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《 ★ Adrien Ritchie ★ 》 - Blog Posts
"I mean, there aren't many good men out there, so it's not your fault for only finding the bad ones."
He snickers. Then the song changes and he cheers.
"I love this song. Come dance with me."
He grabs Cherry's hand and tugs on her.
THE QUESTION TAKES CHERRY ABACK FOR A MOMENT . her face scrunches a bit at the thought as she says, " usually pretty shit . at least by my track record ." there's a beat before she adds the disclaimer , " at least when it comes to men ." she shrugs then . " when it comes to everyone else it's pretty okay ."
Adrien chuckles weakly, still pushing.
"No treehouse, and if someone does figure out a way out, I'll help them build it, but I'm not the one coming up with it."
He pauses for a moment to get the truck over a small hump in the road.
"Nah, more just trying to make life here suck less, I suppose. There aren't a lot of cars that work here. This is fully electric, so I figured I'd see if I can get it working. If not then I'll strip it for parts."
He chuckles again.
"Not fate. I'm just not as bothered as some people are."
mira chuckled under her breath, the sound dry but not unkind. "impatient and dumb? well, at least you're self-aware. that's a good start." she braced herself against the car, her boots digging into the asphalt as they worked together to push it forward. her muscles protested immediately, a reminder that she'd been running on adrenaline and not much else these past few weeks. "interrupt? please." she rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smirk. "you think i had something better to do in this place? trust me, you’re doing me a favor. beats pacing around colony house trying to avoid everyone's drama or sulking." her gaze flicked over to him, studying his profile for a moment as they trudged along. "so, adrien, right? what kind of 'projects' are we talking about here? you building a treehouse for the end of the world, or are you one of those people who actually think they can science their way out of this nightmare?" she huffed a little as they hit a slight incline, her smirk deepening. "or maybe you’re just hoarding random junk to keep busy. i’ve seen a few people try that trick. spoiler alert: it doesn’t work." she adjusted her grip on the car and added, her tone light but tinged with a hint of sincerity, "and for the record, you’re not annoying. yet. but if you start talking about how this is all fate or some crap like that, i might change my mind."
Adrien nods in understanding as he smiles at Muz.
"Well, if it's any consolation, you're not bringing me down."
He leans over to nudge Muz with his shoulder and a snicker.
"You'd have to be a major asshole to bring me down."
His head, this brain, this place. All things impossible to dodge. 'You're spot on, you know. Nowhere to dodge stuff here.’ He gives a wry smile. ‘Just-‘ he hesitates for a second then falls into a breath of a sigh as he looks out on the water, back at Adrien. ‘Crap. All kinds of crap.’ Muz makes a vague gesture to his head. ‘Don’t wanna bring anyone down. More than they are, anyway.’
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 ?"
Adrien hums, looking over the sketch.
"Yeah, it would be hard without a water screw. Though depending on the materials we can find, I could probably jerry-rig one?"
He immediately starts going through his mental catalogue of scraps already at the Chop Shop. There's not a lot that could work right now. Though maybe they can find more?
"Of course, we'd still need a safe place to put it that the monsters wouldn't get to."
"That's a really good idea," she said opening her note book and started writing those down. "I was thinking- and I could be wrong with the area, if we dig deep enough, we might hit water. Wouldn't recommend drinking it, but it could be used as a current to be a back up generator. Sadly that would require a waterscrew in my head, and a tank- so if you have a better idea I'm always ears," she said showing him the sketch.
Adrien stops pushing and looks up to see someone talking to him from a working car. One of the few in town. He recognizes him but can't remember his name.
"I mean if you're not busy," Adrien replies. "I'm just taking it to the Chop Shop to see what I can do with it."
Adrien smiles then takes a second to roll his shoulders, giving his body a short break.
Gabriel was driving to his shift at the diner when he spotted someone literally pushing their car down the road, obviously broken down. He didn't want to be late but then again he was a nice guy if someone needed help. He pulled over and rolled down the passenger window. ''Hey man, want some help? There must be something better than that.''
Adrien kept working while El was quiet, thinking that the subject was basically done. Then he looks up at them to listen intently, noting how sure they seem in their words.
"Really? You wouldn't mind a roommate?"
He'd never had a roommate that wasn't family before. That's why he'd chosen the Colony House when he first arrived. Wanting a chance to meet new people.
But he's met new people now. Maybe, he's not cut out for a big house like that?
Ellington leans against the workbench, their hands loosely resting in their pockets as they watch Adrien work. They listen quietly, noting the way his words trail off and the subtle tension in his voice. Colony House clearly isn’t sitting right with him.
“I get that,” El says, their voice low but kind. “It’s not for everyone. Too many people in one place can mess with your head after a while.”
They glance toward the door for a moment, as if weighing their next words, then look back at Adrien. “I’ve got a place on the far side of town. Whole house to myself. Quiet, no one to bother you unless you want them to.” A small smile plays on their lips. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s solid. And it’s got space.”
They lean a little closer, their tone soft but sincere. “If you’re feeling like Colony House isn’t cutting it, you’re welcome to crash with me. No pressure—just figured I’d throw it out there. It might be nice having someone around who’s not... you know, always in each other’s business.”
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.”
where: town streets | when: midday | whom: open to all
Adrien groans as he slowly pushes the car down the street towards the Chop Shop.
He'd found this while doing a scavenging run with Muz yesterday, just to see what it's like. Everyone he'd talked to was busy today, so he'd worn his tank top, jeans, and sturdy boots today, got the car into neutral, and was slowly pushing it through town.
It had been fine for the first five minutes or so, but now he's mentally kicking himself for not just being patient and waiting for people to help him.
Adrien laughs. "I doubt I could if you can't, but I'll still take a look. You more of a big machinery person?"
Adrien grunts as he tries to rachet a bolt loose.
"It's alright, I guess. It's not exactly what I thought when I first heard the options, but it's not bad."
He finally gets it loose.
"It's not so much the space as it is the... I don't know, vibes? It's just not always my favorite. There's cool people there, but we're not always in the mood to hang out with each other. At least they're not sometimes."
He shrugs.
Ellington leaned back slightly on their stool, their lips curling into a smile as they caught Adrien’s enthusiasm about the watch. “Still got it,” they said, nodding toward a nearby workbench. “Haven’t cracked the mystery yet, though. It’s a tough one. Maybe you can fix it?”
They took a moment to let Adrien’s words about calling this place home sink in, their gaze softening. “That’s good to hear. Feeling at home here, even just a little, is no small thing.”
After a beat, El shifted gears. “Speaking of, how’s it been at Colony House for you? I know it’s got its charms, but it can get... crowded over there. Everyone finding their space okay?” Their tone was curious but gentle, a genuine question wrapped in the easygoing demeanor they always wore. “If you ever need a break from it, you know where to find me.”
Adrien clocks something odd in the way Cherry brushes off his offer but shrugs it off.
"I mean nice, really likes cuddles. Six-pack isn't necessary. A bonus but not necessary. And I guess willing to like be patient when I admit I'm new to stuff?"
Then he groans, blushing from embarrassment.
"I'm so cringe, aren't I?"
" OH, I'M — " CHERRY WAVES A HAND . " not really lookin' for anythin' right now, don't worry about me ." she tries really hard not to focus on the twist in her stomach, instead focusing on nudging adrien with her elbow . " but what about you, champ ? huh ? what's your type ?" a nod as she leans back to ask . "what am i lookin' for ?"
Adrien gasps for air and drops to the floor since it's easier than standing at the moment. He weakly takes the water bottle and tries to slurp some water. It interrupts his breathing, so he stops soon after.
"Running with you was a mistake," he says between breaths. "I swear I thought I was in shape."
status: open to all. (0/3.) location: colony house.
the warmth of her forehead is slicked with sweat and decorated by strands of black hair that have fallen afoul of their usual tidiness. panting heavily, nic saunters through the colony house's front door and over to the closest available surface to sit on. limbs ache from overuse, making settling a slow process that's paired with a grunt of exertion. it's only once she's resting shaky legs that she finally looks up to make sure her workout partner has filed in behind her. in a surprising change from her regular stoic expression, nic lets her eyes soften and a smile grace her features. apparently, the way to her heart is through keeping up during a run.
"good goin'. how're you feelin'?" if she's tired, she reckons her companion's probably about ready to collapse. which is why she offers up the bottle of water she'd saved for this very moment. "here."
Adrien shakes his head with laughter. He'd had some drinks earlier, but he could've sworn he wasn't that drunk.
"I don't know, but I'll still accept the help. And same to you, ya? I can totally talk you up to some pretty girl. Or big buff girl. Whatever your preference is."
He giggles.
" OH, DAMN ." cherry nods with sympathy at his sigh, moving to pat him on the shoulder in a way that's at least intended to be comforting . it's only half awkward with her tipsiness . " well, maybe your guy will get stuck here tomorrow ? love works in mysterious ways ." cherry's expression twists as he continue, her brows furrowing . " what ? no, i'm not here, i'm at the motel . what gave you that idea ?" cherry's head tilts in her confusion even as she reaches behind her for her cup of jungle juice to waggle her brows mischievously . " i could still do the wing woman thing though ."
Adrien nods. He was never too good at people's layers either. Too scared that they'd leave if he got too deep.
He perks up at the mention of the watch.
"Oh, do you still have it? Did you get it working? He promised to find me something to work on, too."
He smiles at El to show them he's hearing them.
"I wouldn't mind this becoming home. At least for a little bit."
Ellington pauses mid-motion, resting a hand on the side of the engine as they process Adrien’s words. They snort softly at his teasing, shaking their head.
"Yeah, Cherry is good folk. But good doesn’t always mean simple, you know?" They shoot Adrien a sidelong glance, their smirk faint but fond, as if already regretting how much they’re saying. "She’s... just got layers. And I’m not exactly an expert at peeling those back without making a mess."
They wipe their hands on a nearby rag and lean against the workbench, looking thoughtfully at Adrien. "Muz, huh? Yeah, he’s cool. He’s got good instincts. He brought me some busted-up watch to fix the other day—it was a cool project."
They tilt their head slightly, a touch of mischief in their smile, "stick around long enough, and this place’ll start feeling more like home... or at least something close to it."
"No, no, don't apologize."
Adrien looks around and grabs a pencil and some scrap paper. He draws a crude but clear image of windmills on top of a building.
"I figured if we built them on top of tall major buildings, we would have less stress of the monsters trying things. Plus, if we’re strategic with which buildings, we could use those as reliable shelters in emergency situations."
He looks back up to her.
"What were you thinking? Because we'd still need water. Plus, you never know for extreme situations."
"I thought about that too, maybe using water, but that would require digging-" she said not finishing that thought. "Or we could try and use waste, too gross though for my taste- or induce, which would require a lot of...Sorry I did it again," she said standing up from where she was on the floor.
"Wanna show me what you've got in your head."
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.'
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 giggles.
"Okay. That's not too old. I guess i wouldn't mind that."
And then he sighs. "You'd think, but I haven't found anyone. It's so disappointing."
He looks at her with wide eyes. "Well, if you live here, you have to help me out. Be my wing-girl."
" OH NO, YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT ALONE ." cherry's face scrunches up at that thought as she shakes her head . " every two steps you can probably find someone less than straight around here . it's real nice . would kinda be really fun if it weren't for, you know . the motherfuckers trying to eat us ." cherry shrugs before she's brightening, tilting her head with a hum to say, " like, mid thirties, kinda ?" cherry's brows furrow before she's moving to give adrien a playful smack in the side . " what're ya talkin' about then ? colony house is like, the hub for free love ! you should be able to find some cute guy here for sure ." cherry blinks and remembers the question, quickly adds, " oh, and i'm at colony ."
Adrien is immediately interested in the little she'd said. He walks further into the room.
"You know, I was thinking we could probably make some decent windmills to generate power," he says, looking down at the book she was reading. "It's pretty windy here, and it'd be more reliable than solar power."
"It's cool," she said looking at the source from inside the notebook from where she was sitting on the floor. "I'm just trying to figure out new power source, but with limited- " she said before glancing up to see who was speaking to her before closing the book. "Do you need something?"
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 listens as he works, El's voice very soothing in contrast to the familiar sounds of work.
"Yeah, Cameron's cool. She's lives at the colony house with me."
Then Adrien lifts his head to look toward El. Cherry? Complicated? "She's seems like good folk, though. Don't see what could be so complicated." He ends with a smirk on his face, teasing El a bit.
Then he turns back to the work as he talks.
"I'm trying. There's some really interesting people around. Like that, Muz guy. He seems cool."
Ellington’s hands paused over the engine, the faint grin on their face softening at Adrien’s words. The moment felt lighter, somehow, despite the heavy things they’d both touched on. They tilted their head, giving Adrien a sidelong glance.
“Solid people make all the difference,” El said, their voice low but warm. “Sounds like you’ve had a few of those in your corner. That’s not nothing.”
Adrien’s question brought a small chuckle out of El as they leaned back against the workbench, arms crossed loosely. “Friends? Well, I wouldn’t say I’m drowning in them, but I’ve got my people. Cameron’s one—she’s good at grounding me when I start thinking too much. Low-key but solid, like the kind of friend who can share a drink in silence and it still feels like a conversation.”
They glanced at Adrien with a knowing smile. “And there’s Cherry. She’s… complicated. Keeps me on my toes, though, which might be why I stick around. Or why she sticks around me—hard to say.”
El shrugged, their grin turning a little self-deprecating. “But I think you’re underestimating my loner tendencies. I have my people, I'm a friend to everyone, but I also spend a lot of time alone or... I used to. Seems like that might be changing nowadays,” in their minds-eye, Cherry's face appears and they can't help the little grin that appears on their lips.
They picked up a wrench, turning it idly in their hands. Their eyes flicked back to Adrien, their tone a little softer, more thoughtful. “So what about you? Got your people here yet?”
Adrien listens to El's description of flying, imagining it for himself. His smile matches theirs.
He swallows hard after his family explanation, wishing it wasn't still so hard to talk about it. "Yeah. Solid people."
He watches their face as they talk, drinking in every word. He doesn't know what it is — why he never felt this connected to the literal family that took him in — but coming from El, it feels better to hear. Like a balm that actually helps.
"An ode to them," he echoes with a nod. "That's really beautiful."
He smiles at them, letting the moment settle between them. Then, he takes a deep breath.
"Thanks, that's really great advice." He turns back to the engine. "So what friends do you have here? You don't seem like the loner type."
Ellington leans against the truck for a moment, their hands idly fiddling with the wrench in their grasp. "Flying’s… something else. Working on airplanes was great and all, but being up there? It’s a whole different world. You should try it someday—it’s worth it." Their lips curve into a small, wistful smile before they turn their attention back to Adrien.
As he mentions his family, Ellington catches the quick blink, the slight hitch in his words. Their expression softens, though they keep their tone casual, not wanting to press on anything raw. "Sounds like you had some solid people teaching you. That’s good—it makes all the difference, having someone show you the ropes early on."
They pause, glancing at the engine. "Y’know, working on this stuff, fixing things—it can be grounding. Like putting broken pieces back together kinda mirrors… life, in a way." Ellington shrugs, offering a brief grin. "Plus, you can think of it as honoring your family. Like my old man, he taught me a lot about mechanics and aviation. Every time I'm in the cockpit or successfully put somethin' back together, it's like an ode to him, y'know? Sure, he's not here but his teachings, his influence, and his grit lives on through me. That's special and no one, not even this place, can take from you," Ellington offers a sympathic smile, reaching over to squeeze Adrien's shoulder.
