Adrien Worries He Said Something Wrong. Do El And This Muz Guy Not Like Each Other?

Adrien sets the wrapped tech aside and stands.

"I mean, I'm not an expert, but I know how to handle them. I'm sure it's easy."

He wipes his hands on his jeans and follows Cam.

"Where to first?" he asks with a grin.

"that's good, stick by them and you'll be set in this place." el was always the best at getting new comers settled in. she understood why they would rather work in the shop than be a welcomer but they were the great at it.

"well, you never know, you could get it working and if we find the other one, it could be useful around here." she liked adrien's attitude, he always seemed to look in the bright side of things. they needed people like that around here. "how good are you with a hammer and saw? want to help me board up a couple windows? a couple cracked in the storm and i gotta get them patched up."

where: town streets | when: midday | whom: open to all

Adrien groans as he slowly pushes the car down the street towards the Chop Shop.

He'd found this while doing a scavenging run with Muz yesterday, just to see what it's like. Everyone he'd talked to was busy today, so he'd worn his tank top, jeans, and sturdy boots today, got the car into neutral, and was slowly pushing it through town.

It had been fine for the first five minutes or so, but now he's mentally kicking himself for not just being patient and waiting for people to help him.

Adrien senses something shift once he mentions El, but Cherry moves right on past it, so he does too.

He blushes at all the compliments, rubbing the back of his neck. Getting called smart and handsome with equal validity? A nice ego boost.

"Thanks."

Then he looks her over with some surprised.

"Wait, really? I wouldn't have guessed anything older than like 25."

" RIGHT ? RIGHT ?" cherry replies emphatically as she pulls back from the hug . she huffs a bit . " you get it, adrien . a birthday's a big deal! especially round here, like i coulda fuckin' died before this one !" cherry is in the process of shaking her head in exasperation when she registers adrien's words, blinking in surprise as her heart sinks heavy and quick at the mention of el . " oh, shit . didn't know that ." a dry swallow before she's moving to compose herself, attempting to hide the expression with a firm pat to adrien's arm . " look at you ! you're smart and shit, huh ?" cherry has to arch her brows at the reply . she studies adrien in new light . " huh . you kinda look younger ." a shrug . " s'good thing though . means you're gonna age good ." she nods decisively before she's pointing to herself and adding, " m'thirty one today ."

Lucas shakes his head.

"There shouldn't be. We're all scattered about doing what we can. You looking for someone? We're having a town meeting later to check who all is missing or..."

He clears his throat, his meaning clear.

"Anyway, if you're not busy think you can help me with that?"

He tilts his to where a large tree branch is just sitting in the middle of the road. Definitely a two person job.

the air still feels damp when yasin steps out onto the road, surveying the aftermath of the previous night. he watches the townspeople already outside, helping each other clean up debris, repairing fences, patching up a town they can't even leave. it doesn't take long until someone pushes a broom into his hands, but every sweep feels pointless.

their first morning in town, his eye had caught onto a building tucked away off the main road, its sign barely readable -- county jail. it looked mostly abandoned, but yasin doesn't hesitate before dropping the broom on the ground and heading towards the building, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure nobody's watching. if the town has sheriffs, they have to have guns, and his gut tells him they're most likely kept in there.

he's not stupid enough to try anything in broad daylight, but he lingers at a distance, eyes flicking between the windows and the main entrance when a voice calls out from behind him, forcing him to pause and consider his next move. he turns around, gesturing towards the jail, "i thought i heard someone yelling for help. do you know if anyone's in there?"

Tanner Buchanan | Behind The Blinds (2021)

Lucas had just sat down to catch his breath, and now Adam is begging him to be a distraction.

"Okay," he says, quickly thinking so Adam doesn't start a fight. "You wanna dance or play some beer pong or something?"

open to all. colony house party.

Adam was neither high nor drunk enough to process the conversation in his right ear, so he nodded politely, sipping on cheap booze and scooting away inch by inch trying not to be noticed. As. a last resort he turned to the person to his left, adamant not to lose his hard-earned seat at the couch (secured by arriving entirely too early) and pleased. "Please talk about something, anything at fucking all before I knock this dude out --"

"Rae-rae," Lucas says, exasperated, the old pet name slipping out. He follows Rae down the hall, ready to softly berate him about taking care of himself first and foremost.

It's hypocritical, he knows, but it's easier to want other people to be selfish than yourself.

But before he can make any challenge or tirades about Rae's well-being, he hears Rae's sob and curse.

Lucas immediately steps around and pulls Rae's body against his own. His arms hold him tight, trying to provide a physical anchor. Tears start spilling out of his own eyes, sharing Rae's pain, fear, heartbreak, despair.

"I know," he whispers. "You need actual rest. You can't force yourself to do this for hours."

cruel was putting it lightly, rae thought to himself; they were pure evil. he would never forget his first night, the sound of his parents tapping on the window, the glimpse he caught of their un-aged faces, and his mother's voice calling to him in their native tongue.

“i — ” he began, but the sound of his own voice felt foreign. he swallowed hard, forcing the memories back into the shadows where they belonged. “i'll take a break, but i can’t leave, lucas. there’s too much to do.” rae's fingers grip on the cart tightened, knuckles turning an alarming shade of white.

as they reached the door leading to the storage room, something inside him snapped. a sob broke free from his lips — a choked sound that echoed in the hallway. he stopped, his hands gripping the cart's edge tightly as if it could anchor him to reality. “fuck.” his voice was raw, a mixture of despair and anger as he buried his face in his hands. the calm facade he had fought so hard to maintain crumbled instantly.

where: colony house when: Halloween Night whom: @purgatored Cherry

Adrien stumbles up to what he assumes is the bar for the evening. He hasn't had a drop of liquor yet, having too much fun just being at a party.

He asks for water, then turns to someone else standing here.

"Hey," he greets, smile wide and excited. "I'm Adrien. Who are you?"

Adrien nods in understanding as he smiles at Muz.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you're not bringing me down."

He leans over to nudge Muz with his shoulder and a snicker.

"You'd have to be a major asshole to bring me down."

His head, this brain, this place. All things impossible to dodge. 'You're spot on, you know. Nowhere to dodge stuff here.’ He gives a wry smile. ‘Just-‘ he hesitates for a second then falls into a breath of a sigh as he looks out on the water, back at Adrien. ‘Crap. All kinds of crap.’ Muz makes a vague gesture to his head. ‘Don’t wanna bring anyone down. More than they are, anyway.’

Lucas laughs.

"Fine, fine."

He adjusts to match Muz's positioning. He looks up at the clear sky as he decides what thoughts to share.

"Well, to be honest, I'm trying not to freak the fuck out over the storm and yeah, it's been making it hard to sleep. Not to mention, I keep thinking I hear rain for some reason."

'Scavenger, me. Next penny I find, it's going in your pocket.' Muz stretches out his legs in front of him, giving his boots a little scuff against the gravel, leaning back on the bench. 'Go on, you gotta spill now. Entertain me,' he says, tilting his head as if he’s settling in for a story, eyes brightening a little. 'Need an advance before I go scrounging for pennies.'