Flames

High Fashion Robocop, part 1

General note: It's been a long time since I've been around a kid Roux's age, so apologies if I'm not getting her speech/development/etc. right.

"Mama? Where's Glow-mi?"

Amidst all the confusion backstage, Becky still managed to hear her daughter's question above the din and she looked down to see Roux tugging on her hand, stamping her feet to make her light-up boots glow. Oh shit, Becky thought as she herded Roux away from the tumult and crouched down to her level. The aftermath of Naomi and Sasha's departure was spilling everywhere backstage, from Catering to Creative, but Becky hadn't spared a thought to what Roux would make of the situation. "Let's get you back to the bus," Becky said, scooping up her daughter and making her way out of the crowd. "Everyone's very busy. There's lots of work to do."

"But... Glow-mi!" Roux squirmed in Becky's arms, kicking her feet to show off her light-up boots, still her favourite gift by far; she always made sure they were on the bus in case she saw Naomi. Her early attempts to say Naomi had sounded more like Glow-mi—or often Go-mi—but thankfully Naomi thought it was adorable and it had stuck. "Where Glow-mi go?"

"I'm... not sure, baby." Becky turned down an empty corridor and set Roux back on her feet. Now that she was a confident walker, Roux far preferred to be mobile. "Auntie Naomi and Auntie Sasha had to go in a hurry, so I didn't get a chance to talk with them. I'll call them tonight and see, okay?"

Roux frowned so deeply, the expression reminded Becky of Seth and the comparison, even in the midst of the all the upheaval, made her smile. Friends and family had said they could see both Becky and Seth in Roux, both in her appearance and her personality, but Becky loved it when the hints of Seth shone through. "Sa-sa too?" Roux's nose scrunched up, meaning tears were imminent. Auntie Sasha was another favourite playmate.

Becky quickly swooped in and kissed her cheek. "Auntie Naomi and Auntie Sasha are okay," she cooed, though her heart twinged as she said it. She'd barely had a chance to talk with her friends before they left, but she got the sense that whatever was wrong went beyond the usual frustrations with Creative. "They just need... a nap." Becky scrambled to think of some equivalent Roux would understand. Sasha and Naomi needed a break, and what was a nap if not a break from your day? "Why don't we take a nice picture and send it to them for when they wake up? How about you do a big dance move so your boots light up for Auntie Naomi and so Auntie Sasha can see your bling?" Becky tapped the long costume-jewellery necklace she was wearing, a gift from Sasha; it wasn't expensive, but Roux treated it like it was as precious as gold.

Sniffling, Roux nodded, grabbing onto the necklace's wide pendant. "Okay."

It took her a few hops before she was smiling again, and Becky dutifully snapped a series of pictures. "Come see. Which one should we send?" She scrolled through the photos slowly so Roux could choose. "This one?" Becky asked, pointing to the one where Roux was attempting her Rhea stomp, still her favourite move.

"Yeah." Roux sniffled again as Becky selected the photo and sent it to both Sasha and Naomi with a quick message: Roux hopes she can have a dance party with her aunties very soon! There was supposed to be a dance party with her honorary aunties that evening, but it looked like that—plus the six-pack challenge, among other things—wasn't going to happen.

"There we go." Becky grabbed Roux's hand and started walking towards the bus. Halfway there, an intern from Creative ran up, looking sheepish when he saw Roux's teary face. "Is it quick?" Becky asked kindly. As much as her daughter was her priority, she also knew she was very fortunate to be allowed to bring her to work.

"Uh, yeah. They... they want you to bring up the Naomi and Sasha thing in a backstage bit with Adam Pearce. You're supposed to be angling for an automatic title shot...." He handed her a folded piece of paper before stepping back. "Go to Creative as soon as you can."