beautiful stranger, here you are

                              MEET LUCI MARTINEZ // A QUICK NAVIGATION.

“listen, as a medical professional, i’m telling you –” was a phrase that talia often abused. and this, was one such time. “ salmonella is a lie invented by the health food industry to sell vegan eggs. and even if it was real, which it isn’t, for the record –” and with this, talia punctuated her words with a wave of her hand and a pointed finger. “ the likelihood of you consuming a salmonella enteritis infected egg is once every eight hundred thirty three years. so yes, i will continue to eat raw cookie dough. possibly forever.”

“i was not going to argue that much,” luci laughed, handing over the bucket of cookie dough she was supposed to be using to make fresh cookies for the store. “i was just trying to find an excuse to keep us from eating all of it instead of baking some of the cookies.” she grinned, scooping a chunk out and taking a bite herself. “after all, how am i supposed to entire new customers without the smell of fresh baked cookies in a floral shop?”

“I’d give you updates for free, but you got a deal.” Teddy smiled, feeling triumphant now that she’d allowed him to take the load off her hands. It was arguably a little heavier than it looked, but he didn’t struggle with it as they continued to walk. 

He appreciated her taking interest in the farm, especially since he knew it would be a lot of work for quite a while. Maybe, if he were smarter he would have waited until he could hire contractors instead. Maybe he still would, for some of the harder parts of the renovation. Still, he typically had enough help and advice with Fletch lending his opinion, guidance and occasionally hands-on help with all of it. One day the new farm would look just like the plans he’d drawn up, hopefully. 

“Betty is always amazing company.” He laughed. “Keeps herself company when I’m busy and comes in to make me take breaks when she wants attention. I’ve been working on the kitchen, but my plan is to get the plumbing out of the way as soon as possible, since I know it’s gonna be a lot and I’m probably gonna have to end up calling someone in.” As resistant as he was to the idea, he was realistic too. 

“As for the garden, I promise when I get that far, I’ll be coming right to you. Figure you have a better eye for it than I do.” He told her, shooting her a grateful smile. 

Her smile beamed as she listened; she hadn’t been out to see it yet, what he’d been doing with the place, but knew there was plenty of time. From what she could tell, it would take...well, forever wasn’t quite the apt word for it, but it fit nonetheless. The TV shows always made it look so easy, but with Teddy venturing to do it mostly on his own, and with far less funds than HGTV threw in for people....

“You should let me know when you’re going down there again next,” she prodded, “I can whip up some snacks for you to take breaks with, see what you’ve got going on around there. I know the landscaping is still plenty far off, but - what can I say? I’m nostalgic.” 

“Sounds perfect. You grab the bottle and I’ll grab Des?” Nora laughed, feeling excited for the first time in awhile. It was like a high, the thought of being able to finally be back. “Let’s get this reunion tour started.”

Her life had been miserable up until Wandering Souls. Things had been good back then, fantastic maybe. Nora missed the adrenaline rush of being live in front of people who were just as enthralled as they were about the mysteries of the world. Or maybe they were just enthralled with the chemistry they all had with each other. Either way it was addictive.

“Sounds like a plan,” Luci grinned, squeezing Nora’s arm excitedly. There were few things she missed as much as the Souls, and while she’d been back for years, it never seemed like the right time to reunite them all. But now...maybe. Maybe now that Cassel was being dragged down into the muck of every other suburban town, they could finally find a reason to bring it’s good name into a positive light. 

“You’re not wrong, but no one is exactly hard to find in Cassel,” Will pointed out, ignoring the conclusion she’d come to about him being ‘ready’ to speak. He was by no means fully ready, which was how he’d come into the shop with precisely zero well thought out topics of conversation, but he was trying. And they both knew it counted for something.

The reassurance that he wouldn’t kill a succulent was welcome, and for a moment his eyes darted in their direction as he mulled over the idea. However, before he could inquire as to what exactly they needed to survive Luci hit him with a one-two punch of complications.

“Definitely past this weekend,” was the only thing he would allow himself to say, offering an apologetic smile before he reconsidered and attempted to be more transparent.

“My parents are away through the summer as my mother is on sabbatical. I’ve been taking care of the house in their absence, attempting to finish my second doctorate when I’m not grading pop quizzes or attending emergency faculty meetings. I… was planning on perhaps sticking around a little longer, but I don’t know if I really know yet. I like helping to nurture the bright scientific minds of the future, but the public school system in this country is a nightmare and I find that I’m… a little overqualified.”

Opting for being more open had perhaps made him too open, and now William was visibly cringing as he charged forward into a reply to Luci’s invitation.

Which was appropriate, given what the words coming out of his mouth were.

“I don’t know that they would,” he murmured, his tone soft even if his volume wasn’t. William appreciated the optimism radiating off of Luci, and the invitation was a bright spot in a dreary time, but there was one clear reason why he felt it was required that he continue to be a disappointment. Or… one person.

“Nora, at least.”

Best to not leave the specifics unspoken. He didn’t mean to sound so anguished about it, but truthfully the fear of rightful rejection had been what had kept him from reaching out in the first place. He’d known deep down that some might be more forgiving, like Luci, but being tossed into a situation where he’d have to navigate that relationship, and do so while on camera… he didn’t want to be putting pressure on the girl to forgive him before she was ready, or to pretend like everything was alright when it wasn’t.

“I think the old subscribers might pick up on some tension.”

Luci wanted to argue, but there was always things she didn’t know about; Nora, while a close friend now, had been a closed book for so long and rightfully so. Luci hadn’t exactly made her life easier back in the day. While she hadn’t been outright one of those who bullied her, she hadn’t done much more than make an admonishment to anyone who did, and though the two had made up and opened up about their past, there were still other things they hadn’t discussed. 

Like, apparently, tension that would pop up between her and William. 

Sometimes Luci wondered how she could really be so dense. 

“Well, that’s fine, because that means I get you to myself for a little while longer anyways,” she offered, her warm smile refusing to leave her face even as she contemplated his words. “And it’s not a sure thing yet, nothing set in stone - it’s just been the three of us for a little while, you know, so we hang out sometimes. Usually separately - Des runs the shop next door now, so we have lunch all the time and gossip about everyone, and we even ran into each other sometimes while we were both off exploring the world - you were probably knee deep in school, but that doesn’t surprise me. You did always like learning best.” 

She was glad he would be around for awhile, even if he was dampening her potential reunion plans. She didn’t count on him being an opposition - there was one person, in particular, who had butted heads with Luci the most - but there was time. Especially if he would be around for a few more months at least. 

“Oh, I’ve wondered what teachers were thinking. Like in 10th grade when I wanted to play Rizzo in Grease, and they cast someone else. They were out of their minds then. Clearly, it’s become worse.” With Luci in tow, she makes a beeline for the open booth at the back of the bar, promptly lounging herself across the bench as if it were her personal throne. “You know I saw the old secretary at a rave when I lived in New York,” Annie gives a friendly wave to the bar staff, and then raising her brows at Luci, “Yeah, both nipples  are pierced.”

She rests her head against the wall of the bar while considering Luci’s thought. “Especially in Cassel. Everyone is always ready to put up a front.” Something Annie struggled with…reeling herself in. Some residents in their small town were chameleon-like, the way they changed their personalities to blend with whatever company was present. “It makes it easy for stuff like this to go unnoticed.”

“How dare they,” Luci laughed easily, signaling for two beers to be delivered to their booth as they got comfortable. She’d probably order a burger before too long - it beat going home and staring at the contents of her fridge and cooking for one, at least - “though I could have warned you their castings always sucked. They did West Side Story when I was in drama club, and they put me in the background.” She rolled her eyes. “I may not be Puerto Rican, but I definitely look more the part than Melissa Davies did - the girl was whiter snow.” 

She pondered over Annie’s statement, letting it seep in. She saw it all the time - people with hidden secrets, lies they told themselves, their significant others. Flowers for their ‘wives’ that got delivered to girlfriends, infidelity abound in the small town. But to think someone was hiding that sinister a secret..... 

Teddy canted his head to one side, giving Luci a knowing look. Surely she knew better than to think he wouldn’t carry her things all the way to the floral shop. Hell, he’d carry it further if she needed to. It was the kind of guy he was, generous with his time and easygoing. “Something about that doesn’t surprise me. If you ever need to put up help wanted flyers anywhere, we have a corkboard in the garage. Lots of new people pass through.” He offered, giving her a grin. Always offering his services, though he hadn’t exactly asked yet if it would be okay. 

Despite wanting to insist still, he began to walk with her. At her question, he lifted his brows, feeling a little caught that someone had really noticed. It seemed normal to assume he’d be working every day, but he cherished his days off lately, if you could really call them that. “Not working… technically. I’m over at the old house, working on some stuff in the kitchen.” He’d explained the concept vaguely to Luci once, he recalled. It was over drinks and in between stories, so he didn’t know what she really took in. 

Pausing as they reached a crossing, he moved himself slightly in front of her and gave an expectant look. “Come on, you know me well enough to know I’m gonna tell you to let me hold all of that, even if means we’re walking together the whole way. I promise, I’ve got time.” He teased.

He really did and hell, maybe he could look at some of what they had in stock and maybe pay for some flowers to be sent over to his parents. It’d make his mother smile, he was sure of it. 

“Okay, okay,” she obliged - he was too kind, but he was a lot stronger than she was, and carrying her paper bag was probably a lot easier for him than it was her. She was grateful for the help - she’d find a way to make it up to him later on. “But only if you tell me how things are going on the old farm.” 

She was impressed, really, with what he was planning to accomplish. Fixing up his old home, a farm nonetheless - it was a feat that she sure as hell couldn’t imagine, but knew he’d manage to make it just as beautiful if not more so than it had been once upon a time. Mostly, though, she just liked hearing people talk about their own passions - what they liked, how they accomplished it, their goals and interests. It was what made her such a good interviewer on the music scene - she might not have understood all of it, but she could understand dedication, perseverance. It was admirable. 

She watched the way Luci delicately pocketed the necklace, as if Marley had handed her something worse that extent of care. She had half a mind to inform her that she was almost positive that it wasn’t even real silver, and the diamond embedded in the middle of the pendant was nothing more than cheap plastic. She wasn’t even confident that if Luci put it on, it wouldn’t leave the telltale green mark of fake jewelry against her skin. She remained silent, however, knowing it was her own bitterness seeping through, rising like bile in the back of her throat. 

Marley was quick to swallow it down, shaking her head as if she could brush the lingering feeling away. It remained lodged there, thick and unmoving, so real she felt like she could choke on it. With Luci’s dismissal, she thought the conversation to be over, and was grateful for it, not trusting her lips to part and for words to make their way out. Marley had just turned, locating the box she’d just emptied and mentally already prepared to re-enter the trailer for the next round up, when Luci spoke once more.

It was the fact that she thought Marley appeared to want anything she’d put out on the tables that dislodged the lump in her throat, the sound of her laughter surprising even the blonde who it belonged to. “I’m not really the sentimental type.” She informed. Her eyes roamed over the various set ups around the yard, as if searching for anything in them that could possibly prove her wrong. As if the one thing that could wasn’t pressed snug against the inside of Luci’s pocket.

She did have a point, though. Marley had to assume Luci was well liked around town. Kind enough face, bubbly personality…she worked in a flower shop, for God’s sake. She wasn’t sure how far any of that would go with the nosey neighbors who only came to get a glance at what little miss Marley Callahan looked like after all these years, but it would give her more time to rummage around inside for whatever else was salvageable.

“…yeah, alright.” Her head slowly nodded, reaching for the flowers she’d set down on the table. “I should probably get these in water, anyways.”

For a moment, she worried she had overstepped. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but Marley did seem to find some worth in the offer anyways, and Luci had to restrain herself from pulling, what her family ( sort of ) lovingly referred to as a Luci. Overwhelming someone with her exuberance, her excitement. She managed to nod, keeping her smile as demure as possible. “There’s a little packet of flower food tucked inside as well,” she told her, “depending on how long you want to keep them alive. I promise not to be offended if they’re dead tomorrow.” 

She turned then, old woman Haggerty still sniffing around, trying to find out gossip when Luci decided to put on her saleswoman voice; “How can I help you today? Have you seen the CD collection? I know your son loved Green Day - I think we can find some of those over there for you, as a small gift on Christmas or something.” 

She steered people away left and right, guiding them to items they might possibly sell ( Luci casually up pricing items that Marley probably would have let walk off for a lower price ) and guiding them to stay away from the grieving girl as much as possible. She would disappear into the trailer, coming back out with more things, Luci would take them and spread them out into decent enough displays. If anyone was there for gossip - well, Luci would kick that stool right out from under them. 

“I’m never this busy at the shop,” she admitted when the whirlwind seemed to have died down, helping Marley tidy up a little. “I forgot that I could actually be a decent sales person when I wanted to be. Did you sell most of what you needed to? If you want to donate some things, I know the nursing home at the edge of town always needs trinkets and things for their residents.” 

While he’d gotten the sense that Luci may be more open to his potentially approaching her, William hadn’t anticipated her level of enthusiasm. The unmissable squeal, the instant affection. It was all very Luci, and therefore familiar - a memory from a past life made real just for one moment.

He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t nice.

“Hi Luci,” her murmured, letting himself accept the affection for the shorter end of what he believed to be an acceptable amount of time. But soon enough he was drawing back, hands digging into his pockets as he prepared himself for potential light interrogation.

Somehow, perhaps even more surprising to him, that wasn’t what he faced. Instead, William’s skepticism was on full display, head cocked and single eyebrow arched, as he faced only teasing questions.

“Considering the length of time I’ve been back, that took quite the restraint,” he pointed out, self-shaming without the expectation that he’d be reassured. The general sense he was getting from the girl’s words and actions was that all was well, but given the amount of time he’d gone without having true friends in his life… paranoia on that front was going to be present for quite some time.

Which brought William to Luci’s questions - both options potentially equally a tease. He admired flowers scientifically and aesthetically, but in practice… he could not keep them alive for over two days. As for the best friends front, it was somewhat a secret that the words placed together had always made him vaguely uncomfortable. Declaring some friends to be at a higher level of importance in his life than others, giving name to the fact that some people knew him better - that was doable enough. But for some reason the association had been forged in his mind that his ‘best friend’, as she had been for the majority of his youth, was his mother. The simple phrase always transported him back to a time when he’d had no one else.

“Not the flowers,” he spoke up, saving himself from his thoughts. “Though I don’t know how good I’d be at the former either. I was in the area. I figured maybe we could catch up.”

Luci was merely grateful he’d shown up; she was excited about a potential reunion on camera with Des and Nora, but having William back - well, 2/3rds of their group was still almost enough to feel like home again. “You have no idea,” her laugh echoed around them as she went to sit behind her counter, knowing the only way she’d stop herself from overwhelming him ( she liked to touch, to fidget, to brush hair and rest hands on arms and William was very much....not that, something she’d learned long ago ) was if she hooked her ankles around the legs of the stool she kept there. “But I knew you’d come to me when you were ready. I’m not exactly hard to find.” 

The floral shop, the bar, her home. Occasionally the market or the coffee shop, but she was a surprising homebody now that she’d been back home for some time. She yearned for the open road, for big cities and winding country roads but she had settled for...Cassel. And that was her decision. She was just living with it now. 

“For the record, I think you could raise an amazing succulent,” she offered, the words true. He was attentive to detail, and while maybe not nurturing like Luci was, he would still provide stability. It was one of his best features, and probably the reason the Souls had lasted as long as they had. Luci was fire, but Will was the earth, providing them solid ground to rest on. 

“How long do you plan on being back for?” she started, hoping it was an easy enough question to give him the chance to be as open - or closed - as he wanted. “Des, Nora and I have been thinking about doing something this weekend. I mean, if you’re interested - we wanna go down to the old train tracks, drink and tell ghost stories. Maybe livestream it for old Souls fans. If you wanna come. I know they’d love to see you as much as I would.”

She shook her head, “People have been too afraid of the true crime section.” Annie had spent a shift moving all the true crime books to the back of the store. As much gossip as there was in town, it seemed like residents didn’t want to be forced to face reality.

Her face sours at Luci’s anecdote. Sure, she had been invested in the case, but it was more in the hope that justice would be served. She lets a sigh escape from her lips. “I feel bad for her parents…for her sister.” Annie plays with a newly frayed hem on her jacket. It was hard being back in the town that reminded her of her brother at every turn. That was her choice. Casey’s family didn’t get to make that decision.

Annie watches out the window as Luci whips through town at an impressive and terrifying speed. The butterflies in her stomach bring her back to the way she would race through the same streets when she first got her license. She smirks. “Can you imagine all this happening when you grew up? I know I wouldn’t have been able to get up to even a quarter of the things I did.” She clutches her non-existent pearls, “I’d probably be boring.”

Luci manages a laugh, letting Annie’s idea formulate in her mind. “Please, with social media at my finger tips? I’d probably be worse than I was.” Hell, they had still been on myspace when she was in high school - figuring out the top eight and only just beginning the ventures to facebook. Now, with their instagrams and twitters and tiktoks, Luci was sure she’d have been a much bigger draw for trouble - and every moment of it documented further than it already was. “Besides, I don’t think you could ever be boring.” 

Of course Nora would join. The more Luci spoke, the happier Des was about this plan. Even if it didn’t kickstart another season of the Wandering Souls, it would be a night with his two favorite women on the planet, goofing off and taking life with a sense of humor. Traveling the world was an adventure, but there was nothing quite like coming home to this.

“Oh, you mean Cassel’s latest cryptid - the bee man of Illinois?” The memory of Luci hopping around on one foot brought the echoes of old laughter back to the surface, until Des was hunched over. “God, do you remember your face? You were so mad that we were all laughing. And the sound of your scream, I –”

He laughed for a minute more before getting control of himself, wiping at the corners of his eyes. “This has to happen now. Even if I had plans on Saturday, they’re canceled. I can text Nora if you want to round up anyone else you think would make it. Do you think ol’ Billy goat would be down to clown? It’s been a while.” 

Luci wanted to be as mad as she had been then when they’d all laughed, but in retrospect it had been, admittedly, hilarious. They couldn’t use the footage at all because of Des’ completely hilarious scream right into the camera’s microphone, but it was something that was a fond memory now. And god, it had been too long since they’d collapsed into laughter like this - she could feel a stitch in her side, even as she tried to catch her breath. 

“I’ve tried to contact William,” she admitted, “a few times, actually. Usually just to say ‘hi’ - I don’t know what his feelings are on it. I don’t want to corner him, scare him off again.” 

She knew, ultimately, their destruction of the Souls had been ( mostly ) on her. Her need for attention, starlight, her desire to go further, higher, faster, more. She’d let the limelight shine too brightly and clutched at it until it imploded them all. Maybe that was why she was so determined to be the one to bring them all back. “I’ll see if I can bring it up to him. We can bring out some food and grill and just....shoot the shit like we did back then. Before it was a big thing.” 

Nora beams and hugged Luci tight. She knew when their heads were put together that they could do anything in the world. They were a friendship powerhouse and for that Nora was grateful. She finally had friends, unlike that scared little girl back in high school.

“I think that’s a great idea. Show them that they’re wanted, that we’re wanted. People are going to want to see us. I mean how could they not; we were amazing at what we did, right?”

“You were amazing,” Luci agrees, “I was just there to keep things from getting too bogged down in technical. The ‘everyman’ who still doesn’t quite understand the equipment or the science Will was always trying to spout out.” Nora never believed it, that there was a faction of their fans who loved and adored her, but Luci had seen them - she loved diving into the world of their little following. 

Fletch listens as she recalls some of her high school memories.  It shakes a few of his own loose.  There wasn’t much else for kids around here to do even in this day and age.  Some of the guys that play on the baseball team come to practice with stories strikingly similar to Fletch’s.  He supposed kicking up the dirt was a right of passage in Cassel.  

“I’d bet money on one of them being a girl was the issue,” Fletch chuckles dryly.  “One of the kids on the team gets shit for having a boyfriend… not from his teammates just like– in general.”  It frustrates him some that the kids now didn’t seem to have it much better than he did back then.  Wasn’t it supposed to get easier and shit?

His lips quirk into a smile as he toys with the flower still stuck in the pinhole of his jacket.  He could have easily removed it after the day she gave it to him at the shop, but it wasn’t hurting anybody.  It even popped out a few times and Fletch would gently put it back into place.  

“I dunno something tells me time isn’t up for us to get into a little trouble, Luce.”

“Don’t tease me, baby Fletch,” she grinned, knocking her shoulder into his own. “I’m always looking for someone to shake things up around here with me. Once you hit your thirties, all your friends become responsible adults. It’s boring.” 

She’d never been great with responsibility, really. It was surprising that her grandmother had given her the floral shop at all - either of her siblings were more grounded, stationary, not taken with the whim to disappear into the night just because her legs itched in a certain way or something. Her mother had told her she was destined to get out of Cassel - but there she was, back in it and still dreaming about the life she’d had. She wanted to be a part of her nieces life, but it cost her the freedom she’d once had. 

Was it really worth it? 

“Sometimes I just want to get into my car and drive. Chicago, Minneapolis, Baton Rouge - just to go somewhere different. Somewhere with new faces. You know?” It was a sadder thought than she normally expressed, a little tug on her heart as her focus shifted to the drink in front of her. “Small town life can just be so...lonely. It’s better in a crowd.”

Travis’ brow raised as the woman leaned against him, though it was better that than worrying about her hurting herself if she happened to fall. He craned his neck forward to get a better look at her before recollecting a small memory of her. “Luci Martinez– how you been doing?” Travis welcomed any form of old friend that he had before. He felt everyone had moved on with their lives and now that Travis wasn’t as up to speed, he was getting left behind. He just wanted to pause everything for one second to give himself a chance to catch up on everything.

“I took a chance and listened to the radio in the shop the other day– can’t understand half the things the kids are singing in their songs these days.” He rolled his eyes, “but of course now I sound exactly like my dad. Where has the time gone?” Travis laughed lightly, not wanting to linger too long on the thought of his father. “You know I heard some kid at the diner say they were nostalgic for 2013? It wasn’t even that long ago– what’s there to miss?!”

Luci furrowed her brow, trying to remember what had happened in 2013. It was almost a decade ago, which was horrifying enough - it would have been around the time the Souls were making big waves, though, and really all she can remember from those days was going into abandoned places and stirring up trouble just for fun. 

“I can’t tell you a single thing about 2013,” she finally shrugged, her mind already racing into a thousand different directions despite her attempts to narrow things down. “So clearly, they were dropped on their head. Or maybe it holds some special nostalgic factor for them - the year everything changed, or something. Like 2003, for me. That was when I realized I was super into Kate Hudson and therefore, not the straight as an arrow girl my grandmother hoped for me. I planned an entire wedding around the dress she wore in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days,” she admitted with a laugh.

date: early march TBD location: the cookie rookie coffee shop ( the meadows ) status: open (0/4)

“So does this town do anything for St. Patty’s Day? Or, is the nearest party in Chicago?” She’s still trying to find her footing, trying to work her way through her own grief and cope with everything that had happened a month ago. So far, she hasn’t been home, she’s outright bought a small home here, and admittedly, she’s homesick. Adrienne’s adjusting, though, toning down the “rude” big city girl attitude so she could melt more easily into the little town of Cassel. Having a year to deliver the money to her sister, she’s decided to take the year to get to know her— or, she wanted to have her way and get to know Marley, but that was only if Marley would speak to her. 

For now, she’s biding her time, working remotely, and killing time in places like these that felt more like ‘normal’. A coffee shop was a coffee shop after all. “You, uh, have some icing on your cheek, by the way.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s a discount at Buck’s for the day?” Luci offered, though she truthfully couldn’t say. “Considering how much of the town is Irish, you’d think we do more - we used to have a parade, but I think they stopped a few years ago. The real parties here don’t happen for holidays anyways - they happen just because.” She had only stopped in to get herself a refill ( she was a sucker for a good frappe in the middle of the day ) and introduced herself to the girl she didn’t quite recognize. She looked almost familiar, but not quite. 

closed for @lucimcrtinez​

   It was hard not to know who Luci Martinez was, the creator of the one claim to fame that the little Midwestern town had. Even without the hype of Wandering Souls on her heels, Isidore’s close relationship with the Fletcher brothers and many of the other reputable trouble-making wild kids in his youth meant their paths would cross in the sleepy Cassel countryside plenty of times. His Freshman year, the blogger had caught his eye; cocky and never giving a fuck, Isidore had toyed with the idea of pursuing the woman who was three years his senior. After all, who didn’t like the charismatic Luci? Sugar, spice, everything nice –

   “Miss Martinez,” Isidore greeted, as he always did, just after the little chime of the bell above the door to the flower shop gave away his entrance. He always smelled of sawdust, ink, and cigarette smoke, always wore the same jacket, and it was a rare sight to see him smile. Amidst the beauty of the blossoms and the sun filtering in through the window, the biker looked like a whore in church, but he wasn’t exactly an uncommon sight from time to time. Lately, with the Casey Andrew’s drama filling the town with caution, Isidore had been spending more time with his grandparents in the assisted care home for the elderly. Sometimes, on her bad days, Isi would bring his grandmother flowers, and today was one of those days. 

   Of course, that wasn’t to say that Isi was an expert by any means. He was as keen with plants as he was with being gentle, preferring the salt of the sea over the aromas of roses. “What’ve you got for my grandma today?” 

@lucimcrtinez​

Luci had her regulars; most of them were older men, looking to apologize to their wives or maybe just to surprise them. Lately, there had been more people looking to send flowers to the Andrews family - and even a shy girl who’d come in, no older than 14, hoping to send something to the Harding boy who went to school. Luci had arranged an anonymous drop off for her, so that she could keep her identity safe while giving a teenager who’d been dragged into hell without his consent a little peace of mind. 

At least not everyone hated him by association. 

Isi was one of her favorites; the tattoo shop wasn’t exactly far ( she passed by it regularly, waving if he was inside, on her way to the market to get snacks ) and sometimes they were even at the nursing home around the same time, visiting their respective grandmothers. She was sure his said the same thing that hers did - you two make quite an attractive couple - but Luci waved it off with a laugh. Flirting was one thing - dating, making commitments - well, she still hadn’t decided how long her temporary stop in Cassel ( going on four years now ) really was. 

“I had a feeling today would be a day,” she smiled, pulling a bouquet she’d prepped first thing that morning off the top shelf, her wedges just barely giving her the height to reach it to pull it down. “With everything gloomy going on, I special ordered some different colored roses for her - something fun and bright to cheer her up.” She showed him the vase - also special ordered, because she was incapable of allowing a single bouquet or display she made not be unique - pleased with her arrangement. “When are you going over? I need to check on a certain florist myself over there. Maybe we could go together?”