#TK should have been the leader

[ohgoodlordhereshegoesagain]

Never forget that Takeru was the reason Ken truly started to crack under his facade of the Digimon Emperor. He hit my boy with a whip to the face and Takeru Did. Not. Flinch. Then he curb stomped his ego into the ground. Absolutely gave him the ol' "why I oughta"

[hoennislands]

NJPW really loves to slap their titles on ex wwe stars and derail the current stories of their current employed members good lord 🙄

[remember-digimon]

Prodigious!

Izzy is the reason all these kids are still alive btw just wanted to make sure we all know that

So Izzy is smart. He brings a laptop and cellphone to summer camp and uses big words. But thankfully he does not fall into the trap of 'smart kids' of western media; overly nerdy, completely socially inept, you get the idea. No, Izzy is more than that. His intelligence has a basis in something besides a trope; namely, computer science and engineering.

(Don't even get me started on Matt being the one to go into engineering when IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IZZY)

From the moment the kids land in the Digital World, Izzy is curious about it. His crest is knowledge but I really think it should've been curiosity. He gets Tentomon to evolve by hacking his code. He comes up with some aliens conspiracy to explain why they're there and why there's things like phone booths on the beach.

Izzy is the problem solver of the group. In fact, without him, the other kids are just... Kinda lost. Izzy has the answers, and if he doesn't he'll at least know how to find them.

Even though he's younger than the others, being 10 when they're 11, they treat him as an equal. This is opposed to the other kid that's 10, Mimi, who is kind of coddled, and the two youngest, TK and Kari, who are literally the hope and light of the group.

Izzy is basically Tai's second-in-command, deferring to Tai's leadership while Tai takes his input very seriously. However, Izzy isn't much of a leader on his own.

He gets distracted by details. When Mimi finds him in the temple, he's so busy on his laptop that she gets upset and runs off into a maze. I would attribute this to him being younger, and as he gets older he does get better at applying his intelligence to a leadership role.

Most of the kids have an interesting family dynamic and Izzy is no different. It's revealed that he's adopted, that his birth parents died shortly after he was born and his adoptive parents were friends that took him in.

What I like about this reveal is that, of course, Izzy found this out on his own due to his curiosity. He overheard his parents discussing whether or not they should tell him, deciding not to because he's too young.

During the Odaiba raid, when the kids have a moment, Izzy gets to finally have the conversation. They admit that he's adopted and tell him what happened, and he says he already knows. He didn't want to bring it up himself because he thought he could just pretend like things were normal, like before he knew. But obviously it couldn't. This shows the price he pays for his curiosity, that sometimes knowing things isn't all fun times and computer jargon. It isn't helpful for Izzy to pretend to not know, to ignore what he knows. Instead it's better for him to apply what he knows to react appropriately, instead of hiding behind the easier mode of willful ignorance.

This also comes into play, though in a different way, during Izzy's confrontation with Vademon. Izzy gives away his curiosity (under extreme duress but still) and is basically empty of all character after that. He does a weird alphabet yoga meditation and willingly gives up his crest and tag, when earlier in the episode his curiosity was at a boiling point over it.

This causes Tentomon to de-digivolve to the baby stage; the only other partner Digimon to go back to this stage is Patamon. With the loss of his curiosity, Izzy has lost the core of his being and is no longer able to maintain Tentomon's existence.

Of course, he gets it back and everything is fine afterwords. This episode is very interesting when looking at how things work for the kids and their Digimon, why the crests are important, etc. But that's a post for another time.

Izzy is incredibly important to the team. Without him, I highly doubt they would've made it very far at all. He's able to look up Digimon on his laptop, kind of like a Digimon version of a Pokedex, when none of the currently present Digimon can give an explanation about who they're up against. But aside from his usefulness as the Smart Kid, it's noteworthy that he uses his intelligence to be helpful instead of lording it over everyone. And he is still a kid, albeit with an impressive vocabulary, so sometimes his curiosity gets him into trouble.

[hearted-anon]

Okay Hiii! I know that you’re close friends with Sana so I wanna organize something for her blog anniversary in about two weeks! She just posted about it 🥰 and I wanna do something special! If it’s possible, could you prepare a fic for that day? it’s the 27th of July I think. I just wanted to plan a surpirse!! Feel free to ignore just remember that this is a secret so she doesn’t know! Please don’t respond to this but if you’re in, post a 👀 in the tk community

— 👻

Raised hearts? Raised arms.

Words: 1641

Note: for @itzsana-kiddingmenow , happy anniversary!!

T/w: rough tickles, pinning

Lee(s): Changbin, Bangchan

Ler(s): Maknae line

Felix waddled over towards the rapper, who was sitting comfortably on the couch as he regained his breath. A black vest covered the red tank top that perfectly hugged his waist, albeit a bit tightly. Laying on his lap laid a tired wolf, where he wore a blue, thin vest with a back tank top; it didn’t cover his arms even in the slightest, leaving nothing to the imagination. The dwaekki was running a hand through the older’s hair calmly, the group having just finished up their performance at Music Bank.

“Looking good, are we?” The brownie boy murmured into Changbin’s ear, eliciting a soft squeak as his head turned to meet the younger. Hands were now all over him, massaging his arms, shoulders, anywhere that Felix could reach was not safe, making the shorter melt away into a puddle of goo and soft whines of protest; the dancer knew he didn’t mean them in the slightest. A curious Chan stared up at the duo when he realised he wasn’t getting hair scratches anymore, feeling a pang of jealousy that the dwaekki wasn’t paying attention to him.

“Hehe, he’s jealous~” Another voice called out, the leader snapping his head to meet a mushroom of blonde hair and what he could mistake as a five year old. Jutting his bottom lip out, Chan resorted to burying his head into Changbin’s stomach for protection, getting a few cute snorts and squeaks in the process. The maknaes pouted, turning the oldest back around before Seungmin scratched his scalp once more calmly, Jeongin kneading his hands quietly.

“What’s up? I see you have two cuties here!” Jisung chirped, plopping himself in front of Changbin to grip and hold his legs calmly, where Changbin was now surrounded by almost all of the members, who knows where Hyunjin and Minho went. Cheeks heating up, the two oldest members found themselves to be trapped within the maknae line, their faces turning into a pale shade of red under the sweet words that melted their hearts. Within a few seconds, their arms were suddenly lifted above their heads, revealing their bare underarms right on display.

“W-Wahahait!” Changbin almost immediately began pleading, babbling as a certain quokka held his arms up, a chick pulling down his vest to reveal his bare arms. Meanwhile, the vocalists struggled as Chan fought back against the current, but eventually succumbed when Jeongin wouldn’t stop squeezing his sides, weakening his resolve much more than it should have. Seungmin secured the leader’s arms high up, earning panicked shouts…and threats.

“Hehehey! L-Lehehet me goho!” Chan whined, tugging at his arms in a failed attempt to get the puppy’s hands to release him, but with the wide smile on his face it wasn’t very much threatening. The four mischievous people of the dreaded maknae line gathered around each other, whispering in unintelligible mutters that neither of them could comprehend. Once decided, Jisung squeezed Binnie’s hands comfortingly, while Seungmin just gazed blankly down at the leader.

“Since you two have been looking quite…amazing lately, we want you to keep your arms up. Y’know, to inspect those muscles. And if you fail…you don’t wanna know.” Jisung announced like reading rules of a competition, sending a shiver of fear and confusion down 2RACHA’s spine. What had they done so wrong to deserve such treatment from the young-ins? Suddenly, the quokka and vocalist that were holding onto the gym duos’ arms let go, causing them to almost crash down against their sides; Felix tsked disappointingly at it.

“B-But why?!” The duo practically squealed in unison, trembling as they complied to the instructions nonetheless, raising their arms above their heads. Four tiny heads popped up beneath their laps, Felix already taking courtesy of wrapping his arms around Changbin’s waist while Jeongin laid his head on Chan’s lap cosily.

“Because! We wanna show our hyungs some appreciation, now get them!” Jeongin exclaimed before fingers descended onto their bodies, earning a shrill squeal from both of the poor boys. Felix trailed his fingers around Binnie’s waist lazily, whilst Jisung traced his nails into the dwaekki’s bare armpits. Meanwhile, Seungmin was pinching up and down the oldest’s underarms, the youngest scratching tenderly at Chan’s thighs.

“Nohoho! S-Suhuhung plehease! Lix!” The rapper called out softly through his sweet laughter, a smile grazing his lips as his arms trembled, struggling to stay up. It made the sunshines’ hearts melt at the sound, the hear of their nicknames through such pure giggling making them even more determined to keep going at the soft pace; drawing tiny hearts onto the respective spots quietly with a smile of their own, they couldn’t hide it around the radiant warmth of the bunny.

“Eek! Guhuhuys!” Chan whined, stamping his feet onto the floor as Jeongin’s head bounced on his lap, causing the fox to grumble and push the plump thighs back into their place. The producer didn’t get the same, delicate treatment as the snorting dwaekki, the maknaes’ not giving up in their merciful but relentless attack. The four young-ins were as quiet as a mouse, letting the duo’s squeaky, stuttering laughter echo through the room.

“I don’t understand how you both are hated, listen to those squeals…” Seungmin hummed, scribbling his nails quickly over the leader’s armpits; his arms immediately crashed down to his sides with a sharp shriek. Seeing how quickly Chan failed, Changbin pleaded with the quokka with glossy eyes, begging not to suffer the same fate. But with a deep breath, the chick blew a loud raspberry onto his tummy after invading the younger’s tank top; earning a shriek as his hands pushed at his head instantly.

“Ooo, look who failed~” Jisung cooed, earning panicked squeaks and begging from the gym duo as their arms were forcefully ripped above their heads, the quokka and puppy standing behind them now. Their arms wrapped around theirs like a rope, keeping their hands free whilst allowing absolutely zero movement for the struggling producers; how convenient! Unable to avoid their tickly fate, the boys just stared at the maknae line with their best puppy eyes, but were powerless against the fingers that hovered above them.

“W-Waha- AHAHAH! N-NOHOHO!” Changbin wailed when fingers kneaded into the centre of his armpits, another Aussie pair of hands finding the dips of his hips before digging in. His head tossed and turned, cheeks heating up as hysterics spilled from his lips quickly. Jisung took the opportunity to lean his head close to the cherry red ears, whispering tiny compliments that turned his brain to mush; how could anyone say he’s overconfident?

“EEHAHAHA! I’M SOHOHORRY I’M SORRY!” The leader pleaded pointless apologies as a prankster’s hands found his sides, skittering and scratching the smooth skin tenderly, while another pair of hands found his armpits and repeated the same process, causing poor Chan to go into a state of frenzy. Seungmin snickered above him, taking the squishy skin and switching to squeezing as a scream tore from the oldest’s throat; how did anyone think he’s disrespectful?

“Aww~ they can’t even speak properly anymore..” Felix cooed, pressing his lips to the pudge of Binnie’s tummy that prominently stuck out giving his position, earning another shriek from the one above him.

“Stop laughing if you want it to stop..” Seungmin raised an eyebrow when the cackling didn’t stop, it obviously wouldn’t. Jeongin smirked evilly, pressing his lips to Chan’s neck before blowing hard. The leader wailed in ticklish agony, what a bunch of hellions.

“N-NOHO MOHORE NO MOHORAHAH-!” Changbin pleaded with the last of his breath before he cut out completely, silent begging that refused to leave his mouth through his open smile, blush bleeding into his shirt; he looked just like a real strawberry; his tank top being red only colouring him in all the more.

“ARGHAHAHA GUYS! PLEHEHEA-!” Chan’s voice too, gave out after another agonised scream of shrieky laughter, shaking his head as the fox refused to leave his neck alone, the area down already turned into its own bright shade of red. When the maknae line lifted their hands, and lips, they had to catch the exhausted gym duo, whose heads were slumped down as their arms laid limp down at their sides. Tears of mirth were streaming down their faces with each wheeze of breath that they took in, four tiny heads popping up beneath him. Seungmin and Felix had come to give just about a thousand tiny kisses along the rapper’s face, hands massaging his arms as the dwaekki squirmed from being fussed over. Meanwhile, Jeongin ran a soothing hand through the leader’s hair, Jisung snuggling against the heated body as he melted away.

“Tiny cuties..” Seungmin hummed quietly, earning loud whines of protest from below. However, when fingers wiggled ever so slightly on the waists they were quick to change their minds, babbling weakly for mercy. Just like that, the two strongest in the group were reduced to puddles of giggles, the maknae line working hard to relax their muscles and croon them to sleep; Felix’s voice was great for lullabies, wasn’t it? As soft snoring filled the room eventually, two heads peeked out from the front door.

“We left for groceries and they got wrecked? No fair!” Minho pouted, able to obviously tell who and who did not get the fair share of torture, gripping about two heavy bags of vegetables in each hand.

“Ah, no problem, there’s always tomorrow to show how much we love them..” Hyunjin mumbled, rather enthusiastically given his soft nature; one of his hands holding a full bag of meat and assorted other items, another fumbling around with the keys.

The sounds of cabinets and the fridge opening rang throughout the quiet dorms, two mischievous grocery helpers discussing their beloved plan to torment the other half of their line for when they woke up..for appreciation of course.

[digitexts]

What's your digimon opinion you will argue to your grave?

TK should have been the leader of the 02 group

[decafdino]

Wip Wednesday

Back from vacation with another piece to share. Thanks to @heartstringsduet @welcometololaland and @lemonlyman-dotcom for the tags this week!

Their leader hums. "Tell me, young prince," he says, kneeling over TK, "what was such a…valuable thing like you doing on his lonesome?"

"On the king's tour, from what we can gather," the other man says. "We'd tracked him for about a week, waiting to get him alone."

A week? TK wants to kick himself. He should have sensed that someone was following them. Maybe he did, but he ignored it. The night he slept in the fields with Carlos, there had been something there. Something that spooked the horses. Was that them?

How could I be so stupid?

All of his life, his mother had warned him about the dangers of anyone discovering his magic. He had brushed her off. Foolishly, TK had assumed that the time of demonizing everything magical had passed. It was easy enough to make himself believe that when he barely ever left the castle to begin with.

TK is certainly paying for his hubris now.

[septicwriters]

It's still Pride Month, so here is my last contribution:

Good Omens s3 Musical

This egg has been hatching for a while, so here we go!

A tale of woe of star cross lovers. I shall give a brief description of the happenings for each song. The basic gist of the story is Crowley and Aziraphale mourning eachother, missing the other by looking at the past and the missed future. A story of madness, guilt, betrayal, and an apology long overdue.

1) Get back up again, Aziraphale moving through the motions of being Supreme Archangels, fixing problem after problem while trying to stop Armageddom part 2. He tries to keep a steady smile through it all, even with that small voice in the back if his head that says he won't fix anything, and it all comes to a head when he gets a letter from hell, that Lord of Hell, Crowley would like a meeting with him.

2) Gossip, after Aziraphale begs to hear why Crowley would rather take the reigns down here instead of heaven, Crowley snaps. He knows that the angel is attracted to them, so he dances around Aziraphale, spouting this song at him with acid on his tongue. He drags the angel around in a dance Aziraphale is not familiar with. Crowley does get his point across, that Aziraphle is viewing heaven, Hell, earth, and them through a visage and that he doesn't see the real picture. By the end, Azirphale is kicked out of Hell, on his knees with silent tears, feeling he doesn't even know the demon anymore.

3) The Phoenix, After their conversation, eachothers "trust advisors" (i.e. Metatron and Husker) try to get them tk forget the other, and outright fails. This song is a duet for the two, sort of, but it is sung to show their true colors. They plan to use Crowley and Aziraphale as puppets, figureheads, to get their war. This is them singing as they shape Crowley and Azirpahale as their chosen leaders.

4) Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, Azirphale sneaks out of heaven and hunkers down at the bookshop. He is ever so tired and decided to try to Sleep, wanting to be close to the demon he used to know. But, his first attempt at sleep leads him to nightmares kf Crowley birating him, calling him a monster, and saying that Aziraphale should have fell instead. He wakes up and cries, deciding to put aside his feelings, the Metatron was right, he is a demon.

5) Freak on a Leash, this is sort kf Crowleys descent into Madness, it begins on him deciding to take the thrown of heaven and telling himself to forget Aziraphale while also pining for him. His eternal struggle leaving him waning and weak.

6) 21 Guns, this song is for Crowley and Aziraphale, struggling together. Trying to stop the oncoming war but utterly distracted by their shattered heart. They think back on their kiss, how close they came, before they fell away. This time, Azirpahle sends out and invitation to Crowley to meet at the Bookshop.

7) Krytpnite, Crowley sings this song after Azirpahle tries tk get through to him and he laughs like an insane person. He sings as a way to scare the angel away. This songs tells the angel that Crowleh is loosing himself and he knows it, but he can't stop, and the only thing that will stop his spiraling descent, is Azirphale, one way, or another. Once again, they do not part as friends.

8) Given up, Crowley returns to Hell fuming and this is him lashing out. He tosses his thrown, crushes his crown and yells at Hastur. He frightens all of hell as his pain is let out. Hastur smiles, seeing his work coming to an oncoming fruition.

9) Innocently Annoying, Hastur puts another step into his plan by sending demons down as Crowley. Azirphale sees these demons as hallucination and tries tk avoid these guilt tripping demons. By the end, he goes back up to Heaven we're he receives word that Hell has declared war.

10) Miss Murder, Crowley, shattered and broken down numbly rallies his forces. He doesn't even know what ks happening, but Hastur is thrilled, his armies are ready and the war is upon them. Both sides meet at a certain point at Hell and at the beat drop of the song, Crowley charges his armies.

11) Decode, Aziraphale watches with wide, unbelving eyes as Crowley sends Hell to fight. He wades his way through, trying to get to the demon and demand answers.

12) Fighting Myself, Crowley sings this song, once Azirphale amd him lock eyes. He let's the angel see him discoportate angels without a care, telling Aziraphale to stay back because he can't stop.

13) Apology song, Azirpahle gets too close and Crowley begins to fight him, not wanting tk hurt the other, he tries tk apologize, this is when he starts tk sing. He tosses his flaming sword aside and avoids Crowleys own sword. He pushes and pushes until he can reach Crowley, taking off tje crown and his glasses, he kisses him. Crowleu collaspes in his arms.

14)There should be another song here to show them stopping the war, but j have no idea.

15) All the Right Moves, Crowley sings this song, better and back tk normal, telling Aziraphle his plan for their future together at the cabin in the Southdowns, happy ending

If anyone would like tk add to this, or replace songs, please, add on, I'd love tk hear from others!

[not-goldy]

Tkks once again in group chats accusing Jk of being a shit headed boyfriend to Tae, while ignoring Tae walked hand and hand with Jennie. Where was your sympathy for Jungkook bitch? If JK is dating Tae like you claim. Imagine how Jk felt seeing Tae parading Jennie around in public and throwing his relationship with her around in Jk's face. This is the picture you are painting of TK right? So why does Tae get a pass to shit on Jk's feelings and gets to fuck around with other people, but you draw the line at Jk doing it? Why does Tae get to take vacations with Jennie. To NY, Jeju and Paris, but you draw the line at JK vacationing with Jimin in NY/CT and Japan? You ignore pictures of Tae and Jennie on vacation, Tae in her bed. Pictures and videos Jk had to see by the way, but you wanna raise hell over Jikook taking shirtless pictures on vacations and Jimin posting one for his birthday. That's too much, but Tae in Jennie's bed is okay. You don't actually give a fuck about Jk and you know deep down TK isn't real, you just want a reason to hate on Jimin cause you're jealous lonely fucks. You focus on Tae, but you also want him to be a helpless victim being emotionally abused by Jikook, cause you get off on it. You are sick twisted fucked up in the head mental cases who need lots of therapy. I am not joking or being funny. Ignoring Tae has a whole entire girlfriend and still focusing on Jikook. Can you just say out loud, you think Jk loves Jimin more then you think Tae loves Jennie and it threatens you. See with Taennie out of sight, means out of mind and you can relax a bit. Jikook however are in your faces and you are forced to watch Jk in love with Jimin and not your fav.

Don't get pissed off at Jikook cause your favs had to catch up through videocall and Tae didn't even know Jk cut his hair, when y'all said TK would shave them together and enlist together and its not happening, while Jikook been snuggling in each other's beds for months on their private trips and making big future plans together for months behind the scenes and about to take their next journey together, in the military together. You had a chance to be happy for Tae and Jennie. You had a chance to support Tae and support his happiness a relationship that made him so giddy and so happy. You didn't. Instead you chose to lick your tkk leaders chronic lying assholes who has gaslit you and continued to ignore every red flag and ship two men who aren't dating and now you mad cause the walls of truth are caving in on you. Should have got out of your imagination when Tae told you.

Smh

We should put them on an intergalactic slave ship and send them off to another galaxy for aliens to do with them whatever they please 🥺

[karlie-what-you-want]

Hey! First I want to say your blog is awesome and I checkc back frequently for updates so thank you for that!

I do have a question tho and I don’t mean this to be rude at all to Taylor. I love her and all, but I sometimes wonder if anyone else has noticed that some of her actions are kinda…opposing? She speaks out for women and gays, but then also does nothing to stop her fans from hating on Karlie/Kaylor, and then goes around with Jackson Mahomes who was accused of sexual assault. Not to mention that Travis is homophobic himself. Have you ever felt like she was queerbaiting at any point?

Travis is definitely more problematic than her and is the majority of the problem. But at the same time, she’s choosing to stunt with him and everything despite her activism era. Just wanted to know your thoughts on this!

Thank you for your kind words. You’re so sweet! Always nice to know I’m appreciated 🥰

I can absolutely empathize with what you are feeling. I think a lot of us can. For years now I have looked up to Taylor and had faith in the morals that she proclaims to the world, and I was so proud of her for taking a real stand during Lover era. Her silence on important issues since that time has been discouraging, and these recent months with Ratty, TK, the Mahomes family, and the NFL have been very disappointing to watch unfold, to put it lightly.

I’ve heard it said by others around here, and I believe it’s true: people with as much money and power as Taylor and her peers operate on a different moral compass than the rest of us. They are willing to compromise in areas that we would find essential, with them likely seeing it as mere business, or not their problem. They still feel that they are strong leaders and good examples, not realizing the gravity of their choices; they’re just that disconnected. I would imagine that Taylor still feels like a model citizen, and that some of her choices come from ignorance due to her privileged position.

Is that an excuse? No, certainly not. Not to me, at least. But it is a good reminder for those of us who struggle to make sense of it all. It’s not necessarily that Taylor is making these choices maliciously—she’s not evil, nor is she perfect. She’s just living a different reality, which can be frustrating to watch from “the real world” where we live.

It is an internal battle for me, to be sure, and you’re not alone in feeling this way.

I will close this on a strange note, for which I apologize. For the sake of accuracy and honesty, I feel like I should say that of all the sins I hold against Travis, homophobia is not one of them. From what I have heard, his support (even at the bare minimum levels) for the LGBT community is one of his only redeeming qualities. But, if you have a source for the alleged homophobia, I’d certainly want to know so that I can correct myself.

(If anything, I feel that he might struggle with a similar internalized homophobia to that which we have seen in Taylor herself.)

[remorsefulkittens]

Arrested

TK Strand/Carlos Reyes (Tarlos)

Owen Strand/Original Female Character

Ratting: Teen

Status: Complete (2,001 words)

@911bingo Square: Saved From a Bad Date

Summary: TK sends Carlos to save Owen from a bad date, and Carlos does, the only way he knows how…

Read on Ao3

Owen’s current companion had been talking for an hour straight, giving Owen plenty of time to regret saying yes to the date in the first place…sure, she was attractive, blonde, busty, and well-dressed, but Owen shouldn’t have let himself be fooled, because she was also self-centered, entitled, and downright boring; things he wished he'd known before she asked him out, and long before they made it to dinner.

“Like, what would she have done if she had been promoted instead of me? Lord it over me you can bet! She claims she has more schooling than me, but what does that even mean? I know how to do the job, so why take a course? I have better things to do with my time.”

Owen nodded along, waving to the waiter to bring another drink. A strong one.

“You’re lucky to be Captain,” she continued on, while Owen scanned the restaurant hoping for an out. A small fire in the kitchen maybe, or someone to heimlich. “No one to boss you around. Like, I feel like I’m still not in charge, even though I am in charge, you know?”

“Well, being a leader is more than a title,” Owen pointed out, the first words he'd spoken since ‘hello’. “You’ve got to earn it.”

Rearing back in her seat, Owen's date was clearly offended. “What is that supposed to mean? I did earn it!”

Owen apologized, and she went back to her original monologue, oblivious to Owen's discomfort, while Owen resumed his survey of the restaurant. Tuning the chatter out, Owen started running practice drills in his mind, nodding at his date every so often, without registering what she was saying. Until…

“Hello?! Did you hear me?” she asked, snapping her fingers near his face.

“Huh? What? Oh, sorry, what was that?” He gave his best smile to placate her.

She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was charmed. “You’re not paying attention. I asked if we should go to my place or yours after?” She winked at him, and he pretended he wasn’t horrified.

“Oh, wow…” he fumbled for something to turn her off the idea of going home together. “This is only our first date.”

She scoffed, tossing her hair, impossibly long with such body and shine, falling over her shoulders, strands brushing her neck, her cleavage…and damn it! That hair had distracted him before. He couldn’t let it happen again.

“Holy, Owen, this is the 20th century! And we are grown up's, we can do as we please.”

Another hair toss, and then she was drumming manicured fingernails on the table, waiting for his answer.

“Um, it's actually the 21st century, but good point,” he glanced over his shoulder, but the entrance door was too far to bolt. “I just have to hit the men's room, and we'll work out the details.”

Owen was up and moving before she could object, and he shut the bathroom door with a grimace. He needed an out. In New York he might have considered slinking away, having the waiter make an excuse …but Austin was smaller. He would run into Gemma again, she worked at his favorite men's wear store for Pete’s sake! Plus, he was an adult, captain of his own crew! He could tell Gemma the truth…or, he could call someone to rescue him.

He thanked God that he hadn’t left his phone at the table, yanking it from his pocket and dialing TK's number.

TK got his Dad’s call right after he told Tommy he would stay late to help Nancy with the inventory. Poor timing because he couldn’t just leave, but having been on his share of disastrous dates, TK couldn’t just abandon the man either. Obliged to think of something, he told his dad to hang tight, help was coming, at the same time he was texting Carlos to pass the buck. His boyfriend would just be getting off shift, so he could spring Owen on his way home, and maybe pick up take out too.

“Everything ok?” Nancy asked, tearing open boxes, and stacking supplies on the ambulance's bumper.

“All good, my dad just got himself stuck on a bad date,” TK shrugged, slipping his phone into his pocket. “I texted Carlos to go help out.”

Nancy snickered, picking up her clipboard to update her count. “Good that cap is putting himself out there. He's grumpy when he's lonely.”

TK climbed into the ambulance to start packing sterile dressings, gauze, gloves and masks into the cupboards.

“Yep!” TK agreed, “plus he interferes in my life a bit too much. Sounds like THIS one is definitely not THE one though,” he said grimly.

“Got distracted by pretty hair again?” Nancy snorted, and TK laughed out loud.

“Well all he could tell me is that she's blonde, and talks a lot, so sounds about right.”

Nancy picked up another box. “You know, he should just go out with Tommy. Neither of them are good at dating, maybe they'd click.”

Both TK and Nancy paused in their tasks, eyes meeting, before they cracked up.

“That'd be weird,” TK said, catching his breath.

“Yeah sure would,” Nancy agreed.

‘What? Just leaving work…how am I supposed to rescue your dad?’

‘TK? What am I doing?’

‘Are you serious about take out? That place is pricey.”

‘TK? Hello?’

‘TK you know it bugs me when you don’t answer…’

Carlos slid into his car, annoyed with TK's habit of texting, then going radio silent, without waiting for his answer. He had no idea how to extricate someone from a date, and Owen was an adult, couldn’t he just be honest with the woman? All Carlos wanted was to go home, get into sweats, and binge TV until TK joined him…and then he had some other, less PG ideas, about how to finish their evening…but first he needed to focus.

Take-out wasn’t a bad idea because he wouldn’t have to cook…plus if he did this TK would owe him and that was always fun. He thought for a second, tapping his fingers on the wheel, gaze wandering down to the uniform he was still wearing, and it hit him; he was a cop, how hard could it be to force someone out of a restaurant? He was sure his inspiration would work, and if he ordered food on his way over, he could grab it on the way out. Smiling at his own resourcefulness, Carlos put the car in gear, steered his way out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Back at the table, Owen could only pray his son would come through for him. He had stalled as long as he could in the bathroom, and now Gemma was looking pretty irritable…though it hadn’t stopped her from talking.

“My fish is dry,” she complained, glancing around for the waiter. “I’m going to let them know. This place gets such good reviews, but I’m not sure why.”

Owen managed not to groan, instead adopting an upbeat tone.

“Mine's great,” he said, stuffing a bite into his mouth, then talking while he chewed, “You should have gotten the steak.”

Gemma was clearly grossed out, and Owen figured being generally unpleasant would have to be his back-up plan if TK didn’t show soon.

“Yeah, well, red meat is terrible for you,” Gemma informed him, then shrugged. “But I guess it's a man thing. Whatever. Did you decide while you were in the bathroom?” She moved on, leaving Owen behind.

“Huh?” He blurted.

She rolled her eyes for probably the fifth time of the evening, because apparently Owen was slow.

“Your place or mine?” She prompted, giving him the same flirtatious grin that had gotten him here in the first place. Damn whatever hormonal process made him lose his common sense when pretty women looked at him that way.

“Wow, um…” he took another huge bite of his dinner to buy some time, chewing a full twenty times before swallowing. She reached over and put her hand over his, and he suddenly knew exactly how deer felt when the headlights hit them.

“I’d have to say your place,” he finally spit out, defeated. At least she wouldn’t know where he lived this way.

She smiled wide, like an extra creepy Cheshire cat, and he slumped in his chair, wishing for another drink.

“Good choice, Captain,” she drawled, leaning in closer, “At my place we can be as loud as we want.”

TK was going to an earful for this one, Owen swore, after all the things he had done for his son!

“Ha, yeah well that’s me,” he stammered, tipping his drink, hoping for a few more drops of tequila, “always making sound decisions and-"

“Owen Strand?”

Owen was startled by the commanding voice, fumbling his glass, nearly dropping it in his lap. Gemma's eyes went wide, and Owen swiveled in his seat to face Carlos Reyes, in full uniform, stone-faced, feet planted, thumbs tucked into his belt. Owen had seen Carlos in action before, but he didn’t think he'd ever seen him look quite so intimidating.

“Car-" Owen started to greet, only to be cut off by Carlos' raised hand.

“Owen Strand, you are under arrest,” Carlos stated, moving to pull the cuffs from his belt. “Stand up,” he ordered, without a hint of humor.

“Car-officer-I’m sure I have no idea-"

“You are Owen Strand correct?” Carlos questioned, eyebrow raised.

“Yes, I-well-yeah-you know that,” Owen stuttered, eyes darting from Carlos, to Gemma, to all the other faces staring at them.

“I do, and like I said, you're under arrest, so you need to stand up and come with me,” Carlos ordered, and Owen gaped.

“Easy or hard Strand! You decide,” Carlos barked, and Owen jumped to obey.

Catching Owen’s wrists, Carlos yanked them to his back, slapped on the cuffs, and spun Owen toward the door with impressive strength.

“What are the charges?” Owen managed to squeak, and without pausing the frog march, Carlos leaned in to whisper.

“TK texted me. Keep walking and I’ll tell you in the car.”

“Are you freaking serious?” TK couldn’t quite wrap his head around Carlos’ choice to arrest his father in the middle of a crowded restaurant. “You couldn’t have just said his son was sick and needed him? Or, I don’t know, anything but dragging him out in cuffs?!”

Carlos shrugged, dishing food from take out containers onto plates. “Well, I’m pretty sure there’s no chance that woman he wanted to get away from will be calling him now. Do you want salad, or just steamed vegetables?”

TK gave his head a shake, but Carlos did have a point. “Just vegetables,” he answered. “Was my dad mad?”

Carlos slid the plates aside. “No, in fact he thought it was petty funny once we got out to my car,” Carlos grinned, stepping into TK's space, kissing his forehead, cheek, and then his lips, long and slow. “I also think he was impressed.”

“Mmmmn…” TK moaned, reaching around to squeeze Carlos' ass.

“He asked me why I was wearing my uniform home,” Carlos murmured into the crook of TK's neck, “I told him it's because it makes you crazy for me.”

TK squirmed, backing up out of Carlos' hold.

“Wait-ew! Don’t tell my dad that Carlos!”

Carlos gave him a devilish grin, pulling TK back to him roughly. “It's true isn’t it?”

TK melted into Carlos' arms, shuddering as Carlos nipped at his shoulder and neck. “It's true,” he moaned, “So true!”

“Good,” Carlos said, “and now you owe me, so let’s eat fast, then take this to the bedroom. You can be the second Strand I cuff tonight.”

TK’s groaned loudly, the growing fire in his belly doused.

“That was gross Carlos! Now you ruined handcuffs for me!”

Carlos tightened his grip on TK, forgetting about dinner, and manhandling his boyfriend toward the bedroom.

“No I didn’t,” Carlos growled, and with an excited a squeal, TK agreed.

[lgcsujin]

˗ˏˋ Happy Birthday, Sujin ! ( 04.19 )

“Sujin!” Taeha bounces over to the birthday boy, hugging her backpack to her chest. “Are you on your way to the cafe? You’re having a cup sleeve, right? Do you have a minute?” She wastes no time and pulls a bundle of woven, blue fabric from her bag. “Happy birthday!” While baked goods had always been her go-to, she had a feeling the cake connoisseur would already have that covered. “It’s a scarf! I made it myself!”

“And, and, and - ! If you wrap it properly, you can pull it up to cover your nose, and… There’s a smiley!” She flips it over to reveal it with a satisfied grin of her own. There was indeed a smiling face… Albeit a bit misshapen, it was a smiley all the same. “I know it’s getting warmer out, but it took me a while to make…” Never mind that she had started this little project sometime before Christmas - “You’ll be ready for when it gets chilly again! I hope you like it!”

She spins on her heels to rush off to her next practice session - but a sudden thought leaves her hesitating at his side. “Oh! I almost forgot! TK asked me to give you these -” Before Sujin can so much as brace himself ( not that he would really have to ), she throws 25 light jabs at his arm with a giggle. “Plus one extra for good luck? He said something like that… I am just the messenger!“ 

It was spring and being naturally warm blooded, Sujin did not need the extra layer. He still accepted the gift with both hands, though, and started wrapping it around his neck as instructed, brows lightly furrowing as he searched for the promised smiley face. When he finally discovered it, the sight of its crooked little face put a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. 

“Look at you, so capable.”

Then again, should he really be surprised? Even when they first met as teenagers, she was one of the more reliable kids in the group. They called her the tiny leader with a loud voice, always ready to take on the day. He remembered how she voluntarily watched over his sister while he played beach volley ball with TK, full of cheeriness and patience. She wouldn’t have to be this responsible if you are less of a peanut, he informed his dopey doge of a best friend, who could not even be trusted to cut an apple (back then and now). Work harder as an older brother.

So many years had passed since then, huh.

“Thanks,” he said, tugging the scarf over his lips, hiding his smile behind the one Taeha had created. “Look, Taeha, don’t run off yet, there is something I wanted to ask you…” Her birthday beats were light. Didn’t hurt at all and in fact…tickled. Not against his skin but in his chest. 

“I like you,” Sujin spoke evenly through the blue fabric over his face. “Do you,” he started, only to pause and pull the scarf up higher to cover his cheeks so they could not betray him with a change in coloring. “Want to go out with me?”

[bittertarot]

Hi!

Initials :TK

Sun sign:Leo

For me Christmas is not yet I would spend Christmas with my friends ✨

Idols: Jay-enhypen, Jake -enhypen ,Suga-bts, Felix-stray kids

Question:How would my Idol spend New Years with me?

Hi, TK! Your Christmas sounds like it will be a lot of fun :] How would Jay (Enhypen) Spend New Years Eve with you? *Knight of Pentacles Reversed* - Jay's energy seems a bit busy at the moment, he seems to be working obsessively towards his/his groups goals, very efficient. I think on New Years Eve, though, he'd be quite lazy and instead reflecting on his year, he would take this time to talk about the year with you, maybe offer some advice from his experiences this year. He may go out on a small shopping spree to get some gifts to those whom he is thankful for this year, he'd be very chill and down to earth! He doesn't have much to say/much to do, so that'll be all for him! How would Jake (Enhypen) spend New Years Eve with you? *Death* - He would be sorting out a lot of personal issues, since he would want to start the year off fresh. He may cut ties with people whom are energy vampires and try to embrace those around him that have actual, good, intentions. He'd be dealing with a lot of change, like Jay, he would take this time to reflect on his year and see how he can improve himself next year. He may seek you out for comfort in order to receive some validation that he did the right thing, that he didn't mess up, he wants to know he'll have a good year. Afterwards, the 2 of you may sit outside in a field and watch fireworks as the year comes to a close. How would Suga (BTS) spend New Years Eve with you? *Wheel of Fortune Reversed* - 2023 should have been a year for some karmic cycles to close, however, it seems they will haunt him into this year and it is all out of his control. He would be scared, worrying all night about whether his year will improve or not. Very anxiety inducing energy. You may sit down and offer some words of wisdom/comfort towards him; saying that he shouldn't feel so helpless, that the situation is actually in his control and whatever happens will lead to new opportunities. You may try to show him light in a moment of darkness, which would be very meaningful for him. He'd be very grateful for this. How would Felix (Stray Kids) spend New Years Eve with you? *King of Pentacles* - You'd probably follow along with his antics, as he'd be viewed as a "leader", a "king" for 1 night. He would use his power/status as an idol to get him into various parties with you. He'd probably spend a lot of money on drinks, gifts for friends, just going on a random, drunk, shopping spree, etc. He'd be very wild and carefree, feeling secure that 2024 will be an amazing year! He'd feel like an older brother/fatherly figure to you, with how kind he is. He'd share a lot of funny stories about his year with you, as well as his wealth. He might casually go into a luxury brands store and walk out with a gift just for you, no hesitation on spending for him on that day. That is all for your readings, I hope January has been good for you and that the rest of 2024 feels fruitful for you!

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, twelfth episode "Swipe Left '' which originally aired April 11, 2023. The episode was written by Carly Soteras and directed by Steve Danton. Spoiler's ahead!

Hello, friend! Let's chat about the latest episode of Lone Star! Is it just me or is this season firing on all cylinders? Since the season four premiere on up to the latest episode, I have truly been enjoying the wild ride. We kicked things off with TK and Carlos' wedding planning but then things took a turn when it was revealed Carlos is married to Iris Blake. Then Carlos got kidnapped by a serial killer and held captive. Owen stopped a plot to blow up the capitol. Tommy wooed her minister and warred with his daughter. Marjan left the 126 and came back. We also got some much needed backstory on Marjan and Mateo. Oh, and Paul is dating now! Judd and Grace are going to be grandparents courtesy of Wyatt and his girlfriend. Like I said - it's been a wild ride!

In this episode, we get to major storylines involving TK, Carlos, and Marjan. Let's start with the Marjan storyline. We see Marjan at one of her physical therapy sessions. Her physical therapist is played by Natacha Karam's real life partner, John Clarence Stewart. John plays Joe and the chemistry Joe has with Marjan is palpable. However, Marjan needs to be with someone who is also Muslim.

We get a montage of Marjan going on various dates with Muslim men with her teammates accompanying as chaperones. Each guy has some sort of fatal flaw that makes him undesirable in Marjan's eyes however there is one guy that both Marjan and Owen fall in love with. His name is Fauza (Keon Alexander) and he is an animal lover (a plus for Owen) and by all intents and purposes a pretty swell guy. Plus he's very easy on the eyes if you get what i'm saying. 

During an emergency involving a jilted wife who goes to the no tell/motel where her cheating husband is getting his rocks off, Marjan discovers that Fauza is not only married but his wife is super pregnant. Yikes! Looks like Marjan dodged a bullet. A very gorgeous, animal-loving bullet.

While shopping for ingredients she plans on cooking for Paul and his girlfriend, Asha, Marjan runs into Joe in a Middle Eastern supermarket. Paul does a great job of playing wingman and encourages her to talk to him. Marjan has reservations about getting involved with Joe since he is not Muslim but Joe points out that he is Muslim. Just not the Middle Eastern variety. This moment was so funny to me because it's almost like Marjan couldn't fathom Joe (a black man) having the same faith as her. Marjan invites Joe to the dinner and he agrees. I hope we get to see more of these two in future episodes!

Now, let's talk about everyone's favorite ship - Tarlos! TK and Carlos interview four faith leaders in hopes of picking one who will officiate their wedding. Rabbi Finkel (Harvey J. Alperin) is okay with the two of them being gay, however he thinks Carlos should convert to Judaism. Amethyst (Maureen Driscoll) likes the color of both their auras but won't be able to commit to a time and date because time is all relative to her. Reverend Tom (David Grant Wright) is a homophobe and tells TK and Carlos they will be together forever ... in hell. Yikes! Lastly, Pastor Nicole (Briana Lane) appears to be their best option but when she asks them if they want to have kids, both men are surprised by each other's answers.

TK wants to have kids but Carlos doesn't. A part of me was surprised they were this far along in their relationship and neither of them had ever asked the other if they wanted kids or not. Then again, this is also the same couple where one of them was legally married to someone else for most of the relationship. This of course sends our two boys spiraling so they each go to their parents for advice.

Kudos to Owen and Andrea Reyes (Roxana Brusso) for giving some solid advice to their sons. Andrea points out that Carlos has issues with avoidance which is spot on! She believes that Carlos never got around to asking TK if he wanted kids because he knew exactly what his answer would be. TK wonders if Carlos' hesitation to have kids is because he's an addict but Carlos dispels that by saying he believes wholly in TK's recovery. Andrea asks if Carlos is worried the child wouldn't have a mother figure and Carlos says he's worried if he's going to be a good dad. Carlos cites TK's relationship with Owen and how they've always been close but he and his dad are only just getting close. Carlos is afraid he won't measure up. Owen tells TK that any time he's prioritized someone else's needs over his own, things have always worked out for the better. Andrea tells Carlos he needs to be considerate of TK's feelings and he also needs to be honest. Because, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters, or should matter is that TK has Carlos and Carlos has TK. Periodt!

We end the episode at TK and Carlos' apartment. TK cooks dinner and Carlos comes home with a cardboard box. Carlos opens the box and it's a bearded dragon! I guess if they don't have kids, at least they can have a lizard. Carlos tells TK he knows he will be a good father but he's not ready yet and he may not ever get there. TK tells him that's okay. I love this scene. Part of being in love is compromise. 

Oh, and the bearded dragon escaped from the box.

So, this was a fun episode! I loved getting to see a different side of Marjan. We're so used to seeing her be a badass firefighter but this time we got to see the softer side of her. The dating montage was so hilarious. I love that TK, Carlos, Paul, Owen, Nancy, and Mateo served as her chaperones. I liked the different types of guys she encountered. I especially liked her scenes with Joe. One thing I like that both 9-1-1 shows involve the actors' real-life partners and family members into the show. We've seen Jennifer Love Hewitt's husband appear twice on the OG series. Rob Lowe's son John writes for the show and his brother Chad appeared last season as his half-brother. Next episode we will see Sierra McClain's sisters appear as her sisters. 

As for the TK and Carlos scenes. These two have such amazing chemistry and I think that's because Ronen and Rafael are such great friends off-camera. I love how the writers aren't afraid to show them struggle. Relationships aren't perfect. Another thing I like is how mature both parties were when dealing with the children/no children issue. TK doesn't run off and get upset. Carlos didn't shut down. They are getting so much better at communicating and I love to see it! It looks like we're getting closer and closer to the Tarlos wedding! I cannot wait! Until next time ...

[jamsofdeath0]

I'm still a firm believer that TK or Cari should have been the leader of 02 and Davis should've been the foil.

[sylsdiary]

7/5/24 (1:43am)

Dear Alyssa,

Hi honey. You’re so sweet. I know you’ve been having a hard time recently. It’s hard to work through your feelings. I hope you know that that is completely normal and that you deserve patience and kindness while you feel your feelings. You’re in uncharted territory right now! Look girl, you’ve been through A LOT. And you’ve done such a great job and handling it all. But with all of the things you’ve experienced, you’re bound to have some emotional consequences come up, especially when you’re in a place of vulnerability like being in a relationship. It’s totally normal. I want you to know that you’re not hard to love. At all. It feels like that sometimes. But it’s not true. You are so loveable and kind and sweet. You are so deserving of good things. You’ve had bad moments, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person who deserves punishment. I love you so much. You are so patient and kind and understanding to those around you, and you deserve the same treatment. Let’s put beauty to the side. You are so kind. You are so radiant! I mean, truly energies are lifted by your presence. You have been told so often that people feel welcomed by you. What a lovely way to be talked about! You know that feeling when someone makes you feel like you belong? How lovely is it that you’re able to give that feeling to so many people!!!! And goodness, not only are you kind, you’re so funny! You make people laugh and you’re such a joy to be around! You also are an amazing and thoughtful friend. You listen with intention, you consider how your actions affect other people, you are there for your friends and people when they need you. You put others before you and think about them often. You are considerate thoughtful and caring. Beyond your personality traits…just in general, you’re everything I have ever dreamed of becoming :) Seriously. Think of the person you wanted to be a few years ago. Kind, confident, funny, loved, smart, successful. You wanted to start a student org and you did! You wanted to earn a 4.0 and you did! You wanted to be better at fh and you are! You wanted to be a better leader for fh and you are! Gosh ong that reminds me you’ve been away from fh so much you’ve forgotten what a community of LOVE you’ve built there. Seriously you should be so proud of that. Your energy radiates through that team. But that’s off topic lol. You wanted to have a community of ppl at vcu and you do. You WNATED TK SRUDY ABROAD AND YOY ARE!!!! You wanted to be financially independent and you are. You wanted a full ride to college and you got one. You wanted a full time job at DE and you got one! You wanted to stand your ground with your mom and you did. Good golly everything you’ve ever wanted and hoped for yourself you have MADE A REALITY. It didn’t fall into your lap. It wasn’t luck it wasn’t by chance. You made it happen. You did. What an amazing lady.

I hope you know that no matter what you go through, gosh you will find some way to turn it for the better, like you always do! And I hope yoy know that you deserve good things. It’s truly an honor to be with you in any capacity, and you are a light in the world. I love you so much from the bottom of my heart. I want you to feel beautiful, I want you to feel secure, I want you to feel loved. I want you to trust yourself!!!!! Trust that you can and will handle anything that gets thrown your way. Trust that you have everything you need within yourself. Trust that you are whole on your own. And also, trust your emotions! You are allowed to feel. You don’t need to try to justify your emotion. If you feel something let yourself feel it! But you don’t always need to trust your thoughts. Some thoughts are just thoughts that can pass like clouds. When bad thoughts come in, remind yourself that they’re just thoughts. I love you. I hope when you’re reading this that you can feel that. I am giving you a big hug. ❤️

[epacer]

A Bridge Too Far

Teachers Say TK Program for 4-Year-Olds Has Been Rushed

On a cool January evening, about a hundred San Diego Unified educators gathered at the Mission Valley headquarters of the San Diego Education Association, the union that represents the district’s teachers. Many attendees showed up clad in red, the union’s trademark color. But it wasn’t a standard union meeting. That night, San Diego Unified Superintendent Lamont Jackson and other district top staff were also in attendance.

Teachers gathered to advocate for changes to the district’s universal transitional kindergarten program, a new grade the state created for 4-year-olds. “This isn’t a typical meeting where the district leader talks and we listen,” SDEA wrote in a Facebook post. “This time the shoe is on the other foot – we’re going to talk, and they’re going to listen!”

Some San Diego Unified officials have big hopes for the program, which it rolled out last year, three years earlier than the state required. More than just an isolated increase in enrollment, which UTK clearly provided, officials view it as a way to combat a long-term trend of enrollment decline. If they can get kids into the district early and impress parents with the instructional quality, the logic goes, maybe they’ll stick around long term. But the opposite could also happen. A poor program could repel parents from the district.

But beneath the confidence of some officials, San Diego Unified educators are frustrated. From a curriculum some say is virtually nonexistent or simply repurposed from kindergarten, inadequate supplies that leave them buying age-appropriate toys with their own money and insufficient training and staff, many educators view the rollout of the program as rushed and haphazard.

“The district doesn’t seem to have a clear vision and direction, or a communication system for UTK,” said Lisa Morris, a UTK teacher at the district.

Concerns About Staffing and Training

Over and over, teachers coming out of the meeting spoke about a lack of staff. Currently, each of San Diego Unified’s UTK classrooms has one credentialed teacher, who often have experience teaching kindergarten, and one early childhood education teacher. These two co-teachers are in charge of up to 24 children. This ratio isn’t unique to SDUSD. It’s the benchmark created by California’s UTK program, with a requirement that schools reduce the ratio to 10 children for every one adult by 2025.

Still, many San Diego Unified educators feel the current ratio isn’t working. Some said they’ve had to skip lunch breaks, while others said there aren’t enough adults to properly take care of children during recess, when teachers should be taking breaks. “At a lot of the schools, 4-year-olds have to go by themselves out of the classroom to find a bathroom on campus,” Morris said.

This staffing trouble is compounded in special education, where some kids may have behavioral issues that need more attention. “Special Ed programs are now mainstreamed in the UTK, which is fantastic, and teachers support that. But with the staffing shortage, there’s just no support for them,” Morris said.  

Wendy Aardappel said it feels as if the district is building the UTK program on the fly – and had they not accepted all 4-year-olds in year one, the flight may have been smoother. “If they had rolled it out more slowly, even though they’re still flying the plane and building it, they would have had more room to fly lower down to the ground,” Aardappel said.

“San Diego Unified is committed to ensuring the success of UTK,” San Diego Unified communications director Maureen Magee wrote in a statement. “The feedback from SDEA will help the district strengthen UTK for educators, students, and families. The district looks forward to ongoing collaboration with SDEA as it develops solutions for additional resources and training to support UTK.”

Aardappel has been teaching for 22 years, but this was her first year teaching transitional kindergarten. “I was super excited that we were going to be able to reach the youngest learners,” Aardappel said. “But I didn’t know how it was going to work.” She, like other UTK teachers, feels the district hasn’t provided the amount of training they’ve needed to step into this new classroom environment. And when they have provided trainings, Aardappel hasn’t been able to attend because they’ve been at times when she’s had to pick up her own kids from school, and the district hasn’t recorded them.  

Teachers in UTK classrooms are also contending with another big change that many have no experience with – now co-teaching classrooms. According to Morris, the union had an MOU with the district that laid out some of the elements it hoped to see in the UTK rollout. One of the requests was for training, not only for newly paired co-teachers, but for those who hadn’t worked in early childhood classrooms. The district was supposed to provide training shortly after school started, but eventually the union had to file a grievance to get the district to provide it.  

But instead of the in-person hands-on training that allowed co-teachers to collaborate that educators had hoped for, the district simply gave teachers a day off and held a training on Zoom. “So it wasn’t like (the co-teachers) could really work together and build on things,” Morris said. “It was not the training that we had envisioned.”

A Lack of Curriculum and Supplies

One of the chief concerns expressed about SDUSD’s UTK program is that the curriculum is not developmentally appropriate for 4-year-olds and bears more resemblance to that of a kindergarten class than to the experiential, play-based learning children of that age need.

“There’s a disconnect in what the space between preschool and kindergarten is supposed to look like,” said UTK teacher Sonia Bouchard.

While Morris said there is some curriculum, she said that the standards they’re supposed to expect of children aren’t clear. “What we have now is almost like just a modified version of kindergarten,” Morris said. “How do we prioritize children’s need (for) social emotional learning versus their math and reading sklls at 4-years-old?” she asked.

San Diego Unified board member Richard Barrera has acknowledged that the district’s UTK program isn’t perfect. He said the goal is to blend early childhood development with the academic aspects of kindergarten, but that “it’s a work in progress in terms of the curriculum.”

And beyond the frustrations with curriculum, teachers say they haven’t been provided the kinds of supplies needed to create an enriching experience for 4-year-olds. Aardappel said some money for supplies eventually arrived, but not before she spent $80 of her own money on a play kitchen for her classroom. She recently received an Amazon gift card from a parent and spent it on crayons for her classroom.

What’s more, said Morris, is that if it falls on teachers to provide toys and supplies either by spending their own money or fundraising for them, school sites whose parents are able to donate more will inevitably be able to provide more than others. “There’s a total lack of equity with that,” Morris said. Advocates have pitched universal transitional kindergarten as a tool to combat the achievement gap, but if those inequities persist, Morris said the program may only exacerbate it. Especially because parents with resources have the option of sending their children to high-quality preschool programs, and those who rely on the free care UTK provides will stick with the program.

“In order for educational equity to happen the programs need to be high quality across the district,” Morris said.

Scattered Claps

Morris thinks San Diego Unified’s UTK program is far from a lost cause, in fact she thinks it has the potential to be an “extremely high-quality program.” After all, she’s heard mostly positive things from parents. “It’s just that the rollout was so quick that the resources, the vision, the planning, were unable to keep up,” she said.

Those concerns were widespread at the meeting with Jackson. The mood outside of the meeting was one of frustration, with some teachers saying they felt like Jackson had listened to their concerns but hadn’t necessarily heard them and others saying he’d simply told them what they wanted to hear. “He wasn’t understanding how much help we need,” Aardappel said.

Jackson was “reticent to make any grand gesture of any change,” said Morris. “There was a lot of ‘that’s what we want too, we believe in that too.’ But what we were asking for were commitments,” she said. The one commitment they did receive was that the district would create a joint panel with all stakeholders to collaborate on future changes to the implementation of UTK. But that fell short of what many educators were hoping for.

At the end of the meeting, union officials asked attendees to clap for Jackson if they felt he’d sufficiently committed to solving the problems they’d brought up. Jackson, attendees recalled, received only scattered and lackluster claps. *Reposted article from the VOSD by Jakob McWhinney from January 23, 2023