﹙ ⠀ Rachel，k. ⠀ ﹚ ⠀ ＼ ⠀ Int. ⠀ * - Blog Posts

“so your therapist suggested violence and you’re okay with it?” rachel asks, frowning at the thought. “not that it’s bad- i mean it is- how could anyone agree to do this?” well, she did, but then again aivryn told her it was a surprise; rachel didn’t know they were going to be smashing stuffs in here, or else she would’ve said no. “when you told me we’re going to do something fun, this is not what i have in mind at all. this is crazy, aiv,” she tells her friend, reluctantly taking the protective gear from her. is it too late now to say no? rachel sighs in defeat as she puts on the safety goggles, gloves and helmet; just like aivryn did. “you wanna know what i’m thinking? i don’t think i can do this and i'm freaking out. it's not too late to cancel this thing, right? can’t we just do something else?"

status / open (@valpostart) location / destrozarlo mejor!

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡. ❝I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO TRY THIS! I CAME HERE LAST WEEK WITH MY THERAPIST, AND IT WAS SOOO FUN.❞ Aivryn bounced on the balls of her feet, eyes gleaming with excitement as she slipped on the coveralls provided by the Destrozarlo Mejor staff. ❝Honestly, this is one of the best things I've done in a while.❞

She wiggled her brows as she handed the other their protective gear. ❝I was thinking you might really enjoy it too. You know, just letting loose and smashing stuff. And I feel like you really need it.... No offense, of course.❞ Did Aiv think they look like they needed a release? Yes. Hence, why she took them to the rage room. She wore her safety goggles, gloves and helmet before moving to look at the array of hitting equipment laid out on a table. Aivryn pursed her lips as the thought about her weapon of choice for today. ❝Whatcha thinkin' of using, hm?❞

closed starter for abril, @citrine444

location: las villas doradas, quilpué

it’s not uncommon for rachel to share her baked goods with her neighbors; she often makes way too many for just one person to consume, but that just means she has an excuse to show up at someone’s door with some treats. this time she decides to drop by aivryn’s place, eyes focused on the box of cupcakes in her hands as she walks through the hallway. rachel looks up for a moment and almost trips over herself when she sees another familiar face ⸻ of course abril would be here too, she should’ve seen it coming and yet her presence still catches rachel off guard. “oh hey,” she says, forcing out a smile at abril. “are you here for aivryn?” then a nervous laugh. “i mean, right, sure you are. it’s her place after all. do you know if she’s home by any chance? i just made cupcakes and i thought she might love some.” she shows abril the box, only to realize that she should’ve brought some for abril too. “oh i- um, do you want some?”

she keeps her hands around the cup of tea, eyes focused on vanni as he speaks. his question doesn’t come off as a surprise, even more the remark that comes after; vanni’s right about it all. she’s not the type to get distracted often, especially not when she’s around vanni. “it’s nothing, really. i’m fine,” she tells him, nodding reassuringly. “just a little tired from work, is all. i’m still getting used to the night shifts and everything.” she lets out a chuckle, “it’s not that bad i promise!” well, at least she’s not falling asleep while listening to vanni; that would have been way worse. shaking the thought away, rachel leans closer to him, an excited grin on her face. “okay now back to you, vanni. what’s the important life update?”

vanni turns back around and settles back in his seat. he looks at her and is silent for a moment, and then two. his life update can wait, especially when it seems like there's something on rachel's mind that's making her struggle to stay focused. he didn't even think this was something that he'd ever say in his life. his image of rachel was always that she was smart, focused, and goal-oriented. to see her actually space out was something that was so alien to him. "it's okay," he accepts her apology and waves it off to grab his tea. "it's important, but it can wait. what's on your mind though? is something bothering you? i don't think i've ever seen you like this - respectfully. seems pretty bad if you're struggling to pay attention. see, usually you'd be the one telling me to pay attention."

“that’s right! you really shouldn’t miss breakfast. it’s the most important meal of the day,” rachel chirps, although she couldn’t say the same about the others. it’s easy to miss lunch or dinner when she gets too caught up with work sometimes, but she often makes it up with midnight snacks; that’s if she ever remembers to eat them. there is a bashful smile on her face when she heard rania, head shaking softly in response to her words. “oh come on, you said it just fine! at least you know what it means and how to use it. i gotta give you props for that,” she teases, listening attentively when rania talks about her kid. “thanks for the tip, mama. i think i’m good with french braids. might need to work on the fishtail and learn the others though.” it’s not like rachel is getting married nor getting kids anytime soon, but it’s nice to be prepared, right? a laugh escapes from her mouth. “sounds about right. anything else i need to know about having kids?”

"of course, have to be fueled up to take on the day." she takes a sip of her own coffee, grinning at the younger woman, "so good? wow. incredible, we're off to a great start." she reaches out and gives rachel's shoulder a friendly squeeze, "see? 'manifesting' sounds so much more normal coming out of your mouth." oh to be young and hip. rania agrees then, nodding, "you're right. self-care is important!" and something she neglects and is bad at, but that is not important right now, "mmm, i'm fine. sonia threw a fit over her hair this morning, but nothing a french braid couldn't fix." she snorts, teasing, "if you ever had kids? add different types of braiding to the list of things to know. a little french or fishtail can remedy almost anything. it's like me and a cup of coffee. healing, even."

although the night shifts at the hospital are getting easier to manage by now, rachel couldn’t deny that she still loses track of time now and then. having been a morning person for most of her life, she finds it weird to go bed at the time she usually wakes up and start her day when it’s already noon ⸻ it’s a routine that she’s slowly getting used to, and to avoid going out while she’s recovering from a night shift, she would usually opt to cook for lunch. rachel has always been the type to favor homemade food over anything else, but after staring at her almost empty fridge for a hot minute, she realizes that she might have forgotten to do grocery shopping that week. well, it’s not like it never happened before.

after much contemplation she decides to go out, thinks it would be a good idea to have a walk and eat outside for a change. rachel stops by plantas atlas on her way, something that she does out of habit since moving into the area. how could she not? it’s the only place she knows she could find felix, and despite her own stomach growling she couldn’t help but wonder if he has eaten, if he’s doing well at all. rachel doesn’t really expect he would emerge from the back door, just like the other times she’s come here, but there he is. she finally manages to catch felix at the right time and yet she freezes in her spot, unsure what to even say first.

“would you even pick up if i call first?” she asks, although she already knows that he wouldn’t. it’s why she chooses to linger around his plant shop instead; it would be harder to avoid her if they run into each other like this anyways. “i came here to see you,” she admits, tears welling up in her eyes. “i was just on my way to get lunch. have you eaten yet?“ 

( @detruines )

this is quickly becoming a habit; felix falling asleep at plantas atlas, whether it's over inventory or simply a bottle of something a little too strong for even his taste - his clothes rumpled from an unsteady sleep each morning as he tries to leave unnoticed, like some sort of late night call. it's not his fault that on most days - it's already dark by the time he gets out of the shop; it's not his fault that he's scared of - not the dark - but driving in it. it's one of those fears that grip him as hard as he grips the steering wheel, knuckles white with the anxiety. he probably couldn't drive, even if he wanted to; his body reacts too physically to the memories.

so he sleeps there, sometimes - so what? it's never been a problem before; nobody stops him out of concern, nobody checks his whereabouts. nobody disrupts his routine. but it's half - past noon, and he's slept in - and god, there's this crick in his neck that makes him feel like he's one second away from just being stuck at an angle, permanently; and he needs coffee. badly. so he slips out of the backroom, and out of plantas atlas - already open, already in full swing - in his wrinkly, day - before clothes with his head ducked down... and runs into no other than rachel. "oh - christ -" it's too late to turn back around; he's already lingering in the doorway for far too long than he personally likes. he hates people lingering in the doorways - it's either come in, or get out.

"- what are you doing here?" it comes out harsher than he expects it to - a combination of a bad night's sleep, and genuine surprise; caught off guard. "ever thought about fucking... calling first, sometime?"

the sudden nudge on her ankle makes rachel jump in her seat. if this was some other time she would have been upset that vanni almost gave her a heart attack (well, he still did though) on purpose, but once she manages to process what he just said, rachel shakes her head gently at him. “sorry about that,” she sighs. must be the lack of sleep i’m getting these days; somehow the words get stuck in her throat ⸻ it’s not her turn to tell him about her life updates yet, so she takes a small sip of her tea, hoping it would keep her stay focused this time. “what were you saying just now? i’m sorry i wasn’t listening- i mean, i did, but then i don't know what's gotten into me.” she offers him an apologetic smile. “can you tell me about it again? you said it’s an important life update.”

who: vanni && rachel ! [@detruines] where: little leaves

little leaves meant a lot to vanni for more reasons than them being blooms & coffee's competitor (if you see him sitting in little leaves, no you didn't). it was the place that vanni associated with being productive and work on whatever project he was working on and he had the person he was sitting across to thank that for. amongst all the places they had gone for him to be tutored, little leaves was his favorite. "¡che!" he nudges her ankle with his foot, a habit that he didn't seem to grow out of in all his years of knowing rachel. "the fuck are you looking at? you've been spacing out this whole time i've been trying to tell you about an important life update." he turns around in his seat and looks behind him to see if he can make out who or what rachel was looking at that was more important than him catching her up on his life.

“hey, good morning!” she greets rania back, mirroring the smile on her face as she takes the cup of coffee with both hands. “this is so sweet of you, rania. thank you so much.” rachel already had her daily dose of caffeine earlier, but she wouldn’t mind another one. “everything’s good, we’re doing so good.” for once she’s being honest, although it wouldn’t be wrong to see it as some sort of manifestation too. “i mean, manifesting is really just you believing in something hard enough it becomes real, and i do believe in your manifesting power! today’s going to be an easy day for sure,” she agrees, taking a small sip of her coffee. “yes and yes. can’t take good care of other people if you don’t take care of yourself first, right? what about you? everything’s good with you too, i hope?”

for @detruines where? the hospital!

"good morning!" rania chirps, handing the other a fresh cup of coffee and flashing her a smile, "how we doing? everything good? sleep deprivation hitting?" she takes a sip of her own coffee, humming, "today's going to be an easy day. i'm manifesting it. not that i believe in manifestation, but that's what all you young people say now, right? you're manifesting and the aura or whatever." she waves this off, "anyway, are you drinking enough water? did you eat breakfast this morning?"

there is no doubt that rachel is some sort of an all-rounder. academic wise, surely, but for something that requires physical movement like roller skating? it depends on a case-by-case basis. she finds it easy to understand the concept ⸻ she listens to the instructions well and imagines doing them in her head, and yet when it comes to moving her own body, well, it’s easier said than done. someone like sade probably wouldn’t get it - not that it’s her fault! - seeing how effortless she has been doing with those wheels on. to say she’s a tad bit envious would be an exaggeration, but man, rachel wished she could be that good.

she takes a deep breath when sade comes around her again, mentally preparing herself to go over this thing one more time. “really? you think so?” the reassuring words from sade doesn’t make her feel better, but she appreciates it anyways. “okay, bend my knees,” rachel repeats as she does it. “elbows out for balance. lift from my hips and push,” and again, she’s stuck. c'mon, just push forward, she tells herself, and suddenly it all feels impossible again. “this is not- i know how to walk, sadie. this is not just like walking. like look at you, you’re…” what’s the word? “…gliding, and i am not. i can’t.” maybe this is a sign rachel should just give up.

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-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎🪐 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎sade  watches  her,  arms  crossed  over  her  chest,  lips  slightly  pursed  to  the  side.  rachel's  frustration  is  clashing  with  her  own,  though  sade  is  sure  her  slightly  sour  mood  isn't  improving  the  situation.  why  does  she  feel  like  she  isn't  being  listened  to  ?  obviously,  rachel  IS  listening,  and  if  sade  were  to  actually  look  at  the  other  woman's  posture  then  it  would  be  obvious  that  it's  just  beginners  anxiety  (  and  potentially  the  pressure  that  they're  both  putting  on  her.  )  but  because  rachel  doesn't  get  it  right  away,  at  least  not  like  sade  gets  it,  she  finds  the  experience  mildly  aggravating, like rachel is doing it on purpose.

a  soft  sigh  escapes  her──  okay,  maybe  she  should  relax  a  little.  rachel's  obviously  trying,  and  struggling,  and  sade's  impatience  is  not  HER  fault.  she  tries  to  remind  herself  of  all  those  things  her  therapist  told  her  when  she  got  back  to  jersey  :  not  every  inconvenience  is  an  attack  on  you,  sadie  !  inhaling  deeply,  sade  lets  the  tension  melt  from  her  shoulders,  and  pushes  off  the  cement  so  she  can  skate  up  beside  rachel.  "  you're  really  not  doing  that  bad,  "  it's  her  reluctant  attempt  at  reassurance.  " we'll  start  from  the  beginning.  bend  your  knees,  like  you're  sitting  down,  "  she  goes  through  the  steps  a  little  slower  this  time.  "  hold your  elbows  out  on  either  side  of  you  for  balance.  lift from your hips──  it'll  help  you  keep  your  balance.  then  you  just  push──  "  she  presses  off  one  foot,  rolling  forward,  though  she  doesn't  go  far  from  rachel.  "  just  one  foot.  and  then  the  other.  it's  just like  walking.  "  

closed starter for tobias, @fram3s

location: el carnaval de invierno, snowball fight

it’s almost criminal to not have a snowball fight at least once during the winter ⸻ maybe that’s just her opinion, but rachel is confident that most would agree with her. with excitement all over her face, her aim is set on a friend before she finally launches the ball. much to her horror, it somehow ends up hitting someone else who just happened to be in the way. “oh shoot, i’m so sorry,” the apology comes quick, almost like a reflex, as rachel rushes over to them. “that’s totally my bad! i wasn’t really looking before i-” and she really wasn’t, because if she did and saw tobias passing by, she would have hold herself back and wait until he’s gone. “i promise i wasn’t doing it on purpose,” you were just in the way, “sorry for getting in your way though. you can hit me back if you want?” rachel doesn’t even know why she said it, but it just sounds right, albeit the wavering tone. “i mean, just do it. that way we’ll be even, yeah?”

closed starter for reyna, @fram3s

location: around el carnaval de invierno

when rachel finally got the chance to visit the winter carnival, she wastes no time to drag reyna along with her. it would have been incomplete to go without her best friend anyways, and now that she's walking arm in arm with reyna, donning matching crochet snoods that she had learned how to make herself for the two of them, this almost feels nostalgic all over again. "so tell me, what do you want to do first?" she turns to reyna with a huge smile. "do you want to play one of those carnival games? or should we get something to eat?" she looks around for a moment, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her favorite ride. "oh, we should totally ride the ferris wheel too!" there are so many things to do around here, that rachel could feel her body shakes with excitement.

as a morning person, for the first two weeks rachel had a hard time adjusting her sleeping schedule now that she's given night shifts at the hospital. it's nothing she couldn't manage of course ⸻ a short visit to seul con valpo during her midnight break certainly helps make it easier, although it comes with a company that rachel isn't too sure she wants to keep or she's already forced to keep by now. upon hearing the familiar greeting, she could only offer sebastian a smile at the moment, mouth too full with kimbap for her to say something back. "oh yeah, that was indeed scary," is the first thing rachel tells him once she's done eating. "technically, you did scare me because that video won't leave my head for days. it was a nightmare but like, an awake nightmare, which is more terrifying." at least with the usual nightmare it goes away when she wakes up. well, for the most part. "you really traumatized me with that one but it's nice to see you. just an apple this time, hm?"

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closed  starter  for  RACHEL  (  @detruines  ) location  :  outside  seul  con  valpo,  sometime  after  midnight

-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎ ‎🎵 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎although  sebastian  enjoys  working  the  late-afternoon-into-early-morning  shift  at  the  station,  most people he knows are always asleep by the time he finishes work.  mostly, he  looks  forward  to  the  snippets  of  conversation  gets  here  and  there  :  the  security  guard  who  lets  him  out  after  his  show  ends  ;  the  associate  behind  the  counter  at  the  convenience  store  ;  the  woman  he  always  runs  into  on  the  bench  outside  of  it.  the  same  time,  the  same  bench──  fancy  meeting  you  here.  he  thinks  they're  becoming  friends──  whether  that's  true  or  not  has  remained  to  be  seen  (  sebastián  thinks  everybody  wants  to  be  his  friend.  )  "  buenos  noches,  bella  !  "  he  greets  rachel  with  too  much  energy  for  the  time  of  night  it  is,  dropping  down  onto  the  bench  beside  her  and  raising  his  arm  to  rest  against  the  back  of  the  wood.  there's  no  hesitation  in  the  way  he  just  invites  himself  to  join  her,  cleaning  the  apple  he  purchased  inside  off  on  his  shirt.  "  it’s  nice  to  see  you.  i  thought  i  scared  you  away  last  time  when  i  showed  you  that  video  of  belfegor  eating  that  egg.  “ 

in rachel’s defense it doesn’t seem as complicated at first, but maybe it’s because sade is the one who makes it look so easy that she believes she could stand a chance. then again, roller skating is one of sade’s fortes and now that she has these wheels on, rachel is not so confident she could do it anymore. especially when she notices the slight change in her friend’s tone as she goes over the instructions again. the thing is, rachel could also tell this is starting to get a little frustrating for both of them, more so herself. “okay, okay, i’m trying,” she tells sade, emphasizing on the word trying, because really, she is, and so rachel tries again for what feels like a thousand times already by now. arms out, legs bent at the knees, back straight up. “is my posture right? am i doing it?” she asks, looking at sade for her approval. god, she feels so stupid and she hates it. “i’m sorry, okay? it’s just that i feel like i can’t move forward. like my feet just won’t move. can you show me how to do it again? please? i promise i’ll get it this time.” there is a hint of uncertainty in her tone despite the optimistic words ⸻ she's barely holding onto that last string of hope right now, if she fails one more time this would have been the last straw for her today. after all rachel doesn't really take failures that well.

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OPEN  starter  (  @valpostart  ) location  :  golden  beach  street

-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎ 🪐 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎"  okay,  look,  i'll  go  over  it  one  more  time.  "  sade  doesn't  mean  to  lose  her  patience,  but  sometimes  she  forgets  that  she's  been  up  on  these  eight  wheels  most  of  her  life.  she  doesn't  remember  that one time when  she  was  four years  old  and  got  her  first  pair,  fell  flat  on  her  face,  chipped a tooth and  then  cried  every  time  she  saw  them  for  a  month and a half  !  now  she  makes  it  look  easy  as  she  comes  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the  person, toes dipping forward into the stoppers.  as  she  speaks,  she  mimics  the  movements  they're  supposed  to  be  doing.  "  arms  out  on  either  side.  legs  slightly  bent  at  the  knees.  keep  your  back  up  and  straight.  if  you  can't  follow  those  instructions  then  i  genuinely  don't  really  know  where  we  go  from  here  babes.  "