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designateddadfriendTravis flopped down onto the (still disturbingly musty) bunk in the Fire Station dormitory with a heavy sigh.
And his phone promptly started ringing.
He answered it without looking. "Hi Vic."
"Sooooo," Vic said. He could hear her grinning from three thousand miles away, and couldn't help but smile in return. "How are things in the land of crabs and Edgar Allen Poe?"
"You googled 'Maryland', didn't you."
"They are not known for much."
"It's … fine," Travis said, rolling over onto his stomach. "It's not fine. It's entirely possible I managed to take a job on some kind of island asylum."
".... Like a leper colony?"
"Like a leper colony. Only everyone's pretty instead of covered in sores."
"Okay, spill."
"Right. Well. There's this guy who works in the piano bar who swears he's the actual devil."
"Oooo, sexy."
"No. I mean—yes, but no. He's taken, for one. Extremely. Technically."
"Extremely technically."
"Yes. It's none of our business, but he has a girlfriend who has a boyfriend who was apparently trapped in a volcano...."
"Hot."
"Not everything is hot, Vic." Travis sighed. "There's also this guy in a steampunk mask who thinks he's an alien, and the local detective apparently got here via kidnapping and can't leave? His partner is a freaking Navy SEAL, so who even knows what that's about. And this really cheerful woman wanted to know if we in Seattle had ever heard of soup."
"... Soup."
"Soup."
"... I don't get it."
"Neither do I! And that's not even getting into the local gang named after raccoons. The only vaguely normal people so far are this woman who bows at you and the bartender obsessed with jello."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line.
"Trav, come home."
Travis closed his eyes and sighed again. "I can't."
"Yes you can. I know they offered you a promotion, but I'm sure Maya can make you a lieutenant here—"
"I can't, Vic. I'm the only firefighter in town."
"Come on, Trav."
"I'm serious. No one here even knew they had a fire department. They swear nothing here catches fire."
Vic snorted. "Everyone thinks that. Until it does."
"Right?!" Travis shook his head. "Hang on. I have to send you a photo of the engine they've got. In a couple of years, Pru's going to driving one around Dean's boat house."
Vic made a noise that was a perfect cross between a laugh and a sob. "Don't. I miss her so much!"
"Okay. Have you talked to Dean?"
"He kicked me out."
"Yes. Because he's an idiot. So talk to him."
"What would I even say?"
"Say 'Dean, I know you kicked me out because you're an idiot, but I bonded with Pru over the last few weeks and I demand to be allowed visitation rights.'"
"Yeah, right. Oh, did you hear about Andy's mom?"
"You're changing the subject."
"You're damn right I am. Trav, she's still alive."
"What?! No!" Travis folded his free hand behind his head. "Okay, I'm letting you change the subject just this once. Tell me everything."
[mostly for linkdrop purposes, but can be open if anyone wants to stop by the station!]
And his phone promptly started ringing.
He answered it without looking. "Hi Vic."
"Sooooo," Vic said. He could hear her grinning from three thousand miles away, and couldn't help but smile in return. "How are things in the land of crabs and Edgar Allen Poe?"
"You googled 'Maryland', didn't you."
"They are not known for much."
"It's … fine," Travis said, rolling over onto his stomach. "It's not fine. It's entirely possible I managed to take a job on some kind of island asylum."
".... Like a leper colony?"
"Like a leper colony. Only everyone's pretty instead of covered in sores."
"Okay, spill."
"Right. Well. There's this guy who works in the piano bar who swears he's the actual devil."
"Oooo, sexy."
"No. I mean—yes, but no. He's taken, for one. Extremely. Technically."
"Extremely technically."
"Yes. It's none of our business, but he has a girlfriend who has a boyfriend who was apparently trapped in a volcano...."
"Hot."
"Not everything is hot, Vic." Travis sighed. "There's also this guy in a steampunk mask who thinks he's an alien, and the local detective apparently got here via kidnapping and can't leave? His partner is a freaking Navy SEAL, so who even knows what that's about. And this really cheerful woman wanted to know if we in Seattle had ever heard of soup."
"... Soup."
"Soup."
"... I don't get it."
"Neither do I! And that's not even getting into the local gang named after raccoons. The only vaguely normal people so far are this woman who bows at you and the bartender obsessed with jello."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line.
"Trav, come home."
Travis closed his eyes and sighed again. "I can't."
"Yes you can. I know they offered you a promotion, but I'm sure Maya can make you a lieutenant here—"
"I can't, Vic. I'm the only firefighter in town."
"Come on, Trav."
"I'm serious. No one here even knew they had a fire department. They swear nothing here catches fire."
Vic snorted. "Everyone thinks that. Until it does."
"Right?!" Travis shook his head. "Hang on. I have to send you a photo of the engine they've got. In a couple of years, Pru's going to driving one around Dean's boat house."
Vic made a noise that was a perfect cross between a laugh and a sob. "Don't. I miss her so much!"
"Okay. Have you talked to Dean?"
"He kicked me out."
"Yes. Because he's an idiot. So talk to him."
"What would I even say?"
"Say 'Dean, I know you kicked me out because you're an idiot, but I bonded with Pru over the last few weeks and I demand to be allowed visitation rights.'"
"Yeah, right. Oh, did you hear about Andy's mom?"
"You're changing the subject."
"You're damn right I am. Trav, she's still alive."
"What?! No!" Travis folded his free hand behind his head. "Okay, I'm letting you change the subject just this once. Tell me everything."
[mostly for linkdrop purposes, but can be open if anyone wants to stop by the station!]