Adrien Kept Working While El Was Quiet, Thinking That The Subject Was Basically Done. Then He Looks Up

Adrien laughs and pats Cherry back.

"Sounds fair. And thanks. So what's your type anyway?"

CHERRY'S EXPRESSION SCRUNCHES THE LONGER ADRIEN GOES ON . she tries to nod as she makes a mental list, but she has to blink as adrien groans . " what ? no !" cherry moves to put a hand on adrien's shoulder then, giving it a squeeze as she says, " you like what you like, okay ? nothin' cringe about that ." cherry nods decisively . " and if you want a nice, patient guy who looks like he gives good hugs i can look around for that for you ." a beat before she pats his shoulder to add a light, " m'not cuddling any of them to test that out though ." her grin is cheeky . " that's gonna be all you, okay ?"

"You never know," Lucas says with an encouraging tone. "You night say something that will inspire the next sheriff into coming to a solution."

He smiles and then presses the record button.

"This is Sheriff Lucas Miranda with Elm Mossbach. We're in the 16th year of Oblitus."

Then he turns to Elm.

"So, tell me what happened to you while you were missing."

ELM ISN'T REALLY SURE WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE . sure, they kind of know . but they don't actually know how useful they'll be . how usefully any of this will be, honestly . still, as they look between lucas and the glass of water he's set in front of them they can only nod . " you can record it ." their brow furrows a bit then, as they begin to play with the laces on their new pair of shoes . well, new hand me down shoes . they glance down at the movement to say, " it won't change anything though ."

Lucas sighs and rubs his face.

"Okay, how about this: you let me search your place real quick. If I find those bottles, then I take you down, and we sort out your restitution. If I don't, then I leave you alone for the rest of the day?"

CHERRY'S EXPRESSION SCRUNCHES . she tries desperately to think of anyone who might've actually saw her behind the desk that day or anyone who will vouch for her, time be damned . " i mean, whoever the fuck was in the lobby that morning ? i don't know everyone's name, luke ." cherry huffs a bit in exasperation, throwing a hand up before she adds, " i only know yours cause of, y'know ." a shrug as she shifts her weight, letting her hip rest against the doorframe . " continued exposure ."

where: colony house | when: utp | whom: @rcmpcrt Marley

Adrien is just wandering through the Colony House. Officially, he's looking for anything that might need some fixing. Unofficially, he's just looking for something to pass the time with.

He wanders into a room and pauses in surprise to see someone already inside.

"Oh, sorry," he says with a sheepish smile. "Didn't mean to interrupt... huh, what's that you're working on?"

Adrien gives a dramatic sigh, like he's so put upon by the lack of candy.

"Fine," he says, sounding like a petulant teenager. "So long as there's at least one good-looking guy I can drool over, that should be enough."

He snickers.

Then he listens closely to El's explanation. His mind wonders what causes people to come over? What is the deciding factor? Who is deciding?

He nods in agreement. "That's all we can really ask for now, isn't it?"

He gives El a small smile. Then it turns mischievous.

"Besides, if I wanted glamorous, I'd be asking for a different job. You've got grease on your face, you know?"

El’s mouth curves into a smirk, their usual mix of dry humor and good-natured sarcasm creeping in.

"Eye candy, huh? You got some high standards already. I’ll see what I can do—though if you’re lookin’ for real candy, you’re probably outta luck unless you’re into stale peppermints."

They adjust their position slightly, wincing but masking it quickly with a chuckle. "As for how I got here, uh - I was on my way home from a work trip and the rest is history as for how I got this thing... long story, but let’s just say I tried to play hero and ultimately became the victim." El taps their leg lightly, the gesture casual despite the damage. "Didn’t really walk away from it—more like crawled, kicked a few times, and cursed until someone dragged me outta there."

Their gaze shifts, catching Adrien’s briefly with a flicker of warmth. "You know, kid, the Chop Shop ain’t glamorous, but it’s honest work. Keep your hands busy, and your head’ll catch up eventually." They shrug. "It’s not a bad place to land, all things considered."

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?"

Lucas keeps holding her, knowing that once she's ready, she'll break the embrace.

He tries to think what to say that can help her. No flowery bullshit. Ana isn't like that.

"When my dad first got diagnosed, I refused to go to the hospital to visit him. I just couldn't handle it. There wasn't anything I could do to help. And it got worse when he got it again. The chemo just took this man I looked up to and whittled him down to a stranger."

He looks at the wall, running a hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture.

"There was a few months where I barely visited him at home even. Just felt pointless. I was scared that seeing him like that would ruin all the good memories I had of him."

More tears drop.

"But finally I went, and I realized that not going hurt me more than going ever would've."

He kisses the top of her head.

"I keep going because otherwise it is all pointless. Even if we never find a way out, we're still alive, and giving up means everything is pointless."

Anastasia tenses briefly in Lucas’s embrace—old reflexes, a habit of keeping people at arm's length. But then, something inside her lets go. Her shoulders sag as if she’s been carrying too much for far too long, and she leans into the hug, not for comfort exactly, but because standing upright suddenly feels too exhausting.

"I tried to hold the line, Luke," she murmurs, her voice brittle. "But it’s slipping through my hands. Every day, I wake up hoping today will feel different. That I’ll care, or find a reason to try... but mostly, I just feel numb. Like I’m already a ghost."

She stays still, not moving to pull away from him, but not clinging, either. Just resting, as if being in the same space with someone who understands makes things a little lighter, if only for a moment.

"How do you do it?" she asks, her voice quiet, almost desperate. "How do you keep going when it all feels... pointless?"

"I can definitely handle that," Lucas replies with a snicker.

He looks up at Ana, smirk softening to a smile.

"And I appreciate you. Lesbian drama and all, because I know you've got my back too."

Anastasia smirks back, crossing her arms and giving Lucas a playful nudge. "Exactly. I expect a perfect balance of polite intimidation and subtle protectiveness. Think you can handle that?”

She raises an eyebrow, teasing. "I need you to be just threatening enough to keep her on her toes but not so much that she thinks she’s about to get ambushed every time she looks at you." With a laugh, she adds, “But really, you’ve always had my back and I appreciate you."

Adrien sets the wrapped tech aside and stands.

"I mean, I'm not an expert, but I know how to handle them. I'm sure it's easy."

He wipes his hands on his jeans and follows Cam.

"Where to first?" he asks with a grin.

"that's good, stick by them and you'll be set in this place." el was always the best at getting new comers settled in. she understood why they would rather work in the shop than be a welcomer but they were the great at it.

"well, you never know, you could get it working and if we find the other one, it could be useful around here." she liked adrien's attitude, he always seemed to look in the bright side of things. they needed people like that around here. "how good are you with a hammer and saw? want to help me board up a couple windows? a couple cracked in the storm and i gotta get them patched up."

"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?'