the jock.

adam danvers roth. 18.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@fernbright

“God,” Fern breathed, shaking her head slowly. She couldn’t imagine being there, witnessing the death of one of their classmates. A pang of guilt at Adam’s mention of failure, it spoke to her own. But Adam hadn’t been the one to send Britt into the forest, he hadn’t asked her to go. Fern had. She had asked something of them and one of them had died because of it. She had to own that.

“Adam if anything could have been done, Betty would have done it. That’s one of the reasons she went. None of you could have known that was going to happen. ” Fern said gently, ignoring the fact that she also couldn’t have known this would happen. “The important thing is that she had her friends with her in her last moments,” Fern trusted that the group would have comforted Britt when they realised how bad things were. When all practical options were exhausted, you just loved people. That’s all they could do.

Fern did know that Tony, Cricket and Aurora were still in the forest. She hated it, especially not having any way to contact them, but there was nothing she could do about it. So she would wait for their return and not let herself think about it too much. They would not be lost too. Fern refused to accept that as a possibility. “We don’t know that yet,” Fern said. “They might find a way out. We can’t lose hope.” The tea now ready, Fern moved to pour Adam a mug, sliding the milk and sugar over to him if he wanted to add that too.

“We are preparing for the worst, just in case that is not the news they come back with,” Fern told him, not wanting to look like she was ignoring reality or being overly optimistic. “How are the others? Betty and Regulus?”

“None of us are prepared for what’s out there.” He looked over towards her, his eyes red and his face weary. Adam let out a short laugh that he tried to stop. “Friends. She had Betty and Tony. I guess Tony was her friend.” He looked away, somewhat ashamed. “She made me so mad. The whole forest... I just felt angry. There wasn’t even a reason. I left her in their hands because I couldn’t stand to look at her after arguing with her.”

He wiped at his face a few times before giving up and letting a few tears continue to streak down his face. “Hope is for suckers, Fern.” Adam wanted to still have hope, and if he was being truthful, part of him still did. But watching Britt die had done more to him than he could put into words.

“Betty is tougher than anyone I’ve ever met.” Sniffling some, he took a deep breath. “But I think it’s because she’s got something to work towards. Determination. I’ve seen that look before. Reg though... I drove him home. I don’t know how to help. I plan on checking on him later but...” Trailing off, Adam wished he could go back to hiding in his room. He would have to go check on Remy too and was planning to just stay in the bunker for as long as possible. He missed his boyfriend.

“How are you going to tell people?” he asked, his voice getting quieter as he struggled to remain present and not get lost in his own thoughts. It was like a darkness or heaviness was settling over him and he just wanted to give in and be swallowed up.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@fernbright

“Don’t worry about it,” Fern brushed off his apologies as she led him into the kitchen. “I actually only just moved in her permanently, so you’re lucky you found me.” Fern started getting things ready for tea. Tea always helped her feel a bit better when she wasn’t doing so well. But having not slept more than a couple of hours again, she needed the extra caffeine.

“Tony did?” Fern asked, surprised that those were the next words to come out of his mouth. She didn’t know how she felt about that. But some part of her was glad, that he’d thought of it. That she wasn’t having to seek people out to know what was going on. It would make it easier to know what to do (she hoped) once she knew more about what had actually happened from somebody who had witnessed it.

“Of course, I’m glad you’re here,” she told him, gesturing for him to sit at one of the stools near the kitchen counter. Fern was nervous. “What happened?” she asked him, her voice gentle.

Adam didn’t question what she meant about just moving in. It wasn’t important right now. Instead he followed her into the kitchen. “He said you could provide some damage control,” he answered honestly. Adam sat at the counter and ran his hands over his face again.

“We were walking.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to give too much detail but she deserved information. “We had been walking for hours and nothing. It was just trees and more trees. I don’t know why, but the gun girl, she pulled Britt aside.” Adam sat in silence for a moment, reliving the day in his head. The shock, the fear. Swallowing hard, he shifted in his seat. “The next thing we know, she’s calling for help because Britt was hurt.”

He looked up at Fern, anguish all over his face. “We couldn’t help her, we didn’t know what to do. There was a snake out there. We don’t-- I’ve never seen a poisonous snake around here. The girl, Betty? Betty. She kind of held it together enough to get Britt comfortable. But there wasn’t anything we could do.” Adam inhaled deeply, still seeing the dead body of a girl he didn’t know very well at all. “We failed and now she’s dead.”

Adam got quiet again, realizing that a few tears were now sliding down his face. “Cricket managed to put together a stretcher and we wrapped her in foil like leftovers. There was no way we could have buried her out there and we couldn’t just leave her.” Even if he’d wanted to at one point. “Reg and Betty and I carried her back. But I’m guessing you know that part. Tony and the Geek Squad stayed back though. They’re going to try and reach the Sound still. Truthfully though, I don’t think they’ll find it. It’s all just trees. We’re trapped here.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

“Be Gentle With Her, Please” - A Homecoming (Day Three)

cw: death, parent death (mention)

Betty, Reg, and Adam make it out of the woods. Drew and Artemio take over the last steps. Charlie is reminded of an old wound. Betty prepares to shepherd Britt to her final resting place.

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior​

“I get what you mean.” Tony said quickly, having mercy.

“Oh, I can think of a few.” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Never underestimate teenage stubbornness. Or rich people stubbornness. Or WASP stubbornness. Or teenage rich WASP stubbornness.”

“Thank you. And operative word being ‘care.’ The fact that I do is privileged information. So. Be careful with that.” There was a little bit of a threat in it, but Tony hadn’t really meant to. His face just kind of did that sometimes. “And you do have a hero complex. Your hero complex has hero complexes. You’re about to be purchased by Disney and whitewashed. That is how many hero complexes you have.”

Tony took a marshmallow of his own, then handed the bag back. “This is the last time we will be allowed to waste resources, I’d imagine, so let’s fucking go, Roth.”

He had to believe Britt wouldn’t mind. She knew boys were idiots. She knew he was an idiot. And she liked him all the same. He gave her one more glance. Here’s to you, gorgeous. This testosterone-fueled mess is for you.

Adam smiled, somewhat sadly, but nodded. “I won’t tell anyone,” he said with a quiet laugh. He missed this, he missed just being friends with Tony. But he’d messed that up and now he didn’t know how to get that back. It felt selfish to think about with Britt’s body just a few feet away from them.

Things weren’t ever going to be normal again and as Adam shoved a few marshmallows into his mouth, forcing his cheeks to expand, he realized he’d have to move on from this friendship too. He had to let Tony go so he could focus on surviving whatever the hell was happening to them.

[the end! of everything!]

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@fernbright

Fern was trying to keep it together. It just seemed the longer things went on, the worse they got. There were things she was planning for, but other things kept popping up as well. Things that she hadn’t expected. Things that were really, really bad. When Drew had called her from the edge of the forest to tell her that Britt was dead, she was overwhelmed with guilt. She had been the one to send the group into the forest. It was her fault. Fern had let herself cry, just for a few minutes. Alone in her new bedroom. She could have gone to Nell, but she knew her sister was already worried about her. Fern didn’t want to add to that.

Only half of them had come out of the forest. Tony, Cricket and Aurora were still in there. With the knowledge that going in there had meant the death of one of them, she wanted them back right now. She wanted them safe. The not knowing was slowly eating away at her.

But Fern was a leader. And leaders had to roll with the punches. So after she had allowed herself a few moments of weakness, she picked herself up and dried her tears. People needed her leadership, and she wasn’t going to let them down again.

She was in her Dad’s… her kitchen when she heard somebody knock at the door. Cup of coffee in hand, she made her way over, looking through the peep hole before she answered. Adam. Fern didn’t even get a greeting out before he threw the words at her, reminding her of what she had allowed to happen. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. Adam had seen it. Adam might have answers.

“I know,” she said sadly, her voice sympathetic. “I’m so sorry Adam. Come in. Do you want some tea?”

Tea? Adam nodded dumbly, not really listening and not really expecting much. He stiffly moved into the house with Fern, looking around the front entrance. She already knew, which wasn’t surprising, but he had promised Tony that he’d talk to her and bring her all of the information that he could. “Sorry to just... show up like this but I didn’t exactly know how else to find you or if this was even your house or--” Adam cut himself off, running a hand over his face. “Sorry.” He was tired and it carried in the way he was holding himself right now. But she looked tired as well, like she’d already been crying. He hadn’t cried, at least not about Britt.

Adam let his hands drop to his side. He shuffled his feet some, not sure where he was supposed to be. “Tony suggested I talk to you about everything that happened. So people don’t get scared. Well, scared in the wrong way. They shouldn’t go out there but we don’t need a panic.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

The snap of a branch in the woods. The crackle of a campfire. The wheeze of a dying breath. It echoes in their minds, the (incomplete) party that returns. They all knew in their hearts that something was wrong, but now it was clear.

Clear and cold, lying on the altar in the church they’d trashed less than 36 hours ago. 

What do you do when death comes to call, when what seemed like a strange vacation becomes a nightmare, when you come to suspect that you are truly, royally fucked. 

You try to hold out hope. There are still three watchers in the woods, looking for a (likely futile) sign. But one of you has fallen. Which means more of you can. There may not be a way out. 

So press play, and go.

[adamdanversroth]

@fernbright​

After getting Britt’s body back into town, Adam had immediately gone home, avoiding everyone. He was exhausted and grimy and confused. He’d showered and taken a quick nap, hoping he’d start to feel normal but it wasn’t coming. Instead he’d decided he just needed to talk. Grabbing a quick snack, Adam set out. Of course, he didn’t actually know Fern that well. After some walking, and spending a lot of time trying to map out the town in his head, he ended up at the house he thought was hers or at least that she might be at.

Knocking on the door, he waited, feeling a little more anxious than he thought he had any right to be. Surely she was aware that Britt was dead by now, but he hadn’t stuck around to see who had talked to anyone. Reg and Betty probably hadn’t even noticed him slip away.

The door opened and before he could stop himself or even greet whoever it was, Adam blurted out “Britt is dead.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior

Tony poked the fire with his stick. There Adam went, asking him questions he didn’t know the answer to. Ananya probably did. Fern maybe. But Fern didn’t understand people, not really. She just kind of optimist-ed her way through things. Somehow, making people believe in shit was one of her superpowers. Maybe she was the right person for the job in this instance. They could perhaps benefit from being a little out of touch with reality, if only until they had more information. “If you’re worried about it, get to Fern first. She can do sunshine hippie damage control or whatever.”

“People don’t need to be controlled, Roth, they need to be convinced. Present them a problem with a solution already baked in and they’ll calm down.” That was one of the darkest things Tony’d ever learned. How much people would give up for the illusion of safety, even if it was bowing down to the threat itself. Be the biggest threat, and you could also be the biggest protector.  

“You say Britt sacrificed herself to keep us safe, to get us further, so now you’re bringing her home while me and the nerds head forward. They could do to be scared. Maybe they won’t go in the fucking woods then.” He held out the marshmallow bag again. “I can only promise my usual level of stupidity, but it’s never included self-sacrifice so we’re good.”

Tony smiled sadly at Adam. “I know, man. Same. Truly. But you gotta deal with me as I am, okay? I don’t need you to wish me better or make me better or whatever. More forceful people than you have tried to ‘fix’ me and it ended badly for both of us. So if you want to be my friend, you’re gonna have to accept that I’m a dick and am fine with it, regardless of the consequences. Same way you’re a foolhardy teddy bear with a hero complex. There’s benefits to both. Takes all kinds.”

“I’ll try to get to Fern. We could use some sunshine damage control after this.” Adam looked back to where they’d placed Britt’s body and frowned. “I don’t mean it like that. But.. yeah. Fern will be able to help with that. I can’t see many of our classmates being ready to die just for the sake of saying fuck you to authority.” Adam took a few of the marshmallows from the bag as it was held out to him but didn’t eat them right away.

“I do. I try. I don’t want you to change, Tony. I just... maybe I just want you to see you the way I see you.” Adam stiffened up a little. “I see you as a good guy. You’re there for people. At least for the ones you care about. Sorry for trying to force you though.” He snorted, shaking his head. “I do not have a hero complex.” Adam ran his free hand through his hair. 

“Wanna see how many marshmallows I can fit in my mouth?” he asked after a few seconds, hoping to keep the mood light for now. There was too much darkness already. They needed some levity.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior​

“Well, I’m not asking you to.” Tony replied, equally cranky. “You’re tired. I’m tired. We’re all tired. That doesn’t fucking matter–” he swallowed, hearing himself. He sounded like his dad. A lot like his dad. Which would be fine. If Adam was Tony. Tony was able to handle this stuff because he’d been bred that way. No one else was supposed to be. Well, Leo was supposed to be, but that was a whole other can of worms.

“I’m sorry.” He said, softening. “That wasn’t– It’s good you’re not equipped for it. And you won’t have to be, okay?” He searched for Adam’s eyeline, perhaps in vain. “It stops here. All of it. That’s why you’ve gotta go back. You’ve got tell people that’s shit out here they shouldn’t touch. But failure’s in the eye of the beholder. Don’t hit yourself so hard that you can’t fight for the shit that matters.”

Adam sat in silence for awhile, letting Tony speak. He was right, they were both tired. But he seemed more adequately prepared than the rest of them. He and Aurora, at least.

He rubbed his face and tried to avoid eye contact again. “What am I supposed to say?” It wasn’t going to be easy and he wasn’t sure he could keep people from panicking. Maybe if he sought out Fern. She always seemed to calm people down somehow. She had done well at the meeting. “This is going to scare people. And you know we can’t control some of our classmates.” Adam finally looked up again.

“Don’t do anything stupid while you’re out here, alright?” Frowning some, Adam shifted so that he had a little more distance. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I want you to come home. You’re still my friend, dude.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior​

Tony felt his hackles rising. Tried to keep them down. He didn’t want to be called something he wasn’t, something he hadn’t earned. Fern had done the same thing. Just blinked when he’d explained exactly what his family’s expectations were. The kind of world he came from. The kind of world he was going to build. Why did he have to keep explaining this?

“Why am I not a dick? Because I stayed with Britt?” He was fixating. He knew it, but he was beginning not to care. It was the only good act he could think of in the last… well, ever right now. He’d triggered Trip, then told him something even more traumatic. He made his sister cry. Adam could barely look at him.

“Because I watched her die while the rest of you were processing or some shit? Which, like, I get it. We all mourn in our own way. We all panic in our own way. I was equipped to do it, so I did it.” And didn’t do the other thing. Tony thought, chastising. How many minutes of pain could he have saved her?

“Entrapta is a mad scientist anti-heroine in the reboot of She-Ra. You should watch it. It’s not as cool as Steven Universe but it’s close.” Cartoons were good for cooking. Little twenty-minute chunks were nice before you had to move onto the next step. “And I’m not saying give up on everyone. I’m saying cut yourself some slack. Because if you don’t, sure, you did fail her. How does it help to know that? Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Adam closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I don’t have the time or the energy to list all of the ways that I don’t think you’re not a dick, Tony,” he said, sounding even more tired than he had. The entire day was taking it’s toll on him right now. He just wanted to be home and to know Mia and Remy were safe. “Just because you do dumb things doesn’t mean you’re awful. It’s not that black and white.”

He ran a hand over his face. “You won’t believe me anyway. You’re doing that thing where you just put a wall up and tonight’s one of those nights where I can’t try to bring it down.” Adam finally looked up and over at Tony, staring at him. “I’m tired, Tony. A girl died today. I’m not equipped for that.” He just wanted to go back to before he’d ruined this friendship.

“I’ll check it out sometime.” If things ever went back to normal. If they got home. If Adam didn’t die here too. A frown settled on his face but he still didn’t avert his eyes from Tony’s. “Learning from my failures is all I can do.” Like he learned from how he’d failed Tony. “Because I’ve been failing a lot lately, it seems.” Adam finally broke eye contact and looked back at his hands.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior

Tony put a marshmallow on a stick and held it over the fire. “Why do people keep arguing with me about this? I’m a dick. It’s fine. It’s great actually. It’s freeing. I heartily recommend it if one has the means to be so.” Tony had to keep reminding himself that other people weren’t used to any level of violence, let alone the random horror of what had happened to Britt.

They’d wrapped the corpse in a space blanket so she looked like a very macabre Thanksgiving leftover. She deserved better, but he just didn’t know a more efficient way to try to keep her temperature down. “Sorry gorgeous.” he’d muttered each time he walked past her. Like whistling near a graveyard.

“But in the same token, you are smart, man. No one knows what the fuck is going on, not even Entrapta and Igor over there.” He nodded to the tent that held sleeping Aurora and Cricket. “So you get her home, and we’ll figure out what’s going on.”

Tony laughed softly with Adam, swallowing as he did. He was kind of proud of imaginary Britt in his head. Nailing those callbacks from beyond the grave. She is… was really quick on her feet. What she chose to do with it was up to her. It wasn’t what he would have chosen but sex also generally terrified him so.

“You can try, Roth, but you’re going to find yourself stressed and disappointed. And embarrassed of your temper. Story of my fucking life, by the way. It happens.” He didn’t want to get into it any further but he knew, or had known Adam, and he knew his outburst was out of character. “Just don’t set your standard so high that you never escape the hole.”

“I just don’t believe that it’s truly who you are,” Adam said wearily. He didn’t have the strength to keep up this conversation. Not tonight, and not with Tony. He stuffed the remains of his own marshmallow in his mouth, sitting there in silence for a moment as Tony kept talking. “Who?” he asked as he swallowed.

Adam looked over to the tent and chuckled. “Igor. Who is Entrapta?” The levity ended quickly though as he was brought back to reality. At least Reg would be with him. He felt safe with Reg. 

“At least I’ll have tried. I’m not going to give up on everyone. It’s not who I am.” Adam looked away from him. The problem was that he wasn’t embarrassed about his temper. He should have been but he couldn’t bring himself to right now. Britt wasn’t perfect and neither was he. “You know me well enough to know that, at least.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior

Tony sighed. “There’s plenty of things. Food. Company. Sunshine and shit. The world moves on, whether we want it to or not. No matter what you feel or how angry or scared you are. I’m not being a dick, I promise. Well, no more than usual.”  He finally looked at Adam. Saw him and agreed to be seen. It was as close as he’d get to admitting something was wrong and would be wrong even as the earth kept spinning. As far as his own upbringing would let him. (Did it still spin? In this Blair Witch Project sequel?)  But Adam always tried to get him further. It was weird. And kind of nice. But weird.

“Britt was a big girl. She handled a lot more risk than we give her credit for.” Tony poked the fire. Thinking about Brian, probably chilling with the soccer team and some stolen wine coolers right now. “We would have been fucked without her. I think she’d be the first to say it’s not our job to protect her from a fucking anaconda.” He ripped open the bag of marshmallows. “If Britt was here I would’ve walked right into that one. ‘Anaconda.’” He let himself laugh. A heavy, dry sound.

He held Adam’s gaze again. “You can’t save everyone, Roth.”

Adam frowned. “I know. You’re not a dick, Tony. You’ve never been...” Sighing, he reached over and took a couple of marshmallows. “I know those things matter. I know all of that. But it’s not everyday we see a dead body, and especially of someone we knew. Not like this.” He let his eyes drift back to Tony. “Things aren’t right. I know I’m not as smart as the rest of you, but even I can see that something’s wrong with the world.”

He picked at the marshmallow, not really wanting to think about Britt but not being able to think of anything else. He cracked a smile though when Tony brought up the girl’s ability to turn anything into an innuendo. “You can attack me with your anaconda if you want,” he joked weakly. The smile didn’t last though and he wished he could just look away from Tony right now.

“I have to try, Tony.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Three

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior

Nothing good happened at 2 AM. 2 AM was when it got quiet enough to hear his thoughts, when the party settled just before erupting into a last desperate attempt at bacchanalia before things closed out at 4. It was when Adam had tried to kiss him, and it was the hour at which Tony had finally let Britt’s stalker go home. Now it was the hour he’d agreed to keep watch. Because he was dumb. And guilty.

He hadn’t thought a lot about what he’d done to Brian at the time. He’d told himself it wasn’t about Britt, that her unnerving ease with the idea of someone stalking her hadn’t alarmed him in a way that sat in his chest for days afterward. These were the kinds of problems that weren’t your problem, his father would say. But maybe he wasn’t built that way.

Maybe there was some ill-advised insufferable white knight who’d somehow slid into his psyche unnoticed. Maybe he wanted to be the person Fern or Reg or even Adam thought he could be.

Fat load of good it did anybody, including Britt, who’d been so very alone at the end, even with him there. Suffering the way Betty said she would. Why hadn’t he cried yet? Was he ever going to? Was he supposed to? Did any of them have any right? Britt had been more than her innuendos and her daddy issues. She’d known what she was doing. She did her best. And now she was dead. No one could protect her. But it was still his problem. So many things were his problem.

Tony poked the fire, chewed on his failed experiment jerky. Adam was sitting across from him. He’d been trying to avoid that reality for at least an hour, but he didn’t like being alone with his thoughts, especially when they were lingering on things he couldn’t fix all while he was faced with something he actually could. He switched seats around the fire to get closer, then held out the bag of preserved meat to Adam. “Korean BBQ. Too heavy on the soy but useful after today.” It was a peace offering and a question. What the hell had happened.

Adam couldn’t sleep. Despite how much they’d been walking, despite everything they had been through, his mind was still racing, filled to capacity and spilling over.

He jumped slightly when Tony moved closer, having forgotten he wasn’t alone. “Thanks,” he answered, taking the offering. Adam glanced at Tony for a moment as they sat there in the firelight. The two of them had been ignoring each other off and on since their last talk at the church. But somehow that seemed a little silly now.

“I don’t think anything is ever going to help us get over today.” Adam stated honestly. He looked back to the fire and chewed thoughtfully. How were they even going to bury her? He didn’t want to think about it. What happened if things went back to normal? He didn’t want to think about that either.

“How are you holding up?” Adam wanted to ask if Tony and Britt had somehow gotten closer since That Night but it didn’t feel right. Things were different now. He just knew that somehow, some way, Tony was the only one who had been truly kind to her tonight. While he’d had his reasons, his own feelings he was dealing with, he still felt a twinge of guilt about how he’d reacted.

Adam’s stomach twisted and he exhaled heavily. “We fucking failed her.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

“Cleanse in Thine Own Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony.” - The Death of a Cheerleader (Day Two)

cw: death, body horror, guns

A pit stop becomes a bit stop. Old tensions die hard. New ones rise. The kids decide to split the party. 

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

“We’ll Be Back Before You Know It.” - The Send Off (Day Two)

The sun rose, just as it had every day. But there was a weight in the air, a presence. The woods waited, and as West Ham’s little party of teenagers donned their hiking gear and hefted their bags onto their backs, those who would be left behind lingered in little groups, nursing fears so deep they dared not speak them. They stood at the wrought iron bridge over Ham’s Creek, peering into the dark forest. How long could they wait before setting out? Who would go first? What would they find? Would it matter at all?

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Two

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior ; @reguluskhoo ; @plsdontgetattached

You know that moment in the action movie where the hero has to decide between stopping the villain and saving the girl? Tony was having that moment. Except he was the girl. And Reg was being threatened by the villain. Wait, that metaphor didn’t work at all.

“Britt.” He raised his head. “You. Me. That tree. Let’s go.” He pointed vaguely behind him and started walking, stopping only when he found a large enough tree to loop around and stay out of earshot.

“Whatever.” Adam didn’t care anymore. He was tired, he was sweaty, and he wanted to be out of the woods. “We’re out here for a reason, Britt, and it’s not so you can ogle Tony and Reg. It’s so we can figure out what the hell is happening around us. We could all be in danger but so far you’ve only been thinking about one thing.”

He didn’t like getting angry, he didn’t like raising his voice even a little bit, but the forest was definitely agitating him and making him feel a little off. “So either we can get going or I’m turning around, because I’m tired of being in these goddamn woods. But please, by all means, go feel up Alessi behind the tree. I’m sure everyone else will wait for you.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Two

[adamdanversroth]

@tonyalessijunior ; @reguluskhoo ; @plsdontgetattached

Tony wanted to kiss Reg right then. Well, figuratively. He’d had quite enough sexuality for one day. Or week. Or month. Or foreseeable future. Adam was still sitting, his eyes to the ground. Somehow he was being more awkward than Tony felt. It was endearing in a way. He’d always been too sweet for his own good.

The sun changed slightly through the leaves. Tony’s hypervigilance kicked in, sending his body into overdrive, his eyes watching for movement he knew logically he wasn’t going to see. But what was logic anymore? It had been hours. It was supposed to be impossible to get lost in America anymore.

Why was he quoting the fucking Blair Witch Project to make himself feel better?

Tony told himself to just drink water and breathe. Trust Reg. Ignore Adam. Alternately trust/ignore Britt and the nerds in the back and the weird Jesus girl with the fucking Resident Evil shoulder holster. This would be over soon. They had to hit the Sound at some point. This was getting ridiculous.

Adam was very happy to not be included in this conversation. And he was regretting even coming along on this excursion. There were too many exes at play here. Reg. Cricket. Tony. At least Tony was the only one where things seemed to be in a weird place. Adam allowed himself to look over to Tony for a moment before letting his attention drift back towards the dirt in front of him.

“We’ve been at this for hours,” he commented, standing back up. He was starting to sweat now as it felt like the trees were closing in on them. “But we should keep going. If we stop for too long, we’ll crash quicker.” Adam peeled his shirt off and stuck it in his pack before shouldering it again. “Isn’t that right, Britt? Don’t want to run out of steam before the end.”

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day One

[adamdanversroth]

@seraphinacohen

What was even happening to them? Beds empty, no note— cars very much still here, though, Sera thought, looking back to see her mom’s Lexus in the distance. Here she was, talking to Adam Roth about some woods that had popped up in the middle of their town— the edge of town?— and whether or not someone would actually kill them. Like, actually kill them.

Oh, my my my, Sera thought. She blinked a few times, thinking over the options he’d listed. She definitely did not want to go into the woods, but she’d rather have more to say about these trees before telling other people. “I think people will wanna meet up later anyway, right? But who— who is gonna call that? Tell everyone? And will they come?” Her mind flashed to Tony’s mass text from last night. Everyone had gotten it. They’d had to because Sera had, and she was pretty sure she hadn’t given Tony her number, ever. “I can drive us around,” she said, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb in the direction of her mother’s car. “And then maybe we can text Tony or someone. People listen to him, right?”

“Tony or maybe, President Fern.” Adam rubbed his jaw. “I’m sure calling a meeting would be good though. Tony summoned everyone for a party, so he can probably do it again for this.” He looked down the tree line again, taking it all in. This was definitely weird.

“Yeah. Let’s drive some, maybe get an idea of how far it goes and if maybe there’s any gaps.” Adam looked towards the car. “Some people listen to him, some people are afraid of him. But he would be the one to at least get everyone in one place, I think.” Adam wasn’t sure that he wanted to be the one to reach out to Tony though. That was a problem he could solve later though. Right now they were going to do a little exploring.