From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 01:38 am (UTC)		(Link)

Walking around in this new bookstore on campus was like walking into a little piece of heaven for Rowan. New books? On hand and ready to be read whenever she wanted to as long as they were in stock? Plus coffee readily at hand? She wasn't sure who she owed a favor to now, but she didn't really care either.

Re-shouldeing her bag, Rowan pawed through some of the spell reference books they had on the shelves. Nothing she didn't have already, which was a pity. Deciding to see if they had any new herbology things, Rowan went to move around the stack...

...and almost right into a tall, Asian beauty.

"Michi! Holy crap, you scared me!"

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 01:59 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Oh! Ro!" Michi laughed lightly, momentarily putting her hands on Rowan's shoulders to steady herself. "Sorry! i didn't mean to scare you. I was just intensely sniffing out this herbology section," she grinned.

"How have you been? Snoop out anything good yet?" she asked bouncing a little in her place.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:10 am (UTC)		(Link)

Rowan started laughing lightly as well. "It's ok. At least I didn't drop anything this time." She said that with a sort of light, self-mocking humor. "Anything good in the herbology section? And not really, no. Most of the things are either not what I'm looking for, or are things I already own. Ah well. We'll see when they get another shipment of books in."

Smiling up at the other girl, she replied with, "I've been good! Really good, actually. Only thing that I see right now that I think is good? Is coffee. Laughing lightly, she continued. "How about you? Anything good yet? And how have you been?"

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Halleluh!" she agreed with a big giggle. "I have either read everything in the herbology section or it wasn't quite what I was looking for," she explained. "To tide us over we could go downtown sometime this weekend if you wanted," she grinned.

"I think you're right about the coffee," she said looping elbows with the other girl and heading toward the cafe. "I could use a grande latte," she laughed. "Me? I've been fantastic! I have like eighty million things to tell you about," she beamed at the other girl. "Life is basically the most fantastic it has been in a long time."

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:24 am (UTC)		(Link)

"That would be awesome. I don't think I have plans this weekend? I will definitely let you know though." This whole... girly sharing news and gossip and being bubbly and effervescent was still rather foreign to Rowan. Oh, sure she was like that with Meka, but that was about different things. Michi was a different kind of girl.

When she linked arms, for example. Rowan felt a little thrill of excitement, like the other girl's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her.

"I... guess I have a lot to tell you too!" She couldn't really think of anything at the immediate moment that she absolutely HAD to share, but she was sure it would come to her. "You go first. And fantastic is always a good thing! Lets get online. I need a cappuccino with an extra shot today, I think."

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:35 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Oh! Me either! Maybe we can pick up little man if you don't mind?" she asked her eyes getting big. She liked to pick up Izzy as often as she could since she couldn't live with him.

"Oh! A double shot," Michi lead the way, popping into the back of the line. She bounced a little again. "So!" she said brightly. "I've been dating Gael Shaw for a few months now and he is like the sweetest, most perfect, fantastic guy ever," she beamed.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Ooooh! I would love to see Izzy!" She would, too. Rowan loved kids. She was a little afraid of them sometimes, since they always seemed to get to exactly where you didn't want them sometimes, but that didn't stop her from loving them and wanting to be around them.

At the news of who Michi was dating, Rowan's eyes widened. "You're kidding?! Gael? Wow, Michi that's fantastic! He's a great guy! So how did it happen? How is that going? Tell me everything!" She was genuinely pleased for her friend, and found herself strangely actually wanting to know all the little details.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:57 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Yay!" she clapped her hands a little. "I love bringing my friends and Izzy together, it kinda brings it all full circle you know?" she couldn't stop smiling now. "Izzy's real good too and a total flirt. He's started mumbling now so don't be surprised if he tries to sweet talk you."

"Right?! He's so amazing," she swooned. "I've been crushing on him so hard all year and we hung out a few times but nothing was ever official until February. He got me this," she said showing her the necklace around her neck.

"Things are going really well," she beamed. "I'm going to introduce him to Izzy soon which he's totally okay with. I'm falling so hard for this kid," she laughed, her cheeks blushing bright red.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 12:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"A kid as cute as yours can sweet talk me any time he wants to!" With a grin, Rowan turned to face Michi so she could talk to her easier. Izzy was a truly adorable child.

"Ooooooh!" Leaning in to take a closer look at the necklace, Rowan made a sweet face. "That's beautiful, Michi. He's got really good taste. Well, of course since he's with you, that was assumed already. I'm so glad things are going well for you two. I... know what you mean about falling hard." The blush in Michi's face was echoed in the slight pink forming in Rowan's cheeks.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 02:17 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Right?" she giggled. "I know all moms say their kid is the cutest, but I really think mine is," she laughed.

"He really does, and surprisingly so does his brother," she breezed right on past the topic of her surprising new ally and flushed even redder at Rowan's compliment. "Thanks," she said more softly.

"Oh! So how are things with Keegan?" she said noticing the blush in the other girl's cheeks. She is just too cute! "Keegan is a really lucky guy."

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 03:10 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"I think you might be right. He's adorable."

Deciding not to pursue any topic of conversation about Leon, she moved on to other things. One of which was turning to place her order at the counter. She was happy for the momentary distraction because it hopefully hit the huge smile that crossed her features.

"I'm glad for you and Gael. And things with Keegan are... just wonderful. I don't know how lucky he might be, but I feel just about the luckiest I ever have." She looked down at the claddaugh ring on her right hand with a smile. "A lot has happened that's so amazing since I met him that it's hard to believe sometimes." Her drink made, Rowan moved to take it and then waited for Michi to go and find a seat.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 03:21 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Michiko beamed, always the proud mama. After placing her order she turned back to Rowan. "I'm really happy for you and Keegan too," she said honestly. "You're kinda perfect for each other and being the mom that I am, I always worried about him, not so much any more though."

"That's a cute ring," she said taking Rowan's hand to examine it. A gift from the boy?" she asked grinning. She took her coffee from the counter and paid with a thanks and turned to Rowan, walking side by side to find a place to sit.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 6th, 2011 04:39 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Smiling at Michi's words, Rowan maneuvered around people and chairs to an open table toward the back. "I'm glad you think I'm... good for him. I know he values your opinion and you guys are close, so that... actually means quite a lot." Her face turned a slightly deeper pink, but she chose to ignore it for the time being.

"Thanks. Yeah, it was a valentine's day present from him. I love it. I love everything he's given me. I feel like I'm almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, because things are going just ...so well, you know?" She sat down, a little shy now. "This whole having a boyfriend thing... he makes it easy for me."

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 6th, 2011 07:27 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Michi took a seat and adjusted herself, setting her cup in front of her. "Of course!" she said brightly. "He's my best friend, my baby's god father," she said proudly. "And he's got the best of the best," she complimented her friend and taking a sip on her coffee.

"I know exactly what you mean," she said more softly. "But maybe we're just that lucky!" she said excitedly. "I'm so used to just waiting for the bad to happen but one day it's gotta change right?"

"He's a good guy," she said with a firm nod. "With good taste might I add," she said with a silly little smirk.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 8th, 2011 09:28 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Well, he deserves the best of the best... I just hope I'm good enough." She lowered her eyes for a moment, smiling at her drink before taking a sip.

"Yeah, that might be it. I'm rather used to the same thing. There has been nothing good in my life without some sort of awful backup, nothing nice except that followed by something bad. So... maybe you're right and it's just us being lucky for once." Rowan smiled at Michi.

"He's a great guy. Better than I would have ever expected. Was he... was he always so..." She couldn't think of the right words. "When you guys were... together. Was he... did he treat you like you were something.. special?" She would have never asked that question of someone else. She would have been far too worried and insecure about talking to one of Keegan's exes like this. But... it was Michi.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 8th, 2011 09:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Of course you are!" Michi giggled. For as silly a girl as she was, she was actually quite sincere.

She reached across the table and patted Rowan's hand before taking another sip of coffee. "It's finally our time right?" she said cheerfully. She did her best to forget all the terrible things that had happened in the past and just keep on rolling with the punches.

"Oh," Michi flushed a bit at the question. "Well, yeah, he was always really sweet and... kind," she said. "He and I were a bit different though I think because we were best friends and we were still best friends and things just got... weird, you know? Just... he always made me feel special just... in a different way, if that makes sense?" she tried to explain.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 9th, 2011 11:10 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Right. It seems that way at least." Rowan smiled both at the pat to her hand and the compliment, though the latter brought more pink to her cheeks.

"I-I don't mean to... I'm just trying to figure out, I mean, he's just..." The words were hard to come by, especially because she was so new to this, both the boyfriend thing and the 'talking to the ex-girlfriend' thing.

She sighed. "It makes sense. It absolutely does. I'm just so... no one has ever made me feel the way he does. So I was wondering, trying to... compare, I guess? I don't know..."

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 10th, 2011 08:03 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"It's always going to be different," she said decidedly after contemplating just hopping over the table and hugging her. "I think... what you're feeling right now, is exactly how I'm feeling about Gael."

"Like... for me, everything is perfect and I feel like I'm just floating way up in sky, weightless like a cloud. I'm so at peace with him, you know? Except when he's not around to reassure me that the things I worry about are silly and pointless," she said with a little laugh.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 10th, 2011 10:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yes! That was part of what she was feeling! Encouraged by Michi's response she brightened as she spoke.

"Exactly! Like, I almost feel like I ...I know him, deep down, even when I keep finding out new things about him. He surprises me so often with things, but I feel like... like I've known him my whole life. Which it turns out, I sort of have..." she started to blush but just kept going with what she was saying.

"Like, when he said he loved me. I knew he did, kinda, already? Not in words, but somehow... I can't really explain it. It was still incredible to hear, and still surprising to me." She smiled at the memory of that day. "But he makes me feel like that a lot. Like something in me knows already, even if I'm not aware of it."

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 11th, 2011 01:08 am (UTC)		(Link)

Michi's smile only widened, she was glad that she had basically hit the nail on her head. They really had more in common than people thought they did.

"Right?!" she agreed enthusiastically. "I know Gael and I haven't been together nearly as long as you and Keegan but I know exactly what you mean. Like... it's so different than any other relationship and sure it's shiny and new but I know that this isn't just a phase. He's genuinely that sweet. "And I'm not someone who just... you know... wears my heart on my sleeve. I've never fallen this fast."

"Awww! He said he loved you?! That's like... a huge deal," she beamed. "That's amazing! I know what you mean though. It hasn't been that long but I just know," she said brightly.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 12th, 2011 02:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Yeah. Sometimes... you just know things." It was said with a little bit of a faraway look, like Rowan was remembering other times and places as she spoke the words. "I know you don't do that. You don't seem like the type for that. So I think it might be the real thing. Like I said, and you said, sometimes you just know these things."

Smiling at Michi, she recalled the Yule that had just passed. "He did. Without a single prompt or anything. Right from the heart. I've loved him for... for a long time, and didn't want to spook him by saying it when I first felt it. He said it on his own, and that means so much more to me." She continued to smile, even as she took another sip of her drink.

"So tell me more about Gael. How did you guys start talking? When did he ask you out? Or.. .did you ask him?" Michi was a strong girl with her own opinions. That last bit was not out of the question.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 12th, 2011 04:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Awww," she practically melted. "That's the best," she said softly. "I know what you mean about waiting though. Like... I want to tell him but it's so early, I don't want to freak him out," she related. "It must have been nice though, to say it out loud and just go with it and not worry anymore."

"Oh... oh dear... the first time I talked to him this year is kind of embarrassing. Like I knew him before through quodpot and stuff but I never really talked to him until this year," she could imagine this story was going to be one to do down with the ages.

"I was at homecoming with Mari and we were a little tipsy just talking about... ways to save the environment," here she looked at the table guiltily. "And I... kinda shouted to Gael so that the whole world would hear... Gael. Wanna take a shower with us? It's environmentally friendly," her cheeks were bright red when she admitted it. "And then the rest was maximizing space and bio-diesel," she laughed. "I was really drunk," she said again.

"Then we kinda hung out, I asked him out to lunch once and then he asked me out again. Nothing really happened for a while but then he asked me to the Valentine's dance and it was like... boom! Couldn't deny the things that were happening. So it was a slow start but since February things have just taken off," she beamed at her friend. "It was worth all that waiting."

	From: cabotine	Date: April 25th, 2011 02:55 am (UTC)		(Link)

Remembering the feeling of release when she was finally able to say the words that had filled her heart for so long, Rowan smiled. "It most definitely was nice. More than nice. To not need to worry anymore about what effect the words would have..." she looked down at her coffee, remembering, "Everything seemed to fall into place after that."

Listening to Michi's story about her first real time talking to Gael, Rowan couldn't help but look a little shocked. "Michi! You... you didn't! Oh gods..." She giggled a little bit aloud at the image in her mind that her friend's words had formed.

"There's nothing wrong with a slower start. I think that makes everything after that much sweeter." She took a sip and smiled at the Rienzi girl again. "So... things have really taken off for you guys, then?"

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 25th, 2011 03:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

She smiled warmly at Rowan. "That's so amazing to hear," she said taking a sip of her coffee. "It makes me feel like maybe things are going to be okay after all. Maybe this isn't such a terrible place to be," she nodded.

Michi's face only got redder and she laughed even harder. "Oh I did," she said covering her face with her hands. "At least it will be memorable," she snorted. "And if he can look past that introduction... well... he's good in my books," she smiled.

"I agree, it kind of gave me time. I don't think I was really ready for anything too serious when we first started hanging out. I just had Izzy, I was still kinda back and forth with Eli, I was... confused," she shook her head. "It's different now though, I just... I want to be with him all the time," she pushed her hair behind her ear and grinned. "They really have taken off," she said smiling shyly.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 25th, 2011 11:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"It's a great place to be." Rowan said with a light smile. At the growing redness in Michi's face, she had to grin wider. "Oh, I agree. I guess... if he didn't run screaming then he's good to go?" She teased lightly.

"Well, I'm really happy for you two. Really, really happy. Maybe... we could go out some time? Like... the four of us? You and Gael and me and Keegan?" It sounded like a good idea to her.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 25th, 2011 11:39 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Michi laughed. "That's what I thought," she sipped her coffee. "I never thought I would get this lucky. I mean... he knew I was a little crazy and he still came back," she smiled.

She beamed at Rowan. "I'm really happy for you and Keegan too," she said brightly. "Oh!!! Like a double date?! That would be fantastic. The four of us should definitely get together," she smiled warmly. "What do you think we should do?" she asked enthusiastically.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 27th, 2011 10:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Yeah, the good ones always come back.." Rowan said with a grin to Michi.

At the enthusiasm for the double date, Rowan was forced to rather rapidly think of ideas. "Uh, I've never gone on one before. A double date, I mean. Uhmmm..." She tried to think of the cheesy sitcoms and movies that she had seen in her life and pull ideas from there. "Rollerskating? Bowling? There's laser tag? An arcade? Or going to a pool hall that allows teens? The standard dinner and a movie?"

Rowan rattled these off as she thought of them, forgetting for the time her issues with coordination

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 27th, 2011 10:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Ooo! Those all sounds really fun! We should run it past the guys and see what's good with them!" she thought about it for a second. "Laser tag would be super fun though and so would bowling. And an arcade," she giggled. "Let's just double date forever," she joked. "Oh! Mini golf!" she beamed.

	From: cabotine	Date: April 27th, 2011 11:16 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Rowan smiled easily. The thought of going out and having fun, in addition to the fact that it would be with Michi and Gael and Keegan, was something that she hadn't really known she wanted to do until the opportunity presnted itself like this.

"Yeah! Let's run it past the guys and see what they'll want to do. I'll ask mine and you ask yours? We can coordinate ideas?"

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: April 27th, 2011 11:19 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Sounds perfect," she said brightly. She had always wanted to go out with Keegan and Rowan but she hadn't wanted to feel like a third wheel or anything like that, so a double date seemed to be the perfect way to make that happen. She bounced a little in her seat.

"I will pretty much tackle Gael and let him know the plan," she grinned.

	From: cabotine	Date: May 12th, 2011 11:24 am (UTC)		(Link)

Rowan had never been on a double date, but that didn't mean she was any less excited to go and hang out with Michi and Gael.

"Sounds excellent. I'm so glad I ran into you! I do need to get going now, but text me or send an owl or something to let me know when you've let him up from the tackle to breathe." Grinning at Michi, Rowan went to stand up and grab her bag.

	From: gimmeskittles	Date: May 12th, 2011 05:54 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Me too!" Michi agreed excitedly. She giggled at Rowan's joke and nodded. "Will do," she said brightly. "Then we can coordinate dates and such," she stood and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I think I'm going to run downtown and see my little man before curfew," she admitted with a little grin. "I'll see you around though!"