Adrien Feels His Smile Soften From More Forced To Genuine.

Adrien nods, sitting down and starting to carefully pull the phone apart.

"Anything is useful, just gotta figure out what use it's for."

His tongue sticks out as he manages to pry the phone open without making more cracks.

"Yeah. They basically run the place. They're really cool. You met them?"

He glances up and smiles at Charlie.

"I'm settling fine. Really crazy. Like I'm honestly surprised I'm even here crazy. How about you? Where'd they put you up at?"

charlie shrugged, it was weird because two days ago, her phone was her whole life and now she was stuck in a place where it was basically useless. at least to her, if they could use it for something else, then more power to them. she had no clue how things worked around here. "yeah, no problem. i just figured it could be useful in some way. i mean, who knows?"

she looked around the shop, taking everything in. this place was still so new and confusing, she wondered how this other new guy was taking it. he seemed so chipper but maybe he was just better at holding things together than she was. "el works here?" she asked, looking back at him. she thought back to how el talked about helping people and it being their duty. this made sense considering what they talked about their old life.

"how are you settling in?" she dares to ask, mostly just killing time before she has to be alone with her thoughts again. "crazy first night, huh?"

"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.

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @rampents Muz

Adrien jumps in time with the music, practically screaming out the lyrics. He's part of a small group that is just rocking it to the song. He's staying on the edge because of his wings, but he's grinning like he's in the middle of it all.

They calm down for a bridge in the song, and Adrien looks around. He stops when he sees Muz nearby and waves him over.

adrien tags:

《 ★ adrien ritchie ★ 》

《 ★ visual ★ 》

《 ★ thread ★ 》

《 ★ moods ★ 》

《 ★ NSFW ★ 》

Adrien takes Charlie's phone and looks it over.

"Oh hey! I know this model. Come in, maybe I can get it sort of working again. Is it just not turning on at all?"

He holds the door open for Charlie to walk in, and then he starts walking around, trying to see what all kind of tools they have that he can use. He doesn't expect the fine tools a normal phone shop would have, but something that won't just smash the device is better than nothing.

"Of course, if it's just the signal or Wifi connectivity, then we're screwed but no harm in trying, right?"

after getting lost in the woods for a few hours, charlie finally made her way back to the town defeated. her broken phone was clutched in her hand as she made her way over to the mechanic shop, just about to knock to see if anyone was in when the door opens. "sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she says quietly. the boy was way too chipper for what happened last night. was she that bad yesterday? before reality set in? "um, charlie, also new. uh, so i broke my phone, not that it matters because there's no service or anything, but i thought maybe the parts could be used for something. i don't know, just, yeah," she held the phone out in front of her for him to take.

wanted connections

lucas:

Non-work friends: people he talks to regularly that he doesn't work with

Mutual annoyances: someone he see regularly because of his job and it bothers both him and them

Friends-with-benefits: a guy he can hook up with, no strings attached because they both just need that release sometimes

adrien:

Possible romantic interest: a guy who maybe sees Lucas and wants more with him. Could lead to a happily for now or could just end

Life debt: someone let Lucas into their house while his brother Carlos held back monsters. Lucas feels he owes this kind soul so much and will do anything for them, basically no questions asked.

Friends and roommates: people living at the colony house like him that can just hang out. Maybe eventually, they can all be a tight-knit group that will all help protect each other if the need arises

Mentor/parental figure: after losing his parents at a young age and not really imprinting on his aunt and uncle, Adrien is definitely looking for someone he can care about like that and could care about him back

Meet cute: a guy that Adrien might develop a crush on and could potentially lead to more

Adrien shrugs it off.

"You're probably the least scariest thing I've seen in the past 24 hours."

He steps aside and let's the woman — Erin — in.

"So how can I help you, Miss Erin? I'm not fully trained in where everything is yet, but I do know how to fix things."

He moves to a desk and tries to look all official, even with his ear-to-ear grin.

seeing someone she doesn't immediately recognize sets her on edge. maybe because of the storm, or because it just spells newcomer - neither of which she's particularly thrilled about. more people meant more people to potentially loose to them. so her face isn't exactly one of cheer when he answers the door for her; instead, its probably the exact opposite, stuck in some kind of look of sympathy and pained. "sorry for scaring you," her voice is quiet, as it is most often, and remains sympathetic to his plight. she was plenty scared her first days here too... doesn't like to think of it. "i'm erin."

Lucas actually pouts and slumps deeper into this seat. He feels like a reprimanded child, and he deserves it, but he doesn't have to like it.

But he doesn't have to make Becca suffer with him.

"I don't suppose you're also a meteorologist and can explain this storm at all?"

finally, he's convinced. becca sighs in relief, knowing that it was difficult for lucas to ignore his sense of duty. it wouldn't have been much longer before she tied him to a table if he had continued the argument. she tries to give a reassuring smile, but remains stern when she speaks. "you'll have to."

she returns to her own seat, watching as he struggles with the gravity of his situation and comes to accept it. "when the storm is done, the first place you're going is to the infirmary. you need a real treatment and whatever they say, is what you're going to do. until then, stay off it." and if he's lucky, they might even have crutches available.

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @fromsaudades Maude

Adrien sits on a staircase and watches the dancing room through the arch. He'd needed a quick breather and to wipe the sweat from his face. He understands why they can't just open a window but fuck! It's hard not to just step outside real fast to cool off.

He notices someone kind of standing off to the side, watching the dancing as well. He stands and walks over.

"Hey, I'm Adrien. I don't think we've properly met yet."

He holds out a hand and smiles.

"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.