Where: Colony House When: Halloween Night Whom: @hcartcorruptcd El

Lucas laughs.

"Well, I'm glad I could keep that unique brain of yours from eating itself."

He nudges Muz with a shoulder.

"I don't know if I've got any good chat today. Too busy running around, making sure we don't fall apart here. Though I guess falling apart helps your job a bit, doesn't it?"

His tone isn't judgmental, more amused by the thought.

'Guess I’m growing roots. Whole five minutes of stillness. New record, I think.' He pauses, glancing at Lucas, the glint in his eyes settles into something quieter. 'Honestly? Got sick of my own company today. Felt like if I sat alone one more minute, my brain’d start eating itself.' He tilts his head, a grin breaking the seriousness before it can linger. 'And I know you've got good chat.'

"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?"

"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.

Adrien smiles at El.

"Exactly. It's kinda beautiful to think about it like that. Tragic, but beautiful."

He moves back to the engine.

"So, you've been doing this as long as you've been here? Working in the shop?"

Ellington leans against the truck frame, wiping a bit of grease onto their already stained jeans as they watch Adrien pull out the valves. There’s a gleam of appreciation in their eyes as they examine the truck—it’s a solid piece of machinery, the kind that’s endured decades without much fuss.

“Yeah, it does feel a little wrong to rip her apart,” Ellington replies, giving the truck a gentle pat. “I mean, they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore, right? Sturdy, reliable… might’ve had a few more years left in her.” They shift, gesturing to the growing piles of parts. “But hey, every bit we pull is something that keeps this town running a little longer. Bet these valves can patch up at least two or three motors around town.”

There’s a sense of pride in their voice, and they flash Adrien a quick grin. “Besides, something about finding new life for the old stuff? Kinda feels like we’re doing right by her, even if she won’t be on the road again.”

𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐄

cobra kai season six episode one.

"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?'

Lucas grunts, hating that he knows she's right.

"I can't just sit around, Becca. I've got a job to do. People are in danger out there."

He nods at the suggestion of a brace. At least then the pain will be contained.

"Just do it. Jim is probably wondering where I am."

He'd lost his radio somewhere out there which really was the cherry on top of this shithole cake of a day.

based on what he could tolerate, it was definitely a bad twist. even as she was testing his ankle, she could feel where it was starting to swell and get stiff. "that depends, lucas; how far can you get around on it? do you want to try to stand, or wait?"

becca could only guess at this point. her expertise was mostly in the aftermath of lingering injuries, not diagnosing or treating new ones. "i'll try to make a brace either way, but you know it won't heal right without rest."

"Well then, I guess you need to catch up."

Lucas reaches over and grabs a bottle of vodka and a couple of shot glasses. He pours them both one and holds his up for a toast.

"To not being too old to party."

she groans because it's true, but becca waves him off for being too nice. "oh, come on- talking like you're someone's grandpa..." tonight wasn't supposed to be for complaining anyway. "or maybe everyone else is just sprinting ahead. i didn't make these drinks."

Lucas watches as Ana just sort of droops. Like a flower in need of watering.

"I think about it all the time," he admits. "And it keeps me up at night."

He stands and pulls her into a tight hug.

"We can't give up," he whispers. "It's not just us here. We all had lives out there. There are kids here who deserve to see what they're missing out there."

He feels some tears escape his eyes and drop into her hair.

"We hold the line," he echoes. "Not because we'll go back to normal, but because who will if we don't?"

Anastasia's expression flickers—something between a smirk and exhaustion—but she doesn’t push Lucas the way she usually might. Not tonight. Her arms wrap loosely around herself, fingers drumming against her forearm, a small habit she’s never been able to shake.

“Yeah, well... that’s the thing about rules.” Her voice is soft, tinged with bitterness. “They don’t mean a damn thing when the monsters come.”

She leans her hip against the edge of the counter, mirroring his stance but with a subtle slump in her shoulders that wasn’t there before. Her sharpness—her usual armor—feels dulled tonight, like a blade used one too many times without being sharpened.

“You ever think about that?” she asks, glancing up at him, her gaze unusually heavy. “How we keep pretending we know what we’re doing—like if we just hold the line long enough, things will go back to normal. But what if they don’t, Lucas? What if... this is it?”

There’s no venom in her words, only an eerie quiet that settles between them like dust after a long fight. “I used to believe we’d get out of this,” she admits, more to herself than to him. “But now...” She trails off, rubbing a hand over her face, trying to push away the weight pressing on her chest.

Tanner Buchanan | Behind The Blinds (2021)