Lucas Looks Up And Smiles At Ana, Which Quickly Turns To A Grimace At The Mention Of Cameron. Lucas Has

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @hcartcorruptcd El

Adrien moves through the house, taking a break from dancing to find people he knows.

He's spotted and chatted with a few but there's one in particular...

There they are.

He grins and runs up to El. He throws his arms around them in a huge hug.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he says excitedly.

Adrien clocks something odd in the way Cherry brushes off his offer but shrugs it off.

"I mean nice, really likes cuddles. Six-pack isn't necessary. A bonus but not necessary. And I guess willing to like be patient when I admit I'm new to stuff?"

Then he groans, blushing from embarrassment.

"I'm so cringe, aren't I?"

" OH, I'M — " CHERRY WAVES A HAND . " not really lookin' for anythin' right now, don't worry about me ." she tries really hard not to focus on the twist in her stomach, instead focusing on nudging adrien with her elbow . " but what about you, champ ? huh ? what's your type ?" a nod as she leans back to ask . "what am i lookin' for ?"

Lucas sighs. He'd gotten held up at the station, but he can only blame himself.

"I know, I just... maybe some company isn't a bad idea?"

He pulls a chair up and slumps into it with a huff.

"How was your day? Liking any of the new people?"

open to all. community kitchen.

She staid behind after dinner, wrapping up the dishes, sorting the rations. The place was getting dark and it won't be long before sun set into another night. Another living nightmare. -- Bruna smoked her joint, not bothering to air out the small room in the back as she settled into a cozy chair made out of old leather car seat and cracked open a book. "No food, dinner was wrapped an hour ago -- you should get home it'll get dark soon." she doesn't look up, and her tone is as monotone as it can get. "You could stay here and keep me company if you want but, I am not in my 'fun' mood today so I'd advise against it."

Lucas actually let's out a chuckle.

"Yeah, I imagine it is. You want help moving some of this out of the way?"

He studies the guy's face and recognizes the tired look in the lines of his face. Hard not to recognize that here.

It took Ares a moment to realize someone was talking to him. His mind had been elsewhere, more so than usual. The storm had worn him down, striking just as he’d begun to feel the faintest sense of settling into his new reality. Now, exhaustion weighed heavily on him, like the life had been drained from his body. As always, he masked it, though the dark circles beneath his eyes probably betrayed him more than he’d like to admit.

"No, no… everything’s fine, I assure you," he said, shaking off the fog. "Just taking a wellness walk to, uh, clear my head." If that’s what we’re calling it, he thought but didn’t say. Instead, he flashed the officer a polite, if not slightly forced, smile. "Though, it’s a bit tricky with all the rubble around."

Adrien laughs and rubs the back on his head, embarrassed by the compliments.

"I definitely try to be, at least. No point in making people feel worse than they already do living here. Even a cage as big and beautiful as this can loom too large."

He leads here onto the dance floor and turns so they're facing each other. Taking her hands in his, he tries leading her through some simple dancing steps in beat with the music.

"So, Miss Maude," he says while trying not to trip on his own two feet, "what do you do around town?"

they sure knew how to make someone feel at home. "i'd love that, actually." the words come with a soft smile, and for the first time in a while, maude feels a genuine sense of belonging. she was used to standing out, and not always in a good way—it was in the way she carried herself, shaped by years of being the sore thumb in her small, insular world. that was before her new life had begun, before she dared hope for something different. this, though—this warm welcome—was a refreshing change.

in gratitude, she takes their arm with a light touch. "are you always this nice? because, honestly, we could all benefit from your kindness around town. it’s making me feel a little guilty that we haven’t met sooner."

where: sheriff offices when: utp whom: @purgatored Elm

Lucas walks into his office and sets the glass of water in front of Elm.

"Alright," he says, sitting in the chair next to her. He pulls the tape recorder closer and gives her a small smile. "You okay if I record this? That way, I don't have to ask you the details over and over again."

He makes sure to keep his posture casual and open, looking and leaning toward her, not crossing any limbs. He also makes sure not to crowd her space.

Lucas is tempted to take the bottle, but he has things he needs to do today. Things he needs to be sober for.

"Yeah, not this time."

He lifts a foot to stretch while he talks.

"It helps me focus on things I need to do," he replies. "So yeah, I do it a lot. Probably more than I really need to, but it is what it is."

He let's his gaze travel over Adam's relaxed state, lying out, acting (if not feeling) careless and free. He's jealous that even if it's not 100% real, it still clearly helps the man. Is that the source of his unease with Adam?

If anything could make a man feel like shit, it was seeing another man be more of a man than himself. And going for a healthy morning jog was the epitome of fitness and health in Adams books. He doubted he'd ever become that person. "Time is just a concept, at the end of the day. 'Sides, I think I deserve a treat -- you know, after all the shit that went down." shit he had to see. Bodies he had to bury. He processed in his own way. "Guessin' that's a no to my offer?" he puts the bottle aside for now, almost uncomfortable at the fact other was standing and not sitting down beside him. "Running? That something you do a lot?"

They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.

F. Scott Fitzgerald / This Side of Paradise

"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.

"No, no, don't apologize."

Adrien looks around and grabs a pencil and some scrap paper. He draws a crude but clear image of windmills on top of a building.

"I figured if we built them on top of tall major buildings, we would have less stress of the monsters trying things. Plus, if we’re strategic with which buildings, we could use those as reliable shelters in emergency situations."

He looks back up to her.

"What were you thinking? Because we'd still need water. Plus, you never know for extreme situations."

"I thought about that too, maybe using water, but that would require digging-" she said not finishing that thought. "Or we could try and use waste, too gross though for my taste- or induce, which would require a lot of...Sorry I did it again," she said standing up from where she was on the floor.

"Wanna show me what you've got in your head."