touch me softly

I think I’d maybe make myself more creative. That part of my brain is hard for me to access. It would be cool to write a book or learn to sculpt, I think. 

I’m not the type of woman who kisses and tells.

Yes...I do have feelings for someone, actually. I’m not sure that it’ll ever really happen, though.

WHEN: february 16th

DESCRIPTION: chatting & flirting, makin’ plans

TRIGGER WARNINGS: sex mention

@julesrobinson95

WHEN: february 13th.

DESCRIPTION: chatting and then all of a sudden they’re going on a date OOP

TRIGGER WARNINGS: n/a

@ronnieroy

     ellie loved the toadstool mainly because she loved the aesthetics of browsing through a cute bookstore with a coffee in hand pretending she was gonna buy a rare limited edition book and she just needed to take time to browse through the store and find it. the younger woman chuckled when rowan asked if she was there to find a tolstoy. “not exactly.” she replied, nose still red from the outside cold. she had been packing up her things to move out of her apartment and she was currently on her self allotted coffee break, but it was probably just procrastination on her part. “but i’m glad to see you ! i feel like we haven’t spoken in ages.”

“i guess i didn’t realize just how cold it is,” zara explains meekly. there’s no way she’s going to admit that when she’s just paid her rent and other bills and now has to go grocery shopping that an uber isn’t really in the budget. “i have no idea. honestly i don’t even remember the last book i read. hopefully that doesn’t make me sound stupid.” fitting in time to read wasn’t something zara incorporated into her daily routine. 

“Yeah I know, it’ll kill me. honestly I’ll probably die because it and I don’t care. This is so much better for me than anything else I could be doing to relieve my stress, y’know.” Jude shrugged, “What are your vices? I bet they’re just as shit as smoking.”

“Hm...” Rowan thought for a moment, unpacking her guilty pleasures in her mind, “Well, there’s these cakes, Entenmann’s brand. They’re chocolate and have marshmallow frosting and chocolate drizzle on top.” Rowan smiled at the memory of how good this cake was. “Anyway, a couple of times in my early college days, I’ve definitely purchased one and taken a fork to it by myself during really stressful moments. Definitely not good for me,” she laughed.

Mat could barely even remember the last time he showed up to The Toadstool. Life has been so busy for him, in between his new relationship with Trav, awards season and his plan to come out so his rare days off were usually spent relaxing at home. That meant he hadn’t seen Rowan in a while though so he was glad she was the one on shift if he had to spend the next half an hour or so ‘in hiding’ from everyone outside. “That’s great, thanks. I might take you up on your offer but for now I’ll just take the opportunity to catch up with you”, he grinned, taking a seat. It still felt weird to be congratulated about coming out so publicly, not used to it being out in the open but it felt so good not to have to hide anymore. “Thank you, it still feels surreal sometimes.” 

Rowan nodded, flashing him a bright smile, “I know the feeling, I mean, not on the same scale,” she said. “Coming out was a big deal for my WASP-y parents, they’re still not over it, but there was a kind of euphoria that came with it. I can see it all over your face.” She smiled, “Getting to live out your dreams, whether it’s winning an Oscar, or being a crime fighter like I intend to,” she said, gesturing to her books. “And also being your authentic self....that’s the best thing in the world, to put it as full of cheese as possible.” 

Mason hadn’t stepped foot in a book store in so long that he didn’t even know that they still existed, but hey he was going to see if he could find any children’s books for Hope. He wanted something he could read her while she was still in the NICU and when she finally came home and his place for whatever him and Eden decide to do with how they want to being her back and forth. When he walked up he saw a blonde at the counter and smiled as he looked at her. “Well I don’t know what that is, but I was just wondering if you had and like children’s books?”

Rowan smiled warmly, “He was an author, produced some lengthy works,” she filled him in. “We do, we have a whole section. Are you looking for anything in particular? A particular age range?” 

Charlie had been busy out of her mind this week, and she didn’t intend on stopping. With the arrival of their foster child, Jack, the house had been fuller than it had ever been. Parker and Jack made everything okay. She had to show them that. Rowan would be the perfect person to help.

“Hey!” she said as she walked up to the counter, “I was actually looking for something a little more… child-friendly. Jack loves sci-fi and he borrowed some books from his school but he’s powered through them like nothing I’ve ever seen. Any recommendations? He’s 8.”

Rowan smiled, “That’s so great that you’re nurturing a love of reading in him,” she said. “Follow me to the kids’ books, I’ve got your back.” Rowan knew this store backwards and forwards, and she was always happy to help anyone with anything. “What’s his reading level, what kind of books does he tend to enjoy reading with you? Or on his own?” 

     ellie loved the toadstool mainly because she loved the aesthetics of browsing through a cute bookstore with a coffee in hand pretending she was gonna buy a rare limited edition book and she just needed to take time to browse through the store and find it. the younger woman chuckled when rowan asked if she was there to find a tolstoy. “not exactly.” she replied, nose still red from the outside cold. she had been packing up her things to move out of her apartment and she was currently on her self allotted coffee break, but it was probably just procrastination on her part. “but i’m glad to see you ! i feel like we haven’t spoken in ages.”

new york in winter. it isn’t zara’s favorite season. maybe the snow looks nice when it’s freshly fallen, but by now it’s all just slushy and dirty making walking around the city even more annoying. in addition to that, it’s cold. not only is it cold outside, it’s cold in her apartment because even though the heat has been fixed twice this week, it still punks out more often than it kicks on. zara works at night so during the day is when she has to get her errands done. she’s done a decent job so far but she can only take the bite of the wind for so long. seeing the shop, zara stepped inside. “honestly, im just trying to escape the cold for a little bit before i have to get back out there and make my way to the grocery store.”

Rowan tilted her head, “You’re walking all the way to the grocery store?” she asked, perplexed. “You couldn’t get an uber?” She set aside her book. “Well, there must be something I can help you with. What do you like to read?” 

“You know me so well!” Nate exclaimed in between laughs, though he shrugged his shoulders - he was a little embarrassed at the fact that he often found himself here, even when he had loads of work to do. It was a bit of a safe space for him, a place to go to when he was feeling overwhelmed, he supposed. “Well, okay, maybe not Tolstoy today. Give me something new. Recommend me something I wouldn’t usually read, something that’s not really my style. Surprise me, Rowan Finlay.” 

Rowan thought it over for a minute, then nodded conclusively. She motioned for him to follow her into the ‘staff picks’ section and picked up a copy of Untamed by Glennon Doyle. “I’ve been telling every single person I know to read this. It’s part memoir, part self help, I suppose?” she mused, “It’s really helped me find my wild,” she said, handing him the book. “I mostly recommend this to my girl friends, but I think it can benefit men, too. Feminism is for everyone, you know? 

She was looking down when someone familiar entered, the bell on the door jingling as they did. She looked up and smiled; finally a break in the dullness. “What are you doing here?” Rowan asked with a smile. “Looking for a copy of Tolstoy to help get you through the week?” she joked, though she didn’t know if it really came off as a good one. She never considered herself to be a really funny person.

Mat never thought he could be this happy. Everyone finally knew the truth about him, he had an amazing boyfriend and he was an Oscar winner. It made everything that happened during the last few months worth it, even though it didn’t seem like it at the time. He just wished he could get a bit of a break. “Okay so my boyfriend doesn’t know I’m back in Kingsboro for a few days to surprise him and I got caught out by some people outside who are trying to take photos. I know this sounds weird but can I lay low for a while in here until they leave? We wouldn’t want them to ruin the surprise.”

Rowan was working the counter at The Toadstool, leaning against the counter and highlighting in a textbook when Mat burst through the door. It’d been awhile since she’d seen him, but news of his coming out has been everywhere, and the people gathering around outside only made that fact more clear. Rowan smiled at him, “Of course you can, I can sneak you out the back exit whenever you’re ready,” she said warmly. “Congratulations, by the way, it’s no small feat what you did.” 

~open starter~

Eloise tapped her pen against her lip. She wasn’t using the pen; she was using her computer to work on her manuscript, but the pen was an anxious habit she had. The coffee shop she was sitting in was buzzing around her, which would usually get her juices flowing. Today, however, juices were not flowing. She couldn’t figure out what got her into this funk she was in. She had deadlines approaching and so far had nothing to deliver. She turned around to the person sitting at the table behind her. “Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I’m trying to work and I need your help. I’m an author and can’t figure out my next scene. So picture this, you get to make one wish to create your dream romantic partner. What is it?” She bit lightly on the end of the pen, nervously awaiting their reply, while also mentally slapping herself for being so awkward. 

“El, it’s me, Row,” Rowan said with a laugh, getting up from her table to sit across from her friend. “I didn’t see you sitting there, you must’ve gotten here after me. What was the question?” she asked, sipping her Americano thoughtfully when the question came back to her: one wish to create her dream romantic partner. “My dream partner. Huh. Well...I guess for me, a girl who likes that I’m goal oriented. Instead of someone who...calls me a freak for caring about my future, or wanting to create a different life for myself.”