Carlos hadn't really meant to figure out that the Glow Cloud had been having some nightmares and thus inflicting horrendous thoughts on tourists; he just sort of happened upon it.

And, logically, he was rewarded with 15 puppies, because the downtown municipal offices were overrun with them. The tourism board also sent puppies to every scientist and intern on his team.

Carlos was allergic to animal fur.

"I'm going to call him Reginald, or Reggie for short," said Dana, stroking her new pet, but careful to avoid the ridges behind his ears (on cats, the ridges are along the spine).

Carlos sneezed as he opened up the trunk, pulling out a large box of puppies, all of them barking excitedly. "What are we going to do?"

"What if we gave everyone a second dog?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Dana. We have 15 dogs and 27 other scientists on the team. It wouldn't be fair."

"Just say the ones who get them are your favorites."

"You know I can't do that," Carlos sighed, setting down the box of puppies. "Science is always equal. Isaac Newton even stated such in his second law: for every scream into the void, there is an equal and opposite scream into the void elsewhere."

"Maybe the Angels- THAT DO NOT EXIST-" Dana stated loudly,"will take them?"

"They've got enough non-existent work." Carlos had never been a strong believer; it hadn't taken much to not acknowledge the existence of Angels. He'd seen them and they didn't look much like the halo-and-harp-type, were they real. They were all purple and covered in eyes within black irises, but nonetheless they helpful to the town- if they existed. "I could call Cecil," Carlos mused as he leaned back into his car and dug around for his phone.

"He's not an animal person."

He turned around. "How would you know?"

"Carlos, I'm a native citizen. I've listened to his show since I was old enough to understand the Children's Fun Fact Science Corner. I know all about Cecil Gershwin Palmer."

"Gershwin?" He smirked. What a cute name. Wait what?

"But I'm no gossip. So don't ask me."

"I would never-"

"Alright! Alright! You've got me!" Dana sat down on the edge of the trunk and adjusted her hijab. "It's not even gossip if he blatantly talks about it on the radio. What do you want to know?" She scratched Reggie behind the ears.

"Uh- I have nothing in mind in particular. But thanks for the offer, Dana."

"Okay. We should probably focus on our puppy problem anyway."

Carlos could barely breathe through his nose. "What about John Peters-You-Know-the-Farmer?"

"Ooh I worked for him on earth. He was always looking for some dogs to help heard in the cheep."

"Cheep?"

"Chicken-sheep hybrids. Nasty buggers will peck your eyes out if you get too close, and they'll use both beaks." Dana shuddered. "That poor Farmhand Michael."

"How fascinating!" Then Carlos caught himself. "I mean horrible. How utterly horrible."

John Peters-You-Know-the-Farmer was grateful for the dogs and promised to let Carlos come back sometime and observe the cheep. Carlos's nose already felt clearer as he handed over the box of puppies.

On the way back to the lab from John Peters-You-Know-the-Farmer's house, Carlos came up with a question. "How many people has Cecil dated?"

"Wow, you are an actual teenage girl," Dana remarked sarcastically. "Not many though. He had a thing with this guy named Nikola once, and he tried dating an intern but they died due to being too bossy about Station Management. That's all I remember him talking about."

"Okay." So a shyer guy.

"Specifically, that is. There're a lot of other mentions you hear around town; he's slept with five Sheriff's Secret Policemen, once went out with a hooded figure, dated a few regular citizens, but he doesn't get out much so it usually ends quickly."

"Oh." So a not-shy guy. But that's okay. "I was just curious."

"Like I said- actual teenage girl."

"Am not!"

"Are too! Am I right, Reggie?"

The dog barked. Carlos sneezed.

A/N .

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Yeah idek what I was doing with this chapter. I swear- the Lights in Raydon Canyon will be epic though.