rowanxrackett

[rowanxrackett]

xalicethewonderx​:

~

We’ve probably got time, the other said. Alice wasn’t so sure. A quick glance at the grand clock at the top of the hall suggested they had less time than they had hoped. It was ten past ten, leaving less than two hours for Alice to find the future recipient of their home-baked goods. It was already an awful enough task as it was, without having to search through masks and costumes and crowds. On the other hand, Alice really didn’t want to find this person to begin with, so perhaps a distracting conversation would find them “accidentally” being too late, thus sealing their fate and avoiding a difficult situation.

“The trouble with my family,” Alice continued, still looking at the clock. (They were trying to do mental arithmetic, of which they were terrible, and tell a story at the same time.) “Is that… is that they didn’t want to fill my head with any more nonsense than was already in there, so they didn’t do a very good job explaining it when I was a child and told me to forget about it. Which I couldn’t, of course, because–” Alice finally looked back, concluding that counting and storytelling in conjunction wasn’t the skill for them. “–because when someone tells you to forget about something, it’s like pink elephants.”

“Will you wear yours again?”

. 

Rowan noticed that the other was -almost obsessively- staring at the clock, and immediately began to wonder if this conversation was a bad idea. They weren’t making excuses to leave, at least not verbally, but something about their body language was off, and Rowan couldn’t quite place it. Ultimately, they kept telling themselves that they were probably just psychoanalyzing the situation far too much and to just relax. “Oh, I see. What do you mean by nonsense? Like... imagination?” Rowan could hardly see why it would be a bad thing to be imaginative. Unless of course you were so detached from reality that you were unable to tell which was which, then in that case it would be a very bad thing.

"I guess that makes sense. I mean, it’s human nature to do the thing people tell us not to do. Like for example, if I told you not to look at my shoes, you’d probably really want to look at them. But if I didn’t want you to look at my shoes, I could say look at my shirt, and you’d be more inclined to do that task instead. Psychological trick I learned.”

Realizing they’d been rambling, Rowan shook their head. “Oh, uh... right... sorry, got carried away. I’d probably wear mine again at some point, sure.”

[rowanxrackett]

.

Rowan was trying their best to mingle with people as the room filled up, but truth be told they were getting anxious. A familiar face would be very much appreciated right now, though that was going to be hard to find in a crowd of elaborate masks. At least, that’s what they thought. But mask or no mask, you spend most of your life listening to the same people (or in this case, person) talk over and over, you’d hopefully recognize their voice.

“Peter?” Rowan answered, trying to find him through the crowd. They quietly but politely moved around a few people to try and locate the source of the voice, until they called again. “Peter?” 

peter pan was currently the equivalent of a gremlin that had been left to its own devices and it had done nothing but cause chaos wherever it roamed. the longer he was left to his own devices, the more feral the boy got. and the boy was bigfoot in the woods level feral. 

living in a treehouse and with nothing to lose, peter barrelled into the ball with nothing but anger and a mission on his mind. anger? directed to everyone. the mission? wendy darling. 

wildly barging around with no regard for anyone else, peter was on the hunt for the eldest darling. “who’s idea was it for these fucking masks? i can’t find anyone for shit found here?!”

@happieststarters​

[rowanxrackett]

xalicethewonderx​:​

~

Alice, in spite of the atmosphere, was more unrelaxed than they had been for some time. It seemed, for a moment, that their life was finally returning to normal (whatever that means). The invitation to the masked ball had been pinned to the family fridge for a few weeks now, and the Little family had all decided to cross their fingers and toes for an uneventful eventful evening. Alice had almost been excited when they found out the theme, knowing very well what mask they were going to wear the moment they opened the letter.

But as it drew nearer, something changed. Tonight it felt for the worst. Alice made their way through the party quietly, dressed like a hare, heart-shaped strawberry tarts burning a hole in their pocket. They could not find who they were looking for. Mouth dry from worry (and the dust stuck to the feathers of their mask) Alice slid toward the drink table. They blinked at the other as they spoke, taking far too long to process who they were talking to. “Mine?” Alice clarified. “It’s, um… It’s almost a long story. It’s been in my family’s attic for as long as I can remember. So I got it from the attic, but I never quite found out where the attic got it from.”

.

Rowan was never the biggest communicator, but that meant they were big on body language and knowing when someone was feeling uncomfortable. Maybe that was a strong word, but in this case they could tell they other definitely wasn’t at ease. However, it seemed as though Rowan’s question broke them out of something, and perhaps that was for the better. “Mhm,” they nodded, waiting patiently to hear the others response. “Well, we’ve probably got time?” It was a weak attempt at Rowan trying to be more social, but there was a chance that both parties could benefit here. “Oh, I see. Well, um... does your family know anything else about it?”

It amused them, to think of the attic as personified. As if someone could gift the mask to the attic, and it had been keeping it safe for all of this time, however long that may have actually been. “Yours has a history. I bet most people just bought theirs for tonight, and probably won’t ever wear them again.”

[rowanxrackett]

Rowan felt a little more confident, walking into the ball knowing that most people probably wouldn’t know who they were. The mask was providing a sense of security, sure, but also gave them a little more confidence. Taking a deep breath to calm their nerves, they straightened up their posture, shoulders back as they walked into the room. There were so many people dressed beautifully, all dressed to the nines. Part of them wondered if they should have upped their outfit a bit, but quickly Rowan shut that nagging voice down. Tonight was not the night to submit to their inner saboteur. 

They slowly walked into the room and admired everything, looking around purposefully. Part of them wondered if there was anyone they’d be able to recognize immediately. It may be helpful to know at least one person and have that crutch. Then again, if they didn’t recognize people, people likely didn’t recognize them, and they could be whoever they wanted to, for a night. Making their way over to the drink table, Rowan grabbed one, and casually nursed it as they looked around until they noticed someone walking up. “That’s a beautiful mask, where did you get it?”

@happieststarters​

[rowanxrackett]

. 

Rowan had been face down in a book, completely invested in the story being told on the pages in front of them. They hadn’t recognized at first that there was another voice other than the one in their head speaking. Lifting their gaze, they stared blankly for a moment, trying to process what they’d half heard. “Sorry... what about revolutionary?” 

@happieststarters

Ariana took a sip of coffee as she studied the pages of her textbook, again. No matter how many times she read the same passage none of it would actually process in her head. Words didn't seem to look like words anymore. Small smile plastered on her lips, she turned to the person sitting across from her. "Revolutionary is definitely a word, right?"

[rowanxrackett]

.

Typically, Rowan wouldn’t be as bold to come to a salon. However, given that they knew the owner, it seemed like a nice gesture to go and support their business. For a moment, Rowan was caught off guard by Morgan’s dramatic flare. Not because they weren’t used to it, but because it had been a while since they’d seen them and a lot of things had changed lately around Redwood Hollow. Once they got their bearings back, Rowan chuckled softly. “Hi,” they smiled. 

“Um... Well,” they paused. What did they want done? Rowan had been struggling lately to decide how best to express their gender identity, and was struggling with the idea that if they presented more feminine, people would only see them as that. “I guess I need some advice. This isn’t usually my thing, but... I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone, you know?”

Morgan had been planning the opening of their salon, Transformations, for months now–coming up on a year! Over and over again there were delays, whether due to shipping issues, construction upheaval, or any myriad of problems they had not foreseen. The mass poisoning of the town’s residents had certainly not been on their bingo card.

But they would not be deterred! Maybe it wasn’t the most appropriate time to open up a new business, but perhaps the town could use a morale booster? At the very least, there were definitely some citizens in need of a massage. They stood behind the counter, drumming their fingers nervously against the granite. While the outside of the building was a humble, brick venue with a large window and coloring “GRAND OPENING” banner hanging over the door–the inside was minimal and spacious, filled with a mixture of aromas ranging from hair care products to lavender oil diffusers. Calming music lilted throughout the space, currently devoid of the life or chatter of any customers.

That calm was broken by the sound of light chimes as the door opened, alerting Morgan to attention. “Welcome, to Transformations!” They announced, dramatically sweeping their arm. “And what is it I can do for you today? Hair? Nails? Eyebrows? We do waxings, massages, facials, just about anything you may need,” they said, gesturing to a little stand with their “menu” listed. Their high energy was a bit of a stark contrast to the calming atmosphere they were going for, but it was also obvious that they were nervous–and trying very hard to hide it.

@happieststarters​

[rowanxrackett]

[Honesty Hour] Crushes?

“People have more than one at a time?”

[rowanxrackett]

A camping trip was right up the Lost Boys’ alley. Rowan figured that since classes were done for the summer, and they didn’t have much else to do, why not go camping? Plus, Ollie was going, and they were excited to see them. However, when they arrived at the camp and saw what the tent assignments were, they suddenly grew skeptical. Rowan was already uncomfortable knowing that Reagan wasn’t going to be there, but now they had to share a tent with strangers and converse with them. Luckily, Peter was also in their tent. As they approached tent number three, Rowan sighed softly, adjusting the bag that was slung over their shoulder. “Just one week, just one week,” they whispered to themselves, trying to work up the courage to go in.

@itspeterpxn​

[rowanxrackett]

Would you, uh..would you like to go on a date, with me?

W-what? Sorry... I meant, yes.

[rowanxrackett]

reaganrackett​:

–

School was a bit of a sensitive subject to Reagan. She had been notoriously bad at academics, to the point where the guidance counselor suggested she test for learning disabilities, which Reagan vehemently fought against. The day she finally (miraculously) graduated was the day she swore that she would never let anyone make her feel as stupid as she did throughout her years at school. Rowan knew why she didn’t go to college and was still acting like it was a flippant choice she made, rather than what she had to do to remain sane.

“I’m just saying,” she began with a huff. “You and me, we used to do everything together. We were inseparable–we were called The Twins for crying out loud, even though we’re not related! And yeah I still see you all the time, but I’m the one who has to go out of my way to see you. I’m always the one coming here, and I have to work around your school schedule, and I’m always the one reaching out to you, it’s never the other way around!”

She crossed her arms. “Look, I get that you’re the smart kid who is super busy with school work and school friends and school responsibilities–and I’m the idiot who has too much free time on their hands, so like fine, whatever. But like–” Her words caught in her throat, which was starting to twist in a knot. She would not let herself cry in front of anyone, not even Rowan. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled sharply, making sure her tone felt even before she started again. “I just– wanted to do something for us, okay? I thought it’d be fun cuz it’s like, a twin role and we’re The Twins. But if you’re going to do backstage, then I won’t even bother. I didn’t want to do the play because I like fucking plays, I wanted to do it because it’d be with you. I’m not going to twin with someone else.”

.

Rowan felt slightly guilty for bringing school into it, but Reagan had first, and they weren’t going to let her steamroll the conversation. They could understand why she was upset, but did not agree with the way it was being brought up. Listening to her continue, Rowan sighed. “Yeah, well... things are different, now. I’m not saying we can’t hang out or spend time together, but we’ve just...” Rowan stopped themselves, a bit shocked at what was about to come out of their mouth. Grown up. Maybe that was the problem, wasn’t it? They’d grown up... At least, Rowan had. Now that it was in that perspective, they could start to understand more, why Reagan was feeling left behind. 

Realizing that they’d stopped talking for too long, Rowan shook their head, continuing. “We’ve just been busy. I’ve been busy. You’re right. I have school to think about, work to think about, homework to think about... I’m busy, all of the time, and it’s easier for me to stay here than to leave, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hang out with you,” they insisted. 

“Don’t do that,” Rowan warned. “Don’t start talking badly about yourself. No one thinks that.” Reagan might not have been the best academic student, but that didn’t mean she needed to beat herself up over it and call herself stupid. The reality was, she wasn’t, not in the slightest. There were plenty of people in the world who were bad at academics that still became successful and were smart in other ways. Sighing, Rowan crossed their arms over their chest, trying not to feel like the bad guy here. They weren’t. And neither was Reagan, but if they kept going, the both of them would end up taking digs at one another that they would regret the next day. 

“I didn’t say no. I said I had to think about it. It’s not easy, trying to balance all of this, and then try to appease multiple people, on top of it, okay? So just... give me some time to consider it.” It did sound like fun, but Rowan was never the one for the limelight. They’d hid behind Reagan for most of their lives, and now... well, they were starting to forge their own path. 

[rowanxrackett]

ollie-olliebaby​:

“You won’t be silly. I promise. If you feel stressed or nervous at any point, just uh, just look over to stage left, I’ll be there to cheer you up I promise.” Ollie’s chest felt tight, a fluttering sensation in their stomach. Popping another fry into their mouth, they smiled gently. “Yeah I am! Everyone has worked so hard, its going to be amazing. And I’m sure the cast and crew party after opening night is going to be just as epic.” 

.

Ollie’s advice made Rowan smile. “Thanks. I’ll probably need it,” the chuckled awkwardly, tucking their hair behind their ear. “That’s true. I’m impressed with how far it’s come.” They hadn’t even thought about an after party. “Oh, right...” Should they go? Rowan never really did well in crowds, but then again, these were all people that they had worked on the production with, so maybe it would be okay. Then again, attending the after party meant that Rowan was likely going to have to officially introduce Reagan and Ollie, and that felt intimidating. “Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be fun,” they smiled softly, nodding along, though unsure.

[rowanxrackett]

ollie-olliebaby​:

“I’ve never sung infront of people that weren’t my foster dads.” They admitted after a moment. “I like the idea of performing, but getting up and doing it, no thank you.” Grabbing the soda they had also purchased and taking a quick sip, they felt their cheeks start to burn red at Rowan’s comment. “I really like hanging out with you, too.” They admitted softly. “Are you excited for opening night?” Ollie inquired wanting to change the subject.

.

Rowan had meant it casually, though when they saw that Ollie’s face was turning red, they started to second guess themselves. Turning their head away slightly to avoid the obvious blush on their own face now, Rowan nodded. “Yeah, definitely. I like the idea of people enjoying the show, and getting to watch the majority from behind the scenes, but it does make me kind of nervous. What if I totally mess up and then end up looking silly? I guess I understand why people wouldn’t want to do it, even if they can sing well,” they chuckled, shrugging their shoulders. “Ar- are you, excited?” they asked, curiously.

[rowanxrackett]

reaganrackett​:

–

Reagan let her head fall back in sheer boredom at their pedantic arguing. With the last comment though, she snapped her head back up, mouth dropping open in fake offense. “Oh shove it,” She retorted, quite literally shoving their arm. “I am the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you and you know it. Where would you even be without me?” Well, probably doing their essay for one thing. But she was the best friend they were ever going to have, damn it! She’d make sure of it.

Especially with this threat on the horizon. It wasn’t like Rowan to keep things to themselves unless they thought that Reagan was going to react badly. The revelation that they were going to move into college dorming after their foster home instead of following her had been an especially nasty fight. They’d made up, as they always did, but someone as non-confrontational as Rowan did not want to retread on sensitive subjects. Like perhaps, other friends. “So what, you’re saying you’d rather hang out with them than me?“ Up until this point, her banter had been entirely playful. Now, there was a warning tone under it. “You already ditched me for college, now you’re going to ditch me for your college friends too?”

.

Rowan didn’t like fighting with anyone, let alone Reagan. It made them incredibly uncomfortable, and most of the time they just forced themselves to get over it so that the argument could end faster. Which, thinking about it now, was not a healthy coping mechanism at all. “That’s not what I said at all,” Rowan stammered, sensing that this was about to become far bigger than it was meant to. “I just meant that you’d probably see them, if you tried out for the play.”

Now things were starting to get personal. Rowan had never tried to make her feel bad for not going to college, so they were unsure where this animosity was coming from. “How have I ditched you? You could have done the same thing, and you chose not to. I haven’t ditched you for anyone, or anything,” they argued, their tone shifting as well. “I don’t like how you’re talking to me right now... It’s not my fault that you chose to do something different. You come over all the time, I see you practically every day. How do you attribute that to me ditching you? I’m allowed to hang out with other people, too, even if I haven’t before.”

[rowanxrackett]

reaganrackett​:

Reagan rolled her eyes when Rowan insisted they didn’t judge, only to follow it up with what they considered a very judgey statement. “But that’s what I’m saying, though! How do you know that it’s not the kind of thing you tend to read? You know because you look at the cover, form an opinion based on that, and make a decision based on the opinion. That’s called judging.” Rowan wanted to pretend that they had outgrown the childish, immature behaviors that defined the first half of their lives as the Lost Boys, but Reagan was here to remind them that they were just as ridiculous as the rest of them.

She knew from the moment she saw their face that they were going to shoot down this idea. Luckily, she was extremely persistent and not at all deterred by rejection. She was just about to launch into her next round of convincing when the last words gave her pause. “A friend? Which friend? It’s not one of the Lost Boys. Do I know them? Who is it?” She demanded. No secrets would be kept from her, least of all Rowan’s.

.

“No, you read the synopsis on the back. And maybe a few pages. But I know what genres I typically like, so if something doesn’t fit that category, I’m less likely to gravitate toward it,” Rowan explained. “I’ve given plenty of things a fair try. I gave you one, didn’t I?” they teased, a small smirk playing on their lips. 

Crap. Why did they have to open their big mouth. Of course Reagan was going to press them on it. Rowan couldn’t decide which was worse, trying to deflect the conversation about the play by talking about Ollie, or going back to the play to avoid telling her about Ollie. It wasn’t like Rowan was trying to keep them a secret, it was just... they wanted to be selfish and keep it to themselves for a little while longer. However, it didn’t seem that they were going to be able to. “No, it’s not one of the Lost Boys. I’m... not sure. They uh... well...” Rowan’s cheeks were starting to go pink. “They’re going to Redwood college... and... well, like I said, they’re going to be working backstage, so...”

[rowanxrackett]

ollie-olliebaby​:

“Just because I know all the songs, doesn’t mean I know how to sing.” They pointed out. Shaking their head, sending curls bouncing this way and that, once Rowan had gotten the fry, Ollie sat back and listened intently. “That’s still sweet though, to have someone like that, who you’re really close to.” Pulling their knees up to their chest, Ollie reached for another fry. “Well, either way, we still get to hang out, right?”

.

“True, but I happen to think you can.” Rowan thought that it was cute, the way that Ollie flounced their hair around. Honestly, meeting Peter and Reagan and the rest of the lost boys, even Tina, was one of the best things that had happened to Rowan. Even if they were the quiet one of the group, they had friends who were practically ride or die. “I like to think so.” Looking up at Ollie, Rowan nodded. “Yeah, of course. Trust me, I enjoy hanging out with you more than being on a stage in front of people.” Rowan took a fry and bit it, figuring they should probably actually eat the majority of them instead of throwing them about.

[rowanxrackett]

ollie-olliebaby​:

Their laughter carried through the auditorium, picking up another fry they chucked it at Rowan’s head once more. “I mean you’re far better than I would have been.” They replied. Sure, Ollie was a little disappointed when they found out they wouldn’t be able to hang out and goof off backstage as much as they would have hoped, but it was just as fun to watching Rowan up under the spotlight. “If you didn’t want to do the show, why not just tell your siblilng no?” 

.

“I don’t know about that. Like I said, I’ve heard you singing all of the songs,” Rowan repeated, tossing another fry at them, and laughing softly when it got stuck in Ollie’s hair. “Sorry,” they chuckled, reaching forward to grab it for them. “It’s complicated. We’re not actually related, but, we grew up together and kind of do everything together. I guess I just don’t like seeing them upset,” they shrugged. Besides, it was very hard to say no to Reagan, she was very persistent. 

[rowanxrackett]

ollie-olliebaby​:

Ollie was not made for the stage at all. But, they did enjoy being part of what made the show. They did have to admit, they admired the talent that everyone on stage actually had, being able to sing and dance, often at the same time, it was rather impressive. Sitting now infront of house, their feet kicked up on the back of the seat infront of them, they watched as the rest of the cast blocked a scene. “Hm? Me? I mean I’ve been to just about every single rehersal and Toulouse and I sing the songs from this show all the time. So, I would hope I have these memorized.” They laughed, picking up a fry and tossing at Rowan’s head. “I gotta say, I didn’t know you had a voice like that. You’re doing great!”  

.

Rowan hadn’t been planning on being part of the actual production. They’d much rather have been backstage with Ollie, even if they didn’t really know any of Ollie’s friends. Whenever Rowan wasn’t on stage during rehearsals though, they would go back to hang out with them, and mingle with some of the other people part of the crew. “Hey!” they laughed, picking up the fry and throwing it back. Their face turned pink as Ollie complimented them. “Oh, well... I don’t really think I’m that good, but I guess I’ve been doing alright,” they shrugged. “Reagan made me join... I was guilt tripped, practically,” Rowan chuckled, shaking their head at the thought. “I guess it’s been alright, though.”