Chahid Narayanan

Chahid, 26 years old, Non-binary, they/he, Farmhand

[chahid-narayanan]

NAME: Chahid Narayanan NICKNAME: none AGE&DOB: 26 years old, September 27th 1994 GENDER&PREFERRED PRONOUNS: non-binary, they/he PLACE OF BIRTH: Portland, USA NATIONALITY: American ETHNICITY: Malayali Indian ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good FAMILY: a father, a stepmother and two half siblings. SEXUALITY: homosexual MARITAL STATUS: single RELATIONSHIP STATUS: it’s complicated

TIME IN FAIRVALE: Since February 2020, 4 months OCCUPATION/POSITION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY: Farm hand

THREE POSITIVE TRAITS: Cooperative, attentive, protective THREE NEGATIVE TRAITS: Indecisive, avoids confrontations, reluctant

TLDR; (religion tw) Chahid was raised to be a good Christian boy, told to forget his father and the religion he would’ve wanted him to follow. In a new city, with a new father, and new expectations, Chahid knew they would never be enough. First they were branded a delinquent and heathen when their parents found out they were practicing Hinduism and ‘attacking’ their stepfather, then they were blamed for their niece’s disappearance and lost their hearing in an incident. After a few years in California, the world just happened to end when they were back at their parent’s place. They didn’t wait for Chahid to come over, and if it hadn’t been for Maverick and his small group of survivors, Chahid wouldn’t have made it very far. 

A FEW HEADCANONS

Hasn’t yet dared to come out as gay or non-binary.

They have a hearing aid, but it does nothing. They know how to lip-read and us ASL - thanks to Sloane.

They were once a teacher, but haven’t dared to ask for a position as such because they’re afraid it will be difficult with them being deaf. 

They will fight anyone for Maverick. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Fellow farm hands.

People with kids because Chahid will either go heart eyes or do whatever they can to help. 

Friends who also still go to church and find solace in God. 

Friends who are friends with Maverick.

The occasional flirt - though neither really knows they’re doing it. (must be Cis-male or NB) 

(Former) miscommunications due to Chahid’s hearing loss. 

People they can communicate in ASL with and become THE BEST buddies with because so many inside jokes. 

[chahid-narayanan]

thehollyxwood​:

“company’s good.” she nods before leading chahid through the small groups of people until they reach the council break room, thankfully free of any people including the council members that should be rightfully using it.

still stella had always told her to make use of it when she needed to, and she needed to now, every face she saw being a reminder of the one face she didn’t, and while the quiet was rather unsettling compared to the cacophony in other areas of town hall, it was better that it was only her and chahid in the room, at least for her nerves.

she sets about making her drink, turning to her companion as she does “there’s tea if you prefer - if you’re not much of a coffee drinker that is - i personally don’t think i’d be able to survive without my minimum five cup a day intake.”  logan had once joked she’d probably be able to burn through his imaginary NFL salary by latte consumption alone, an over-exaggeration maybe but also not as far from the truth as one would imagine - if she’d ever been given the opportunity to try she probably could have come close “or water, they keep bottled water somewhere around here?”

she slides into a seat once her drink is prepared, takes a long drink and lets the heat of the liquid spread through her insides, warming her body in ways the rest of her can’t feel, looks over at chahid and tries to make conversation despite the fact she’s still trying to fight through her anxiety “was i interrupting anything by dragging you off to join me in my pity party?”

Chahid inflated a little when she ignored most of what they had said. Maybe she thought it wasn’t worth answering too, maybe she thought they weren’t worth answering too. They hugged their arms to their chest as they walked along with her, sometimes looking up to scan the room, wanting Mave’s arms around them, wanting to slip their head into the crook of his neck and be held tight. The feeling so overwhelming they almost missed it when she spoke again. “No, I am good,” they added. “I don’t like to drink more than my fill,” they added. And while tea was nice, they were far too on edge now to drink any of it. “I guess we’ll have to find a different way to produce coffee soon then.” They figured whole fields of it, if they wanted to keep up with the demand. 

They sat down too, ignoring the creeping feeling of just returning to their perch at the window, wait there for Mave or Sloane to come around. But they didn’t, too afraid of being judged for feel uncomfortable. “No… I was just staring out of the window,” they informed her, biting their teeth together. “Why is this a pity party?” They asked, though their heart wasn’t in the question. They felt shut down, sharing anything about themselves was already a struggle, then to not be acknowledged when talking about not being acknowledged… Chahid just collapsed in on themselves.

[chahid-narayanan]

soloharper​:

“They could. It’s the entire idea that they might talk back to you that worries me,” she explained. The last thing any of them needed in a time like that, was to lose their minds. Not that Harper believed them to be completely sane, to begin with. They all had their struggles, and at the end of the day, they had to live with their consciences— since they were all still alive, it was impossible not to assume they were all at least somewhat messed up.

“Which helps a lot,” Harper agreed, though made a mental note to mutter fewer things to herself in their presence. “And maybe if we’re not up to much sometimes, you can teach me some new things,” her shoulders moved up and down with a shrug. Talking in a language that not too many people would understand? Could be a wise means of communication, and absently, she thought of telling Kaz about it. The thought dissipated as fast as it crossed her mind.

She didn’t laugh at the joke, and Chahid tried to not be self-conscious about that. Maybe she honestly didn’t think it was funny, or maybe she thought they were crazy. Chahid bit their lip and nodded. “Oh… they don’t,” they informed her.

They smiled at the offer, not sure they were a great teacher, but loving the idea of people thinking about wanting to learn it. The fact that they hadn’t already… it would be a handy tool out there, at least for hearing folks, to be able to communicate without making the zombies aware. “Sure, I’d love to,” they said, signing along with the words. 

[chahid-narayanan]

betterthangrief​:

Mel nodded, they’d articulated it well. “Right? I don’t understand what they’re celebrating. What did we achieve?”

Hesitating for a beat or two, Mel offered a hand. “I’m Mel. Here to prove to my family I can play well with others.” She grinned, but it was tinged with sarcasm. “What’re you in for?”

It wasn’t exactly what they had meant, but they didn’t correct her. It was easier to just have this come to the conclusion. At least they both had some form of mutual understanding over it. “Chahid,” they said, over-articulating their name because of the noise they assumed was running through the club. “I don’t know… peer pressure? From… from myself, I guess. I thought it might be weird if I was absent… not… not that I think a whole lot of people would miss me if I didn’t show up.” They paused. “Who are your family?” 

[chahid-narayanan]

liviawilliams​:

“not yet.” livia shook her head with a frown, hating the fact that she didn’t have better news to share yet “i know they’re sending people out to look as soon as the storm lets up some.”

around town at least - she wasn’t sure when they’d send teams out for their missing people outside the gates or even if it would be necessary to do so. the recruiters, the runners - there was a good chance they’d turn up on their own before too much time had passed…there was a also a chance though that they wouldn’t turn up at all.

“who are you missing?” she wills the negative thoughts away, and concentrates on the person in front of her “we can take a quick look around town hall and see if we can find them.”

Chahid looked around, they were very happy where they were seated. Or that wasn’t true… they weren’t sure where else to be. The feeling of being useless through all of this sweeping through. At least during the illness they had a chance of helping out… till they got sick that was. And now? Now there was barely a thing that Chahid could add. They could go around… see if people needed help, but experience had taught them they were much better with plants and animals than they were with humans. 

“Uhm Sloane, but I heard she… uhm, I heard she was out there… in… outside of the gate,” they said. They felt a chill pass through them.

[chahid-narayanan]

southernrays​:

“S’alright if it isn’t your thing,” Ray answered with another kind smile and slight bob of his head. He took a sip of the beer in his hands. Ray wasn’t sure why someone would come if they didn’t like karaoke, but he can’t fault people for wanting to be apart of the experience. The whole party just felt so surreal and nostalgic. Ray felt himself get swept up in the crowd multiple times that night, and had been shirking his bartending duties a little. He would get back to the bar in a couple of minutes.

“Can I get ya something? A beer? A spot in the karaoke line?”

Chahid’s eyes widened a little at the offer, both offers, offered to them. They felt odd, mostly because clearly they weren’t enjoying themselves, yet they had dragged themselves there anyway, and were being a burden to other people. They tried to remind themselves that it was just other people caring for them, and that was alright, that was good.

“I am good on those two accounts,” they said quickly, doing their best not to rush through the words. “I don’t drink alcohol anymore… and being deaf doesn’t make karaoke very easy.”

[chahid-narayanan]

maverickmoore​:

Maverick had been one guard duty when the Sky hard started to darken. Despite Holly’s orders, he still worked a shift a week at the gates. Sitting around, waiting for his ankle to heal was too much nothingness for him to do. Even if he took up another job, he still wouldn’t have been following the medics orders.

Even after someone came to get him and the other guards to seek shelter, he was one of the last’s to enter town hall. If anybody asked, he was prepared to blame his ankle injury when in reality he was reluctant to leave the gates unguarded. All he could think as he made his way through the wind and rain, rifle still sling across his back, was how easily something could go wrong. The walls could be weakened by the harsh winds and nobody would know until freaks were roaming the streets.

“Probably not.” He advised, looking past Cha’s shoulder at the rain pelting the glass. Had the town been prepared for the storm, they might have had time to reinforce the windows or at the vary least bar them over. “Just to be safe we should stay closer to the middle of the building, away from windows and crap. Come on.”

The sight of Mave whenever Chahid felt like they were in a particularly dangerous situation always got their heart thumping. Even though being close to Mave already was a comforting experience, there was always the happiness to be close, near. 

It was an almost natural reaction to him that whatever he said, they followed. They would fall in step besides him, knowing he would protect them. Even if inside now, it didn’t feel like danger was lurking. “Okay,” they said. They rubbed their hands together and tried for a smile. “I am glad you’re inside too,” they said, for the first time admitting to themselves that they had worried for Mave at some point. But they always did, even if he wasn’t on as many shifts as usual. “Are you okay?” they asked, even if he looked alright enough, they needed confirmation.

[chahid-narayanan]

merrickwccd​:

Merrick smiled up at them; she hadn’t exactly ventured outside of her circle lately, but she knew enough people by face around town to have recognized Chahid. Being someone else - god, a thought that she’d craved for weeks, really, the desire to be in someone else’s skin. Someone who wasn’t her, who wasn’t feeling hopeless and mournful over things she had no control over. 

“Who are you looking for?” she asked instead, standing and leading them back to the relative safety near the doors, at least. “Maybe I can help you find them. If you want help.” It would give her a reasonable excuse for evading her sister at this crucial time, at least, for avoiding the question of why she wasn’t more worried about those that were out there, lost to the whims of nature. 

At least it’s only nature they have to contend with, she thought bitterly, glad she could bite that remark down - a storm was worse than people, she knew, could leave you isolated and stranded and gone. But she still couldn’t find it in her to worry - not yet - and instead offered a smile to Chahid. “I’m a particularly good hider, so I can usually find people pretty easily too.”

Chahid’s eyes widened and they swallowed. They could just say it, it wasn’t weird that they were looking for Maverick. It wasn’t as if by admitting that they were admitting that Maverick meant more to them and just as a friend. They weren’t showing some bad side of themselves, weren’t outing themselves.

“Uhm Yami, she’s my roommate, I just want to check if she’s okay,” they said, or more over: they lied. 

They hadn’t seen Yami anywhere either, so it felt like a safe bet. Though Mave and Yami both were capable people they didn’t need to worry about, they hoped…

[chahid-narayanan]

thehollyxwood​:

“if it helps any i think everyone pretty much assumes the same thing about me as well.” which was why she was never really taken seriously when she offered to go outside the walls, why people assumed she couldn’t handle herself - she supposes in a way they’re right, if the panic attack she’s trying very hard to stave off is anything to judge by - but it was still a little insulting.

not for the first time during a crisis, holly finds herself almost wishing an injury on a person, not because she wants to see chahid in pain, she never wants to see anybody in pain (besides maybe one or two people in her past who could do with the learning experience) but because the process of taking care of somebody, the process of healing, is a much better use of her frenetic worrying than driving herself insane with her own imagination.

she nods at chahid’s observation, eyes drifting out the window to take the scenery in before she turns back to face them “it is lovely - i used to love thunderstorms, sometimes they’d be the only way i could drift off to sleep peacefully.”

now though she thinks she might grow to hate them, the howling wind, the cracks of thunder - devastating instead of soothing.

“if you’re not hurt, how about a coffee?” she makes the offer nodding towards the hall, in the general direction of the council staffroom “i know where stella hides the good stuff, so we can bypass the crowds if you’re not in a social mood.”

“I don’t mind it,” Chahid admitted. “I think growing up I would’ve wished to have more of it. Being seen as someone who’s… independent can get kind of lonely.” And that was very much the emotion they had felt growing up. The only brown kid in a predominantly white neighbourhood, they had always gotten stereotypes flung their way, and never the understanding they had craved for. Sure, their stepfather had gone to school to fight for the kid that wasn’t his, but he had simply wanted for the issue to be forgotten, not acknowledged. 

“It’s… it shows people care, right? So it’s a good thing, especially if you’re not really good at asking for help… which is me.” 

They smiled, nodding, yet sadly they could remember what thunderstorms were like, but didn’t have a specific memory surrounding them. “Sometimes I do wish I could hear it, especially the rain. I just try to imagine that it sounds calming.”

Their facial expressions didn’t change much at the offer of coffee, it had never been something they drank a lot of. They had, once in their life, mixed with alcohol. But now, no more than one a day, if they even remembered. “I’ll join you for company,” they suggested, taking a first step in the direction of wherever she wanted to go. Back to people. 

[chahid-narayanan]

merrickwccd​:

open starter / @thecatastrophicstarters​ / stormy weather, pt i

merrick loved storms. 

growing up in an old farmhouse, storms brought wind and noises one that could send shivers down your spine, power outages easily putting them into pitch darkness, a spookiness that, as a teen, merrick adored. 

storms were a burden when she got older, something she had to endure as she went to work, traveling through blizzards and blustery winds and torrential downpours. but there was no work now - she was still being sidelined for supply runs, though she often disappeared on her own, finding herself in the papers office or the bar working on her own novel more often than not. 

which meant, for the first time in years, she could truly enjoy it. 

everyone else was terrified - a sound reaction to a summer storm like this - huddled inside the makeshift town hall. she should have been comforting her sister, a small voice lecturing her for not immediately running to holly’s arms. logan was out there, ethan was in the warehouses - but merrick couldn’t make her feet move towards the one she knew needed solace the most. 

instead, she sat on the steps of the town hall, the rain seeping into her pores as she let it wash over her. the winds were still strong, but not strong enough to pull her away - instead, she let it envelope her completely, only startling when the sound of someone’s voice called her name. 

“i’m fine,” she yelled back - she had to yell, to be heard - but the clouds were darkening again, and she knew it was probably not long before she had to return to the inside world again, her shoulders sinking slightly as she did. “come out here for a minute,” she invited instead, “it’s incredible.” 

Eventually, when the loneliness grew too heavy, Chahid went to look for Maverick. Their brain warned them against it, suggested alternatives. They should hide somewhere else, surely there were still rooms in Town Hall unoccupied. They could even hide out in the toilet. They could sleep as well, it wasn’t as if the sound of the rain would keep them awake.

Instead they wandered once again. 

They noticed a figure outside of City Hall and called out Maverick’s name, not sure if they yelled loud enough. The figure responded in movement and Chahid took a step outside, hugging their jacket to their body in an effort to fight off the cold. 

When they reached the figure it turned out not to be Maverick. They offered a slight smile, chilly in the wind. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” they said, not catching a single word she had said.

[chahid-narayanan]

cxllettejacxbsxn​:

who: open starter ( @thecatastrophicstarters​ )

when & where: one of the offices inside town hall, night of the 26th of july.

getting high during a natural disaster was probably not the smartest way someone should cope with yet another shitstorm (this time hilariously she could say that in the literal sense). using a council persons office as her own private drug den was probably a bad decision too but honestly at this stage colette was running out of fucks to give.

what could possibly happen if she got caught anyway? they lock her up for the night? make her sit through a lecture? ‘don’t do drugs, drugs are bad!’

anyone with any authority had better things to do.

the green fay had provided her with at a decent token rate was hitting the spot though, stronger than what madison grew, smoother too but she suspects that has something to do with all the sweet talk fay exposes them to, all the ‘you’re growing for me so well babies’ colette likes to amuse her self with imagining they mutter in the crops direction.

by the time she hears the door creak open she’s got a nice little buzz going on, her thoughts blurring pleasantly so she’s not at all bothered by the events happening outside her own little private cocoon.

“i’m warning you now if you’re planning on settling here - if you ruin my high we’re gonna have issues.”

Escaping the crowds seemed like their best option. They could tell themselves as much as they liked that they shouldn’t be trying to translate what people were saying around them, but that didn’t mean they didn’t. It was hard to press that instinct down, and with how dark it was in there, and the amount of people there were, Chahid had to run off. 

They had tried to find Maverick, but a sense of fear washed over them at the thought of seeking him out with so many eyes watching, so they wandered instead. Finding themselves opening a random room in search of a place to really be alone, when the smell of weed hit them. “Oh,” they said, catching half of what she was saying. “I can find some other place,” they suggested, standing in the doorway as they waited for her answer.

[chahid-narayanan]

liviawilliams​:

who: open starter ( @thecatastrophicrpg​ )

when & where: mid afternoon - town hall

of all the things to hit them while they’re still in recovery mode…a natural disaster hadn’t made livia’s list of potential problems.

a raging storm is surprisingly easier to deal with though then kidnappings and random debilitating illnesses especially once she reaches town hall and reassures herself that her brother and fletcher are both safe and accounted for.

the council seem to be run off their feet, people trapped outside the walls and people missing that should be safely within, so liv had tracked down jesse once she’d arrived (unwilling to take direction from any of his co-leaders) and thrown herself into the task he’d directed her to - approaching the people trying to settle in town hall, taking care of their trivial needs, extra blankets, a cup of something hot…

fairvale was her home,  helping out in some small way -it was the least she could do.

she maintains a calm expression with every person she approaches, easy because despite everything she’s feeling calmer than she has in weeks anyway, and as she taps them on the shoulders or waves to get their attention she asks some variation of the same question too.

“do you need anything?”

Chahid felt awkward, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do, and once again they found themselves feeling lonely and fidgety in a large group. People were talking all around them, but Chahid simply had to force their brain not to focus on the moving lips, knowing full well they couldn’t follow the conversation. They had their hearing aid on their lap, it usually caught loud noises, or at least sent some feedback through to their brain that there had been a loud noise, but it hadn’t heard the thunder, and they wondered how it would translate the closeness with a whole group of people.

Better safe than sorry and keep it out. They looked up when a hand was placed on their shoulder, tensing up a little. They knew it wasn’t Maverick, and Sloane also had a different way of approaching them. “Oh,” they said, refraining from shaking their head. “No, I think I’m good… have… do you know if any… uhm, anyone who was accounted for yet… if any of them have come back?”

[chahid-narayanan]

thehollyxwood​:

she’d never been much bothered by the georgia weather, sure freak storms were few and far between but she’s not unfamiliar with them. back in riverside, when her and merrick had been younger, it was the type of weather that would have them racing outside onto their property, barefoot, hair whipping around them as they stood under the downpour and let the droplets soak into their skin until their mother would call them inside when the wind became too much to withstand.

but logan’s stuck out there, and this kind of weather is nothing if not unpredictable - she’s trying not to think about it, trying to remain at least semi-logical and calm…she’s failing.

“no you should be fine… at least for now. it looks like it might be calming down.” she approaches chahid cautiously, not wanting to startle them, distraction being the one thing she could cling to right now in order to make sure she doesn’t lose what little sanity she has left “is there anything you need though? you made it in without any injury?”

Chahid nodded, but didn’t look back outside to check her statement, afraid of missing anything else. They blinked, then shook their head. “I was close by,” they said. “Not at the farm.” They paused. “I think… people see me and already assume I need to be dragged places,” they admitted with a little smile. Back home they never experienced it, always standing their own ground, never pitied. Even when they had gone back to school there were few who seemed to take them into account. 

The world had shrunk however, and suddenly there was no way around everyone knowing they were deaf. Suddenly people seemed to make the mental note that they couldn’t follow certain things. Maverick had often come to their aid, Fletcher was trying to learn ASL because of his accent. People simply… cared. 

“I know it isn’t, but it looks oddly peaceful out there, under a veil of rain.” Especially now they couldn’t feel the wind.

[chahid-narayanan]

WHEN: 26th of July WHERE: Town Hall WITH @thecatastrophicstarters

Chahid had felt the wind, seen the rain, noted the panicked looks on the faces around them, but had gotten little of the actual surprise themselves. Maybe it was because the thunder was the most pressing matter. The sound of something crashing down from the sky. The little beams of lightening simply didn’t have the same effect of necessity, of imminent danger. 

They had to be ushered inside, not completely understanding. Not until they were standing inside City Hall watching the rain pour down outside. It was very much a storm. They turned to someone who was walking up to them - or maybe towards the window. “Sorry, should.. should I not be at the window?” 

[chahid-narayanan]

maverickmoore​:

As Maverick talked, he felt a sensation of nausea growing in the pit of his stomach. Was it wrong of him to be talking, knowing that the person he was talking to couldn’t hear him? Most definitely. Although that was the main reason he was talking right now. To admit things he felt ashamed to feel without having to deal with the consequences of saying them or even feeling them. If he had truly wanted to talk, he would have made an effort to find someone who could listen or turned on a light, anything really. But that wasn’t his style. His burdens were his own to bear.

In the morning, Maverick would wake up early like he always did when he snuck into the older’s room. He would sneak out, like he used to do when he was a teenager and staying the night where he wasn’t supposed to, and slip back into his own room or downstairs before any of their roommates were any the wiser. He’d do his best to leave before Cha woke up, wanting the older to get more sleep since he always felt bad for disturbing him. He might even slip out before falling back asleep himself, pretending that this interaction never happened. If he lived in denial, he wasn’t hurt anybody but himself…right?

“I’m gonna have to tell him about Dad…he’s gonna be curious. He knew I was Dad’s to watch…baby brother always needs someone to watch him.” He continued on his tangent, his voice shaking as more tears rolled down his cheeks. It was the dynamic he always seemed to fall into. The little brother who couldn’t take care of himself. Somebody always had to watch out for him. When he was adopted, the twins were always looking out for him. In the evac center, the twins watched out for each other and Dad watched out for him after Mom got sick. On the road it was Cha who took care of him, if only on different ways. In town it was a combination of a lot of people. Fletcher took care of him like any big brother should. Even Kai and Ma got on his ass almost every time they saw him, giving him a hard time, showing they cared in their own ways.

Chahid pressed their nose into Mave’s hair, listening, their body constantly reacting to his closeness, to every movement that happened between them, every single moment he talked. They could feel his jaw move and wonder at the words, wonder if they will ever hear what it was all about, wonder at what was so terrible about the nightmare he’d had, because usually this type of interaction followed a nightmare. It had the first few times, when Mave hadn’t been more to them than a tent buddy, but had needed comfort, and Chahid had been quick to support. 

And still were, even if the relationship between them was different now, stronger, more important, shaped. Even if they hadn’t been, Chahid knew they would’ve been there if Mave needed the comfort of another person. Having spent so many nights beside him, it felt almost natural. Though now those nights were less likely, with both of them sleeping in different rooms. With Mave sneaking out in the morning to not get the attention of any of their roommates. They had become professionals at it, which made Chahid’s constantly fear less, but also made them feel worse for Maverick. Sure, they still hoped nobody would ever notice, they still wanted to keep things a secret between them, but they also knew they would feel better if Mave was just beside them whenever they fell asleep, so they could be there for him, and because his company made them feel saver too.  

[chahid-narayanan]

soloharper​:

Harper didn’t give the statement much more thought. She had, after all, heard that some plants thrived at the sound of classical music. And, if they were honest, much weirder things had happened to ensure good harvests. They needed those crops more than anything else. “I would start worrying if they ever said hi back,” she squinted a little at the idea. Harper furrowed a single eyebrow as she tried to remember the things she had learned. “A few other things. I haven’t used it in what feels like a lifetime,” she revealed through another series of hand gestures.

They grinned. “Who knows, I can’t hear them anyway, maybe they have whole conversations when I am around,” they offered, making jokes about their hearing was new, but they felt slightly proud if having been able to catch it.

“I can also lip read,” they suggested, not wanting to stress her with trying to come up with all the signs. It had been a struggle for them to learn, especially in a community where everyone could hear and nobody really helped them.

[chahid-narayanan]

theluckycharm​:

When: Mid-morning

Where: The Farm

Who: Anna Lucky and @chahid-narayanan​

It wasn’t like her to get into arguments with her dad, ever. It was one of the reasons she had planned to leave before the world fell. She just couldn’t disagree with him. Not because he was too domineering or heavy handed…Lucky just couldn’t tell him no. Anyone else she could play like a piano, but her father? Nope. So instead of doing the mature thing and going to him to sit down and talk it out, she avoided him. Not really that hard even though they now lived in a town with walls around it. She just made a point of always being busy. Simple enough given her job. Like today, she got up early to go harvest some veggies for the central supplies. That would keep her out of the house all day. 

“Hey,” she waved cheerily at the person already in the field. She’d met them before. Even got an apple out of the deal. Funny considering she now worked around them most days. “So you had the same idea I did. Get some of this squash loaded up for supply. I think we could do some cucumbers and peppers too. I know they are hurting for whatever. I bet we could fill the truck today between the two of us. What do you think?”

Chahid enjoyed working at the farm, most of the time they could dream the day away and not notice anything going on around them. There was always a next task, something more to do, an hour or a day to fill. When they were out of chores, they would go home. There wasn’t much of a schedule they kept to. 

When they saw someone wave in the corner of their eye they straightened up and waved back, eyes on her to follow her words, they smiled. “Probably,” they agreed. “I also saw a couple of tomatoes that have grown enough to be picked,” they informed her. They were never sure about the peppers, but the cucumbers looked good. “Maybe we can pluck some of the salad as well? The weather has been very humid lately, I don’t them to overshoot.”