Tanner Buchanan | Behind The Blinds (2021)

Tanner Buchanan photographed by The Emma Experience, 2020

"Nice to meet you," Adrien says with a smile and shaking Noah's hand. "El sent me over to check on things for them."

Adam shrugs and giggles.

"I guess it could be worse. Could definitely be better but could be worse."

Adrien walks in and looks around. There's a car already up on the lift. He walks up and studies what's going on under.

"This your project or El's?"

"Easy there!" Noah smiled, raising his hands in a 'no harm done' gesture. "Didn't mean to give you a heart attack."

He eyed the newcomer for a moment , giving him a friendly smile. "Noah Adler. Mechanic. Well -" He shrugged his shoulders. "I fix things, anyway." He stepped forward, offering a handshake, a big of oil still smudged on his hand from earlier.

"So you're new in town... I don't know whether to say welcome or apologise," he laughed. He hadn't been here long himself, so who was he really to say anyway. "Welcome, I guess." he tipped an imaginary hat.

Adrien chuckles.

"It's not that big of a deal. I just really want someone that I know I can talk to. Can be close to like that. We can be vulnerable with each other in a way that friends can't."

He shrugs and looks at Muz.

"What are you dodging, huh? Not much room in town to dodge things."

'Been one of those days. Sometimes the noise at Colony House just gets to me, yeah? Needed a break.' He watches Adrien for a moment, catching the way his leg swings and his gaze seems distant. 'Guess we’re both out here avoiding it all today, huh?' His lips quirk into a small smile without quite reaching his eyes. 'Not that I blame you. The whole “getting-a-boyfriend” thing sounds like a hell of a lot more stress than anything I’m dodging.'

Lucas rubs his face, wiping away tears that aren't even distinguishable from the rain still dripping off him.

"We don't know it'll clear, Jim. We don't know anything. We're all just flying by the seat of our pants."

He takes a deep breath. He knows on some level that James is right. but it doesn't make it any easier to handle a new situation like this.

"You're right," he says, trying to convince himself. "Like always."

where : town hall when : the storm open starter ( 0 / 3 )

⟣ ─ ˑ 〃 ۫ ▶ ❛ . . . listen — ❜ hand rests lightly on the other person ' s shoulder . an attempt to cam them down . truth be told : he is admittedly , not the best at comforting others . especially now , when he has no words . no explanations . he has been in this town for nearly twelve years , and not once has he seen what has transpired in the last couple of days . the storm , those . . . things out during the day . something is wrong . the rules are changing and something is turning . he does not know how to prepare for it . no one to ask . most everyone who came before him is gone . ❛ . . . the storm will clear out , it ' ll be okay . ❜ it is as much for himself as for the person he ' s attempting to bring some comfort to . ❛ it ' ll be fine --- we ' ll check for any damage come the morning and go from there . . . ❜

Adrien's sitting in one of the communal rooms, messing with an old walkie-talkie he found in one of Muz's scavenger piles. It looks military grade. Well, from a couple of decades ago. He figured it could be a fun challenge. Though it's probably useless without another one.

He looks up and smiles up at Cameron.

"Hey! Yeah, I'm doing great. I started at the Chop Shop, met some pretty cool people, and I think I've got the lay of the town. How are you?"

closed starter @patroclusblossom where: in colony house

cameron liked to make it a habit to keep checking in with the new comers, just to make sure they were settling in okay and not totally freaking out. not that she would blame them. so when she sees adrien around the house, she decides to stop and see how he was doing. he always seemed so happy but she was sure that was just a front. "hey adrien, how's it going?" she asks with a smile. "settling in okay?"

Lucas sighs, though he does raise his hands like he wants to help.

When he sees the face, he clenches his jaw. They're familiar, but he can't remember their name. Why can't he remember their name?

He looks back at Rae — his friend — clearly hurting.

"They're cruel," Lucas says in agreement. "It seems like they know how to hurt us in the worst ways."

He follows Rae as he pushes the cart toward the body storage.

"Let's me take you home," he insists. "You need to rest."

"no," is all that rae uttered before stepping away. wordlessly he brought the cart to the side of the table and pulled the white sheet under the body towards him, revealing more of it. the face, still intact, a reminder of the horror that unfolded during the storm. rae's breath caught in his throat, his mind replacing the stranger's face with kina's for a split second. but he pushed on. he rolled up the sheet, covering the body once more and made the final tug. the cart creaked as it took on the weight.

"they always leave the face, don't they? to taunt us. to remind us of what we've lost."

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.

where: Chop Shop Mechanics when: the days after the storm open starter

Adrien opens the garage door for Chop Shop Mechanics. It's technically his first day, but he figured it's better to take some initiative. Especially after the storm.

He jumps when he sees someone standing on the other side of the now open garage door.

"Shit! Sorry. Wasn't expecting someone there."

He wipes his hands on his jeans, putting on a smile.

"Hi, I'm Adrien. New in town."

Lucas nods.

"We'll probably also put it up to the whole community, but we'll need to discuss things first."

He walks with Elm to the door, holding it open for them.

"I suppose I know what you'd say at that town meeting."

ELM CONSIDERS LUCAS' OFFER FOR A BEAT BEFORE THEY NOD . they straighten as they move towards the door with a low, " so you guys will vote ?"

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @horrorismx Erin

Adrien is flush with adrenaline and some alcohol too. He finds a quieter area of the house to catch his breath and chug some water.

He almost jumps in surprise but then grins when he finds Erin being chill.

"Hey! I was wondering if I'd see you tonight. How's the fan working out for you?"

He slumps on the couch next to her, smiling like an excited though sleepy puppy.