amarawashington

[amarawashington]

amara: why don’t you come over and we watch the first one together? amara: for me, so i can figure wtf is going on. and for you, to get a refresher, so we can go into the sequel with the know-how 💪🏽

allegra: what if i tell u i don't remember the first movie? allegra: let's just say i remember what's the plot but not everything... allegra: ik is smth, smth, sands and world like star wars ish, and kingdom... 🫣 allegra: but if you rather watch the first one and watch the 2nd w/ me sure, i will see what i can do.

#phone. ∶ allegra ricci.

[amarawashington]

Starlight Oaks’ annual Spring Cleaning had to be, surprisingly, one of Amara’s favorite things to do in town. It was an opportunity to get rid of her dad’s junk — he’d become something of a hoarder in her absence, and she was doing her best to reverse that unwelcome revelation. Why did it have to be hoarding of all things? At least there wasn’t some creepy doll collection in his garage — now, that — that would have sounded some alarms. In her arms, she balanced a large box of different trinkets; none of which held any purpose, other than to take up room that Willie Washington didn’t have. She could hardly see over the box, her brown eyes peeking over the top with a laugh when she spotted Major, soon followed by a roll of those eyes. “You make it sound like I think I’m too good for y’all or something,” she quipped, attempting to lower the weight in her arms to reveal her face. “Getting rid of pops' crap, trying to do it while he’s busy at the shop so he can’t stop me. He’s got a problem.”

LOCATION: spring cleaning @ town square STATUS: closed / amara @amarawashington

major didn't really have much to his name. at least, not anymore. he had gotten rid of a lot after quitting the minor leagues, and anything from his childhood was stored at his parents house. so, he's here at the spring cleaning event, dropping things off that his MOTHER was looking to get rid of but couldn't get the time to actually bring down herself. he's just dropped off a box at the stall for storeroom vintage when his eyes land on a face he hasn't seen in awhile. "well, well, well, if it isn't MISS WASHINGTON ? i see you've decided to grace us with your presence. to what do we owe the honor ?"

#interaction. ∶ major powell.

[amarawashington]

The idea of neon ever coming back made Amara shudder — she hated it back then, and she hated it now. Experimenting with color was one thing, and while certain shades were more popular than others — neon was in an entirely different realm that she never had any intention of touching. Don’t get her wrong, she wasn’t boring in the least. If she were, neither Amara nor Ororo would have made the splash it did. Her designs were a beautiful intertwining of her two worlds — her small town roots and the bright, brilliant essence of her mother’s Kenyan background.

She bit her tongue, keeping from voicing an opinion that would be better suited in harsher settings — this was not the showroom of some fashion house in New York, but a vintage store in her hometown. “The moment a client asks me for something in neon, I may actually have to reconsider my career,” she joked, tapping the tip of her nose with a sigh. “The thing about fashion is that, thankfully, trends don’t have to be followed — after all, I don’t follow trends, I start them,” her voice conveyed no hesitance; because if there was one thing Amara was sure of, it was her place in the industry.

“I was actually here to donate some pieces,” she admitted with an enthusiastic expression, “These were from my old collection, and I figured why not donate some of them, right? They deserve to go to a loving home.”

"A designer? No shit?" Carmen asked, before remembering that it was rude to interrupt and that this elegant lady was absolutely the type to care about those things.

She head-tilted in the mirror at the color scheme of the ridiculous thing (which she was relatively sure now was a jacket). She imagined how it would look on this designer woman and had to stifle a laugh. She did take the woman's advice, though, and took the jacket off the hanger, throwing it over her shoulders.

"Honestly, I think neon's gonna come back. Everything always does. Fashion's like boyfriends that way - but you don't need me to tell you that, huh?" Carmen winked. "I'm gonna get this, I look like Barbie," she said, knowing full well she looked much more like Ariana Greenblatt than Margot Robbie.

"What about you, anything in here caught your eye? What are designers wearing these days?"

#interaction. ∶ carmen de la cruz. #you will never catch me slacking when it comes to little mix lyrics 🔛🔝

[amarawashington]

There were certain guilty pleasures she would never admit out loud — and one would be the particular joy she had in rewatching the old Mary-Kate and Ashley movies; though, it had been years since she’d done that. “Personally, I think it’s stupid as hell that you can’t find any of it on any streaming platforms — only one you can find anywhere is that last one they did in New York,” she lamented, a feigned look of slight disappointment. New York Minute — yeah, she knew the name, but she wouldn’t let Hadlee know that. “God, can’t believe I forgot about the show — that feels like a lifetime ago,” a warm release of laughter fell from her lips, amused; a conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley. Who would have thought?

Hadlee laughed. "You're missing out on the good ones, then! They had this whole series called You're Invited to Mary Kate and Ashley's where they had different kinds of parties. The fashion party one was the one where they went to fashion school. The series as a whole kinda sucked - The Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley are where it's at." She blushed. Okay, so maybe had been really into the Olsen twins movies when they were younger, but why were they telling this complete stranger about them? "Anyways..."

#interaction. ∶ hadlee van der zee. #StarOaksWinterFest

[amarawashington]

Options. Maybe she — they — needed options. Better to have more than piss off whoever they had waiting for them; Amara’s expression turned thoughtful, her brows furrowed in that familiar way that told people that this was a serious situation. In actuality, anybody who knew Willie Washington knew that he could give two damns about what type of chicken she brought home, as long as it was from Stella’s — that man would be satisfied. “Okay, genius idea — why don’t we just get one of their family packs? It’ll give us options and that way, we cross off the sandwiches and the fried pieces,” voicing her solution with certainty, flashing him a proud look, “And then they get what they want, plus… extra. Potentially might have some leftovers, but honestly — my pops would love to have a leftover chicken sandwich for breakfast… which he probably shouldn’t. And it works out better in pricing.”

Reaching for her phone in her back pocket, eyeing the flash of notifications — she spotted one in particular and rolled her eyes with a quick laugh, “I gotta make a choice soon because that man is starvin’, apparently I’m making him wilt over there.”

"I've met your dad, is that even possible?" Then again, he was in a similar situation with a dead phone that he forgot to charge once more in trying to figure out what to get for him and Cass. He knew that there was something that she liked more than the rest, but it was just out of reach in his head so it left him wondering if he would do best to leave without anything or everything. "Hell, I can't even remember what I was supposed to get for Cass. And I'm the idiot without a phone to double check so I'll probably end up walking out of here with a bit of everything to try and make up for my shitty memory." Not the best decision, but better than picking up something that was wrong even as the size of the menu was overwhelming with the amount of options. "Or hope that she wanted a sandwich and get a couple of those, you know? It's all chicken in the end."

#interaction. ∶ banks rainier.

[amarawashington]

Considering her line of work, Amara was likely the wrong person to ask for her opinion — not that it wasn't valued... in fact, it was highly valued. The reason being, her opinion didn't mean all that much in Starlight Oaks. Home was different; it didn't quite compare to the world of fashion in London, or Paris, or New York. Here, people did what they wanted, and fashion mattered little to those in town that mattered. So, when Carmen laid the question out before her, Amara wore a smile. "I'm gonna answer this like a designer, and you aren't going to like my answer," because really — she'd never wear that, but that was Amara.

"All I'm going to say is that the color scheme just ain't doin' it for me, you know? But — what do I know? Do you like it? If yes, then fuck what I think," her voice was firm, her eyes shifting with warmth. "You should try it on. See how it looks on you before making a decision."

location: storeroom vintage status: OPEN [ @starteroaks ]

"Tell me this isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen," Carmen said, beaming almost as brightly as the neon monstrosity in her hand. "No shut up, you can't, this is so fucking cute!" As she held it up to herself in the mirror, the thing (jacket? blanket? who knew) abrasively assaulted the eyes of anyone who looked at it, but... Carmen kind of could pull it off. She would stand out like a sore thumb in it, of course, in a town like this. Even in her native New York she'd look like a crazy person in something like that, but there, people don't mind that as much. She'd been in Starlight Oaks for two years and was only now learning that maybe things were different in a small town. And that maybe she should be different too. "...Is it too much?" she asked, pouting a little.

#interaction. ∶ carmen de la cruz.

[amarawashington]

amara: appreciate the invite, but i haven't even seen the first one. amara: i'd have zero clue what it's about... amara: are those tickets transferable? gimme time to watch it and then we can go. 😏

@starteroaks

allegra: who wanna watch dune part 2 with me? allegra: got the tickets ;)

#phone. ∶ allegra ricci.

[amarawashington]

closed | blazing comets | @marcusxvaughn

Save it, Amara knew how it looked. She didn't belong in a sports bar, and she'd probably steer clear herself, if it weren't for the fact that she actually liked the stuff they had on tap. They had a selection of craft beer that was rarely found across the West Coast, brewed in the heart of Washington. She'd stumbled on it during one of her visits back home in her years abroad, and now, just a sip tasted like home. It was comforting, and Amara needed some comfort tonight. It had been a particularly long day, and she needed to unwind. Tension wound itself through knots in her neck and shoulders, forcing her to roll her head forward and back in a circular motion. A breathy sigh fell from her parted lips, yet within moments, her back straightened when she noticed a figure coming to seat themselves on the stool beside hers. A little too close for comfort.

Suspicious hues of brown flickered to her left, ready to gauge what her plan of attack would be; immediately softening upon realization, "I don't need you to announce yourself, but at least say something. I was 'bout two seconds from swinging." Her gaze swept over Marcus, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile, "What do you think? Think I could take you?"

#interaction. ∶ marcus vaughn. #have my failed attempt at writing some tension between these two 🫣

[amarawashington]

closed | community center | @kennedysinclair

With a slam of her hand, Amara laid an envelope addressed to 'Kennedy Sinclair' on the desk, allowing the heavy intonation to sit between them. Had she explained her appearance? No. Did she send the young community worker an email or text to inform her of her presence? Of course not. She forgot to ask her personal assistant... though, in hindsight, she probably could have done that herself. She figured there might be some confusion — and Amara's lack of explanation, likely, wasn't providing much comfort either. That was intentional. Despite the clock and dagger, a megawatt smile painted her features in technicolor. "Open it," her tone implying that it wasn't a suggestion. A steady gaze remained on Kennedy, an undercurrent of excitement traveled the length of her body; she was practically buzzing.

"It's a gift voucher!" Amara's exclamation coming out before Kennedy even had a chance to follow through — wincing slightly, she offered an apologetic smile, "I couldn't wait to see your reaction. We got you an all-expense paid trip to Flow Lab. You do so much for Starlight Oaks, you deserve it."

#interaction. ∶ kennedy sinclair. #this made sense in my head... not sure how it translated into actual words but let's TRY 🗡️

[amarawashington]

closed | stella's hot chicken | @aetherfms

Trying to recall the last time Amara had been to Stella's was proving much more difficult than anticipated. Had it really been that long? Her father's texts came in rapid succession after asking him what he wanted to eat; he'd invited her to dinner two days ago, but at the last minute, made the decision that she would be picking something up en route to her home... he'd already let himself in. Because of course he did. Hardly ever wrapping her day up early, she was grateful to be out of her studio before the sun set — Amara was in no rush. Her pops could wait.

Squinting up at the menu, her brows furrowed — undecided. Would it be the hot wings with some sides tonight? Or maybe the chicken sandwich? Her eyes moved to either side of her, hoping somebody could offer a suggestion. "Do you know what you're getting?" She asked, the slightest hint of desperation in her tone, turning completely towards a familiar face — Banks had showed up at her dad's autoshop on occasion, whenever some sort of emergency needed the attention of the local fire department. "Really don't wanna deal with my dad's complaining tonight, so I have to keep him happy."

#interaction. ∶ banks rainier. #idk idk??? pls poke me if you want anything changed!

[amarawashington]

If somebody were to ask Amara her thoughts on — who knows... the answer to some math equation. Well. She wouldn't have an answer, so it was in her right to assume that Hadlee new little to nothing of the fashion industry either, most especially what it took to get to where she was. Amara hadn't come from a fashion background, and frankly, while she would have loved to benefit from some nepotism, she clawed her way to her level of success. Part of that journey included — yes, macrame. Pressing her lips together to form a frown, confusion knitting her brows, "Which Mary Kate & Ashley movie? I can only remember 'Winning London' and 'Passport to Paris,' but that's because I made my dad go to the local Blockbuster to rent out those tapes out every week."

She shrugged, blushing a little. "Honestly, I have no idea. My only frame of reference for fashion school is that one Mary Kate and Ashley movie, but it's been an era since I last watched it." They knew there had to be some kind theory work, like history of design and textiles or something but everything else was a complete mystery. Their time in university had been all science, so what did she know. "I imagine it was mostly all fun stuff, since you went into it."

#interaction. ∶ hadlee van der zee. #StarOaksWinterFest

[amarawashington]

GOSSIP GIRL (2007–2012) 3.06 Enough About Eve

#inspo. ∶ musing.

[amarawashington]

Starlight Oaks wasn't the type of place where she had to worry about who walked through her front door — more often than not, they were friend rather than foe. And honestly, if somebody did rock up unannounced and unwelcome, Amara figured she could take 'em. Matching Ximena's pose, her own hip resting against the counter, she clicked her tongue in fond admonishment, "Or maybe you need to learn to knock." Having them in her kitchen, with a home-cooked meal from their abuela was quite possibly one of Amara's favorite things in the world, so despite her commentary, she loved when Ximena showed up like this. Especially with a big pot of food. "Please — feel free to rummage through my shit, you know where it all is," she teased, despite her hand immediately shooting out to her kitchen drawer to lightly press at the swing door. "I'll set up the guest bedroom, but if you pass out on my couch, I'll be sure to tuck you right in," that familiar tone set in her voice.

eyes rolled at her comment, looking through amara’s kitchen to find a ladle and walking back to the pot once she had. “you’re the one that left the door unlocked, you know,” they said pointedly, stirring the caldo and taking a deep breath to appreciate the aroma. “again, might i add.” their lips ticked upward into a smirk, leaning against the counter and crossing their arms. “can you grab the bowls? unless you’d prefer i rummage through all your shit until i find them.” there was a giggle laced through their words, taking a moment to make their decision. “extra pillows, definitely. if i don’t end up absolutely passed out on your couch, that is.”

#interaction. ∶ ximena rodriguez.

[amarawashington]

What did people think fashion students did? The glamor didn't happen until much later in her education — the boring, 'prick your finger on a needle' lessons happened in her first year. She can recall being fast-tracked through multiple design styles, whether they were relevant or not. She wouldn't necessarily say it was a waste of time, but if she were to be asked — she had to be honest. "What did you think we did in fashion school?" Amara's slight lilt winding through her words, a brow raised, "There was a lot of theory, before we got to the fun stuff."

They blinked, taken a little aback, and ran a hand through their curls. "They do macrame in fashion school? I... I'll be honest, I didn't think that was a thing people actually did. But I'm sure their macrame is super intense. Not like those." They waved at the table. Something about doing such a detailed craft with someone who could be an expert in good design was intimidating, to say the least. "I bet the old ladies were nicer about it."

#interaction. ∶ hadlee van der zee. #StarOaksWinterFest

[amarawashington]

DYNASTY 1.04 ― “Private as a Circus”

#inspo. ∶ musing.

[amarawashington]

Fingers strum against her forearm, a subtle but telling show of indignation. Amara was a native; she was a West Coast girl, through and through. What did she mean by that? Had Amara been passive-aggressive? Cocking a brow, she releases a breath, somehow expelling the steam that unwittingly gathered from the commentary. "I'm more of a 'punch first, talk later' kinda person," her explanation coming out a lot calmer than she expected, "I reserve the passive-aggressive shit for when I'm feelin' real petty."

open starter location: utp

"So, is the passive-aggressive shit a west coast thing?" Rose questions through the exhale of her cigarette smoke, a scrunch in her nose at the thought.

Moving cross country was a culture shock in more ways than she anticipated -- she'd only really braced herself for the weather.

"Because I'm used to people being aggressive-aggressive and I far prefer that."

#interaction. ∶ rose raleigh. #apologies for amara... she's a bit of a hot head sometimes

[amarawashington]

Adding pilates to her repertoire had been new — Amara considered herself physically strong, and yet, her introduction to the activity had been anything but strong. If she were being honest, there had been quite some time since anything or anybody had made her legs shake quite like pilates did; fortunately, she'd come a long way since her first class. With such growth, how could she not introduce it to someone else? If she had to suffer through this, so did Aaliyah. With a sidelong glance in her friend's direction, she sipped at her water, failing to hide the amusement illuminating her features. "Well," she started, "I never said it was going to be easy. That's on you."

OPEN: all , @starteroaks Location: instrinsic studios

"Now when you said join you, i didn't think you meant i'd be sweating bullets." aaliyah huffed. sure, she was an active woman and working out before work was her preferred time. she liked to be productive in the morning and rest at night. "You do this... for fun? Please say sike." she had decided to join them on a pilates class and it surely kicked her butt. "I can't feel my legs!"

#interaction. ∶ aaliyah sani.