#but this is literally tarlos forever and they know it!

[welcometololaland]

i got stuck at the start of 5 x 12 because it really went from "if we don't-"

to "no goodbyes"

[guardian-angle22]

911LS Tag Game

Favorite Character: PAUL STRICKLAND!! (followed by TK and then Grace & Judd).

Character you relate to most: probably Carlos? but specifically his Avoidance Tendencies and his affinity for making jokes at the Wrong Time.

Favorite Episode: Oh god, there are so many good ones. but probably 3.08: In The Unlikely Event of an Emergency. Honorable mentions to: 2.09, 3.13, 3.04, 3.07, 1.05, 1.01 and specifically Paul's parts in 4.07

Hottest Take: I've got a Lot of these that I keep to myself 🤭 but my hottest takes are probably always going to be the ways in which I cannot separate Carlos from his terrible job(s) as much as everyone else can. I don’t think I’ve been able to enjoy a single one of his solo plots because inevitably there’s some ACAB moment that just pulls me right out of it.

Favorite OG Character: okay so this is gonna be Hottest Take Part 2 but: I don’t like the OG. And one of my pet peeves as a gif maker is when people not in the LS fandom reblog my tarlos gifs with tags about “when are we going to get this with *insert OG show ship name here*”… The answer is ‘never’ because no one would do it like Tarlos anyway 💅🏻 (that being said the lesbian moms look cool and I’m sure they’re great.)

Favorite ship: I mean, obviously---

I think friendship-wise, my favorites are Paul and literally everyone else. 🤭 His ride-or-die friendship with Marj, his long-suffering big brother attitude he gives off with Mateo, the fellow-queer comradery between him and TK/Carlos. I LOVE IT ALL! Catan Crew Forever!

Most underrated character: PAUL STRICKLAND!! I don't why more of y'all haven't gotten on the Paul stan hype train with me.

Most underrated ship:

(I will concede that this has more to do with the show not giving us enough of them and their development. I mean, we barely even have proof of life that Asha is still around this season other than one single line soo.... it's also underrated by the WRITERS)

One thing you would love to see: GIVE.ME.ASHA! Since I know there probably won't be time for a full storyline with them like I would truly want, I will settle for Asha and Paul dancing at Marjan's wedding so I can make a little mini set of them dancing at their friends' weddings 🥰

Thank you to @annoyingcloudearthquake @alrightbuckaroo & @lemonlyman-dotcom for tagging me!

OPEN TAG! Not sure who has already done this cause I haven't been able to check my feed as much this week, but I'm no pressure tagging: @reasonandfaithinharmony @ladytessa74 @thisbuildinghasfeelings @literateowl @chicgeekgirl89 @she-walked-away @mikibwrites

[hazeystar]

5x11 live reaction

yea im not ready guys

oh we’re starting bad

oh it’s one of those openings

owen

fucking nuxlear meltdown??

NO THE BEARD IS GONE

tk i love you you’re stressing

carlos rafa i love your voice

oh move in talk

nancy and mateo oh it’s marriage time?

oh shit how has this not come up yet

mateo how are you getting in this fight right now

wait what the fuck that has to be illegal

owen you’re not fucking slick

paul i love you so much

tbh that sounded like the fakest call in history

WOO REPRESENTATION

‘LT’ judd you’re great

oh jesus fucking christ that was scary

yall dumb as shit for the internet

-

social worker time

i live for carlos’ face when tk said he was giving up the master room

poor baby having to talk about his dad in the past tense

tk lore drop sob

typical days work? bruh there is literally none

fourth wall break, movie scripts would be that ridiculous 

why the hesitation. 

what the fuck

what

someone’s giving up their job FUCK

tommy

tommy please

no nononono

tumors are growing

do not make orphans out of her children

DAYS???

oh thank god mateo

FUCK ITS ICE

what

don’t say it

don’t

how

how is this fucking happening

-

everything is going to shit

-

paul recognising a lgbtq+ kid and how he might need help

i love you paul

JAX DONT SAY THAT

HE DEFINITELY KNOWS WHAT ITS LIKE

PAUL ILY

SOBS

it’s okay paul you tried

okay welcome back owen hi judd

oh no we’re bringing it back 

OWEN YOURE LEAVING??

judd you bastard it’s like saying the q-word

no mateo talk now

FUCK

the gang will not take it well, but yes they will be proud

tommy baby

tommy im so sorry 

maybe you do this when they get home

oh they’re not going home

they’re not gonna see tommy

oh cry

someone help

if she coughs up blood i will hit something

CHARLES

oh i’m crying

i wanted him back not like this

SHUT FUCK UP

why did i have a feeling he’d say that

-

they’re not that strong

they can’t be that strong

i did like julius but please guys

you can rest will always kill me

please

do not

NO

hi tk what problems do you want to make me cry over 

yay tk and judd bonding time

BROTHERS

‘do the next right thing’

he’s quitting

he’s taking a leave

one last family bonding time fuck me

owen is coming down

this is the family he built together

oh fucking shit

TK DOESNT KNOW????

all you fuckers jinxing it

it’s the end of the tucking world

1 HOUR???

please guys

ok who the fuck made that graphic so fast

-

so in case you didn’t know i’m not okay

i’m sunburnt so my face also stings from crying

yall it’s been like 5 minutes what the fuck-

sorry it’s been 20, you guys lost your mind so fast

bet i like doctor who im jumping in

god that was the best fire truck banter of the season

‘til the end’ so im gonna need you guys to stop

fucking impact timer go away please

tk put your damn mask on

good on you mateo

he still hasn’t told owen

sob

paul you’re amazing for that

yea end of the world really changes peoples perspectives

let’s go home i’m gonna die

-

three minutes left what are you gonna hit me with

ok back at the fire house

shit 7 minutes

126 forever

NO THR TARLOS CLIP

“hi baby” SOB

NO CALL GRACE

CALL GRACE

oh owen

shut the fuck uo nancy and mateo

that’s criminal you guys didn’t put that line in the episode

that 

ending

fuck them

what the fuck

[strandnreyes]

Some things bugging me lately. Tarlos are not a copy of Buddie. Literally the only thing that is copied is the show has 911 in the title and contains LGBTQ first responders. If Tarlos were copying Buddie where is the proposal between Buck and Eddie? The wedding? The moving in together? The kisses? Tarlos is its own unique couple with its own unique storylines. No one is copying! Likewise Tarlos is not following the Buddie blueprint. See above. In their relationships there are no similarities as one is married and the other have never even kissed. Tarlos scenes are hot and there is chemistry. End of that discussion.

Tarlos did not go straight into a relationship. They may have jumped straight into bed (or a honkytonk stall) but just watch season 1. TK clearly says not ready for a relationship. Twice. And yes he changed his mind in the final episode but that is the point st which the relationship starts. 10 episodes, 1 whole season in. Not straight away.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

(unrelated by whilst I am venting, just because TK may not fe in uniform or even be a paramedic at the end of the season doesn’t mean he won’t be again. He may be taking a break to help settle in a child [Jonah] and figuring out a new schedule but he could easily be back doing his job soon after we leave them in the last episodes. And if he never goes back to bring a paramedic you don’t think being a father could also be a calling and not something he’d love and put his everything in to? We know it was always a dream of his so let him be happy!)

most people who hate on tarlos and their relationship have actually no idea what happens in it because they’re accused of having no chemistry, having shallow and not deep arguments/probelms, no development, etc. which is all clearly untrue if you’ve watched any of their relationship

the worst thing that ever happened to lone star was being a spinoff. I wish we were forever tied to a different show that I want nothing to do with

[freneticfloetry]

9 people you want to know better

Thanks to @liminalmemories21 and @theghostofashton for the tags! 😘

current book you’re reading: Fiction: I recently found the most gorgeous edition of Dante & Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe in a bookstore in Asheville, so I’m rereading. Nonfiction: Phoebe Robinson’s Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes

last song you listened to: James Arthur’s cover of “A Thousand Years” (which is, just, so good)

currently watching: I literally finished Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at like 2am. But Upload is back, baby! Still need to watch this week’s episode.

current fic you’re reading: It’s all about the Knaveverse. I’m savoring the back half of The Knave of Hearts… brought back the tarts, which is the third installment in @liminalmemories’ enviably lush and utterly delicious Through the Looking Glass series. Now that the cold med brain fog is gone, I need to return to @paperstorm’s fantastic Hockey AU, Magnetic North. I also really need to get back to @three-drink-amy's Teach You How Forever Feels, which has the best Jonah there could ever be. And I’m always ready and waiting for THE FIC, aka You Keep Coming Back With A Bird In Your Teeth.

next on my watch list: Probably Star Trek: Lower Decks. But the BFF is constantly trying to get me to start Letterkenny.

current obsession: I feel like neither Hozier nor Tarlos/911LS even count at this point. Job hunting. I have officially had enough of my company — which, before it was acquired by a holdings company that doesn’t give a shit about people when there is profit to be had, and before our caring, invested owner CEO retired and left us with a vainglorious, overprivileged vulture who has zero idea what the fuck he’s doing, used to be the place I thought I would actually retire from one day — taking wild advantage of me, and it’s time to get the fuck out of dodge. So there’s that. Also, these glazed salted caramel cashews from Meijer. They’re just stupidly delicious.

Tagging @never-blooms, @paperstorm, @catanisspicy, @alrightbuckaroo, @carlos-in-glasses, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @walkinginland, and @bonheur-cafe!

[paperstorm]

Yeeeesss I am sooo on board with the idea that Carlos was ✨unwell✨ during the period between the fire and buying the loft and I 100% agree that this is what ultimately led to his mistake of buying the loft without consulting TK. We see it directly after the fire where he is literally breaking down and apologizing to TK for not having fire extinguisher upstairs. He immediately shoulders the blame for the fire, even with TK rushing to assure him it wasn’t his fault. I think he most likely still internalized this guilt and had a really deep desire to show TK that he could still take care of them. Them having to stay with Owen is a failure in his eyes and he would have been desperate to get them out. It doesn’t make how he handled it right, but it does make it very sad. And with how we know TK reacts to his attempt to give them a new home, it makes me very sad for him.

*disclaimer that I love both of these boys so much and think they both made mistakes in this storyline. I just get in my feels when I think about post fire pre ice storm Tarlos *

I’m so obsessed with his mental and emotional state in that period. What always gets me is how short the time was that TK actually lived with him. If you look at the timeline it isn’t more than like 2-3 weeks. Carlos, who values himself only insofar as he is able to take care of and provide for the people he loves and TK is at the top of that list, was only able to keep him safe (in his mind) for a few weeks. And then someone broke in and he didn’t notice, and he pulled TK away from the alarm, and he didn’t have a fire extinguisher. That would have just completely broken him. Shattered his sense of self, really, because who is he if he can’t even keep TK safe for a full month? And living with the burden and shame of that and then being thrust into the situation where he’s having to live under the same roof as owen and mateo, where it’s not his house and he can’t be in control, and he can’t love TK the way he needs to because there’s always someone there. It’s such a low moment for him and it fully makes sense to me that he overcorrected and bought the loft because he was so deep in his trauma and in his *need* to take care of TK forever to make up for his perceived failures. It’s just a fascinating moment in his story. It HURTS but it’s so juicy.

[lonestardust]

happy nice ask day!!! ahh okay so i’m a little over because it’s past midnight here but i just want to say i love your takes and your posts and your francesca tarlos video truly lives in my mind 24/7. any other video edits you’d consider making to other songs? what are some of your favourite tarlos-coded songs? any lone star headcanons you want to share? - maddie/reyesstrand <333

MADDIE @reyesstrand 💞😖 YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE SWEETEST OKAY. literally right back at you!! I'm forever in awe of your takes and your words and how you articulate and understand so surgically the development of carlos and tk's relationship and express it through and through in your posts and in your fics. also the fact that you have been here since the get-go is so fascinating and crazy to me like YOU'RE ONE OF THE VETERANS!!!!

I get so 🥺 whenever you reblog that edit truly <3 and yesss. I've found myself lately noticing themes of grief, family bonds and unconditional love in songs so I've been thinking of making a carlos centric edit or/and maybe an artwork where it's a collection of visuals with lyrics to combine all of these corresponding lyrics.

2) ohhh my tarlos playlist is endless truly (seriously need to import it to a famous music app so i could have a link to share) but here are some favourite staples in my tarlos playlist

High Hope — Patrick Droney

Know you're coming from a bad place Honey, I was there just yesterday So I know the time it's gonna take For you to feel like you again Wonder if you're seeing colours yet And if your spirit needs a tourniquet 'Cause if it does I can hold you tight enough Help you forget 'em for a minute, love. I know you got a heart of gold You wear it like an olden rose

these lyrics are just straight out of carlos' mouth to season 1 tk AND the line where he says he'd hold him so tight if his spirit needs a tourniquet is soooosjsksk it's so carlos with tk i CAN'T

Safe — BANNERS

Climbing and falling tied up in the rhymes and reasons No city, no spaces, no oceans can stand between us When it gets heavy, sometimes I've got doubts And I'm just trying keep these shadows out I've been thinking myself to death You're calling me home like a ship that got wrecked I know there's always a place for you and I A place where every word that you say, can save my life Where nothing hurts and nothing breaks I'll know it when I see your face I'm safe.

When the rivers are rising, I'm safe When I look in your eyes, I'm safe

these lyrics are just so simple and truthful and the song is like this big dramatic loud ballad that's so powerful and and resolute in wanting to tell your person that they're your safe heaven on earth and it's so so tarlos coded :')

Julia Michaels – Little Did I Know

THE SOULMATISM AND S1 TK OF IT ALL *weeps* i love this one so much

3) oh oh my favourite headcanon atm is that tk sometimes sneaks out at night to their building's rooftop (they have access to it) to listen to music and have some solitude and fresh air (he used to sit on fire escapes at night back in nyc a lot) and one time carlos suddenly panics in the middle of the night when he called for tk and the silence in the loft was deafening at 2 in the morning, he rushes to call him and some relief washes over him when tk's quiet voice is on the other end of the line. he eventually joins him up there after telling tk that he scared the hell out of him and tk apologising saying he didn't want to wake him up after a long shift. But he's up now and he made sure to bring a jacket for tk because he knows him too well, how he'd argue he's fine when it's chilly outside then immediately regret not bringing a jacket and carlos (gladly) always ending up giving him his own and he rubs tk's arms and shoulders to warm him up :')

also carlos is scared of heights and he hasn’t told a soul 👀

[reyesstrand]

thinking about being alive being gwyn’s favourite song. thinking about her singing it, along with her lullabies, to tk—as he grew up, as they faced tragedy they could never imagine, as tk faced loss and grew distant and turned to other means of drowning out the noise. thinking about gwyn loving tk so ferociously and fiercely and wholly right to the end. thinking about gwyn saving tk by taking him to rehab and owen beginning the process of saving him for good by taking him to austin and gwyn saving jonah in the last moments of her life.

thinking about being alive and “somebody crowd me with love / somebody force me to care / somebody let me come through / i’ll always be there / as frightened as you / to help us survive / being alive” and how it’s literally the tarlos thesis. thinking about tk and carlos meeting when they were more alone than they’d ever been, finding their kindred spirit, their soulmate, and the journey to allowing themselves that kind of love and vulnerability of letting someone else in. thinking about tk and carlos and the slow unravelling of the parts deep inside they hid, the parts that came from trauma, the parts that they loved about each other anyway. thinking about them enduring together, supporting each other, guiding each other, keeping each other standing. thinking about them being each other’s heart personified. thinking about neither of them knowing what their future would hold—if they’d even have a future—and finding hope and a newfound dream in each other. thinking about them having so much love and being surrounded by it in so many forms, always. thinking about them coming together in a union that everyone around them celebrated with them. thinking about them and having forever.

thinking about gwyn. thinking about gabriel. thinking about tk asking one of his mentors and mother figures to sing this in honour of their parents but also everyone they’ve lost. thinking about being alive being the theme song to tk’s life but representing so much to carlos and his family, too. thinking about tk and carlos and their future and them holding each other, caressing each other, sitting quietly with each other if that’s what’s needed. thinking about them seeking each other out in the middle of the night. thinking about them making each other meals. thinking about them knowing so intimately the inherent pain and grief and untimely tragedy of life but living in it anyway, and continuing on through love and the power of it. because that’s the risk of love, right? feeling so much and being so connected and knowing we’ll lose it one day, but finding so much beauty in it to keep choosing it, to keep fighting for it, to keep on being alive.

[firstprince-history-huh]

Fic Rec Friday

This week’s theme: Rec a fic that starts with the same letter as your username (or, if you like, a part of your username).

The rules: Tag a fic that starts with the same letter as your username and describe why it’s so good / how it has a hold on you. Then tag some people to see what everyone else is reading. Spread the love! Please tag @welcometololaland or tag #fic rec friday so she can compile the masterlist.

I was tagged by @welcometololaland & @irispurpurea ❤💕

So for this I'm going with the fics that begin with the same letter as my Tumblr username & also my ao3 username because I've got good ones based on both!

So here we go:

911 Lone Star:

Fire Meet Gasoline by @howtosingit

An amazing firefighter!Carlos AU in which he gets transferred to the 126. It is a fantastic fic & I love the character portrayals! Such a wonderful fic & I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

Forever Will Never Be Long Enough (With You) by falloutmars (not sure if they have a Tumblr)

It's a Tarlos honeymoon fic. Some teasing & swimming pool shenanigans which are simply so 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Find Another Dose by @paperstorm

A 1x09 missing moments fic. TK in his feral cat boy era. A heartbreaking, sad & such an AMAZING fic! Also, Gwyn in this! It made me miss her so much! This was one of those 'This makes me want to hug TK so much' fics. Or as someone else said in the comments, "He needs a Carlos-shaped hug''.

Delicate by @paperstorm

A 1x06 missing moments fic. It has smut with feelings (my favourite kind of smut). Both boys are obviously developing feelings but they're not going to talk about it. The fic was so achingly beautiful it wrecked me. The way Andie has mixed in the feels is 🥺🥺🥺❤❤❤

RWRB:

Forgiveness (Can You Imagine) by viciouslyqueer (I don't know if they have a Tumblr)

A FirstPrince talk of rings & proposals with a little bit of angst. I had so many feels about this! It's si lovely & beautiful & amazing!

Hashtag Soulmates by @everwitch-magiks

A copywriter!Henry & legal advisor!Alex AU. It has literally all my favourite fanfic tropes! And that one particular chapter which has a moment which is so meta I just love it! And all the references & easter eggs in that chapter!

For One Night Only by @indomitable-love

A Catherine/Arthur fic. The meet-cute 🤣🤣😂😂

All the talk of grief made me think of it as foreshadowing. All the parallels! George's story 🥺🥺🥺🥺

The name origin for Beatrice & then after reading the fic, I realized this was also a Henry name origin story! 🥹🥹🥹❤❤❤

For All The World To See by @everwitch-magiks

An FirstPrince neighbor AU with actor!Alex & author!Henry. The fic references! And all the secrets which eventually do come out & lead to the angst! And then the happy ending! 🥺🥺🥹🥹❤❤

Faster, Higher, Stronger by @everwitch-magiks

A FirstPrince sports AU where they're both ice-skaters. So amazing & brilliant & beautiful! I loved it so much! Also, this is the fic that lead me to take an interest in ice-skating. The number of YouTube videos I've watched of Nathan Chen flawlessly executing his routines because of this!

Forever Yrs, For Evermore by @indomitable-love

A FirstPrince lake house proposal fic. It's so beautiful & soft & sexy & lovely all at the same time! I think this is one of the first fics I remember reading for this fandom!

Not sure who hasn't done this yet, but no pressure tagging: @ladytessa74 @sarnagati @jordanshenessy @fangirl-paba @detective-giggles @paperstorm @goodways @first-kanaphan @actuallysara @actual-sleeping-beauty & anyone who wants to participate!

[morganaspendragonss]

before we both lose this fight (8/9)

Pairing: Tarlos Rating: General Word Count: 1.2k Warnings/Tags: fluff, hurt/comfort, mentioned character death Summary: tk and carlos spend a quiet day together after the drama of the last week ao3 | written by me and translated into spanish by @tarlos-spain Created for @anyfandomgoesbingo​​ / Square Filled: fresh sheets

Despite having slept on the couch, Carlos awoke the next morning feeling better rested than he had in days. His head barely ached and, for the first time in what seemed like forever (but was really only about a week), the morning light didn’t split his skull apart the second he opened his eyes.

He was so comfortable that he knew he could fall asleep again, but Carlos wanted to make the most of this good feeling in case it decided to abandon him again. Besides, now that he was more awake, his other senses were starting to kick in, and his stomach grumbled loudly as the smell of something amazing wafted over to him.

He pushed himself up on his elbows, squinting over to where TK was standing by the stove, concentrating hard on flipping a pancake. When he managed it without dropping it, he grinned to himself and pumped his fist, and Carlos couldn’t help but let out a snort of amusement.

TK looked over at him, a wide grin splitting his face. “Hey, morning, sleepyhead. Or, well.” He checked his watch and shrugged. “Afternoon, I guess, if we’re being technical about it.”

“Afternoon?” Carlos frowned and glanced over to the clock on the wall; sure enough, it was after one. He knew it hadn’t been late when they’d gone to sleep, meaning he’d slept for well over twelve hours. “Shit, babe, why didn’t you wake me? I didn’t—”

“Hey, hey.” TK abandoned the pancakes, rushing over to stop Carlos in his struggle to get up. “I didn’t wake you because I haven’t seen you sleep this well in ages, plus I figured you needed it after everything that happened yesterday. Anyway, it’s a good job you did; gave me time to sort all this out.”

TK didn’t bother to elaborate on what ‘this’ was, leaving Carlos to figure it out as he leapt back over to the stove just in time to save a pancake from burning. He sat upright on the sofa and glanced around the loft, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The bedroom door was closed, sure, which was somewhat unusual, but not enough to cause any real suspicion. Other than that, things were normal, if tidier than the place had been when they’d got back last night; Carlos just assumed that, while he was still sleeping, TK had taken the opportunity to sort out the laundry and dishes that had been falling to the wayside this past week. 

“So, uh,” he started as TK plated the last pancake — and, okay, yes, maybe pancakes in the middle of the day was a bit weird — and switched the burner off, “what’s ‘this’ then?”

TK grinned, shoving the pan and spatula in the dishwasher and turning it on. “That is for me to know”—he walked over to the sofa and planted a noisy kiss on Carlos’s cheek—“and you to find out. Come on.”

“Wh—” 

But TK was already grabbing his arm and, gently, pulling him up, leading him to the bedroom.

“TK, wait, hang on, why are we going to the bedroom?” he asked, but TK just smiled at him and said nothing. “Babe, I literally just woke up, what—”

The words caught in Carlos’s throat as the doors slid open. What was behind them wasn’t particularly romantic or special…but, oh, it was.

All the surfaces had been cleaned and dusted, TK had put the nightstands — even his own, which was perpetually messy — in order, and the bed was freshly made with crisp new sheets. Sheets that looked to have been ironed, which even Carlos didn’t do half the time, never mind TK. The corners were all tucked in and the pillows were fluffed to perfection — so perfect, in fact, that Carlos kind of wanted to never touch it again.

He turned to TK, a slight burning beginning in the back of his eyes as they filled with tears. “TK… You did all this?”

TK’s smile turned bashful, and he shrugged lightly. “Yeah, well, I guess I just didn’t want you to be stressed over this on top of everything else. And I needed it too, as it turned out; I think you’re onto something about cleaning being relaxing. I’m literally never ironing again though, I swear that thing hates me.”

Carlos laughed wetly and pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” A few seconds passed, then TK carefully extracted himself from Carlos’s arms. “But, I’m not done yet. Get in bed.”

He hesitated for a moment, then, under a pointed stare, did as TK asked. It felt a little ridiculous to be sitting there while his boyfriend basically waited on him, bringing him juice and herbal tea, but that didn’t quash the warm feeling settling deep in Carlos’s chest.

When TK came back in the next time, he slid the doors shut again and came to settle in bed next to him. In his hands, he held the stack of pancakes, liberally coated in syrup, and another plate of what Carlos could only describe as failed lab experiments masquerading as cookies. So much was packed into the dough that they bulged out in misshapen lumps, and they were a choking hazard if Carlos had ever seen one.

TK laughed upon seeing his expression, shoving him lightly. “Don’t knock it until you try it,” he said. Then he leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, “The secret ingredient is love.”

He held out a cookie and Carlos gingerly took it, looking between it and TK dubiously before taking a bite. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Good, huh?” TK said. He watched Carlos for a few more seconds, contemplating, then sighed. “I used to make them with my mom.”

Oh.

Carlos set the cookie back down on the plate, reaching over to rub TK’s shoulders. He’d barely talked about Gwyn since the accident, and Carlos could only feel guilt over his stupidity taking all of TK’s time away from his grief. “Babe, I’m so—”

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” TK interrupted, a little sharply, though he softened again instantly. “Please. I don’t want you to be sorry; you shouldn’t be sorry. And I’m okay, I promise. I just… We made them a lot when things were hard with Dad and the divorce and when my savta got sick. I dreamed about making them with her when I was in the coma a few months back. I thought making them now would help me feel closer to her, and maybe make you feel a little better too?”

He bit his lip and, when their eyes met, Carlos could see all kinds of worry and insecurity dancing in TK’s. He reached out and covered TK’s hand with his. “More than a little,” he reassured him. “Thank you for sharing them with me.”

TK dropped his head to Carlos’s shoulder. “I love you,” he murmured again.

The warmth in Carlos’s chest pulsed in time with his heartbeat as he snuggled further into the fresh sheets, curled up against his boyfriend. “Love you too.”

[welcometololaland]

Howe do you get the characterisation of the characters you write about soo well? Like legit was reading the ring in (again) and that was a huge take away I got. Like “man, this IS Carlos and TK” same with your firstprince fics. What’s your secret? 👀

Hey, anon. This was super nice and very unexpected, so thank you for making my night <3

Truthfully, I can't articulate this well, so I'm sorry if it seems a bit scattered. A lot of my characterisation comes from me scheming up scenes in the shower, literally zoning out and thinking of dialogue as if the characters are being acted out in front of me. I do have some tips that work for me (and I hope are helpful for you!) which I've put below. Please feel free to let me know if you need further clarification!

Also, if anyone else has any tips, feel free to contribute. I'd love to hear them :)

TIP 1: For Lone Star (or any visual media - TV/movies), I'd spend a LOT of time re-watching the scenes, observing character's mannerisms and trying to replicate that in and amongst the dialogue (you don't even want to KNOW how many times I've watched Tarlos compilations - it's sickening). I think a LOT can be achieved with visual cues - for example, TK loves that sassy hand he whips out every now and again - and I'll try and build those things in with my dialogue. THIS IS ALSO WHERE GIF MAKERS ARE SO AMAZING, because GIFs provide snippets of scenes which allow writers to really hone in on a character's micro expressions. Carlos loves to raise an eyebrow, for example. I think these little details can go a long way.

TIP 2: It helps to build in familiar phrases. I love a canon callback (as long as it fits within the scene) and I think they can be super useful in adding extra authenticity. For example, one I used recently was Alex's "cool to see you're not dead or anything." It's a canon line, which can be easily applied to a different context. It just adds that extra flair, because you KNOW that the character would say that. I would just caution you to use them sparingly, so they pack that extra punch.

TIP 3: Read widely in the fandom! I think it helps to get a really good understanding of how characters behave by developing your own sense of what is in character. If you really vibe with how an author is portraying a character, make note of why you feel that way and try and apply it (obviously without plagiarism) in your own way.

TIP 4: Ask for (gentle and constructive) feedback from people you trust, if you feel comfortable enough to do so. I am FOREVER grateful to some of the people I've met in fandom who have been able to guide me with sensing what is/isn't out of character. It doesn't even need to be a full beta read. It could be quite simply: 'hey, do you think X would do this?'. Don't be afraid to reach out! I am so open to helping people with this and I know a lot of other people are too.

TIP 5: This might be a bit weird, but I do this because I am not an American and I write for a lot of American media - I spend a lot of time trying to visualise how a certain character would say something in their accent. It's taken me a long time to learn certain Americanisms and I'm sure I still get a lot of them wrong, but sometimes I literally close my eyes and try and imagine Ronen saying a line I've written, in his accent.

TIP 6: Keep writing the characters!!! The more you do it, the better you will get. I'm even looking back at some writing I did in early 2022 and trying to fix a bit of my characterisation, which just shows how much it has changed even in 1.5 years!

Best of luck and thank you so much for being so kind. I hope these are helpful!

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here friend and this week's song was a STRUGGLE!! There were so many good ones to choose from, so I'll tell you how I narrowed it down (which literally no one but you might care about). First, i wanted something that felt mostly joyous, because that was how the episode ended, on a note of mutual healing and peace. Second, i wanted something that could apply to either TK or Carlos since their issues were ultimately the same this time, wrestling with needing "fixing" and how they both

ended up being the other's source of healing. So with that in mind, i went this week with One. We've mentioned before how intense Ryan's elongated "i" in the when he sings just hits so many feelings. And with lyrics like "every imperfection is a lie" and "the price of this so called perfection is everything" and of course the chorus (whether you take grace to be religious or something simple like understanding). It's about letting yourself be a mess and it felt appropriate.

Hi my friend! I am banging this out before bed because I promised it would be done before the episode tomorrow and this is the first chance I've had since you sent it. I think this is an excellent choice and I love your reasoning on how you narrowed it down! With all the angst it looks like Tarlos will be having in the next couple weeks, I think picking a thoughtful but ultimately joyful song was the right choice. So let’s dig in!

hold on for a minute, ‘cause i believe that we can fix this over time, that every imperfection is a lie. or at least an interruption... now hold on, let me finish. no, i’m not saying perfect exists in this life, but we’ll only know for certain if we try.

Okay, I adore Carlos, but while he seemed so put together in season 1, we’ve seen over time how he has this need for control and a...I wouldn’t say “obsession” but a fixation on presenting a perfect image to the world. Which given he’s a gay Latino in Texas isn’t surprising since he likely had to be twice as good as everyone to be half as respected, plus his dad definitely added pressure to live up to a certain standard, and still seemed to think it wasn’t enough and Carlos wasn’t cut out for the job he has as an officer much less his dream of detective. So this song is really such a good one for him especially (also, ones being that type A personality, the  C Major key, 120pbm tempo, and the percussion being made with household cleaning tools all just fit so well!). However we see a lot of TK also putting up that “front” of perfection, starting at the 126 and pretending everything was fine and finding out 3 episodes in that he’s just been totally numb but has been masking it from everyone. Where Carlos falls on the “I can’t let anyone know I’m not perfect at all times” side of striving for perfection, TK falls on the “everyone KNOWS I’m a mess, so I have to constantly be proving myself” side. Two sides of the same coin really. Which leads us nicely into the chorus!

i want to sing a song worth singing, i’ll write an anthem worth repeating. i want to feel the transformation, the melody of reformation.

WOW is this a good fit for these two! Both of them want to leave a lasting impression, to feel like they’ve done something worth remembering, and also they are both seeking transformation in this front of being perfect. Carlos, from what he perceives is, if not a full rejection then certainly not a celebration and acceptance, of his identity, and TK from his addiction and the person he was under the influence. 

but the list goes on forever, of all the ways i could be better, in my mind. as if i could earn God’s favor given time, or at least “congratulations”...

now, i have learned my lesson; the price of this so-called perfection is everything. i’ve spent my whole life searching desperately to find out that grace requires nothing of me.

*cries in Tarols* The way both of them keep doing amazing things and keep thinking it’s not enough, it will never be enough to “make up” for who they are...brb gotta go cry into a pillow for an hour about them. BUT we are starting to see that growth for them and how they have learned that the front they’ve put up of perfection was keeping them from being truly seen by their partner and ultimately they lost each other over it with the breakup that started s3. Now you KNOW those last two lines are some of my favorites and I get chills every time, and this time is no different! 4x02 showed us the two of them on the same page, being vulnerable with each other without it being A Big Event, just being able to talk things out and move forward and I love, love, love that for them and for us!

i want to sing a song worth singing, i’ll write an anthem worth repeating. i want to feel the transformation, the melody of reformation.

i’ll hold it all more loosely, and yet somehow much more dearly, ‘cause i’ve spent my whole life searching desperately to find out that grace requires nothing. grace requires nothing of me.

We have seen several seasons of TK being so scared to lose Carlos and while I think we are going to see both of them being tested this week and next, it was so, so, so good to see Carlos drop SUCH a huge bombshell on TK and to see TK take it in stride and make sure Carlos felt heard, and supported, and loved, but he didn’t shy away from sharing his insecurities when they did come up. Carlos for his part WAS worried about telling TK and we know TK stepping back from the relationship has been an issue for them before, but he still did it and it actually went really well! We are seeing the growth even from s3 and the sponsor situation where they are holding their relationship “more loosely, and yet somehow much more dearly” because they have gotten to the point where they aren’t clinging on for dear life just hoping it was enough. They are confident that what they have built is REAL and STRONG and they know what they want moving forward. 

This song isn’t long but it has such depth and feeling and the gentle vulnerability of “i’ve spent my whole life searching desperately to find out that grace requires nothing of me” just strikes me down every time. It’s about the acceptance that you don’t HAVE to be perfect all the time and the ones that love you, love ALL the parts of you, without you having to “polish” or “tidy” them up. And for two men who have spent their lives trying to live up to certain expectations, it must be such a relief that they’ve found a relationship they can find rest in, and where they can be themselves and know they are loved.

It’s past my bedtime now so I’ll wrap it up, but this was SUCH a good choice for this week, and I hope that whatever happens in the rest of the season reinforces this idea for them that they are enough as they are. Thanks for facing The Struggle and picking the perfect song for this week. Cheers to the new episode tomorrow and fingers crossed for some delicious angst!

[221bsunsettowers]

First Line of Your Last 20 Stories!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

Thank you to @acejuddryder and @buddie-buddie for the tag! I went with finished and posted stories for this.

1) Like You’d Get Your Knuckles Bloody for Me (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos)

TK had always known Carlos would come for him.

2) I Shake and I Shiver Just to Feel You Breathe (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos)

It definitely wasn't a secret to Carlos' coworkers he was in a serious committed relationship with a firefighter from the 126.

3) Swear to Be Over-Dramatic and True to My Lover (9-1-1, Buddie)

Sighing, Eddie walked up the fire station stairs.

4) In Which Eddie Finds Out About the Flaming Car Driven By a Dog, and the 126 Find Out About Buck and Eddie (9-1-1/9-1-1 Lone Star Crossover, Buddie plus firefams)

"I already have a boyfriend and it's pretty serious," TK says, making sure he smiles at Buck to take what (he thinks is) the sting out of the words.

5) I Would Give My Life Before I Break My Promise to You (9-1-1, Buddie)

"The person who called it in thought he might have had a heart attack," Bobby said, gesturing towards the telephone pole.

6) Found Forever on a Field Trip (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos AU, Preschool Teacher Tarlos and Firefighter TK)

The school bus pulled up to Fire Safety Squad, and the twenty preschool students on the bus squealed and screamed in excitement, only their old school seat length seat belts keeping them from hurling their bodies up and into the aisle.

7) Fill Up Your Lungs (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos)

Carlos feels the world turn upside down.

8) Please Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos)

It had taken three hours and fourteen minutes to find Carlos.

9) Keep My Head Above Water (9-1-1, Buddie)

"Eds, do you have the list?" Buck asked, perched on the couch at the fire station, cell phone to his ear.

10) You Had a Speech, You’re Speechless (9-1-1 Lone Star, Tarlos)

"Mmm, baby, you were right, that was exactly what I needed," TK sighs happily, laying his fork down on his now empty plate.

11) I’m Going Back to the Start (9-1-1, Buddie)

"Eds, what in the world are we doing here?" Buck glances around the darkness, the nearest streetlight unable to pierce the blackness.

12) Drop Out Under Our Feet (9-1-1, Buddie)

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Eddie asked, as he fell once again onto the ice, Buck landing not far behind him.

13) What Happens When You See My Face Again (The Witcher, Geralt/Jaskier)

"I've been telling you since you locked me in this filthy excuse for a cage," Jaskier sighed, leaning back against the bars.

14) Put My Name at the Top of Your List (9-1-1, Buddie)

Eddie and Buck were waiting in their usual spots in front of Eddie's truck when Christopher came out of school, watching him wave goodbye to his teacher before he spotted them and his whole face lit up.

15) Let That Lonely Feeling Wash Away (9-1-1, Buddie)

Buck watched the team run out of the grocery store and into the parking lot, watched them start to handle whatever road rage incident was currently occurring.

16)  The Musketeers (BBC): Hostage Situation 

D'Artagnan may not have taken pride in the fact that he had been captured, but he did take pride in the fact that it had taken six Red Guards to take him down, and even then, he had landed a hit on every single one before being knocked out from behind.

17)  "I know you can't talk, but I just want you to know I'm not going anywhere." (9-1-1, Buddie)

“It was a paralytic agent, Buck, they’re trying to figure out what exactly now.

18) Hold My Hand (9-1-1, Buddie)

It happened, Eddie would swear later, in a literal blink of an eye.

19)  "Hey, don't listen to them." (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

Magnus was used to this, he really was.

20) All These Thoughts I’ve Been Saving (The Witcher, Geralt/Jaskier, plus friend Yennifer)

Geralt wouldn’t trade the pain in his neck right now for anything.

For patterns, I definitely use first names in first lines more than I realized, and I use a lot more dialogue in first lines than I realized either. 

I’m tagging @morganaspendragonss @bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher @thecomfortofoldstorries @moviegeek03 @officereyes @i-had-bucky @tabbytabbytabby @bellakitse @a-beautiful-struggle-of-life @marjansmarwani 

Please feel free to ignore if you’ve already done this one :)

[paperstorm]

Well Ao3 is to slow to function for me right now - so in lieu of anything else to do you’re getting a random question lol re: Tarlos (no pressure to answer!)

SO it seems to generally be established fanon (if not technically canon) that neither TK or Carlos hooked up with anyone else while broken up. I agree! I don’t think based on their personalities and the timeline either would have. BUT I do think it’s fun sometimes to speculate on nonsense so.

Let’s play around with the idea that they did, who do you think is more likely to have done the random hook up (I think Carlos - I hc that TK would have been hanging on to his sobriety by his teeth the first few weeks at least, and I don’t think he’d risk going “out” for a while to avoid temptation. Although let’s be clear I still don’t think Carlos is LIKELY to have done it lol, just more likely than TK) what is the reaction on both sides? How much angst does it cause? How do they move past it? Who blames themselves more? How does it change things from current interpretation?

Here’s hoping ao3 gets its act together soon 😊

Mostly I think we’re all too in love with them as a couple to imagine them with anyone else 😂 Altho I admire people who can. Tbh I think TK would be more likely to, just because he already has a history of being with other people. I guess we don’t know for *sure* Alex wasn’t his first and only but I feel like it’s implied that’s not the case. And I feel like it is implied especially in season 4 that Carlos has very little experience before TK. In my mind Carlos seems more the type to dramatically decide that tk is his soulmate so if he can’t have TK he’ll just be celibate (at least for the short amount of time they were apart, I don’t think he literally would’ve been alone forever but I think two months in he would be certain he would never love again). Whereas TK I feel is more the type to hook up with others because he’s desperate to not hurt anymore and he thinks forcing himself to move on is the only way to make that happen. I’m always interested what other people think tho, I love headcanons that differ from my own.

[punkrockkent]

So what did you think of the lone star episode , tarlos 🥵 I melted when tk was comforting Carlos their so soft

yay thank you so much for the ask!

Okay so like this episode was like the ultimate rollercoaster that just WOULD NOT STOP. Like 2b absolutely did not come out to play huh??? So, I watched both episodes tonight with my mom and afterwards we both just COULD NOT stop talking about them, especially Lone Star just how absolutely intense it was. Like, I knew the Tarlos fire was gonna come, I KNEW IT and yet I was still at the edge of my seat bc like I absolutely was not expecting it to happen while Tarlos was freaking gonna have epic makeup sex. But like that entire scene with the song (I will always associate "Fever" with Tarlos now) was quite literally on fire (pun fully intended). Like from Carlos whispering in TK's ear to them MAKING OUT LIKE THAT. Carlos straddling TK while sexily taking his shirt off and TK rubbing his thighs. My goodness I swear it was like straight from a fanfic. AKSJSHSHDAHAHS WE WERE FED.

Although I am sad we got the sexiest Tarlos scene since s1 (tbh to me it's the sexiest of them all) but I couldn't fully enjoy it at the time bc my mom and I were both yelling at the TV like "DO SEXY TIMES LATER NOW IS LITERALLY NOT THE TIME YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE". But also at the same time I love how it kept cutting from Owen and Billy (sidenote: anyone else getting Owen x Billy vibes or is it just me??) being all worried that Tarlos' house is LITERALLY ON FIRE to Tarlos being so into each other that they don't notice the house is one fire until the smoke reached their room. Like my goodness I love these two iconic gays so much.

TK taking charge and telling Carlos what to do to get them out really should not be as hot as it was since they were literally about to die but damn. But like Carlos being all worried and couldn't even finish his sentence and TK taking his hands on Carlos' face and telling him "I love you too"??? MY EMOTIONS I CANNOT And then, as you said, TK comforting Carlos afterwards was absolutely EVERYTHING.

What I love about both moments was that, this is TK's field of expertise and we get to see him be the calm one in this crisis and help comfort Carlos. Which parallels to when Carlos, using his field of expertise, saved TK and competed him in 2x08. I just love that they both get to be the heroes to each other AND 'damsels in distress' sort to speak. And they also make a really great team and can be heroes together. Like they can be all three and I just LOVE THAT.

They really are so incredibly soft, you're so right.

Another thing I'm so absolutely in love with is both moments when TK comforts Carlos, bby boy Carlos is trying to be strong but obviously is completely shaken. Especially, at the end. Like that moment I can talk about forever. Them two standing and staring at the literal ashes of their home (which they JUST moved together in like WHYYY??) and when TK asks if Carlos is okay, Carlos tries to be strong and says "Yes" even while his voice chokes up. Because given what we know about Carlos and Gabriel (don't even get me started on Gabriel and Owen not telling Tarlos about the setup) Carlos always tries to be strong. But he's also an emotional soft boi. Which, as Owen points out in 2x08, is actually an asset and more people need to be like Carlos. And we see Carlos just absolutely letting go and letting his boyfriend comfort him. And that right there takes so much strength and I'm just so incredibly proud of Carlos for not keeping it in. That scene was just incredibly important me, especially for Carlos' story And freaking standing ovation to Rafael and Ronen for that scene and just the entire episode. GIVE THEM DAMN EMMYS.

Anyways, this episode was EVERYTHING and there's so many other things I wanna talk about but this is already super long so we'll just leave it here. Thank you so much for the question!!!!! (Come talk to me about 911 and 911 Lone Star)

[marjansmarwani]

I’m gonna hold you forever

4. “Is that blood?” “Yes but that doesn’t matter right now, what does matter is-” “You are literally bleeding.”

Tarlos // 499 words // Ao3

Another day, another story under 500 words. Though, this was the first one I actually had to edit to reach that goal (fun fact). 

This prompt was requested by both @officerrxyes and an anon, so I hope you both enjoy it! If you’d like to send in a request of your own I am working off this list. 

-------

“TK!”

 TK looked up at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice with a relieved grin, but it abruptly slid off his face. 

 “Is that blood?” he asked as he reached out to inspect the dark stain on Carlos’s uniform without waiting for an answer. 

 “Yes,” Carlos confirmed and TK made a sound of distress as he looked around for Michelle or Tim or Nancy, “but that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is—” 

 “Carlos, you are literally bleeding.” 

 “I know—” 

 “I’m so glad you know but that doesn’t change the fact—” 

 “What matters,” Carlos repeated emphatically, raising his voice to speak over TK, “is that you’re okay.” 

 “Of course I am — I wasn’t anywhere near the explosion. You’re the one I’ve been worried about.”

 “You don’t need to worry about me—”

 “Apparently I do since you just got caught in an explosion—”

 “—I need to worry about you because I love you and you are the most wonderful person I have ever met.” 

 TK’s hands froze as he looked up at Carlos, meeting his gaze. He studied him for a few moments before he reached a hand up to run along his hairline, “Did you hit your head?”

 “I can’t just tell you how much I love you without being concussed?” 

 “You can’t ignore the fact that you’re bleeding and that we’re both at work to tell me unless you’re concussed,” TK corrected. He felt a wet spot as he ran his hand over the back of Carlos’s head and swallowed when he pulled it away to find it covered in blood. 

 He kept a hand on Carlos’s arm as he turned, searching for any of the paramedics. He spotted Tim not too far away and waved for him to come over before turning his attention back to Carlos. 

 “Just hang on Carlos, help is on the way.” 

 “I’m not worried, I’m with you.” 

 “Yeah,” TK said as he stepped forward to get a closer look at the head wound, “you are definitely concussed.” But he couldn’t manage to keep a smile from his lips.

 Tim chose that moment to arrive and TK took a step back again to let Tim get closer, “He got caught in that explosion and definitely has a head wound, probably a concussion.”

 “Do not,” Carlos interrupted petulantly. TK nodded at Tim over Carlos’s shoulder and the paramedic bit back a grin as he examined Carlos. 

 “I was worried about you,” Carlos repeated to TK even as Tim started cleaning the laceration on the back of his head. 

 TK couldn’t help the smile that, reaching forward for Carlos’s hand, “and I was worried about you. Guess that comes with the territory when you love someone.” 

 TK could see Tim rolling his eyes, but Carlos’s grin in response to his words more than made up for it. He squeezed the hand he was holding tighter and gave a silent thanks to the universe that they had both walked away from the incident—this time.