Family Ties (DreamSMP Fanfic)

Chapter 2: The First Day

Nyssa opens her eyes to sunlight streaming through the glass windows of her hotel room. She groans and rolls over to check the clock. "6:20!" She squishes her hands over her eyes, forcing herself back to sleep, but without success. Finally, she resigns and gets dressed for the day.

Her outfit is a reflection of her life thus far- a loose, white buttoned shirt rolled up to the elbows and dark cargo pants. A practical choice for avoiding the scorching sun of Zulu Island while allowing her enough mobility to do her job on the turtle sanctuary. The boots are new though, not that they look it after the long journey. Nyssa is used to wearing sandals, and even has the criss-crossing tan lines to prove it. A staple accessory is her cherry red bandana, usually tied around a belt loop on her hip, if not in her hair. For today, and most days, her hair hangs in a single loose braid.

Jumping off the second to last ladder rung, Nyssa finds herself in the large hotel lobby. The floor is mostly stone, except for a lush ruby carpet. Overall, the hotel is incredibly modern and quite impressive to someone who's lived in a beach hut all her life.

"Ayup, lassie!" A voice calls from behind the hotel desk.

Nyssa turns her head towards the voice and finds a man wearing a blue striped hoodie and camo pants. The man adjusts his headset and glasses to better see her. "Welcome to the Jack Manifold Hotel!" he cheers.

Nyssa smiles back, finding his warmth irresistible. She quickly forgets being upset about waking up so early.

"I'm Jack Manifold, hotel owner and businessman," he explains as he reaches out his hand.

She grips his hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Jack. My name is Nyssa."

"Where ya from, Nyssa?"

"I live on Zulu Island and work at the turtle sanctuary there. I have for 17 years of my life." She nods her head with pride.

"Cool, I've always heard it's a beautiful spot, but I've never been." Jack starts to organize the keys behind the desk, "So what brings you here?"

Nyssa hesitates before responding, "Well, I've always wanted to explore, but the real reason is- "

The glass doors bang open and a tall shadow sweeps over them.

"JACK! What the FUCK are you doing in MY hotel?!"

Nyssa stumbles away from the figure, not wanting to get in their murderous path. Then, the person steps into the lobby and she lets out a laugh. "Oh, you're not that scary!"

Jack instantly bursts out laughing. The new boy is fuming, "WHAT? I am a big, strong, intimidating MAN! I don't know who the fuck you think you are, barging into my hotel, but you can call me Big Man, alright?" He sputters, "I'll fucking kill you." He wags a figure at Nyssa, but his eyes reveal the threat is empty. Something tells Nyssa he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Nyssa covers her laugh with her palm in an attempt to stop. Meanwhile, Jack is bent over with his hands on his knees, his whole body shaking with laughter. He gulps in air between the laughs, and finally, restrains himself to a toothy smile. "Sorry, Tommy, but after you died, this became my hotel. I'll be willing to talk to management about getting you a job here, though it may be hard since we have such a full staff and they're all so busy..."

"Oh fuck off, Jack," Tommy bites. "I know you're the only one working here, but since I'm the real owner, you're fired now."

Nyssa interjects, waving her arms to clear the tension, "Hang on, did I just hear you correctly? Did you say 'he died'? Am I missing something?" Her head swivels back and forth between them, expecting an explanation.

"Yes, I was murdered by a psychotic killer in the prison that he helped to make and then he brought me back to life to test his revival knowledge," Tommy quickly confirms.

Nyssa's jaw drops.

Tommy turns back to Jack, "Now, give me my hotel."

Jack slides his glasses down to rest on his sharp nose in order to fix his intense gaze on Tommy, "No."

"That's it! I'm going to come back later with reinforcements and then you're really going to regret this!" Tommy steps back towards the door, pushing it open with his hand. He looks at Nyssa and tips an imaginary hat, "Always a pleasure meeting a woman! Bye!"

Nyssa gives him a blank stare, still unwilling to believe he used to be dead. How could someone so full of energy and life be burdened by something so awful?

Jack waves a hand at Tommy as the door shuts with an echoing bang, "What a fantastic fellow; real pain in my arse, though."

Nyssa nods and, placing a hand on her grumbling stomach, asks Jack if there are any good places to eat breakfast nearby. He gives her a great recommendation of a new bakery owned by his best friend, so Nyssa thanks him and starts walking.

By now, the sun has risen to a spot just high enough to crest the trees, but low enough to be a nuisance to travelers without sunglasses. Luckily, Nyssa doesn't have to walk far, and arrives at the bakery within a few minutes.

A bell rings as she opens the door and is hit by a rolling wave of heat and the delicious scent of cinnamon sugar. The bakery is small, but designed well, with comfortable loveseats at each table. Fresh bouquets wrapped with white ribbon add to the sweet smells floating through the air. As Nyssa approaches the counter, she is spotted by a girl with bright pink hair wearing a chef's hat and apron.

"Hello!" Flour falls to the floor like snowflakes when the girl waves her hand at Nyssa. "My name is Niki, it's wonderful to meet you!"

Nyssa smiles back, "Hello."

"What can I get for you today?" Niki asks politely.

Nyssa laughs, "Well, everything looks so good, I'm not sure which to choose." Her eyes roam over the sweets in the display case: custard filled doughnuts, fruit pies, cakes decorated with little flower petals, and breads of all sorts.

Niki starts to put one of each in a paper bag, "How about I let you try all of them, and you can tell me which is best?"

Nyssa shakes her head in protest, "I can't possibly eat all of that by myself!"

Niki giggles, "Who said anything about eating it by yourself? My sweets are meant to be shared." She hands Nyssa the bag and leaves her hat and apron on the counter. She pulls on a long, dark coat and comes out from the kitchen, guiding them to a table for two. Niki plops down and gestures for Nyssa to sit across from her.

"Oh, Niki, thank you, but I'm still going to pay for this."

The pink haired girl stuffs a doughnut in Nyssa's hand, "Nonsense, just enjoy it. Think of it as a gift from a new friend."

Nyssa takes a bite of the doughnut and her mouth explodes with vibrant flavor. The treat is warmth and goodness, a burst of sunlight. "Niki!" She cries, "This is spectacular! You are so talented! Are you sure you weren't a professional baker in a past life?"

Niki gives her a sad smile as she picks up a piece of the flower cake, "I was a baker once." She studies the ornamental flower petals, "I suppose you could say it was a past life, though it was not long ago."

Nyssa crinkles her eyebrows in confusion as Niki continues, "I stopped when my love disappeared, but I've always come back to baking somehow. A little while after I moved here, I built this new bakery."

"I hope you never give up baking, Niki. And if you ever feel close to it, just let me know and I'll come with an empty stomach to inspire you," Nyssa chirps.

Niki chews her cake thoughtfully, "There's a lot about this place you don't know yet, Nyssa."

As the sun rises to its peak, the girls sit there eating and discussing their pasts. They part ways, bellies full and hearts lighter.