, master! Please! Please, just put me down! Devimon: ... (cruel grin, then drops Ogremon) Ogremon: (pained) Thank you, master....

Classic. I would have gone with "let me go" but "put me down" still works.

Back on the island shard, Patamon carries Takeru safely to shore. Takeru gets dressed, but then starts to cry as he realizes the severity of his situation.

Patamon: What's wrong, Takeru!? Takeru: W-We got separated from Onii-chan and the others! (bawling)

The dub needs to fit in a commercial break here, so they play the footage of Takeru starting to cry twice - Once before and once after the commercials. For the before version, he delivers a parting quip.

T.K.: Look at all that water! Somebody must have let the bathtub overflow! I just hope it didn't wash out our way of finding the others!

He's facing away from the camera so they can disguise him breaking down. You can still see his head shaking from the sobs if you know what you're looking for, but it's easy to overlook.

Then, upon return from the commercial, the footage repeats but T.K. starts crying in earnest.

T.K.: D-D-Don't worry about me, Patamon! I'm not scared of being separated from the others! And being lost and being homesick and... (bawling)

While Takeru's crying, Patamon looks up the waterfall and thinks about what Piyomon would do if she were here. He plays through her Birdramon evolution stock footage, but with Patamon's actor reciting "Piyomon SHINKAAAAAA!!! Birdramon!" followed by an imaginary shot of Birdramon flying up and above the waterfall.

Sadly, the dub does not follow suit. They use the standard audio clip of Biyomon's Digivolution.

It's at this point that Patamon begins crying as hard as Takeru is. Hard enough to surprise Takeru and shake him out of it.

Patamon: But why... Why can't I evolve? (bawling) Takeru: ...what's wrong, Patamon? Patamon: Why!? Why!? I want to evolve and fly high in the sky too! Takeru: Evolve? What kind of Digimon do you evolve into, anyway? Patamon: What kind? I won't know until I evolve into it. Do you know, Takeru?

The dub matches this dialogue almost verbatim, adding in some quips.

Patamon: I want to fly high in the sky too but somehow I can't seem to Digivolve! (bawling) T.K.: ...hey.... Patamon: I wanna fly too! I wanna Digivolve! T.K.: To what? Patamon: Huh? T.K.: I mean what will you Digivolve into? Didn't they tell you at Digimon School or something? Patamon: Oh. Well, I won't actually know until I do Digivolve and find out what I am. T.K.: Wow! So it's a mystery!

I like the addition of "Digimon School". XD That feels like something a kid Takeru's age would say.

From there, Takeru provides rundowns of his own ideas for what Patamon's evolution might be.

This is TabunKonnamon, an Adult-stage Imaginary-type Digimon. His name, though spelled phonetically in katakana like most Digimon names, is a homophone for "Tabun Konna", meaning "Perhaps something like this". Takeru fills in for the Narrator to give us his rundown.

Takeru: TabunKonnamon. Its special attack is Buubuu Attack! Buu!

"Buubuu" being the Japanese term for oinking.

The dub calls it Porkymon.

T.K.: Porkymon! With super-strong oink attack and the power to... um... oink!

Patamon is not impressed. That's okay. Takeru has other ideas.

This is KittoKonnamon, an Adult-stage Imaginary-type Digimon. Its name is a homophone for "Kitto konna", meaning "Certainly something like this". Takeru's pretty sure he's got this figured out now.

Takeru: KittoKonnamon. Its special attack is Hippopota VACUUUUUUM!!!

As he explains this, KittoKonnamon demonstrates its Hippopota Vacuum by snorting the entire intro blurb up into its nostrils. What a powerful attack!

T.K.: Hogmon! Super hog smell and the power to snort up enemies in a single sniff like this!

T.K. doesn't give its attack a name, but he does add that it has a super hog smell. That's a powerful defensive ability that shouldn't be forgotten.

Patamon's even less impressed by this one.

Patamon: NO WAY! Takeru: Then-- Patamon: Forget it! Stop thinking about it! It doesn't matter. I just won't evolve ever!

Takeru rolled a nat 1 on that diplomacy check.

Over in the dub, they pay off the different naming theme they used for these two forms, picking up on the noticeable similarity between them.

Patamon: I am not a pig, T.K.! T.K.: It's okay to be a pig. Patamon: I'm sure it is, especially for pigs, but that's not me!

Nobody tell Patamon but I'm pretty sure he's a guinea pig. T.K. was right. Justice for T.K.

Alone on this shard of File Island, Takeru and Patamon come across a train crossing, which forces them to stop and wait.

For a solid fifteen seconds, the only sounds are the ringing of the crossing's bell and the wind rustling through the grass. No train ever goes by, and eventually the crossing stops ringing and raises its gates.

(A chilling metaphor for the menacing isolation these boys are experiencing. A vast, empty crossroads stretches out before them.)

In a somber moment, devoid of music or sound beyond their tiny voices, the boys quietly discuss where to go from here.

Takeru: Where should we go? Patamon: Anywhere. I'll follow you wherever you choose, Takeru. Takeru: Then... This way. Patamon: Okay.

Bit of a tonal whiplash there right after the whole ProbablyThismon bit. "Hahaha, we like to have fun here. Anyways, doom." But again, that fits the scenario of a child this young being stranded like this. Takeru is 8.

Over in the dub, they add the sound of a train rumbling through to this scene and use those fifteen seconds to let T.K. talk over it.

T.K.: Hey! I hear a train coming! I bet you we can jump on and ride the caboose all the way back to summer camp!

They also play sad music to break up the silence. Then, as the train (that is somehow making train noises) fails to materialize, the boys discuss.

Patamon: I think I felt something! T.K.: Um, maybe it's an invisible train. Patamon: Did a train go by? T.K.: If it did, it's the most silent-est, most invisible-est train ever! Now come on, let's go. Patamon: Go where? T.K.: Not sure. But I guess we'll know when we get there.

I wouldn't call it that silent, T.K. We clearly heard both its horn blowing and the sound of it rustling on the tracks.

This scene is a major victim of that common trend in anime localization of its day: Localizers were reluctant to let a quiet scene sit for fear that the kids watching will get bored and change the channel. Nonetheless, though the original is far superior, I do appreciate that they still try to capture the somber tone of the scene's intent at the end there.

Then they find the happiest place on File Island.

Takeru: It's so pretty. Patamon: Yeah. Let's go look inside! Takeru: Okay!

Seizing on a perfect opportunity to insert some gags, the dub spices this exchange up.

T.K.: WOW! Let's find a snack bar and get some cotton candy! Places like this always have cotton candy. Patamon: They make candy from cotton!? T.K.: Ooh, I bet there's popcorn and snow cones and soft pretzels and ice cream and candy! Patamon: Oh boy! Let's go see! T.K.: Last one there is a rotten egg!

At a certain point this devolves into just listing American cultural stuff 'cause we're American now, but I love Patamon's confused response to cotton candy. That's exactly the kind of culture shock gag that even the original's been peppering throughout the File Island arc. It fits in perfectly with bits like "Is a snowball fight edible?"

It takes no time at all for them to discover that the ground is bouncy and soft, good for both playtime and naptime. They bounce and they play and then they stop and rest, enjoying the calmness and joy of this place.

Exploring further, they come across a whole field of baby cradles. Inside are Baby-stage Digimon. Takeru immediately starts poking infants.

Of note: These aren't Baby-stage like Koromon or Mochimon or Tanemon. Baby-stage, oddly, comes in two stages? Baby I and Baby II. Those were Baby II, while this Botamon here is Baby I. It will need to evolve once before it can become a Koromon, or possibly something else because Digimon have branching evolution paths.

Speaking of eggs, the boys explore further and discover a field of Digitama. It's a conjunction of the English "Digital" and a phonetic homophone for the first two syllables of "tamago", which means "egg". Tamago often gets shortened to "tama".

The dub calls it a Digi-Egg, which is an accurate literal translation. Speaking of accurate translations:

Takeru: Digitama? Patamon: A Digimon egg. Takeru: Oh, so Digimon are born from eggs? Like chickens? Patamon: Yep, that's right. Takeru: Even Devimon? Patamon: Yeah...

This exchange comes through completely faithfully in the dub, with the only change being T.K. mentioning, "I like the pretty paint," referring to the Digi-Egg's color scheme.

Patamon finds an envelope on the ground with a note inside, which simply reads "Rub me".

Hilariously, in the Unimon episode, Jou left a note for the others before climbing Infinity Mountain telling them to wait for him. The note's written in the sand in Japanese lettering, of course, but the localizers edited it to be English instead.

With the "Rub me" note, they didn't even bother. The note in its original katakana is displayed in the dub, but Patamon explains that it's "written in Digi-code". Oh boy, the Americans are pretending that real languages are fantasy things they made up again!

(Maybe that's a little harsh but Disney scarred me by subtitling Xhosa words as "speaking Wakandan" and now I'm sensitive about it.)

Takeru decides the note must be referring to the Digitama themselves, and so rubs the one in his hands.

Sure enough, rubbing it makes it hatch into a newborn Poyomon, the Baby I stage of Patamon. They need a crib for Poyomon, so Patamon prepares to go look. Suddenly, the unbroken parts of the Digitama transform into the crib, solving that problem.

Patamon: Oh, so that's how it works. Takeru: You didn't know about this? But you're a Digimon. Patamon: I don't remember being a baby. Do you, Takeru?

Takeru stops to think about that question, and we flash back on his earliest memory.

We see a much younger Takeru playing with blocks, punctuated only by the sound of Yamato's harmonica. Suddenly, he accidentally falls and knocks over the little houses and stuff he's built.

The harmonica cuts out, with Yamato realizing what's happened a moment before Takeru starts to cry. Yamato makes his way over, picking up and embracing his brother with a smile. He says something, but we don't hear his words; We only see the love on his face.

As with the train scene, the dub talks over this with dialogue to avoid letting a quiet moment stand.

T.K.: Well, these pretty shapes and colors do remind me of something from a long time ago. It was real sunny; I was playing with blocks but I fell over or something! And I remember I was crying. But there was someone there with me. Someone... I don't know exactly who. Maybe my brother Matt! Anyway, somebody picked me up and I stopped crying. Matt: Attaboy!

...attaboy? Of all the possible things he could have been saying there, you picked attaboy? Okay.

T.K.'s dialogue drowns out Matt's harmonica, and music keeps playing even after Matt stops. As a result, the effect of Yamato's music swiftly cutting to silence is lost.

Back in the present, Takeru admits that Patamon's right; He doesn't remember infancy either. With that settled, the boys race off to go rub some more Digitama.

Meanwhile, we're introduced attack-first to a new Digimon: Elecmon, using his Sparkling Thunder to catch fish from a stream.

Elecmon is a Child-stage Data-type Mammal Digimon.

(The subs I'm watching misidentify him as Adult-stage, incidentally.

It says "Adult" up there in the English translation. However, the kanji onscreen in his data block clearly spell out 成長期 which is Child-stage, as opposed to 成熟期 which is Adult-stage. Everyone makes mistakes; Can't always trust the subs.)

Narrator: Elecmon. A very inquisitive mammal Digimon who enjoys pulling pranks. He threatens his enemies by spreading his tail like a peacock.

Over in the dub, they call his attack Super Thunderstrike. He's forced to handle his own diegetic rundown, for lack of other characters nearby to do it.

Elecmon: I am Elecmon, caretaker of baby Digimon. Don't cross wires with me!

Elecmon zaps the stream with his Sparkling Thunder, frying countless fish. Then he picks out a spot and lets the water carry his catch right to him, plucking them out as they come. Pleased with himself, he announces that this will be plenty to feed all those little baby mouths.

Back at the nursery, Takeru and Patamon are running themselves ragged trying to take care of these babies. Many of the babies have started crying and they can't figure out why. Patamon's doing everything he can to cheer them up, while Takeru notices that one of them defecated.

Meanwhile, caretaker Elecmon is on his way back to the nursery with a net full of fish when he happens to hear the babies crying. Leaving his catch behind, he races to the nursery to find two things: A bunch of crying babies and two newcomers he's never seen before.

Naturally, he makes some assumptions.

Before Takeru and Patamon even know what's happening, Elecmon races in and lets off a Sparkling Thunder.

Patamon shoves Takeru out of the way of the bolt, then furiously whirls on Elecmon.

Patamon: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!? THAT'S DANGEROUS!!! Elecmon: Of course it is! I was aiming at you! Patamon: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? Elecmon: Because you were kawaigaru (adoring) my babies! Takeru: Well, we did kawaigaru them, but what's wrong with that? Elecmon: Tsk tsk tsk. Your ignorance is troublesome. Listen, the word "kawaigaru" not only means to "be affectionate to" someone, but it can also mean to "abuse" them as well! Patamon: But those both mean completely different things! That's weird! Besides, we weren't abusing them; Just looking after them. Elecmon: Well, nobody asked you to look after the babies in the first place! Patamon: You tell us off but what are you to these babies anyway!? Elecmon: What am I? I'm their guardian, their housekeeper, their food provider-- Wait, who cares about that, you brat! Patamon: YOU'RE A BRAT TOO!!! Elecmon: Oh, NOW I'M MAD!!!

Poor Takeru. This is his first encounter with words that ironically mean the opposite of their definition when used in common parlance. I guess you could say he's literally been taken to school!

The subtitle up there tries to make this work with "coddle", but there simply is no English equivalent for the precise linguistic usages of kawaigaru driving this exchange.

Elecmon is accusing Patamon and Takeru of being the reason the babies were crying. That's the point here. He thinks they were doing something to hurt the babies.

Obviously, the dub didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of accurately translating the kawaigaru discourse. So they had to go their own way with it.

T.K.: Hey, watch where you're aiming that thing! You could hurt somebody! Elecmon: Of course I could have. That's what I was trying to do! Patamon: But why would you want to do anything to hurt us? Elecmon: Because I saw you playing with my babies, you interlopers! T.K.: Sure, we played with them. But what's that got to do with you? Elecmon: Ah ah ah ah. You barbarians. Always making the same mistake! I'm not some ordinary Digimon who just happened to come along and catch you. This is the Primary Village Hatchling Ground and Nursery. A very special place where all Digimon start their lives! And I am a very special Digimon entrusted with caring for each and every one of them! Patamon: Well, you don't have to play Mr. Bigshot and fry us! Elecmon: I was only trying to protect my babies. Now, I think this conversation has lasted long enough. I am in charge and you two are trespassing. You must leave! Patamon: Now, now. Don't get all puffy! Elecmon: DON'T CALL ME PUFFY!!!

To fill the space where the impossible-to-adapt kawaigaru discussion would go, Elecmon instead monologues about the importance of the nursery, which the dub names Primary Village.

A consequence of taking this long walk around the untranslatable discourse is that Dub Elecmon, despite being less aggressive in tone, is more unreasonable in accusation. The original altercation was a misunderstanding because he thought the boys were harassing the babies; Here, he thinks they were playing. He's being territorial by attacking.

However, he will start acting territorial shortly, so that's a valid way to play him here.

Patamon and Elecmon lunge for each other, both giving as good as they get. Elecmon reveals that he can electrocute anything that touches him, but then only does it the once so Patamon can keep fighting back.

While they brawl, Takeru screams at them to stop, getting increasingly agitated. We keep cutting back to his Digivice; The meter steadily filling up.

He doesn't know what that means but we do. Something about this angry fistfight is pushing Patamon towards the brink of evolution.

In the dub, T.K. does notice this. He remarks "This is very bad! He's Digivolving!" He also observes, "They're fighting worse than Matt and me, and they aren't even brothers...."

Finally, Takeru lets out one last, furious scream at them to stop. Everything seems to freeze just for the moment. And the meter on his Digivice slowly drains.

Takeru reads them both the riot act for the way they're behaving. They're scaring the babies.

This gets to them both, and they separate. Patamon picks up a nearby Poyomon to console them.

Patamon: Sorry for scaring you. Elecmon: Hey, don't start acting familiar with my babies, you brat! Patamon: Hey, did you guys know that the ones who think they're grown-ups are actually the biggest brats of all. Isn't that dumb? Elecmon: What!? If you've got a problem, say it to my face! You're the type to put on a nice face but then talk about people behind their backs, aren't you!? Patamon: Takeru, let me at him! I want to settle things with this guy! Elecmon: So do I! Bring it!

Even after separating, Patamon and Elecmon are chomping at the bit to resume fighting each other. Over what, at this point, is basically nothing anymore. A bad first impression has their blood boiling.

If they must fight, then Takeru insists on doing it the right way.

A tug-of-war hilariously styled as if it were a sumo match. Right down to the sounds of the hyoshigi clacking for those iconic high-pitched tones, and with Takeru playing the role of yobidashi and introducing the wrestlers by song.

(Fun fact, there is presently a popular yobidashi named Takeru. It's not a reference, though; He hadn't even been born yet when this aired.)

Takeru: ~From the East / Elec of the Vast Sea / Elec of the Vast Sea! / From the West / Pata of the Large Mountain / Pata of the Large Mountain!

Naturally, the dub plays this like a pro wrestling announcer.

T.K.: AND NOW!!! In that corner: The defending champion ELECMON!!! AND NOW!!! Over in the other corner: The challenger and most excellent Digimon, PATAMON!!!

Nice cultural transition.

In a moment of supreme humiliation, Patamon wins.

Not only outmuscling Elecmon but flinging him across the nursery. Pata of the Mountain wins!

Conceding defeat, Elecmon formally accepts Patamon and welcomes him to the nursery. He also gives us its Japanese name: Hajimari no Machi, which means "Village of Beginnings".

Explaining his behavior, Elecmon says:

Elecmon: I'm sorry about all that. Weird things have been happening around here. On top of that, the island breaking apart... It made me paranoid of outsiders. Well! Guess this all goes to show I'm still too much of a brat! Takeru: Fighting between friends is okay because you'll make up soon. ...but when adults fight.... Elecmon: You're stronger than you look! Patamon: Than I look? I don't like being judged by the size of my appearance. Elecmon: Heh, my bad. But it's like they say... Uh, how's it go? 'Sansho wa kotsubu de (Sansho pepper is tiny) but it's sharp on the tongue.' Or something like that. Patamon: 'Sanshikisumire (Pansies) are sharp on the tongue'? Have you eaten pansies before!? Elecmon: ...huh? Did I screw that up?

Takeru suddenly went into PTSD flashbacks about his parents' divorce and we're over here doing more wordplay. Welcome to kindergarten.

Over in the dub, we have:

Elecmon: I'm really sorry, Patamon. There's no good excuse for the mean way I acted when I first saw you, but I've been so upset about things around here. Ever since the island broke apart, I've been expected a fight. I guess I just took it out on you. I apologize. T.K.: At least kids make up pretty fast. My parents are still mad at me for the time I painted our kitty cat. Elecmon: You know, you're a lot stronger than you look, kid! I'm impressed! Patamon: You know, they say you can't tell a cover by the size of its book or something like that. Elecmon: Sure. Well, forget about the sayings; You're great at tug-of-war! Hey, take a look around. Some day all of this will be yours, Patamon my boy. You'll raise up some fine young Digimon here, just like your old man-- Patamon: Elecmon, I am not here to raise babies! Elecmon: You're not? Oh, I mean, of course you're not! I was just... Well, I guess I was just daydreaming!

Props for at least trying to do a linguistic joke here. It's a lot shorter, though, so they have to add in this Lion King bit for the runtime.

Biggest change is, of course, T.K.'s line. Instead of a somber reference to his parents' divorce, it's replaced with a laugh line about his parents being mad at him. I don't remember if parental divorce was on the list of Cartoon No-Nos but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. They did earlier change Matt and T.K. being brothers split by divorce to being half-brothers, so this change feels consistent with that.

With that settled, Takeru has a question for Elecmon: How do we get to Infinity Mountain?

Elecmon: You want to climb that mountain!? I really suggest you don't! Devimon is over there! Takeru: I know! I have to go ask him where my brother and the others are. Elecmon: He's not just gonna tell you. After all, he's an evil Digimon. If you really want to know, you'll have no choice but to defeat him. Takeru: I don't want to fight! Elecmon: Even if you don't.... Patamon: Maybe there's another way. Some way we can settle things without fighting. Elecmon: If there was-- Takeru: Think back to what you felt a moment ago. We were all laughing together, remember? I think something will happen when our hearts come together.

Elecmon takes inspiration from this talk, settling on a new plan of action.

Elecmon: I'll be away a bit in Gear Savannah! You passed through the Pyocomon Village there, right? I'm going to tell them what happened here! Maybe if we can bring our hearts together, the island will join back together again in one piece! Patamon: Then the island will be back to normal! Elecmon: It's just a feeling, but it's what I want to believe.

As Day 6 comes to a close, we return to Devimon, watching through a magic observation gear as six of seven children make their way back towards Infinity Mountain. Dub T.K. fills this space with narration.

T.K.: Maybe [Elecmon] can help us. And maybe I'll get back together with my brother. I just know Matt's out there somewhere. I can almost see him! But I've got this yucky feeling that a lot's going to happen between now and then!

That yucky feeling is called "having read the script for the next episode during the localization process". :P

Backed into a corner, Devimon plots to kill Takeru and Patamon.

Devimon: I didn't expect it to go this way. I was unable to put a stop to them before they evolved, but no matter. I only need to kill the one Digimon who has yet to evolve. As long as I kill one Chosen Child, my victory is ensured. Leomon! Leomon: Sir! Devimon: I leave this to you. Leomon: Understood. Ogremon: Whaddya-- I mean, what shall I do? Devimon: Nothing, for now. But the final battle isn't far off; It wouldn't hurt to stack the odds in our favor. Ogremon: Yes, sir! I'll strangle the life out of them this time!

As we move away from Devimon, the narrator takes over.

Narrator: As the time drew near, the destiny of File Island-- No, of the entire Digimon World was put at stake as justice and evil, light and dark, surged towards each other. Yes, it wouldn't be long before the fight between these two sides would commence.

As he says this, several white feathers suddenly float up onscreen and rushes towards the camera. Completely with an audible shing to make sure you notice them.

(Spoilers, geeze.)

Over in the dub, Devimon is chewing the scenery per usual.

Devimon: All but one of their Digimon have Digivolved. I must destroy this last one before it is too late. Urgh, I cannot believe it has come to this. Still, as long as even one of those cursed children is lost, I am pleased. Leomon! Leomon: Master. Devimon: I leave this to you. Leomon: As you wish, my lord. Ogremon: What shall I do, Master? What task do you have for me? Devimon: Nothing for the moment, my loyal servant. But soon a battle will rage and you must be prepared! Ogremon: I understand, my lord! This time, I will not fail you! Devimon: Heheheheh.... No, this time there will be no failure! This time I SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

It hits pretty much every point from the original beat-for-beat. I wouldn't bother bringing it up except for one thing: Devimon's last line extends beyond the end of his scene and into the narrator's, replacing the narration.

This means there's nothing to call out the foreshadowing of the white feathers. They come and go with little fanfare, though they do still have this sort of mystical wooshing sound applied as they pass by. It's not nearly as noticeable as the shing though.

Back in the Village of Beginnings, a Botamon in Takeru's lap suddenly evolves into Koromon. While everyone celebrates the new Koromon, Patamon revisits his anxieties from earlier in the episode, but now from the opposite perspective.

Patamon: I'm also going to evolve one day. I don't mind, but... Will I be able to stay friends with Takeru after I evolve? Takeru: Hm? What's wrong? Patamon: Oh! Nothing.... Takeru: Do you want to evolve too? Patamon: No! Not at all! I'm fine staying like this. I'll stay in this form forever, right by your side, Takeru. Takeru: Yeah! It's a promise. We'll be friends forever!

Dub Patamon has a much harder time putting his thoughts into words.

Patamon: Remember, I'm your Digimon, T.K. and some day I'll Digivolve too! T.K.: Huh? Why? Is that bad? Patamon: No! But.... T.K.: You wanna Digivolve? Is that what you're saying? Patamon: I'm just saying it might happen, but I don't really want it to. I wanna stay like this forever, always by your side! T.K.: Mmhmm! That's so awesome. We can be best friends forever and ever.

First he's like "Don't forget I'm gonna Digivolve!" and then suddenly it's "I don't wanna Digivolve!" Getting your wires crossed here, Patamon.

Also, "That's so awesome," is a way shittier response than "It's a promise!" If I told someone I liked being their friend and they replied, "Uh-huh, that's awesome," I'd feel super rejected.

We close on another white feather whisking by, assuring us that everything's gonna be alright.

It's all gonna be just fine.

Assessment: As the youngest youngest of this group, Takeru is defined by his innocence and his optimistic heart. This is his first spotlight episode since, as noted, he didn't get an evolution episode in the first set. Watching him navigate this situation with Elecmon makes for a solid contrast against what Yamato's been saying: That Takeru is incapable of doing things on his own.

He's young and naive, but he isn't helpless. We see that here, as he's forced to act independently for the first time in the series.

The dub of this one is a little rough in spots, especially when filling in dialogue for quiet scenes that drew their effectiveness from the reserved and careful use of audio. As with the previous episode, there's also places where the dub was screwed from the get-go, such as the two scenes that directly involve Japanese linguistics, but they did a decent job going their own way on those.

Overall, I'd call this dub an improvement over the previous episode, to be sure. Despite some jank in places, they did their best to stay on-script as much as possible and match the tone of the original, while also adding onto it in certain areas.