"I Can Definitely Handle That," Lucas Replies With A Snicker.

"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?"

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @rampents Muz

Adrien jumps in time with the music, practically screaming out the lyrics. He's part of a small group that is just rocking it to the song. He's staying on the edge because of his wings, but he's grinning like he's in the middle of it all.

They calm down for a bridge in the song, and Adrien looks around. He stops when he sees Muz nearby and waves him over.

where: colony house when: Halloween night whom: @fromsaudades Maude

Adrien sits on a staircase and watches the dancing room through the arch. He'd needed a quick breather and to wipe the sweat from his face. He understands why they can't just open a window but fuck! It's hard not to just step outside real fast to cool off.

He notices someone kind of standing off to the side, watching the dancing as well. He stands and walks over.

"Hey, I'm Adrien. I don't think we've properly met yet."

He holds out a hand and smiles.

Adrien laughs and nods in agreement.

"Your ass definitely looks good and you're rocking it."

He even salutes her before bursting into giggles.

"Yeah, it seems like it's hard to cobble together even basic costumes. I'm honestly surprised they even bother with the dress up part."

THE DESCRIPTION HAS CHERRY STARING FOR A BEAT OR TWO . " wow . okay ." cherry has to shake her head as if to clear it, her hands on her hips as she squints at him in disbelief . " the fuck ?" but before they can get further into it cherry is waving a hand dismissively as she says, " you know what ? the bullshit hollywood is doin' doesn't matter, i am a fuckin' soldier, thank you for askin' ." cherry gestures to her camo shorts with a pleased nod . " mostly because it was quick and easy and my ass looks good in these shorts ." she shrugs before adding, " i wanted to be a hooters girl but i couldn't find a lotta orange to be honest ."

Lucas listens with a proud smile. This is the Anastasia he became friends with. They keep each other grounded, especially when other people can't.

He kisses her forehead and squeezes her shoulder.

"You and me, no matter what. We're getting these people out of here."

He steps back and resumes his task.

"So anything I should know about this talk with Cam? Are we avoiding her now or inviting her over for game night?"

Anastasia straightens, taking in Lucas’s words like a lifeline, grounding herself with his steady presence. She lets out a deep breath, the weight of it settling her rather than weighing her down. It’s like his reminder is just what she needed, a glimpse of purpose cutting through the fog she’s been stumbling in for so long.

"You're right, you know." Her voice is level, though a slight crack reveals the intensity simmering just below the surface. She brushes a stray tear from her cheek, refusing to let herself go under. "We can’t let any of this break us. Not here, not now. There are too many people counting on us."

She takes a steadying breath, her gaze sharpening as it meets his. "We've been through hell and back, and I know neither of us wanted any of this. But we’re here. We’re still here." Her jaw sets with a resolve that’s familiar yet renewed.

"We have a duty, Lucas. To these people, to ourselves." Her voice is unwavering now, conviction returning to her tone. "Even if we don’t see a way out yet, giving up isn’t an option. Not for them, not for us."

Anastasia places a hand firmly on his shoulder, a determined gleam in her eyes. "We hold the line, like you said. Together." She offers him a small, grateful smile, a hint of her usual fire returning. "Whatever comes next, we face it head-on."

Tanner Buchanan | Behind The Blinds (2021)

lucas tags:

< ☆ lucas miranda ☆ >

< ☆ visual ☆ >

< ☆ moods ☆ >

< ☆ thread ☆ >

< ☆ NSFW ☆ >

Lucas chuckles.

"So I should maintain my regular professionalism with the undertone of, 'You're not good enough for my best friend, but you're still good for her' level of amicability?"

He raises a questioning eyebrow with his smirk, continuing the light-hearted tone they've moved to.

Anastasia feels a swell of gratitude for Lucas; he’s been her steady anchor since they both took on the responsibility of leading this town. She manages a smile, nodding at his statement of hope. “You’re damn right we are.”

As she watches him idly sort through items on the table, she’s caught off guard when he brings up Cameron. She gives a casual shrug. “We’re alright. I just went over to check on her… you know I still care, even if we’re not together.” She knows he understands; they’ve spent more than a few nights drinking and hashing out the complexities of her and Cameron’s past.

With a bit of a wry smile, she adds, “I don’t think she’ll be coming to game night, though.” She tries to keep the tone light, hiding the small sting of disappointment behind a half-joke.

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."

Adrien senses something shift once he mentions El, but Cherry moves right on past it, so he does too.

He blushes at all the compliments, rubbing the back of his neck. Getting called smart and handsome with equal validity? A nice ego boost.

"Thanks."

Then he looks her over with some surprised.

"Wait, really? I wouldn't have guessed anything older than like 25."

" RIGHT ? RIGHT ?" cherry replies emphatically as she pulls back from the hug . she huffs a bit . " you get it, adrien . a birthday's a big deal! especially round here, like i coulda fuckin' died before this one !" cherry is in the process of shaking her head in exasperation when she registers adrien's words, blinking in surprise as her heart sinks heavy and quick at the mention of el . " oh, shit . didn't know that ." a dry swallow before she's moving to compose herself, attempting to hide the expression with a firm pat to adrien's arm . " look at you ! you're smart and shit, huh ?" cherry has to arch her brows at the reply . she studies adrien in new light . " huh . you kinda look younger ." a shrug . " s'good thing though . means you're gonna age good ." she nods decisively before she's pointing to herself and adding, " m'thirty one today ."