Lucas Tilts His Head In Acknowledgment. It Is A Lot Of Work To Do. He's Glad To Hear People Want To Help,

"So fucked," Lucas agrees, some heat behind his words. "And all we can do is react. We don't have any way of actually taking action. We're so fucked here."

He grabs the bottle from Adam and pours himself another glass that he downs in two gulps.

"And even leadership can't do anything because they know fuck all like the rest of us."

"I don't think it's about revenge. They probably feed on fear or torture or some shit, it's like water to them I...I don't know. I just wish we knew how they really functioned, wish we knew there were some genuine rules to this. What if tomorrow they start running? What if the talismans stop working? What if all of this is just them pretending...letting us feel 'safe' until our guard is low enough. for them to 'strike'? We need to be prepared....but we weren't even prepared for this....for today. It's fucked."

Lucas lifts his hands and offers a smile to Lena as he approaches.

"Sorry, though I guess it's better than your goose being cooked."

He comes up and takes a pamphlet to look over it. He wants to laugh at it honestly. It's earnest, though maybe too optimistic for some people.

Instead he smiles and hands it back.

"I'm sure some of the newcomers will appreciate these. But why are you going now and not just bringing them in the morning? It's getting late."

Sometimes she forgets how close to night fall it gets. How anxious others are as the orange hues linger across the sky. For Lena, it’s the only moment of peace she’s able to find. When everyone is asleep— or too afraid to listen, she sits by the window and watches. It’s her own secret. It’s the only thing that’s hers. Still, the officers voice makes her jump. The pitch, and immediacy of it, causing her to flinch. “You nearly scared the goose outta’ me!” Her hands clutched her chest, bending over to let out a breath, before straightening. She’s holding a bunch of pamphlets. Little things she made for the newcomers, something might’ve thought it was useless— but it was the only thing that helped her feel normal. Hi welcome to Oblitus, where anybody can be somebody. Only lately, it was hard to believe it now more than ever. “I was just taking these to the dining hall— figured I could pass them out for breakfast tomorrow.”

Adrien looks at her and laughs.

"Close enough, I suppose," he says. "I'm going for that guy in Saltburn? But forest fairy might be sexier."

He snickers and shimmies to shake the wings.

"How about you?"

He looks her up and down, studying her outfit to see if he can put together what she is.

closed event starter @patroclusblossom

adrien seemed like he was having a good time, she's not sure she's ever seen someone so in the element since well- herself at parties back home. at first, she thought it was a little strange how happy he seemed, but now? maybe he has a point. fake it till you make it. he reminded her a lot of some of her friends back home. "i like the wings," she said over the music. "are you a forest fairy?"

Tanner Buchanan | Behind The Blinds (2021)

RAFAEL SILVA — via Instagram (2024)

Adrien giggles.

"Okay. That's not too old. I guess i wouldn't mind that."

And then he sighs. "You'd think, but I haven't found anyone. It's so disappointing."

He looks at her with wide eyes. "Well, if you live here, you have to help me out. Be my wing-girl."

" OH NO, YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT ALONE ." cherry's face scrunches up at that thought as she shakes her head . " every two steps you can probably find someone less than straight around here . it's real nice . would kinda be really fun if it weren't for, you know . the motherfuckers trying to eat us ." cherry shrugs before she's brightening, tilting her head with a hum to say, " like, mid thirties, kinda ?" cherry's brows furrow before she's moving to give adrien a playful smack in the side . " what're ya talkin' about then ? colony house is like, the hub for free love ! you should be able to find some cute guy here for sure ." cherry blinks and remembers the question, quickly adds, " oh, and i'm at colony ."

"Of course," Lucas says, kissing the top of Rae's head. "You go clean up."

He slowly let's go once Rae's grip loosens then turns to push the cart. The door creaks open and he steps into the dimly lit storage space. They manage to make it cold enough that it doesn't smell like hot rotting flesh. Just regular dead bodies. He's spent enough time in here around Rae that it doesn't bother him as much anymore.

He slides the cart in place then looks around. The blanket covering Kina has slipped off her face so Lucas puts it back. Then he slides this body next to hers.

He flips the light as he leaves, hurrying back into the examination room. He steps up next to Rae at the sink and washes his hands.

"Ready?"

rae's sobs racked his body, a release of the tension he had been holding for so long. too long. with anyone else he might have felt exposed, but he didn't feel that with lucas. his arms found his way around him, holding on like rae would disappear if he let go. stubbornness had been lost, this time he nodded against luc's shoulder.

"we — we can go. can you just put the cart inside?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "she’s in there. i can't look...not again." could he stomach it? absolutely. but that didn't stop the pain. rae couldn't detach himself from all feelings like he did with the other bodies.

Adrien sees the frayed cord and immediately jumps up excited.

"Oh, that's easy. Give me like twenty minutes. Take a seat."

He takes the fan from her, setting it on the desk, and then immediately begins to rummage for the tools he needs. He hums quietly until he has everything in his hands. Settling in at the desk, he starts to work.

"So how long you been here? What can you tell me about it?"

His gaze stays focused on the wires as he asks the questions.

a nostalgic sort of smile curls her lips up and she's reminded of something that she'd rather not be - the innocence of her son - before she shoves the thoughts away with a fierce push. "i have a fan that won't work anymore." she explains, holding the tiny electrical fan up. "it plugs into the wall but the chord recently has frayed..." she shows him the end that is obviously frayed. "sucker has been with me the entirety of my ten years here and i need it to last a few more, especially because i use it in the summer at the infirmary for people with heat sickness." looking hopeful, she sets the fan down in front of him. "think you can work some magic?"

"That's awesome. Glad to hear my new boss is also a good person."

He snickers. Then his head snaps up.

"Really? I'm there too! We totally need to hang out or something after dark."

"yeah, i guess when everything is so scares and random, gotta make use of everything," charlie said with a shrug as she looked around the shop. she was still trying to take everything in around here, it was interesting how everyone did their part and it all seemed to work, at least for the most part. "that sounds like them," she said with a smile. "they kinda saved me on my first night here and let me crash in their house." that night was still a blur but she was glad it was el that let them in. "you can say that again, this place is fucking crazy. still trying to wrap my head around it all." she's not sure if she ever will. "i'm up at colony house, what about you?"

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."