"Rae-rae," Lucas Says, Exasperated, The Old Pet Name Slipping Out. He Follows Rae Down The Hall, Ready

"Wow, ten years?" Adrien doesn't even look up from his work as he continues talking. "I thought not really leaving my hometown for that long was bad. But this place?"

He let's out a stream of air in sympathy. He strips off the covering so he can get to more of the wiring.

"I mean, I've got the important bits: monsters that eat people, can't leave town, stay indoors once the sun sets. It's all very Twilight Zone. I guess I'm curious what all you guys do in the meantime? Gardening, scavenging, cooking, healing, that's all good, but that's survival, not living."

she'd forgotten how newcomers could be; so eager to learn and ask questions. its one of the reasons why she never took up a leadership position with the council; erin didn't think that she could keep herself impartial if she got too close to every newcomer. a lot of people didn't make it, she didn't want to sign up for the pain fest it would be when they inevitably died. she hoped that he wouldn't though, that he would somehow break the cycle. she stalls for time, looking around the shop and tinkering with things in the office here and there. "ten years," she replies easily enough, but if you were to know her then you'd notice strain in her voice as she says it. clearing her throat, she continues. "what do you want to know?" better to figure out what he already knows and then go from there.

Lucas keeps his expression neutral, trying not to let his initial disappointment show through.

But then he's interested again.

"What do you mean by that?"

" THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT ." the words are distracted . elm twirls the laces tight enough around their finger to make the tip go a bit cold with lack of blood . lucas presses the record button and elm takes little notice of it until the question is address to her . there is a blink as they glance between lucas and the recorder for a moment before leaning hesitantly into the recorder to say the same thing they've told everyone since they've been back . " i don't remember ." a pause before they shrug and add, " ... i don't think they want me to ."

Tanner Buchanan photographed by The Emma Experience, 2020

I think about this look daily. The hair. The shirt. Him. 🤭

Lucas lifts his hands and offers a smile to Lena as he approaches.

"Sorry, though I guess it's better than your goose being cooked."

He comes up and takes a pamphlet to look over it. He wants to laugh at it honestly. It's earnest, though maybe too optimistic for some people.

Instead he smiles and hands it back.

"I'm sure some of the newcomers will appreciate these. But why are you going now and not just bringing them in the morning? It's getting late."

Sometimes she forgets how close to night fall it gets. How anxious others are as the orange hues linger across the sky. For Lena, it’s the only moment of peace she’s able to find. When everyone is asleep— or too afraid to listen, she sits by the window and watches. It’s her own secret. It’s the only thing that’s hers. Still, the officers voice makes her jump. The pitch, and immediacy of it, causing her to flinch. “You nearly scared the goose outta’ me!” Her hands clutched her chest, bending over to let out a breath, before straightening. She’s holding a bunch of pamphlets. Little things she made for the newcomers, something might’ve thought it was useless— but it was the only thing that helped her feel normal. Hi welcome to Oblitus, where anybody can be somebody. Only lately, it was hard to believe it now more than ever. “I was just taking these to the dining hall— figured I could pass them out for breakfast tomorrow.”

Hey now those (your big brown eyes) are some dangerous weapons…

(insp.)

Lucas nods, though he doesn't quite understand what he's saying. He does understand the emotions, though. They're feelings a lot of people here feel.

"They didn't leave a body," he explains. "Just a blood trail that disappeared into the woods. I didn't... get to say goodbye."

His breath hitches as he cries. Everything that's happened in the last few days has just opened old scars he was sure had healed.

Hollis watched Lucas silently, glancing down as the bouquet was placed. His fingers twitch at his sides.

"No," he answers, the word barely audible. He shifts awkwardly, unsure if he should say more, but, choosing not to feels like denying their existence.

"I mean...not here." His gaze dfits to the empty space beside the grave, trying not to dwell. "Not...here, exactly. But close."

Task 002

Lucas lives in a residential house, one of the few that want to be alone.

Well, he doesn't want to be alone, but he is. Even after 7 years, his house doesn't feel anything like him. It's furnished as all residential houses are: simple, clean, all the necessities but no personality or charm. While it's not empty, it feels lonely. Like there isn't enough life moving inside it to make it feel like a home.

There are little touches of him: books left on tables, dishes in the sink, plants that he's trying to keep alive. But overall, it seems like one of the empty houses on the street, ready for some new unfortunate soul to move in.

The places he's more clearly left an imprint are the sheriff's offices and the homes of his friends. He's more interested in making the town his home rather than his house. Because then maybe he might not feel so alone.

"With a lot of practice," Adrien says. Then adds, "Unfortunately."

He unconsciously matches her tapping fingers with his own on his knees.

"I know it sounds a little naive, but trust me, it's taken a lot of experience to think like that. Experience I wish I didn't have."

Catie stares at him. Free? She lets out a short, hard laugh, but it fades quickly as she considers the honesty behind what he’s saying. 'So, that’s it?' she asks. Her fingers drum against the plastic cup, her mind racing against a wall she’s only just realising might never come down.

She looks away, biting the inside of her cheek. The idea that everyone here had already gone through these thoughts, that they’d all made peace with something that to her felt like an endless cage—it’s unsettling. 'I don't know how you do that,' she mutters finally, almost to herself.

"Of course," Lucas says, kissing the top of Rae's head. "You go clean up."

He slowly let's go once Rae's grip loosens then turns to push the cart. The door creaks open and he steps into the dimly lit storage space. They manage to make it cold enough that it doesn't smell like hot rotting flesh. Just regular dead bodies. He's spent enough time in here around Rae that it doesn't bother him as much anymore.

He slides the cart in place then looks around. The blanket covering Kina has slipped off her face so Lucas puts it back. Then he slides this body next to hers.

He flips the light as he leaves, hurrying back into the examination room. He steps up next to Rae at the sink and washes his hands.

"Ready?"

rae's sobs racked his body, a release of the tension he had been holding for so long. too long. with anyone else he might have felt exposed, but he didn't feel that with lucas. his arms found his way around him, holding on like rae would disappear if he let go. stubbornness had been lost, this time he nodded against luc's shoulder.

"we — we can go. can you just put the cart inside?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "she’s in there. i can't look...not again." could he stomach it? absolutely. but that didn't stop the pain. rae couldn't detach himself from all feelings like he did with the other bodies.