Adrien Was Chugging Down Some Water When He'd Stepped Up Next To The Guy. Adrien's Seen A Lot Of New

"Oh yeah. The tractors, the irrigation system, the heating, the A/C, the oven, the TV."

He straightens up, holding a metal panel. He examines it, wondering what it could be used for.

"I also worked at a T-Mobile store for a summer, so I learned a lot about cell phones, tablets, and smart watches."

He purses his lips, then shrugs and drops the panel back into the pile. He looks over at Muz and smiles again.

So the quote on quote joke didn't seem to land. Muz narrowly avoids disappointment, thinking he had been making good attempts at friendliness there. 'A farm?' he asks, tone a little more enthusiastic. He watches Adrien fiddle through that pile. 'You worked on the tractors and that there?'

Adrien glances at the crowd, then back to Muz.

"Okay. So we don't dance with them."

He steps away from the crowd and closer to Muz.

"And I don't need a partner to dance. Just thought you might wanna join the fun."

He starts swaying his hips and stepping in a personal circle. He tilts his head back and closes his eyes, feeling the music.

"What's your favorite kind of music," he asks without looking.

Muz stumbles a bit as Adrien pulls him into a spin, feeling a mix of surprise and something very close to enjoyment. He can’t remember the last time someone dragged him so effortlessly into their orbit, and it’s funny how he almost goes along with it before his instinct kicks in. He gently pulls back, just slightly, taking a step as he raises both hands in mock surrender. 'Alright,—you got your spin,' he says, giving Adrien a playful side-eye. 'If you’re looking for a full-on dance partner, I’m the wrong guy. Besides,” he adds, nodding toward the swirl of people, 'I’ll probably end up trampling someone.'

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."

"I can tell," Lucas stage whispers back.

He finally turns around.

"Alright, don't get in trouble. Have a good day."

HER BROW ARCHES AT THE WORDS . she watches him perform the act with her hip leaned against the doorframe and her arms crossed over her chest before saying, " i'll let you in on a secret, luc ." she shakes her head even as she leans in to almost lightly stage whisper, " i was never a fuckin' scout ."

Lucas actually let's out a chuckle.

"Yeah, I imagine it is. You want help moving some of this out of the way?"

He studies the guy's face and recognizes the tired look in the lines of his face. Hard not to recognize that here.

It took Ares a moment to realize someone was talking to him. His mind had been elsewhere, more so than usual. The storm had worn him down, striking just as he’d begun to feel the faintest sense of settling into his new reality. Now, exhaustion weighed heavily on him, like the life had been drained from his body. As always, he masked it, though the dark circles beneath his eyes probably betrayed him more than he’d like to admit.

"No, no… everything’s fine, I assure you," he said, shaking off the fog. "Just taking a wellness walk to, uh, clear my head." If that’s what we’re calling it, he thought but didn’t say. Instead, he flashed the officer a polite, if not slightly forced, smile. "Though, it’s a bit tricky with all the rubble around."

where: outside, wherever when: day after the storm open starter

Lucas walks down the street, taking note of all the damage from the storm. So much to fix. It's starting to feel like it would be better just to rebuild the whole town from scratch.

He turns a corner and has to put his list away.

"Hey!" he calls out to the person. "You need help over there?"

Adrien shakes his head with laughter. He'd had some drinks earlier, but he could've sworn he wasn't that drunk.

"I don't know, but I'll still accept the help. And same to you, ya? I can totally talk you up to some pretty girl. Or big buff girl. Whatever your preference is."

He giggles.

" OH, DAMN ." cherry nods with sympathy at his sigh, moving to pat him on the shoulder in a way that's at least intended to be comforting . it's only half awkward with her tipsiness . " well, maybe your guy will get stuck here tomorrow ? love works in mysterious ways ." cherry's expression twists as he continue, her brows furrowing . " what ? no, i'm not here, i'm at the motel . what gave you that idea ?" cherry's head tilts in her confusion even as she reaches behind her for her cup of jungle juice to waggle her brows mischievously . " i could still do the wing woman thing though ."

Adrien sighs.

"Oh, the bathtub scene. Honestly, it's probably the tamer thing he does in the movie."

He studies her over again, then points to the hair tie in her hair.

"If you took that out, you could pass for Casual Raven from Teen Titans."

Then he looks around to look at the dance floor.

"Wanna dance? I was just about to jump back in for a bit."

"ooh okay, yeah i can see it!" charlie said with a laugh. "never watched it. i heard about the bathtub scene and decided it was best to stay away from it." her roommate loved it but it didn't sound like something charlie would like. "oh, i'm not dressed up," she looks down at her outfit of barrowed colony house clothes. it wasn't what she would normally wear to a party, but she had to make due. "i wasn't really sure what the vibe was but now i wish i did."

Adrien gives her a warm smile and even gives her a slight bow in return.

"Well you look great, Miss Maude. Taking a break or trying to psych yourself up to join the fray."

He tilts his head towards the dancing.

waiting for one of her two anchors to return, maude had not been seen at the party without her closest friends. perhaps she should have attended as an unobtrusive observer, a fly on the wall since her behavior certainly suggested as much. a natural observer, she hung back shyly, avoiding eye contact and keeping to herself rather than immersing in the festivities. it wasn’t that she lacked friendliness; rather, her anxiety was palpable in the presence of so many people gathered in one place—an inevitable hazard for the town.

“adrien?” she echoed, tentatively extending her hand for a gentle shake. “i’m maude, the scarecrow—” she said, gesturing to her costume. “i’ve been around for a little while, just six months,” she added as an explanation. “i’m the socially awkward one of the trio.” with an awkward, scarecrow-like curtsy, she inquired, “are you enjoying yourself?”