samsatherton‌:

“Oh that is most definitely a move.” Samara couldn’t help but giggle at the business card. “Did it come complete with their number?” Sam looked over Bowen’s shoulder curiously– secretly hoping it didn’t and Bowen wouldn’t call so then it wouldn’t lead to anything. “I’ve got no clue who Arcade Fire is, but those things have been scattered along the front gate of the estates– probably some poor attempt at a self promotion.”

“Sam, I wouldn’t want a move from any boy riding a Ripstick around town,” she scoffed, flicking the card over her shoulder before bringing her arm up to loop it through Sam’s. “So, should we go to the boardwalk or the forest preserve? Either way, I want some nature today. I don’t spend nearly enough time being a nature witch as I would like.” 

carlymxrris‌:

“Maybe we can give it to Eddie in the morning– I’m sure he’d handle it. That shits gross.” Carly’s nose crinkled up at Bowen’s guess. Carly patted the top of Bowen’s head as they walked slowly back to the Olympic Mobile Homes. “Definitely DJ’s– if they were rappers it’d have a Soundcloud link.” She snickered.

“Eddie thinks I’m annoying. But you can give it to Eddie.” Bowen had been feeling incredibly lonely as of late—Carly, for all the differences between them, made Bowen feel less lonely. That was what she needed, desperately. “Maybe the whole thing is one of those scan-y things. You know. The ones you can scan with your phone.” 

carlymxrris‌:

Carly’s eyebrows raised, “watch it, girl, could be a cult thing.” She smirked, sipping at the drink she’d taken with her as the two of them left NEON for the night. Carly liked making sure Bowen got home safe, they were going to the same place anyway so it was never any trouble. “I’ve never seen one of those in my life. Probably just some cryptic group of boys trying to emerge from the underground.” Carly’s eyes rolled. “It’s pathetic.”

“Yeah? My money’s on human trafficking,” Bowen replied, turning the card sideways and squinting at it, as if she might find some sort of hidden message between the letters. Bowen sighed, leaning against Carly and plopping her head against Carly’s shoulder. She’d definitely had a bit too much to drink that night. “You think they’re rappers or DJs? I’m thinking rappers. Though, this is the corny shit a DJ would pull.” 

Bowen had a thing for attracting weird shit. She couldn’t describe it if she tried, she just knew that weird things happened around her far more often than they happened around other people. It was bizarre, to say the least, but she had long since grown used to people coming up to her on the street and making weird comments or handing her cryptic things. This time, it was a business card that said nothing but “we exist.” She wrinkled her nose. “Do you mean like the Arcade Fire song?” she called out after them, but they had already disappeared down the street. She turned to the person next to her. “Do you know anything about this?” 

cooper--hawkins‌:

It was almost 2 in the afternoon and all Cooper wanted to do was go home and take a nap. However he couldn’t because he was too busy catching the bad guys in town. The one thing he hated most about his job was that it made him run. Cooper was never a runner, but due to this job he was. After what felt like forever, he and his partner caught the guy and placed him in the car. Leaning up against it, Cooper took a deep breath and shook his head “You know, when you first join the police academy, they should fuckin tell you that you’re going to have to get used to running.” Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair “I’m so out of shape right now.” 

“Maybe you should lay off the donuts, you fat fuck,” Bowen said from the back seat of the squad car, scowling. “Are you really going to get this mad about me tagging the post office? Like, shit, I know it’s a government building, but it’s just the fucking post office.” Evidently, Bowen wasn’t very good at talking herself out of these situations. It was a wonder that she even made it thus far without being caught, if she was being quite honest, and she knew she was in for more trouble when they found more evidence of her art across town.

ofviolettcs‌:

Vi shrugged her shoulders, “You wouldn’t believe the kinda shit I’ve tapped.” A mischievous smirk pulled up at her lips before laughing, “I don’t think you could’ve made it more obvious.” Violetta joked playfully. “You got it, girlfriend,” She said, excitedly scribbling Bowen’s name and discount on a business card before handing it to her. “Alright, so you’re definitely not one for being subtle–” Vi mused as she flipped through her portfolio. “Ah, I have the perfect one– alright, you’ve gotta look away too.”

“I’m not sure I want to know,” she joked, a grin splitting her features before she leaned back in her chair, taking the business card and tucking it into the breast pocket of her flannel before dramatically putting her hand over her eyes. “Done. Though, I’d love to watch if you fuck it up,” she replied. “It’ll be good dramatic irony for when you open your eyes and realized you mutilated me.”

brandsegal‌:

@bowensx​ reacted for a starter ! 

He couldn’t stop laughing at himself as he held a silly hot pink kite, watching it fly in the sky while his other hand was holding a blunt. Why did he need to come to this thing every year … high as a kite was beyond him. He didn’t even care for the beach much but for some reason he couldn’t miss the opportunity to be high as fuck during the festival. It took him a moment to react to hearing his name, head turning to find Bowen and a big-fat grin spread across his face.

 “Ayeee! My girl – what’s up?” 

Bowen reached out and plucked the blunt from his hand and took a big drag, grinning as she let the smoke come out of her nose in two thick plumes. “Vibin’, man, just vibin’,” she said, looking up at the kite and gesturing vaguely at it. “Hot pink’s your color,” she said. “I think you should wear more of it.” She took another drag before handing it back, instead taking the kite string and tugging at the kite lightly before letting out more of the slack, watching it soar high above them. “I used to be so goddamn good at this, but now I suck.” 

ellery-cooke‌:

Taking the joint from her, Ellery took a drag and flopped down in the sand beside her. He’d say in this place a hundred times before on a hundred days just like this. Sometimes it felt a little monotonous but today he was cool with just hanging out watching the kids play in the sand. “I like to think of those as my future customers,” he joked handing her the joint back. “Just a matter of time until they’re nice and corrupted.” 

“You’re the reason this country’s going down the tubes,” she teased, taking another deep drag. Sometimes, Bowen hated all of these reminders of her childhood in Olympic Beach, finding that it only brought up the painful memories, rather than the good ones, but this was a day she didn’t mind. It was sunny and it was clear for once and the kids running around were impossible to hate. Even if they were super annoying.

ofviolettcs‌:

“Oh so I’ve heard– it’s terrible he’s quit attractive.” Vi shook her head with a mournful sigh before smirking. “Let me guess, B, did this one.” She pointed to the set of boobs on Bowen’s arm and smiled faintly. “Did you lose a bet? You wouldn’t believe what I’ve got from losing bets– think the whole Simpson’s family on my right shoulder blade. I don’t even watch The Simpsons” Violetta shook her head. “Well, could I still do it with my eyes closed? I’ll give you a twenty percent discount if you book your next session with me.” She held out her business card.

“I’d be careful if you’re thinking of tapping that,” she replied. “I live next door to him, and you would not believe the kind of shit I hear. I’m surprised he’s not dying of syphilis.” She wrinkled her nose. “We were both just stoned, actually,” she said with a huff of laughter. “I kind of like ‘em. Lets everyone know which team I’m playing for.” Bowen put her arm out on the table between them. “Call it 25% and you’ve got yourself a deal.” 

eddielachman‌:

Eddie gave the slightest frown at the mention of her father. He didn’t any of the things that sprung to mind first, namely because he had less than charitable things to say about that man and while he doubted Bowen would care that much, he had to have some level of professionalism.

“Well I ain’t your dad, am I? So we’re all good.” He said bluntly, turning back on his heel to walk in the opposite direction from her, not before calling out: “Don’t smoke near those kids, and don’t punch anyone again.”

Bowen knew that it made people uncomfortable when she brought up her father, mostly because Bowen made the kinds of jokes about him that tended to leave others speechless. That was her favorite move for when she wanted to push people away—or when she wanted to poke the bear with Eddie. 

“Aw, so you’re telling me we’re not going to cry and hug it out?” she asked after him. “What, that’s it?” she called after him. “I’m not making any promises!” 

samsatherton‌:

“Hello, Bowie.” Sam sang lightheartedly as she did every time she found Bowen. After finally giving up on her kite, she went and sat with Lauren to watch kites and drink for a while. Once Lauren needed to head back to Bella Ciao’s booth, Sam spotted Bowen on the beach and happily made her way over. “Oh don’t mind if I do. I believe the town just watched me make three of these myself at McLaugherty’s booth.” Sam giggled as she took a delicate sip from Bowen’s cup. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, my sail boat kite nearly had me in tears– pretty sure I scared off this new guy who definitely thought I was a twelve year old crying over a kite.” She snickered.

“Hello, hello, hello,” Bowen sang back, waving Sam over to sit next to her. “Yeah, my kite string snapped and my kite flew far away into the ocean,” she said, waving vaguely towards the horizon. “New guy? He cute?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Sam. It was Bowen’s go-to question anytime someone new came to town, but, as always, it was different with Sam. Everything took on a different meaning with Sam—when they were kids all the way to now, Bowen had only ever relied on a few people, and Sam was one of them.

eddielachman‌:

“Alright, was just makin’ sure everything’s good. No need to sound so guilty.” Eddie had dealt with his fair share of troublemakers in town, whether it be born of boredom, a desire to cause chaos or some heady mix of the two, Bowen was nowhere near being his biggest concern. He decided to humour her for a short while, it was better than riling her up by staying silent. 

“Stay out of trouble,” He slowed to a stop and turned to look at her, staying silent for a moments before speaking almost flippantly, “you stink, by the way. Hope you ain’t smoking near any of these kids.”

“No need to sound like you’re questioning me,” she countered easily. In the end, Bowen was harmless—she may break windows in empty storefronts or spray paint billboards, but that was all the adolescent acting out that she never got to do under her mother’s iron fist and the weight of her family’s reputation. Maybe she had been picked up for a bar fight the week before, but the guy was a prick and deserved to get punched, anyway. It’s not like her tiny fists could do much. 

She wrinkled her nose. “Who, me? Corrupt the youth? I would never,” she replied, shaking her head. “You know, my dad used to tell me to stay out of trouble, and he ended up being the biggest hypocrite on that front. Don’t tell me you’re gonna be like that too, Chief.” 

@ellery-cooke​ liked for a starter!

Bowen was sitting a little further away from the festival on the beach, watching kids run by and enjoying digging her toes in the sand, her sneakers next to her as she tapped the ash from her joint, thankful for at least one day of sunshine. She couldn’t help but think about her childhood on days like these; about summers she never got to spend in Olympic Beach, about all the time she lost. She was gaining back those hours, slowly—one by one, she’d count them down until she could consider herself whole again. Maybe that was wishful thinking. She looked up as someone greeted her, grateful for the distraction from her thoughts, and grinned as she offered Ellery the joint. “I’m sitting all the way over here so I won’t corrupt the youth.” 

eddielachman‌:

“Good to see you too,” Eddie replied without so much as a glance in Bowen’s direction, his tone bland and serious as usual. To say he was used to her annoyance would be an understatement, he’d grown entirely familiar with it and knew all too well how she liked to test the boundaries of what she could get away with. He didn’t point out that he didn’t in fact have her number, rather the police station did from the multiple times he’d had to bring her back there.

“Not causin’ too much trouble, yeah?” Usually he wouldn’t have engaged in conversation, too busy with his mind on other things but the day had been surprisingly quiet in terms of worries and he almost felt amusement from her arrival.

Bowen paused, tilting her head to catch his gaze. “You know, it would be easier to see me if you actually looked,” she pointed out with a crooked smirk on her features, not taking the day—or the sight of the cops, who she certainly had a fraught relationship with—too seriously. She turned so she was walking backwards, raising her sunglasses for just a moment to look at him before she dropped them back down onto her nose. 

“You know, I have a right to not incriminate myself,” she pointed out, hoping to push his buttons. This is what happened with Bowen—she was sharp, but she felt bored a lot of the time, and when she felt bored, that was when she started getting into trouble. 

eddielachman‌:

There was only so much trouble people could get into at a kite festival of all things. Still, Eddie had made the decision to come and keep an eye on things, it helped quell his persistent need to be on the look out for those desperate to cause a scene. Dressed in plain clothes rather than his usual uniform to try and not distract from the sense of peace, he walked slowly around the booths, occasionally taking a sip of the lemonade practically forced into his hand upon arrival.

Everything appeared to be good, there were plentiful smiling faces and cheerful music emanating from one of the booths. Eddie had never been that good at dropping his guard but he felt more relaxed than he had done in a few weeks. 

Bowen practically skipped up so that she was walking next to Eddie, if only because she was already pleasantly stoned for the day, her fresh tattoo smarting on her forearm—which made her desperately want to scratch it—and a grin on her features. She sipped from her own lemonade, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head before thinking better of it and dropping them back down onto her face. 

“You look weird without the uniform, Chief,” she said. “Is this what you normally wear, though?” Bowen wrinkled her nose. “You know, if you need style tips, you’ve got my number.” 

ofviolettcs‌:

“McLaugherty’s has really good mimosas and nothing is funnier than watching his kid roll his eyes as I order one.” Violetta grinned, quite satisfied with herself as she sat at the Vices’ booth. It was still early in the day and she figured there’d be more people lined up to get tattoos once they were drunk and stupid when the night hit. “So, you finally going to let me do a freehand design, or what? I’ll even give you a pretty shiny discount.” Vi winked as she finished her drink and handed over a folder of her designs. “Pick one of these and I bet I could do it with my eyes closed.” If she was going to be forced into sitting out at the beach working while people were having fun, she was at least going to make it interesting.

“His kid is an asshole anyway,” Bowen replied, sipping from her own drink as she sat down across from Violetta. “You want to add to the tree of life?” she asked, shrugging off her flannel to expose her upper arm and the empty space below the cackling skeleton right above her elbow. “I’ll do you one better,” Bowen said, flipping the book closed and handing it back to her. “You pick something at random and just put it on there. What do I have to lose? It’s not like there’s much rhyme or reason to my tattoos anyway.”