bitofapessimist (bitofapessimist) wrote in spinningcompass, @ 2014-05-19 09:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, ~sookie stackhouse |
Who: Sookie and Ty
Where: The streets
What: Darkness meets light
When: Monday morning + Tuesday morning
Rating: TBD
Status: closed, complete
The city did not look anything like Auckland. The houses were too big - they were too old. The streets weren’t wide enough. It didn’t even look like a proper city. Everything was random. They hadn’t even decided on the street signs, let alone developed a general sense for architetural style.
And in all of that mix, Ty was lost. He had taken the wrong turn on his run and suddenly he was surrounded by shops he had never seen before and street names that weren’t familiar. “Great,” he muttered sarcastically as his jog slowed down to a walk. This was just his luck!
But it wasn’t. A few meters ahead, he saw someone walking in the dark streets. “Hey, uhm, hello. I’m new here and got a bit lost,” he called out.
-0-0-0-
Getting up in the middle of the night - or what she counted as the middle of the night - when she couldn’t sleep a wink, there was only one thing she could do. The bakery needed scrubbing from top to bottom. All the pans, trays, bowls, counters, ovens, fridges… everything had to get cleaned and it had to be done in one long blitz. It was a good distraction from Izzy and Jake and Hannibal and everything that had been ballsed up lately, some by her hand. There wasn’t a day that she didn’t think about what could have been or what should still be now.
She was dressed in ratty old cut off jeans and a white t-shirt with a rim of water around the hem where she had splashed, her hair though was perfectly sleeked back into a ponytail that bobbed as she carried a bucket of dirty water to deposit away into the drains so it didn’t splash her clean floors.
She heard a voice and froze. With all the shit that had been happening lately, she wasn’t gonna trust anyone. Sook lowered the bucket to the floor and her eyes darted around.
And she saw him, pale as the moon, wearing jogging clothes, with no breath on the cold air. “Who are you?” she called back, wary of getting into more trouble.
-0-0-0-
“I’m Ty,” he introduced himself shortly, approaching her to get to a more comfortable conversation distance. She looked wary, her whole body composure screaming of cautiousness. He threw her a half smile. “I just - could you point me the way to the apartments? I have no idea where I am.”
-0-0-0-
She looked at him again and took a step towards him. The last time she had met a strange guy on a dark night, it hadn’t turned out well for either of them and she wasn’t keen on repeating the experience.
“Sure,” Sook let her mental barriers down, “They’re up the street, about three blocks, turn right and go straight on…” but she couldn’t hear his head. There was nothing. He was a dead line. Even people who weren’t thinking had something she could hear; a buzz, a hum, an emotion but this guy? Nothing.
He had to be a vampire.
“I’m Sook.” she said, as if surprised. “Sookie Stackhouse.” And sent a blazing beam of light towards him from her hands, summoning all her power so she could run back for a place he wouldn’t be able to attack her.
-0-0-0-
“Thank y,” Ty started to reply before he was stopped dead in his sentence. Suddenly the air was filled with light and a moment later his body felt warm. An intense warmth he hadn’t felt for over ten years now. Not even being with Helen had made him feel so intense - so warm? And then the light was gone and his skin tingled. He could feel the wind and the moisture of the night. “What was that?” He felt good. He felt alive.
-0-0-0-
Sook stopped in her tracks when she heard his voice again. He was supposed to be in pain and scream or maybe explode because vampire and sunlight and the deal. But, he’d just said something. “Oh shit.” she muttered to herself before turning around, “You’re not a vampire are you? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t hurt you too bad, did I? It’s just, you’re so pale and I couldn’t hear you…” she babbled, walking over to him briskly, “Are you okay?”
-0-0-0-
Ty was still stunned. So she knew vampires. Anders had dropped the word. But with him you never knew if he was just messing with you.
He didn't know what had just happened to him, only that it was one of the best feelings he had ever experienced. “ Yes. I'm perfect. Rarely felt better. What was that?"
-0-0-0-
He seemed okay but she was still worried about it. “I um… “ Sook wrapped her arms around herself, keeping a safe distance from him. “It’s kinda my deal.”
Her hand outstretched, she made sparks fly from her fingers for just a second. “I’m sorry for attacking you. Pale people at night with no breath kinda seem like vampires to me”
-0-0-0-
So now he was a vampire. Go, Hod! And then she disrupted the darkness with light again. It was beautiful. He wanted to touch it. But it was gone before he had a chance. ” What are you?"
-0-0-0-
She wasn’t sure the way he was looking at her was a good thing. Being unable to read his mind, it was even worse. She folded her arms defiantly and narrowed her eyes, “I’m a baker.” she said facetiously. “What are you?”
-0-0-0-
“ Fridge repairman," he stated his glamorous career. He hesitated shortly. She was still wary. Vampires. Wizards. He doubted that Mike's 'don't ever tell mortals what you are'-policy held any ground here. "And I'm the living incarnation of a Norse god." The tickling had stopped by now. His senses numb once again. He wished he could feel like that again.
-0-0-0-
Sook looked at him for a second before laughing, “Oh my god, you’re different too?” she grinned widely, relaxing at the confession. “I’m part Faerie. We control sunshine and have telepathy.” She conjured light as a ball in her hand as easily as breathing. All that practice had been good for her.
-0-0-0-
Telepathy? Ah, now her earlier statement made sense. But that wasn't the part of the sentence that caught his attention. Sunshine! That's what it had been. "This was the second time in years that I felt warm. I'm Hod. God of everything cold and dark. I..." He paused shortly, his expression reflecting the humour of what he was about to say. "I can control room temperatures."
-0-0-0-
It made sense now as to why he kept questioning her about her power and the light beam. She pulled the ball of light back into her body through her palm. “I guess that helps with refridgerators.” she smiled softly, “You hungry, Ty? I got leftovers I need to pawn off on someone. My roommates are sick of pie.”
-0-0-0-
“Pie? Yes, that sounds great," he smiled at her. He wasn't hungry but he could use some company other than his brother. Or maybe she just wanted to give him a piece and sent him his way. He had always been lucky with women after all.
-0-0-0-
“Great.” She beamed, her irises glinting with gold in the brown, “You’ll have to forgive me, I’m kind of a mess right now. The kitchen needed a good clean and it took a few hours. I haven’t had a chance to shower.” she felt mucky but it didn’t bother her much. “This way.” She led him through the back of the kitchen, picking up a stool and sitting it next to her island countertop. “Have a seat. Coffee?”
-0-0-0-
Ty followed her. He hadn't had a shower himself. But sweat didn't have a natural place on his body - one of the few advantages of running cold. “ Yes, please," he said while his eyes wandered around the shop. "This is a very nice place."
-0-0-0-
“Thanks.” she smiled, pouring him coffee from the pot that she had made to keep her going. “I did it up myself. Repainted and cleaned everything. It keeps me busy.” she placed it in front of him, “Are you a sweet pie guy?” she asked, “Or savoury?”
-0-0-0-
At first, he wanted to answer 'savoury'. He had picked so many dishes without caring about them. There was a faint memory of taste from before his twenty-first. But that was it. "I don't really taste anything, sorry." It was odd, being able to talk that honestly to someone other than a god. It felt good.
-0-0-0-
Her face fell. “Because you’re cold?” she asked, feeling sympathetic to his plight. Not being able to taste anything must be the worst feeling in the world. She wanted him to like her food; it was what she could do best and she liked being complimented on them, “But you felt different when I hit you with my light?”
-0-0-0-
“ Yes and yes," he said. He liked the direction into where this was going. " You wouldn't...?" Ty looked at her hopefully.
-0-0-0-
“If…” she thought for a second, “If you’ll repair my back fridge so it runs without eletrocuting me, then I’ll keep you warm so you can try my pie.” she held out her hand. “Deal?”
-0-0-0-
He shook her hand. "Deal." He would have done it without a payback or in this case a pay in advance but this was even better.
-0-0-0-
“What kinda pie do you want to try?” she grinned, plucking a spare menu from the side. “I have the classics or I have a peanut butter jelly special.”
-0-0-0-
“I think I'll take the special," he decided.
-0-0-0-
Sookie beamed brighter. She loved her special pie but nobody had wanted to try it and she was eager to get some feedback on it. “Coming right up.”
She sliced up hunks of pie and plated two of them so she could have a treat too. “Okay. The only way I can think of doing this is probably gonna feel awkward.” She sat opposite him, “Give me your hand?”
-0-0-0-
Ty laid his hands in hers. He was curious. Curious, excited and like a child at a fortune teller. “What now?"
-0-0-0-
“Just give me a bit of trust here…” she murmured, closing her eyes. Sook channeled her power gently into her hand, letting it flow into Ty. “Might take a minute.” she said, opening her eyes to make sure it was working.
-0-0-0-
Warmth flooded through him once again. Ty let his body relax and shot his eyes shortly. The feeling spread more slowly this time. But it was there. Warmth. Heat. Humanity. He opened his eyes and stared at her. “ This is the greatest feeling in the world."
-0-0-0-
Sook smiled a little, letting him have his relief. It would drain her if she wasn’t careful but she could feel when it was getting too low. “Eat.” she commanded, her irises fully gold and her hair tinged with gold too.
-0-0-0-
The first bite was truly amazing. Flavours instead of just consistences. “This - this is truly great,” Ty told her. She was an impressive sight - warmth and light radiating off of her.
-0-0-0-
Sookie managed to get the channelling steady and could use her free hand to eat her own slice of pie. “Thanks,” she muttered, licking the fork, “How long has it been since you’ve eaten something and tasted it?”
-0-0-0-
“Eleven years,” he said after he swallowed his last bite. A thought accured to him. “What do you feel when you touch my hand?”
-0-0-0-
“Sadness.” Sook muttered again, though it really had just slipped out. “But then I hate the cold. I grew up in a state that had hot winters so I still don’t like the snow. But like this…” she gestured down to their joined hands, “I can just feel you. Your warmth fuels mine.”
-0-0-0-
“My warmth?” Ty asked confused.
-0-0-0-
She nodded, eating more of the pie. Sook hadn’t realised how hungry she was. “Everyone has warmth, even the God of all things cold and dark.” She smirked, teasing him. “You might want to keep eating, I can’t keep this up forever.”
-0-0-0-
“Uhm, yes, thank you, by the way,” he said and filled another fork with pie. “This - I can’t tell you how amazing this is.”
-0-0-0-
Her grin was wide and her light crackled brighter for a moment. “Thanks. It’s partly my Gran’s recipe. You have family here?” she asked. Sook didn’t like when people felt alone on the island.
-0-0-0-
“Yes,” he said, dragging the ‘e’ in his usual Kiwi way. “Just promise me you don’t judge me by it.”
-0-0-0-
Sook narrowed her eyes, leaning in. The accent he had was familiar, and she only knew of one person on the island who had any accent similar. “Oh my gosh, you’re Anders’s brother!” she laughed, “Seriously?”
-0-0-0-
Ty was a bit surprised. His eyebrows twitched into a short frown. “What - you met him then? And please, remember not to judge me by it.”
-0-0-0-
Sook just laughed softly. She didn’t fall much for Anders’s sweet talking, though other girls she knew had. It was just funny to her that someone so short had so many exes. Definitely overcompensating.
“Oh he’s been around. A lot,” Sook arched her brow and ate more pie, “I’m sure you’re nothing like Anders. He’s… unique.”
-0-0-0-
“I would have gone for wanker,” he prepared another bite. “But yes, he is… unique or at least he thinks he is.”
-0-0-0-
“He’s a prick,” she laughed, remembering how bad a kisser he had been and how she’d immediately regretted it. She wasn’t even sure if that mistletoe had been real. “He’s not my type.” She tapped her head, “Little bit empty upstairs, if you get me.”
-0-0-0-
Ty chuckled softy. “He has very one-sided thoughts, yes.”
-0-0-0-
Sook chuckled too and finished off her pie. That went down easier than the last experiement did. Blueberries and sweet potatoes did not work.
“At least you have someone here then.” she said softly, her hand twitching slightly at the energy she needed to keep up the warmth.
-0-0-0-
Ty let another piece of the pie dissolve in his mouth. He drunk in the taste. And then she made him smile. “Thank you,” he said, smiling warmly. He turned his wedding ring unconsciously with his thumb. “What about you? Do you have family here?”
-0-0-0-
Sook chewed on her cheek, “Kind of. No blood family. There’s only my brother Jason left alive but he’s not here. My best friend Izzy, she has a big family here so I’m kinda theirs, I guess? Sometimes feels more like I’m a maid.” She joked, smiling warmly. “But uh… we just lost Izzy a little while ago so… it’s difficult.”
-0-0-0-
“ I'm sorry, " Ty said, smiling warmly with sympathy. "What about a boyfriend?" A woman like her had to have someone in her life.
-0-0-0-
Sook chuckled. That was even more complicated. “Not really. A few dates with one guy…” she looked down. Nigel was complicated too. “What about you? Girlfriend, boyfriend?”
-0-0-0-
“ Uhm, no. No boyfriend. I'm straight," he said a bit flustered. He wasn't sure where the assumption came from but he had a good idea. "Has Anders told you about a gay brother?"
-0-0-0-
Sook shook her head, “No, I just don’t like to assume.” She muttered. “Wife then?” she asked, gesturing to his ring.
-0-0-0-
“ Sorry, it's just - he has a habit of telling girls I'm gay. And yes, married. It's a bit complicated, " he said. He didn't feel sad about being away from Eva. He missed the intensity between them but not the marriage. Still, he felt the duty to wear his ring. By law, he was married.
-0-0-0-
Her head started to pierce with pain and her light faltered. “Shoot. Sorry.” She tried her hardest but it was already starting to stutter. “I can’t anymore..” she unfurled her hand from his and the gold on her hair and in her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’m still practising.”
-0-0-0-
The cold immediately fought its way back into his body. Pieces of Sookie’s light were still lingering but he could feel it leaving his body. But that didn’t matter much. Worry kicked in the moment he heard Sookie curse. “Are you okay?” he asked.
-0-0-0-
Sook closed her eyes for a second and gathered her power back inside her. She felt guilty for not being able to sustain the transfer for Ty but there was only so much she could do. “I’m okay, yeah.” she swallowed and opened up her normal, boring brown eyes. “It didn’t last as long as I thought it would. I’m sorry.”
-0-0-0-
“No, no, don’t worry,” he said. “Thank you, this was… wonderful.” He smiled at her and ate the last bite.”
-0-0-0-
She smiled back a little and squeezed his hand one last time. “Give me some time, maybe I can get it to go for longer next time?” she asked, wondering how he coped, being so shut off from life.
-0-0-0-
“Uhm, yes. It would be hard for me to say 'no' to that. And whenever you got a problem with a fridge or just need someone to help you out around here, I can be your guy," he said. He felt bad for not being able to offer anything else in return.
-0-0-0-
“I could use someone who’s just good with handywork around the place. I got a list of things I need to do that I have had no time for.” she sipped the last of her coffee, “I can trade you odd jobs for pie and warmth.”
-0-0-0-
Ty shortly thought about it. But there wasn't really anything to think about. "Deal," he said and stretched out his hand for her to take as if to make a proper business deal.
-0-0-0-
Sook shook his hand and was struck by how normal he felt. “I thought you were meant to be cold?” she asked, “You just feel normal.”
-0-0-0-
"I do?" He asked. That was not what people normally said. "Maybe there's still some heat left."
-0-0-0-
“I run hot.” She shrugged, letting his hand drop. “My magic’s just kinda weird. Even I don’t understand it.” Sook had turned faintly pink. “So. You have a place to stay right?”
-0-0-0-
“Yes. Anders took me in,” he said and he was thankful for it. His brother liked his apartment and even more so he liked having his room when he was bringing back women. “And we are guessing our way through godlife as well,” he added, trying to ease the embarressment he had seen flashing across her face earlier.
-0-0-0-
Sook nodded, grateful that she wasn’t the only one who didn’t feel any control over her powers sometimes. It got frustrating, especially when she could do some good in the world to make up for her mistakes. “Living with Anders is going to be interesting for you.” she chuckled, “You’re nothing like him, are you?”
-0-0-0-
“Thank you. I think that was a compliment,” Ty said. “No, we don’t share many traits. I don’t think we will live together for very long. I - he’s my brother but it’s not always easy to get along with him.”
-0-0-0-
She certainly understood that feeling. If Jason were anything like her, they probably wouldn’t argue so damn much, but she missed him so badly that it hurt. “I know.” she said softly, taking a moment before getting up and clearing the plates. “I can make you up a hamper to take home if you like?”
-0-0-0-
“Thank you. I’ll share it with Anders,” he said with a smile. “How long have you been here?”
-0-0-0-
She had to think about that. It’d been a long time. “Just after my birthday in July, so like 10 months?” She muttered softly, moving behind her counter to fill a box of food for him. “I can’t believe it’s been so long honestly.” Sookie filled the box full of food she new Anders liked, plus a couple of bottles of beer for them to share together. “It’s been a rollercoaster, I can tell you.”
-0-0-0-
“What’s happened so far? I heard and read a few strange things,” he said, following her with his eyes.
-0-0-0-
Sook laughed, “Oh honey, you don’t want to know.” She rubbed the back of her neck. Some things were good, some were bad, some were just weird. “Snow and Christmas presents and trees magically appearing overnight. The island likes to change people from time to time so you might wake up one morning aged 12 or with no powers or as a woman.” she listed off the things, “You might have completely different powers or wake up with no memory or I dunno… attracted to coffee tables? The things this island does is limitless.”
-0-0-0-
“No powers?” Ty’s interest immediately perked up. He could take being 12 or a woman if it might make him lose this hell. He would even take being attracted to coffee tables. “How does that work? You mean I would be human?”
-0-0-0-
“Yeah. Plenty of people have had their powers taken away. Sometimes it’s a few days, sometimes weeks, could be months. People randomly heal after getting hurt, then find that there’s side effects. I mean, we even have a genie here who grants wishes when her lamp gets found.” she laughed.
-0-0-0-
A genie was not something he had ever thought he would need but certainly something he could really need. “Do you think the genie would be able to wish a god away? Make me human?” For the first time since he had nearly killed Dawn, he felt something like hope. Maybe he could be free of Hod.
-0-0-0-
“Definitely.” She nodded immediately and slid a rum butter chocolate pie into the box before finally sealing the flaps. “Isabel’s powers haven’t got many limitations. Just the usual genie stuff. If you found her lamp, you could wish Hod away?” she suggested, “You just need to be careful how you word the wish. She takes these things literally.”
-0-0-0-
“Anything but this is good. She’s on the contact list, yeah?” he asked, trying not to get his hopes to high. With his luck something would go wrong. But he had to try and if things worked out, he could have a life.
-0-0-0-
“Not as simple as that.” Sook said softly, “Isabel’s on the list but she doesn’t have control over the lamp. It just randomly appears from time to time in the weirdest of places. I’m sorry. Maybe you’ll get lucky?” she put her hand on his forearm.
-0-0-0-
“I wouldn’t count on my luck,” Ty said with a tinge of bitterness. “But thank you.” He truly appreciated what she had done for him. Even if it had only been a handful of moments, the break had lifted his spirits. “And that was a wonderful pie. Shall I come around tomorrow to repair the fridge?”
-0-0-0-
“Stranger things have happened, Ty.” She said encouragingly, pushing the small box towards him. “And whenever you want, the fridge is running mostly okay. I just need to get it going colder. Sometimes it shorts out. I don’t want to get killed with my hands covered in pie dough.” she smiled, trying to cut the tension.
-0-0-0-
Ty got up and took the box. “I will make sure Anders appreciates this,” he said. “And I will save you from exploding dough tomorrow. You have definitely attacked the right man with your light.” He stopped shortly before another question shot in his mind. “One more question, what would have happened if I hadn’t been - well, me?”
-0-0-0-
Sook scratched her arm a little awkwardly, “If you were just human, it would have made you crash back. I could burn people but I don’t like doing that and it’s too hard for me to do. You would have just fallen on your butt so I had time to run.” she looked away, “If you really were a vampire, chances are it would have made you explode or burst into flames.”
-0-0-0-
“What a great moment to be Hod,” Ty said midly impressed. Those were useful powers. “I know who to turn to if I ever get into trouble with a vampire.”
-0-0-0-
Her eyes bugged in fear. “No. Not me. They’d kill me before anyone else.” she swallowed, going pale. “Fae, that’s what I am, Fae blood is irresistible to vampires. Like chocolate covered cocaine or something. They’d drain me in a heartbeat, Ty.”
-0-0-0-
“Uhm, sorry,” Ty said immediately. “I didn’t mean to upset you. You seem to have had bad experiences…” He didn’t want to push the topic, just signal that he was open for it. He certainly didn’t want to leave her this.
-0-0-0-
She shook her head, “No, no, really. It’s okay. I’m just probably not the right person to save anyone from anything. We have superheroes for that job. Literally.” she smiled a bit, “I’ve just had a couple of run ins with bad vampires from time to time.”
-0-0-0-
Ty frowned for a second before his mind remembered something odd. "Tony Stark on the contact list. Bruce... hmm, something. Those are the names of Iron Man and the Hulk."
-0-0-0-
“And there’s Captain America and Hawkeye a couple of times over.” She nodded, “You’re probably better off with one of those people than a baker with a complicated personal life and a need to please.” she licked her lip. “They’re all nice people though. You’ll see.”
-0-0-0-
“But none of them can make me feel warm. And I doubt they are as pleasant as you," Ty said.
-0-0-0-
She turned faintly pink in the cheeks and giggled. “Oh you’re such a charmer. You can definitely come again, Ty Johnson.” Sook couldn’t help but glance at his wedding ring though. She wasn’t going down that road again.
-0-0-0-
“Thank you. I most definitely will," Ty said. He caught her glance and a strange feeling of discomfort overcame him. Not towards her but to the ring on his finger. He felt the need to stay loyal. But being so far away from Eva, he could see more and more clearly that what they had wasn't love.
-0-0-0-
She cleared her throat. “So yeah, um, you come out of here, turn left and the apartment buildings are around three blocks up, about 10 minutes walking? Can you manage?” she asked, pulling the handle from the top of the box she’d made him up. For once, Sook kind of wished she could read his thoughts, the way he was looking at her.
-0-0-0-
“ Turn left and three blocks up. Got that. I will see you tomorrow," he said, taking the box. “ And thank you." He threw her another smile.
-0-0-0-
“Don’t mention it.” She smiled back at him, “I’ll see you soon, Ty.” she said, moving to get the door for him.
-0-0-0-
“ Have a nice day, " he said as he stepped outside. This whole place had just gained a whole new appeal to it. Maybe being stuck here wasn't so bad. His family could very well live without him - and even though he missed the rest of them, having a moment like he just had had was something he would not want to miss out on.
-0-0-0-
The next afternoon, with the Sully house fed and the laundry started, Sook made her way to the bakery. She had had a nap, just long enough to keep her going, but she couldn’t get her mind off Ty. He was a complete mystery, for almost the first time. It wasn’t the same with Anders: Sook couldn’t hear him either but you always knew what Anders was thinking anyway. Usually his eyes went to the places where he was thinking.
But Ty? It itched at her that she couldn’t tell what kind of person he was. It was a disadvantage she wasn’t used to and considering the men she’d met, she thought that maybe she should be a bit more wary of it. She had a killer headache too.
Sook was clean this time, at least. She’d showered and done her hair to make herself feel more awake and alive. She wore a duck egg blue tea dress which contrasted with her dark brunette hair. She was starting to miss being blonde more and more. Dark was strange on her golden skin. She got the bakery re-stocked and set up as she waited for her handyman to arrive. Her powers didn’t like being near electricity.
-0-0-0-
For Ty it was good to have a task. His thoughts had drifted less to Eva and more to Dawn. He missed her. He missed her so much. He knew that there was no way that he could be with her back in Auckland. But maybe - there was the faint possibility for her to show up here. With Isabel’s powers it could work. He could gain mortality.
But she wasn't here. And he had to go on with this shallow life. Yesterday he had spent assembling a collection of tools. Shopping was easy enough here: go into a shop, take whatever you want and leave. And if you were Ty, see if you are able to find a lamp of a genie.
When he stepped into the shop, he smiled at the dark haired baker. ”Good morning. I'm all yours for the day," he said friendly. “Where is the patient?"
-0-0-0-
Sookie was wiping down the counter when he arrived and she let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God, one more day with that damn fridge and I was going to smash it to pieces.” Sook pulled up the counter top and led him through to the kitchen.
“She’s in here.” She led him through the kitchen to the back where her double wide fridge was kept, water pooling around the base. “I think she’s about to give out on me but if you could work your magic, I’d appreciate it.”
-0-0-0-
Ty followed her. One look at her and he knew what to check: evaporator coils, defrost timer and if available the condenser. One of them would most likely be the source of all the evil. “Cold magic is what I have. I promise she will be running in no time," Ty said and put down his bag of tools.
-0-0-0-
“You’re an angel.” Sook beamed and squeezed his shoulder. “Can I get you something while I’m here? Coffee?” she asked, wanting to be a good client and offer him something. She wished she had more to give though.
-0-0-0-
Ty smiled at the compliment. “A coffee would be perfect. Ta." He knelt down next to his bag and unplugged the fridge. "So where are you originally from? You sound American. Like someone from the South."
-0-0-0-
Sook went to the brewing coffee pot and poured him a cup, “Cream or sugar?” she asked, chuckling at his question. “I’m from Louisiana, born and bred. North Louisiana, really rural and small communities, close knit kinda thing. How was growing up in New Zealand with Anders?”
-0-0-0-
Ty had already opened his mouth to give his standard answer before he thought differently. “Doesn't matter. I don't taste the difference." He pulled the fridge forward. "And New Zealand. It's a great place. I grew up in Auckland. That's the biggest city. It was... good. A bit crazy when you come from a god family. And you said you had one brother?"
-0-0-0-
Sook flexed her fingers, wanting him to taste her coffee. Stupid power. She wanted to help, to fix him permanently but her own power was only so good in helping. A true full blood Fae might help better than she could but he had a better chance with the lamp.
“I have a brother. Older, he’s called Jason. I haven’t seen him since I came here.” she said a little sadly.
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Ty looked up from the fridge. " I'm sorry to hear that," he said sympathetically. “ You must miss him." He himself was glad that at least one of his brothers was around. Even in his most unbearable times, having Anders around was better than no Anders at all.
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“Yeah I do. He’s kind of an idiot but he protected me like nobody I’ve ever met… well, nearly.” She chuckled, passing him his coffee, “You just take it a day at a time here, that’s all you can do.”
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“ Ta," he said, taking the mug. He took a sip. "No long-term plans? That sounds rather depressing."
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“People appear and disappear here all the time.” She said quietly, thinking of Izzy and the door to see her Gran. “I try not to make long term plans anymore.”
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"Have you lost a lot of people?" he asked with sympathy in his voice. He remembered the friend she had talked about. But it seemed like the was more.
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“Fair few.” Sook nodded again, sitting on the kitchen countertop as he worked. “I guess I’m just used to not getting to say goodbye.” She missed a lot of people. Izzy though, was a loss that was a stab to her heart.
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Ty was quite for a moment, concentrated at his work. Sookie’s words though sounded full of sorrow and he could only begin to understand. “Do you think you will see them again? Do you think there is a way to go home?” he asked.
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She thought about that for a second. What was home and family anymore? Sometimes, when the house was dead quiet and she was doing laundry or cleaning or doing the garden work, she missed having her own family, the one she’d had to say goodbye to in Louisiana. The girls and Sully boys had their own lives and families. Maybe they needed her more than they wanted her.
“Maybe?” She said hopefully, “I just don’t know anymore. This island throws up too much sometimes.”
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“Would you wish for them to be here?” Ty asked as his eyes returned from the fridge to settle on her. He reached for the coffee mug again.
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“Wishes go wrong a lot. More often than not.” She handed him the coffee, her fingers sparking strangely as they brushed his.
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“Ta,” he said as warmth brushed his hand. He stared at the sparks, wishing them to grow. “What about Isabel?” He raised the mug to his lips and took another sip.
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Sook shook her hand out and her fingers went back to normal. Her power sometimes did that when she’d used it a lot.
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Ty frowned at her movement. “Is something wrong?” he asked. It seemed involuntary as if she hadn’t intended the sparks.
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“Huh?” she mumbled before she followed his eyeline to her sparking hand. “Oh, that. It’s just cos I used a load of my sunlight on you yesterday. Connection’s still there, so there’s sparks. Shaking just seems to help some.”
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Ty nodded. It made perfect sense. He didn’t want her help having any negative side effects on her. He considered asking her how often she could give him warmth. But it seemed rude. Even without the help, he liked to be here. “Good. I wouldn’t want to hurt you in any way.”
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She chuckled a little. “The only way you could hurt me would be to drain every ounce of light in my body. Apparently it means bad things for a half-blood Fae. Full bloods would explode into dust if you drained their power or their blood.”
Sook arched an eyebrow. “You know I’m telepathic right?”
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“Uhm…” Ty looked up from the fridge in surprise. A second later a frown settled in. “Yes. I guess I forgot. Can you… -” He ended the question by pointing at his own head. It was a scary thought.
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Sookie shook her head a little, “Not really. Static is all I got from you.” she shrugged, “It’s kinda nice, not knowing what someone’s thinking.”
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“Do you always hear everyone’s thoughts?” Ty asked, forgetting about his task at hand for a moment. At first, it seemed like a very intrusive power. Something that meant harm to the victim and not the user. But hearing everyone’s thoughts all the time - that seemed exhausting. Exhausting and potentially hurtful.
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“Not always,” Sook kicked her feet out playfully from where she was sat at the counter. “I can block them most of the time but when I get stressed or sad, I can’t sustain the barriers in my head and then I can’t help but hear everything everyone’s thinking. That’s only since I learned how to block the power.” She looked down at her feet.
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"That must be stressful. I - my powers get worse when I'm stressed as well. Any kind of strong emotions and I turn a room into a fridge," Ty replied. He paused shortly. "Have you had that since you were a child?"
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“Kinda…” Sook smiled a bit more. Maybe he did understand how it was, growing up with that power. “I have always been telepathic but I didn’t know I could shoot this light until a year ago. There were no signs when I was growing up. It just happened when I was really, really, really pissed off at someone. It just…” she made a gesture with her hand. “Happened.”
“How’d you cope with growing up as Hod?”
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Ty shook his head. “I didn’t. When you are born into a family of gods, you become one when you turn twenty-one. I’ve only had Hod with me for the past eleven years.” His family had still been mad enough. But, at least, he hadn’t had the cold.
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“Oh.” Sook smiled a bit but she was a little disappointed. Nobody, she guessed, knew what it was like to grow up being called a freak, a mutant, something to be scared of. “You knew what was happening to you though, and you had support so that’s real good.” She kept smiling.
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“I guess,” Ty said. Things had gotten slapped into his face. “But they never understood… Anders, he loves being a god and Mike, our oldest brother, all he does is win every game. They don’t have anything that affects their life as deeply as… this. Anders support consists of making fun of me and Mike, he thinks he knows best but he has no idea.”