DESIGNED HOPE.

lore. 35. archietct/interior designer. perez family. from a young age her life has been abnormal, she knows that. but so much is covered over in time now, the way leaves fall and cover a piece of earth, and eventually mingle with the soil. things that happened to her then are buried in the earth of her body.

[loresalazar]

&. — introduction.

from a young age her life has been abnormal, she knows that. but so much is covered over in time now, the way leaves fall and cover a piece of earth, and eventually mingle with the soil. things that happened to her then are buried in the earth of her body.

lorenza morales salazar, 35, coral coast, architect

perez founding family, interior designer

cis woman, she/her, bisexual, single, aquarius

&. — the story.

a child in a winsdor bay founding family hadn't been anything like small town royalty. it more so meant people were curious, judgmental, and too much in your business. in some ways, looking back now as an adult, lore would say plenty of people were secretly rooting for her to fail. nepotism can open many doors but she'd always sought out something authentic. drawn to structures, lines, and intricate details lore had first gotten her feet wet in the world of architecture through interior design. with general ed out of the way and needing a job, something to get started, lore worked for a real estate company and made a name for her own business in staging houses. eventually that wasn't enough and her appetite for all things buildings grew into a need to go back to uni and get an architecture degree. she cut her teeth at a big, prestigious firm in portland and truly paid her dues. she always had a few projects going on at a time and has had her work featured in the likes of architectural digest. there's been a nasty rumor that she's had to fight at her firm that she was sleeping with one of the top executives because lore has been landing big accounts. including a celebrity or two. a woman trying to make it in a male dominated field she celebrates her success in spite of those not happy with where she's at already in her career.

&. — wanted connections / plots.

childhood friends, neighbors, schoolmates growing up

neighbors in coral coast

clients: could be from when she was an interior designer or now as an architect, maybe a referral if not a client

photographers that she frequently uses for business

seattle gang: lore went to uni up there so anyone she could've been close to at that time

exes and oh's (flings, dates, ons, etc)

siblings: there is another sibling in the family, likely older

founding family drama: could be that their families never liked each other, maybe something happened that there's grudges and lines to not be crossed, they could think its bs and are trying to mend things but their families are stubborn??

green with envy: maybe someone that either works in the industry to some capacity or just feels jealousy to see her continue to climb the ladder of success. they could've been apart of or started the rumors of her "sleeping her way to the top".

for the love of art: lore is big on going to museums (especially history related), art galleries and shows, architecture events, lectures, book talks, etc. having someone that she regularly goes with would be fun? they're always each other's date.

fake bf/gf: at some point lore was trying to get her parents off her back about still being single (not married, no babies) so she and your muse made an arrangement but it's something that still pops up whenever she has to do a family thing?

open to anything, really!

[brayden-rhodes]

Brayden had come into Java Junction where he was planning on just getting his caffeine fix and then he would go on about his day. He was waiting in line to order his drink so that he could get going. While he was scrolling through his phone mindlessly, he had reached out to the container of treats that were laid out. He thought it would be a simple process where he would just grab it and then pop it into his mouth. However, his hand met with someone else's and he chuckled a bit. "I mean I'm okay with going halfsies on it. I proably could afford to only eat half."

[loresalazar]

"really?" her somewhat amused gaze moved up and down the blond next to her, as though she'd find the reasoning behind his words. "i'll pay for it. don't even worry about that. since i'm being so possessive and all about it." lore laughed lightly and reached for a plastic knife in the offered collection to cut the pastry in half.

"unless you're trying to tell me you're on some strict diet." with a rise in her brow, she paused her sawing through the soft treat and gave him a pointed look. "you look good to me," she complimented. "besides, coffee deserves some company too, don't you think?"

[jj-hayes]

With the weather being colder and Mia being old enough to go outside a lot more, JJ had managed to start a new tradition for the two of them. At least once a week, he took his little girl on a coffee shop date, which included letting her try some hot chocolate and maybe a baked good while he enjoyed his usual vanilla bean latte. Needless to say, it had become JJ's favourite time of the week, letting Mia become exposed to the outside world. He found that it encouraged her curiosity, which he believed to be vital in her overall development.

Cradling a cranky little Mia on his lap, JJ lifted his brow and shook his head. "You're willing to fight a toddler? Really?" He could not help but tease the other, laughing softly. "Halfsies, but only because Mia can't finish the whole thing by herself, and Daddy's really not that hungry." Mia's wide eyes met hers, and she smiled, showing off her four front teeth. The toddler held her hand out towards the other, trying to grab onto her hand. "Be nice, Mia. I'm sure if you ask nicely, Lore'll be happy to share with you."

[loresalazar]

"absolutely," lore joked, "it's never too early to teach them that the world can be a cruel place." when her eyes peeled off of jj they shifted to mia, the most innocent pair of eyes in the room took ahold of her and she offered her dimpled smile immediately. despite never really desiring children for herself, hell, she'd never even settled into a real longterm, committed relationship, that didn't equate to her not being fond of children. "hmm," the brunette hummed, "daddy's not hungry," she echoed but her tone was rasped and playful. when she glanced up at jj her brow wiggled in tease.

one hand reached out for a plastic knife to divide the pastry treat from the offered cutlery collection and the other hand allowed her fingers to connect with the tiny toddler's. "you're assuming so much about me, j. happy to share?" the pointed look in her eyes came with a trace of a grin. "you're lucky i'm just willing to do some nice things for that face." which? lore didn't clarify. when the pastry was cut in half, she also cut a bite sized for jj and then passed the napkin over. "don't make me go this distance alone, j."

[avimohan]

he was so close to finishing the article highlighting local artists, but his stomach had other plans that didn't involve taps at his laptop and highlighted text. he'd drained his second, maybe third latte of the day and all that espresso needed soaking up with something good, something sweet.

with the target in sight, he'd felt the victory at his fingertips, only for it all to crumble away with in a matter of seconds. his mouth fell open slightly, a mock show of dramatics as he met the eyes of the woman who'd had the same idea as him. in all fairness, he couldn't blame her. "halfsies?" he spoke it like a kid who hadn't yet learned what sharing was.

"i think we might have to duel." he raised his hands slowly, prepping for the oldest style play in the book. "rock, paper, scissors? best two outta three?" he was kidding, but he kept his hands up like it was challenge he hoped she would accept. "unless i lose, then sure. halfsies."

[loresalazar]

it seemed right that the battle for the last pastry would come down to the two of them. they'd both been in the café the longest. laptops, ipads, notes around them. clearly using the space as their office for the day. lore had noticed him some time ago in one of the many breaks and stretching out of her spine that she'd taken in the hours that'd ticked by with too much espresso consumption.

at the raise of his hands and suggestion of a duel her own lifted and stood ground, ready for engagement. "you can't say might while taking a fighting stance," the brunette laughed under her breath. "for someone that spends as much time typing away at their computer i'd hope you'd know better about contradictions," lore teased.

"mmm," sounded in her throat, soft yet somewhat rasped, "now there's a load of confidence. i'm surprised your hands aren't shaking." hers either for that matter when considering how much caffeine pumped through her veins. eyes that were nearing the burning stage narrowed slightly as a corner of her mouth hitched in smirk, "ready?" her fist rose and fell against her own palm with the count. "one, two, three..."

[cassandrareid]

Answering a couple of emails on her phone, Cassandra was at Java Junction trying to get her daily dose of caffeine in her system. In the midst of waiting for drink, she decided to browse the packaged baked good sections to see if she could take anything to go. Without even thinking, she reached for one of the last chocolate banana loaf and ended up bumping fingers with someone else. "Oh, sorry." she said out loud while retracting her hand. Tilting her head, she assessed the pastry as if she was wondering if it was even worth the fight and said, "If you need to fight someone for this, then that says a lot and you need it more than me. I'll actually get the cookie instead."

[loresalazar]

eyes traveling the distance from where their fingers played bumper cars to the face that owned them, confusion flashed at her brow in wonder if the joke and playfulness hadn't been clear enough. "need is a strong word," lore replied and her hand retracted rather than moving forward to scoop up the slice of the chocolate banana loaf.

"i'm actually not picky," lore admitted, her attention shifting between the last available treats on the tray, "so you take first pick and i'll grab the other." the trace of a smile appeared as she connected their gazes once again. "technically i think your hand was in the lead anyway so it's only fair."

[loresalazar]

&. — open starter: java junction, anytime, with anyone! @windsorbaystarters

seated at the counter and leisurely toying around with some design concepts on her ipad, lore sipped her latte and relished how the subdued bustle of the place helped her focus. she was one of those people that did better with some background noise, and the establishment wasn't at it's busiest yet had just enough activity going on to be the support she needed in productivity. a while ago one of the baristas had placed a tray of baked goods on the counter, a take one and pay before you leave type of deal, and she'd reached for one without lifting her gaze from her screen.

"oop," lore reacted without looking at first when her fingers bumped those of another. when her eyes did lift her attention went to the tray first and then to the person that was keen on grabbing the last one just as she. "looks like we may have to go halfsies on this," she offered, her eyes playful as she held theirs, "you good with that or are we gonna have to fight?"

[bombshell-manual]

Eiza González in David Yurman

[luthienne]

“From a young age her life has been abnormal, she knows that. But so much is covered over in time now, the way leaves fall and cover a piece of earth, and eventually mingle with the soil. Things that happened to her then are buried in the earth of her body.”

— Sally Rooney, from Normal People: A Novel

[endiness]

Channel Zero: No-End House