Lucas's Smile Softens To A Concerned Look.

Lucas notices the trembling and how calm Rae is trying to make his voice. It must be really bad.

"You want help? I can help move this body and then walk you home."

He steps to Rae's side so he can look at his face. A mask of calm that makes Lucas even more concerned. How bad was it?

rae shook his head, unable to speak at first until he felt luc’s hand on his back. the touch made him release a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and, as much as he hated to admit it, brought him comfort. why did he need comfort? he was fine, had seen bodies in the same state as hers countless times. this wasn’t any different.

“no, no, i’m due for a break. this one i just have to uh…put back with the rest.” one after the other, they all looked the same, faces he didn’t recognize…except for kina’s. why did they seem to always leave the face?

“i’m fine,” he insisted, despite the obvious tremble in his hands. “just tired.”

where: edge of the woods | when: day time | whom: open to all

Lucas crouches at the edge of the woods, examining what could be tracks. Or could be nothing. He hates how smart the creatures are. They could've left this behind just to toy with him.

He hears rustling from footsteps behind him, and he doesn't bother looking up.

"The hunting woods are six miles that way," he says, pointing his left hand. "Signs and caution tape everywhere. You can't miss them."

"I can definitely handle that," Lucas replies with a snicker.

He looks up at Ana, smirk softening to a smile.

"And I appreciate you. Lesbian drama and all, because I know you've got my back too."

Anastasia smirks back, crossing her arms and giving Lucas a playful nudge. "Exactly. I expect a perfect balance of polite intimidation and subtle protectiveness. Think you can handle that?”

She raises an eyebrow, teasing. "I need you to be just threatening enough to keep her on her toes but not so much that she thinks she’s about to get ambushed every time she looks at you." With a laugh, she adds, “But really, you’ve always had my back and I appreciate you."

"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.

Adrien chuckles.

"It's not that big of a deal. I just really want someone that I know I can talk to. Can be close to like that. We can be vulnerable with each other in a way that friends can't."

He shrugs and looks at Muz.

"What are you dodging, huh? Not much room in town to dodge things."

'Been one of those days. Sometimes the noise at Colony House just gets to me, yeah? Needed a break.' He watches Adrien for a moment, catching the way his leg swings and his gaze seems distant. 'Guess we’re both out here avoiding it all today, huh?' His lips quirk into a small smile without quite reaching his eyes. 'Not that I blame you. The whole “getting-a-boyfriend” thing sounds like a hell of a lot more stress than anything I’m dodging.'

where: colony house when: Halloween night, early evening whom: open

Adrien dances in the middle of the designated dance floor, probably having the best night of his life. The music plays from records or CD that are constantly rotating. Not a lot of recent music, but it still is fun to dance to.

His "wings" force a small circle around him, which does bum him out a bit, but he takes it in stride, keeping his dancing small but still fun.

That doesn't stop him from accidentally bumping into someone, though. He whirls around to face them.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry."

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."

Adrien listens to El's description of flying, imagining it for himself. His smile matches theirs.

He swallows hard after his family explanation, wishing it wasn't still so hard to talk about it. "Yeah. Solid people."

He watches their face as they talk, drinking in every word. He doesn't know what it is — why he never felt this connected to the literal family that took him in — but coming from El, it feels better to hear. Like a balm that actually helps.

"An ode to them," he echoes with a nod. "That's really beautiful."

He smiles at them, letting the moment settle between them. Then, he takes a deep breath.

"Thanks, that's really great advice." He turns back to the engine. "So what friends do you have here? You don't seem like the loner type."

Ellington leans against the truck for a moment, their hands idly fiddling with the wrench in their grasp. "Flying’s… something else. Working on airplanes was great and all, but being up there? It’s a whole different world. You should try it someday—it’s worth it." Their lips curve into a small, wistful smile before they turn their attention back to Adrien.

As he mentions his family, Ellington catches the quick blink, the slight hitch in his words. Their expression softens, though they keep their tone casual, not wanting to press on anything raw. "Sounds like you had some solid people teaching you. That’s good—it makes all the difference, having someone show you the ropes early on."

They pause, glancing at the engine. "Y’know, working on this stuff, fixing things—it can be grounding. Like putting broken pieces back together kinda mirrors… life, in a way." Ellington shrugs, offering a brief grin. "Plus, you can think of it as honoring your family. Like my old man, he taught me a lot about mechanics and aviation. Every time I'm in the cockpit or successfully put somethin' back together, it's like an ode to him, y'know? Sure, he's not here but his teachings, his influence, and his grit lives on through me. That's special and no one, not even this place, can take from you," Ellington offers a sympathic smile, reaching over to squeeze Adrien's shoulder.

RAFAEL SILVA at the Epic Cons Chicago 2 convention - September 15, 2024

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

F. Scott Fitzgerald / This Side of Paradise