Rowan Quinn

A 19-year-old cashier at the Santa Carla Record Store! (Who also happens to be a witch). (I'm not very good at it). (Yet).

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

NEW RP ACCOUNT

Rowan Quinn:

A 19-year-old cashier who works at the record store right by the boardwalk. She's a practicing witch (keyword PRACTICING) who fled San Francisco four months ago after a housefire.

Rowan is very loner-ish and kind of standoffish at first, because she needs to be careful about who she lets close to her, but she really is trying! Witches thrive off of community after all. And she’s starting to get really tired of being just another stranger on the boardwalk.

Mains:

David: @ihavetohaveyou

Marko: @boardwalk-anarchist

Paul: @highvamp69

Michael: @wanttobelongtosomeone

(that’s it for now but pls shoot me a dm if you’d wanna be added!!)

Boundaries and Such:

I'm usually cool with any topic, but it's always appreciated if you run stuff by me over DMs

Open to any Lost Boys rp interaction! Reblogs, asks, dms!

Open to any ships! (seriously def dm me if you think there’s ship potential i think it would be rly cool)

That being said, let's keep the romancey stuff 18+ please, as I am in fact a grown ass adult!

Thanks!

PS: my primary blog is @iwritelmao so if you get a follow from that account that is me :)

[wonderingwarlock]

“YOU!” She points at him from across the crowded boardwalk, “You ran away from me! What’s your deal, man?”

-@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

This is like the worse situation for him to be in right about now. His whole thing is being unseen and blending into the crown.

And you can't exactly do that when someone is pointing at you and then shouting.

Orion sputters for a moment, his eyes widen, as some people nearby stared at him. This causes him to then turn around and run.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Whoa!” Rowan breaks out into a run to follow him, darting through the crowd, “Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

[wonderingwarlock]

He whimpers, wanting to completely run and hide away.

The young man didn't wish to have so many eyes on him, it made him feel deep shame and flash back to a past he'd rather forget.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Fuck…” Rowan watched him from afar, “I’m sorry, I just…I just wanna talk! I work at the record store, so, um…meet me there? I can close early tonight.”

[wonderingwarlock]

Orion doesn't want to go. But...perhaps meeting with her is the only way she'll stop confronting him out in public like this.

So, perhaps against his better judgment...he stands outside the record store a few hours later.

He's simply staying underneath the shade of a nearby palm tree as he didn't want to extra attention to himself.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan is surprised to see him outside. After the whole debacle on the boardwalk, she didn’t think he’d show. She flipped the sign on the door to closed and opened it, poking her head out, “Hey.”

She stood there for an awkward moment before speaking again, “Sorry about the, uh…I just feel like I maybe saw something I didn’t understand.”

[wonderingwarlock]

A slight frown. His eyes staring at Rowan as she finally walked out and came to talk to him. They're the usual dark brown again.

"There's a few different ways to do that without drawing so much attention to the two of us. You might as well be holding up a neon sign reading 'I'M A WITCH AND SO IS HE!' while screaming..."

A soft scoff, before walking forward.

"See what, exactly?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan slightly rolled her eyes, “I don’t know if it was that obvious. People scream about crazy things on the boardwalk all the time…” she gave a non-committal shrug before fully stepping outside, locking the door to the record store and leaning back against the glass.

“It was…well your eyes sort of changed colors.” Her confidence wavered, “I’ve never met a witch who could do that. I’ve met some…other people who can do that, but not…”

[wonderingwarlock]

"...You mean, this?"

He gets closer to Rowan, his eyes shifting to the amber color for a brief moment as a ball of light appears in his hands.

"It happens whenever I cast my magic. It's not a big deal."

As soon as the ball of light disappears, so does the bright and unnatural color of his eyes with it.

"That's what you saw...right?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Her eyes widen momentarily and she nods. “Yeah, that’s what I saw.”

While the light was gone, she could still sense the fading energy, “That happens whenever you cast? I can see why you keep so low key…I mean- sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but…why? Why does that happen?”

[wonderingwarlock]

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, does it? I'm trying to get rid of my magic anyhow...."

He pointed to the two long tattoos on his forearms. Both being three big sealing circles on top of eachother.

"...It's just...difficult to get rid of it all, I guess..."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

She steps forward to take a better look at the tattoos. “You’re trying to get rid of it?” Rowan frowned, “I didn’t even know that was possible…I’ve never seen anyone with sealing circle tattoos either…”

[wonderingwarlock]

"...You wouldn't get it..."

A soft sigh, looking away as he put his arms down.

"But I assume that's part of the reason why. Because I'm suppressing my abilities, my body is reacting to spite me..."

A tiny shake of his head.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Rowan says earnestly. “Is there anything I can do to help or…?”

She looks at him carefully, pulling her flannel closer around her, “I’d probably understand more than you think.”

[wonderingwarlock]

“YOU!” She points at him from across the crowded boardwalk, “You ran away from me! What’s your deal, man?”

-@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

This is like the worse situation for him to be in right about now. His whole thing is being unseen and blending into the crown.

And you can't exactly do that when someone is pointing at you and then shouting.

Orion sputters for a moment, his eyes widen, as some people nearby stared at him. This causes him to then turn around and run.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Whoa!” Rowan breaks out into a run to follow him, darting through the crowd, “Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

[wonderingwarlock]

He whimpers, wanting to completely run and hide away.

The young man didn't wish to have so many eyes on him, it made him feel deep shame and flash back to a past he'd rather forget.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Fuck…” Rowan watched him from afar, “I’m sorry, I just…I just wanna talk! I work at the record store, so, um…meet me there? I can close early tonight.”

[wonderingwarlock]

Orion doesn't want to go. But...perhaps meeting with her is the only way she'll stop confronting him out in public like this.

So, perhaps against his better judgment...he stands outside the record store a few hours later.

He's simply staying underneath the shade of a nearby palm tree as he didn't want to extra attention to himself.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan is surprised to see him outside. After the whole debacle on the boardwalk, she didn’t think he’d show. She flipped the sign on the door to closed and opened it, poking her head out, “Hey.”

She stood there for an awkward moment before speaking again, “Sorry about the, uh…I just feel like I maybe saw something I didn’t understand.”

[wonderingwarlock]

A slight frown. His eyes staring at Rowan as she finally walked out and came to talk to him. They're the usual dark brown again.

"There's a few different ways to do that without drawing so much attention to the two of us. You might as well be holding up a neon sign reading 'I'M A WITCH AND SO IS HE!' while screaming..."

A soft scoff, before walking forward.

"See what, exactly?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan slightly rolled her eyes, “I don’t know if it was that obvious. People scream about crazy things on the boardwalk all the time…” she gave a non-committal shrug before fully stepping outside, locking the door to the record store and leaning back against the glass.

“It was…well your eyes sort of changed colors.” Her confidence wavered, “I’ve never met a witch who could do that. I’ve met some…other people who can do that, but not…”

[wonderingwarlock]

"...You mean, this?"

He gets closer to Rowan, his eyes shifting to the amber color for a brief moment as a ball of light appears in his hands.

"It happens whenever I cast my magic. It's not a big deal."

As soon as the ball of light disappears, so does the bright and unnatural color of his eyes with it.

"That's what you saw...right?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Her eyes widen momentarily and she nods. “Yeah, that’s what I saw.”

While the light was gone, she could still sense the fading energy, “That happens whenever you cast? I can see why you keep so low key…I mean- sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but…why? Why does that happen?”

[wonderingwarlock]

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, does it? I'm trying to get rid of my magic anyhow...."

He pointed to the two long tattoos on his forearms. Both being three big sealing circles on top of eachother.

"...It's just...difficult to get rid of it all, I guess..."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

She steps forward to take a better look at the tattoos. “You’re trying to get rid of it?” Rowan frowned, “I didn’t even know that was possible…I’ve never seen anyone with sealing circle tattoos either…”

[wonderingwarlock]

“YOU!” She points at him from across the crowded boardwalk, “You ran away from me! What’s your deal, man?”

-@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

This is like the worse situation for him to be in right about now. His whole thing is being unseen and blending into the crown.

And you can't exactly do that when someone is pointing at you and then shouting.

Orion sputters for a moment, his eyes widen, as some people nearby stared at him. This causes him to then turn around and run.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Whoa!” Rowan breaks out into a run to follow him, darting through the crowd, “Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

[wonderingwarlock]

He whimpers, wanting to completely run and hide away.

The young man didn't wish to have so many eyes on him, it made him feel deep shame and flash back to a past he'd rather forget.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Fuck…” Rowan watched him from afar, “I’m sorry, I just…I just wanna talk! I work at the record store, so, um…meet me there? I can close early tonight.”

[wonderingwarlock]

Orion doesn't want to go. But...perhaps meeting with her is the only way she'll stop confronting him out in public like this.

So, perhaps against his better judgment...he stands outside the record store a few hours later.

He's simply staying underneath the shade of a nearby palm tree as he didn't want to extra attention to himself.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan is surprised to see him outside. After the whole debacle on the boardwalk, she didn’t think he’d show. She flipped the sign on the door to closed and opened it, poking her head out, “Hey.”

She stood there for an awkward moment before speaking again, “Sorry about the, uh…I just feel like I maybe saw something I didn’t understand.”

[wonderingwarlock]

A slight frown. His eyes staring at Rowan as she finally walked out and came to talk to him. They're the usual dark brown again.

"There's a few different ways to do that without drawing so much attention to the two of us. You might as well be holding up a neon sign reading 'I'M A WITCH AND SO IS HE!' while screaming..."

A soft scoff, before walking forward.

"See what, exactly?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan slightly rolled her eyes, “I don’t know if it was that obvious. People scream about crazy things on the boardwalk all the time…” she gave a non-committal shrug before fully stepping outside, locking the door to the record store and leaning back against the glass.

“It was…well your eyes sort of changed colors.” Her confidence wavered, “I’ve never met a witch who could do that. I’ve met some…other people who can do that, but not…”

[wonderingwarlock]

"...You mean, this?"

He gets closer to Rowan, his eyes shifting to the amber color for a brief moment as a ball of light appears in his hands.

"It happens whenever I cast my magic. It's not a big deal."

As soon as the ball of light disappears, so does the bright and unnatural color of his eyes with it.

"That's what you saw...right?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Her eyes widen momentarily and she nods. “Yeah, that’s what I saw.”

While the light was gone, she could still sense the fading energy, “That happens whenever you cast? I can see why you keep so low key…I mean- sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but…why? Why does that happen?”

[wonderingwarlock]

“YOU!” She points at him from across the crowded boardwalk, “You ran away from me! What’s your deal, man?”

-@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

This is like the worse situation for him to be in right about now. His whole thing is being unseen and blending into the crown.

And you can't exactly do that when someone is pointing at you and then shouting.

Orion sputters for a moment, his eyes widen, as some people nearby stared at him. This causes him to then turn around and run.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Whoa!” Rowan breaks out into a run to follow him, darting through the crowd, “Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

[wonderingwarlock]

He whimpers, wanting to completely run and hide away.

The young man didn't wish to have so many eyes on him, it made him feel deep shame and flash back to a past he'd rather forget.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Fuck…” Rowan watched him from afar, “I’m sorry, I just…I just wanna talk! I work at the record store, so, um…meet me there? I can close early tonight.”

[wonderingwarlock]

Orion doesn't want to go. But...perhaps meeting with her is the only way she'll stop confronting him out in public like this.

So, perhaps against his better judgment...he stands outside the record store a few hours later.

He's simply staying underneath the shade of a nearby palm tree as he didn't want to extra attention to himself.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan is surprised to see him outside. After the whole debacle on the boardwalk, she didn’t think he’d show. She flipped the sign on the door to closed and opened it, poking her head out, “Hey.”

She stood there for an awkward moment before speaking again, “Sorry about the, uh…I just feel like I maybe saw something I didn’t understand.”

[wonderingwarlock]

A slight frown. His eyes staring at Rowan as she finally walked out and came to talk to him. They're the usual dark brown again.

"There's a few different ways to do that without drawing so much attention to the two of us. You might as well be holding up a neon sign reading 'I'M A WITCH AND SO IS HE!' while screaming..."

A soft scoff, before walking forward.

"See what, exactly?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan slightly rolled her eyes, “I don’t know if it was that obvious. People scream about crazy things on the boardwalk all the time…” she gave a non-committal shrug before fully stepping outside, locking the door to the record store and leaning back against the glass.

“It was…well your eyes sort of changed colors.” Her confidence wavered, “I’ve never met a witch who could do that. I’ve met some…other people who can do that, but not…”

[lyricsxmusings]

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[wanttobelongtosomeone]

open rp starter .. !

There really was nothing like standing out on the beach. The breeze in his hair, salt brushing against parted lips, a cool mist raising goosebumps against his skin.. Michael relished in it all, the freedom of living and breathing and simply existing in a space far away from prying eyes. His fingers fumbled with the joint in his hands, the click of the lighter the only sound in the dead of night apart from his heavy breathing. He was still getting used to it, the smoke in his lungs, the resulting high.. He figured that if he got used to it alone, he wouldn't look nearly as stupid in front of everyone else.

"C'mon, c'mon-"

At the end of the day, he was never the best with his hands. With a final click!, the lighter tumbled into the sand beneath his sneakers, almost immediately lost in the dark.

"Of course. Just my luck.."

Grumbling, he crouched low, fingers searching in the sand. He was so focused, so determined to get the stupid joint lit, that he was barely aware of anything, or anyone, around him..

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan stood awkwardly further up the beach. She wasn’t trying to be weird or stalkerish, it was just…usually when she wanted to light up on the beach after work there wasn’t anyone else there. When the stranger started digging through the sand, she let out a sigh and stepped forward apprehensively.

She cleared her throat, trying not to startle him, “Need a light?” Rowan switched her own joint to her non dominant hand while she grabbed her lighter from her back pocket.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

Even with her best efforts, Michael still couldn't help the jolt through his system at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar face. Eyes wide with embarrassment, his gaze flickered from the lighter, to the joint, to her face in a quick procession, as if taking it all in. He slowly nodded, deciding he'd just have to search for the lighter later as he stood back up.

"Uh, yeah, actually." Awkwardly, he fumbled for his own joint, deliberating between holding it out for the light or holding it between his lips. It was clear that he wasn't used to anything like this, movements and overall demeanor clumsy. "Thank you, sorry, did I interrupt your smoke?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan watched him seemingly short circuit. Her eyebrows raised. She wasn’t used to being the less awkward person in any given conversation. She put her own joint between her lips and reached out to gently grab his, sensing the indecision in his movements. She lit it up then held it back out to him, putting away her lighter and blowing a small puff of residual smoke off to the side.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to help,” Rowan said, rocking back and forth on her feet. She tried not to fidget too much, but part of her always had to be moving for her peace of mind. Hopefully, when the weed kicked in that would lessen. “Plus, it’s probably safest that neither of us are alone out here at this hour,” her tone was joking, but there was a graveness beneath it.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

A sense of relief flooded him as she guided his movements, tension slowly seeping from his shoulders as he accepted the lit joint. It was clear he was still slightly nervous, especially since he was around someone with seemingly far more practice with these sorts of things, but at least he wasn't as shaky. Trying to seem cool, he brought the joint to his lips.

Unfortunately, a single drag had him coughing, and he desperately tried to not double over as he hit at his chest. "Sorry," he wheezed, tears pricking his eyes as he tried to speak through the coughing fit, "You- You're right. Always strength in numbers, or whatever.." When his coughs cleared, he offered a watery smile. "Thanks for the help, again. I'm sure it's obvious but I'm not used to this-"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Oh my gods,” Rowan stepped forward with a worried expression. She pat him on the back then held out her own joint, “Here. This one’s half peppermint. It’ll go down easier. Keep you alert too.”

The young woman listened to him talk and nodded along, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I had an older sister and like three cool aunts to teach me to smoke. You’ve got…” she looked at his joint, “uh, whoever gave you that. And if it makes you feel better, I still can’t do cigarettes. I practically coughed up a lung last time I had one.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He was quick to take her joint, taking a drag and feeling more than relieved that her words rung true. His eyes fluttered shut in concentration, taking in as much as he could handle before he exhaled, rolling his neck out. "Ahh, that's not bad.."

His eyes flickered down to the joint, clearing his throat as he fought back a smile. Anything to impress them, he'd take it. He glanced back up at her, nodding with interest. "Ooh, sounds nice. I wish I had a cool family like that.." The memory of his family made him pause, but he was quick to move on, "And yeah, that does help.. At the rate I'm going, I don't think I could ever handle a cigarette."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Good, they’re gross,” Rowan said, “I’m convinced anyone who only smokes cigarettes is a masochist.”

Rowan looked around, her eyes scanning the beach before landing down on her own fidgeting hands. “Yeah they w-” she paused, “They’re pretty cool.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He let out a laugh at that, a small smile on his lips. "Man, they're that bad? I guess I should be glad I'm going to be avoiding them, then."

He paused at her fidgeting, brows furrowing. It felt like he overstepped, so he was quick to fumble for something to say, to shift the topic. "Uh, so- Do you often do this?" His hands motioned to the beach around them, "Come out here to smoke?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Yeah,” Rowan answered, “It’s just nice to be able to decompress after work before I head back to my van…” She looked around at the beach, following his gesture. “How about you? I mean, I’ve never seen you on the beach before at this hour, but are you…out and about most nights?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Oh, where do you work?" Always good to get to know people, Michael figured. At her question though, he shrugged, gaze lowering to his blunt once more, mind racing to the person who had given it to him in the first place. "No, I only just recently started coming out here at nights. It's.. a different change of pace from what I'm used to."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“I work at the record store! It’s called Vinyl Dreams, but that’s so douchey, so everyone just calls it the record store,” Rowan said. She watched his gaze lower. Her brows furrowed slightly at the shift in energy. As he spoke, she nodded along, but focused on the spot in the sand behind him. “Yeah, I get that. The whole change of pace thing. I take it you moved here pretty recently?” She could sense where the lighter had fallen and reached out with her mind, subtly watching as it rose to the surface of the sand. Rowan suppressed a grin. “Oh, shit, there’s your lighter.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He let out a laugh at the name, shaking his head with a smile. "Damn, that does sound douchey. Do you like the records there?" He felt a little dumb after asking, but hey, he wanted to be engaged in the conversation! He then nodded, motioning vaguely back with his head as he shrugged. "Yeah, it's been about a week? I think? I don't know, it's just been very different from Arizona." There was always chaos in Santa Carla was the moral he was learning. When she pointed out his lighter, his head whipped around, eyes wide in shock. "Wh- Was it really sticking out this whole time??" He crouched to pick it up, shoving it securely into his pocket. He was definitely going to make sure not to lose it again.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Oh, we’ve got a pretty good selection of records if I do say so myself,” Rowan smiled. It was clear he was a bit nervous. She wasn’t the best at talking to strangers either, so she couldn’t judge. “A week?” Her eyebrows shot up, “Wow and I thought my four months was recent. How are you fairing so far?”

Rowan watched as he picked up the lighter and gave a shrug at his question, “Oh, uh- maybe? I just saw it, so…”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Ah, what kind of records do you have there?" His fingers played with the insides of his pockets, head tilted slightly. "It hasn't been too bad so far.. The boardwalk has quite the scene." He had also met the boys who gave him the blunt and lighter in the first place, so it was overall pretty new. His eyes widened, a soft hum escaping, "That's kind of surprising to hear, you seem like you've been living here forever.."

He then sighed, fiddling with the lighter in his pocket, "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if I just missed it, I'm not the most observant person."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“We’ve got everything. Well, maybe not everything, but definitely a lot. We just got in a bunch of new metal albums, if you’re into that,” Rowan said, thinking back to the records she’d just shelved earlier that night. She smiled at him sheepishly, “I guess I’m just a quick learner. I’m glad the boardwalk has been treating you ‘not too bad. I know the scene can be kinda crazy sometimes. Well, at least it seemed like that when I first moved here.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

His eyes lit up in quiet interest, a smile on his lips as he tilted his head. "Metal, huh? I've been meaning to get into it more, I'll definitely drop by your store someday." Having a new spot to visit sounded fun, even if he might not find everything he was looking for. "And yeah, that's an understatement.. There's so much going on half the time, it's a wonder that I've managed to keep up." He almost didn't keep up at all, but admitting it when he was trying to seem cool would obviously ruin everything he was going for.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hell yeah, stop by!” Rowan said, “it gets so boring in there. And on the off chance I can get a friend or two to loiter at the shop, they don’t make it to the boardwalk till sometime past midnight,” she took a drag from her joint, “I kinda love that everything’s so quick. Keeps me on my toes yknow? Good for the heart rate at least,” Rowan joked.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Ahh yeah, I get how that can get boring." He smiled, nodding, "I'm pretty good at loitering, if I do say so myself. Maybe you can show me the best stuff you've got?" He went to take another drag from his joint, his inexperience still clear but he kept pushing. "Pfft, I can imagine the amount of heart attacks that happen around town. I know I almost had one the first time I rode through the boardwalk by myself.."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Yes, please come loiter,” Rowan smiled back, “maybe if you like the stock, we can upgrade you to paying customer? Frequent patron even?” She joked easily, lightly kicking around some sand. “Yeah, I’ve definitely seen some crazy shit too. But you’re all good, right? No one’s giving you shit?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

A laugh bubbled out of him at her joke, clearly less tense than he had been at the start of their encounter. "I would wear that honor with pride! Maybe you could even put up a photo of me for my service." He then shook his head, lips twitching up at the thought of the people he'd met. "Nah, not really. Thankfully I haven't ran into too much trouble." Yet.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hell yeah! I’ll bring my Polaroid to work. And then by your second week in Santa Carla you’ll already be a regular somewhere,” Rowan caught the way he quirked a smile. She grinned back, “Oh, you ran into something else, though,” she pointed out, taking another drag from her joint and giving an overly animated wink.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"I better be sure to look my best then, don't want a bad photo on the wall." He mused, tilting his head. It would be nice to have somewhere to go, somewhere that wasn't nearly as chaotic as the boardwalk. He rolled his eyes at her wink, his face burning as he coughed. "I mean.. I guess you could say that. The people here are.. nice." Nice was certainly one way to put it, if the dopey smile he was fighting back said anything.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan gasped and smiled widely, “Oooh you met someone,” she watched him cough, eyes widening momentarily as she debated patting the stranger on the back. Once it looked like he was fine, she relaxed, “So what’s their name?” Rowan asked eagerly. She really hadn’t gossiped with anyone since her sister… “Matter of fact, what’s your name?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"I- Well I wouldn't say it's gonna go anywhere-" He spluttered, his face turning an even more embarrassing shade of red. "And her- his- their name- Uh-" He was basically crashing at that point. Was it normal to admit you had a crush on multiple people?? Quick to attempt redeeming himself, he held out his free hand. "We've been talking so long I forgot to introduce myself! Um.. It's Michael. And you?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“I’m Rowan. It’s nice to meet you Michael,” she took his hand and shook it. There was a sudden…vibe she got from him. It wasn’t the same as the feeling she got around some other people on the boardwalk, but it might’ve been adjacent. She tilted her head, trying to look unassuming. “So…which is it? Or is it, yknow… all of the above?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"It's nice to meet you too, Rowan." He smiled, not noticing anything different with her. He always was the oblivious type when it came to new people; once he was comfortable enough, he didn't even think about the possibility of anything being wrong. His face warmed again, and he cleared his throat. "I guess.. it's all of the above? I don't know, I've been learning a lot about myself-" That was the understatement of the year.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan nodded along to his words. She was starting to feel the small high from her joint. “That’s the beauty of a new place, though. Right?” She said, “becoming a new person?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"That's true.." He looked up to the sky, eyes tracing the path of stars. "Just didn't expect so much change, you know? I thought I was secure in who I was, and yet.." And yet nothing had been the same since he got here.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan nodded solemnly, “Yeah, I get it. I mean when I moved here, my old life was completely up in flames. Kinda literally. I had to start reinventing myself or else I’d never really find my way here. I think I’m still working on it though, so don’t worry. There’s no rush to…belong here, or whatever.” She looked at the dwindling joint in her hands and put it out on her jeans, “Something’ll click eventually.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He nodded, tilting his head as he listened to her, a hum escaping him in contemplation. "Mm, yeah, my life before here wasn't.. ideal, to say the least." His eyes wandered to his own joint, taking a final drag with a sigh. "I guess I just got used to the feeling of being out of place in somewhere that was comfortable, but to move completely? It's like.. Now I don't have anything to stand on. Nothing to really believe in myself for." He paused, rubbing his arm, "Sorry, I don't mean to just unload all my sad stuff on you-"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Rowan waved out a hand, “I know what it’s like to have the rug pulled out from under you. I guess we sort of have the opposite problem, though. I never felt out of place back home, I fucked all that up by myself.” She listened to him talk, “Where did you move from?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He nodded, watching her with careful consideration. "If you say so.." He didn't know how much she wanted to talk about her past, so he chose not to push, simply humming in acknowledgement. "I know what it's like to mess up myself." He mused, before tilting his head. "I'm from Phoenix.. Not nearly as interesting as here. How about you?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“San Francisco. Surprisingly not as crazy as this place either,” Rowan said, “Phoenix sounds nice…” slowly, she realized what she’d just said, “uh- I mean, I guess not nice enough, since, yknow, um… or, I uh, I bet you get a lot of tourists. Uh, got a lot of tourists.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Huh, I would've expected it to be crazy." He mused, before shrugging slightly, smiling to ease her tension. "Yeah, there was always a lot of people going in and out.. I always kept my distance from the tourists, though." Didn't really see a reason to engage with them, anyway.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Right, makes sense…tourists are kinda the worst…” Rowan nodded, a bit calmer. “Honestly, if you look for crazy in SF you’ll find it pretty quickly. It’s just…maybe not a great idea to look. So I never did until pretty recently.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Yeah, I had one run-in with them and decided never again." He shivered at the memory, before smiling at her. "That makes sense, I don't see many reasons to search out craziness anyway.. At least out here, it seems to just come naturally into everything."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“It does, doesn’t it?” She said thoughtfully, looking out at the beach, “it’s a good thing I don’t mind crazy too much. How are you faring with all of it?”

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Wall time is great, don't knock it

Can you make a potion to get rid of the pain?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Yeah, but that stuff is alwayssss gross. I just took some ibuprofen and said a prayer.

Wall time. Sounds nice. Is that like meditation?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Good luck

I don't know man, I just look at the wall and move parts of my body till my brain says I'm done

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

huh. sounds nice.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Nobody gets me 🙄😔

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

(gasp) how dare you. we both have really intense friendships with birds we’re basically the same person.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Shit you're right, my apologies- how is your bird dude?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

penny’s great. she’s been taking coins from the fountain on Main Street again, but oh well. how are your pigeons?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Still stupid balls of princess! I cut some of my hair so they could have it in their nests

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

aww that’s cute

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Wall time is great, don't knock it

Can you make a potion to get rid of the pain?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Yeah, but that stuff is alwayssss gross. I just took some ibuprofen and said a prayer.

Wall time. Sounds nice. Is that like meditation?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Good luck

I don't know man, I just look at the wall and move parts of my body till my brain says I'm done

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

huh. sounds nice.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Nobody gets me 🙄😔

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

(gasp) how dare you. we both have really intense friendships with birds we’re basically the same person.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Shit you're right, my apologies- how is your bird dude?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

penny’s great. she’s been taking coins from the fountain on Main Street again, but oh well. how are your pigeons?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Wall time is great, don't knock it

Can you make a potion to get rid of the pain?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Yeah, but that stuff is alwayssss gross. I just took some ibuprofen and said a prayer.

Wall time. Sounds nice. Is that like meditation?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Good luck

I don't know man, I just look at the wall and move parts of my body till my brain says I'm done

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

huh. sounds nice.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Nobody gets me 🙄😔

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

(gasp) how dare you. we both have really intense friendships with birds we’re basically the same person.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Wall time is great, don't knock it

Can you make a potion to get rid of the pain?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Yeah, but that stuff is alwayssss gross. I just took some ibuprofen and said a prayer.

Wall time. Sounds nice. Is that like meditation?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Good luck

I don't know man, I just look at the wall and move parts of my body till my brain says I'm done

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

huh. sounds nice.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[boardwalk-anarchist]

Wall time is great, don't knock it

Can you make a potion to get rid of the pain?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Yeah, but that stuff is alwayssss gross. I just took some ibuprofen and said a prayer.

Wall time. Sounds nice. Is that like meditation?

[highvamp69]

Me and bro

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

//im so sorry this took so long bro 🥀🥀🥀

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

[AAH THIS IS AWESOME]

Dudeee we look so good. Bar hop in the cunty semi-formal fits when?

[highvamp69]

Idk now

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

epic. kicking people out of the shop and getting ready now.

[wonderingwarlock]

“YOU!” She points at him from across the crowded boardwalk, “You ran away from me! What’s your deal, man?”

-@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

This is like the worse situation for him to be in right about now. His whole thing is being unseen and blending into the crown.

And you can't exactly do that when someone is pointing at you and then shouting.

Orion sputters for a moment, his eyes widen, as some people nearby stared at him. This causes him to then turn around and run.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Whoa!” Rowan breaks out into a run to follow him, darting through the crowd, “Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

[wonderingwarlock]

He whimpers, wanting to completely run and hide away.

The young man didn't wish to have so many eyes on him, it made him feel deep shame and flash back to a past he'd rather forget.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Fuck…” Rowan watched him from afar, “I’m sorry, I just…I just wanna talk! I work at the record store, so, um…meet me there? I can close early tonight.”

[wonderingwarlock]

Orion doesn't want to go. But...perhaps meeting with her is the only way she'll stop confronting him out in public like this.

So, perhaps against his better judgment...he stands outside the record store a few hours later.

He's simply staying underneath the shade of a nearby palm tree as he didn't want to extra attention to himself.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan is surprised to see him outside. After the whole debacle on the boardwalk, she didn’t think he’d show. She flipped the sign on the door to closed and opened it, poking her head out, “Hey.”

She stood there for an awkward moment before speaking again, “Sorry about the, uh…I just feel like I maybe saw something I didn’t understand.”

[boardwalk-anarchist]

“BOO!”

“just kidding it’s me. how’s your night been?”

@yourlocalboardwalkwitch

Contemplating the meaning of life and how everyone is on their own path

Joking, I've been staring at the wall tapping my fingers against my collarbones for 27 minutes

How are you!?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Quite exhausted, quite sore. But alive! So that’s something!

Did you say 27 minutes?

[boardwalk-anarchist]

.. sore?

And yeah what's wrong with 27 minutes?

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

idk it just seems like a long time to be staring at the wall

and yeah I totally threw something out carrying boxes at work today. but it’s no biggie.

[musingswithmemes]

Send "🩸" for my muse's reaction to finding yours covered in blood!

(If you cannot see the emoji send "Blood")

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

open rp starter .. !

There really was nothing like standing out on the beach. The breeze in his hair, salt brushing against parted lips, a cool mist raising goosebumps against his skin.. Michael relished in it all, the freedom of living and breathing and simply existing in a space far away from prying eyes. His fingers fumbled with the joint in his hands, the click of the lighter the only sound in the dead of night apart from his heavy breathing. He was still getting used to it, the smoke in his lungs, the resulting high.. He figured that if he got used to it alone, he wouldn't look nearly as stupid in front of everyone else.

"C'mon, c'mon-"

At the end of the day, he was never the best with his hands. With a final click!, the lighter tumbled into the sand beneath his sneakers, almost immediately lost in the dark.

"Of course. Just my luck.."

Grumbling, he crouched low, fingers searching in the sand. He was so focused, so determined to get the stupid joint lit, that he was barely aware of anything, or anyone, around him..

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan stood awkwardly further up the beach. She wasn’t trying to be weird or stalkerish, it was just…usually when she wanted to light up on the beach after work there wasn’t anyone else there. When the stranger started digging through the sand, she let out a sigh and stepped forward apprehensively.

She cleared her throat, trying not to startle him, “Need a light?” Rowan switched her own joint to her non dominant hand while she grabbed her lighter from her back pocket.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

Even with her best efforts, Michael still couldn't help the jolt through his system at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar face. Eyes wide with embarrassment, his gaze flickered from the lighter, to the joint, to her face in a quick procession, as if taking it all in. He slowly nodded, deciding he'd just have to search for the lighter later as he stood back up.

"Uh, yeah, actually." Awkwardly, he fumbled for his own joint, deliberating between holding it out for the light or holding it between his lips. It was clear that he wasn't used to anything like this, movements and overall demeanor clumsy. "Thank you, sorry, did I interrupt your smoke?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan watched him seemingly short circuit. Her eyebrows raised. She wasn’t used to being the less awkward person in any given conversation. She put her own joint between her lips and reached out to gently grab his, sensing the indecision in his movements. She lit it up then held it back out to him, putting away her lighter and blowing a small puff of residual smoke off to the side.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to help,” Rowan said, rocking back and forth on her feet. She tried not to fidget too much, but part of her always had to be moving for her peace of mind. Hopefully, when the weed kicked in that would lessen. “Plus, it’s probably safest that neither of us are alone out here at this hour,” her tone was joking, but there was a graveness beneath it.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

A sense of relief flooded him as she guided his movements, tension slowly seeping from his shoulders as he accepted the lit joint. It was clear he was still slightly nervous, especially since he was around someone with seemingly far more practice with these sorts of things, but at least he wasn't as shaky. Trying to seem cool, he brought the joint to his lips.

Unfortunately, a single drag had him coughing, and he desperately tried to not double over as he hit at his chest. "Sorry," he wheezed, tears pricking his eyes as he tried to speak through the coughing fit, "You- You're right. Always strength in numbers, or whatever.." When his coughs cleared, he offered a watery smile. "Thanks for the help, again. I'm sure it's obvious but I'm not used to this-"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Oh my gods,” Rowan stepped forward with a worried expression. She pat him on the back then held out her own joint, “Here. This one’s half peppermint. It’ll go down easier. Keep you alert too.”

The young woman listened to him talk and nodded along, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I had an older sister and like three cool aunts to teach me to smoke. You’ve got…” she looked at his joint, “uh, whoever gave you that. And if it makes you feel better, I still can’t do cigarettes. I practically coughed up a lung last time I had one.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He was quick to take her joint, taking a drag and feeling more than relieved that her words rung true. His eyes fluttered shut in concentration, taking in as much as he could handle before he exhaled, rolling his neck out. "Ahh, that's not bad.."

His eyes flickered down to the joint, clearing his throat as he fought back a smile. Anything to impress them, he'd take it. He glanced back up at her, nodding with interest. "Ooh, sounds nice. I wish I had a cool family like that.." The memory of his family made him pause, but he was quick to move on, "And yeah, that does help.. At the rate I'm going, I don't think I could ever handle a cigarette."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Good, they’re gross,” Rowan said, “I’m convinced anyone who only smokes cigarettes is a masochist.”

Rowan looked around, her eyes scanning the beach before landing down on her own fidgeting hands. “Yeah they w-” she paused, “They’re pretty cool.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He let out a laugh at that, a small smile on his lips. "Man, they're that bad? I guess I should be glad I'm going to be avoiding them, then."

He paused at her fidgeting, brows furrowing. It felt like he overstepped, so he was quick to fumble for something to say, to shift the topic. "Uh, so- Do you often do this?" His hands motioned to the beach around them, "Come out here to smoke?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Yeah,” Rowan answered, “It’s just nice to be able to decompress after work before I head back to my van…” She looked around at the beach, following his gesture. “How about you? I mean, I’ve never seen you on the beach before at this hour, but are you…out and about most nights?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Oh, where do you work?" Always good to get to know people, Michael figured. At her question though, he shrugged, gaze lowering to his blunt once more, mind racing to the person who had given it to him in the first place. "No, I only just recently started coming out here at nights. It's.. a different change of pace from what I'm used to."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“I work at the record store! It’s called Vinyl Dreams, but that’s so douchey, so everyone just calls it the record store,” Rowan said. She watched his gaze lower. Her brows furrowed slightly at the shift in energy. As he spoke, she nodded along, but focused on the spot in the sand behind him. “Yeah, I get that. The whole change of pace thing. I take it you moved here pretty recently?” She could sense where the lighter had fallen and reached out with her mind, subtly watching as it rose to the surface of the sand. Rowan suppressed a grin. “Oh, shit, there’s your lighter.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He let out a laugh at the name, shaking his head with a smile. "Damn, that does sound douchey. Do you like the records there?" He felt a little dumb after asking, but hey, he wanted to be engaged in the conversation! He then nodded, motioning vaguely back with his head as he shrugged. "Yeah, it's been about a week? I think? I don't know, it's just been very different from Arizona." There was always chaos in Santa Carla was the moral he was learning. When she pointed out his lighter, his head whipped around, eyes wide in shock. "Wh- Was it really sticking out this whole time??" He crouched to pick it up, shoving it securely into his pocket. He was definitely going to make sure not to lose it again.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Oh, we’ve got a pretty good selection of records if I do say so myself,” Rowan smiled. It was clear he was a bit nervous. She wasn’t the best at talking to strangers either, so she couldn’t judge. “A week?” Her eyebrows shot up, “Wow and I thought my four months was recent. How are you fairing so far?”

Rowan watched as he picked up the lighter and gave a shrug at his question, “Oh, uh- maybe? I just saw it, so…”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Ah, what kind of records do you have there?" His fingers played with the insides of his pockets, head tilted slightly. "It hasn't been too bad so far.. The boardwalk has quite the scene." He had also met the boys who gave him the blunt and lighter in the first place, so it was overall pretty new. His eyes widened, a soft hum escaping, "That's kind of surprising to hear, you seem like you've been living here forever.."

He then sighed, fiddling with the lighter in his pocket, "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if I just missed it, I'm not the most observant person."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“We’ve got everything. Well, maybe not everything, but definitely a lot. We just got in a bunch of new metal albums, if you’re into that,” Rowan said, thinking back to the records she’d just shelved earlier that night. She smiled at him sheepishly, “I guess I’m just a quick learner. I’m glad the boardwalk has been treating you ‘not too bad. I know the scene can be kinda crazy sometimes. Well, at least it seemed like that when I first moved here.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

His eyes lit up in quiet interest, a smile on his lips as he tilted his head. "Metal, huh? I've been meaning to get into it more, I'll definitely drop by your store someday." Having a new spot to visit sounded fun, even if he might not find everything he was looking for. "And yeah, that's an understatement.. There's so much going on half the time, it's a wonder that I've managed to keep up." He almost didn't keep up at all, but admitting it when he was trying to seem cool would obviously ruin everything he was going for.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hell yeah, stop by!” Rowan said, “it gets so boring in there. And on the off chance I can get a friend or two to loiter at the shop, they don’t make it to the boardwalk till sometime past midnight,” she took a drag from her joint, “I kinda love that everything’s so quick. Keeps me on my toes yknow? Good for the heart rate at least,” Rowan joked.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Ahh yeah, I get how that can get boring." He smiled, nodding, "I'm pretty good at loitering, if I do say so myself. Maybe you can show me the best stuff you've got?" He went to take another drag from his joint, his inexperience still clear but he kept pushing. "Pfft, I can imagine the amount of heart attacks that happen around town. I know I almost had one the first time I rode through the boardwalk by myself.."

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Yes, please come loiter,” Rowan smiled back, “maybe if you like the stock, we can upgrade you to paying customer? Frequent patron even?” She joked easily, lightly kicking around some sand. “Yeah, I’ve definitely seen some crazy shit too. But you’re all good, right? No one’s giving you shit?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

A laugh bubbled out of him at her joke, clearly less tense than he had been at the start of their encounter. "I would wear that honor with pride! Maybe you could even put up a photo of me for my service." He then shook his head, lips twitching up at the thought of the people he'd met. "Nah, not really. Thankfully I haven't ran into too much trouble." Yet.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hell yeah! I’ll bring my Polaroid to work. And then by your second week in Santa Carla you’ll already be a regular somewhere,” Rowan caught the way he quirked a smile. She grinned back, “Oh, you ran into something else, though,” she pointed out, taking another drag from her joint and giving an overly animated wink.

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"I better be sure to look my best then, don't want a bad photo on the wall." He mused, tilting his head. It would be nice to have somewhere to go, somewhere that wasn't nearly as chaotic as the boardwalk. He rolled his eyes at her wink, his face burning as he coughed. "I mean.. I guess you could say that. The people here are.. nice." Nice was certainly one way to put it, if the dopey smile he was fighting back said anything.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan gasped and smiled widely, “Oooh you met someone,” she watched him cough, eyes widening momentarily as she debated patting the stranger on the back. Once it looked like he was fine, she relaxed, “So what’s their name?” Rowan asked eagerly. She really hadn’t gossiped with anyone since her sister… “Matter of fact, what’s your name?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"I- Well I wouldn't say it's gonna go anywhere-" He spluttered, his face turning an even more embarrassing shade of red. "And her- his- their name- Uh-" He was basically crashing at that point. Was it normal to admit you had a crush on multiple people?? Quick to attempt redeeming himself, he held out his free hand. "We've been talking so long I forgot to introduce myself! Um.. It's Michael. And you?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“I’m Rowan. It’s nice to meet you Michael,” she took his hand and shook it. There was a sudden…vibe she got from him. It wasn’t the same as the feeling she got around some other people on the boardwalk, but it might’ve been adjacent. She tilted her head, trying to look unassuming. “So…which is it? Or is it, yknow… all of the above?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"It's nice to meet you too, Rowan." He smiled, not noticing anything different with her. He always was the oblivious type when it came to new people; once he was comfortable enough, he didn't even think about the possibility of anything being wrong. His face warmed again, and he cleared his throat. "I guess.. it's all of the above? I don't know, I've been learning a lot about myself-" That was the understatement of the year.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan nodded along to his words. She was starting to feel the small high from her joint. “That’s the beauty of a new place, though. Right?” She said, “becoming a new person?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"That's true.." He looked up to the sky, eyes tracing the path of stars. "Just didn't expect so much change, you know? I thought I was secure in who I was, and yet.." And yet nothing had been the same since he got here.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

Rowan nodded solemnly, “Yeah, I get it. I mean when I moved here, my old life was completely up in flames. Kinda literally. I had to start reinventing myself or else I’d never really find my way here. I think I’m still working on it though, so don’t worry. There’s no rush to…belong here, or whatever.” She looked at the dwindling joint in her hands and put it out on her jeans, “Something’ll click eventually.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He nodded, tilting his head as he listened to her, a hum escaping him in contemplation. "Mm, yeah, my life before here wasn't.. ideal, to say the least." His eyes wandered to his own joint, taking a final drag with a sigh. "I guess I just got used to the feeling of being out of place in somewhere that was comfortable, but to move completely? It's like.. Now I don't have anything to stand on. Nothing to really believe in myself for." He paused, rubbing his arm, "Sorry, I don't mean to just unload all my sad stuff on you-"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Rowan waved out a hand, “I know what it’s like to have the rug pulled out from under you. I guess we sort of have the opposite problem, though. I never felt out of place back home, I fucked all that up by myself.” She listened to him talk, “Where did you move from?”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

He nodded, watching her with careful consideration. "If you say so.." He didn't know how much she wanted to talk about her past, so he chose not to push, simply humming in acknowledgement. "I know what it's like to mess up myself." He mused, before tilting his head. "I'm from Phoenix.. Not nearly as interesting as here. How about you?"

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“San Francisco. Surprisingly not as crazy as this place either,” Rowan said, “Phoenix sounds nice…” slowly, she realized what she’d just said, “uh- I mean, I guess not nice enough, since, yknow, um… or, I uh, I bet you get a lot of tourists. Uh, got a lot of tourists.”

[wanttobelongtosomeone]

"Huh, I would've expected it to be crazy." He mused, before shrugging slightly, smiling to ease her tension. "Yeah, there was always a lot of people going in and out.. I always kept my distance from the tourists, though." Didn't really see a reason to engage with them, anyway.

[yourlocalboardwalkwitch]

“Right, makes sense…tourists are kinda the worst…” Rowan nodded, a bit calmer. “Honestly, if you look for crazy in SF you’ll find it pretty quickly. It’s just…maybe not a great idea to look. So I never did until pretty recently.”