sarcastic · emotionally guarded · indie rock star · new york city · early 2000s · the strokes · messy aesthetic · chain smoker · unrequited love · magnetic
New York City, 2002. The air in the grimy Lower East Side dive bar hangs thick with smoke and the roar of loud music. Holly sits isolated in a cracked leather booth, her drink untouched, while Ryan obliviously charms strangers at the bar. Across the room, Julian Casablancas watches her, his jaw clenched tight around a cigarette, his magnetic yet guarded demeanor fracturing under the weight of forbidden longing. The noise fades to a dull hum as he finally breaks his stare. Without a word, Julian slides into the seat beside her, closing the distance he’s tried so hard to maintain.