rachel hargrove

39 y/o journalist, Summit Lake, Boston native (RP blog)

[rachelhargrovearchived]

I’m a damsel, I’m in distress, I can handle this.

Basics

FULL NAME: Rachel Francesca Hargrove

NICKNAME(S): Rach, Rachy-Roo 

D.O.B / AGE: October 23, 1984 / 39

GENDER: Cis-female 

PRONOUNS: she/her 

SEXUALITY: Bisexual 

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Biromantic 

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Divorced 

HOMETOWN: Boston, MA 

OCCUPATION: Freelance Journalist & Author

NEIGHBORHOOD: Summit Lake 

PETS: dog- Dachsund; Walter (named after Walter Cronkite) 

Personality 

LIKES: books, coffee, travel, music, learning, family/friends, news

DISLIKES: disappointing others, pretentious people, know-it-alls 

POSITIVE TRAITS: smart, kind, gregarious, social, brave 

NEGATIVE TRAITS: selfless/self-sabotaging, quick temper, overthinker, martyr-complex

TW: infertility, depression, cancer

Rachel Hargrove was a city kid through and through. She was born and raised in Boston and was independent from an early age. Her parents were both world renowned surgeons working at Massachusetts General Hospital, so she did have a privileged lifestyle even if it could be a lonely childhood at times. She had her curiosity though, always asking questions that didn’t come with easy answers. A tradition she always loved was watching the nightly news. She wanted to know what was going on in the world. The love of informing others made her realize just how much she wanted to become a journalist. She wrote for her school newspapers, she got a job while she was still in high school for the town paper, she was committed to knowledge and spreading that to others. 

When it came to looking for colleges, her mother and father said they would spare no expense for her. And although she did love the schools in Boston, Rachel felt the need to go explore. So she applied to go to University of California-Berkeley for journalism. It was a dream school and she knew it could be a long shot, but she had good grades and an impressive amount of extracurriculars (newspaper, swim, volunteering, student government, etc.) She got in and moved out West, filled with a brand new excitement. She was in awe of the beauty California had to offer. She found herself becoming a more generous and open person too. Some of the walls she had put up were melting down. The want for knowledge was still there, but some of her competitive attitude made way for more vulnerability and empathy. The articles she wrote for the school went from being declarative pieces to op-eds that gained her employment in San Francisco.

She still found herself missing Boston a bit, the dream of working at the Boston Globe still in the back of her mind as she worked on fluff pieces at work. She at least had made friends though including her photographer that she worked with, Luke. She was 24 when she went to Luke’s birthday party and met Charlie. Rachel had never been one for dating in the past, but there was intriguing hard softness to the man that she fell for quickly. Their passion was overflowing and it made her realize just how much she saw a future that included him and a family with him and that dream became a reality when he asked her to marry him. A few years later, the second part of the dream came true when she got a call from a former college classmate that had been working at the Boston Globe for a few years said she would be perfect for the position opening up and had already recommended her for it.

Asking Charlie to move his life away from a place he had grown up and lived in all his life felt selfish, she tried convincing herself it was just for the job and telling him just how amazing the universities in Boston were as well. But, part of her knew that she also wanted to be closer to her family again, which looked more picture perfect than Charlie’s own family. When he agreed, she felt so grateful for his sacrifice. When they moved into their new home, they started trying for kids. It was amazing at first, the excitement of it all, until they both realized nothing was happening. It was time for a consultation. Rachel had endometriosis and the likelihood of her being able to not only become pregnant, but carry a child to full term was 0.1% She felt at fault, she wanted to give Charlie a family so badly, but she couldn’t and it made her feel like a disappointment as a wife. 

For a while after the news, she couldn’t tell if Charlie was upset with her or if she was putting this burden she felt on him. Rachel began working more, their routines conflicting, no more days of relaxing in bed all day or going on adventures to learn all they could, no more sitting in their favorite armchair together having silly arguments over specific books. Sometimes they wouldn’t even see each other unless it was bedtime. And when they did see each other their arguments were about not spending enough time together or small things that led to bigger things and she would feel as though she had taken Charlie’s life away from him and not been able to give him anything in return. The longer they stayed together, the more she hated herself for making him stay with her. She loved him so much, but what she couldn’t do was love herself. And instead of reaching out to him for help, she pushed him further and further away until she knew the right thing to do by loving him was to let him go. She asked for a divorce, and let him know he could have anything and everything, he deserved it for what she put him through. 

When all was said and done and Rachel moved out of their place to let him have it, the emptiness was all consuming. Her motivation to work and will to do much of anything was gone. It took her a few months to ask for help, but finally she started the process of finding a therapist, knowing it was time she needed to re-enter the real world. What she began to realize though as she found herself becoming more and more aware of how she was feeling was how much she still loved Charlie. He was everywhere she went, she began to realize she had made a colossal mistake. Instead of telling him she needed help, instead of fighting for them, she had failed him and herself. She had done wrong by him and she wanted to see if she could reconcile. But when she got to their old place, he was no longer there. So she called Luke, pleaded with him to tell her where Charlie had gone. He finally cracked. Providence Peak. 

Rachel quit her job and told her therapist she was going to fight like hell for a second chance. She packed up her belongings, which had shrunk quite a bit after the divorce, and asked her mom for a ride to the airport. Her mom kept asking on the drive if she was sure this was a good idea and how risky it could be and asked what if he said no or what if he had moved on and she was stuck living in the same place as him. Rachel just simply said, “I can’t let that stop me from doing this, because he deserves to be swept off his feet.” She got on the plane and promised herself that once she got to Providence Peak and settled into her house, the first thing she’d do is find Charlie.

When she did; everything had changed between them. The man she’d promised forever to had rightfully felt betrayed and there she was again upending a new life he had created for himself. He was trying to move on and even though Rachel felt as though he deserved to know what she was feeling it only confused things for Charlie even more. And as time went on she realized that letting him go was the best thing she could do to show him her love was still there. 

She really did intend to do her best at making a new life in Providence Peak, but life certainly threw her another curve ball and she learned she had stage 2 ovarian cancer. Telling her loved ones was rather difficult. There were very good chances she could come through with the surgery, but she hadn’t realized just how scared she was until Charlie found out and quickly filled the role of her doting husband. With a successful surgery, she was in remission and all throughout her recovery he stuck by her side. 

Things started progressing quickly, it was difficult to not feel pressure like this was the final chance at it. Rachel wanted to make sure they did talk about their problems so they started couples therapy. They were trying to reverse back into dating but it was hard to do when it quickly just went back to feeling like they were married again. As time went on, she started to let go of some of that pressure, but it seemed like for him they’d rushed into things too quickly again. In the end there’d been too much trust broken and although she always will love him, he was asking for them to both move on. 

And that’s what Rachel is trying to do. The more time she spent in Providence Peak, the more it started feeling like home. She has friends here now and things she enjoys doing, she has somehow become part of the community despite it all. This is her new home now and it’s a good life that she intends to live. It is filled with a sense of belonging that she is happy that she gets to live her next chapter of life here.

As time has marched on she has even found herself in a position to realize she could indeed love again, be with someone again, perhaps with a certain someone. It still feels too soon to see. But she also made a big decision to leave her job at The Peak Times and focus on something up until now had felt like a pipe dream. Rachel is ready to try her hand at writing books and her first one is the subject of her dear friend Katerina de la Rosa. She is equally nervous and excited as she continues freelance journalism, but everything is coming up Rachel in her point of view. She’s let the heartbreak be in the past now and she’s redefining her life just in time to finish off her 30s. 

[leonwozniak]

to: rachel im glad u liked the bagel to: rachel !

to: rachel might make this one a regular

@rachelhargrove

[rachelhargrovearchived]

rachel: liked it? i LOVED it rachel: would you considering naming it the rachel rachel: lol i promise i'm just kidding i really don't expect that at all @leonwozniak

[saulweissberg-archive]

“as long as you realize now how much you’ve hurt me.” saul sniffed pathetically, bringing a hand up to mime wiping away a tear. he wasn’t really offended, but he was also a natural social butterfly—despite his busy schedule, he’d always try to make time to see his friends. he broke the act with a smile, bumping his shoulder into hers. “you think so?” saul asked, moving his hand through his short hair. it had, at one time, been an insecurity, but now he was so used to it that he sort of forgot what it was like to have his hair be a different color. “i stopped dyeing it about… six or seven years ago? i just accepted my fate as a silver fox.” he waggled his brows playfully, though he did get a bit of a thrill whenever someone called him that. it wasn’t often anymore, and usually people said it in jest, but it was still nice to hear anyone allude to him still being attractive.

saul shrugged, giving her a sympathetic look. “well, most people haven’t had three divorces.” plus, he was a bit older than her, so he had more time in his life to recover from his many heartaches. “healing isn’t a race, anyway. take as much time as you want.” although saul had a past of being a serial monogamist—a true believer in get under someone to get over someone else—he knew that didn’t work for everyone. hell, it barely worked for himself, so he wasn’t in any place to give out advice on how to move on. at least, not personally; professionally, saul had all the advice in the world for his clients. 

he tossed a hand back onto his forehead like a southern belle. “i fear i’m wilting in this heat.” he said with a faux-southern accent, doing his best scarlet o’hara impression, but it wasn’t actually that hot out. that was one thing he did like about living in providence peak, it didn’t get really hot until july. he was a new englander, born and raised, so he could handle a snowy winter (though with plenty of bitching), but it was the heat that got to him. “okay, you’ve got a deal! i will bring my crossword puzzle book—it has garfield on it—and you can help me between… battings? bat… hitting?” he had no idea of the terminology, nor really anything about the game, since rachel informed him that he was cheering for the wrong team. saul deflated, dropping his hands into his lap with a small frown. “...oh.” oops! “hey, you want something from the concession stand? i’m getting thirsty.”

@rachelhargrove

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel giggled a bit at his teasing her with another fake display of sadness. "No seriously you look great, Saul! You have no reason to worry about it." She agreed as she felt herself smiling even more as she laughed at his waggling his brows at her. "Yeah, you look great, you need me to say it more often?" Rachel didn't mind helping to hype up his ego, not that she was so sure it needed hyping up.

She smiled at his wise words, it was sweet to hear him comfort her. He was right, healing was definitely not one line. It was sometimes swerving or going in circles or almost like a maze full of dead-ends. Rachel was glad to have the support system she did to help talk with when she was having hard times. "Yeah thanks! I definitely think I'm a little interested in getting back out there." There was a particular bagel shop owner's son that had her thinking that thought, but she felt it'd be good to just keep that to herself for now.

Her brows raised, letting her emotions show through them, that she was not budging from this overdramatic performance. "Being up to bat works." She let him know, but was already enjoying the image of her just asking him for the hints and seeing if she could help answer in the dugout. "Something from the concession stand sounds actually nice, thanks! Maybe some chili cheese fries and a water? Just remember to get extra napkins and a plastic fork!" She exclaimed in importance as she already knew how messy her request was.

@saulweissberg

[leonwozniak]

listening to her talk was easy, watching her, and the myriad of emotions changing her faces and made her eyes sparkle, even more so. “well, i taste to make sure it’s not shit,” shrugging, because the idea of eating bagels everyday was too reminiscent of his teenage years, “but other than that, not much.” there was no point in telling rachel that food had become synonymous with survival. apart from the occasional meal when visiting his parents, sustenance was mainly coffee and alcohol, a burger from the diner and not much else. she didn’t have to know he was pathetic. not yet, anyway.

“yea,” leon’s gaze softened as he looked at rachel, “you read my mind.” the man replied, as she offered a description of herself. leon wasn’t one to usually put himself out there, couldn’t quite understand why he did. asked her out. it wasn’t a proper date, leon knew that. he was so out of touch of the dating scene than just thinking about officially asking her on one was daunting. looking from the outside had always been his preferred way of going about the world; from the kitchen to behind a counter. always offering and never taking. taking risks, but calculated ones.

yet even calculated risks sometimes exacted a heavier toll than expected.

new customers were making their way to his stall, their boisterous laughter shattering the calm of the morning, bursting the cozy bubble that had enveloped them. leon cast a fleeting glance at them as they perused the opposite side of the stand before redirecting his attention to rachel. “i’m free most sundays,” his mother, a devout churchgoer, had long abandoned the notion of dragging her sole offspring to services, yet the tradition of closing shop on that particular day endured. “you can, uh. let me know if you want to go somewhere.” nervousness once again took hold of him, as leon suddenly felt less comfortable now that people were around to witness his sorry attempts at …what was this, flirting?

[rachelhargrovearchived]

She snickered at his honesty, enjoying the fact that he didn't shy away from his real thoughts. "I really can't find myself imagining you'd ever make anything shitty." Rachel shared with her own honesty. It was hard for her to think that he could make anything other than deliciousness. She almost asked him what else he liked to make besides bagels, not that she knew for sure that he liked making bagels to begin with. There was still plenty that she needed to learn about Leon.

Her smile brightened even more as Leon told her that she could fit the docket for a breakfast date. Or a breakfast hangout. She didn't want to assume he had interest in her. Should she ask one of her more knowledgeable in the dating scene friends on whether breakfast could count as a date? Rachel was excited though at the potential, it would be good for both of them hopefully.

Rachel was startled out of the moment by new people approaching his bagel stand. She noticed that something shifted a little as she nodded at his words. Unsure if he was trying to get her to leave now but smiled at the thought that he was still giving his availability to her. "Okay yeah, that'd be great, my Sundays are wide open so that's perfect! I'll let you know where we should go!" She replied because there was not an if in mind for her more so a when they would go somewhere. "Thanks again for the amazing bagels." She emphasized the word 'amazing' loudly and enthusiastically enough so that the new customers could hear it and gave him a wink before turning around.

A few moments later she sent a photo of her bagel sample platter and texted:

'My breakfast this morning- bagel samplings and a whole cinnamon roll bagel 10/10 because of how fucking amazing they are and how gorgeous the bagel man is ;) '

@leonwozniak

[thethaliaclark]

Yes I do." Even with what she considered to be the cutest dog in the world, Thalia wasn't the type to pull out her phone and show off pictures. In fact, most of the pictures of Chai that existed were on Kathleen's phone. "I rescued him a few months ago and he certainly has become accustomed to the pampered lifestyle." There was one day where she forgot to give him his afternoon treat and he let his frustrations be widely known. "If the spa day would benefit you, certainly choose that." She was thinking that if she actually won any of the items, she would likely just give thee to Kathleen. "I was debating on the dinner package for two however I am not sure I want to have a candlelight evening with my sister. And I doubt they allow dogs inside for non-support reasons." Leave the romantic meal for all the many couples in Providence Peak. "Which bottle did you decide on?"

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel felt like asking for pictures would not be advised for some reason. It wasn't that she was sure that Thalia would say no if she asked, but she could sense that she may not want to. "Oh wow, well that's really amazing! I rescued Walter a couple years back now. He was just a puppy, but he's got an old soul. And as he deserves to be pampered!" She exclaimed with a smile, unsure if the other woman would match her energy, but it was all good if she didn't. Rachel did think that the spa would certainly benefit her, but she didn't really know for sure if that was what she would go for because Rachel didn't always do things that would benefit her. She hoped that Thalia wouldn't find it rude when she laughed, but she couldn't help it at the thought of trying to go to a romantic dinner with her dog. "Yeah, no I'm definitely not putting in for the dinner, because I don't have anyone I'd honestly just give it to some friends or something which would defeat the purpose." Rachel shared before perking up a bit more at the mention of the wine. "I got a bottle of rose, it was really delicious, had like a bit of a cherry fruity undertone to it!"

@thethaliaclark

[leonwozniak]

it was, indeed, the longest they had ever conversed. not that leon was keeping track of the minutes; quite the opposite. rachel typically kept her visits to the shop brief, which was expected. their interactions were typically transactional. yet, there were days when he found himself wishing she'd linger a bit longer, simply going about her day while he listened. he wasn't the most talkative of men, far from it, but sometimes he entertained the thought of engaging in conversation with her.

the mere idea that she might be interested in such a thing with him… well, it was a bit embarrassing.

still, rachel did seem genuinely eager to engage with him, not just speak at him. this was evident when she thrust her phone into his hand, exchanging it for the bagel he had just handed her. "they better be truthful, i'll know if you bullshit me," he teased, narrowing his eyes playfully before glancing down at her phone. a few seconds later, he returned it to her, having sent a text to his own phone, the familiar ping confirming its receipt. "well," he mused, considering her question. "i'm not much of a breakfast person. i used to skip meals a lot, especially before work." years in the restaurant industry had taken a toll on his stomach, and it was extremely rare for him to consume anything other than ginger ale before 2 pm.

"even now, i rarely eat. i'm not too familiar with the breakfast scene around providence anymore." it wasn't entirely untrue, though it wasn't entirely accurate either. he was usually either up too late or already at work to entertain the idea of eating out in the mornings. "but, maybe with the right company…" he trailed off, suddenly uncertain of where his thoughts were leading, or if they were heading in the right direction at all. "…i might be able to answer that question."

[rachelhargrovearchived]

"I am no bullshitter, Leon. I take my journalistic integrity very seriously. I am always honest." She tried to keep her tone just as firm as if the thought of her not taking this new role she'd assigned herself in his life was of very high regard in its fairness. Rachel grinned though as he handed her back her phone, finding herself rather excited to send out her first text, drafting it her mind as they spoke. She wanted it to be cute and fun but also witty and smooth. But all brainstorms came to a halt when Leon admitted he was not a breakfast person. It was a beige flag, at best, but she was surprised to hear that from him. "You never took little samples of what you make? I feel like if I was more of a cook or baker I would have a hard time not doing that all the time." Rachel admitted with a soft laugh as she very much enjoyed food, which seemed quite the opposite of what Leon was telling her.

Nodding slowly, Rachel could not relate or comprehend, but felt the need to show him the way. And she was about to say as much she found her lips going from an almost concerned frown to a smile. "With the right company, huh? Well what are the requirements for your right company? Does a 5'2" Bostonian journalist turned struggling author with brunette hair and plenty of opinions fit the bill?" It could be that she was very much misreading where he was going and she was about to make a big ass of herself but she'd done it before and survived it, so she was willing to take her chances here.

@leonwozniak

[saulweissberg-archive]

“we could be used as light reflectors on an airport runway.” saul volleyed, gesturing towards his uncovered legs. when he put the shorts on that morning, he never thought they’d become the subject of conversation, nor his lack of tan. he knew rachel was just teasing, but still, he made a mental note to never wear shorts out in public again! he barked out a laugh at her insistence that she hadn’t received an escort before. he regarded her with narrowed eyes, but a smirk playing at his lips showed his amusement. “now, did you ask me to escort you to any other town event? no, i don’t think you have!” he pouted then to show his mock-offense. “i was forced to go to bake sales and fundraisers all by myself. i was lost without you, rachel!” in actuality, after his latest divorce left him without a steady date in thalia, he usually invited yasemin dogan to any galas or country club parties he was invited to. with yas dealing with her own heartbreak currently, maybe he needed to consider asking rachel to come along to his next event. “just text me and i’ll try to move things around.” he was a busy man, after all, there was a chance he would already be engaged any given night. for rachel, though, he’d try to make it work.

“oh, please. i wish i was still in my forties. my hair was still mostly brown and i was running wild around the city after my second divorce when i was your age.” he hadn’t met thalia until he was forty-five, but she was another reason why his forties were a remarkable decade for him. until their marriage started breaking apart, that is. “hm, right. i knew that.” he did know that it was for charity, but he wasn’t actually sure he knew what charity it was for. or how playing baseball related to raising funds for the mysterious charity, but he was happy to be involved anyway. “yeah, well, she’s certainly not my angriest ex-wife.” that title belonged to his son’s mother, katie, who still hated him nearly thirty years later. she had good reason to, but she knew how to hold a grudge better than anyone saul ever met. his former sister-in-law, kathleen, included. maybe he just needed to stay away from women who had names that began with kat in general. 

upon hearing the unfortunate news of how many innings there were in a baseball game, his head dramatically dropped forward, his chin nearly touching his chest. this was terrible! he wished he brought a book or something, but he was pretty sure the last time he read a book for fun was back during the clinton administration. saul picked his head back up when she explained the differences between the two sports. “if you say so, lady.” as much as he loved to argue, he didn’t have enough knowledge for a rebuttal. besides, he was the one that asked. and then a grin blossomed at the prospect of seeing her make a homerun. “name the time and the place, i’ll come watch. i will be bringing alcohol with me, though. or maybe a crossword puzzle. sorry. i just didn’t realize how long these games would be.” he couldn’t remember if his son, micah, ever played softball as a kid. if he had, saul probably promised to attend a game and then never did. ouch, he didn’t want to think about that right now. luckily for his random bouts of self-loathing, there was a cracking sound of a ball hitting a bat and saul turned his attention to the field. “oh! that was good for me, right?” he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “go team!”

@rachelhargrove

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel could not help the squawk of a laugh that left her lips when Saul compared the pair of them as light reflectors. "You did not just go there!" She knew he only meant it in a teasing way, but it was still rather hilarious, but she didn't mind and knew she'd get at least a little more sun now that it was out much more. Saul had a very convincing pout, but she was happy to return with a pout of her own, knowing she was just as good at it. She was sure that it would have been fun to go to other events with Saul, but she had figured he'd had a rather busy schedule so didn't want to hog all of his time. "I'm so very sorry, you're so right. How dare I not think about how cruel that was of me!" Rachel exclaimed teasingly, knowing what it was like to go to events alone and it was fine for her for the most part, though she did love company and at Saul's invite, she did think it would be nice to have him be a great date to be with, because similarly like when she'd had Eli as her designated date, she knew they'd have a great time and if either of them went home with someone other than each other it was not a whole dramatic thing. "I'll do my best to always keep you in mind then." Rachel shared with a soft grin, nudging her shoulder against his.

She raised her brows as Saul shared he wished he was her age now, laughing softly at the mention of his hair color. "Aw, I kinda like the gray look though. You wear it well." Rachel spoke honestly as she couldn't imagine him with brown hair since she had not met him until he already was a silver fox. "Damn, well guess me being out here still licking my wounds three almost four years after my first divorce really seems like child's play to you, huh?" She teased with a smirk, knowing it was absolutely not a competition nor did Rachel even know if she'd ever find someone who would even deem her worthy of love let alone marriage. Hearing that Thalia wasn't his angriest of ex-wives was at least a good thing? Rachel wasn't even sure as to what happened between he and his wives to lead to the various divorces to begin with, it didn't feel like something you just ask someone. Her ex-husband wasn't really an angry guy, but of course the reasons for when he was angry at least made sense to Rachel. He certainly had taken a few jabs at her near the end of their marriage and when she'd first gotten here, and even after their reconciliation turned into another break up there'd been some choice words. Not that she was wholly innocent either. But that was water pretty much under the bridge now.

"Oh boy, are you going to be able to make it?" Rachel snickered a bit at the dramatics of Saul's behavior, patting his shoulder in consolation for how much longer this game had the potential to be. Her brows raised as he told her he would come, but only if with a crossword and alcohol. "Okay, well the alcohol is very much expected but the crossword puzzle? You better come close to the dugout so I can help you when I'm not playing!" She grinned at the image of that, but she definitely was making a mental note to send over her schedule to Saul just in case he did decide to come even if it was too boring for him. Distracted momentarily by the game and the beautiful noise of a bat making contact with a ball, she turned to look at what team was at bat and giggled and shook her head but it was already too late because Saul was cheering. "No, Saul sweetie, that was the other team."

@saulweissberg

[domwoodweems]

Emilia Clarke

[heavenhillgirl]

Mr. Nobody (2009), dir  Jaco Van Dormael

[aartiyooncastillo-deactivated20]

"Sorry about that, I couldn't resist. Everyone keeps telling me not to sneak up on people. But do I listen? Nope. One of these days I'll get an elbow in the gut." Thankfully, she hadn't this far. To her credit, it wasn't as if she would do it with strangers. She wasn't an idiot… "I'm glad I ran into you tonight. It's been a while since we've caught up." She glanced around at the colorful lights and banners decorating the drive-in, taking in the festive atmosphere. "This spring extravaganza is quite the event, isn't it? I love how they've decked out the place." Her gaze returned to Rachel, her playful smile still tugging at her lips. "So, are you here with a hot date or flying solo tonight?" She asked, her eyebrows raised in a teasing manner.

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel let out another laugh as she felt her heart starting to slow down now as her brain was telling the rest of her body that she was not in any danger. "You're not wrong about that, today was almost your day for that to happen!" She admitted with another laugh, knowing she would have instantly felt bad after realizing that it was Aarti, but also could she blamed for her instincts? "I know! It has been forever, I have missed you. I hope you've been doing alright?" She said it both as a sentiment but as a question, because she hoped for that but also wanted to know. Watching the other woman for a moment she smiled widely, at least noticing she was doing alright now at least. "Yeah, it's one of my favorite times of year! It's a really perfect time and I love how they switch things up each year a tad to make it always fun!" Rachel shared as she moved up in line a bit, laughing nervously and giving a small shake of her head. "Nah, I'm not here with a hot date. I'm here by myself, I was going to take my godchildren but they have friends they're going with but I figured it would still be fun to come."

@aartiyooncastillo

[meicarrillo]

Mei glanced over at Rachel with a warm smile as they strolled through the bustling festival grounds. She admired Rachel's enthusiasm for the festivities; it was infectious, to say the least. "Yeah, it's been such a blast," Mei chimed in, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I agree, the spring festival always has this magical energy to it. And I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying yourself too!"

As they walked, Mei couldn't help but feel grateful for Rachel's presence. She appreciated how Rachel always seemed to radiate positivity and kindness. Mei turned her attention to the twins, making sure they were keeping up and staying hydrated in the midst of all the excitement. 'We've been good," Mei replied with a smile, glancing at the twins who were happily exploring their surroundings. "They've been having a blast, as you can see. And I've been keeping busy, but it's been nice to just relax and enjoy the festival today." She paused, reflecting on the past week. "It's always nice to take a break from the routine and just soak in the joy of the moment, you know?"

[rachelhargrovearchived]

"Yeah, what have you guys been doing this week besides this? Have you had time for much of things?" She knew Mei was an extremely busy woman as was her wife, so Rachel wasn't sure just how much the two had been able to do with their kids or if they'd been able to do much of anything. She felt pretty fortunate that she had the time, and though it'd been pretty much part of her job last year to partake in the festivities as a journalist at The Peak Times, she'd been glad to enjoy this year as just a fellow citizen.

Rachel was happy to hear that this was going to be a relaxing day in Mei's mind. She was wanting it to be that way for Mei especially since getting a day off seemed like a rarity. "Yeah I'm the same way, I like that they do this type of stuff since if they didn't I don't think I would seek it out as much in other places. Or rather I'd look at it, think about asking someone, and then have a hard time finding the energy to go." She shared with a snicker, though she used to be a lot better about getting out more, she had her periods of time as she'd grown older that it took more out of her to do things.

@meicarrillo

[thethaliaclark]

Thalia nodded and stepped in line. She was really just doing her best these days to be a figure in the community and not a Victorian ghost haunting a relatively modern town-home. "I suppose the spa package? I have already spoiled my dog to the point where I am embarrassed to say anything further." That was yet another benefit of her sweetheart dog. There was an automatic safe avenue for small talk. Everyone loved dogs. "What about yourself?" She asked. The other woman looked vaguely familiar but in a town that small, who didn't? Even in the city they would be running into people constantly. Thalia briefly considered taking her sunglasses off to try to make a better impression but it was just too bright. "I was very impressed with the free wine samples this week. I was doubtful without the price tag but I suppose it was a very wise business choice."

[rachelhargrovearchived]

"Oh you have a dog?! I do too, but I never feel like I can spoil him enough. He's too good for this world." Rachel shared with a smile, feeling like it was easy to find common ground when it came to pets. "The spa one does sound awfully tempting too though." She pondered if she should add that one to her list or not. Or would the woman take that as her being rude, certainly people didn't think about things that way, right? Rachel definitely wasn't doing it to spite Thalia though. "Well I definitely am putting in for the car, the pet store one, the ice cream shop one, and the safari adventure. But I am still contemplating on my last ticket." She admitted with a small laugh as she turned a little more so she could talk with Thalia. "Right?! Like you can't beat those types of deals. I think a lot of people will for sure being getting their wines for there. I know that I got a bottle when I was at their booth the other day!"

@thethaliaclark

[dominichuang]

dominic had no idea what his kids were going to choose but no matter what it was, he would accept it in order to make them happy. that was his goal, to make sure that his kids were both happy and healthy. maia, the oldest of his three, nodded her head. "yes! he sent the entire dinner doing it and the ride here." she confirmed and the older man let out a soft laugh, "look, it's my duty as a parent, is it not?" and it wasn't that he didn't think his kids could take care of it but it was just that he wanted to make sure that they knew that this pet was a permanent responsibility. "i wanna go!" oliver, his six year old, exclaimed. he took in a deep breath, "sounds like we'll probably be going once he get the lot of them a pet. who are you meeting up with? maybe i know them."

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel listened to Maia's exasperated comment, having a hard time not laughing too. "Ah so he's got you guys well prepared, huh?" She gave Dominic a small wink to let him know she understood the position he was in. Not that she could relate to it fully but still it was something she understood he was just trying to set expectations for his kids. "Oh yeah, for sure it's actually written in the parent handbook I've heard." She shared as she was glad that Dominic was the type of parent who didn't do the whole gifts for Christmas and ultimately realized that they couldn't handle having a dog. Rachel grinned when Oliver shared that he wanted them to go to the farm. "Well that's awesome! Hm maybe? Do you know Mei? We're in the same neighborhood and so I'm helping out since her wife isn't able to come along until later."

@dominichuang

[saulweissberg-archive]

“yeah, well, neither have i.” as vain as saul could be, a favorite client of safiye aksoy and a lover of designer clothing, his vanity stopped at tanning salons. he always thought he looked ruddy with a tan, anyway, not bronzed. “i guess we’ll have to suffer being pasty ghosts!” saul teased, though he thought they looked fine with their paleness. in fact, he thought rachel was beautiful. outside and inside. “can’t let a lady attend a town event without some sort of escort, could i?” saul returned her wink, knocking his knee against hers. truthfully, he would’ve gone to the game even if rachel hadn’t invited him, and not just due to the fact he had money in the game. saul had an incessant need to be part of things, to know what was happening in the world. he believed young people called it fomo: the fear of missing out. ever since childhood, he had been nosy. when his mother was talking in hushed tones on the phone, he would press his ear to the kitchen door and eavesdrop, having no context for the things she said but feeling a sense of accomplishment afterwards. it didn’t matter if he couldn’t understand what she was talking about, as long as he heard it. forty-something years later, he was still the same. rachel just gave him an added excuse to be there, but town functions were always a lot more fun with a friend. “existential things? good lord, girls, lighten up.” no fair! saul and phoebe didn’t often talk about existential things, they talked about what it was like for saul to watch the real world as it originally aired and what was life like before the internet. should he have been jealous or thankful?

“no, i’d prefer to live in denial of my aging body, thank you.” it was like he woke up one morning and his eyesight worsened in his sleep. he didn’t have to start wearing corrective lenses until he was thirty-four and he never thought to appreciate it before it disappeared. he laughed when she demonstrated her old-person-reading face. “see? you’re a natural! trust me, it happens before you know it.” blink and suddenly thirty years have passed. at least she could understand the pain of glasses and contacts, but it was better than not seeing at all. “we’ll see. it’s about sportsmanship or something anyway, right? or charity?” he had spent a pretty penny getting the college kid down to providence peak, and while he was naturally competitive, he did genuinely want to give back to the town. as much as he complained about providence peak and compared it endlessly to manhattan, it was his home. for now, at least. he had settled down roots, but part of him still longed for the big city. 

a soft smile flashed on his face. “thank you, rach.” sometimes he felt like an interloper; providence peak had been thalia’s hometown, but by all accounts, saul had made himself a prominent member of society and eclipsed her. he hadn’t done it on purpose, he was just a naturally extroverted man, and he called a lot of attention onto himself without trying. he was curious about what rachel had meant about her ex-husband, but from the grimace on her face, it was best to leave the topic alone. again, though, his incessant need to know things! “it’s her sister, kathleen, that’s trying to run me out of town. i don’t think thalia cares as much.” at the very least, it was kathleen that was most vocal about wanting him gone. maybe if he didn’t have a mortgage and an office building lease, he would’ve cut his losses last year, but again, those damn roots kept him in colorado. the news of the order of innings made him groan. “second inning? how many are there supposed to be?” was he going to have to spend all day out in the sun? he couldn’t do that… without any alcohol. did charity baseball concession stands carry wine? he’d settle for beer if he had to. “why didn’t you play today? is softball that different from baseball?” he had no idea. he had no reason to know before then. “i’ll have to come see you play sometime.” despite his current complaining, he’d go to support his friend.

@rachelhargrove

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Rachel let out a laugh as he admitted that he too had never stepped foot in a tanning salon. "Well then look at us porcelain dolls, just letting the world see us in our natural tones." It was a weird string of words that had just left her mouth, but she wasn't going to question it after she'd already let them out. She had a way of wanting to backtrack at times when she said something a little too silly, but with Saul she was comfortable enough to know he wasn't going to judge her too much for it. At his comment about not wanting to let a lady go alone to events she let out a small snort. "Oh really? Because I think I've gone to plenty of these all on my lonesome, where was my escort then, huh?!" Rachel teased as she had in actuality probably gone to a lot of the events with other friends if not with Saul and then when she had gone alone she'd always run into someone she knew. It was the nice thing about having moved to Providence Peak, familiarity between people was fare more of a likelihood. Rachel gave a shrug when he told her that they needed to lighten up. It was easy for Rachel to just talk about anything and everything, it used to be part of her job and so she had become rather good at it and so whenever there was a topic given to her she'd be happy to discuss it, with the exception of her realistic love life, and so talking to Phoebe about whether she felt like love was real was easy. But she didn't feel like she had to be apologetic about it either.

She let out a small scoff at his wanting to be in denial and gave a shake of her head. "Oh come on, I mean you're talking to someone who is turning forty this year, I too am aging Saul Weissberg. Gracefully, I will say, but still aging." Rachel at times feared what life looked like for her in the future, but also that didn't have so much to do with aging as it did with just uncertainty. She also knew how quick things could pass by though considering she had lived much of her life as well. Things blurred together over the years and it was sometimes hard to remember even when things happened. While Saul struggled to remember what the game about she had to laugh a bit. "It's most definitely about charity, Saul." She clarified for him as she wondered if he really needed the reminder.

Kathleen Clark was definitely a prominent figure in the Providence Peak citizenship. As the University president she definitely had more sway than most, but Rachel also knew that Saul was not someone who was so easily shaken by others. So it wasn't surprising that he wasn't going to budge either. "Well that's at least good that it's not really Thalia then?" She added the inflection, unsure if it really was good or not. It was very rare from her point of view to have an amicable divorce. It just felt like almost like an oxymoron at this point. Rachel looked at him, wincing as she had to break the bad news to him. "Usually seven or nine innings." She tilted her head from side to side as he asked how different softball was to baseball and also why hadn't she participated. "I didn't sign up in time unfortunately, but they are a bit different. Like softball has a bigger ball and you pitch differently and there are a few different rules, but also it depends on the league too. But you absolutely should come watch me attempt a homerun this year!"

@saulweissberg

[meicarrillo]

As Mei smiled warmly at Rachel's reassurances, she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. She knew she could always count on Rachel's unwavering support, especially in moments like these. Mei squeezed Rachel's hand gently, appreciating the comfort it brought her. "Thank you, Rachel," Mei said softly, her gaze shifting between her friend and the adorable twins. "I really appreciate your help. And yes, I brought water with me, don't worry. Let's make sure to keep hydrated, especially with this weather."

With a determined nod, Mei adjusted her pace slightly, mindful of her condition but eager to explore with her friends and the twins. She was grateful for Rachel's presence, knowing that together they could make this outing a memorable one for everyone involved. " Don't worry, right now I am fine. How has everything been with you? " Mei asked her friend while keeping her hand in Benny's so he wouldn't run off.

[rachelhargrovearchived]

She was aware that Mei was a grown woman who could very much take care of herself and was sure she'd brought water for the twins as well, but she just wanted to make sure that everyone was accounted for anyway. Rachel was glad that Mei was so appreciative even though she felt like this was just as much fun for her as it was helpful. Walking alongside them still, she smiled as she gave a shrug at how she'd been. "I've been doing good! Everything this past week has been so fun, I always forget and then remember with just how much I love the spring festival. It's always such a great time!" Rachel had done more in the week than she had probably since the last festival. She was definitely extroverted but the thing was that sometimes she just got so caught up in her work that spending time outside took the backburner. But at least with it being spring she was doing her softball again. "What about with you guys? Been doing alright?"

@meicarrillo

[henryxburnham]

― SETTING: frederick's farm, bighorn hills. ― AVAILABILITY: closed starter for rachel hargrove. ( @rachelhargrove )

"― I'm tellin' you, Rach, I've done so much research on how hot air balloons work that I think it's gotta be dumb luck that I'm not terrified of something going wrong when if I ever y'know, actually ride in one. Not that we have to go up in one― they're pretty just to watch but my point," Henry paused in their fairly emphatic rambling to smile crookedly at Rachel. "Is that we could if you wanted to and I wouldn't be even a little scared. Out loud, at least." They were perfectly content to stay firmly planted on the ground and admire the balloons from afar but if Rachel wanted to go then they'd go― and manage the Herculean effort of not wondering why they had such a difficult time saying no to the woman at their side. "Otherwise, maybe we can take a break for a bit? My prosthetic's pinching a little and I gotta catch my breath." They admitted, heat prickling along the back of their neck in spite of the fact that they knew they had no reason to be embarrassed. "How about lemonade and a break?"

[rachelhargrovearchived]

Once Mei's wife was able to come to the farm to spend time with the kids, Rachel felt like it was her duty to give them uninterrupted family time. But she had been super excited at seeing Henry even if now they were talking to her about hot air balloons and every part of her wanted to let them know how adorable they were but she could not handle the stress she felt about going on one. "No, no I'm good. I went up the last two years and well I think I'm willing to give others a turn. Unless you really feel like you want to try it out in which case, I can suck it up. Or perhaps not if you'd be internally freaking out the whole time, I know I probably would be too, so probably best we don't stress ourselves out." She said with a soft laugh, relieved that they were not entirely interested. She really enjoyed spending time with Henry, ever since she'd gotten to know them at a retreat that their publishers put on a few months ago. The bond was quick and easy and considering both of them could talk ad nauseam and still didn't find each other annoying, she was glad to be in his company. Rachel did think it would be hilarious if both of them were trying to suffer through a ride on the hot air balloon for one another. But it would probably much nicer to just watch and maybe that would help the feeling she felt for the second year in a row about the contraptions. Her eyes flicked up to theirs though when they admitted to feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Oh shit yeah! Let's sit down somewhere with lemonade. You need water at all too or something to eat?" She knew that they were a grown person and knew what their body needed, but Rachel couldn't help but fret a little just like she had been doing earlier with her pregnant friend. It was just something that she tended to do for the people she cared about.

[leonwozniak]

leon's eyebrows rose at her bill clinton impression, though he had the grace not to mention anything about it. after all, she did sound like she was just digging herself a hole continuously, and the nicest thing to do

(which leon could be sometimes, nice that is)

would be to let it go. the man couldn't promise he wouldn't keep that in his back pocket to tease her with later on, though. it was cute, though. the way her cheeks pinkened during this whole exchange; leon couldn't say he was better at this whole conversation much, though. so yeah, don't mention it, leon, don't be an asshole to the girl.

the way she was just talking, explaining everything she was doing, and being so serious picking up samples (and placing them strategically?) -- it was just bagels, not a chess game. or gold. or something that needed that much precision and delicate attention. he was about to answer her question when she continued, and he nodded. barely listened to her, to be fair. there was something about the light, coming through the trees, making everything green and soft and rachel's eyes were shining. leon didn't really have the heart to interrupt her. almost poetic, this whole scene, leon would have thought, if the man had been a bit more romantic.

i should ask for your number

now that absolutely threw leon off his kilter. because he wasn't used to being asked for his number, especially not from the ladies. or not from ladies looking like rachel. bright and full of this joie de vivre shit. she didn't give him much time to reflect on the fact that she did ask him for his number because she went on her speech about reviewing food and leon settled a little. "i wouldn't mind," he started, but she was already moving on trying the cinnamon bagel so he couldn't continue his sentence. which would have sounded like 'wouldn't mind you texting me, to be honest' but she saved him again from any embarrassment by focusing on the bagels.

the bagels, leon. just focus on the damned bagels!

"sure did," he leaned on the table, ego rightfully inflated by something he considered so simple. which was just using an easily made compound butter to mix with his cream cheese. "there's also nutmeg, just to elevate the taste a little." turning his attention back to his stand for a millisecond, leon grabbed one of those cinnamon bun bagels and placed it gently on rachel's plate, in between carefully curated bagel samples. "there, i made too much" that was a lie, he had exactly five of those and they were always selling fast, "you can have this one. as an advance payment for the reviews."

[rachelhargrovearchived]

After the few minutes of her rambling on endlessly, she was glad that she had not freaked him out. By the time she had realized what she'd done, Rachel felt like she had done herself a favor by not overthinking the statement. Asking for his number had been something she'd thought about doing, but never to irritate him with food ratings. But now he told her he wouldn't mind and she let out a soft laugh, because how could one not be annoyed by that? "You know that sounds like a challenge to me." She said with a little grin. Her hopes was not to be found obnoxious by him, so far she'd done an okay job of that, but that was probably because they talked for small spurts. In fact she was pretty sure that this was the longest they'd probably talked.

Watching his whole demeanor change after she complimented the bagel made her smile widen. The way he leaned forward a bit, she held her breath for a moment. It was like he was a whole different Leon. Rachel listened as he shared what he'd done to make it so delicious. "Nutmeg, ingenious!" She knew for a fact that now she was going a little overboard, but she couldn't help it when he was looking like that. Her brows furrowed though as he moved away for just a moment before coming back with a full bagel. "Really?! Oh wow. Well wait, advance payment...you still have to give me your number so I can give you those reviews." She pointed out with a grin, sliding her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it and handing it to Leon so he could put his contact information in. "You never did answer my question, by the way. Are you a sweet or savory breakfast person or both?"

@leonwozniak