#;;threads

Paradise, Arizona.

What a stupid name, it was almost absurd, Kazumi could've laughed if he wasn't so exhausted. The people here were insane, wrong, so his abuser fit here perfectly, and Kazumi was dragged into this hell. Of course, there wasn't any rest for him. Working part-time at the store was bad enough, and he still had to put himself out there at night.

Kazumi leaned against the wall of the tunnel, taking another cigarette out of the packet. Oh. Of course, his lighter had run out too; this night was going south way too quickly. At least it wasn't cold. He wasn't dressed for the cold. Tight, uncomfortable clothes meant to show off his 'assets'. Kazumi hated it. It was vulgar. It made him feel cheap.

Then he noticed someone walking past. The man was handsome in a rugged way, definitely looked like someone who had been here longer than he should have. He didn't look loaded, but he seemed like he had at least some money. Or a light at the very least.

Kazumi walked towards him, batting his eyelashes, giving him a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey, handsome, got a light?" Kazumi held up his unlit cigarette and put it in his mouth "Go on, light it," he spoke sweetly, toeing the line between cute and sexy.

She hadn't been expecting him to take the offer.

Her good eye flicked towards him briefly; considering for a moment if she should comment on the fact that he'd actually decided to join her. Apparently--- she'd decided not to, instead drawing her knees in closer in an attempt to chase the chill of the air away.

Well great. Just absolutely fantastic. Nero let out a heavy sigh. One would think finding a tall person with bright white hair wouldn't be so difficult, but he was in a completely unknown place and of COURSE, his brother, in his excitement to scope the place out, had run off. '?uoy era erehw' he mentally called out to his brother, only to have his twin grab his wrist

"Nero! Look, they're doing some art stuff here!" Bianco cheerfully announced, pulling him along.

Bianco immediately approached the first guy he saw. A stranger with glasses.

"Hey, what's going on here? What are you doing? Can we join?"

"Sure." Logan nodded towards fallen bookshelf that barred his way. They were scavenging an abandoned house, and Logan couldn't fit his broad-shouldered frame through the passage, even if he managed to push the shelf up. "I'll hold it, you check it out. Deal?"

Carl nodded his head in agreement. Even full grown, the young man was slight to say it kindly. He at least didn't look half starved. Alexandria had been the place they'd finally settled, a place where they had food-- even if the Saviours had, for a while, made it scarce for them. They'd never gone without, Carl could admit that, and ever since he'd followed through on his word to work for the group? It'd been easier.

Maybe it wasn't easier on Hilltop, or the Kingdom. Maybe Carl had gotten members of their communities killed because he told those he was meant to inform about whispers of uprisings.

He couldn't afford to care about everyone else.

Brooke laid in between Lorenzo's sheets completely in the nude as her mind wandered. Their conversation about the future wife he was avoiding in getting to know ended pretty soon after she'd brought it up. Thinking back to that, she'd felt a sting of sadness at the idea that they may need to stop whatever it is they were doing once he got married. Her fingers were playing with his bedsheet, "So, are you bothered about that woman you abandoned because your parents picked her? Or would you marry someone with a 'good girl' reputation if you chose who it was?" To Enzo, it might come off as random, though the situation was bouncing around in her mind.

the sun is orange and red warmth on his face. although he can’t see the colors he can feel them through that glare. the lids of his eyes are closed, covering what might be a horrifying sight for his - his what? his friend? a friend of the man he had been. paul the emperor, the murderer, the god. he feels the tall shadow pass over him, blocking out the glare. there’s a small touch of moisture there in his mouth now. he’s glad for it. he’s glad for the desert all around him, the sands soft under their feet, the threat of the worms, the comfort of a sietch. 

he can make out the shape of rand standing there, tall, looming, and perhaps even a little comforting here in the quiet of this small sietch. he had known that he would come. but what it would mean for them was something he did not want to think on. perhaps death, perhaps confusion, perhaps a return to the golden lion throne that had left such an unsettling feeling inside of him. he’s not interested in going back or in the death of his friend. or was it his own that glared brightly and hotly in every vision. he’s been out of it, feverish, and on the high of the spice. “did you come to find me or hear the preacher talk?” he asks what he hadn’t asked when rand had stumbled on him a few days ago. they had been focusing on wandering through the sands to another sietch. they hadn’t had the time. but they had time now, surrounded still by the fremen who had not forgotten the old ways. and he was at home. 

       It's not hard to see why he's upset, not with the topic that's floating around the classroom. But Ben's not the only one that looked uncomfortable. A couple of girls and another boy seemed as if they wanted to slip into the floor and disappear and who could blame them? The teacher was still trying to quiet some of the other students, especially the ones trying to get up and help Ben make good on his statement.

The redhead at the front of the class is the one who stands. A mocking grin sits on perfectly painted lips, green eyes hold nothing but barely concealed malice, and the tinkling laughter that comes out of her is like nails on a chalkboard. Tristan Hux.

"Why would anyone want to take such a wonderful thing away from them? My own brother came out so long ago, I almost forgot. It's such a sweet thing for you to defend him and his rights. I do suspect we'll be getting invitations to the wedding between you soon, won't we? Daddy won't come, he despises public events, but I'd love to see my dear brother happy."

She folded her hands in front of her and tilted her head. Among the giggles and now occupied students, Ben heard a few of them... clapping? For what? What was the reason? It felt as if he were being shamed and he couldn't quite put his finger on why.