fluxscape | Welcome to Haven:

Entry tags:

Welcome to Haven:

What: It's moving day for everyone.
Where: Haven MagLev Train/Haven Train Station and then Jerry's Info Booth for the Newbies.
When: 04/28 - Morning
Warnings: There will be swearing, probably mentions of violence. Will update as needed.

This FluxOver starts a lot differently than the others. For starters, everyone and we mean everyone is waking up on a train. No one's waking up in their homes. The first sound anyone hears isn't an alarm clock. It's the steady hum and squeal of the MagLev train just barely skimming it's rails as it makes a turn towards the Haven Train Station and then a deep, gravely, lightly accented male voice saying:

"Haven Train Station! Last stop! Everyone off!

And then the grinding of brakes as the train slows down to a bit of a harsh stop. With so many people stuffed into the train like sardines, it's probably hot and crowded, and everyone wants off. It's also very likely you're going to wake up leaning on someone. Do you know them? Are they a stranger? Let's hope you didn't drool while you were sleeping, or snore too loudly.

When the doors open, the heat probably gets a bit worse and the crowd is very eager to get off the train. Jostling and bumping, it seems as though no one cares who they smack into, they just want off. Since it's the last stop, it's probably best you depart, too. Should you choose to stick on the train, you'll find that while it does depart the Haven Train Station eventually, it just goes through a foggy area that seems to lead right back to the Haven Train Station. It'll keep doing so until you depart the train. Once the last person is off, the train will roll away and disappear in the distance.

For all the newcomers, you'll feel an impulse to go right to the very ramshackle-looking information booth, where a gentleman named Jerry has your information packet. For everyone else, your phones will start buzzing and a voice will start giving you directions, leading you back home and we're sorry to say it, but your homes have taken on the external appearance of everything else around them. Pieced together, rusty. Built more for survival and less for visual appeal.

Again; externally. Internally, you'll find that nothings changed and home is just as you remember it. And for anyone that got anything for FluxMas, you'll find your stuff waiting for you in the kitchen of your homes. Unless it's a vehicle. You'll find the keys to that in your pockets, shortly after stepping into your houses.

Settle in. Explore. Find your friends.

Welcome to Haven.

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Guilt and concern transitioned to a wary glance as Ty could tell a mile away that she was hiding something about the monsters turning people into ice. She was never one to be short on words or avoid eye contact with him. He filed the recognition for later when they were alone.

He made another questioning face when she mentioned a key to a place for him. Maybe she wasn't up for being roommates. Eight months was almost a year. A lot had changed for him in a lot less time. His heart sank again but he didn't say anything, sticking to the subject of cookies that she continued on.

"I probably wouldn't get any either if I was here without you," he responded while continuing ahead. Ty was the one who glanced away with a slight smile to his closed lips. He was the lucky one between them, having her there. His head picked up. "We can try for double the cookies now."

It didn't even come to mind what kind of cookies they might be. In his mind, they had just decided on being a couple. Conversation was easy. He didn't think about keys to his place or this strange world. Hadn't they set out to leave New Orleans together? Ty nudged her lightly as they walked.

Being greeted with a smile seemed strange but Tyrone minded his manners and kept a polite expression when welcomed by Jerry. "Thanks. Could you tell me why we're here?" Ty asked when the man went onto giving him a brochure and welcome packet. The male half to the divine pairing glanced at Tandy then back at Jerry.

"I don't think Jerry will fall for that," She commented with a bit of an amused look before stepping close enough to nudge him, her elbow pressing playfully against his side while she glanced up at him. "Guess that means I'll just have to steal some of yours."

It had been a relief when he had decided to leave New Orleans with her though she worried about him being away from his parents. Yes, they had been somewhat separated for months before that but still in the same city. Then Ty and Tandy had been ready to move away, to try to be good and divine elsewhere until she found herself in the beach place without him. Now could they try that here with him having joined her?

She stayed near as they came in front of Jerry who already had a packet for Ty along with a box of cookies. Then he was reaching to hand over a key which immediately made her feel weird. She had just gotten Ty back. Would she really feel comfortable with him staying somewhere else where she couldn't keep an eye on him? It wasn't like she was living in one of the apartment buildings after all. Or what if he got his own house?

"He can stay with me!" She blurted out, her voice a bit high and surprising her as she looked at Jerry and then Ty. Then she looked back at Jerry again who looked bemused in his own stern sort of way while he continued to hold out a key.

"It's a key to your house."

"You have a house?" Ty asked as soon as Jerry had said it. Granted, they'd just found each other but... well, it was obvious they still had a lot to talk about with being apart for eight months.

The realization set in as quickly as Tandy had interjected where he'd be staying. He fluidly took the key and thanked Jerry who seemed to brush off the outburst and was already onto the next person in line. Ty was more amused than he probably should've been. He was also happy that she seemed to want him to stay with her.

"So what else did you get while here?" he asked through his amused expression as they walked away. The key was shoved in a pocket as his arms were growing full between the jackets he'd removed and the packet Jerry gave him. Tandy had possession of the chocolate chip cookies that smelled freshly baked.

If she had any question as to whether or not Ty wanted to stay with her, hopefully it was answered by him not making any mention of her outburst and pocketing the key. Maybe once he had his hands free then she could make something else clear for him too. Waffles or pancakes.

"Right?" She looked amused by his reaction at the idea that she had a house. "I didn't ask for but they had one for me. It's definitely not a church or a trailer but it's a cute little house."

Except that there was the issue of there being only one bedroom at the moment and the thought struck her as they continued to walk. She wondered briefly what he would think about that, her gaze drifting sideways as she peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. She thought she should tell him but did it matter? There was a comfy couch if he wanted it but she was sure they were safe sharing a bed. Possibly.

"I have a job too. I work at the music store as a dance instructor." Which she wasn't sure she was qualified for but it seemed to be going okay so far. She would probably have to check to see if it was still going to continue in Haven but she wasn't really concerned with that at the moment. Not as she glanced down briefly, spied his hand, and reached over to take it. Waffles, duh.

When they found her house, it was no longer by any water and the outside wasn't all that appealing since it matched the rest of the town but it was still hers. The deck was still there in the front and it looked like the fenced area was still just off the back. Hurrying her step, she tugged him along with her until they reached her front door and she had to let go long enough to get her key out so she could let them in. It probably wouldn't surprise him to see that the main color scheme was white but it was warm and cozy as she stepped to the side, motioning for him to get inside.

But that wasn't the only surprise as she heard a yip and turned with a confused frown to see a black puppy rising up from a doggy bed...that had certainly not been there the last time she was home to sleep.

Ty held a bright smile at her explanation. If anyone deserved a nice place to live, it was Tandy.

He didn't ask more about it. Instead, he looked forward to having her explain once they were there. He'd asked what else she'd gotten while there and was already receiving an answer. An answer and her taking his hand. WAFFLES! There was no hiding the smitten smile on his face.

"Can't wait to see you dance," he told her through a broad grin after she'd taken his hand. Ty thought briefly for a moment on how jobs worked and what he might be qualified to do. Briefly because they were soon at her house.

The outside looked like the rest of Haven and made him wonder if her place was like the church in New Orleans. When she opened the door, he got his answer. The aesthetic was very Tandy Bowen. Ty continued to grin which broadened at the squeak of a bark. "You have a dog?!" he exclaimed through a wide smile again.

Cookies were almost lost as the puppy made a run for Tandy, blipping half way and popping up again at her legs.

Considering everything he had been through lately, Tandy would say the same thing about him. Yes, he was used to living in a nice place but she knew how having to stay at the church could mess with a person even if they had done everything they could to make it decent for him. Way more so than when she had been there.

She smiled at him, almost shyly, when he commented about her dancing. "It's not that great yet. Luckily I just have to stand there and yell the names of the moves so far...to the couple of people who do come."

Though now she had to wonder how many students she would really have here in this new place.

But having Ty there definitely made things better, made her feel steadier, as they linked their fingers and continued the walk to her place. Now that they were inside, she had let go while staring in confusion at the puppy. She was blinking when Ty glanced at her but quickly she was shaking her head.

"No, I don't....whoa! Did you see that? It teleported!" She moved forward, kneeling down to meet the puppy who was bounding over to them. However he had gotten there, he was excited as he wriggled about and fell over onto his back, trying to lick excitedly at their fingers while they reached to pet him. She was also trying to get a look at the tag on his collar that bore her name.

He sucked his teeth, shaking his head in disapproval at her immediate answer while a grin still tugged at his lips. "It was pretty great when I saw you." Tyrone was being honest but what he'd said probably sounded a little flirty. There was always a feeling of something more since the first time they'd met as teenagers, even if she'd set out to steal from him then.

It wasn't long before they were in her house and surprised by a black puppy. One she apparently didn't know was hers. Ty went from being amused to taken off guard at the pup suddenly teleporting. He blinked, eyeing the furry ball who was happily licking Tandy's fingers as if she'd had cookies already.

"So you didn't have a dog?" Ty questioned with a matching expression that showed both confusion and hesitation. The puppy made it easy for them to tell he was male when he'd fallen onto his back. He simmered slightly at Tyrone speaking and not approaching him. It seemed as if he was sizing him up, looking between his new owner and her company.

"Okay but you might be a little biased." She told him with a small smirk, taking note of the flirty undertone and not minding it. If anything, it made the smirk melt into a soft smile a moment later as she gave his fingers a little squeeze again. It also made some butterflies come to life in the pit of her stomach which was a feeling she wasn't really used to anymore.

But now they were focusing on the puppy who was licking her fingers until he suddenly teleported to stand behind her legs, eyeing Ty like he didn't know what to make of him. Turning around, she caught his collar again, turning it until she could look at the tag that definitely bore her name.

"No, I didn't but this says my name and..." She looks up, glancing around. "It looks like I have all the stuff for him. Plus, is it just me, or does he teleport like you?"

Edited 2021-05-07 20:12 (UTC)

While eyeing the dog around Tandy, Ty got an idea. He teleported to where the bed was that the puppy had been in and sure enough, the black ball of fur did the same. Tyrone teleported across the room once more and set down the things in his hands on the couch. The pup also blipped to where he was across the room, finally starting to wag its tail while looking at him.

"He definitely teleports," the male half of the divine pairing answered while crouching down to pet the pup who seemed to reluctantly accept him finally. However, the interest in Ty was short-lived. The ball of fur quickly scrambled back to Tandy. It was clear who's dog he was.

Ty stood and dusted his hands on his jeans. "And he has good taste." A chuckle left him. "What are you gonna name him?" he asked curiously before picking his things back up. If she remembered his OCD, Tandy would know he'd want to find a place to put his things. It didn't seem like he'd need his jackets that he had been wearing when arriving but they'd need to go somewhere.

Tandy watched the whole thing with a bit of an amused look on her face as Ty teleported around the room and the puppy followed him rather excitedly. Of course, it was also kind of surreal to watch a puppy teleport but if she already had a boyfriend who could do that, was it really that much of a stretch? Especially given all the things they had seen beyond that.

"They must have given him to me because I missed you," She decided out loud, bending down long enough to scoop the puppy up when he scrambled back over to her. Holding him in her arms immediately got her a bunch of licks to her chin and cheek, wherever the puppy could reach, as she giggled in response.

"Ummm," She looked at him in consideration then as she leaned back to get a better look at his face. After a moment, she smiled at Ty. "How about Zorro?"

Noticing the fact that he had picked his things back up, she nodded to the table. "You can set the cookies there if you want. There is a small closet over here where you can put some of the other stuff and uh....there is only one bedroom."

His heart pounded a little harder than usual at hearing Tandy rationalize why she had the teleporting puppy. Tyrone had feelings for girls before but not like this, feeling more than wanted. Feeling loved. He also couldn't help enjoying the sight of her mothering the pup.

"Zorro. I like it," he responded with a smile that didn't seem to want to leave his lips. Ty could've teased about her having cloak envy if she hadn't made the comment about missing him. Almost a year had passed in her time that they'd seen the movies and she remembered. He couldn't do anything but smile fondly.

And then he went to putting away his things, stopping when she said there was only one bedroom. A chuckle left him. "Looks like you're always stuck sharing spaces with me." Her house wasn't as big as the church but Ty was sure he'd be able to still rest his head comfortably. He couldn't see parting from Tandy.

"Good thing I've got some experience in bed making," he teased then watched her awkwardly. "I mean, I can make one out here. If you want."

There were a lot of good memories that Tandy had with Ty, a lot of them that stood out against the darkness that was the rest of her life. Times where he had helped her to forget all the shitty things and made her feel normal. Even good. Plus the whole Zorro and slashing a Z into someone had more of a meaning than he realized. It was also a good memory for them both and fitting to give the puppy that name which was going to stick as she set him down again.

"It's not like I mind," She told Ty, smiling at him as she decided that having to share any sort of space with him was welcome after being apart for nearly a year. True, her house wasn't all that big but she liked the coziness of it.

Then came the whole remembering that there was just one bed which left them both a bit awkward as they looked at each other. She shrugged it off though, laughing a little while tucking some hair back from her face. "It's okay, Ty. It's a really big bed, so there is room for us if..."

She made a little motion with her hands, miming that they could have space if needed or wanted. "If you're more comfortable..."

Zorro looked utterly confused at being put down. He stared up at Tandy then immediately went to putting his paws on her, wanting to be picked up or paid attention to. The pup looked between the two people in the room as there was suddenly a different feeling. He didn't like it but it didn't worry him either that he finally scampered off to the bed he'd been waiting on.

Ty didn't move to look at the offered bed yet. "We haven't even kissed," he mumbled. Or maybe she didn't mean they should share a bed in that way. "I mean, I want to. If you want to. Did you mean just like share the space or...?" His cheeks would be red if his skin wasn't dark. He raised a hand to reach the back of his neck. "Sorry."

How is it they'd just reunited and he managed to make things awkward? Tyrone dropped his hand and gave her a matching apologetic glance.

Tandy glanced briefly at Zorro, checking him for a moment just to make sure he was okay before she focused on Ty again, wondering how the moment had suddenly gone awkward between them. They were good at working on how to communicate with each other but they were also in new territory for them both as there hadn't been much time to explore being more than friends. It was a new decision for him while she'd had some time to think about it.

"Hey, I want to too," She told him without hesitation despite the butterflies flipping out in her stomach. "But we don't have to rush into anything either, Ty. I know this is...different for us."

"I just want you to be comfortable. I'm fine sharing a bed with you if you're fine sharing a bed with me but if you would be more comfortable sleeping on the couch at first? That's okay too," She took a couple of steps closer, making the distance smaller between them with a small smile. "But I am happy to share this space with you and to have you here, I promise. I spent nine months without you, Ty, and it was hard. I don't want to feel that again."

There was a confused expression on his features for a minute while she spoke. It took a second for Ty to remember that this wasn't the Tandy who had just escaped human trafficking that had accepted his offer of 'waffles or pancakes' on how they'd get through what came next at them. She was still the Tandy he knew but had eight months to give intimacy more thought. It suddenly made sense that she was accommodating his comfort level when he'd been trying to do that for her.

"You won't," he promised with a smitten smile. She had seen that look on his face before although it had a different tone now. Tyrone sometimes questioned if their powers unfairly influenced their connection but ultimately didn't care what the reason was; Tandy Bowen meant everything to him. He loved that she made no secret over feeling the same way. He closed the distance, lowered his head and tried to seal the moment with a kiss.

Zorro had other ideas, immediately blipping over and inserting himself between their legs to jump up on Tandy or at least where his front paws could reach. Maybe it wasn't an objection to the two kissing as much as it was wanting her attention again. Meanwhile, Ty hadn't relented his attempt fully. It would have been easy to, never having a pet before but Tandy.

Kissing was something long ago in his mind when he already had a girlfriend. Now she had agreed to being more than friends, he hoped he hadn't misunderstood her assurance about their sleeping arrangement. Zorro might find a reason other than protectiveness to fight for Tandy's attention now.

Tandy felt a giddy little smile appearing again as she took a half step towards him, ready to meet him and a potential kiss when suddenly Zorro was between them, giving an excited little yip like he had sensed there was a moment he wanted to be a part of. Blinking at the new little addition, she chuckled before carefully stepping around him to get closer to Ty.

She still felt a little nervous but she was more sure of herself than she had felt for a while now. It would still take time to see how things would work between them as a couple but they would work through it, probably with a few bumps here and there but that was how things normally unfolded between them.

Biting her bottom lip briefly, she reached to let her hands rest against his chest before pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss him. It was tentative and sweet at first, not at all like any of her other first kisses but that was no surprise. Things had always been different with Ty.

Where she was giddy with nerves, Ty was grounded. He'd never felt so heavy as if it was impossible to move. There wasn't anywhere he wanted to be in the moment than there with her, especially as Tandy moved around the attention seeking puppy to get back to him. The hole he'd felt since Billy died was filled knowing she would always come back to him.

Her hands on his chest had to feel the way his heart pounded. Yet he remained steady, his hands moving to rest on her hips. The kiss was soft and sweet. He didn't expect it but in the moment, Ty understood it was the very core of Tandy Bowen. The part of her covered up by walls that kept her safe while the opposite could be said about him. Soft and sweet was what most saw first about him. Well, those that could see past him being scared and alone.

Being alone was something he no longer had to worry about. It sucked that she'd been without him for nearly as long as they'd fought together for. Now she had him and seemingly the actual puppy version of him. Ty was satisfied with the simple kiss, licking his lips and biting his lower lip after as Tandy had before. Zorro, on the other hand, did not appreciate being excluded and teleported himself at chest level where Tandy had a chance to catch him or let him fall.

"This is a whole new form of cloak envy," Ty chuckled at the sight.

Once again, they were the perfect opposites of one another. She felt that as she touched him, feeling the steady beat of his heart though it did feel a tiny bit faster than normal. She thought it matched her own since she could feel her heart racing while he leaned down to kiss her back in his own soft, sweet way.

It was almost disappointing when they pulled apart but she was going to stick true to her word about not rushing or pushing for too much. Plus there was the issue of a little black bundle of fur suddenly appearing between them. Not between their legs but right where she had to catch him before Zorro could fall. It made her gasp in surprise before she chuckled, holding him securely against her chest while looking at Ty.

"Clearly we'll have to figure out how to teach him some manners," She smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of Zorro's head while also rubbing his back.

"Maybe you should call him Karma," he teased Tandy. It was a slight dig, reminder of a time she hadn't been the most congenial with him.

The kiss was interrupted way too soon but he didn't dwell on that. There was a lot for both of them to process. Ty had never had a pet before, always being told by his parents that they were a lot of responsibility and how he already had a number of responsibilities between school and extracurricular activities.

"Have you had a dog before?" Never mind that it wasn't even a normal puppy but some furry version of his powers.

Zorro seemed very content with being held and loved on. A smile remained fixed on Ty's lips while watching his girlfriend hold her new puppy.

"Haha," Tandy remarked somewhat dryly at the slight dig but she didn't look all that bothered as she smirked at him.

Then she was momentarily distracted by the kiss and then further by the puppy interrupting them. She had never been allowed a dog before, no matter how much she had begged her mom and dad. Then it had been impossible with them losing everything and her being homeless for a little while when she couldn't stand being at home.

"No," She replied with a little shake of her head, studying Zorro before looking up with a small smile on her face. She looked almost content which was exactly how she felt at the moment with both of them in the room with her. "What about you?"

There was something more than touching about watching how she held the puppy. It wasn't that he'd never seen Tandy be tender, the moment was more than that. Ty couldn't put his finger on what exactly tugged at his heartstrings other than something of a maternal streak in her that he never suspected.

"No. Too poor when I was little then too busy when I got older. We had fish for a little while," he answered and left Tandy with Zorro to take a look around. Two dog bowls were left, one with water and the other next to a bag of dry dog food. The counter had a leash, couple of dog food cans and a jar of small dog biscuits.

Past the kitchen, there were a couple of doorways. Ty looked curiously toward them. The first doorway was to a bedroom. The only one, from what Tandy had told him. A trunk was at the foot of the bed which got his attention but he didn't act on it. He didn't want to invade her privacy.

"I don't see any instructions. Hope he doesn't just blip and run off."

"I don't think he will," Or at least Tandy was hoping that Zorro would know better but what if she wasn't very good at looking after him? She certainly wasn't very good at looking after herself or hadn't been for a long time. It was something she was still learning, especially since arriving in this strange place and having to be on her own.

But she wasn't alone anymore. She was reminded of that as she lifted her eyes to focus on Ty again, watching as he looked around the small house. Suddenly her chest felt tight and her eyes started to sting a bit as she was overwhelmed by a surge of emotion at seeing him again. She had survived on her own but she was struck again by the realization of just how much she had missed him and had felt lost without him.

She didn't even notice it when the tears started to roll down her cheeks but Zorro did as he gave a sudden yip of alarm, leaning up to lick her chin.

Almost as soon as the words left him, Ty winced. The last thing he should even infer is that the puppy would leave her. Tandy (rightfully so) had issues with abandonment. She had just spent nearly a year alone and he knew first hand her feelings about being alone in the world.

"He won't," Tyrone stated with conviction. "You got him because you missed me, and if he's anything like me, he won't leave you."

The tear rolling down her cheek felt like a knife to the heart that sealed any doubt he might've had about having hurt her with his insinuation that Zorro would run off and leave her. Ty returned and stood in close proximity as the aforementioned puppy reached up and licked at the stray tear.

"In fact, I think we might end up fighting over you," he said with a smirk before wrapping his arms around both of them.

Tandy sniffed a little when she realized that she was crying and what made it worse was that the two of them had noticed. She was quick to dash away any other tears that might trail after the one that Zorro tried to banish, clearing her throat a bit while looking away. She knew Ty well enough to know that he would feel guilty about her crying even though it wasn't his fault.

"I'm sorry," She licked her lips, almost ready to step away, to put some distance between them as she felt awkward but she stayed still when Ty's arms wrapped around her to hold them both while she held Zorro.

"I'm okay, I just...had a moment looking at you." Her voice softened as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I didn't realize how much I missed you. I mean, I knew I did but not how badly."

Or that it would stagger her.

"Don't be," he coaxed when Tandy apologized. "I meant it when I told you before; I couldn't imagine my life without you." Meaning, Ty did't know how she had managed so well without him after everything they'd been through where he completely understood her having a moment.

His arms held them both snug and Zorro struggled, attempting to get a few more licks of Tandy's face before teleporting out from her hold. He reappeared right by her foot and used a back paw to randomly scratch behind an ear before scampering off toward the kitchen. They could hear him lapping up some water seconds after relocating.

"I mean I missed you just those minutes that we weren't together on the bus anymore," he attempted to assure her before dipping his head, moving his face toward the crook of her neck as hers rested on his shoulder.

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crazy_white_girl - 2021-06-30 15:14 (UTC) - Expand

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