aterat | Gotta Live Fast

Who; Tommy Shepherd, OTA
What; Tommy Adjusting to the town and work
Where; Markets, Hunters Lodge, Residence Square
When; Early to Mid August
Warnings; Tommy is prone to swearing

1. A Taste Of Family | Markets
Some days it was hard not to miss the people you loved. This was something Tommy was more than used to after his time as a captive of the Sphere. Most of the time he didn't know what to do with that tension that bubbled up in him, but today, he had an idea. Which was why Tommy, completely with Speedy's bag over his shoulder, was moving slowly through the markets. Slowly because he didn't really know what all he was going to do about sufficient food. So for now it was about conserving energy, walking the line between too much energy use to stay slow and too much energy use by going fast.

For now he was at a spice merchant, looking over some of their stocks. He needed to find the right spices, but he couldn't always remember the names, which meant a lot of careful sniffing. He had to figure out which ones went into paprikash so he could save up a bit of money and then buy what he'd need. Later. Because he couldn't indulge in spices right now.

"I can't tell if this is normal paprika or hungarian," he sighed as he straightened. This was impossible.

2. Do You Want Fries With That? | Hunter's Lodge
There was a new level of efficiency at meal times at the Hunter's Lodge. A young man with snow white hair and silver googles holding orange tinted lenses on. There would be only the space between a blink between someone settling at a table and Tommy's arrival, unless he was talking to another customer. And at his arrival there was definitely a mug of water set down in front of the person that wouldn't have been in Tommy's hand wherever he was before.

"Hey," he greeted. "Wanna know the specials? Or do you have a specific thing in mind already?"

When he wasn't serving tables he did hover by the kitchen door, though, waiting for new arrivals or people needing assistance, or just food that needed to go out.

3. If I Had A Quarter For Every Time I Counted These Coins... | Residence Square
Money. That really was always the start and stop of all problems wasn't it? Well, he supposed in this case it was less money and the fact that his stomach was... really needy.

These thoughts occurred to Tommy as he sat in one of the chairs that existed in the central courtyard between all of the colored residential buildings. Unloaded into his hand was a pile of coins, which he was counting in frustration not for the first time.

It was like being in high school again, before he stopped going to high school. When there was never enough, no matter how much he wanted there to be enough. He needed something more if he was to sustain himself here. The Sphere had done so much to take care of them...

"Not that I'm very good for being anything other than fast," he lamented to himself out loud. How was he supposed to make this work?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hey, I get a solid four hours every night, I'm covered on the rest front," Tommy promised, flashing the guy a smile. He didn't need told to do that. He had learned the value of sleep.

"Four hours." Ignis echoed, looking over at Tommy. Well the boy did speed up on everything else, and at least was aware he did need rest. "Well that's good because you'll need it after a busy night at work."

"I know," Tommy answered. "I'm trying to fit it around looking for other jobs and raising a kid."

Fuck, how was he supposed to manage it? He had all the time in the world but how did he... No, he wouldn't panic.

For a moment Ignis looked at Tommy when he mentioned he was raising a kid and then recalled. "There's no harm in asking for help if needed. It is a huge job on one's own." And this wasn't him trying to get into the other's business, he just knew he'd been grateful for Gladio's assistance when Noct had been particularly hard headed about things such as getting up in the morning.

He'd lost his support network. Wanda was gone. Ultron was gone. And Alex. Everyone. He wants to scream. His abandonment issues were ramped up to eleven even though he was the one who left, and he was lucky that his boyfriend was there. There were a number of people here form there.

Didn't stop him from being hurt.

"I've helped saved the world, so I should be able to handle this."

"Should is an abyss." Ignis replied gently with a shake of his head. He knew all too well how far 'should's' could go. He himself had offered to have Noctis stop their journey because he'd seen how it would end. He recalled that message at the Altar of the Tidemother in Altissia from Pryna about how Noct would have to sacrifice his life and the advisor had been angered and fought to change it.

He would've fought the Six Themselves to save Noct and had told Ardyn he cared less what happened to the world, he just wanted Noctis to be safe.

What did Ignis mean by that? Tommy stared at the other man in shock. Weird man, talking like that.

"If I can't handle it, people get hurt. So I've got to handle it whether I want to or not, whether I think I can or not. I have no choice."

"Here you can focus on your family. And while we might have to save this world there isn't anything pressing at the moment." He was careful to say 'at the moment' because he recalled everything being pretty normal until that beast creature had shown up. And them of course Yuna had a penchant for finding trouble but she was always one to work to solve it as well.

"And when trouble rears its head as it inevitably will, you will not fight alone."

"What part of my family is even here," Tommy answered, his words mumbled.

But the idea that he wouldn't fight alone gets a nod from him. Not that he expects anyone could keep up.

"I'm sure there will be someone who can fight."

"Is fighting not something you do in your world?" Ignis asked as they approached the place that Tommy needed. And if the boy didn't, then rescuing townspeople or something of that nature would help, given how fast the man could move. But that wouldn't be his call to make.

"I'm a superhero back home," Tommy answered quite quickly, quite amused. "I've been fighting since I was about sixteen. At this point my specialization is crowd control and disarming, but I can do other stuff too."

"Ah." Ignis replied with a smile. Well knowing how to fight was always a plus here. "I can't say I'm surprised given your talent for moving quickly." Which of course was going to be a delight to see again.

Talent. Tommy laughed.

"Yeah, I'm more than just talented. Could say I'm born this way."

He was born that way, that was certainly interesting. But Ignis didn't question it and smiled instead. In a way he was reminded of Noctis when he puffed up his own ego at times.

"Then I'm certain you'll have that talent on full display at the Lodge."

"Yeah, it's how I got hired," Tommy answered, then frowned. "That's... why I don't intend to eat my fill there, right? I'd eat more money than I'd be paid. People would get upset."

And he didn't intend to get fired this fast.

"We'll have to see how it works out." Ignis replied, stopping where they'd been before for the ingredients that Tommy needed. He wasn't sure what else to say, and the other needed to finish shopping.

"I guess we will," Tommy answered. "But hey, if you ever need stuff chopped, it's like a second or two your time."

Ignis nodded.

"I will keep that in mind if I do so happen to run out of something at the Lodge." Though he was careful to keep everything in stock so as to not run out, especially at a critical time such as dinner.

Gotta Live Fast

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