orlenaguerrero

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena had just arrived in the farmers’ market a few minutes ago with a list in her phone, and already she was weaving her way through the crowd with a mesh bag hanging from her elbow with a few lemons inside picked up from the previous stand. She wanted to stop by her favorite stand that sold plenty of homemade pastries and cakes to buy a loaf of sourdough bread for breakfast and then grab a few more things on her list. As kind lady behind the stall sliced her sourdoughs for her, she caught the woman next to her mumbling. “Oh, that’s on the other end of the market,” Orlena quipped, pointing in the general direction of the fruit stand she was just from, hoping that it would be helpful. “But there’s also another one near to where I’m headed. You just have to compare prices sometimes,” she chuckled.

open to anyone! @fairfordstarters

location: Morning Harvest in the mid-morning

Since the weather had warmed some over the last coming weeks, and today promised some sunshine rather than rain, she made plans with a babysitter to watch Landon while she made her trip to the farmers market. This week she went over to her favorite one in town, Morning Harvest, it was a bit of a drive from the Coral Coast to the Mountainside where it resided, but she loved getting out to a different part of town when she could. It didn't happen often, between work and raising a child, she sometimes realized she ended up in a habit of sticking to the same places over and over again. With the promise of oncoming sun later in the day she knew she wanted to take her son to the local park, let him toddle around and explore and enjoy seeing her nearly two year old enjoy life as much as he did. Only she had forgotten it was Sunday which meant quite a few people, for a small town, were also at the farmers market that morning probably doing the same thing she was doing. Stocking up for the week ahead as she managed to spin around. "I know I saw a stand with oranges around here somewhere." she mumbled more to herself than anyone in particular.

[orlenaguerrero]

Rumor has it that you pick your nose

"Come on, who doesn't?" She laughed. "It's not about whether you do it or not, it's more about where and when you do it."

[orlenaguerrero]

rumour has it you hate your parents

Orlena raised her eyebrows, feigning shock but also keeping her picture perfect smile on display. "I most certainly do not hate my parents, I love them so much," she denied. "We have normal little disagreements that parents and children have, but there is no hatred between us at all."

[orlenaguerrero]

FAIRFORD MEME #2 — RUMOR HAS IT...

Everyone loves to keep up to date on all the latest gossip and drama that goes on around this town...whether you want to admit it or not. Now is your chance to anonymously (or not) send everyone the juiciest rumors you've heard about their muses.

Rumor has it...

REBLOG THIS POST to participate. Like anything else, common courtesy applies — make sure you're sending asks out to others that are taking part! We all want to have notifications next to our inboxes. Have fun 🤍

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena giggled a little, it was a mean thing to gossip about to Rosa now that she and Miss California are on good terms, but it was a really obnoxious thing she did during the whole pageant's quarantine. Plus, it felt really good whenever Rosa stopped by to see a familiar face, because she would come by to do some fitting for her.

"Yes, that's the one. Ironically, Miss Hawaii and Miss Alaska – two of the tallest ones – are bridesmaids. Can't imagine what the bridal party photos would look like," she chuckled.

Orlena hummed in approval of the dress. "Be honest, as a fashion designer, is this muted enough?"

“Oh, Miss California is getting married? Isn’t she the one who always tried to look taller than everyone in photos?” Rosa asks, trying to remember all the gossip Orlena used to text her about during pageants, along with pictures of her looking stunning in a Perez original.

Without really thinking about it, she took a step forward and absent-mindedly helper her friend adjust the dress, gently pulling and tugging until it sat perfectly on her shoulders. “There you are,” she said, smiling at their reflection at the mirror. “Now he can watch and burn. And then maybe you can wear it to charm someone who isn’t the ghosting type.”

[orlenaguerrero]

"Well, people say things to me they don't mean all the time. Comes with the territory of the job," Orlena shrugged. She had been experiencing this her whole life, people saying things they don't mean so they can be her friend. When she had gotten the spotlight, though, it gets even worse.

"See, that would be such a great look on you," she chuckled. "You know, you should stop by Armani. They have really great pieces lately," Orlena advised seriously, having been invited to the fashion show a while back

@orlenaguerrero

“Come on, you’re telling me a gorgeous lady like you is this hard to convince to take a compliment? I’m sure you have many people swooning over you on the daily.” Laurie let out a chuckle, his arms crossing over against his chest as he watched her sift through some more dresses. Letting a widening smile perch upon his lips, Laurie gestured his hands out as if he had been caught out. “Alright, you caught me. I was totally going for a leopard print suit, but I think a gold chain would be pushing it slightly too far.”

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena looked at the girl intently, suddenly forgetting about her own mission to find the right dress and feeling a rush of protectiveness mixed with the overwhelming need to help the girl. "I mean you're here already, might as well try a few things on and see if you like something."

"Do you need my help? I'm not an expert stylist, but I've worked with a few that I can help pick the right colors and styles for you," she offered, suddenly excited about the prospect of starting a new project. Orlena might have watched Clueless a little too many times that she felt a little bit like Cher Horowitz giving a makeover to Tai now.

Harper shifted uncomfortably, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of her sketchbook. The question caught her off guard, and she glanced down at her own plain attire, feeling a pang of self-consciousness. “Oh, um, I’m not really sure,” she mumbled softly, her voice barely audible. “I… I usually borrow clothes from my sister for occasions like this.”

She glanced around the store, her eyes scanning the colorful array of dresses. Her mother and her sister were the stylish ones in the family and usually used Harper as an excuse to play dress up. Things were different now. “But maybe I should try to find something for myself this time,”

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena returned Bennie's hug and adjusted her summer dress so that it covers up her legs properly as she sat down. Sipping the red beverage in her hand, she chuckled. "I have half a mind to find a girl from Fairford to mentor and sponsor to become the next Miss USA. I think that will get me off the hook," Lena joked.

"If you have any enemies in mind to inflict this horrible plan upon, let me know," she added with a little snicker. Orlena extended the beverage to Bennie, offering her best friend to try the wonderfully refreshing drink.

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena laughed a little, "That's what it says in the invitation, I even called to ask what it meant and she made it sound like it's a popularly used term, and I'm the one not well-versed enough in the world of colors." She held the dress up against her body so that she could eyeball the length of the dress.

"That's right. And the invitation also specifically said colorful, so there goes my plan for picking the safest option of just wearing the color black," Orlena shrugged.

he’s  bored.  that’s  never  a  good  thing  —  weston  up  to  no  good  when  there’s  no  distractions  coming  in.  it’s  his  families  worst  nightmare,  he’s  sure.  that’s  how  he  finds  himself  at  the  mall.  lurking,  walking  around  until  he  finds  something  of  interest.  or,  really,  something  shiny.  one  thing  leads  to  another  and  he  lands  himself  in  the  same  shop  as  orlena.  new  clothes  wasn’t  something  he  particularly  needed  ..  but  self  control  runs  thin  within  him,  and  it’s  easy  to  swipe  a  card  and  not  think  about  it  until  the  bill  comes  in  later  in  the  month.  he’ll  worry  about  it  later.  for  now,  he  continues  to  file  through  the  rack  and  act  like  he  has  endless  dollar  bills  burning  holes  in  his  pocket.

the  question  has  his  head  tilting.  because.  what?  “i  don’t  think  that’s  a  real  thing,”  nose  scrunches  as  he  thinks,  eyes  giving  the  dress  a  once  over.  “so  like  –  they  want  something  colorful,  but  take  it  down  ten  notches?  should  just  make  everyone  wear,  like,  monochrome  or  whatever  it’s  called.”  his  wedding  experience  is  more  than  limited  but  he’ll  give  it  a  shot.  “it  looks  fine  to  me  -  but  i  don’t  know  if  it’s  muted.  or  whatever  they’re  calling  it.  and  you’re  not  supposed  to  wear  white  unless  you’re,  like,  the  bride  or  something  right?”

[orlenaguerrero]

She laughed. "Alright, fine. Compliment taken," Orlena nodded as she kept looking for other dresses wondering if the beige number with little colourful flowers on them would still be considered "muted".

"Oh, come on. No leopard-print shirts and gold chain necklaces?" She teased once again. "I mean a suit and tie is just too boring, no?"

@orlenaguerrero

Laurie’s forehead furrowed as she spoke, he wasn’t exactly up to something but that didn’t mean he wasn’t up to nothing. “Pfft, just paying a beautiful lady a compliment, no games being played here.” He laughed, shaking his head as he stepped closer. He glanced around briefly at the outfits situated on the mannequins around them and shrugging his shoulders. “Probably just a suit and tie, I have plenty at home but I’m just not feeling them. Gives me an excuse to hang out with you anyway.”

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena twirled around a little and then turned to the mirror. She tugged and and adjusted the dress on certain parts to make sure it fell effortlessly on her body. "Yep. If he shows up with his girlfriend, the least I can do is make him regret the decision a little," Orlena shrugged sarcastically.

She let out a little chuckle at Rosa's sudden protectiveness; something Orlena had always found endearing. "No, no. I was actually set up on a blind date by Miss California, the one having the wedding," Orlena said, referring to her friend at the Miss USA pageant. "She hunted him down enough for ghosting me," she said.

While Orlena was getting dressed, Rosa let her eyes wander around the store, her fingers trailing the row of dresses, the feel of the fabric beneath her fingers at the same time familiar and distant. It felt crazy to think that just a couple of weeks ago she was burning the midnight oil over fabrics like these, and designs and mannequins and modifications and now she was just enjoying a morning out with a friend. Despite what had to happen for her to get there, for a moment she caught herself smiling.

“So we’re doing this out of spite? This is my favorite reason to do things,” she half-joked. She would need to work on that with a therapist at some point, but for now she chose to be a stylist and not a patient. “As expected, you look amazing,” she commented, taking in the familiar sight of her friend trying on clothes for her. “Also, ghosted you? Do you want me to hunt him down?”

[orlenaguerrero]

ANA DE ARMAS

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena wasn't sure if inviting someone who is trying to take a break from their work life to something remotely related is a good idea. But she desperately needed a second opinion after finding out that the guy who ghosted her six months ago was going to be at this wedding as well. Rumor has it, he has a new girlfriend and they've been dating for six months. That can't be a coincidence. This meant that she needed all the help she can get with what they have in Fairford, because there's no way she'd risk getting a last minute dress in Seattle.

"Alright," Orlena put her purse down on the sofa next to the changing room and went inside. She got out of her clothes and tried her best to zip up the dress. "Well, I was planning on wearing whatever I have in my closet–Lord knows I have plenty already–but apparently the guy who ghosted me is gonna be there," she said, finally managing to zip up the entire thing and took a glance at herself for a little bit before exiting the fitting room to show Rosa the look. "I mean, we've only been seeing each other for two months and it wasn't anything serious, but I'm just a little bit petty."

Rosa could see the irony of being surrounded from dresses once again, but she was willing to overlook if for the sake of getting out of the house. Her days at Fairford had been slow, which was supposedly a good thing for her recovery, but if she spent another day in the house, she would either go crazy or take out the sketchbook from the bottom of her suitcase and start designing, and doctor’s orders were very clear about zero work.

“Go try it on, I need to see it on you to have an opinion,” she replied, ushering her to the dressing room. She had gratefully accepted Lena’s shopping invitation- giving fashion advice wasn’t considered work, right? “If you had told me in time, I could have brought you something from New York.”

[orlenaguerrero]

Orlena looked at Laurie with furrowed brows. "That's quite the compliment. You sound like you're up to something," she teased. With their history dating all the way back to high school, Orlena was used to his little flirtatious attempts. But this time she wasn't sure if it was a genuine compliment or a little playful banter like they sometimes would have.

Holding up the dress on her body and looking into the mirror, Orlena asked, "So what kind of outfit are you thinking of wearing to the dinner?"

@orlenaguerrero

It was fairly often that Laurie found himself out shopping for new clothes, he already had wardrobes full of outfits at home but he couldn’t ever resist keeping up with the latest trends and it was somewhat one of his favourite pastimes. He had already visited a few stores in the mall before realising he needed a new suit for some fancy dinner he was attending with his parents next week, so he headed into the next store.

It didn’t take long for Laurie to bump into someone he knew, Fairford was a small town and it frequently meant you’d be catching up with someone every time you left the house. Realising it was Orlena, Laurie’s flat demeanour instantly plucked up, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile as he headed towards the woman. His brows raised as she held up the red dress, his lips pursing together whilst he nodded. “You’d look beautiful in anything you wear, but that one is definitely a winner.”

[orlenaguerrero]

ANA DE ARMAS in promotional photos for No Time To Die (2020)

[orlenaguerrero]

At the compliment, Orlena smiled. "Well, even if I'm not going to wear it to this wedding, I'm going to still purchase it," she chuckled, draping the dress on her arm. "I really should find something more suited to the theme, though. I don't want to risk bridezilla accusing me of stealing the show," she said, her eyes trailing through more options.

"What about you, are you looking for anything?"

As Harper listened to Orlena’s explanation of the wedding dress code, her mind flickered through a series of memories and emotions. She could relate to Orlena’s desire to express herself through fashion, to break free from the constraints that sometimes weighed upon her.

A small smile played at the corners of Harper’s lips as she glanced at the red dress once again. “Orlena, I think this dress captures your vibrant spirit beautifully,” she replied, her voice filled with a mix of admiration and understanding. “The color might not be muted in the traditional sense, but it carries a certain energy and confidence that is hard to resist.”

[orlenaguerrero]

There are only a handful of people Orlena trusts her entire life with, and of those people included her childhood best friend, Aylin Erdogan. This meant that there are only a handful of people Orlena trusts to help her make decisions on her outfits, but she really should have known that Aylin might not be too into it today.

"Okay, you definitely weren't even listening to me, so I'm just gonna keep on browsing." she chuckled, draping the red dress over her left arm as she continued to browse.

"Did something happen after I left last night?" She tried to pry, curious to know what's going on in Aylin's mind. Admittedly, Orlena decided to leave early from the summer bash last night because she longed to catch up on some TV show on Netflix, a far cry from the Orlena who was up for any parties in high school.

perhaps she should’ve declined the invite out after all.

even as she followed orlena around, her usual interest in the display of clothes stood near enough extinct, the headache of drinking on the beach the night before still haunting her just as much as the last few days entirely did. with all the boys in her life setting her nerves on end and the balance of work and play, aylin might’ve just hit burn out far faster than she hoped to. the only relief, and most appreciated at that, is the way her girls ever seemed to appear when she needed them most.

unfortunately for orlena, however, aylin’s tendency to drift off into her thoughts were most potent today, and she just about missed the question when she snapped back into reality.

“oh yes, i quite agree,” she nods. “very lovely, mhm.”