Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Ten

It was only supposed to be a picnic. It was only supposed to be an interview. It was only supposed to be a supply trip. 

It was only supposed to be a dinner. 

But something has shifted. 

The stars have moved. 

So press play, and go.

[rowanaatami]

Rowan woke up late. She was used to the hustle and bustle of her house. Her anaana gossiping with ajak over the phone. Her ataata making notes on plays to run and scheduling. There was always more scheduling involved in hockey than she thought possible. Not to mention that he'd been studying at night to work towards an ESL teaching certification. He had profound respect for those that were also struggling with English as a primary language.

They weren't the sounds of ilagiit that she'd grown up with, but they were a newer rhythm. She hadn't realized how accustomed she'd been to it until it was suddenly absent. Her house was still and quiet for the first time ever.

She got ready for the day slowly, finding her mind wandering without so many sounds to bounce off. When she heard her phone chime, she nearly jumped. She dashed to it and checked the screen. Hey can we meet? I have a council project that I'd like to bring you in on. Kind of a big thing but no pressure. Tee hadn't minced any words.

They opted to not wear a wig for the day, letting their natural hair flow down their back. She grabbed her boots and keys before heading outside. Rowan put her shoes on on the porch, a habit so ingrained in her that she rarely thought about it. Snow couldn't ruin the floors inside.

She texted back. See you at yours! On her walk over, she overthought the punctuation mark. Did she look desperate for something to do? Maybe. She was used to more activity than this new world offered her. Things moved at a faster past here than Iqaluit. She had enjoyed the change.

Rowan knocked on Tee's trailer. "Ullukkut, it's Rowan."

@teeoakes

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

The party begins, but the fun doesn’t last long. Tell me. Where were you when the lights went out in New Ham? (continued from here, continues here)

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Jacks’ skate party is about to begin, and really we’re all shivering with anticipation. (continued here and here)

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

derekwhitecalf​:

Derek was searching for a handle on the moment, as Tommy Lee Jones so aptly put in the 1997 arthouse film Men in Black. He’d never been particularly averse to darkness. His extended family’s home only had power about half the time anyway. But there was something eerie about the cavernous rink, the slowly growing panic in the kids around him. Jordan wasn’t showing those signs though (no more than his usual “how best can I help you?” energy that it had taken over a year for Derek to fully trust), and Mia had that effortless floatiness to which he could only aspire. He was still searching for an angle when his phone rang. The Mighty Ducks theme. Which meant it was…

“What’s up, Ro?” Rowan was usually pretty unflappable too, but there’s was some strange sound behind her. It gave her voice a tinniness. The explanation was even weirder than he expected. Well, he supposed that was one way to fight the coming dark. “Huh. Yeah, I can attend to you, I guess.” 

He eyed Jordan and Mia, who were still sitting at the facepaint table. “Is this a secret thing or can we all just… chill at the fire? ‘We’ meaning two extra people. Who may or may not come. But I don’t want to be impolite or whatever.” He paused. “Wait. The council like Tee? Tee’s gotta be freakin out, huh?” Tee was usually freaking out, but this was an actual good reason. 

Rowan nearly laughed at “attend to.” That wasn’t something she’d dealt with ever. No one attended to her. Except Derek, now. She did appreciate the help however bizarrely it was offered.

“A roaring fire can’t be a secret.” It certainly wouldn’t be one for a very long time. “And guests are fine as long as we keep a respectable distance from...it. There’s been one accident tonight, we don’t need another one.” She felt for Poppy, having to deal with such a conflagration and an ill sister to boot. The hospital didn’t need any more visitors.

“I haven’t called them. Should I call them? They seemed so...confused as to what their role should be I wasn’t sure....” Now that she said it out loud, the whole thing sounded silly, “I’ll let them know.”

She put her phone on speaker so she could text Tee quickly. Gabe knows more, but there’s been a fire at Noah Nixon’s house.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[rowanaatami]

Rowan considered the blaze in front of her. The council members had walked off, presumably to deal with something else. She was grateful she’d steered them away from drawing a huge scene. There was just no telling where people’s emotions would take them tonight. 

It would take Derek longer than five minutes to reach here, but that was the kind of lie that Rowan was okay with. She was grateful to have a moment alone with nature. The chaos of the past half hour had set her heart racing and this was the perfect chance to bring it back down. 

She picked up her phone and found his contact easily. The temptation to just voice note him was strong, but she was building community these days. That meant she needed to talk to people. And maybe, possibly, not suggest they do something bold and then leave when they reacted. (That was a problem she’d solve some other time)

She brought the phone to her ear and waited. When it clicked, she spoke. “Hey, if you’re not busy, I could really use your company. I promised the council that I wouldn’t be unattended in front of a controlled fire. They suggested you be my company. I didn’t mean to volunteer you. If I need to find someone else, I can.” 

@derekwhitecalf

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:​

The more Rowan talked, the tighter Rumi’s throat got. She was right. More than right. It was obvious, really. How was she supposed to play people, to direct people if she didn’t understand them at all? She wanted to melt into the street. Then the groundwater. The woods were looking very nice right about now.

”Oh. Yes. That is… all fair. Entirely. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that the loss wasn’t great. It is, for him and for Cami– Sprout. And the dangers are very real. I should have considered that. I think I’m used to… a different sort of incendiary behavior.” It didn’t help that the athletes she was close with certainly didn’t fall under this heading. Young would have a panic attack before he thought of hurting someone, and Wes could be very easily cajoled into calming down. The closest she got to that kind of testosterone was Taliesin, and he usually just deadened it with those horrid cigarettes. 

“I completely trust your assessment. Is there someone a little less…that we could ask? You mentioned Derek?” Derek tended to smell like Taliesin so that seemed like a safe bet.

@gabrielroberts

“Okay, we’re in agreement,” Gabe said. He felt bad for Rumi, he knew she was overwhelmed and wanting to take some kind of action. But after what they were told tonight he wasn’t sure something like that would actually achieve anything. He hadn’t been seen since he’d apparently been kidnapped. Gabe wasn’t confident they were going to find him out and about. 

“Yeah, whoever you think is best,” he told Rowan. “I’m happy to help get them here if you need.” 

@rowanaatami​

“It’s alright,” Rowan held up her hands in surrender, “It’s a really difficult night.” Her eyes automatically went to the burning house behind them. It was hard to believe that she’d only been here for maybe ten minutes. The world had changed considerably in that time. 

“I will call him, but I’m sure you guys have other things to handle.” She wasn’t sure that her company was helping them. They seemed better suited as a two person unit. The way they kept inching towards each other suggested something she wasn’t going to name. “It shouldn’t take more than five minutes for him to meet me. I’ll be fine.” 

@rumibehbahani​

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:​

“Oh. OH. Okay. Good.” Rumi smiled more than she meant to. “Good.” Now she could tell Lou that she and Gabe were on the same non-physical page. Which reminded her of beds. Great. Marvelous. She tried to cling to Gabe’s next statement. “Well that makes sense. His taste can be a bit… outlandish. Ingrid and I–” She winced, thinking of their last reaction. “We’re used to having to rein him in at Drama Club.” 

Rowan had a good point. But then she realized.

“Would that be the worst thing in the world?” Rumi felt a little silly asking it but there had been so many secrets. “They’re going to find out eventually, and I’d rather you be with someone you feel safe with. Or are you concerned that they won’t follow the order to let it burn? Not to be indelicate but he doesn’t seem to have many friends.” Rumi brightened even further, glancing at Gabe. “What I will say, actually, is we should find him. Would it be possible to mobilize them to go looking? Or to at least start the chain?” What would the harm in it be? Noah needed to be found now more than ever and this way they weren’t all putting it on Drew and Del? It might even keep the athletes out of trouble. Though… “Or do you think they’re likely to overreact?”

@gabrielroberts

Rumi’s reaction was uh, interesting. But what else was she supposed to say? “Yeah.” Gabe did not know what else he should say, so he just didn’t say anything. “He never really told me what he’d actually prefer. Just kind of… didn’t approve. But it’s cool. I’m open to feedback, even if it’s isn’t really constructive.” 

“This is Noah’s house?” Rumi had taken off and now she was on an absolute roll. “I don’t know Rumi.” In theory it’d be helpful to have more bodies out looking, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t actually help at all. “I think we should take a beat. I know this is really stressful but..” He met her eyes. We need to be careful. He couldn’t say it, but he hoped she could read it on his face. 

@rowanaatami​

“Yes,” Rowan stared at Rumi. She didn’t blink. The idea that this woman was part of the ruling council was making her nervous. “There are two different ways that could play out that would be incredibly dangerous. We’ve already saved one person from trying to force their way into a disaster zone. Athletes are much more difficult to hold back, especially when there’s more than one.” 

She swallowed. “And the second option is that they do find Noah and decide to mete out mob justice. Given that there’s no formal laws in place for actions and the electricity is down, they might feel that it’s easier for them to get away with.” 

She didn’t like any of this. Not even Gabe agreeing was enough to make her feel reassured about the situation. “Whether you like him or not, he’s a person who just lost every valuable possession he owns to a fire that may or may not have been an accident. Giving people free reign to go looking for him when people are already in a heightened state of emotion could lead to results that won’t be easy for any of us.” 

If she were Tee, she would have a lot more to say than that. But this wasn’t her situation to carry across the finish line. She was just here to point out the difficulties with this problem. “In short, there’s enough of a fire right now. We don’t need to add more fuel.” 

@rumibehbahani​

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:​

“He’s rude to most people unless he wants something. And it is generally the kind of thing we’re not inclined to provide.” Rumi felt blood rushing to her face so quickly her nose nearly went numb. “I mean. I don’t intend to presume. That was very out of turn. I’m sorry.” She stared down at her perfectly manicured nails. Maybe if she started walking now the woods would just swallow her up. 

“I don’t know.” Rumi said, eyeing Rowan as she spoke into the phone. “I feel like I don’t know anything. Like all we’re doing is reacting. How’re we supposed to get out ahead of things when there’s been an actual kid–” She shushed herself as Rowan approached to hand the phone back. “I appreciate that, Rowan. But only if you’re sure. And we should get someone here to accompany you. I don’t think it’s wise for anyone to be alone right now.” She swallowed. “Considering the circumstances.”

@gabrielroberts​

Gabe was confused for a fraction of a second, but then he got it. “Oh, that’s okay,” he said, trying to keep his tone light. He hadn’t imagined talking about this tonight. “You’d be right.” He wasn’t sure if he should have said that, but just moving on from it didn’t feel right either. Gabe kept his eyes ahead on the house. “He really didn’t like the flowers I was planting at the church.” 

He knew exactly how she felt. There seemed to just be crisis after crisis happening right now. Tonight especially. But Rowan was back before he could say anything. Gabe moved just the slightest bit closer to Rumi, wanting to give her some kind of assurance. But then he didn’t know what to do next. “Yeah, you really don’t have to,” he told Rowan. “Thank you for everything you’ve already done. I don’t really want to imagine how things might have gone if you weren’t here.” 

@rowanaatami​

“I’d feel better knowing that I was helping.” Her father had pushed so hard about caring for her community. She needed to make him proud. It was the least she could do, outside of taking care of his rink, while he was gone. “But I am on a pretty solid basis with most of the guy athletes so you can call one of them in.” 

She realized how that sounded.  “My dad’s the coach. Although,” she looked back at the house, “Maybe we shouldn’t bring the athletes in until we know more about the situation.” It wouldn’t be right to keep things from the council. “This is Noah Nixon’s house. The athlete text threads will blow...” she winced, “Go into hyperdrive if they know his house is the one burning.” 

@rumibehbahani​

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:

“Yes please check Gabe thank you.” Rumi wrung her hands for a moment. Both of Rowan’s options were good ones. “I’ll go with you to look. But let’s try to get Derek first maybe.” She called Cricket again. Ring ring click. It took her a good ten seconds to realize he’d actually picked up.

“Princess. I’m very busy at the moment.”

“There’s a fire.”

“Of course there is.”

“I’ve got Gabe here and–”

“Don’t care.”

“And Rowan–”

“Do care. Put ‘er on.” 

Rumi blinked at the phone.  “I beg your pardon?”

“Rowan Aatami. Now.” 

Rumi blinked. She swallowed. Then she held out the phone to Rowan. “Cricket would like to speak to you.” Once she’d handed it off, she retreated to Gabe’s side. “He is just the rudest creature.” She looked up slowly, realizing how close she and Gabe were. “Sorry. He’s just awful.”

@gabrielroberts​

Gabe nodded in agreement. He was about to run off to the neighbours house to look for a hose when Cricket actually answered Rumi’s call. He watched her somehow get even more tense as she spoke with him. 

His frown deepened when she came to stand with him. “I’m sorry he was rude to you,” Gabe said. Cricket could probably pick his moments better. “Seems like it’s not just me he’s like that to.” Gabe generally tried to reserve judgment if he could. Most of them had been having a lot of bad days lately, but still. 

“Should I go check for a hose now or should we wait to see what he says?” 

@rowanaatami​

Rowan smiled gratefully as she took the phone. “I promise I didn’t cause this with my garbage taste. In fact, you’d be proud. I was running away from my own inclinations and found myself in front of a house fire.” 

“I have ended up in that situation thanks to my own garbage taste.” Cricket said, before eyeing Del and adding “Present company excluded.” He winked at them. “Anyway.” He used a little too much force on the screw, he was working on, catching himself at the last moment. “What’s the problem now?” 

“The house is on fire.” Rowan laughed, that probably wasn’t as helpful as she meant to be. “We were hoping someone would know whether to put it out or let it burn. This isn’t my specialty.” She eyed Rumi and Gabe in a corner. “The council made the decision to put it in your hands. If you’d like me to call someone else, I can.” 

Cricket groaned, raising his voice for Del and Drew’s benefit. “Ah. More delegating. Interesting. I’d love to know what they’re actually doing, but I don’t particularly want them to do it. So. Where is this house? And I presume you pulled Rumi at least fifty feet away from it, pending height, just in case she needs a reminder?” 

“They’re fifty feet away.” Rowan scuffed her shoe against the ground. “The house is…well, the good news is we pulled a person out of it. I don’t know if the house is empty. The trouble is that the house belongs to….” There was no easy way to say it. “Noah Nixon. I think I’m the only person here that knows that, unfortunately. But I’ve had to drag his ass to hockey practice more than once.” 

“How unfortunate for you. And fortunate for us, honestly. Presumably if he wants everyone to know where he is, he is not in his house.” Cricket was quite pleased at this deduction. “How many floors?”

He took that better than Rowan hoped. “Two. There might be an attic, I’m not sure.” 

Cricket started doing the math in his head. “Alright. Closest building? And how windy is it over there?” It felt like a silly question. He’d noticed an honestly disturbing mildness to the weather in “New Ham” so to speak, but he hadn’t gotten Aurora to care about it as much as he’d liked. 

“More than fifty feet?” Rowan wished that Derek was here. He was much better at these kind of calculations. Then again, Cricket would have clammed up. “At least a quarter of an acre. Looks like three hockey rinks. Is that an easy measurement?” 

“Quite. Leave it.” Cricket flipped the breaker one more time, hoping for the best. It didn’t light. “Well, at least that’s one problem solved. You can watch it burn out if you want, but you don’t have to. Anything else?”

“How do I repay you for your help?” Rowan asked. She was more than a little relieved. “Thank you.” 

“Your company is gift enough, darling. Ta.” Cricket hung up.

Tucking her hands into her jacket pockets, Rowan made her way over to Rumi and Gabe. She waited for a break in their conversation before speaking. “Cricket says that the distance is great enough we shouldn’t have to worry about the fire spreading. He suggests we let it burn.” 

She wasn’t sure where that left her. But that was something she could figure out after the council business was taken care of. “I can stay here to warn off anyone else.” 

@rumibehbahani​

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:

wewerechildrenwerenotnow​:

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

Rumi watched breathless as Poppy’s car pulled away. Frightening as Camellia being hurt was, it was far less frightening than the blaze that still burned at her back. They were at least closer to knowing what to do about it. She pressed the phone button beside Cricket’s name again. Four rings and no answer. She wasn’t sure if she was being hung up on but somehow that made it more frustrating. “Infuriating insect,” she whispered to herself. Then she turned back to Gabe and Rowan. “I think we’re on our own for now.” 

@gabrielroberts​

While Rumi tried to get ahold of Cricket, Gabe was scoping out the place. He was looking for anything that could help them put this thing out. The only thing he could think of was water. But how the heck were they going to get enough water to deal with this? He couldn’t get close to the house at all, it was burning so hot he felt like all the little hairs on his skin would just melt right off. And while he was willing to do whatever it took to keep people safe, he wasn’t sure the no eyebrows look was for him. 

Gabe nodded to Rumi. “Okay. We need water right? I was thinking we try the neighbours, see if they have a hose that can reach over here.” It was the best he could think of. Without an actual fire truck (that they wouldn’t know how to use anyway) their options were slim.

@rowanaatami

“Um hi,” Rowan moved her hands out her pockets to say hello. It felt strange to talk while the fire burned birghtly behind them. Someone’s life was crumbling to ashes while they had to figure out what to do about everything. 

She didn’t know if she should start with why Poppy left or focus on what was important know. “As far as we know, the house is empty. I can check to see if these other houses have people in them.” 

What they actually needed was water pressure. Something as small as pails of water wasn’t going to be enough. “The council surely has some scientists they can leverage for answers. I can try and call Derek, he’s a friend. If that might help the situation.” 

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[poppy-morris]

rowanaatami​:

lolasprout​:

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:

Rumi was trying very very hard to keep her eyes outside the car. But it was very dark. The windows had turned to obsidian glass. She leaned forward, close enough to press her nose to the glass. “I don’t know what to look for I just…” The Grey’s Anatomy theme emitted from her phone. She caught a glance of another message on her screen.  “Poppy?” She was talking very fast. “Wait. Slow down–”

Rumi turned to Gabe. “535 Maple. There’s a fire. Cami– Poppy’s sister,” she corrected quickly. “–Is hurt. We need to get her to hospital. I need to call Cricket about… firefighting, I guess. Do you know how to get there?” For once, looking at Gabe was easy, comforting. She was a dazzling wonder of ambition and talent who could look at him. And maybe not crash the car if she was driving.

She blinked and looked back at her phone. “Poppy, we’re coming. I’m going to tell Lou and Raleigh to meet you at the hospital in case you’re missing any supplies. Do you want them to meet you there with anything?”

@gabrielroberts​

Gabe thought that once they got in the car that this tension or whatever this feeling was between them would lessen a little. But it didn’t, it followed them. And if anything, it was worse in here. He felt silly having to put this much effort into just stopping himself from looking over at her. Focusing was even more important right now considering they were actually trying to find something. And he was driving. He was about to tell her that he’d happily drive around with her all night if that’s what it took, but he was interrupted by her ringtone. 

Whoever it was on the phone sounded upset. “Yeah, I’ve got it,” he told her, quickly pulling to the side of the road to do a U-turn. He couldn’t even think about the fact that they were dealing with the third crisis of the night, he just drove faster. Gabe saw the flames long before they even turned onto the street. This was really bad. He prayed silently that there was nobody inside. 

Sprout frowned at the nickname. Even in their moment of triumph, Poppy found a way to turn things around on her. Her head hurt too much to argue with her about it right now. She could save that for when her body didn’t feel like it was still on fire. “We don’t know who’s there. I saw God, but I don’t know about people.” 

Her head was still spinning. Sprout looked down to her arms. “They sting.” She could patches where the skin was crumbling away. Blood dripped towards the ground. “I fell in the house. I don’t know how long I was out before God came.” She felt Rowan’s arms pull gently on one side as Poppy lifted the other. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. There’s people to save.” 

Rowan was already making a move to pull the girl towards safety. She was relieved that Poppy knew who she was. That was one question that had been answered. “Easy does it.” 

Having helped more than her fair share of players off the ice, she had no trouble dragging this slip of a girl towards Poppy’s car. Belatedly, she realized that Tee probable deserved a separate text as well. 

“I have some burn salve in my bag. The boys get ice burn sometimes.” She wasn’t sure if that made sense to other people. Poppy didn’t look like the kind of girl that attended sports events. “It might help, but you’re the doctor. I defer to you.” 

“You didn’t see anybody?” she asked. “Why did you go inside? How the fuck did you get out?” Poppy took a breath. Now wasn’t the time to get angry at her sister, even if she was furious. Poppy just couldn’t imagine why she would put herself at risk like that. The chance of this being a very different situation was too real for Poppy’s liking. “You know what? Tell me later when I know you’re okay.”

“If there are people in there, someone else will save them.” If. She doubted there was any saving them now. “Sprout.” Poppy never used that nickname. It felt weird in her mouth. But she needed her to listen. “You’re going to the hospital with me and that’s not optional.” Poppy looked to the other girl. “That’d be good, I think,” she said. She wasn’t sure if she would use it but options were helpful. 

Poppy held the phone to her ear, watching her sister to make sure she didn’t go anywhere. She felt quite unpredictable right now. Poppy did not trust her not to try to run back into that burning house. “I– Can you just tell them we’re dealing with smoke inhalation and burns. She’s conscious and talking but I don’t think she’s out of the woods yet.” Poppy knew this could still turn bad, she just hoped they were lucky. Her hands were shaking when she hung up with Rumi. 

“My friend Rumi is coming,” Poppy told the girl who found Lola. “Don’t leave until she gets here. Please.” Driving Lola to the hospital alone made her nervous, but it was only a few minutes. Hopefully she would stay awake. “Dr. Morris time,” Poppy said to Lola, gently shutting her sister’s door. “Thank you for helping her.”

[rowanaatami]

“Yeah, of course.” She helped get the girl into the seat. “I will walk them through what we know and hopefully this,” Rowan gestured to the house, “Will be solved. You just worry about keeping her safe.” 

“This is what community’s all about.” Maybe some of the people here didn’t get that yet, but she hoped they would. They had a responsibility to each other, to care for everyone. It was a weight she was happy to carry. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Morris. I’m Rowan.” 

(the end)

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

lolasprout​:

gabrielroberts​:

rumibehbahani​:

poppy-morris​:​

“Oh my God Lola.” Poppy’s relief at hearing her sister’s voice was overwhelming. That was a first. It took her brain a second to catch up with what Lola was trying to do. “No. Nobody is going in there.” Her tone left no room for argument. 

“You’re right, it’s not safe here. Are you hurt Lola?” The heat from the fire was growing hotter and hotter the longer they stayed here. They needed to move her sister before something even worse happened. “Can you get her other arm?” Poppy asked, shifting so that she could help Lola up. “Put her in my car, she’s my sister. I can get the council here.” 

Once her sister was safely in her car Poppy instructed her not to move and called Rumi. “There’s an emergency,” Poppy said the moment she answered. “535 Maple, the house is on fire and Lola’s hurt. We need help.”

Rumi was trying very very hard to keep her eyes outside the car. But it was very dark. The windows had turned to obsidian glass. She leaned forward, close enough to press her nose to the glass. “I don’t know what to look for I just…” The Grey’s Anatomy theme emitted from her phone. She caught a glance of another message on her screen.  “Poppy?” She was talking very fast. “Wait. Slow down–”

Rumi turned to Gabe. “535 Maple. There’s a fire. Cami– Poppy’s sister,” she corrected quickly. “–Is hurt. We need to get her to hospital. I need to call Cricket about… firefighting, I guess. Do you know how to get there?” For once, looking at Gabe was easy, comforting. She was a dazzling wonder of ambition and talent who could look at him. And maybe not crash the car if she was driving.

She blinked and looked back at her phone. “Poppy, we’re coming. I’m going to tell Lou and Raleigh to meet you at the hospital in case you’re missing any supplies. Do you want them to meet you there with anything?”

@gabrielroberts​

Gabe thought that once they got in the car that this tension or whatever this feeling was between them would lessen a little. But it didn’t, it followed them. And if anything, it was worse in here. He felt silly having to put this much effort into just stopping himself from looking over at her. Focusing was even more important right now considering they were actually trying to find something. And he was driving. He was about to tell her that he’d happily drive around with her all night if that’s what it took, but he was interrupted by her ringtone. 

Whoever it was on the phone sounded upset. “Yeah, I’ve got it,” he told her, quickly pulling to the side of the road to do a U-turn. He couldn’t even think about the fact that they were dealing with the third crisis of the night, he just drove faster. Gabe saw the flames long before they even turned onto the street. This was really bad. He prayed silently that there was nobody inside. 

Sprout frowned at the nickname. Even in their moment of triumph, Poppy found a way to turn things around on her. Her head hurt too much to argue with her about it right now. She could save that for when her body didn’t feel like it was still on fire. “We don’t know who’s there. I saw God, but I don’t know about people.” 

Her head was still spinning. Sprout looked down to her arms. “They sting.” She could patches where the skin was crumbling away. Blood dripped towards the ground. “I fell in the house. I don’t know how long I was out before God came.” She felt Rowan’s arms pull gently on one side as Poppy lifted the other. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. There’s people to save.” 

Rowan was already making a move to pull the girl towards safety. She was relieved that Poppy knew who she was. That was one question that had been answered. “Easy does it.” 

Having helped more than her fair share of players off the ice, she had no trouble dragging this slip of a girl towards Poppy’s car. Belatedly, she realized that Tee probable deserved a separate text as well. 

“I have some burn salve in my bag. The boys get ice burn sometimes.” She wasn’t sure if that made sense to other people. Poppy didn’t look like the kind of girl that attended sports events. “It might help, but you’re the doctor. I defer to you.” 

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

lolasprout​:

poppy-morris​:​

Poppy heard her phone ping in her pocket. She wanted to ignore the hell out of it. She was exactly where she wanted to be right now, making out in the dark with a really hot person. Looking at her phone would do one of two things: break up the moment, or remove her from the situation entirely depending on what she saw. Unfortunately not checking it at all wasn’t an option. Not when she might be needed. Poppy moved her hand to his chest and pulled away slightly. “I have to check this,” she said, pulling phone from her pocket. She groaned loudly when she saw the word injured. 

She opened the full message. “Shit.” Someone was lying on the ground in front of a house fire?? Jesus Christ. “Somebody’s hurt, I have to help,” she told him. But before she ran off, she leaned in for one more quick kiss. God, she hoped they would do that again. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Poppy ran through the party, glad that she had driven her own car here. It had her first aid kit in it, but she was a little scared that it might not be enough for this. 

Poppy sped down the streets, disturbed to find she could see the fire well before she got there. She drove straight up onto the sidewalk and angled her car so her headlights provided some much needed light. Her stomach dropped when she saw the person on the ground. “No.” She whispered. It couldn’t be. It was just someone who looked like…  She reached for her kit and threw herself out of the car. “LOLA!” She yelled, the closer she got the harder it was to deny. 

Poppy dropped to her knees beside her sister. “What happened?” Poppy forced herself to be calm. She didn’t have time to break right now. Lola needed her. She reached for her sister’s face, lowering herself down and listening for her breath. 

@lolasprout​

Sprout lulled in and out of consciousness. She felt somone touching her. That had to be a good sign. There was grass underneath her and clean air. She had help. “I was…” she coughed, “sav-saving.” Her lungs ached. She blinked away tears. 

Her vision was clear for one quick second. She saw her. Poppy. “You came.” She couldn’t believe it. There was still a chance for the Morris girls to save the day. But they’d have to rescue whoever was inside first. 

She sat up quickly, watching the sky flip upside down. Sprout blinked several times, but the ground didn’t right itself. “There was some…I was checking to see who was inside. We have to…” but she didn’t know what they had to do. She had to trust her big sister to come up with an answer. 

@rowanaatami​

Rowan’s eyes moved between the two girls. She felt like there were pieces of this that she was missing. “I sent the picture as soon as I saw her here.” If she hadn’t taken a chance on the open space, Sprout might have been stuck without treatment. 

“We can get her into my car or yours to take back to the hospital.” She looked at the smoldering flames. The porch on the front looked like it was going to collapse soon. “Doesn’t seem very safe to stay here.” 

No one else had answered so far. She wished there was a council hotline they could call. She had a few of the guys numbers thanks to her dad, but none of them were going to be able to intervene. They weren’t the ones in charge. “I...do you know anyone on the council? We need their guidance. Something has to be done before this takes out the whole area.” 

@poppy-morris​

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

[rowanaatami]

lolasprout​:

beaumontf​:

Finn didn’t say anything. He’d been pulled away from saving his sister, so Tony could be the fucking hero. Honestly, maybe walking home would have been better. He could get his frustration out along the way. 

But Tony was better equipped to go in, silk scarf and all. So, Finn just watched from a distance. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to rush inside and make sure his little sister was okay. Nothing else mattered. 

Time moved so fucking slowly. His leg kept bumping against the dashboard. He’d have a bruise in the morning, but who cares? Charlie was more important than anything. She may not want to hang out with him anymore but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still her big brother.

His heart seized as Tony moved through the doorway with a limp body in his arms. His pulse roared in his ears. He still couldn’t see the body well enough to know if it was Charlie or not. 

The way that Tony stomped away from it made him think things might be okay. He waited for Tony to say something. When he spoke, Finn breathed the biggest sigh of relief he’d ever felt. 

“Thanks.” There wasn’t anything else for him to say. He didn’t care what happened to that girl, it wasn’t Charlie. She was safe. That was all he needed. 

In the dim haze of her mind, Sprout felt someone pulling her through the air. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt too heavy. Some hoarse part of her throat croaked. It was the best that she could manage. 

Poppy was supposed to be here. Sprout was supposed to have rescued whoever was inside and Poppy would treat them both. The Morris’s would be town heroes. 

But she’d messed up. 

The cold night air hit her hard. Or maybe that was just the ground. She forced all of her energy into her eyelids and caught the faintest outline of a figure. Maybe she’d been saved by God. She hadn’t really believed in that before. This was an interesting way to be proven wrong. 

She took a long breath of crisp New England air. Then she went back to whatever dark dreamland she’d come from. 

Rowan had wandered outside when the lights went out. She saw the rising plumes of smoke in the sky. Logic dictated that she should have stayed away, but this was her community now. If she was going to build, she needed to take an active role in things. 

She jogged towards the house. It would be too late to tell if there was anyone inside. But there was a body. 

Rowan turned the flash on her phone. She took a picture and sent it to the group chat. Injured person in front of 535 Maple. The flames were in the background. She knelt down on the ground beside the figure, hoping that somebody would show up. 

@poppy-morris​

[rowanaatami]

teeoakes​:

Phase: Day Seven

“Never everything.” Tee said solemnly. Maybe part of getting older was lowering expectations. Or maybe that was dating a mobster’s kid, then breaking up with a mobster’s kid, then getting back together, then breaking up and getting back together after he participated in a kidnapping. You do everything you can, their dad always said, and even then you might be part of the mess. So we clean. And Tee did feel like part of the mess. They were up to their neck.

They couldn’t help but do a double take at Rowan’s suggestion. They understood the idea that the forest was their responsibility. In any other circumstance, they would have accepted it. But there was something wrong here. “I don’t know about that. That’s not the West Ham woods. Or at least some of it isn’t. We need to be very careful.”

Tee let out a massive sigh. Rowan was right. “I suppose the only other bonus would be being able to keep an eye on everyone. See the trouble brewing.” They groaned. “Or catch sight of it right as it explodes in your face. The real question is what to focus on first. I’m inclined towards housing but Dante has been talking to me a lot about resources so perhaps I’m experiencing undue influence.” 

“That’s exactly why we need to go in there. We can’t work with the land, if we don’t know what kind of land it is.” Or if it even was land. For all Rowan knew, it could be some strange type of earth that didn’t exist on their planet. All options had to be open. “Whether you want to interact with it or not, we now share a relationship to it. Ignorance tends to be more deadly.” 

See the trouble brewing. It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Rowan didn’t trust this group, there was so much fighting already, and community was where her dad excelled not her. She’d had trouble fitting in, finding her space amongst the crowd. They would have to make some sort of play just to keep things from going off course. “Housing is a priority. It lets us know what resources we need and what we can do without. We need to take stock of the empty homes, the wasted electricity, the neglected supplies, and we need to assign people to houses in a fair manner.” The current system was anything but. 

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Day Ten

It was only supposed to be a picnic. It was only supposed to be an interview. It was only supposed to be a supply trip. 

It was only supposed to be a dinner. 

But something has shifted. 

The stars have moved. 

So press play, and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

A simple question can change everything.

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Phase: Before

Before we decide who we are, we must know who we were.

But do we really want to know? When the mists of the past part and reveal the little insecurities, the betrayals, the fleeting joys, what sticks? Is anything worth keeping?

Did they ever see the forest for the trees?

So press play and go.

[rowanaatami]

Summary: Rowan is tired of Dylan avoiding her. She shows up on his doorstep to see what’s changed. The answer ends up showing how far apart they’ve grown.

Rowan was tired of Dylan’s evasive bullshit. They were supposed to be friends. She was friendly with other people, but he was her friend. There was no work in the community building between them, it just was. Until he’d decided to just disappear. She wanted answers. She’d always wanted to be the neighbor in the window, but Dylan’s room was on the second floor. So she had to knock on the door instead. 

Dylan didn’t want to get up. He was tired from his workout. But he’d yelled for Shannon six times already. She wasn’t going to the door. He carried his tired legs down the stairs and opened the door. “Hey,” he leaned against the frame, “What’s up?” 

“You’re shirtless.” Rowan swallowed. “Sorry. That was a weird thing to say.” 

Dylan grinned. “If it works on you, it’s bound to work on other people.” 

“I didn’t say that.” Rowan rolled her eyes. “I just have never seen your torso before. It’s weird.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Some part of you like it. And I’m okay with that.” Dylan crossed his arms. “I’m just not interested in anything physical.” 

“How magnanimous.”  Rowan sat in silence until she could see him shifting. Served the dumbass right. “You’ve been a ghost all summer. What gives?” 

Dylan gestured to his torso. “I’ve been busy.” 

“Exercising isn’t a personality.” Rowan retorted. 

“No, but it takes a lot of work to get started. And then you’ve gotta maintain it. I can’t sit on my ass all day with my guild and get laid by hot weird girls.” Dylan sighed. “So, I made a choice.” 

Rowan didn’t want to even contemplate what that meant. She knew most of the weird girls in town. She was one. But she wasn’t interested in knowing which ones of them had decided to fuck her friend. Or maybe ex-friend. “Really? That’s the choice you made.” 

Dylan expected this. He’d gone through it with Sloane once. He could do it again. People just didn’t have his vision. It was nice to think that shit like appearance didn’t matter, but it did. He’d been the one holding himself back. Now, he was reclaiming his position. He could be on the popular pyramid. He wasn’t going to let the loss of one friend stop him. He had others. Well….he had Tee. That counted. He shrugged at Rowan. 

“Look, I get that you were tired of being a virgin, but there’s more to life than that. What happened to being you unapologetically?” At one point it had been the only thing that bonded Rowan’s friendship with Dylan. 

“I am. Same personality, new skin.” Dylan laughed at his own joke. 

Rowan was more hesitant. Whether he meant it that way or not, she knew the skin walking myth. It wasn’t exactly a compliment. He was shifting his perception of who he wanted to be. This would be the first drastic change in a domino chain of many. Would it be worth it to stick around for the others. She wasn’t so sure. 

“Hey,” Dylan shoved her shoulder playfully, “That was your cue to laugh. I’m still me. I just got an upgrade. I thought you’d be happy.” 

“Why did you think I’d care,” Rowan gestured to her wig, the clip in earrings that went around her entire ear. The whole thing was pretend. It wasn’t to fit in. It was to stand out. She loved being able to change the way she looked based on how she felt. She understood that. What she didn’t understand was changing the way you looked to hold more power. 

The mirth died on Dylan’s face. Okay, so maybe this was a bit more serious than he’d thought. Yeah he’d been a dick, but he was always a dick. She knew that. She put up with it. This shouldn’t have been any different. “Thought you’d care about my happiness.” 

“Are you happy?” Rowan’s words sounded more like a challenge than a question. 

Because she was his friend, Dylan was willing to give her a real answer. He actually thought about it. Was he happy? Well, he wasn’t as depressed. His guild wasn’t made of people that thrived socially. Picking up dates was more entertaining. But happiness was an elusive thing. You couldn’t be happy all the time. “Dunno, but I like getting laid?” 

Rowan scoffed. “Yeah, a lot of people do. It doesn’t answer my question.” She softened her tone. “Is this really who you want to be?” 

“Yeah.” Dylan didn’t even have to think about it. This was what he wanted. More than anything. He was getting the life he’d deserved. His body had just been a hindrance. Now, he was the man. 

“What does that mean for us?” Rowan’s eyes dropped to the ground. 

“Damn, it’s not a break up.” Dylan expected a laugh or two at that. But the more he thought about it, the more real it felt. They didn’t have a romantic connection whatsoever but they had been a team. Tony Stark wanted more. So, Sam Wilson needed to fuck off. 

“It is a break up. Just not a romantic one.” Rowan took a deep breath. She hated losing community. He was her first friend in Mohican territory. She couldn’t believe this whole thing was based around popularities and sex. It was disgustingly juvenile. But she knew what would happen from here. She’d heard about it. From him. She just never expected it would happen to them. He’d seemed happy with his guild and his clarinet and his wry, but douchey humor. “Thank you for the time we spent together.” It was the nicest she could be in the moment. 

“No prob.” Dylan placed his hand on her shoulder, “Doesn’t have to be the end.” 

As Rowan walked away, she knew that something was shifting. She didn’t like to delude herself about peer relationships. She knew what this was, even if he wasn’t ready to face it yet. They were ending. And sure enough, when the school year came around, his eyes drifted past her as though she’d never even existed.