Ava nodded along as she listened to the other customer's ideas, envisioning it in her mind to understand what she was going for. "Ohh I think thin lines in these color would look really pretty! Especially if it's food trays you're making." Ava glanced down at the pile of yarn in her arms, completely forgetting at this point which colors she had gone with. "Oh thank you! I'm working on a cardigan. I figure if I start now, I should be done by the time it's cool enough to wear it and get full use out of it. That is, if I keep up with it and don't end up ditching it halfway like the graveyard pile of unfinished crochet projects in the corner of my craft room."
it felt nice to hear her thought be validated and not just dismissed immediately. even though juno knew that it might just be agreeing for simplicity's sake it was still nice to have a conversation with a stranger that didn't include them asking for more towels. "i will go forward with my plan then ," they agreed , putting the glazes in her basket. "if we ever meet again i'll give you a thumbs up or thumbs down if it was a total failure." juno listened interestedly as the other's project was revealed. the yarn now made much more sense. "a worthy task ," juno nodded seriously. "and if you finish it before september i think you can consider it a success. do you just do it for fun or do you have a webstore for things you're selling ?"
søren heard it enough from his wife, that he spent too much time with his work. it was almost like it was a third member of their marriage but, for the doctor, it was almost impossible to peel himself away. he was a husband, a father, and a doctor before he was a man — all he had ever wanted was to help people, and dedicating his life to that despite his own wellbeing had always felt like second nature. “i wouldn’t call it working,” he shook his head, golden hair that was streaked with silver, and ran a hand over his tired face. “not really. i’m just finishing a few things up. tying some loose ends.” he closed the lid of his laptop and smiled softly at juno, letting out an impressed whistle. “do i not get special friends and family priority ? you’ve changed, flores — blinded by success ! ” the crinkles at his eyes and the deep lines in his cheeks showed juno he was only playing around. “can you put me down for a few serving trays ? i think sigrid would love one of those. she’s always making the most amazing lunches for the two of us. it would look great on one of those.”
"tying up loose ends always leads to a big ball of yarn on the floor ," juno replied , not really know where they were going with that analogy. "before you know it you're back in another file , trying to catch up on that paperwork as well." dr holmström looked tired. not in the overworked way , but in a bone - deep weariness sort of way. juno wondered if she should ask if something was bothering him , but decided that that probably was a step over the acquaintance line. adults didn't really approve of her speaking her mind , regardless of the subject. "i'm just saying , soon the priority list will be long enough to give you trouble , old man." her cheeky look matched his and hopefully he wouldn't take the jab as an insult. "i'll definitely make some for you. do you still have my number ? if you want you can specify what things you guys usually eat and i can personalise them for you. and i'm sure your wife would like that as well."
windsor bay grocers is the nearest and best place to get groceries. it's downtown, a few blocks from leon's apartment, and he's been in need of some fruit, bread, butter, eggs and beer. he doesn't use a shopping cart because he doesn't plan on buying too much stuff. his hands are full, though. "sorry, can you hand me that can of black beans?" he asks the person who's looking at the canned foods. "just put it somewhere it won't fall off my hands," he chuckles softly.
sometimes , juno lived the good life. instead of stealing fruit from their neighbour's lawn she was picking between two cans of non - name brands of cereal. and it seemed like she wasn't the only one. "i'm sorry , i think i'm about three inches too short." juno chuckled awkwardly , tilting her head sideways. the canned beans seemed almost impossibly far up. "maybe there's someone who works here that is taller ?"
Crafty Hands was one of Ava's usual places to wander around when she had some extra time in her schedule. Today her mission was to find a few skeins of yarn in different colors to weave together into a cardigan. She chose a simple beige as the base, before scouring through the different color selection of the other yarns. There was a pretty burnt orange that caught her eye, followed by a deep shade of hunter green. As she weaved through the various aisles, her attention turned in the direction of another customer in the store. "That green is absolutely gorgeous," Ava agreed with an enthusiastic nod of her head. "The yellow is pretty too and I think they could work together. Do you have any other colors in the palette or just these two?" She paused for a moment before she let her curiosity get the better of her and she asked, "what is it that you're making anyway?"
truth be told , juno always loved getting the confirmation that their ideas were good ones. the other customer seemed positive at her suggestions and it made them straighten their back slightly , chest puffed out. "i have a white base or , rather , the original clay ," juno explained , briefly wondering if bringing out her inspo pictures would be too much. "basically i'm thinking really thin lines with the colours to make a design. nothing too bold. it's for food trays. i'm painting on what can go in the different sections." trailing off , hoping her explanation made sense , they eyed the yarn in the other's arms. "i love your autumn-y palette ," she offered. "what will you be making ?"
“important might be a stretch,” she said, holding up the glue like it was a weapon or a prayer — maybe both. “boot’s on its last leg. or heel, technically.” she tipped her head to the side, a dramatic sigh curling past her lips. “either i fix it or end up limping through the club like a baby deer in leather.” but her focus snapped back to juno, eyes bright with interest now, not just amusement. “ceramics, huh? that explains the color chaos — you’re building drama from scratch.” there was something appreciative in the way she said it, like she respected the madness behind the method. “you got an insta for it or something? i kinda wanna see what kind of cups come out of someone brave enough to mix phthalo and cadmium like it’s no big deal.” she straightened just enough to toss the glue into her own basket, like the decision had finally been made. “also, spoons? that’s oddly specific and wildly impressive. what do you even do with a handmade spoon besides admire it like art?”
the interaction was starting to feel more and more like a scene from a movie. chaotic and fun in just the right way. "that's a tragedy if i ever heard one ," they replied with a teasing smile. "that glue should work just fine. i think it could hold two concrete blocks together." juno bounced excitedly as rebecca asked about her instagram. "it's just @ potterybyjuno. nothing fancy but i've gotten a small crowd just as excited as you about my colour choices." it was true , actually , if a bit of an exaggeration. a few of her watchers on her lives were almost egging them on to pick the wildest colour combos. if it wasn't for the fact that juno was trying to get the pieces sold they might have considered it. "oh , i put them in a kiln and after that they're safe to use for eating or serving if you feel so inclined."
Bex had only wandered in for glue — something heavy-duty to keep the heel of her boot from completely giving up on her — but the question made her pause, head tilting toward the aisle where the voice came from. “Phthalo green and cadmium yellow?” she repeated, one brow arching as she stepped closer, glue bottle still in hand. “That’s not just bold, that’s borderline unhinged — in the good way.” There was a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth now, curious, sharp-edged. “If you keep the shapes clean, let the colors do the drama, yeah… could actually slap.” She leaned against the shelf casually, gaze flicking over Juno like she was sizing her up — not in a mean way, just trying to fit the vibe. “You an art student or just someone who knows their way around a brush and a gamble?” Then, almost like a throwaway, “What kinda stuff do you make?”
juno shrugged , feeling slightly pleased with the visceral reaction. truth be told , it was all colour theory , albeit a slightly unhinged one. "hey , i think it'll bring a certain pizzazz to the piece ," they replied , putting them both in her little basket. the store wasn't the most well-stocked craft store , but there were still enough exciting things to drain her bank account on a good day. "i have an online store for my ceramics ," they confessed , heart always speeding up in excitement as they mentioned it. "i make home decor and … pretty much anything you can find in a kitchen. Cups, plates, spoons. I make a bit of everything." juno eyed the glue firmly clutched in bex's hand and raised an amused eyebrow. "you glueing something important ?"
søren’s dark - blue eyes stared up at juno pleadingly. his wife was always right — about everything — but he would make a point of telling sigrid that, yes, he needed a chain for his glasses, or at the very least one of those new - fangled apple tags that could locate the things whenever he left them someplace obscure. it was made more difficult by his brain being a mess of swirling letters, of three languages that had a tendency to all merge into one if he was tired, or stressed, or maybe even a bit of both. with a slow and precise tap of the keys, he selected the S — or what he thought was the S, it could’ve been a D. “i’m knee deep in paperwork,” søren replied ( there’s probably a joke in there somewhere ) when he lifted his gaze back to juno, “but other than that, i’m well. a little time off has done me good. and how are you doing ? any new pieces that a certain somebody might like ? ”
dr holmström's clear panic was amusing to watch. juno waited until he was finished with his … report , or chart , or whatever doctors wrote in. "you're so overworked ," juno stated , because she could see it clear as day. "are you working on your off day ?" if someone wanted juno to work on her off day she'd … gladly accept , but that was because they didn't have a monetary cushion to fall back on. "i'm making serving trays with doodles on them at the moment ," juno replied cheerfully. "i'm also making chonky mugs." dr holmström was one of her first clients , buying things for his wife which made a certain kind of longing stir within them. the kind where she felt five years old again , wishing their mother could tell her about the father she'd never met. dr holmström was a good husband and a kind father. "the waitlist is long with like five people , so if you want one you better let me know asap !" it was mostly a joke , but orders were starting to pick up so she wanted to be sure that søren got at the top of that list.
「 who 」 juno + open [ 0 / 3 ] @windsorbaystarters
「 where 」 crafty hands
juno was a recurring visitor in the craft store. it was hard to find a good selection of clay , paints and glazes in windsor bay and this was the only store that had some. after chatting with the cashier , asking if she could leave a few business cards on the counter as promotion for her instagram store. she'd gotten a few orders since the last market day and it felt thrilling to know that people actually wanted to buy things that they had made. right now they were working on custom trays with intricate designs on them , cute and quirky and out of the cookie cutter mould. "do you think phthalo green would look good with cadmium yellow ?" she asked the only other patron in the store. "i know it might be a bit ... much , but if i keep the design simple and the lines delicate i think it could have a real cool effect ?"
it was a peaceful place to work when his own study grew stale. one of the comfortable little reading chairs in the back corner of the book nook was søren’s office for the afternoon, tapping slowly on the laptop that he had never quite learned how to properly use. it blew his mind listening to his daughter type sometimes, her fingers dancing across the keys at rocket speed, when he needed to squint to properly discern which keys corresponded to which letters. it made writing up his clinic letters all the more difficult. “excuse me,” he offered a kind smile to the person closest to him, raising his hand as though asking for the cheque in a restaurant, “can you just … this might sound ridiculous … is this an S or a Z ? ”
juno bounced into the book nook with determination. they had heard that a new book from her favourite series had dropped the week before and now was as good a time as any to see if that were true. she peered around the aisles and shelves , ready to fight for what was rightfully hers. the intense search was momentarily halted , however , as she saw the one and only søren holmström tap away at his keyboard. juno took a good look at the handsome doctor before they took few steps forward , smiling awkwardly at at him as he seemed to assume that she would be accepting the nobel price in writing. "uh , that should probably be an s ," she replied tentatively. "how are you doing dr holmström ?"
name: juno flores.
nicknames: jojo, jay.
gender & pronouns: demi - woman + she / they.
sexual orientation: queer.
spoken languages: english & mexican spanish.
birthday: june 13th, 1999.
place of work: cleaning staff at olive oak hotel.
BIOGRAPHY !
𝖎.
juno's life started off as a cautionary tale, though not by her own doing. her mother, anita flores, immigrated from mexico and just tried to make ends meet. she began working as a housekeeper for the dela cruzes. it was good work and honest money, even though the family mostly treated her like air. all except one. the man of the house always treated her with respect. small, secret smiles and polite conversations soon bloomed into a full affair. anita flores was threading down a dangerous path, but love always colours the world pink. it makes every flag look the same. still, it was months of illicit meetings and whispered promises. i'll leave her, you're the one i want. she doesn't understand me how you do. anita flores was in love.
but, as all things that are to good to be true does, it ended abruptly. instead of a steady job and a movie-like romance she was shunned from the house, whispered at by the community and moved into a small cabin up in the mountains. anita, lonely and heartbroken, tried to make a life out of a shitty situation. she might be alone, but that didn't mean that her daughter would be.
𝖎𝖎.
juno was born a sweltering summer's day, and from the start it was her and her mum against the world. sure, they didn't know why the whole town seemed to know who they were, or why they felt it was necessary to stare, but her mama told her to pay them no mind. they had each other and that's what mattered.
it wasn't until she was older, around ten, that she finally understood why. why her eyes didn't look like mama's, why her hair wasn't curly like hers. why she looked more like the father her mother had hidden from them.
the first time they came face to face she was fourteen and it felt as if the world stopped. juno saw the slope of her nose, the shape of her eyes. it was all staring back at her in the shape of a man she'd never met before. a man who didn't spare her a glance as he walked past her.
𝖎𝖎𝖎.
after it became clear that their father wanted nothing to do with them and, in fact, did his best to avoid the flores' as he walked through town with his family, like whispers didn't follow him wherever he went as well. juno figured out that he sent them money so they wouldn't starve, and juno felt an extreme anger build inside of them.
she vowed to never rely on her father's money and instead began to work odd jobs here and there until she got hired as a cleaning lady for the fanciest hotel in windsor bay. it felt ironic, seeing as most of the guests shared her dna, but juno knew that it was just temporary. they just needed to save money and work hard. her mama made her promise to not follow down her path. to ignore the leers and the charming smiles.
juno kept their head down and saved every penny. she knew she could never leave her mama behind, but she could try and make their life something closer to what mama had dreamt of once. she honed her skills and made sure to be at every town market to promote her small business. slowly, but surely, it was taking off. not enough to quit cleaning hotel rooms, but to actually buy things that would make her mama smile.
CONNECTIONS !
𝖎. anita flores ( mum )
𝖎𝖎. dela cruz ( father )
𝖎𝖎𝖎. half - siblings.
𝖎𝖛. ride or die.
𝖛. co - workers.
𝖛𝖎. tba.
gracieabrams
germansingergirl
ellievsbear
kianamaiart
origamiaround
