#starstckrs

[flytrcps]

with: @starstckrs ; lainey where: under the sun salon when: early march

"My hair was kinda feeling flat, and I'm thinking it's about time to get my perm redone... but before I do that, I really need it to be a little more hydrated. I think I scrounged up enough in tips for you to like, work your magic, or whatever cosmic shit you guys do to hair around here." Self-care, by definition, was self-harm dressed up in a fancy hat for Ivy. Turning a new leaf with their second chance at the real world was easier said than done, but a new 'do and hair color had been the first they latched onto to try to feel... normal. Once it felt safe enough for them to take on a life of their own, instead of blending in with the crowd as much as humanly possible, petrified of their own shadow. They couldn't outrun the faceless monsters of their past, but they could take away their power by holding tightly onto their own. Plopping down in the chair, the cushion squeaking underneath their ass a little, they took off their hat and threw it onto the hairdresser's table, pulling their fading pink locks over their shoulders that reached to the bottom of their bosom, even with the remaining curls. "If we could like... talk about girly shit and nothing that's going on with this city... that would be cool." They had the sense about them that their sister was realizing it, too — there was something... sinister, and it wasn't the mafia. It made her stomach turn whenever she thought about that night outside the Chuck E. Cheese. And what else could come next. ( Maybe she shouldn't never moved out from underneath Astrid's nose, a sister who would know something was amiss if she didn't show up. ) "Did you do anything... cutesy for Valentine's?"

[nepcnthes]

with: @starstckrs ; gwen where: kitty's jazz bar when: late evening of march 20th, 1997, after the wedding

It shouldn't come as a surprise that he had a knack for burning bridges and reaping the consequences. The multiple subtle pushes to erect distance between he and Farah hadn't been successful until this evening, and he was left reeling in an odd quandary that he couldn't figure out why the kicker had been a relationship that existed purely to look good on paper. What solution did he have to that? Every Weiss-operated bar this side of the Strip was serving the first drink free in jolly spirits of the wedding. By now, he was more than a couple in, and the jazz act that had been grating his ears was grinding to a halt, and the musicians were dispersing from center stage. Whenever the family met for their discussions and important business dealings and needed him to tag along, the translator had been watching the acts, picking up nuances and ticks. Gwen Rojas had been instantaneously recognizable — stars that collided with the earth in a brilliant show of how nature was capable of destroying and reclaiming hostile invaders weren't as forgettable as Hollywood thought. "You know, I remember you." It was the first time he had struck up conversation with her, actually. "Oh, how the mighty fall when the public is ready to discard them, am I right?"

[thmbheart]

diego + gwen : march 6, evening @ kitty's jazz bar @starstckrs

he hadn’t expected to stay. normally, diego kept to himself during the friday sets, but something felt different about this time. maybe it was his interaction with lexie, maybe it was him missing his baby sister. hell, maybe it was both. he wouldn’t be shocked. instead of leaving towards the end like he normally would do, he decided to stay. why? he didn’t know. maybe it was time for them to move on. but moving on is for people who made a small mistake, not people who betrayed their family. sometimes, diego feared that he was just like their mother. ruining things just for the sake of it. he betrayed gwen because he was jealous. that was his kryptonite, jealousy. he always was told he was the best, but the second he wasn’t, it felt like his world was crashing down. who was he if he wasn’t diego rojas, actor extraordinaire? at the time, he didn’t know. but now, he figured out that he’s a person who loves architecture, who owns almost 40 lego sets, who’s an investigator. he knew more about himself. but now he wanted to know more about his sister, too. he leaned against the stage as the band cleaned up, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. when they finally made eye contact, diego gave her a sheepish smile. “hi, gwen.”