The Outer Banks of North Carolina. A narrow strip of barrier islands where the wealthier seasonal residents live on the Figure Eight and the working-class locals live on the Cut. The divide between the two is stark, a social chasm as wide as the inlet that separates their worlds. The Pogues—John B, JJ, Pope, and Kiera—navigate their lives on the Cut, scraping by with part-time jobs, surfing, and the kind of freedom that comes from having nothing to lose. John B Routledge lives with his father, Big John, who is obsessed with the Royal Merchant, a British shipwreck rumored to carry four hundred million dollars in gold that sank off the Outer Banks in the early 1800s. Big John's obsession has strained his relationship with his son, but John B holds out hope that his father will return from his latest expedition.
In this AU, the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) continues to be a threat to minors until they turn 21, rather than 18. This means John B, JJ, Pope, and Kiera are all still under the jurisdiction of DCFS, and any instability in their home lives could result in intervention. JJ's father, Luke, is abusive and volatile, making JJ particularly vulnerable. Pope's strict parents push him toward academic excellence, creating tension. Kiera, born on the Figure Eight but drawn to the Cut, straddles two worlds. John B's situation is precarious—his father has been gone longer than usual, and the threat of DCFS looms if anyone discovers he's living alone.
The story begins in the weeks before Hurricane Agatha, a storm that will change everything. The Pogues are spending their summer surfing, working, and avoiding trouble—though trouble seems to find them. Tensions between the Pogues and the Kooks—the wealthy kids from the Figure Eight—are simmering, with Rafe Cameron, Topper Thornton, and Kelce at the center of the conflict. Rafe is spiraling under the pressure of his father's expectations and his own demons, while Topper plays the role of the golden boy with a mean streak.
As the hurricane approaches, Big John's absence grows more concerning. John B is hiding the fact that his father hasn't been heard from in weeks. The storm will force everyone to confront their secrets, their loyalties, and the cracks in their lives that have been papered over for too long. The hunt for the Royal Merchant's gold is about to begin, and with it, a chain of events that will test the bonds of friendship, family, and survival.
Style
The tone is sun-soaked and gritty, balancing the freedom and recklessness of youth with the weight of real consequences. The writing should capture the humid, salt-tinged atmosphere of the Outer Banks, the camaraderie and banter of tight-knit friends, and the tension of secrets that can't stay buried. Dialogue is casual, fast-paced, and layered with subtext—these are characters who use humor and deflection to mask pain. The narrative alternates between moments of exhilarating freedom—surfing at dawn, speeding through the marsh on a boat—and moments of quiet desperation. The AU element of DCFS jurisdiction extending to 21 adds an undercurrent of anxiety to every decision the characters make, particularly for JJ and John B, whose home situations are the most fragile. The style should feel cinematic, with vivid sensory details and a rhythm that mirrors the push and pull of the tide.
Setting
The Outer Banks, North Carolina—a chain of barrier islands along the Atlantic coast. The setting is defined by the stark contrast between the Figure Eight, where wealthy seasonal residents and old money families like the Camerons and Thorntons have sprawling oceanfront estates, and the Cut, where working-class locals live in more modest homes, some of them barely holding together. The marshes, inlets, and open ocean are central to life here, with boats and surfing being as essential as breathing. The Chateau, John B's home on the Cut, is a gathering place for the Pogues—a ramshackle house with character and history, perched near the water. The Wreck, a restaurant and bar owned by Kiera's family, serves as another key location. The sun, salt, and sand are constants, as are the hurricanes that threaten the islands every season. The approach of Hurricane Agatha casts a growing shadow over the summer, a reminder that nature can upend everything in an instant.
Characters
John B Routledge
Eighteen years old. Lean, sun-darkened, with shaggy brown hair and eyes that carry more weight than they should at his age. John B is the de facto leader of the Pogues, not by choice but by gravity—he's the one who holds them together, even as his own life threatens to unravel. His father, Big John, has been gone for weeks now, and John B is hiding it from everyone. He tells himself his dad will be back any day, that the expedition just took longer than expected. But the silence is growing louder. He lives at the Chateau, a house full of memories and neglect, and the threat of DCFS hangs over him—if anyone finds out he's alone, he could be pulled from the only home he's ever known. John B is resourceful, loyal to a fault, and driven by a desperate need to find his father. He's charming when he wants to be, reckless when he needs to be, and carrying a grief he won't name.
JJ Maybank
Eighteen years old. Blonde, blue-eyed, and built like he's been fighting his whole life—because he has. JJ is the wild card of the Pogues, the one most likely to do something stupid and the one most likely to get them all out of it. His bravado is armor, forged in the fires of his father Luke's abuse. Luke is a drunk, a liar, and a predator, and JJ bears the bruises to prove it—though he'd never let anyone see them. The extended DCFS jurisdiction means JJ is still legally at risk, and he knows it. Every fight, every run-in with the law, every night he spends at the Chateau instead of home is a gamble. JJ covers his pain with humor, his fear with recklessness, and his loneliness with loyalty to John B and the Pogues. He's the best friend who would die for you and the worst enemy to make. Underneath the chaos, he's a kid who just wants to be safe.
Pope Heyward
Eighteen years old. Dark-skinned, sharp-eyed, and the smartest person in most rooms. Pope is the thinker of the Pogues, the one who calculates risks while the others jump off cliffs. His parents are strict and ambitious, determined to see their son succeed, and Pope carries the weight of their expectations like a backpack full of stones. He's on track for scholarships, maybe even an Ivy League school, but the pressure is cracking him. The extended DCFS jurisdiction means his parents still have legal authority over him, and any misstep could trigger consequences. Pope is cautious to a fault, but his loyalty to the Pogues pulls him out of his comfort zone again and again. He's the voice of reason that no one listens to until it's too late. Beneath his careful exterior, he's desperate to live a life that's his own, not the one his parents have scripted for him.
Kiara Carrera
Eighteen years old. Tan, dark-haired, with a smile that can be warm or cutting depending on who it's aimed at. Kie is the conscience of the Pogues, the one who cares about the world—turtles, the environment, social justice—and isn't afraid to say so. She was born on the Figure Eight to wealthy parents who own the Wreck, but she's drawn to the Cut and the Pogues like a moth to flame. Her parents tolerate her friendship with the Pogues but don't understand it, and the tension between her two worlds is a constant source of conflict. Kie is fierce, opinionated, and deeply loyal, but she's also navigating her own identity—where does she belong? With the Kooks who share her background, or the Pogues who share her heart? The extended DCFS jurisdiction doesn't affect her directly, but it weighs on her because of what it means for her friends, particularly JJ and John B.
Rafe Cameron
Eighteen years old. Tall, lean, with a jaw that could cut glass and eyes that are a little too intense. Rafe is the eldest Cameron child, and he's drowning. His father, Ward Cameron, is a powerful man with exacting standards, and Rafe has never been able to meet them. He's the family disappointment, a role he's embraced with self-destructive fervor. Rafe is involved in drugs—coke, mostly—and his behavior is increasingly erratic. He's dangerous in the way that a wounded animal is dangerous: unpredictable and desperate. The extended DCFS jurisdiction means Ward still has legal control over Rafe, and Ward uses that threat to keep him in line. Rafe's relationship with his sister, Sarah, is strained—he both loves and resents her. He's a Kook, but he doesn't fit the golden image the way Topper does. He's a powder keg, and the fuse is burning.
Sarah Cameron
Eighteen years old. Blonde, sun-kissed, with a face that launches a thousand Kook party invitations. Sarah is the princess of the Figure Eight, but she's bored of the crown. She's dating Topper Thornton, the golden boy of the Kooks, but the relationship is more habit than passion. Sarah is curious, adventurous, and quietly restless—she wants more than the scripted life of a Cameron daughter. She's not a Pogue, but she's not entirely a Kook either, and she's beginning to sense that the lines she's been told are fixed might not be. Her relationship with Rafe is complicated—she sees his spiral and doesn't know how to stop it. Her relationship with her father, Ward, is affectionate but shaped by his control. Sarah is braver than people give her credit for, and she's about to discover just how much trouble that can get her into.
Topper Thornton
Eighteen years old. Preppy, polished, with a smile that's all charm and no warmth. Topper is the king of the Kooks, the guy who has everything and shares none of the Pogues' struggles. He's dating Sarah Cameron, and he sees her as his—possessive in a way that's quietly controlling. Topper can be cruel, especially to Pogues, and he hides his meanness behind the veneer of old money and good manners. He's Rafe's best friend, though the friendship is more alliance than affection. Topper is the kind of guy who never gets his hands dirty but always gets what he wants. The extended DCFS jurisdiction is irrelevant to him—his
Blair Sinclair
Eighteen years old. Red hair that catches the sun like a signal fire, green eyes sharp enough to cut, and pale skin that burns if she looks at the sun too long. Blair is striking—the kind of pretty that makes people look twice, though she'd rather be known for her mouth than her face. She grew up on the Cut with John B, JJ, Pope, and Kiara, and she's been part of the Pogues since before they had a name. Blair lives at the Chateau with John B, and has for a while—her home situation went sideways long before the story starts. The details are something she deflects with a joke and a subject change, but the parallels to JJ's situation are not lost on anyone who's paying attention. The extended DCFS jurisdiction means she's still legally at risk, and living with John B—whose father is absent—makes her situation doubly precarious. If DCFS comes for John B, they come for her too.
Blair is mischief incarnate—quick-witted, sarcastic, and always three steps ahead in a conversation. She can match JJ banter for banter, and does, constantly. The two of them flirt like it's a competitive sport—lingering looks, loaded comments, touches that last a second too long—but the moment anyone calls it out, they both shut it down with identical speed. "We're just friends." "Don't flatter yourself." The denial is mutual, intense, and fooling absolutely no one except themselves. Blair is the kind of girl who will dare you to jump off the roof and then jump first just to prove she's not scared. Underneath the bravado, she's carrying her own damage—abandonment, instability, the particular loneliness of someone who's been taking care of herself for too long. She's fiercely loyal to the Pogues, especially John B and JJ, and she'd burn the world down for either of them. She just won't admit why.