Patroclusblossom - Patroclus Blossom

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?"

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."

Adrien winces when he actually looks at their leg. It's in bad shape, for sure.

Adrien pulls a chair closer to the bad and goes back to smiling.

"Glad I can help. So, most of my practical experience is on farm vehicles. Tractors and that stuff. I do know about regular cars. And I'm pretty good with little tech, too."

He blushes in embarrassment.

"I'm one of those weird guys that literally takes shit apart to figure out how they work. My aunt got mad when I did it to her favorite radio a month after I moved in."

He looks at El's hands they look about as calloused as his if not more.

"I uh, we were on a hiking trip, and I fell behind. That's how I ended up here."

He shrugs. Sure, he's freaked out and kinda missing his family, but it's not a huge deal right now.

El propped themselves up on the bed, wincing slightly at the pain radiating from their injured leg, but their curiosity was piqued by the newcomer’s arrival. They didn’t recognize Adrien, but the fresh energy was a welcome distraction from the haze of their recent attack.

“Hey there,” El said, their voice carrying a hint of enthusiasm despite the setting. “I’m El, and I’m your mentor for the Chop Shop. Heard you’ve got some mechanical skills from a little birdy? That’s great! Honestly, I could use the help right now.”

They couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement at the prospect of teaching someone new, even if they were still recovering. El gestured for Adrien to take a seat, trying to mask their own discomfort. “So, what’s your background? How’d you end up here?” There was an eagerness in El’s tone, a genuine desire to connect and guide Adrien through the chaos that was their new reality.

They flashed a reassuring smile, hoping to instill a sense of camaraderie amid the uncertainty of their situation.

Lucas nods, though he doesn't quite understand what he's saying. He does understand the emotions, though. They're feelings a lot of people here feel.

"They didn't leave a body," he explains. "Just a blood trail that disappeared into the woods. I didn't... get to say goodbye."

His breath hitches as he cries. Everything that's happened in the last few days has just opened old scars he was sure had healed.

Hollis watched Lucas silently, glancing down as the bouquet was placed. His fingers twitch at his sides.

"No," he answers, the word barely audible. He shifts awkwardly, unsure if he should say more, but, choosing not to feels like denying their existence.

"I mean...not here." His gaze dfits to the empty space beside the grave, trying not to dwell. "Not...here, exactly. But close."

Adrien shakes his head.

"Ain't no way to look ridiculous. Trust me. And if you're worried about dancing alone," he offers an arm to her like a regency gentleman, "then I'll dance with you."

He doesn't want anyone here to feel left out or alienated, just because of insecurities for fears.

she glances toward the dancing, a flush creeping up her neck as she feels inexplicably singled out. yet, she knows they likely mean well. there's a quiet gratitude for the unspoken benevolence that seems to wrap itself around the party, transforming what once felt like an overwhelming atmosphere into something oddly welcoming, even comforting especially now. "the second option, actually," she admits with a sheepish grin, her words tinged with mild embarrassment as she sets a glass down. "i know i’m probably overthinking it, but i just... i don’t want to look ridiculous dancing alone, you know?"

"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."

where: colony house when: Halloween Night whom: @purgatored Cherry

Adrien stumbles up to what he assumes is the bar for the evening. He hasn't had a drop of liquor yet, having too much fun just being at a party.

He asks for water, then turns to someone else standing here.

"Hey," he greets, smile wide and excited. "I'm Adrien. Who are you?"

Adrien hears the voice, though not the words. He stops and straightens up, squinting at the person.

"What? No, not a death wish. Just impatient and dumb."

He smiles and starts pushing as well.

"Yeah, I've seen you around. Sorry, I have introduced myself yet. Been busy with some projects. And with your help, this should be a breeze."

They carefully make their way down the street.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," he grunts as they push. "I appreciate the help but don't want to be annoying."

mira squinted against the midday sun as she ambled down the street, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. the oppressive quiet of this town was something she still couldn’t get used to, the eerie kind that made the sound of her boots on cracked asphalt seem too loud. she kicked at a small rock, watching it skid ahead, when the groan of effort caught her attention. up ahead, a guy — shirt sleeveless, face strained, clearly regretting his life choices — was trying to push a car. alone, at that. the sight almost made her laugh, but there was something about the sheer stubbornness in his posture that struck a chord. she recognized him, vaguely. one of the colony house faces she’d seen in passing. she considered walking by, minding her own business. but who was she kidding? mira wasn’t wired that way. even in this hellhole of a town, she couldn’t resist stepping in where she wasn’t needed. “hey!” she called out, picking up her pace. “you planning on pushing that thing all the way to the chop shop, or are you just working on your biceps for the apocalypse?” stopping a few feet away, she tilted her head, sizing him up with a smirk. “let me guess. nobody wanted to play mechanic’s assistant today, so you decided to be a one-man pit crew?” she rolled her shoulders, stepping closer. “looks like you’ve got a death wish or, i don’t know, something to prove.” without waiting for an invitation, she moved to the back of the car and placed her hands on the trunk, glancing over at him. “well? don’t just stand there. i’m not doing all the work.” she shot him a wry grin, her tone teasing but warm. “i’m mira, by the way. colony house, same as you. figured i’d introduce myself now, just in case you collapse halfway and i have to try carrying you back.”

"I don't believe in 'not belonging,'" Adrien shouts over the music. "And I couldn't give two shits about protecting these. I've been losing leaves all night."

He grabs Muz's hand and makes him spin. Adrien grins watching him.

Muz stands back, leaning against the wall, watching the crowd surge with every beat, his eyes catching on the way everyone seems to lose themselves to the night. Adrien’s enthusiasm is infectious, like he’s riding the energy rather than standing outside it.

Muz considers it for a moment, glancing at the thick crowd. His instinct is to keep his distance, hang back where the air is clearer. That, and he's never enjoyed a crowd. The noise makes it hard on him to keep track of anything. But Adrien’s out there, on the edge too, and Muz figures what’s one more foot closer to the action? He pushes off the wall, making his way through the edges until he’s within earshot. 'You really think I belong in the middle of this circus?' he asks, raising an eyebrow but warming to the moment. 'Or you just need someone to guard those wings?' There’s a flicker of a grin, something easy, as if he’s in on the joke now instead of standing outside it.

He briefly considers putting her into a headlock just to show how easy it would be to catch her, but he's honestly too tired to put in the effort. And she's right about the rationing. He's probably just using it as an excuse to avoid his personal problems rattling in his head right now.

"By that logic, we all worry too much," he replies. "It's our jobs to worry too much. So the people who can't do our jobs don't have to."

He sees and even feels the edge in her smile.

"This was an unexpected event. By all accounts, they broke the rules we thought were in place."

He leans against a table, crossing his arms to show he's in serious mode now. Not ready for the emotional talk quite yet. At least not until Ana is.

Anastasia lets out a quiet huff, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smirk. "A nap sounds nice, but you’d have to catch me first." She rolls her neck, feeling the tension stretch and settle, then flicks her gaze to the horizon as if sleep is a luxury meant for someone else.

"I’ll sleep when things stop breaking." She exhales through her nose, the humor slipping just slightly. "Besides, if you lock me up, who’s gonna keep you from rationing those supplies into oblivion?"

Her smile softens, but there’s an edge to it—one Lucas would recognize instantly. "I’m fine, Lu. You worry too much." But they both know that’s not exactly true. Not anymore.