The end of the causeway and into town, Wednesday afternoon

[designateddadfriend]

"I'm not calling a plumber for you, Vic. I'm not... no... no... Okay, yes, technically I guess I am your landlord right now, but... is this why Dean kicked you out?" Travis winced. "Yeah, I regretted it as soon as I said it. Look, I have to--I have to--Vic--I'm hanging up now. I am... Yes I am!" He sighed and hung up, tucking his phone away.

His Uber driver glanced at him. "Ex?"

"Best friend." Travis gave him a quick, polite smile, and climbed out, dragging his duffel bag along with him. "It's a long story." He patted the roof of the sedan, "Thanks!" then stepped back and watched it drive away. Then turned to take a look at his new home.

"Really? It's all stairs?" He let out a deep sigh and adjusted his duffel on his shoulder. At least Maya would be happy he was keeping in shape.

[NEW TOWNIE IN DA HOUSE! Open!]

Comments

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden had plenty of time for a long walk between her class in the morning and Caritas in the evening, and eventually she ended up passing the causeway.

Was that a new person? From the look on his face, he - probably he, Seivarden decided - he might be. And that was even before all the insanity.

"Newcomer?" she called when she got closer.

[designateddadfriend]

Definitely he! And on rare occasions, she.

Travis flicked Seivarden a smile. "Small town, huh?" He offered his (bare) hand. "Travis, hi. Fandom's new firefighter."

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden did her best to pretend not to see the offered hand. Instead she bowed slightly.

"Seivarden Vendaai. So, a firefighter. I don't think I've ever met one here."

[designateddadfriend]

And Travis was immediately distracted from that faint snub by what she said.

". . . Really?" He looked across the town. He could see someone not personally having met a firefighter in a city like Seattle, but this place was tiny. "You all do have a fire department, right?" He patted his pockets. "I've got the address here somewhere. . . ."

[1000yearstoolate]

"I... don't know," Seivarden admitted. "I haven't had to look for one. Well, I've been told that for some reason I should ask firefighters to get my cat down from a tree."

But that must have been a joke.

[designateddadfriend]

Ah. Maybe this person was just really oblivious.

"We've been known to do that on occasion. We're sort of... all around helpful people. I've also rescued a woman who got her foot stuck in a pot hole, for instance."

[1000yearstoolate]

Now Seivarden grinned. "Really? Now I think it's a bit sad that my cat seems to have learnt how to climb down too."

Since the newcomer seemed helpful. The attractiveness wasn't a disadvantage.

[grenadesandohana]

"Well, stairs and a giant castle," Steve said, returning from his PT at Walter Reed. "You kind of get used to it."

[designateddadfriend]

Travis looked over and just. Took a moment to appreciate that rather lovely specimen of man right there.

Then offered his hand. "Travis Montgomery. Just tell me there are at least bike paths around here somewhere? I'd rather my free time not totally resemble drills set by an Olympic gold medalist."

Maya would take one look at those stairs and go completely heart-eyed.

[grenadesandohana]

"Nice to meet you, Travis," Steve said, shaking his hand. "I'm Steve McGarrett. Biking's not really my thing--prefer to swim or run--but I'm sure we've got something around here. This place is full of fitness nuts."

And the Troopers, who hate Steve and Diego just so much.

[designateddadfriend]

Just wait until Steve found out about Travis's regular drills. Or was Steve already making them run with 100 pound packs, haul fire hoses around, and flip giant truck tires?

"You're a swimmer!" Travis said, shaking Steve's hand maybe a smidge too enthusiastically in return, before realizing what he was doing and letting go. "I can see that. With--the shoulders--" He shook his head. "Nice to meet you."

[grenadesandohana]

He wasn't making them flip giant truck tires yet!

"I'm a SEAL," Steve said, grinning. "The Navy version, not the mammal." He'd learned to specify around here. "I'm currently detailed to local law enforcement here. What brings you to the island?"

[designateddadfriend]

"A sailor. Nice." Travis really needed to stop ogling Steve. He refocused on the question. "I'm a firefighter. Just transferred to Fandom FD from Seattle."

[hatesparadise]

New people were just like fly-paper for the locals, which was why Danny also happened by. Though his appearance had more to do with... checking that Steve didn't try to skip his PT. Look, it was a perfectly normal thing.

"Yeah, it's a pain. Literally in some cases."

[designateddadfriend]

"Well, at least my training's going to be put to good use."

Since from what he was hearing so far, it was maybe not going to used for actual firefighting.

"Travis Montgomery. Fandom FD."

[hatesparadise]

"Okay, that's a new one," Danny replied. He had been starting to think the fire department here was staffed by possums or whatever ridiculous wildlife this island had, honestly. "Detective Danny Williams, currently with the trooper station here against my will," he said, offering a handshake.

[designateddadfriend]

"Trooper station?" Travis looked in the direction of the preserve. "That like a park service thing?"

[hatesparadise]

"Not much call for detectives in the park services, no," Danny replied dryly.

[designateddadfriend]

"Oh, I don't know, I've done some weird rescues in parks." Travis shrugged. "So that 'trooper' thing is just ... a cute name for the local PD or something?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Oh, look, someone Annie didn't recognize as she came to the horrible stairs portion of her Wednesday run.

"This place is, like, meant for people who like cardio," she offered, tugging out her earbuds with a little wave to the newcomer. "Sorry. I'd say you get used to it, but...." She shrugged, because she definitely hadn't gotten used to it in the four months she'd been here.

[designateddadfriend]

"Sadly, I am actually already pretty used to stairs," Travis told her, with a wry smile. "Slightly less used to all the friendly people, if I'm honest, but--in a good way. Hi. I'm Travis."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Annie," she said, sticking her hand right out with a bright, friendly smile. "And honestly, the friendly people is a whooooole thing. This place is small enough that everyone kinda knows one another, so like, brace yourself for a lot of aggressively-friendly introductions."

[designateddadfriend]

“Better than aggressively unfriendly ones,” Travis answered just as cheerfully as he shook her hand. “It’s good to get to know people in my line of work anyway. I’m a firefighter. And before you ask, yes, I have been assured you do actually have a fire department around here somewhere.”

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You know, I have legitimately never thought about what we'd do if something caught fire," Annie said thoughtfully, which was a problem considering how she could easily start one by accident if she wasn't careful, oops. "Welcome, Travis the Firefighter. May you have as little to do as our resident cops."

Because it would just be like the island to suddenly have fires spring up, but she also suspected this would be much like the crimes she had been sent here to fight, herself.

[designateddadfriend]

“I’ve met two of them just standing here,” Travis said cheerfully. “Neither apparently on duty. So ... yeah I guess I wouldn’t mind ending up as bored as they are.”