#interactions ft. rachel hargrove

[katerinadelarosa]

closed starter for @rachelhargrove at rachel's birthday bash

It didn't matter what the event was, if Kat was asked to show up in some level of costume attire, she was going to go all in. With the theme that of a funeral, Kat had gone with the most dramatic Victorian era widow outfit she could find. With the veil over her face and the folds hiding most of her form, Kat could very well have gone unrecognized through the event. At least, if not for her generally boisterous personality bringing attention her way regardless. "You know, as morbid as this all is, I've really found my calling as a grieving widow," she teased as she came up around towards Rachel, arms held open for a hug.

[leilabarak]

"I live in like a really tiny apartment, so thankfully nothing in there is too high up anyway. Not room for it." It was one of the few good things about the apartment she'd been living in since she'd moved to Providence. The place was a bit of a dump, but Leila had just never found it in her to pack up and move, finding her time was better spent doing just about anything else. "I do love a stepladder, though." Those were something Leila had all over the place at her workshop, not ever quite tall enough to find things on tops of shelves or reach some of the taller projects that she had going on. "Oh, man. Selvi is like...well, she's really tiny. Not very old at all," Leila confirmed with a nod. Probably she should know the exact age of her niece, but time rather seemed to fly sometimes. Much like most of the important things in Leila's life, the details were somewhere else entirely, her brain having pushed it away to make room for other projects and work related things. Her hands moved to show an approximate size of the baby, figuring that would be enough of an idea to get the point across. "Like, baby little."

@rachelhargrove

"It really does suck! But I never put anything too high up for that reason. Unless like I know it's not something I'm going to use often. But that's when I have to either use a stepladder or climb up onto the counters." Rachel admitted with a small laugh considering that was just the way it had to be for her and also Leila. There were times she'd ask a friend to come grocery shopping to her or had to ask a stranger or grocery store worker to reach the top shelf. But for the most part it didn't really phase her and she was just as okay with that as Leila seemed to be too. "Aw how old is your niece?!" Rachel asked excitedly, knowing that this wasn't necessarily the topic of conversation people had in mind for this type of party, but then again, what was one supposed to talk about these type of events. Was there ever really a theme to conversations at events? That seemed like it could be rather restrictive the more that Rachel thought about it.

@leilabarak

[tysingh]

location; sunrise yoga tagged; @rachelhargrove​

Recovery was such an important part of Ty’s training and when she’d seen a morning yoga class as part of the schedule for the spring festival she’d put it on her calendar to attend. What she hadn’t paid attention to was the fact that there would be a gaggle of goats involved. Tyler was already on the ground with her mat, set up to start practice when the goats came hurdling out. “What the fuck is this?” Tyler grumbled out, her head swiveling towards the woman that was next to her. “This is the yoga thing, right?” Her eyes narrowed as she gazed over towards the now bleating goats, any sense of inner peace she’d planned on achieving now gone.

[devhawthcrne]

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, 2021 —  at expresso yourself with @rachelhargrove​.

“— the line was pretty long when I got here, so I grabbed you something, too.” Dev pushed the simple coffee and plated croissant across the table, leaving it to rest before the vacant seat meant for Rachel. This was new for them, meeting up outside of the dark park, but someone once told him it might’ve been a good thing to stop packing pieces of his life into box after disconnected box. 

Someone being Rachel, herself. 

They’d exchanged numbers that night at the bonfire, vowing to ‘broaden their horizons’ but it wasn’t until earlier that day that he finally placed the call. “I’m glad you had time to meet up. I know it was a little last minute.” The urge to get out of the house, to not be so damn alone, struck and Dev just ran with it. “How’ve you been?” 

[katerinadelarosa]

closed starter for @rachelhargrove at kat's house

With all of Kat's recent travel, she'd been hard pressed to find much time to sit down and focus on anything else. As soon as she'd gotten back and settled finally, one of the first people she'd reached out to was Rachel. It had been awhile since she'd caught up with the other woman and with a few weeks uninterrupted in town Kat wanted to get a head start on catching back up with everyone in her life. Lunch had been just finished cooking when Rachel arrived and Kat had set everything out on the back deck for them. "Can I grab you anything to drink? Water, wine, mixed drinks, you name it, I've probably got it," Kat offered as she started pouring herself a glass of wine at the outdoor bar.

[katerinadelarosa]

closed starter for @rachelhargrove at claret public library

One aspect of Kat's job that was a never-ending pursuit was the research it took to track down and triangulate where in the world many of the lost treasures may be. Even if she now had a whole team of researchers behind her, Kat was still the first to throw herself into old books and texts trying to find any clues that they could work off of. As someone who had barely found herself finishing high school and never going to college, research wasn't something that came easily for her. With a frustrated groan, Kat was wandering down the aisle at the library, trying to hunt down the book she'd gotten the title of. Rounding the corner with a groan of annoyance, Kat found her short frame marching right into someone. "Fuck, sorry," she cringed, brightening when she saw it was Rachel. "Hey, Rach." A wide smile stretched across her features as she leaned over against the shelf next to her. "Any chance you'd love to help your favorite person find this book?"

[katerinadelarosa]

There was a lot, it seemed, to think about when it came to putting together a book. While Kat would have loved if it was as simple as telling her story and seeing it in print the next day, she had a feeling it could be years of work before anything solid came to fruition. "Probably not much that would be off limits. Most of my life has been on camera, so there's not a lot to hide," Kat shrugged, pretty willing to be open about anything Rachel wanted to touch on and whatever direction she wanted to go. "What's the most hard hitting question you've got for me? Something you've been dying to ask but never have?"

Rachel laughed as Kat took the opportunity to add in yet another compliment. She couldn't quite relate to the reference of tutors though, because though she'd been in study groups she was never tutored one on one. "I cannot relate but I believe that you're not alone." She grinned before getting back to the main topic. "Well, we can talk about what's on and off limits, write up a contract. Protect your intellectual property and so on." Rachel didn't want to get started and then realize halfway through that there were certain things that Katerina didn't want included in. It was best if there was a mutual agreement and understanding of what was going to be in there.

[katerinadelarosa]

location; some sports bar  tagged; @rachelhargrove​

With a bit of extra time with her evening, Kat had made plans to meet up with Rachel for drinks to catch up. It had been a stretch of time since they’d last hung out and Kat knew she was dealing with a lot, so she hoped a night out to just relax would help. Since it was an off night for the hockey playoffs, Kat had picked one of the nearby sports bars, hoping it would be a quiet enough, but still lively crowd for them. Walking inside, Kat glanced up towards the televisions briefly, cringing when she saw her own face up on the screen. “I swear I didn’t ask you here just because they put my face on TV when there’s no sports,” she joked as she turned towards Rachel for a beat, picking a seat a good distance away from where her show was currently playing. “I considered that there would be less people without hockey, but definitely didn’t consider that no hockey meant them having to find something else to watch.” 

[katerinadelarosa]

location; kat’s house tagged; @rachelhargrove​

When the weather started to shift and the holidays began Kat’s home was a revolving door of people coming in and out. Any time she was in town the back door was open, a bonfire was roaring, and there was a pot of whatever food she’d made out and ready for anyone that came through. Some nights people came, other nights she just sat out by the water and watched the stars herself. That night had been a relatively slow one, but still a fun one and after a rousing game of horseshoes with some of the neighbors Kat found herself sitting by the fire just herself and Rachel. “Can I grab you any more food? Maybe pop open some wine now that the kids are gone?” she offered, looking over with a lifted brow and a grin. 

[katerinadelarosa]

location; bonfire bash event tagged; @rachelhargrove​

There would never be a time in life that Kat would turn down a chance to do something physical and competitive, so she of course had been a part of the big paintball tournament. Her clothes were covered in paint by the end of it all, having goofed around with a group of friends afterwards shooting paint at each other for awhile before eventually drifting back to the bonfire. With a drink in hand, Kat was weaving her way around through the crowds before finding herself a spot to sit. She didn’t recognize Rachel at first when she took her seat, but as she turned to greet the woman next to her, Kat’s eyes widened momentarily before her head fell to her chest. “Hi! I uh...hey. Can’t say I expected to see you out here in little old Providence Peak. Big jump from Boston,” Kat greeted. “Enjoying the night so far?”

[katerinadelarosa]

"Excuse you. This is an artistic interpretation of a tree, obviously. Just a plain tree would have been too basic," Kat scoffed, protesting with a laugh as if there were even the smallest of chances that were true. "Oh, definitely. Major artistic differences. He was all about the details and I was...you know. There because I had to be." Were it up to Kat she'd have spent every last period of her day out in gym class, which had always been much more her style than anything requiring an artistic flair. "Do you ever do stuff like this? Big painter in your spare time?" Kat asked. She knew that Rachel had her version of art with her writing, but she could definitely see her friend taking part in other artistic endeavors too. "Oh, I don't care if you do. There's got to be something in there to remind everyone that I'm just as human as the rest of you."

@rachelhargrove

"I did not! I chose to write about you because you're forever adventuring and making life fun! Even if you may not know how to paint a tree." Rachel tried to suppress the laugh at the thought of failing art in first grade. "Okay well that just was rude of the teacher. Like really, come on now. I would say that you just had...artistic differences." She let the lame joke leave her lips with a giggle as she definitely felt better about her own painting. Not that she would let Kat know that she agreed, she certainly wasn't trying to make her feel bad. "Well it's really in the eye of the beholder." Rachel said instead with a reassuring grin, never having thought to be competitive with Kat before since they excelled at different things. "I promise I won't put this in the book though."

@katerinadelarosa

[devhawthcrne]

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2021 —   at the end of summer bash with @rachelhargrove​.

The number of times Evren willingly subjected himself to human interaction these days were truly few and few between. A weekly trip to the dog park with Kevin, his Jack Russel terrier, barely counted, but apparently a trip up the mountain did. 

Ev was just situating himself near the fire with a beer when, to the side, a familiar face caught his eye. 

They’d only spoken a handful here and there. Mostly when Kev, persistent demon that he was, demanded attention from her dachshund. Still, it was enough to rouse a smile from his lips. “No sidekick tonight?” Walter, he thought her dog’s name was. “Probably for the best.” Kev, for one, would be halfway into the blaze by now, intent on stealing the biggest ‘stick’ for himself - flames be damned.

[leilabarak]

Leila couldn't even remember the last year that she'd managed to grow at all. She didn't much mind being as short as she was, even if at times it was thoroughly frustrating when she couldn't reach things. "I don't think there was ever a chance I'd get a growth spurt, but it's okay. It's not so bad being down here. Unless I need something off the top shelf or something, that totally sucks." That was, she supposed, why they made ladders for the house. There were at least a few steps stools all around Leila's workshop, one in her apartment, and one in her car just in case. "Oh, man. It'll probably only be a few years before my niece is taller than I am. She's already growing so quick, it's crazy." It was wild to think that Selvi would someday be shooting up past her, though Leila knew it would come eventually.

@rachelhargrove

Rachel always appreciated meeting people who were also height challenged, because there were plenty of shared experiences in being shorter than others. "Oh yeah, I think for me I was twelve or thirteen. The doctor was like well you may have another growth spurt when you're twenty. That came and went with nothing to show for it." She chuckled as she remembered being in her early teens and still hoping upon hopes that she might grow a few more inches. Now it wasn't something she really felt so bad about, though found it a bit weird when others pointed it out to her as if she didn't already know. "You're so right! Our center of gravity just never went pass that. Gosh that makes it sound a lot sadder to me than it should. My godchildren are already taller than me now though so I definitely feel like I've gotten a reality check. But I'm glad you understand, Leila."

@leilabarak

[leilabarak]

Being tiny had just always been a part of who Leila was and it had never particularly bothered her before. She was constantly having to look up at people around her, but otherwise it suited her just fine. It made it easier to work on things and get into tight spaces on projects that required a nimble touch, so she'd never complained about it. "Jury is still out on whether I've matured past the age of twelve," she joked back. Her eating habits and general interests sometimes brought that into question. Rachel's understanding of just how difficult it could be sometimes not to be clumsy brought an eager nod out of Leila, glad that she wasn't the only one. "See, I think it's the total opposite. The closer to the ground, the easier it is to get there. Or something. Like, kids trip and fall all the time and they're little, so...somehow it makes sense."

@rachelhargrove

Leila's comment brought both a bit of shock and a genuine smile to her face as she felt quite honored to be told that. Rachel appreciated the sentiment even though the other woman didn't know her very well. "Thank you so much, that's so sweet." She shared with a small grin before the other woman shared that she was only 5'0 and she looked her over. "Oh my gosh, this is a very rare occasion for me to be taller than someone who is over the age of twelve." Rachel confessed as she was going to take this moment for a little victory even if it was only two inches. A laugh left her own lips though at Leila's commentary. "See so do I! People always like try to make the argument that I'm closer to the ground so I shouldn't be this clumsy and yet I somehow make it very much possible."

@leilabarak

[leilabarak]

"You deserve better than a lame pickup line anyway," Leila hummed back with a soft laugh. Frankly, anyone did. Though, given the fact that Leila was usually pretty oblivious to anyone trying to flirt with her, the direct bad pickup lines might work better on her than anything else. The heart costume had definitely been a surprise to see, but a humorous one on the evening. While most people had dressed up more to look hot, Leila could appreciate the humor in the much goofier costume. Admittedly, it was far more up her alley anyway. "That's a whole two inches taller than me," Leila grinned, glad she was wearing a bit of a heel that night to at least give her a chance at seeming taller than she was. Leila had always been short, never managing to get herself past the five foot mark, but she'd always found that it suited her. "Oh, I get that. My coordination is like basically nonexistent sometimes. I get hurt kind of a lot." Usually of her own doing, being too excited and caught up in her work to slow down long enough to be careful.

@rachelhargrove

Rachel felt like it wasn't all that shocking to her. There was only one time in recent times that someone had been flirtatious with her, so it really wasn't like she expected it really. "Yeah? I can't say that I am disappointed if I'm being honest." She shared with a small snicker as she thought about having to react and hating the thought of it unless they were saying it in a silly way to know that they were both in on the joke. "It sounds like the wildest one for sure! I don't think I would know what to do with that information with my sight!" Rachel exclaimed to Leila with a laugh as she felt like it was probably hard to process that what she was seeing was for real. "Oh hey, you're speaking to a 5'2" woman, trust me I know how it goes. And you're so fair for thinking in those terms because so do I. My coordination is getting better but I wouldn't say it's like par."

@leilabarak

[leilabarak]

"No one, really? That's actually kind of shocking," Leila laughed, now curious to see if she could go out and find someone that would be the first person to walk up and use the line on Rachel that evening. Surely there had to be at least one person out there that was either lame enough to do it or just drunk enough to think it was smooth. "I'm almost disappointed that no one's tried it." At least it probably meant that anyone flirting with Rachel that night had done a better job than the terrible pickup line, which was well deserved. Snorting a bit, Leila nodded, surprised that Rachel had missed seeing the stranger dressed as a heart. It was a big costume, though it had been awhile since she'd seen them and they very well may have left the building by that point. "Totally the wildest costume of the night. But ah, kind of normal for me. I'm a little short, so people sometimes just miss me. It's okay, though. No major injuries today, so overall, big win."

@rachelhargrove

Rachel laughed at Leila's visceral reaction to the words, glad that she felt the same about it. It definitely would've merited an eye roll from if it was used on her. "Oh thank you!" She knew that she'd already been complimented by Leila, but she hadn't been expecting another one. "No one has, thankfully. Because I probably would be too nice and just give like a pity laugh and nod." There were a lot of people here who already were coupled up it would seem, and to be fair it wasn't like she'd put herself out there. Rachel had realized awhile ago, on the scale of hermit to overly flirtatious, she was closer to hermit status. She was good at banter when given the opening, but she was bad about going out. Her mouth opened, but no words came out when Leila shared that there was someone here dressed as a anatomical heart. "How did I miss that?! Not the aorta! Gosh poor thing. You're just getting all types of near accidents tonight."

@leilabarak