R R I - REHABILITATION & REINTEGRATION INITIATIVE

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Basement - bar, then laundry room; once the basement level opens

With nothing to do but wait, Adam made a real effort in getting ready. Call it his version of primping but he showered, shaved, and spent way too long in a pair of boxers trying to piece together the clothes he had, to figure out something that wouldn't be wrong. He wound up in a pale blue button down that fit far better than the one he'd brought with him over to the block and wasn't even sure if it worked on him since he was used to wearing plaid, but really it was the nicest thing he had so he added his jeans to it and went with it, hoping for the best.

As soon as he could get downstairs, Adam was there and headed straight towards the bar. It was weird, thinking that just a few days before he'd actually worked down here which he figured gave him permission to just wander behind it and fiddle with drink options. He also wound up serving a few other people who had already come down, watching the door for Kyle.

Kyle had hit the elevator the moment that it was clear - and given that his room was right by the thing, he was the first of his block down to the basement. Sure, he was in a hurry to go meet Adam, but he also had a stop to make first. Or maybe it was just that this was the first time that he would be in the presence of the other man since they decided to make a go of it. Possibly he was nervous. Either way, he stopped at the laundry room first and put a load of washing on before taking a breath, trying to check out his reflection in the surface of the machine, and then heading for the bar.

Nerves or not, he couldn’t stop the wide grin that broke on his face as he walked into the room and saw Adam there, behind the bar. And there was a definite bounce in the artist’s step as he walked over. “So, how am I meant to buy you a drink if you’re serving?” he asked, teasingly, leaning on the bartop and resting his chin on his knuckles.

( As the customer said to the barman... )

Character: Adam
Setting: b block

Adam had gotten a little distracted talking to Kyle, planning seeing him, and daydreaming a tiny but before he was shoving clothes on to do his part. He practically tripped over the plant outside his room, but recovered without knocking it over, picking it up to study it before setting it down again so his room was marked as "done." He wanted to startle arching for the post first, but didn't want to get distracted again.

He knew what he was going for, heading out again and going straight for the apple tree. Yes. He was totally cliche and lame but it was fun, finding one to pick even if it was still a little unripe and heading right towards Charlie's room to leave it at the door. Maybe the guy would get the hint faster. What other duo would pick the same object?

Characters: Adam and Mazie
Setting: Over the phone, afternoon

( even when it gets bad )

Characters: Adam and Autumn
Setting: Movie Theater, Late morning

( trading places )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Phone call, morning

Adam had slept fitfully, in and out of dreams, whimpering and making noises in his sleep. They were awful things, flashes of memories and worse. When he finally woke he was crying softly, gripping his pillow hard, body hurting from the dreams and how real they’d felt. For a long few minute he just lay there, waiting on tears to subside. When he finally got up he headed straight to the computer, rubbing at his face, feeling closed in on himself.

( Wakey Wakey )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Their rooms / via phone, late

It was late, the sun having long set, when Kyle sat down at his computer and brought up the call app there. He stared at it for a while, his heart hammering, his palms sweaty. He had no idea of what he was doing. He was terrified, and yet... He knew part of his problem was that he didn't trust his instincts. It was being governed by his instincts, his wants, and his emotions that had led him here in the first place. Now his instincts and emotions were all over the place, trying to drag him in two directions. He had no idea what to do, as though he was going to fuck up at every turn. But everything else was falling apart anyway, so he felt like maybe he couldn't make things worse now. Not when he had screwed it all up anyway. Maybe it would even make things better. That didn't stop him from being terrified about everything else surrounding it. He knew he could go round and round like this all night, so in the end, he simply pressed call.
( What feels natural )

Characters: Adam and Charlie
Setting: Kitchen, B Block, midday

Adam was feeling better after his conversation with Hunter. Maybe Wren’s cards were right. New people, new path. The whole ‘moving on completely’ from Kyle part was harder to digest, but at least he kept from going back to his room to see what Kyle was doing. No, instead he just loitered around until he was supposed to meet Charlie for lunch. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this, but Charlie saying it was for Wren was motivation enough. He cared about Wren enough to try.
( the world's masked in shades of gray )

Characters: Adam and Hunter
Setting: B Block, mid morning

( and maybe a new friend )

Characters: Adam and OPEN
Setting: Kitchen, B Block, around noon

Adam took Wren's words to heart and forced himself out of his room. He hadn't changed. Or showered. Which was probably gross, but if he showered he had to put on Charlie's clothes and honestly he wasn't okay with that. It took a minute or two of wandering before he realized that the block had a kitchen now, which meant it really was cut off. It was hard to eat, but he knew he needed too. He hadn't in too long. His blood sugar was dropping, he could feel it, which meant he was choking down a glass of orange juice while he tried to find something real to eat that he knew he could stomach.

Characters: Charlie and Adam
Setting: Adam's new room (Charlie's old room), block B, morning

Adam run the whole way to his new room. Through the tunnel underground and straight on to the new door. He was close to time, he knew that. Too long loitering with Kyle, but he wasn't just running because he was out of time. The tears were falling before he'd left Kyle's side, but running helped keep them mostly at bay. Just as planned, his braclet with the ID tag on it, the one Kyle had re-made for him, opened the door to the new room he'd been assigned. Once inside, he realized, belatedly, that it was someone else's. That it wasn't his, it wasn't empty. Which meant either someone had his things...or his things were gone.

Adam didn't make it any farther than just inside the door. Someone else's things were scattered about, not his shield, his sword, the painting or the dragon from Wren. The clothes in the drawers weren't his either, if there were any in the drawers. That guitar in the corner definitely wasn't his. And Adam had no idea if he'd get his things back. Ever. It was enough to send him over the edge, sobs shaking his frame until he found himself on the floor, back against the door, alternating between sobbing and hyperventilating. Everything was gone. Kyle was gone and not just because Adam had been informed that it was better for them that they took time apart. Wren's name had been on the other list too, which meant his other best friend was gone. Adam was stuck in a room that wasn't his, that didn't have his things and he'd never felt so alone in his life.

( Not what he needed )

Characters: Kyle and Adam
Setting: Courtyard, just after 7am

Kyle was one of the first out of his room and into the courtyard when the alarm sounded. Swearing loudly, and dressed in cotton pants and a white t-shirt, he wasn't certain whether he should be rubbing the sleep from his eyes, or covering his ears. He hardly even realised that the door had unlocked before he was standing out in the dawn light and his bedroom door had closed and locked behind him.

Once he caught onto all those facts, he hesitated for a moment and looked around at the other people doing the same. That was when he saw the screen and walked towards it. He didn't need more surprises today. Yesterday had been one huge ball of shit. Today he looked like a mess: his hair was all over the place, he hadn't shaved, his eyes were red from hours of crying and he had the worst headache. Now what?
( and we're bad at goodbyes )

Characters: Autumn and Adam
Setting: Autumn's room, midday

( with even more to come )

Characters: Kyle and Adam
Setting Kyle's room, very much pre-dawn

Sleeping with Ru had been fun, that much Adam couldn’t deny. But the moment it was over reality was filtering in and he couldn’t quite handle things. Which meant as soon as her breathing evened out he was bailing, pulling on enough of his clothes to get out of there, leaving her a note that said thanks and he’d see her later. There was no way he could trust that sleeping next to Ru would keep the nightmares away. Not even close. He was sure if the moment the door to her room closed behind him and he already had flashes of Ella dead. Then Ru dead, taking Ella’s place, the scar on her neck that he’d noticed but hadn’t asked about turned into a gash.

( very unhappy )

Characters: Adam and Wren
Setting: Wren's room, morning
( it's rather simple )

Characters: Everyone at the Masquerade
Setting: The courtyard, evening-night

The decorations had been set up with the help of a ton of people, music was getting played, and there were costumes for everyone. The night was going to be great, hopefully, just what everyone needed. Autumn looked around from the second floor balcony, and smiled, thinking this couldn't be better. It was exactly what she'd wanted it to be.

Characters: Adam, Jim, and OPEN
Setting: The bar, 8pm

Adam had picked up Kyle and headed down to the bar early to help set up for the game. It turned out, Jeremy had been up to quite a bit the night before, round table already set off to one corner and chairs pulled around it. There was a box of decks of cards and chips behind the bar as well. Even Kyle settled easily enough, off to one end of the bar with a coke that he wouldn't let Adam add rum to. So, Adam went about emptying the dishwasher, putting glasses away while he waited for Jim and Jeremy.
( deal 'um up )

Characters: Adam and Mazie
Setting: morning, Mazie’s room

( Since it had been a while )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Early morning, Kyle's room

( And Some Understanding )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Kyle’s room, evening

( And posing )

Characters: Adam, Jeremy and Jim
Setting: The bar, afternoon

( Getting things organised. )