Receeding Tides (mcyt)

Chapter 30

After a lengthly long drive of listening to laughter he longed to experience, Sapnap's truck pulled up to a barbed wire gate. He hopped out and slammed his fist against the metal, and Tommy couldn't have been more excited to see another human face. A short woman with long, jet black hair and a toddler on her hip emerged from behind the gate and met them at the bed of the trunk.

"Welcome back, Sapnap," she had to jog to meet them. "You're late. The other bus got here last night."

"Ah well," he scratched the back of his neck. "Took a wrong turn. No sleep, y'know?"

The woman nodded as if she understood, "Well, welcome home. Who've you got this time?"

When he climbed out of the bed, Tommy didn't recognise anyone or anything, but aside the clean air, America didn't seem so different from Europe. At a glance. America definitely had more trees and wild grasses, and the buildings each certainly had their own styles. He couldn't see far throughs the gate, but Tommy could tell Tubbo had been telling the truth. This place was a tiny paradise.

It seemes like Several bridges crisscrossed across the streets connecting each other. Tommy wondered how someone could get down without jumping off the side. Not that he was opposed to a little parkour of course. Tubbo hopped out  waved to the woman. She smiled and corrected herself.

"Who've you and Tubbo got this time?"

Sapnap grinned bitter, "This is Tommy. He was a part of the SMP too."

She tossed her bangs away from  her eyes and offered Tommy a hand, "Nice to meet you. I'm Aphmau. I've seen you stream. Enjoyed the lore."

Tommy smiled, "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Please, just Aphmau is fine."

Was being on a first-name basis with adults a culture shock, or was Tommy just lacking in social skills? He didn't know. After the boys were out of the truck, Aphmau guided them through the gates as a woman with vibrant yet faded bubblegum pink hair climbed into Sapnap's truck and drove it out of view.

Aphmau led the boys inside and pointed out the various buildings set up along gravel roads careful not to wake her baby. She pointed to a building with a large letter Y propped against the door then to a street filled with small houses and booths tucked in front of them in a marketplace-like style.

Each house was thin and only two stories with a pointed roof. They appeared to be built purposely modern and lived-in like the homes before the Waves, and there were families sitting in the open, pothole-filled streets chatting up storms. Larger potholes in the streets had been converted into fire pits, and several cracks in the street served as irrigation canals of fresh, or what Tommy hoped was fresh, water running throughout the streets. An unbelievably large pothole at an intersection became a small pond for little kids to play in.

"...That building back there is the community house and here we have the incomers' street," Aphmau pointed  to buildings in view confusing Tommy. "We're low on space for now, but I'm sure Tubbo won't mind an extra guest. His house is at the end of the street. It's slightly larger so it'll be better for you."

"Thank you Aphmau," Tommy replied pretending he wasn't confused beyond belief.

"When you guys get settled, you'll be assigned a job," she added, "It'll probably take around week or so to finalise, so just get settled, alright?"

The boys nodded, and Aphmau and Sapnap left them at the tip of the street. Being unfamiliar with the town, Tommy followed closely behind Tubbo as they walked towards Tubbo's apparent house.

The house was just an average townhouse closely resembling those back in London. Tommy smiled. The resemblance was uncanny, because they reminded him of home. In fact, the people in the streets on this clear autumn day? Deja vu began washing over Tommy. A small mercy in a hell of a world. Tubbo opened the door and bowed to Tommy as if he were the queen herself.