Lucas Chuckles.

Adrien is tense while the woman scrutinizes him. He doesn't fight it. He was pretty direct, but he'd figured she'd either be impressed and let him continue or just shut the door in his face, which he probably deserved.

There's something about her that's so effortless. She's cool, calm, intuitive. Like she knows she's in control of every situation she's in.

Finally, she lets him inside, and he physically relaxes. He feels like he passed some test. The first of many.

He steps in and tries not to stare at the home, looking for things like animal skulls, runic symbols, or just a straight-up demonic effigy. Instead, he faces Raina, keeping his smile on.

"Thank you. I figured being straightforward was better than not."

He considers what he's heard and what he should tell her.

"Mainly, that you make potions and spells and read tarot cards? I haven't heard that anyone, like, hates you, but you definitely scare some people, and others respect you."

Raina blinked once, slowly, as if giving her brain time to catch up with the introduction. She leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, one hand still resting on the knob, her expression carefully neutral—but there was a flicker of amusement in her dark eyes, a smile tugging just at the corners of her mouth.

“Well,” she said, her voice smooth and warm like the lazy drift of smoke. “That’s not the worse I've been called.”

She took a moment to look him over, reading the nervous energy that bubbled just beneath his grin. New, for sure. He had that slightly bewildered air all the newcomers carried—a strange blend of hope, fear, and not-quite-processed disbelief.

Raina let the silence linger just long enough to see if he’d squirm before finally stepping back from the door and gesturing inside. “You want to come in, or are you planning to ask all your burning witch-related questions from the porch?”

The words were light, teasing, but there was a measured kindness to them, as though she was giving him room to find his footing.

She held his gaze, her smile still faint but present, and added with a touch of playful curiosity, “What exactly did you hear about me, Adrien?”

Lucas keeps his expression neutral, trying not to let his initial disappointment show through.

But then he's interested again.

"What do you mean by that?"

" THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT ." the words are distracted . elm twirls the laces tight enough around their finger to make the tip go a bit cold with lack of blood . lucas presses the record button and elm takes little notice of it until the question is address to her . there is a blink as they glance between lucas and the recorder for a moment before leaning hesitantly into the recorder to say the same thing they've told everyone since they've been back . " i don't remember ." a pause before they shrug and add, " ... i don't think they want me to ."

Lucas gives a friendly chuckle at the jokes.

He checks the sky. If they hurry, he can get Lena back into her house, then himself to his own.

"Okay. I'll provide a police escort today."

He offers an arm to her, like he's a gentleman.

Right. Most people were still afraid of the dark here. Maybe she should have been too, if not given the circumstances. "I don't know, my goose hasn't been cooked in a real long time." She halfway laughs, her own joke- but still. "See any ducks around?" Her nose wrinkles in a smirk, but then she lets out a small sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. "I forgot what time it was, and I was already halfway there so- plus I don't wanna' miss anybody. Sometimes they try to sneak into the kitchen early, and get out before I get there." She'll point gently over her shoulder. "You can escort me, if you'd feel better?"

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

F. Scott Fitzgerald / This Side of Paradise

"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 ."

Adrien's smile twitches but stays in place. Honestly, he'd rather save the crying for at night when people are less likely to hear him.

The silence is awkward, but Adrien doesn't break it. If he's learned anything from the past few days is everyone here has their idiosyncrasies and just let them be themselves until they come back.

Adrien shakes his hand.

"Thanks. Muz? El mentioned you. You're one of the scavengers, right? What's that like?"

He walks further into the shop, looking around, eyes wide in excitement.

'New?' Muz asks. 'Bit smiley for new...You're working in here?' There was a beat of silence as Muz held Adrien’s gaze, letting his standoffish response to a simple introduction settle. Then, as if shrugging off a heavy thought, he jerks his head toward the row of beat-up cars and sighed, 'Well, you’re here now.' He gives Adrien a half-smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. 'Welcome shop, kid.' He moves forward a few steps, hand out. 'Muz.'

Lucas is out for a morning run. It's one thing that he actually likes about this place: a decent running trail and scenery. And just after sunrise is the perfect time to start, and just let the day warm up with him.

He's going steady and managing not to gasp for air when he finds Adam lying by the lake. He pauses to take him in.

"Kinda early to be drinking, don't you think?" Hhe asks walking over to the deputy.

He doesn't know what to make of the man. He seems like a decent guy, but something in Lucas's gut tells him to be wary of the man. Which is a hard thing to feel in this town.

open to all location: near the lake

He's done his best, burying the bodies, checking in on people, making sure everyone new had settled in. And now, well, even in the real world cops got a day off, didn't they? So he woke up early, just as the dawn had cleared the night sky he walked down to the lake with nothing but a towel, a bottle of cheap wine he found in an abandoned new car, and a lollypop he looted of a very unfortunate priest he had to dig six feet for. It was a fair exchange for his efforts, he thought. As the sun got warmer and his shades painted the tall grass a nice golden colour, he began to somewhat relax -- alcohol calming his nerves as he tried to process everything that went down. It's then he noticed someone walking through the run down pathway. "The water's still cold." he points out. "I got somethin' to make it warmer though..." lifting up the bottle, it's the only invitation he could offer.

Lucas pauses. While he'd sworn to always tell the residents the truth, he'd also promised the leaders that they get information and plans first.

But telling the truth should come first.

"Yeah, most likely. Don't know when or how, but it's the first lead we've gotten of something different in the woods."

" ... OKAY ." ELM REPLIES WITH A NOD . " that's true , i guess ." there's a beat then as they study him before they add a curious, " are you going to try and find the tree ?"

Lucas purses his lips but nods.

"I get it, though I don't really understand it. I like some quiet."

Some people would say he likes it too much, but that's not important.

"So anything you want to share? It's been a minute since we caught up."

a twitch of her lips , followed by the twisting of her nose , josephine turned to the basket of cleaning supplies on the counter , setting down the beer she had been handed in favor of rearranging the plastic bottles and cut towels she used for her daily tasks . " that i can agree with , " she nodded , a reluctance in finding more common ground , meticulously twisting each of the sprayers nozel's from ON to OFF .

in the silence , josephine find's her eyes returning over her shoulder in his direction , noticing the invitation to have a seat . to relax . to stay a while .

dread coiled in her stomach , and she swallowed hard ; it'd be rude not to accept his offer , just as it would have been to turn down the beverage . with slow and weighted steps , josephine moved into the living room , using the cuff of her zip-up to twist off the cap of the beer she had returned to her grasp ; a hiss sounding from the carbonation as she sank her weight into the worn furniture .

" as good as one can be , " she replied simply , lifting pointed shoulders into a shrug . " the motel is . . . fine . sometimes it's noisy but . . . i often prefer noise to silence . somehow it feels safer . " knowing the people around me are alive , she added on in her thoughts .

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @hcartcorruptcd Anastasia

Lucas stands to the side, watching as the party gets started. They've had an influx of young people, and it's so nice seeing them be happy and young.

He'd been around their ages when he came here. It's almost like he gets to feel young again through them.

He sighs and shakes his head. He's not old yet. He can still have fun.

He finds Ana and sidles up to her.

"Please tell me that we can fuck around and be dumb tonight," he says with a chuckle. "All these young people are making me feel older than I actually am."