#interactions ft. eli falvey

[katerinadelarosa]

closed starter for @elifalvey at the performance arts festival

With the evening starting to fall, some of the more adult shows were ramping up, the comedy routines starting on stage. Kat had just grabbed some extra snacks before looking to find a spot, finally seeing a good one right next to Eli. "Picked up an extra bag of popcorn if you want to share," she offered, plopping down into the seat next to him before holding it out his way. "You doing okay?" A loaded question, considering everything going on, but one that Kat was happy for Eli to answer evasively if he wasn't in the mood to talk about Asli and the pregnancy either.

[katerinadelarosa]

"Best of luck, my friend," Kat teased, laughing warmly as they bantered back and forth. She had a feeling Eli was doomed in that sense, too fully smitten with Asli to even consider not falling for the eyes. It was just what Kat would have wanted for her friend, though, so there was a twinkle of gratefulness in her eyes. "Oh, throw Atlas to the wolves all day. He'll survive. Probably." Giving Atlas shit, even if he wasn't there to hear it, was always a hobby of Kat's. Besides, she could absolutely picture him having to flee from the hordes of single PTA moms at the school, a sight she'd pay to see in person. "Hell, just trying at all is what matters. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Babies are easy. Feed them, water them, don't let them die," Kat listed off with a snort. "But, please, yes. I am absolutely interested in hearing your best dad joke. If I don't roll my eyes immediately you'll have some work to do still."

@elifalvey

"Well, that makes one of us. I'll catch up to you one day." Elijah had a pretty strong feeling that wasn't going to be the case, especially with the new addition to their home arriving in only a matter of weeks, but he'd continue to dream. Scoffing playfully, he narrowed his eyes. "They better not be. I mean — for Atlas' sake. 'Cause I'll definitely be using that man as my human shield if I've got to fend off the hoard, y'know? He's built for that." If he were going to be participating in the PTA at all, he'd definitely be begging to drag his friend with him; it was only fair. In actuality, though, he couldn't imagine it. Similarly to how he couldn't imagine being even remotely ready by the time his daughter was born. Time was ticking and it still felt like he was scrambling to get himself together, but it was reassuring to know that there were people around him who had some faith in him. "I hope so. I'm trying my best, even if Oliver's not the best to practice on," he admitted honestly with a smile, reaching over to grab another small handful of popcorn and mindlessly graze on it. "Hey, speaking of, you wanna hear my best dad joke? I've been practicing those too." ( @katerinadelarosa )

[katerinadelarosa]

closed starter for @elifalvey at the holiday marketplace

"Okay, I'm going to have to buy this," Kat mused with a bright laugh, grabbing a tiny, hand knitted baby hat that looked like reindeer antlers. It was the perfect size for Rhia and though Kat had already bought more gifts that was necessary for the girls, one more for the sake of comedy couldn't hurt. "What are the odds we can get Asli to wear a matching one?" Kat shifted over to where there were some larger versions of them hanging up, pulling one down with a cackle to show Eli as another option.

[katerinadelarosa]

location; holiday around the world showcase tagged; @elifalvey​

For Kat, the highlight of the holiday marketplace was always the chance to spend time around the world showcase. It was a sprinkle of culture into her life at Providence Peak in a time where her travels were put on a brief hold for the holidays. She’d been around to most of the booths already, but spotting a familiar face drew her out of her wandering to go check in with Eli. “Elijah Falvey, always a pleasure,” she greeted, sliding in next to him to offer a hug. “I was about to go pick up some things at the Dominican booth if you want to join me. I can never pass up a chance to get a little taste of home.” While Providence Peak was more home than anywhere, Kat’s second home had always been the Dominican Republic and the town her father had grown up in. Even just small reminders of the country like this brought a sense of warmth in an otherwise rather cold season.

[katerinadelarosa]

location; spooktacular soiree tagged; @elifalvey​

Though her own costumes were not often the most creative, Kat loved to see what other people came up with for their Halloween attire. There was a solid mix of silly and sexy throughout the soiree and she’d been chatting up quite a few people throughout the night. Eventually, her path led her towards the bar to grab a drink and, as an added bonus, a few moments of time with Eli. “Look at this guy coming in here with a full get-up,” she teased, nudging her shoulder over against him. Taking her drink in hand once it was made up, Kat took a long sip from it, shifting so she could chat with Eli for a bit. “You ever actually gone out and shot a bow before?”

[katerinadelarosa]

"Never. I've long since gotten past falling for the eyes," Kat chuckled back. After being friends for as long as they had been, Kat had no problem with telling Asli no, even if she did bring out the eyes and stubbornness to try and convince her otherwise. Kat was going to do what she wanted regardless, especially if she thought it was better in the end. Grinning stupidly at the talk of the PTA, Kat waggled her brows in response. "Oh, they'll be all over you day one. Those ladies can be vicious, so you better watch out," she teased. Kat didn't have any association with the PTA herself, but she heard all the updates from her mother, who somehow found herself in the know with any drama that went on around town. Snorting as Eli showed off his battle wounds from all his preparation, Kat could only shake her head with amusement. "Really putting your body on the line to get ready for this. Definitely dad behavior. You're going to be so ready by the time she gets here," Kat assured him. If he was already putting in the work to figure out what to do, she had no doubt that when the time came he would be ready for it all. Half the preparation would probably be thrown out the window, as was usually the case when a child arrives, but the effort showed he was ready to work to be good at it.

@elifalvey

Elijah resisted the urge to lovingly roll his eyes as Kat revealed Aslihan had fought her on it, just like he had assumed. "Good on you, don't let her cute doe-eyed face get away with changing your mind," he laughed, mainly to himself. His girlfriend's stubbornness was one of the many things he adored about her, but he was notoriously horrible at putting his foot down. With this pregnancy — with actual risk — he'd been better at not caving at her every request (which usually consisted of working, or lifting heavy objects, or otherwise doing things she definitely shouldn't be), but it was still difficult from time to time. She needed people like Kat who were going to do what they wanted anyway, to remind her that she didn't have to be alone. "Damn right they better be. It's not every day a new hot dad enters the PTA of Providence Peak, y'know." He shook his head, although he couldn't deny the whimsical feeling in his chest that appeared at the thought of all of this, even if they were only talking in jest. "Thanks, though! I'm excited to be dadding it up. I've actually started practicing on the cats, putting them in the little chest carrier and shit, which is how I got these—" he twisted his forearms to reveal a plethora of tiny claw scratches littered on his skin, only a few bandaids where Alex had decided to place them, "—but it's totally worth it. I'm starting to think I'm not gonna be half bad at this." ( @katerinadelarosa )

[katerinadelarosa]

Shoulders shimmying a bit, Kat feigned a bashful smile in response. "I do what I can," she smiled back, though she knew for a fact that it was true. There were a lot of traits about herself that she admired, but her loyalty to her friends was one that she was most proud of. "Oh, she was absolutely not about to let me do it, but as stubborn as she may be, I'm still postponing it all." Kat wouldn't miss being there for Aslihan through all of this for anything. Her job could wait until they were in the clear and were sure things were okay. Head tipping back, Kat made a dramatic show of fanning herself with her hand, letting out a loud whistle. "Whew, between the two of you in town, the ladies won't know what to do. PTA better be ready," she teased, glad for the momentary levity in the conversation. "I'm excited to see you out there dading it up. Little baby carrier strapped to your chest, diaper bag on the ready."

@elifalvey

Despite his attempt to put on a brave front, it was easy to read between the lines and see just how scared shitless he was about everything. However, as morbid as it sounded, knowing that Katerina felt similarly brought him a small sense of relief. It meant that he wasn't alone — that Aslihan wasn't alone, and above all that was what really mattered to him. They were both extremely lucky that she has such an extensive support system; he was grateful for it. "You're a good friend, Kat," he said kindly, nudging her shoulder as he cracked a smile. "Do I even wanna know how badly she fought you? When she learned you postponed your trips, I mean. I love her to death, but I'll be damned if I ever meet a woman more stubborn than her in my lifetime." In an attempt to keep the air light, to not dwell too much on what neither of them could change, he appreciated Kat's willingness to joke with him. He found himself laughing. "Oh, yeah, totally — I've got my seat picked out right next to Atlas, been brushing up on the 'Hot Dad Handbook'. A month couldn't fly by sooner, let me tell you." ( @katerinadelarosa )

[katerinadelarosa]

"You and me both," she said, laughing in agreement. If there was anything Kat couldn't resist, it was an offer of food and snacks, her own hand already dipping into the popcorn bag to grab another handful as she scooted in next to Eli. Her head bobbed once in response, knowing exactly how he felt. Given the circumstances and how little there was anyone could do, it was all a matter of just hanging in there and doing their best to be as okay as possible. "That's the best thing you can do, honestly," Kat agreed, biting at her lip once the popcorn was swallowed. "I'm...nervous, but like you, trying not to focus on it. Staying busy with whatever I can here. Postponed any trips until things are settled." Zipping away on a flight to drown herself in work would have been the easier way to handle things, but Kat wasn't about to fly out and leave when there was even a remote chance that something could happen with Asli. "All the scary shit aside, though, are you totally hype to join the hot dads club?"

@elifalvey

Elijah's eyes widened in interest as Kat appeared beside him and plopped down, offering the extra bag of popcorn in his direction. He scooched over to make some more room for her and graciously accepted, sticking a hand in the bag to grab a small amount for himself. "That's not even a question. Food's the way to my heart, De La Rosa," he laughed, chucking it into his mouth before he stopped at her question — without even really meaning to, his expression fell just slightly. Even though there wasn't any specification, he knew what she meant; it was a hard question to answer, that much was obvious. But he found no point in skirting around the truth, at least to the people he cared about. "I . . . think so," he answered, although he sounded unsure. "About as okay as I can be, I suppose. I'm trying not to focus too much on it, y'know? Just making sure she's taken care of." He swallowed. "What about you? You alright?" ( @katerinadelarosa )

[katerinadelarosa]

"See, here me out. Plenty of hats, don't doubt that, but the matching can't be beat. Plus, it's the holidays, you can't have enough holiday hats," she grinned, happily grabbing one to purchase, along with the larger one to be shoved on Asli's head at a later date for a future photo shoot. "It totally is cute. Mildly dorky and totally embarrassing for Rhia in the future, but that's fine. She'll get over it someday that her mother is a total dweeb." Kat pulled the cash out of her wallet to pay, tucking the hats nicely into her bag to gift wrap at some point in the next few days. "Have you guys figured out holiday plans for everything?"

@elifalvey

When Elijah always said that Rhia and Alex were going to be spoiled rotten this holiday season, he felt a little more vindicated in believing so with scenarios such as these, where Kat was pulling out a festive hat that the baby definitely didn't need but was going to end up owning anyway. It was sweet, how much their friends cared, and while he pretended to complain about the mountain of presents they'd receive, he secretly loved it. "You know, I was going to argue with you . . . Rhia's got enough hats to put on the heads of like, every baby in this town. But you know what? The matching's fucking adorable," he commented, eyes shifting between the two sizes. "I reckon it won't take much, to be honest. You can just tell her it's for a picture and she'll probably end up thinking its cute and won't want to take it off either."

( @katerinadelarosa )