"I Can Tell," Lucas Stage Whispers Back.

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?"

Lucas takes a seat on the couch and sips his beer. He considers the question and how to respond.

"I guess there's hardly ever a simple way to do things here. For as small as the community is, there's a lot to consider."

He gestures to a chair across from him for her to sit. Sunset is still a few hours away, so there's no rush to get her home.

"How have you been? Everyone at the motel treating you alright?"

He's a bit protective over Jo since he was the one who saved her from getting killed by the creatures. A good deed someone had done for him that he now passed on and maybe will have to do again.

lucas seemed to move as if through water , possessing a fluidity she herself had never known . any stiffness that may , or may not , be holding his muscles captive was not obvious to the naked eye , and jo felt a pang of unease resonate in her chest as something resembling jealousy burned through her . if only it were that simple — merely existing in a space and not fearing how much of it you took up .

what she knew of men was very little , her two years in oblitus doing hardly anything to further educate her . what she did know was in PURGATORY , all were equal . he and her both , collectively , hung in the balance . at least that was one thing they had in common .

her lungs trembled , exhaling a quivering breath . " right , " josephine then offered as a response , half-attempting to work a smile on her face but her muscles seeming to have lost all knowledge of the expression . thick brows furrowed deeper at the beer he extended to her , lips rolling into a line , the leftward corner twitching as if she were about to scowl . then , tentatively , she reached out and accepted it — though she made no move to drink from the ambered glass .

" what do you mean by that ?? " her curiosity inquired , steering her tongue before she could stop it . " — always something to do but. . . never a way to do them . there's a way to do everything , is there not ?? "

Adrien is so fucking confused. He's pretty sure he's never seen this town anywhere near the hiking trail.

Now it's pouring rain and... what the fuck are those in the trees?

He immediately runs when the guy calls, slipping into the house. Literally. Slipping onto his ass on the hardwood floor. It hurts but at least he's inside.

"Ow."

He looks up at the man.

"What's going on? Where am I? What are those things?"

Then he notices the small girl peaking out from a door frame.

"Oh hi," he says, putting on a smile and waving. "I hope I didn't scare you. Didn't mean to."

location: kang household open: 0/3

it all happened so quickly. one moment, daehyun and his daughter were simply enjoying time out on the porch before the rain began to pour. it wasn't unusual to get rain every so often, but this storm in particular was very unnerving. the dark clouds that had rolled in had daehyun rising to his feet--and then he saw t h e m in the tree line. with color drained from his face and the lunch he had eaten only a short while ago churning in his stomach, the teacher snatched three-year old bella up in his arms without a second thought. " get inside! " he yelled out, directed mostly at the person passing by on the worn sidewalk. " come on! " he called again as he carried the toddler inside, looking back out from the open door to ensure the other was close behind. if they didn't get up on the front porch in a few moments, daehyun already knew he'd be locking the door without them inside. thankfully, it was but a second or two later that he was able to shut the door securely behind the other, latching the lock and ensuring the amulet was securely attached to the wall beside the doorframe.

lucas tags:

< ☆ lucas miranda ☆ >

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LORD HAVE MERCY

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 --"

Adrien feels his smile soften from more forced to genuine.

"Thanks. It's seriously a lot to take in. Just give me a project and maybe some eye candy and I'll be good to go. Honestly real candy will probably work too."

He chuckles.

"So how did you end up here? And uh... how did this happen?"

He gestures to the leg, wincing again. Fuck, it looks really bad.

El offers Adrien a crooked grin, the kind that hints at a sense of humor even under the weight of pain. They shift slightly on the bed, trying to ignore the throb in their leg.

"Farm vehicles, huh? Well, lucky us. A tractor’s probably not far off from half the crap we’ve got to fix here." They let out a soft chuckle. "And hey, taking things apart to learn? That’s exactly the kind of brain I need in the shop. Radios, engines... Same concept, just different puzzles."

They tilt their head slightly at Adrien’s mention of how he ended up here, reading between the lines. "Hiking trip, huh? Well, welcome to the weirdest trail you’ll ever hike." There’s a pause, and their expression softens just a touch. "It’s a lot to take in, but you’ll get through it. And hey, if fixing stuff keeps you steady, we’re in good hands."

RAFAEL SILVA — via Instagram (2024)

Lucas let's her talk, seeing what kind of mood or topic she'll settle on.

"I'm not really in the mood for a lot of company," he says. "Just company. Plus I'm hungry."

It is hard to deal with so much loss all the time. He knows theoretically that people die all the time. But seeing it on a daily basis is a different story.

He gives her an encouraging smile when she talks about Charlie and El.

"Yeah, I checked up on El earlier. They seem to be doing okay, but I get it. If Rae or Ana got hurt like that..."

He let's the silence finish the sentence for him.

"Anyway, uh, my first day was rough. Kind of like what these new people had to deal with, I guess. My brother and I rolled in before sunrise, and we were getting chased. He managed to hold them off from me while somebody let me inside their house."

He blinks away the tears threatening to spill. Thinking about Carlos always made him cry.

"Colony house has plenty of company, if that's your vibe. I don't know, it gets little loud there for me sometimes. Don't get me wrong I like...I like the noise it's just...after last night..." she lets her words trail off there, she was certain he'd know what that meant. "Uh, I got lost in work, lots of cooking and -- onions cover up for the crying. Lost a lot of good people last night, I just...it's hard isn't it? Having to deal with loss...all the fucking time..." lighting another cigarette she'll smile at the question, almost forcing herself in an attempt to feel better, to be better company. "New people are cool. There's this girl Charlie I think...I think she and I will be good friends. El got hurt though, which...it's kind of all I can think about." a small shrug passes her shoulder. "You? You never told me what your first time was like...arriving here?"

Adrien gives a dramatic sigh, like he's so put upon by the lack of candy.

"Fine," he says, sounding like a petulant teenager. "So long as there's at least one good-looking guy I can drool over, that should be enough."

He snickers.

Then he listens closely to El's explanation. His mind wonders what causes people to come over? What is the deciding factor? Who is deciding?

He nods in agreement. "That's all we can really ask for now, isn't it?"

He gives El a small smile. Then it turns mischievous.

"Besides, if I wanted glamorous, I'd be asking for a different job. You've got grease on your face, you know?"

El’s mouth curves into a smirk, their usual mix of dry humor and good-natured sarcasm creeping in.

"Eye candy, huh? You got some high standards already. I’ll see what I can do—though if you’re lookin’ for real candy, you’re probably outta luck unless you’re into stale peppermints."

They adjust their position slightly, wincing but masking it quickly with a chuckle. "As for how I got here, uh - I was on my way home from a work trip and the rest is history as for how I got this thing... long story, but let’s just say I tried to play hero and ultimately became the victim." El taps their leg lightly, the gesture casual despite the damage. "Didn’t really walk away from it—more like crawled, kicked a few times, and cursed until someone dragged me outta there."

Their gaze shifts, catching Adrien’s briefly with a flicker of warmth. "You know, kid, the Chop Shop ain’t glamorous, but it’s honest work. Keep your hands busy, and your head’ll catch up eventually." They shrug. "It’s not a bad place to land, all things considered."