rosalindevangeline

[rosalindevangeline]

setting: oxford exchange; mid-february with: open

rosalind perused the bookstore shelves as she waited for the restaurant at oxford exchange to finish the takeout order she’d just placed. she supposed she ought to have called it in, but work had been busier than usual and it was only on her way back to the town that she realized she’d promised to bring dinner over to percival’s; she’d left nala with him for the day and rosalind was thankful that she wasn’t ( once more ) apologizing to the dog daycare for arriving after they’d closed.

her hand reached for a book of photographs from the area the same time as another and rosalind withdrew her own, offering a smile as she turned her head. “oh, i’m so sorry. go ahead,” she gestured toward the shelf.

[rosalindevangeline]

WELCOME TO MONLEON:

FULL NAME: Rosalind Mitchell

OCCUPATION: Sustainability Consultant

AGE & D.O.B.: 27 years old

RESIDENCE: St. Rosemary District

ORIGINALLY FROM:  Seattle, Washington

HOW LONG THEY’VE BEEN IN TOWN: Six months

BIOGRAPHY:

TW: death, vague mention of child neglect.

the youngest child and only daughter of parents deeply entrenched in american high society, rosalind evangeline mitchell had always felt as if she were fighting for attention. her eldest brother was larger than life, gregarious, never going anywhere without making a friend; her next eldest brother was involved in academia and had always preferred books and science to people. by the time rosalind was old enough to have her own interests, she had long learned that few in her family would share them. a privileged, though often distant, upbringing afforded her an exclusive education in seattle, and a rebellious phase in high school resulted in rosalind spending a year living with an uncle in chicago in hopes of curbing her worst impulses. ( it worked, if only because she thrived in an environment that wasn’t dominated by her disinterested parents and their fixation on her brothers’ lives. )

a summer internship lit the spark of eco-consciousness inside of rosalind and she spent four years at brown university majoring in environmental studies. weekends were spent visiting her eldest brother and his family in connecticut, resulting in a closeness that was both welcome and unexpected. upon graduation, rosalind began working as an urban planner in new york city with a focus on environmentalism. finally, she thought, she had it all: closeness with family, good friends, and a career she loved that still gave her room to grow. 

and then tragedy struck. eighteen months ago, rosalind’s eldest brother died suddenly and her entire world was fractured. when arrangements were made and the dust had settled, she felt adrift and, after quitting her job, spent months traveling, hoping that one of the small towns or cities she visited would feel like home, would give her a reason to stay. a woman born in the pacific northwest who had thrived in a city, rosalind had not thought that monleon would be where she put down roots. but something about the spanish-style architecture and the peacefulness of the water had touched her and after digging into her trust fund, she’d purchased a colonial-style bungalow on the water big enough for both herself and the australian cattle dog she’d adopted from a local shelter.

currently, rosalind works as a sustainability consultant in the tampa bay area, advising hospitality businesses on how to make their operations more environmentally sustainable and eco conscious. she’s spent time attempting to lay down roots in the community, though subconsciously she knows that this is merely an escape from reality – someday, and possibly soon, she’ll have to face what she’s lost and decide how best to move forward.

ROSALIND MITCHELL is portrayed by REBECCA RITTENHOUSE and written by SUMMER.

[rosalindevangeline]

wolves — ryan bingham

the howlin’ moon would cry, i’d sleep the sun away i was just a child, i knew i was afraid there was nothin’ to gain, i found by runnin’ the other way i had to stand my ground and keep the wolves at bay

evermore — taylor swift

i replay my footsteps on each stepping stone trying to find the one where i went wrong writing letters, addressed to the fire

and i was catching my breath, staring out an open window catching my death, and i couldn’t be sure i had a feeling so peculiar that this pain would be for evermore

love you like that — dagny

you hate that i usually don’t open up i know when i say it, it doesn’t say enough with you close i’m the happiest i ever was

problem solution — the white buffalo

well, they say follow your heart but it’s confused about everything does it hide from the truth till it’s the only proof of what heartache brings? what’s wrong with your heart?

tell me what’s wrong with your heart was it cold and beaten from the start? did it grow older or did it just get smart? or did you just tear it apart?

navigator — moonzz

it’s a long road, but if you are my navigator we could take the long way home

running up that hill — kate bush ( or placebo )

and if i only could, i’d make a deal with god

crazy beautiful life — scott chesak + thomas hien

nothin’ lasts forever, someone told me so life is always changing, it ain’t what you think you know even if you’re standing still, you’re floating in space so grab a hold of your heart and you’ll find your place

[rosalindevangeline]

l e o n

he ignored the dog, for his interest in other beings that relied on a master was enough to leave leon with a vile taste in his mouth - no, pets had never been off interested to the jazz club’s owner. he didn’t wish to trail after shit or to even feed another hungry mouth. so he didn’t look at the pup, and instead looked to the ashtray - as if to mourn the ashes instead. 

“you’re seeing someone? jeez, who’s the unlucky guy?” he asked, a brow raised in faux-interest before lowering as his lips picked up into a disguised grin (only hidden by the wave of facial hair, that acted as his mask between reality and his curated exterior). “i plan to work, drink - maybe watch a movie. why? you looking for a third person?” 

rosalind lifted her cocktail to her lips, taking a slow sip as she savored the flavors dancing on her tongue. “his name’s percival,” she offered, eyes growing slightly fond as she thought of the man in question before shaking her head lightly. “he’s here for business; not sure how long, to be honest.” it was probably silly for her to become involved with someone whose mere presence in monleon was so transitory, though rosalind was loathe to consider the alternative.

eyes rolled at the question and rosalind nearly allowed an exasperated exhale to leave her mouth. instead she merely quirked a brow at the thought. “what an intriguing offer, but you know i don’t do well with sharing, leon,” she parroted back. “and i was just curious. is the club doing anything special tonight?” she reached one hand down to pat the dog before taking another sip from her drink.

[rosalindevangeline]

t h e o d o r a

▬ ROSALIND MITCHELL.

“I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever be able to get used to wearing short anything, really, silk or not,” it was as if she had grown self-conscious with age, even though she worked out enough and ate well enough to know that her body could handle short skirts, short shorts and all of the likes, but there was something about wearing them now that she was thirty-eight and uncomfortably close to forties that didn’t sit well with her. She preferred her jeans, and mid-length dresses. Theo wondered if the ten year age gap between herself and Rosalind also showed on the way they dressed. “I am not happy in a 70 degree weather, anywhere, besides, I miss drinking wine and feeling like I’m being warmed up from the inside out, now most of my alcohol needs be iced,” she made a point by taking a sip out of her gin and tonic with mint leaves and plenty of ice.

The brunette passed a hand through her hair, settling further down on her seat. “She’s fine, mom is the happiest I’ve seen in a long time,” she pusher the food around on her plate, feeling them nearing a part of the conversation Theo was not very happy to get into. “It’s really frustrating considering her ass of an ex-husband is sending out wedding invitations, I mean, the woman he’s marrying is younger than Holly, younger than you,” the frustration was definitely not hidden from her voice, there was no point in it anyway, seeing how Rosalind had known her for so long, that just like Holly she probably would be able to detect any shift in her usual bitter mood. “It’s embarrassing and she wants me to be her maid of honor, because she relates to me so much, but how? I am nothing like that woman. Nothing.”

rosalind nodded, shrugging one shoulder, before taking a small sip from her drink — a citrus-y mojito — and looking over at her friend. “you do have the legs for it,” she pointed out with a grin, knowing that the other woman likely wouldn’t wear anything short. in fact, she wasn’t sure if she could ever recall theo wearing anything considered revealing. “it was very strange to spend christmas here,” she mused. “i’m so used to the mulled wine or the spiked hot cider back . . . well, wherever the hell home is right now.” it certainly wasn’t here, though rosalind couldn’t exactly come up with the words to say that. still, she’d known theo long enough that she expected the other woman would figure it out, and she reached for her drink once more. “it’s really smart down here, though. more heat equals more ice which means people buy more drinks because they get watered down.”

the tone seemed to shift after rosalind asked the question about theo’s mother and she wondered, idly, if she should have saved the question for a less public space. lips turned into a small O-shape as theo began talking about the frustrations she was going through. in truth, rosalind was pleased to hear them, for it kept her mind off of her own worries and frustrations. a brow rose. “that’s a bit of an age gap,” she agreed, one shoulder rising. “though considering percival is twelve years older than i am, i probably can’t say much about age gaps at all.” her lips twisted into something resembling both a smirk and a grimace. “why would she ask you to be her maid of honor? no offense, but does she not have any friends or something?”

[rosalindevangeline]

o l i v i a

A smile on her lips as she greeted Rosalind, Olivia walked up to her. “I’ve been to one of these a few times when we first moved here, but then we got busy with work and… we haven’t really had the chance to be back until now.” She explained, even though her husband wasn’t someone who enjoyed this event as much as she did, and he had left early that night. She didn’t blame him, as she knew that he was on call that night. But having to spend some quality time between the crazy hours they worked was surely appreciated. “Oh yeah, he was on call and there was an emergency at work. You can’t just leave the residents on their own for too long. He had to go in and get things in order.” She replied with a shrug of your shoulders. “But it’s fine. I wasn’t really expecting him to be here for the entire time. Anyways, what have you been up to?” 

rosalind nodded at olivia’s explanation; she could certainly understand that, especially since she’d not really made an effort to attend any of the other last friday events in her months living in monleon. “i think for me, it’s just that moving down here has made me really appreciate the slower pace of things, you know? in new york, i’d have been to three bars for different happy hours by now. and now the idea of doing that is so . . . strange to me.” she shook her head as she laughed briefly and raised a brow. “hope he’s not gone for too long,” she told her friend with a shrug of one shoulder. looking down at nala, she gestured for the dog to sit before rosalind’s eyes flicked back up. “i saw leon and nicole already and i’m going to catch theo before i meet up with percival later. what about you?” she asked. “how’s work been going?”

[rosalindevangeline]

t h e o d o r  a

with ▬ ROSALIND MITCHELL. at any of the food stands & around 8pm.

She was not equipped for the surrounding weather. When she first arrived at Monleon, it took her quite sometime to be able to say that she was enjoying the place. Her mother often laughed at her, saying that she had been raised a new yorker, any weather that didn’t correspond to what she was used to, she would complain. She missed snow. She missed being wrapped around in her blanket with a bottle glass of wine, watching movies and feeling sullen. One didn’t do sullen in a place that was sunny and hot all year long. One felt miserable. Even four years later, Theodora still did not dress properly for the weather, a jeans and a white shirt was as naked as she allowed herself to be, especially in comparison to the people around her. Women and men alike showing their legs and feeling happy, way happier than Theo could ever muster at that moment. 

As she walked back with their orders to the small table they had occupied moments before, Theo envied everyone who was better dressed than she was at every step, but also enjoyed how the breeze seemed to blow her hair back and wrap around her neck, refreshingly so. Putting their orders down before sitting down, she sighed. “It’s fucking 70 degrees, how does anyone expect to feel happy in this weather?” Granted her bitterness came from other places, as well, but that didn’t need to be discussed upfront.

in a sleeveless wrap minidress and sandals, rosalind relished the cool breeze that whipped around them. nala was neatly seated at rosalind’s feet, her collapsible silicone bowl filled with water from an evian bottle rosalind had purchased before meeting with theo. if she was home ( and, truly, she was unsure as to whether or not home was seattle or new york or even providence at this point ) she would have been bundled up as snowflakes fell on her hair. instead she leaned back against the chair as theo returned. “thank you for getting that,” she told her friend with a smile, having known theo for years. rosalind laughed and shook her head at the woman’s bitter comment.

“i think one could make the argument that it’s not impossible to be happy at 70 degrees — it’s that it’s 70 degrees in january. it feels somewhat unnatural to those of us who are used to the snow.” she shrugged, one hand moving down to pet the dog who had begun to drink her water. “i’m just thankful that my legs aren’t sticking to my skirt right now. you’d think that you could wear silk in this heat, but . . . you really can’t.” her hair was braided in a crown around her head, though rosalind took a moment to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “how’s your mom, though? i’ve been meaning to ask.”

[rosalindevangeline]

l e o n

leon had owned the club for the last five years of his life - it was at this point a well oiled machine, easily surviving without his experienced touch. but, leon had always preferred the hands-on approach, and loited behind his bar as he took to drying various glasses. with an eye on the door, leon watched and swapped the glass several times before bringing it to his nose to offer one final inspection. it had been a slow late-afternoon, but the party barely ever started till the later hours. 

when rosalind had arrived, leon had served her personally, putting aside his duties to sit by her side whilst lighting one of his many cigarettes. his employees would hold the reigns, and if not, they’d have to answer to him. exhaling slowly, leon looked down to check out rosalind’s dog, shifting in his chair - as if the pup was dead set on teaching the jazz club’s owner a lesson. clearing his throat, he held the cigarette between two fingers and tapped the ash into the tray. “dunno, what are you after?”

as rosalind sipped at her cocktail, she didn’t say a word at the cigarette or its smoke, though she knew nala would give leon a bit of a look about it — well, as much of a look as a dog could give. there was a slight breeze whipping along her bare neck, and rosalind lifted one shoulder into a shrug as she considered his question. “just a taste of monleon, really,” she replied as she thought about the town’s idiosyncrasies and the quirks within the community. she felt comfortable here, even if she was not a fan of the weather.

she hummed lightly. “i’m meeting this guy i’ve been seeing later and he’s new to town, so i thought maybe something that’s just very quintessentially monleon, you know?” even after six months living in the town, rosalind didn’t consider herself a resident so much as she might have in another part of the country. the blonde shook her head before looking back over at leon. “what about you? what are your plans tonight?”

[rosalindevangeline]

p e r c i v al

he feels flushed, and it’s impossible to discern whether the cause of it is the florida heat or rosalind’s mere presence. ( she’s beautiful tonight, he thinks, as she always is; effortlessly radiant, and entirely self assured. ) nonetheless, percival finds himself grateful for the incredible foresight he’d possessed to wear a dark shirt tonight — navy blue linen, the sleeves of which are rolled up to his elbows — so that the unflattering side effects of this preternaturally warm weather might yet go unnoticed. but between the occasional breeze coming off the bay, and the double scoop of mint chocolate chip, percy feels more and more like himself by the minute.

a wistful sigh escapes at the mention of snow, though percival has to admit he’s thought less of home in recent weeks; it wouldn’t do to dwell on anything but what was right in front of him. “ that sounds lovely. “ he says quietly, meeting rosalind’s gaze with a sincere smile. he’s only a somewhat recent transplant to the pacific northwest himself ( within the past fifteen years, he reminds himself, and perhaps that’s not very recent at all ) but it was the first home he’d chosen for himself, rather than being chosen for him. percival had fallen in love with it instantly. 

“ have i ever told you about my house on salt spring island? ” he asks. “ the hiking there is incredible. and the smell of the forest after a fresh rain is the most comforting scent i know. you’ll have to come visit sometime; i think you’d love it.” 

the slight breeze was welcoming and, if she closed her eyes, rosalind thought that perhaps she could imagine the scent of the saltwater was the same as it was in seattle, that instead of palm trees there were aspens or pines with a heavy fog rolling in. “it is.” the smile on her face echoed the genuineness of his own, though rosalind’s brow knit together as she spoke once more, her tone both certain and tentative. “one time when i was eight or nine, brock took me to mount rainier — just the two of us. he held my hand on the pathways and listened to my stories and that entire day, i just . . . felt so special.” she shook her head absentmindedly before pulling herself out of it and offering percival a wan smile.

her head tilted at the question, though rosalind could certainly admit that it sounded beautiful. “i don’t think you have,” she responded before taking another heavy lick of her ice cream, coming very close to the sugar cone. “it sounds very picturesque; i’d love to see it.” she paused momentarily, considering her next words. “and i’m sure nala would love to be able to run around more; i can’t let her do it here with all the wildlife.”

[rosalindevangeline]

o l i v i a

Date & TIme: January 29th, 7 pm

Location: Monleon’s Last Friday, Bayfront Marina Park

Tagged: @monleonstarters​

Olivia could not remember the last time she had a day off that coincided with a Last Friday, but she was certainly grateful to be off that day. Needless to say, she never really regretted having to work over eighty hours every week. But there were moments where she had missed out on some town events because she had been on call at the hospital. Thankfully, tonight was not one of those nights. She had been hoping to make the most out of the evening when she had convinced her husband to go with her, and they had spent some time strolling past the various stalls, debating if they should buy any of the various homemade trinkets that were being sold. Her husband got pulled into an emergency at work just around 7 pm, which she didn’t mind at all, and she found herself strolling around on her own when she noticed a familiar face. “Oh hello, I wasn’t expect to see you here. Are you having a good time?”

after spending some time with nicole, rosalind was planning to meet percival outside of one of the ice cream shops with a trendy name that currently escaped her. nala was walking along politely on her leash, though they were stopped a handful of times so that passers-by could pet her. all in all, she thought it had been a nice evening, and rosalind had a pleasant buzz from the two cocktails she’d consumed earlier. she was so lost in her own thoughts that she nearly missed seeing olivia in front of her. her lips curved upwards into a genuine smile. “hey, liv,” she greeted the other woman, tightening the amount of slack nala had on the leash. “yeah, it’s been great so far, but i think this is only the second time i’ve actually been to one of these.” one shoulder lifted up into a shrug. “what are you up to all alone? did dr. perfect leave you for the hospital or something?”

[rosalindevangeline]

ROSALIND MITCHELL

social media [ 1/? ]

[rosalindevangeline]

setting: january 29, downtown monleon; last fridays with: @nicjohnscn​

the sun was just beginning to go down as rosalind made her way down the street from where she’d had a drink with leon. with a leash in one hand and her phone in the other, she quickly typed an on my way before the iphone went back into her purse. the walk was quick, with the streets around her filling with people who were all quite excited for the monthly event.

rosalind met nicole at a bar with an outdoor patio, one they’d had drinks at before. the patio was dog-friendly, which rosalind appreciated, as she often took nala, her australian cattle dog, with her when she was out around town. “thank you for waiting,” she said with a smile as she sat down across from her friend, nala curling up on the pavement beside her. “i stopped in and had a drink with leon and lost track of time.” lips twitched at the corners. “but how was your day?”

[rosalindevangeline]

setting: january 29, downtown monleon; last fridays with: @leonarnaz​

in the six months she’d spent in monleon, rosalind mitchell had become acquainted with quite a few people. leon was one of the few she’d spent a significant amount of time with, though some of that could certainly be attributed to the lowkey atmosphere she craved — and had often found — while at his jazz club.

tonight she held her dog’s leash in one hand and a drink in the other, nala curled up on the patio outside. “i think this is only the second time i’ve actually come downtown for this,” she mused, lips quirked at the corners. “is there anything i absolutely shouldn’t miss?”

[rosalindevangeline]

setting: january 29, downtown monleon; last fridays with: @percivalwestons​

floridians might have called the air around them cool or chilly but to rosalind it was still incredibly warm, though it lacked the sticky humidity that she had become ( regretfully ) used to. even in a casual, sleeveless wrap dress that only hit her mid-thigh, rosalind would admit to being warm. her blonde hair was wrapped in a dutch braid around the crown of her head and a crossbody purse was slung around her slender frame, nala’s leash looped over her wrist as she licked an ice cream cone. “you know, the novelty of swimming in the ocean in january has its appeal, but i’m actually missing snow,” she mused, eyes flicking up to percival.

the blonde shook her head as she tightened her grip on nala’s leash, the australian cattle dog not nearly as pleased with her own treats as rosalind might have liked. “back home, we could see rainier from my parents’ house, all covered with snow. but the best part about it was going up there in person. you’d step out of the car and all you can smell is pine.”

[rosalindevangeline]

27!

What is a lesson that you’ve learned the hard way?

“that life truly is short and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. that you can’t always put off until tomorrow things that are important, or words that you need to say.” she pauses, moisture pricking behind her eyes. “sometimes people really don’t understand that another can be entirely pulled away from you in the span of a second. i know i didn’t until it happened.”

[rosalindevangeline]

seventeen , eighteen , nineteen. 🤍

What have you done well at recently?

“i’m currently getting out of bed every morning, walking my dog, and eating three meals a day. i’ve also gone out on a few dates with a pretty hot guy without scaring him off, so i’m going to call that a success right now.”

What are you looking forward to?

“to be honest with you, right now i’m kind of just living the day-to-day. i’m really used to snowy winters, so i’m looking forward to swimming in february and maybe going down to explore the everglades at some point in march. but that’s about it; i’m trying not to have too many long-term goals at the moment.” she shrugs, lips quirked.

What are your current strengths and opportunities?

“i like to think i’m pretty good at thinking on my feet, and i’m fairly tenacious when i want something. i’ve had quite a few work opportunities lately — i’ll be doing some consulting work for the fairmont starting next month.”

[rosalindevangeline]

ROSALIND || AIDAN

Mindful Muse Questions

On anon or not, send MINDFUL + a number for the muse to answer!

What’s the best thing that’s happened to you recently?

What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you recently?

What are you grateful for?

What are you proud of?

Who was the last person that you helped? How did you help them?

What’s your best childhood memory?

If you had the chance for a ‘do-over’ in life, what would you do differently?

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

If you could only keep five of your possessions, which would they be?

What was the last thing to make you smile?

What was the last show of kindness that you’ve seen?

What have you done recently that was creative?

What’s something that you know this year, that you didn’t know last year?

What kind of person are you?

Whom have you connected with recently?

How do you take care of your mind and body?

What have you done well at recently?

What are you looking forward to?

What are your current strengths and opportunities?

What would you do if you knew that you couldn’t fail?

When was the last time that you did something for the first time?

What or whom lights you up?

If you could be an animal, which would you choose and why?

Who are you when you’re at your best?

Do you like who you are right now?

When was the last time that you laughed?

What is a lesson that you’ve learned the hard way?

What do you really want from life?

How meaningful is your life?

Do you have a personal mission?

How would you describe the perfect day?

Whom do you look up to?

Do you believe in giving second chances?

What legacy do you want people to remember about you when you’re gone?

Whom do you currently feel closest to?