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Despite all evidence to the contrary they did actually have a plan.
It wasn't a good plan by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a plan and it was better than nothing.
It started like this: Rowan, as the smallest and lightest of the bunch, would go first and then he'd give the others a hand up and they'd all make their way up the building together, working ledge to ledge until they finally reached the roof.
It started pretty well all things considered. Ilya played his part perfectly, giving him a boost so he could stand on the back of a bear-shifted Ross. Ross did a stellar job as a big furry stepping stone. 10/10 would recommend his services in the future.
He may have struggled a little bit to pull himself up the ledge, but it was high up and he was short, okay? He totally heard Ilya laugh at him when he was kicking his legs in the air as he tried to get up over the lip of the roof; Rowan will remember that and he will be hearing from his lawyers.
Soon enough Rowan was standing on the low roof of the porch. From up close the climb looked a little daunting and the foot and handholds he'd spotted from the ground didn't seem so secure anymore. The ground seemed too far away; Bit unnecessary that. He decided that being afraid of heights was pussy behaviour and he was not going to engage in that.
Rowan may have started to have some doubts about this, but it was his idea dammit and he's not going to back down now. He brushed some of the yellow dust from the sandstone off the front of his hoodie in an attempt to regain his composure. It worked flawlessly because he is flawless.
Watching Ilya struggle to climb Ross was peak entertainment and Rowan is definitely going to be sharing this memory with Tadgh or Darren later. It's a gift the whole world deserves to see.
Ross reached up and grasped the roof with his paws before heaving his great weight onto it. The roof creaked worryingly under about 500 pounds of pure bear and Rowan really started to reevaluate his plan in earnest. But unfortunately the cost has been sunk and really at this point there's nowhere to go but up.
This is where things start to go wrong. See Rowan had miscalculated one small teeny tiny detail. While it was exceedingly easy to get Ross to shift into a bear, it was nearly impossible to get him back out. It would probably be easier to make Spook say something nice about Gideon or Dax and mean it.
“Ross?” he tried anyway, “maybe, um, you shouldn't be a bear for this bit?”
Ross stared at him. Oh wow. His mouth is, like, really big. Rowan's whole head could fit in there maybe.
"okay.” He said quietly. “You're right. I don't know what I was thinking.”
It was worth a shot.
Ilya was snickering at him so he just projected an image of that time Ross just sat on him when they got in some kind of a fight about Tadgh’s illusions or something.
“Hey-!”
“ANYWAY,” said Rowan, “we should probably start with that ledge there, go towards the top of that window and just? Figure it out from there? I guess??”
Ilya nodded “Good plan. Solid.”
‘Is it?’ thought Rowan incredulously.
Ross made a noise that was probably an agreement and started shuffling forwards to the alarm of the other two.
“Woah, dude fucking watch it.” Ilya put a hand out in front of him before he accidentally pushed them off the roof, “Let us go first. We're more important: I have the snacks.”
Ilya took hold of a gutter pipe and used it as a support to take a step up onto a small outcropping of sandstone before casually jumping onto the windowsill above. He edged cautiously along the windowsill, slowly making his way onto the next.
Rowan waited until he was at least halfway along the second window before he scrambled up Ilya's path with all the grace and speed of a rabid squirrel. He considered skipping along but decided that while fun, it would majorly suck if he fell and broke his leg or something. Also Ilya would be disappointed in him and that is absolutely not allowed.
When he got there Ilya grasped his hand and pulled him up to the roof of the bay window. His hand was warm and calloused. Rowan should cuddle up to him in cat mode more - he'd be a great nap chair.
Rowan muttered a quick thanks before he leant over the ledge to look Ross in his big brown eyes. He's never seen a bear look so pathetic in all his life. Those eyes were screaming for help.
He was currently stuck trying to stand on a one foot wide window sill, paws spread wide against the window like some kind of brown furry curtain.
“Shit.”
Ilya cuffed him on the back of the head, “Oi! No swearing!”
“Huh?” he said, genuinely confused, “I swear all the time? And so do you!”
“No you don't. You're not allowed, you're like, a baby.”
“We're the same age!”
“Hm. Doubt.”
Rowan shoved him. Ilya screamed. It was a very manly, very high pitched scream and he did not almost fall off the roof at all. No matter what anyone tells you. Don't listen to them - they're lying.
§§§§§
“What are they doing?” Ashley sounded tired, if slightly amused. She leant a casual elbow on Everrette’s shoulder.
Everette raised a finger dramatically in the air, “I-” she said confidently, “-have absolutely no idea.”
“I propose the idea that they might be trying to get on the roof.” provided Collin moodily, because he was Collin and everything he does is moody.
Ashley looked back at the boys, who seemed to be reenacting The Lion King on the side of the lodge, then turned to Collin again, “Are they?!?”
He shrugged (and by God was it done moodily) and muttered something darkly under his breath that Ashley refused to listen to for the sake of their continued amicable acquaintanceship.
§§§§§
He's not sure how they manage it but somehow he and Ilya stop trying to kill each other long enough to start actually making progress on their animal rescue project. It's not going great (it mostly involves futilely trying to pull a 500 pound bear up a building) but as any therapist would tell you - any progress is good progress. So actually the one inch they managed to move him was great and they should get an award.
“Ross! Stop being so fucking useless and shift your bear ass!” Yelled Ilya, just absolutely done with his bullshit.
“Moargngh.” complained Ross.
Rowan giggled. Bear ass.
Eventually they managed to gently coax Ross onto the bay window. It mostly involved Rowan awkwardly standing next to Ross on the ledge and guiding his footsteps whilst Ilya pulled him from above and threatening to set him on fire if he didn't get a move on.
Climbing into the roof proper after that was a simple affair, just a slightly more awkward performance of their process into the porch.
The roof was flat all around the edge with a small wall to separate them from the gutter. Lead lined small tunnels acted as drainage for the roof. Rowan took off his backpack and lay a couple picnic blankets down for the three of them.
The two of them sat leaning against Ross, his great furry head curled around Rowan like some antique armrest. Rowan idly played with the soft fur on his friends head as they watched over the grounds together.
The sunset stretched across the sky in a brilliant streak of orangey reddish pink. It dyed the sandstone they sat upon in brilliant colours that faded into one another, leaving the whole building as a glowing beacon of rock.
Out of Ilya's bag came a packet of marshmallows, three packets of chocolate digestives, a pack of soda and a large tupperware full of raisins and salted peanuts.
§§§
“I can't believe I missed Tadgh Films season 2…” Started Rowan.
“Let me tell you, it was wild.”
“REBECCA DIED! I loved Rebecca, I'm never forgiving Tadgh for that, how dare he.”
“But the drama, the story, it was a major turning point for Dan's character arc-”
“Fuck Dan man I want Rebecca back.”
‘You can't even see them-’
“I CAN IF I HOLD SOMEONE'S HAND!! FUCK YOU!”
§§§
“Ah shit.” Said Ilya suddenly.
“Hm?”
‘What?’
“I just had a thought: maybe we should have brought our homework up here…”
“... We had homework?
‘Rowan have you not been doing the workbook we were supposed to complete over the last three weeks?’
“Oh. Um. I forgot?”
‘Rowan it's due in two days.’
“Ah, well, too late now I guess…”
§§§
“Nah, not really, I mean I didn't have a crush on anyone at Tregarren I don't think.”
‘No? Then what was Dax?’
“Your crush on him was so obvious.”
“I didn't have a crush on him.”
‘You so did.’
“I think I would know-”
“Yet here we are-”
‘You followed him around half the time and spent the rest of it talking about how cool he was dude-’
“Well at least it's better than what you two have going on with Tadgh-”
Ilya choked, “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah, I mean not to him, he has no idea but to the rest of us it's as obvious as Collin-”
“Everyone knows about Collin too!?”
“-and Everrette.” There was a beat as Rowan processed this, then, “You had a crush on Collin?!”
‘We need to get you better taste in men.’
“Shut up Ross you like Tadgh too!”
‘Yeah? I know?’
“...”
‘Really thought you had me there, huh.’
§§§
They spent some more time just dicking about on the roof before falling into a chill kind of silence as the evening wore on and their snacks began to run out.
They watched the light fade as slowly the sky gave way to purple twilight and they began to make out the gentle twinkle of the brightest stars.
Rowan was enjoying the quiet until a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“Hey Ross?”
‘Yea?’
“Can't you fucking fly?”
“...”