harlowhanlon - Tumblr blog

[harlowhanlon]

Her smile was ever present and unwavering as the sun's golden rays were partially concealed by a cloud. Squinting into the sky, it was her mood that was dimmed - slightly at best. And then, her focus shifted and her eyes found Eddie once more. The furrow of her brows was the sole implication of doubt needed. Harlow had never been known to have a steady poker face, her facial expressions always giving away too much of what kinds of thoughts she harbored. And while her lips remained sealed, her nod was a slow one, almost calculated. "Eddie, I promise you that I can. When I'm behind a stove, a complete disarray should be the least of your concerns." And when he continued, the cant of her head was a slow one. Harlow raised her brows and now she could not withhold her suspicions any longer. "You know ... the more you reiterate that you're just friends, the less I'm inclined to believe you." @eddiexcastro

A laugh came from him and shrugged. "That's probably accurate." He liked changing things up and he was working hard on this new menu to the point he was doing things at home now and writing everything down. He shrugged. "Probably. Like us being friends and all." Eddie said; not thinking of what other reasons their could be. "Nothing I can't handle. I've had the kitchen in complete disarray before. don't think there's anything you could do that would make it worse." He could create some big messes, but it was all part of the deal with cooking and trying out things. He did hate doing dishes, though. Avoiding her gaze, he looked over the street and tried to quickly think of something else to say. "She's just a great friend." @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

Her focus was unwavering as she clicked her way through the website. Its interface was the sole focal point and she could barely make out Verity's voice as she called out to her from the kitchen. "Salty's fine by me." Her voice was more quiet than before. It flew over her head, the minutes that passed before her friend returned as the bearer of salty goodness. It was then, that Harlow tore a cerulean gaze from the laptop's display, to steal a glance of her friend. "It's sweet." Harlow said, a smile curling against her lips. "It's very you. I like it." @veritywagner

Verity gave Harlow a quick one over, before she said, "Salty, of course." As if there was anything better. In her opinion it wasn't. Popcorn was supposed to be salty as far as she was concerned. "Unless you want your sweet, I can make you one." She offered, unsure if Harlow had a preference. She laughed a little, "I hope so too." She muttered under her breath, before she had left for the kitchen, only to return later with their popcorn. "So, what do you think?" She asked, "Anything you would have done differently?" @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

The roll of her eyes could not have been more tender, her smile softening the gesture's edges. There was no harshness lingering as she shook her head with a quiet and tender giggle. "Six. Minutes." She leaned forward, her elbows propped on the table and her smile firm in its place against her lips. "Brendon, it's not the end of the world. You know how late I always am? Does that make me a bad friend?" No, it did not make her a bad friend - at least not one, worse than she already was to begin with. "I'm just glad you could make it." And this, she meant. She'd developed a soft spot for the tall, dark-haired man with his innocent, boyish charm, the very instant they had met. "That's good." She nodded, her expression freezing for a single second. "What was it, that you're practicing for again?" And Harlow knew she should have felt worse for not recalling what exactly her friend was working on, than she did. But insecure uncertainty was promptly replaced with a subtle frown. "I'm okay." A beat. "As okay as I can be." And she nodded, as if she tried to convince herself, rather than her friend. "Did Millie tell you someone ate my leftovers, when our place got broken into?" @brendonxrulli

Though Harlow was actually pointing out how inconsequential the amount of time Brendon had been late by was, hearing the number made him feel even worse for not being on time. "I know, I know" he frowned, "A whole six minutes, I'm such a bad friend, I'm sorry" he continued to apologize when it was entirely unnecessary. When she mentioned ordering for him already, the smile returned to his face, "Oh, you're too good to me" It didn't matter how small the gesture, Brendon was appreciative of every little thing anyone had ever done for him. "Practice is good! It's a lot, but it's been really good" Brendon explained, his voice clearly a mix of nerves and excitement. "How're you doing?" @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

Her smile was honest, as vibrant as the summer sun, pouring from a perfectly blue sky and Harlow could not swallow down another delighted squeal at the sight of the pigs, wandering around in their pen. "Roman, I'll cry." And it was no empty threat either. She just might. "They are so cute."

For some moments at last, Harlow managed to tear her gaze from the pigs to squint up toward Roman. "Oh," she said, her tone dry, bordering on shallow disappointment. "Well, I won't get too close to them, then." She glanced back at the animals, soundly and blissfully snuffling about. "Which ones have caught your eye?" @romanrhodes

Roman chuckled at her excitement. She was a grown woman, but she reminded him of his nieces. He'd made a mistake in telling them he was getting a pig, because now every time they saw him, all they wanted to know about was the pigs he had yet to buy.

"Woah, they look great." Roman agreed. They were Duroc pigs, no longer piglets but not quite adults. They were two-thirds of their adult size, and rambunctious, grunting and squeaking as they wandered and snuffled around their pen. "Just be careful, pigs bite."

[harlowhanlon]

"Seriously, who eats someone else's leftovers?" Tears threatened to brim with meager fury, her sight blurry as she walked from the kitchen to her own room. "I wanted to have that pizza for breakfast." Pushing the door to her room open, she halted for a second or two. A breath was forced from her lungs, quiet and in disbelief. It was the first thing she'd noticed - she broken picture frame in front of her bed, the picture of Verity, Brendon and her, taken not too long ago buried beneath shattered glass and now rivulets of charcoal hue stained her cheeks and Harlow must have looked as though she was crying lightnings, in the dim illumination of her ransacked room. "What the hell." Clothes had disappeared, though she couldn't measure the extent of her substantive loss at first glance. Wiping her cheeks, the wound-up knots inside her throat and chest tightened and pulsed with aching intensity. It took her five seconds to decide she could no longer bear the sight. Slowly, she walked towards the living room. "I think some clothes are missing, but I can't tell for sure because my room's such a mess." She swallowed. "We should call the police." @millieswagner

"Rex is in here!" Millie called out from her room. "I don't see the cat!" She said and continued to look around to see what was missing from her room. There was a picture frame broken on the floor and her jewelry box had obviously gone through and she didn't see her mother's necklace in there. Tears filled her eyes as she left her room and she looked around more. "How much did they take?" She questioned as her voice was cracking a little. @alliannahvaughn

[harlowhanlon]

dont touch me unless your skin is made from gucci

[harlowhanlon]

Nine out of ten times, it was Harlow who was late by ten minutes at the very least. And once she entered the restaurant and took her seat, much to her surprise, the change of being on time for once, was an unexpected one, filling her with a superior sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. And when she looked up some moments later, she only did so once Brendon's presence was announced by his movements in the periphery of her vision, by the familiarity of his voice and her response came immediately in the saccharine shape of a smile, dripping with sincerity. Looking up from her phone's screen, which soon turned black, she shook her head. "Sweetie ... It's been like six minutes," she said, the nickname sounding nonchalant, opposed to intended irony. "But drinks should be on their way. I didn't know what you're feeling today, so I ordered water and soda." A beat. "How's practice going?" @brendonxrulli

closed starter || @harlowhanlon

Brendon wasn't normally late to things. He was more so the type of person who would show up 20 minutes early and wait outside until the time he was supposed to be there so he didn't look like he was too early. But being an actor in a play was a lot more work than being a dancer was, so he was spending a lot more time practicing with Millie. It was a big adjustment, but it had been a very rewarding experience so far. "I am so sorry I'm late" he said as he rushed into the restaurant, taking his seat across from Harlow, "I got caught up with Millie, I just wasn't checking the time, I'm really sorry" he continued to explain, though in reality he was less than 10 minutes late and it really wasn't a big deal. "But I'm here now and you have my full undivided attention, I promise"

[harlowhanlon]

Her turn was a swift one, the flowery dress, which she had been in the process of readjusting on one of the displays, slowly drooping with a subtle lowering of her hand. Attention swerved and Harlow's focus shifted onto the woman and a customer-friendly came to sit atop her lips with immediate effect. As the woman's words continued to dwell, ideas began to blossom and it turned her smile softer around its edges. Somewhat more honest, personable. "We do, actually." Her voice was carried by lightness and discreet verve. "We have some things on sale over there." Her finger aimed into the direction of a rack near the store's center. Clothes in muted colors and something she considered to be elegant minimalism, carving the articles' signature. "Or if you're feeling something more vibrant, we have a new summer collection." A beat and she readjusted her smile. "Are you looking for something in particular?" @chantelbedford

𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 @harlowhanlon

DELLA MODE wasn't exactly a place Chantel found herself at too often, but, after seeing someone in the park in a sundress that she'd adored and being told they bought it here, she couldn't help but come out and see what kind of things they had here. She was always looking to expand her wardrobe which consisted a lot of flannel shirts that she wore on the farm, and while she'd never not wear them they weren't exactly the right thing to wear when it was this warm outside. She'd made her way towards the rack of clothing that held what she assumed was women's clothes, draping a few articles over her arm. "I hate to be that person - I don't even think it will make a difference - but, are there any sort of specials at the store today? I just want to make sure I didn't miss a sign or something."

[harlowhanlon]

Summertime and its tender brightness lifted spirits and the intensity of smiles increased. It was the sole reasoning as to why Harlow felt most like herself in the warmest of seasons, except for when extreme heat threatened to devour optimism and wear out tired minds. A gentle breeze caressed her skin and for a moment she closed her eyes once more, as Eddie spoke. "Every once in a while." She spoke, almost absent-mindedly. "At the very least each season. Maybe less often than you come up with new recipes." A gentle sigh brushed past her lips, that soon adapted a tender smile's shape again. The turn of her head came slowly and blue eyes peered at the man. "I'm sure there are more reasons." Again, there were no hidden motives in the words she'd chosen. No ulterior motives by the vague answer she'd provided Eddie with. "I'll gladly come around for dinner, but trust me - I'd turn your kitchen into an awful mess," she said, her words carried by a soft giggle, before she captured a glimpse of a shift she had not quite anticipated. Brows furrowed and the gears of her mind began to rattle. As gullible as Harlow could be, she might seize an inkling with the right kind of evidence. "Right," she said slowly, subtle traces of suspicion leaked through her pronunciation of the word, though the shallow ghost of a smirk continued to linger atop full lips. @eddiexcastro

"It is." He agreed. Only time it wasn't was when it had been raining for days, which was definitely a common thing. "Really? That's awesome. I'll have to come take a look one day." Maybe not when Harlow was working, though. If he was gonna get Verity something, he'd want it to be a surprise. "You get new things in often, then?" Eddie continued the conversation as he was curious, but he could also tell it was something Harlow was interested in. It was like when he talked about cooking. A chuckle came from him and he nodded his head. "I'm sure Verity is happy to have me around for that reason alone. I am teaching her a bit. You could come around and learn something too, if you want." The man offered to her. At her comment about Rosco and Verity being hard not to love, he found himself nodding again. "It is." A blush filled his cheeks. "You know, as a friend and stuff." He added quickly. @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

Blissfully unaware of the damage's quantity, Harlow was enthralled by the dog, she now added to her list of pawed-friends. When he spoke, she glanced down at her shirt, her heart sinking slightly as she watched the giant caramel-hued stain, eating itself through the delicate fabric of ivory shade. "Thank you, but it's fine." She waved the man's words off, albeit appreciating his sentiment with the delivered offer. On second thought, she found regret in not accepting it, but it was too late to back out now, was it? "Aw, Kuzco. As in The Emperor's New Groove? God, I loved that movie." She spoke her words with a saccharine giggle and now knelt down, to get a better look at the young dog, addressing him with her next utterance. "You're a little rascal, aren't you, big guy?" @dakotaxbishop

not the drink. an involuntary groan settled in his throat as he saw the damage that kuzco had wrought. this wouldn't be good, this wouldn't be good. but then the other's words settled a bit differently. no anger, no accusations upon the particular breed of his dog. dakota just about felt his shoulders relax, though he wondered if she hadn't fully taken in the precise damage that had been done. "I'll pay for it." words stated as his hand twirled to indicate the remnants of the coffee that stained her shirt. "For the cleaning, or whatever." then her question settled in, and he grinned as he loosened the hold he had on the leash. kuzco had better mind his manners. "His name is Kuzco. And I think he's trying to live up to that name now."

[harlowhanlon]

Once more, Harlow found herself nodding in an agreeing response. The hum that followed the nonverbal cue undermined the sentiment, that she sided with him on the matter - for the most part. "Sometimes it's refreshing, though." She looked up and down the street, as though awaiting someone's arrival. A mere two seconds before she returned her undivided attention to Eddie. "Sustainable fashion, mostly. But we also sell some locally produced jewelry." You could hear the pride, which carried the words Harlow spoke. "We expect a new collection, soon. I'm pretty excited for that one, to be honest." Her smile beamed and it left little room for doubt about just how much she enjoyed it, completely unsuspecting of Eddie's motive. "We also have some men's clothing, so you should totally stop by sometime!" A beat. "I wish I enjoyed cooking or had a chef as my roommate." And for a moment, Harlow wondered if Verity had ever shared the horrifying events that unfolded, whenever she had tried her hand at any recipe. "I'm glad and only mildly envious." She was only half-joking. "Well, Rosco's right, because it's hard not to love Verity." @eddiexcastro

He laughed a little. "It wasn't so bad. I didn't mind it." He never was one to mind that. He liked the rain, honestly. "Just sucks when it's cold after." He told her and watched as he sat next to him on the stairs. "Good. I'm glad it's going good. What kinds of things you guys sell there?" He asked curiously; thinking maybe he could get Verity a gift or something one day. "Things are great. Works doing good. I'm working on some new recipes." He said before blushing a little and shrugging. "Oh, you know. It's great. She's a great roommate and Rosco loves her." He said, talking about his dog. @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

His words elicited a chuckle. Hoisting her hand, she ceased to put her full effort into hiding the grin that grew and displayed a row of perfectly white teeth. And then, she nodded, heaving a sigh. "I don't need to get nudes leaked. Especially not from anyone inside." It was her way of supporting his sentiment. Her way to agree with the statement he'd made mere moments prior. "Los Angeles. I'm basic like that." An idle roll of her shoulders, a subtle shrug and feigned, very misplaced diffidence. "But they had the most appealing fashion program, so I kind of had to, you know? The other option was New York City, but I wanted to stay a little closer to home. And I already knew some people in LA, so ..." A beat. "I've never been to Santa Cruz or Big Sur before." And the way she voiced it implied a lingering heaviness, some sadness that might not reach so deep down, after all. Though at Dom's words, she smiled a smile, denoted by saccharine softness. "So what do you do? Aside from weaseling your way out of a round of strip poker at some party, I mean." @domblake

"I'm not that good at poker to begin with, and I don't need the humiliation of being filmed streaking into the lake." Those were the house rules, and they caused every person on the property to come out and witness the debacle. In the privacy of a close-knit group of friends, sure, he's done it a few times. However, he had an image to maintain and did not need to be on the receiving end of a call from Santa Cruz and Nike. "California! Very nice. What part? I'm a personal fan of Santa Cruz and Big Sur." California was always a good time, and after every major competition, he took the week off and usually spent it at a beach house somewhere along the Californian shoreline. "It's nice to meet you, Harlow."

[harlowhanlon]

Something easily mistaken for ease was evident by the carelessness denoting her saunter down the corridor of the building. Familiar walls surrounded her and the fresh memory of laughter carried her closer toward the door, behind which lay the hideaway shared with the girls who had kept her company throughout the night. Alli's voice ricocheted from the closeness of the interior and Harlow nodded in thoughtless agreement, without thinking far enough to actually listen. Her step decelerated and lightness shifted, turned her demeanor from delightfully relaxed to border on something almost idle and lazy. Leaning her shoulder against the wall, he eyes began to grow heavy as Millie and Alli struggled to open the door. "Guys come on. The old lady needs to sleep." Her words rang with a heavy sigh and the longing for the softness only her bed's sheets could offer, grew more and more unbearable, while the subtlety of a commencing commotion was at first neglected. Too focused Harlow was to get to the bathroom, her only thought belonging to the prospect of a night's restful slumber. Shuffling into their apartment, she stumbled and only then did she grant her eyes the privilege of wandering around, taking in the chaos that been cast upon their abode and her shock could not be concealed.

"What the fuck." Suddenly wide awake, Harlow looked around, her mouth ajar in ill-aimed awe. "What the actual fuck. Rex?" She called into the apartment, aiming for the kitchen where she found the wreckage of a war that had been lost. The fridge stood open, cabinets were emptied and shattered glass scattered across the ground. Porcelain cups and plates adorned the floor with their sharp edges. "Guys, don't go into the kitchen, there's broken glass--" And that was when she saw it. The empty pizza box. "My leftovers." Her words were a whisper, devoid of any semblance of belief in this reality at first, before the repetition of her previous utterance was then shouted, volume increased as though she wished for the whole neighborhood to hear. "Guys, someone ate my leftovers!" And yes. Now her panic was palpable. @millieswagner

closed starter for @alliannahvaughn & @harlowhanlon location: their apartment

The night was a great one. A party at High Pulse mixed with girls night with her roommates was best mixture to make it just that and the girls were laughing as they went down the hallway to their apartment; door shut, the secrets that were on the other side still unknown to the outside world. Millie took out her keys and unlocked the door like usual and she turned the knob to open it, but was met with a little resistance. Nothing out of the ordinary. She figured Rex was just laying a the door as he sometimes did. She just pushed it carefully to nudge him awake, but there was still some resistance. Peaking her head in, she gasped as she saw the place looking like a tornado went through it. The resistance she was facing was some of their belongings blocking it and pushing it harder, they were able to get inside and see the mess waiting for them.

At first, Millie thought that Rex had torn things apart, but walking in more, the TV was gone in the living room and who knew what else. "Oh, my god! We've been robbed!" Millie said as she ran into her room to see what was missing there and there was a sigh of relief as she saw Rex was there still; just laying on her bed and wagging his tail, happy to see her.

[harlowhanlon]

Subtle traces of something akin to mild concern sparked whenever Roman mentioned something, anything, he had jotted down on his to do list. Some ideas he was toying around with. Too engraved were uncomfortable memories of a hiking trail and fake smiles. Though when it was about animals, it was a different story. So, Harlow walked beside the other, her smile vibrant and as genuine as it could be and she beamed up at her company. "Oh, I totally should! Thank you! You literally have no idea how excited I am."

And then they reached their destination, the barn filled with heavy odor, commonly perceived unpleasant and yet, Harlow could not bring herself to mind, upon seeing the pigs. "Oh my god, Roman! Look!" A gasp, her next words sounding an octave higher. "Oh god, they're so cute!" @romanrhodes

where: a livestock farm outside of Kismet Harbor with: Harlow Hanlon ( @harlowhanlon )

"I would thank you for coming along and keeping me company, but you seemed so eager to join me... Should I expect you to thank me?" Roman teased as the two of them walked up to the barn and towards their destination. He'd mentioned it on a whim when Harlow was visiting the chickens that he'd decided to buy an orchard pig, or perhaps a pair, and had jokingly asked her if she wanted to tag along.

Now, here they were. "I didn't know anyone could get so excited about pigs." Roman chuckled, noticing the earthy, particular smell as they stepped into the barn and the unmistakable sound of several muttering pigs shuffling and snuffling about.

[harlowhanlon]

"Ew." It was the sole response Harlow was willing to give as she scrunched up her nose before a playful smile hovered above her lips once more. Lowering her body onto the stairs next to Verity's roommate, she leaned back and let her eyes fall shut as the sun's warmth tickled her skin and comfort slowly eased tense muscles. She sounded a sigh, the remnants of lightness woven into her expression. "Oh, it's great." She spoke, leaning forward and daring to open her eyes in order to look at Eddie. "It's nice actually doing something I enjoy." A beat. "How about you? What's it like living with Verity? I mean, I should know but ... you've got big shoes to fill." @eddiexcastro

He chuckled a little bit and nodded. "Nah, just got caught up in a rain storm the other week." Eddie smirked up at her before nodding. "Yeah, of course. That's fine with me." The longer he got to stay out there and not climb the stairs, that'd be great. He didn't want to take the elevator, but he was thinking he might start if he kept being this tired. "So, how have you been? How's work?" @harlowhanlon

[harlowhanlon]

“Thank you, it’s very much appreciated.“ A humorous thread was interwoven with the syllables she spoke and Harlow’s lips widened into a grin. And then, nodded, raising her glass for a toast. “To all the traditions we have yet to establish!” She spoke with a laugh, a sound doused in the sweetest, most genuine kind of excitement. “I liked the boat, to be honest. But even with a boat this size, I can see how it might have been a little inconvenient, when Haven was over.” A sigh, though her expression was unwavering. “Good for you and good for them.” Another giggle. “Is it bad that I kind of envy you? I wish I could be the cool wine aunt one day.” And the hints of sadness showed. Harlow was rarely open about how she’d wished for siblings, to not be by herself, though as the poor liar that she was, it would have taken very little for anyone to take notice of the sheer fact. “Something’s telling me that they’re going to be too busy to pressure you in any kind of way.” @danaxallenlopez

[harlowhanlon]

Harlow sighed and stole a glance of the sky. Squinting toward the eternal blue, her eyes were soon fully shut against the bright, blinding rays of the golden early summer sun. "You've got a point there," she nodded, as she opened her eyes, once her focus had returned towards Eddie. And then, there was another sigh and Harlow shook her head. Her disappointment shouldn't be that obvious. "No, it's fine." Was it really, though? "Mind if I keep you some company out here? Enjoy the sun while it's still out." @eddiexcastro

He laughed a little and looked up. "Seems to be doing fine for the moment, but we both know how fast that can turn." He said and he continued relaxing on the steps. "I don't think so." His glance now went to the building before back at her. "She worked early today. I think someone called in." Eddie said and shrugged. "We can go up and see, though." @harlowhanlon