the void

annie harlowe | 27 | "works" @ bookends oh what a feeling hanging off a building with the regulars

[annieharlowe]

annie harlowe

age: 27

date of birth: may 27 / gemini

hometown: cassel, illinois

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: heterosexual

occupation: employee at bookends

full bio here / playlist

traits: spontaneous, loyal, guarded, easy going, perpetual scrappy younger sister vibes

alignment: chaotic neutral

hobbies: thrifting, baking, 80s movies & music

headcanons:

- before she left cassel and before she lost her brother, the two of them were always down to scheme or join in on any mischief. this hasn’t changed. you can count on annie to follow any crazy plan you come up with and help burn the evidence.

- with her parents being the town’s primary doctors, everyone knew who she was. there was an expectation that she would follow in their footsteps and take over the practice one day. that didn’t happen. annie never had passion for it. she’s been back in town for 8 months pretending she can avoid her parents. it may be a small town but she can cross the street.

- sure annie went to college, but she didn’t specialize. she always assumed that she would “figure it out” her one true interest is music and took the job at bookends because of their small record collection

- annie’s history in cassel has her (not so) quietly invested in casey’s disappearance. catch her scrolling the message boards with a glass of white wine, trying her hand at being an armchair detective

wanted connections:

- someone who was close friends with her brother. they understand how profound the loss was, and have now kind of taken on a pseudo-sibling type relationship with annie

-kindred spirit / possible brotp type  - these two wouldn’t have necessarily become friends but connected in adulthood. they mesh because they are both a little eccentric and maybe weren’t what their parents were expecting (UTP)

- opposites attract ex - i think it would be fun for annie to have had a highschool ex that was her complete opposite. a buttoned up overachiever type. they’re friendly now and possibly residual feelings? (UTP)

- fwb/will they won’t they type situation – they take their friendship seriously, but can’t deny there is an attraction between them. they’re relaxed with the rules. these two share each other’s secrets and beds. everything seems to point for them to make things official yet they just won’t (or will they?) details UTP

- childhood friends /brother’s friends/ frenemies / best friend / new friends – its no secret that annie is not close with her parents. since her brother’s death she is all about found family. if you were friends with her brother it’s a rule she is your little sister now (UTP)

- exes/flings/hookups

- anything & everything! I am open to even the most ridiculous or angsty plots. message me on discord. i am so willing!

[annieharlowe]

mariannebyrne​:

____

“Charming can be small town for a lot of things, but forceful is definitely one of them. My personal favorite is the meaning where it’s carefully masked sarcasm to declare someone an asshole. Which, you know, also applies.”

She didn’t have to know Harding to declare that statement (hypothetically) loudly and proudly. His present actions had made sure of that.

But there was no sense in dragging on the conversation about Harding when there was plenty more for the two of them to discuss. Having spent enough time simply assessing Annie, Mari was glad to be quickly moving on to a more personal conversation. There was only so much catching up that could be accomplished non-verbally, and unlike most of the townsfolk Mari had been running into recently, she and Annie had once been friends. It made for an easy shortcut so some of the harder stuff, but also a welcome shortcut to some of the more lighthearted.

“Maybe this town is cursed. We get out, we live life, and then we come back to our lives here dissatisfied and/or distraught.”

A depressing thought, but what wasn’t depressing was the suggestion Annie had been quick to make. Marianne was equally as quick to accept, thankful for a reprieve from the cold on the horizon and the possibility of something sugary that would keep her up for hours yet.

“I think there’s something seriously wrong with people who don’t like cake. I can’t stay long since I have to make sure my brother heads off to school at his ungodly chosen time for his zero hour, but… cake would be great. And while we walk, you can catch me up on everything that you’ve been up to over the years.”

---

“Cursed is the perfect way to put it. Even the people who have left – have any of them been lucky enough to not be marked as damaged goods?” She secures her bag to her shoulder as they begin their walk down the main. Mari was right. You’d be hard pressed to find someone from Cassel that wasn’t pulled back or bound by some tragic invisible string.

Having been the subject of small town gossip from time to time, it was a rule when Annie heard a rumour that she wasn’t quick to believe it. Mari had two older brothers that Annie assumed would have taken their youngest sibling in. Hearing her worry about his attendance pretty much confirmed the gossip. “You know I think you are lovely, but I can’t say I ever saw you as a teen mom..or..uh, parent of a teen.” Annie felt for her then. Mari always had a clear focus. How was a dependent going to fit? “Have you tricked any exes into believing they are the father?”

Annie’s shoulders unwillingly tighten at the question. She wasn’t trying to hide what she had been up to. It was guilt. When Robbie died, she ran from Cassel with a plan to prove that she had a purpose more significant than what had been imagined for her. The only thing that she found was that there were consequences for being an idiot outside of a small town.

“I did this tour of the greatest couches in the US. I highly recommend trying a futon in St. Louis, pull-out in New York, and sectional in Memphis.” She smiled at Mari, digging her keys out of her pocket as they neared her apartment. “You hightailed it out of here too. I fully expected the next time we saw each other would be when I was busted for a heist ring.”

[salvagingsloan]

Rise & Shine ——;;

Fingers pressed into the bridge of her nose, pinching the spot right between her eyes that had been throbbing incessantly since she rolled out of bed and stumbled her way into a pair of coveralls. The previous night’s poor decisions were written all over her face, etched into deep frowns, forehead creases, and dark circles beneath out-of-focus grey eyes. Nursing a hangover in the shop was difficult enough, but trying to carry on a conversation at the same time was nearly impossible. Never one to mince words, Sloan lifted her free hand in the universal sign for ‘stop for one fucking minute, please.’

“Listen, you’re gonna have to repeat that.” The hand on her face shifted slowly, the heel of her palm coming to press into her left eye so she could at least crack open the right and do her company the courtesy of looking at them, “I’m off my game today – - so just lemme hear it one more time.”

[annieharlowe]

“I was saying, most Cassel residents have some sort of skill in a back seat.” Annie leans inside one the cars to investigate a dent, “Were they trying to make their foot go through the roof or...?” She had no idea about cars (she didn’t even own one), but that didn’t stop her from popping in to bother one of her favourite business owners and make her own car health diagnoses.

She pulls herself out of the car to now analyze Sloan. The dark circles under her eyes are telling a story Annie was familiar with, “Was there a party I didn’t know about or just a rough night?”

[annieharlowe]

cvrsedhands​:

Rosalie lets out another quick laugh at Annie’s comment it was nice to relax for a single second, even though she hadn’t fully let her guard down due to the area they were in, it was nice to see how carefree people behaved it made her feel more human for a moment.

And then the wrecking ball of a question ‘ have you always wanted to be a nurse came ’ and she wanted to crawl back to her hole, it was such a load gun of answer the 31 year old didn’t know where to start with the blonde girl infront of her. Sucking in a sharp breath and chewing on her cheek; Rosalie tried to smile and tried to put on an air of calmness but she was failing around like a person who was drowning. “K-Kinda?” She paused, eyes shifting around.

“See that’s an easier question I could tell you some stories but I could also lose my job.” Rosalie breathed out, smiling naturally this time. 

---

Even in the dim street lighting, Annie could tell that her question had hit a nerve. “There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a puppeteer. I don’t talk about that either.” She gives Rosalie a reassuring smile.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I had a hand in someone losing their job.” That wasn’t something Rosalie needed to worry about now, but petty crime and being a general nuisance didn’t help many Cassel teens keep their part-time gigs. “Your secrets are safe with me, though,” she added.

With a quick look behind her to make sure she wasn’t going to be caught in the door again, and her items safe in her bag, Annie points down the street. “I’m heading that way. Are you nearby?”

[annieharlowe]

lucimcrtinez​:

Luci manages a laugh, letting Annie’s idea formulate in her mind. “Please, with social media at my finger tips? I’d probably be worse than I was.” Hell, they had still been on myspace when she was in high school - figuring out the top eight and only just beginning the ventures to facebook. Now, with their instagrams and twitters and tiktoks, Luci was sure she’d have been a much bigger draw for trouble - and every moment of it documented further than it already was. “Besides, I don’t think you could ever be boring.” 

She’s glad there’s an empty space right in front of Buck’s - the night is early, of course, but that doesn’t stop her from parking a little haphazardly - there was a reason she was never the designated driver, and that her car was still from the year she graduated high school and not newer. “Do you think shit like this was happening when we were their age? Not the…taking, obviously. But I never thought about the teachers, what they were thinking. And now like - we are the teachers age. Hell, I see the guidance counselor at the bar as often as I’m here. Isn’t it absurd? To realize that they had these lives we didn’t even know about or think about and now it’s all just…” she didn’t even know where her thoughts were going, even as she held the door open for Annie, grateful for the dingy lighting and familiar scent of the dive bar. “Sometimes it’s crazy just how little we know about the people in our lives, you know?”

“Oh, I’ve wondered what teachers were thinking. Like in 10th grade when I wanted to play Rizzo in Grease, and they cast someone else. They were out of their minds then. Clearly, it’s become worse.” With Luci in tow, she makes a beeline for the open booth at the back of the bar, promptly lounging herself across the bench as if it were her personal throne. “You know I saw the old secretary at a rave when I lived in New York,” Annie gives a friendly wave to the bar staff, and then raising her brows at Luci, “Yeah, both nipples  are pierced.”

She rests her head against the wall of the bar while considering Luci’s thought. “Especially in Cassel. Everyone is always ready to put up a front.” Something Annie struggled with...reeling herself in. Some residents in their small town were chameleon-like, the way they changed their personalities to blend with whatever company was present. “It makes it easy for stuff like this to go unnoticed.”

[southby]

date: early afternoon location: main street status: open

“Now,” Southby hooked his thumbs through his duty belt. “You don’t look like the smartest individual I’ver ever seen, but I don’t think you’re blind either on account of the lack of a dog, or cane, or sunglasses, or some other such paraphernalia–so I know you can see that that curb is clearly red.”

[annieharlowe]

“And none of those account for colour blindness. Something to consider,” she challenges. Annie swings her legs to slide off the hood of the silver honda she was perched on. “Who said this was my car? I might just be sitting on it.” With a cheeky smile, she stands to meet the officer.

[husssel]

Drag ha, Nicole

[annieharlowe]

desmurphy​:

…

Sexy nightmares. Desmond’s mind was quick to latch onto that aspect of the conversation, side-eyeing Annie as they walked arm in arm down Main St. He was tempted to ask where she stood on the Freddy vs Jason debate, but of course, she knew him well enough to know his ever present urge to tease her.  She banished the thought in his mind as soon as she’d conjured it. Besides, with everything that had happened, it was probably more important to focus on the first half of her question.

Emotions made him uncomfortable. He ran from them, quite literally. Sometimes across continents. That night Annie clung to his side, and as much as he wanted to avoid where he could feel this particular conversation going, he couldn’t run from her.

“Do you know how much money I’d pay for a sneak peak at your sexy nightmares?” he said at first, unable to fully resist. A beat followed before he continued. “Nah, I haven’t. Too many ghosts in this town. That’s what the music’s for.” He shook the record in his free hand.

“Good weed, good music… I know it’s not that simple, but it makes the ghosts a little quieter. Maybe that could help you, if only for tonight?”

“One day, there will be the technology, and I promise full access to be strapped down A Clockwork Orange style to witness my darkest fantasies.”

She wasn’t going to push the issue. If anything, she just wanted to feel she wasn’t alone, and what he said about ghosts…Annie knew Des understood.

She squeezes his arm, “The perfect escape.” The moment was verging on sentimental, and though she could sometimes be known to wear her heart on her sleeve, it wasn’t his style. “Des, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she feigns seriousness. “Have you ever been possessed?” She smirks. There was no way the Wandering Souls escaped completely unscathed, and no way she was going to make him sit with feelings.

Reaching Des’ place, Annie unlinks her arm to beat him to the door. Running her fingers along the shop’s sign, she finds what she is looking for. Unlocking the door with his spare key, she looks back at him quizzically, “You coming?”

[areyouleading]

maxpresky Some screens grabs from a while back Camera Operating for DOP @ameliahazlerigg with @jodiemcomer

[annieharlowe]

isidorescastillo​:

  When concern and surprise flashed across the familiar- but all grown up now- woman’s eyes, Isidore couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Even being back for so many years, Cassel managed to hold surprises tucked away in the sleepy bushes and storefronts. He’d heard; about her brother, bits of gossip and further information from his mom. The Castillo family had always been private by nature, but when comfortable, his mother had a wagging tongue and liked to be in the know. Unfortunately, this left Isidore at the end of a few long-winded phonecalls, and more awareness of the residents in Cassel than he particularly wanted to have.

   He couldn’t deny the twinge of guilt he felt just upon seeing her. They’d all been close, once upon a time. Enough time had passed between tragedy and him knowing that Isidore never knew what he would even say- or, for that matter, how to reach her. “Menthol, for tonight,” He answered simply, still smiling and flicking his ashes, unmoved from his position up the against wall. From his pocket, Isi retrieved the pack of smokes, offering it out to her. Inside, she’d find a lighter, if she chose to partake. 

  “Been right here the whole time.” Short with his words as always. Time changes a lot, but not all. “I live out just past the meadows, in my grandparent’s home-” She’d know it. If she remembered much of their teenage years. “Been fixin’ it up, off ‘n on. Not hiding from you, I didn’t even know you came back. Guess we all do, eventually, huh?” 

   Her smirk was exactly how he remembered it, and Isi found himself chuckling again, shaking his head as he exhaled and let his eyes draw away from her, back out to the empty street ahead. “Annie fuckin’ Harlowe. They still tell stories ‘bout you, you know.”

---

Annie doesn’t take one but leans up against the wall beside him. Nicotine was the one vice she had decided to give up in an attempt at maturity, choosing to inhale the secondhand smoke instead.

There is a small smile on her face as she hears about his grandparent’s house. Isi’s connection with his family was one she always admired.“I guess so,” she agrees, “The Big City ended up being too big. I do miss having a McDonalds on every corner though.” It had been too hard to make a new home somewhere else, especially when her home had always been a person.

She snorts, “And I hope you say to them, ‘You don’t know her like I do.’ ” She playfully nudges him. Most stories that were passed around about Annie were definitely true. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t have tried for a thrill, and Mr. Peterson’s lawn still hadn’t grown back since she set it on fire.

“I can’t look at you without thinking of how much-” she bursts out laughing at the memory, “Do you remember how much I cried when you enlisted?” No one could say she wasn’t loyal and a little over dramatic.

[annieharlowe]

marleymostlikely​:

-

It made sense. Potential crime, like the case of Casey Andrews, didn’t happen often in a small town like Cassel. There was the occasional drug bust, maybe a robbery every now and again–but a missing teenager and a seemingly guilty favorite town coach? That would be enough for anybody to want to be home before the streetlights turned on. 

Marley merely nodded her head in agreement, prepared to leave the conversation at that, when Annie brings up the yard sale. Eyebrows furrowed, her gaze drops to her extended leg, and notes, with a small smile, that those were in fact the jeans that she’d sold. They hadn’t been her mother’s, though. While digging around her things, she’d actually managed to find a few pieces of clothing she hadn’t packed with her when she’d left Cassel the first time.

“They look better on you.” Marley admits with raised eyebrows, as in disbelief. She couldn’t remember her reason for leaving them behind, if there had been one at all.

Though Marley herself wasn’t too concerned about the walk home, it’d been made clear by Annie’s fighting stance that at least a small part of her was. There wasn’t many, if there were any, people in Cassel who’s company she desired to be in, but she also wasn’t going to leave her fellow woman to fend for herself. 

Slowly, her head nodded, small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Sure. Just promise me that you won’t be caught in a door when you actually have to fight off any danger.” Marley’s eyes rolled.

---

Her mouth opens in shock at the other woman’s shade. Great style, and humour. “Ok, maybe I was wrong. You are the danger.” She found herself laughing. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep though.”

As they walk, she lets her curiosity gets the best of her. “I have to ask about the jeans. I can’t find anything like this in Cassel, unless I harass Des to source it for me.” The town didn’t have many fashion options, especially when your idea of fashion was vintage and full of feathers. “The embroidery, does it have meaning?” It wasn’t a typical daisy chain or Winnie the Pooh on the pocket that could easily be found in every thrift store. The design felt one of a kind. Annie was interested in the possible lore.

[annieharlowe]

streetoffire​:

–

Fletch offers an apologetic smile, even as he mentioned the notorious Night Stalker he knew it probably wasn’t the brightest thing to say.  He nods his head in the direction of the hardware store, the road dimly lit by street lamps and the occasional passing car.  “C’mon I could use somebody to make sure I make it there in one piece,” he chuckles as they start walking down the main road.  

Once in the old shop it’s as if he’s working on pure muscle memory as he easily finds the aisle he’s looking for and starts picking up the loose items he’d need for the home repairs.  A project to keep his emotions from his brother being back from running rampant.  He crouches down to compare a couple fuses before looking back up towards Annie, “So how’s business?  True crime books flying off the shelf or what?” 

---

“Not really. I think people are too afraid.” She says with a shrug. Not everyone was going to be devouring the true crime section like she was. “Lolita, on the other hand…” She raises her brows and gives Fletch a side-eyed look. “And oddly, Chicken Soup for the Soul.” The people would want what they want.

Fletch’s ability to navigate the store and find exactly what he needed completely on auto-pilot makes Annie sense that this may be more than a profession to him. The way he moves through without second guessing is the same way she moves through the grocery store aisles; sugar, butter, flour. Collecting ammo for the fight against her own mind.  A soft smile starts at her lips.

“So, this is your safe space.” Annie does a slow twirl around in the aisle to capture the magic of the hardware world.  “Thanks for letting me invade it.”

[annieharlowe]

isidorescastillo​:

open. location & time: early evening, ink anchor tattoos, the lone studio

    Into the yonder treeline of Cassel, the orange-hued rays of sun and light began to sink, the promise of darkness quick on the heels of the moon as it began it’s slow descent into the sky. With the light waning, faded shadows danced on the cement of the walk in front of the tattoo parlor. It was modest, and small, hardly able to fit into the corner shop slot of the building, and far too easy to miss if not for the neon LED sign occupying the majority of the front picture window. Inside, an empty, well lit lobby awaited a daring creative soul to find solace in the chairs, and various aquatic and sailor-themed decor spattered the walls. 

   One of the LEDs in the sign reading Ink Anchor was out, flickering in dimming shades of green, causing the shadows just outside the shop to leap about, and partially illuminating Isidore’s body, leaned up against the stone ‘n brick walls of the shop outside. As often the case, a half-smoked cigarette perched between his fingers, and his leather biker jacket hung a size too large on his frame. Once, it had fit him well, but it had been 5 years since Isidore called himself a Marine, and he’d all but withered away into something more ghost-like than his previous self. Even the smoke tendrils that lifted from his lips cast his black clad denim in a strange light, the hint of art and design poking from his collar, his sleeves. 

   Footsteps, a scrape of shoe versus pavement, is what first alerted Isi to the arrival of another friendly Cassel face, and with the hopes of being polite, turned his face to ensure what smoke exhaled with him, didn’t assault the passerby. He gave a pleasant, standard head-nod; the Midwestern hello, the accepted greeting in passing, but to his slight surprise-

   The passerby stopped. Somehow, in the wake of Casey Andrew’s disappearance and it’s curious circumstances, so much of life in Cassel felt like it’d come to a grinding halt, and business at Ink Anchor was feeling that deeply. Isi flicked the cigarette, jerking his head to the door of the tattoo parlor mere feet away. “You here interested in the ink, or just lookin’ for a light?” 

---

Attention to detail wasn’t a strength you would typically attribute to Annie Harlowe. A leisurely walk around the town she grew up in could still provide her with new experiences. This evening’s walk was no exception. The faint green glow of Ink Anchor’s sign had her wondering how long the shop had been there. She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized the figure out front wasn’t random but Isidore Castillo. A welcome blast from the past.

“Fight?” Annie steps back in disbelief before her gaze drops to the cigarette in his hand. “Oh, light. Depends. What are we smoking?” She flashes him her signature devious grin.

Annie takes in the sight of Isi. His effortlessly cool lean against the shop’s wall is like a page straight from her teenage diary. Or more like the lyrics that she would scream in her garage band. Songs he heard and still wanted to hang out with her.

“So, this is where I had to go to find you.” There were years between the last time they spoke and the moment she finally stumbled upon him, in what she had thought was a small town.

She can’t help but watch him curiously. “8 months, and we haven’t bumped into each other? You’re going to have to tell me your secret. I have to jump behind a garbage can at least twice a week to hide from my parents.”

[annieharlowe]

desmurphy​:

…

Des’s eyes grew wide and shiny at the proffered vinyl, wiggling his fingers as he reached to accept it. His record player was a new addition to the upstairs apartment he lived in - an antique that had come through the store that he plucked from the inventory before it could hit shelves. It was the advantage to owning the place, first dibs on the merchandise. 

“No one cool has ever stepped foot in Cassel period,” he told her. “At least not until you and I got here, kid.” He tilted his head forward, in the direction down Main St that lead to his store. “You know I’d never hold out on you. Walk with me and the holy grail of fashion will be all yours.” 

He looked at the record as they walked. The Fleetwood Mac album was in crazy good condition, all things considered. It was only worn around the edges, but it had clearly been loved by someone at some point. Des wondered if Annie had acquired this with Mason’s permission or if they were truly making some under-the-table shady alley deal.

“If you’ve got time, you can come hang with me upstairs,” he offered. “I’ve got this new record and all… we could make a night of it.”

---

Making Annie walk to his place for the coveted item was a good call. If he had presented it to her outside the store, she probably would have passed out on the sidewalk. She links her arm with his, “I had already invited myself over the moment I realized it was you.”

The sky darkened as they made the short walk to his shop. In Cassel, the stars were easily visible compared to the polluted skies in the cities Annie had tried to call home. Since moving back, she had been spending more time watching the bright stars than getting any rest.

“Have you been sleeping well lately?” Her voice is quiet at first, tiptoeing to not sour the mood. “I’ve had nightmares every time I try to sleep…and not one of the sexy ones either.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. You know they exist.”

There was confidence in their friendship that she knew he wouldn’t question her sanity, but if she had shared her recurring Jason Voorhees dream, she was sure that would be the straw that broke his back.

[annieharlowe]

nora-skye​:

“We are both ruling out aliens,” Nora said with a soft laugh. It was nice to have a friend who was as fascinated as she was about this case. They had stumbled into each other’s orbit thanks to an online forum and now they were constantly together whenever they were free. “Definitively.”

She pinned the photo back on the board and sat at her table with a sigh. “How’s Lilith treating you? She’s not being temperamental is she?”

Her little snake was the love of her life, her sweetest baby who needed to be protected. She was grateful that Annie wasn’t afraid of her snake child either. It was incredibly refreshing to have a friend who didn’t request Lilith to be put away every time they came over.

“What’s your opinion on it? Do you think they ran away together or do you think he kidnapped her? I mean I know he kidnapped her either way because of…the age situation, but do you think she thought going willingly with him would be smart?”

---

“I adore her,” She straightened the little sweater Nora had adorned Lilith with. “You wouldn’t need a murder board to figure out where she was if she went missing.” A veiled threat.

Her stomach revolted at the thought of a young girl happily skipping town with the man. “Unfortunately, Todd Harding can be very persuasive. Likeable even.” Her face is pained when she says it. “And I could see how Casey, who maybe didn’t get the star treatment her sister did, could feel valued by his special attention.”  

Brushing cookie crumbs off her chest before adding, “I don’t know if he taught you growing up, but that was sort of his thing.” She quickly glances at Nora and then quietly, “Special attention.”

Annie clears her throat and sits up to look through the laptop she brought with her. “Have you noticed any of his friends or colleagues posting?”

[annieharlowe]

trvisfletcher​:

Travis stood out in the front yard in attempt to escape the pounding house party music. He’d been out of prison for hardly five days now, and for some reason he thought going to an old friend’s party would be a good way to get back to his Cassle roots after eleven years. Eleven long, lonely years. His old friends were practically strangers now, and since anyone hardly visited, he had no clue what was going on in their lives anymore. He felt like an outsider in the town he grew up in. Travis once knew every inch of Cassle like the back of his hand, but now it felt like he’d been dumped in the middle of nowhere without a map or GPS.

Once he finished his cigarette, he stamped it out underneath his shoe with a heavy sigh. A few people started lingering in the yard, and Travis loved to talk too much to just stand there awkwardly with them. “Music in there is kinda crap, huh?” He scoffed, nodding back to the house behind him. “But who am I to judge– last time I was at a party, Party Rock Anthem was the biggest hit.”

---

Cassel house parties were Annie’s specialty. In high school, it wouldn’t have been a weekend if the Harlowe siblings weren’t opening their house to absolute chaos. To Annie’s dismay, those days were over, but it wouldn’t stop her from being a very critical guest. Nobody could do it like she had.

“Lucky for you, the mid-2000s are having their moment again on tik-tok.” She tipped her head up at the man. She sensed his confusion, and while she didn’t judge, she couldn’t help herself from smirk. Annie lowered her voice, “Stick with me, dude. I’ll make you cool.”

She tossed her empty cup onto the front lawn—nothing like a Cassel house party to make her lose her manners fast. “I’ve been having an 80’s moment myself. I mean, Prince? Has music ever really been able to top that decade?”

[annieharlowe]

cvrsedhands​:

Letting out a quick chortle at the woman’s sarcastic comment, Rosalie felt her eyes roll around her head almost involuntary; her whole body relaxing intro it’s natural posture. “Said yelled, tomato tomahto.” she joked wigging her eyebrows quickly shoving her cold hands into her pockets and pulling her jacket tighter to her body at the bitter air swirling around them. Another laugh slipped past her mouth as she shook her head thinking about the wound on Annie’s hands long past and thankful healed over. “Oh yeah that would be the one, we don’t get to many beer bottle scars in this sleeply little town.” The slightly older woman gave a smile incasing the blonde’s hand with her own and giving it a firm shake before realsing her hand. “Nice some battle wounds to show off and a good warning of why to never drink and do stunts." 

---

“A warning?” Annie chokes out with her eyebrows raised in disbelief. “I would argue that’s why you drink and do stunts.” A mischievous grin spreads across her face, “Wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t have anything to show for it.”

She was curious what would pull someone with a cool demeanor like Rosalie to medicine. “Have you always wanted to be a nurse?” she questions, sizing up the woman. The medical professionals she grew up around were stuffy. None of them young. At least not in Cassel. “My parents are doctors. They kinda had a plan that I would do the same.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head at the idea. Annie had been the complete opposite to what her parents hoped for, even when the Harlowe family career path wasn’t considered.

“I bet you have some exciting stories if you feel like indulging me.” She bends to collect her items off the sidewalk. “But, I will be hurt if you have a story that beats the one I’m in.”