Well, well, well, what have we here?

"You there! Got someone special in your life you want to get a gift for?"

"You know, I usually surprise Lorelai with something, what do you got for me today?"

Town Hall was quite nicely decorated for the occasion, which surprised Guinevere, who usually believed these holidays were just an excuse the town had to be especially tacky. Well --she couldn't really talk about tacky, could she? In a long blood-red dress, black boots and a black shawl, ornamented with her small silver and diamond jewelry and a simple, discrete tiara, she had acquiesced and told everyone who asked that she was a vampire queen. Still, she would have preferred not to wear a costume at all.

"This amount of security seems excessive," Guinevere said out loud with a little sigh. "Considering the man behind the poisonings has already been apprehended." She had a sip of wine. "... And even if we were in some sort of danger... I don't think metal detectors and more guards will change that." She knew that, if she wanted to poison someone, she would be much more subtle about it.

"Oh Ms. Bach is that you? Well consider myself honored to be in your loveliness' grace." Oz said with his usual put on, eccentric voice. Always riding the line between smug and aloof, but always entertained.

"And oh you sure got that right sister, I think all this is just security theater, if something happened, it ain't doin' jack shit."

The excess of security was a bit unsettling, but Flynn had to admit that he was used to being under the watchful eye of security. They were not there for him this time, of course, and he really should not be entertaining the notion of putting their attention on him. But at the same time, his old habits made him see the security as a challenge, and he could not help wondering just how thorough they would be.

"So do you think if someone tried to have a go at TP-ing the outside of the building, they'd be on top of that?" he mused to the person beside him, "I mean, totally hypothetically, of course."

"Depends," Oz said. "Is Lil Miss Myshkin within 30 feet?"

"Well that depends on what you say," Oz said. "Could I interest you in anything?"

"Can you please, please, please tell me where the lady's room is in this establishment?" she pleaded, her voice a hushed, urgent whisper. Her eyes, wide with a mixture of panic and embarrassment, locked onto Oz's, and her mouth was drawn into a thin, desperate line. "My monthly visitor came, and I was absolutely not prepared," she confessed, a faint flush rising on her cheeks. "I would truly hate for it to stain my dress, so please, quick, tell me!" The unspoken plea in her gaze was clear: time was of the essence, and any delay could lead to a very public and mortifying mishap.

"Uh, there's a few." Oz said, "I can give you directions or- what the hell- I'll just show you the way. Be quicker than describin' different casino tables and gamblin' machines."

It was about seven or eight in the morning, Shock couldn't know for certain. She yawned, boots dragging on the wooden floors of the house, as she went past the foyer and into the kitchen. There was the usual pile of dirty mugs and dishes, and luckily the edges of a piece of toast someone didn't want. Good enough breakfast for the time being. Munching on it, she hoped she would stay lucky and find something in the warm coffee pot on the stove --but, of course, it was empty as always.

Shock huffed, and made her way out of the kitchen and back into the hallway. The house felt oddly quiet.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Anyone home?"

As she passed his half open door, Oz called out from his desk.

"So the prodigal daughter returns once more," He said, "And is about to be paying for the maid this week if there are shoes on her feet tracking dirt all over my beautiful home. Or you can split it with whichever one of you has made the executive, but very much denied, decision to stop loading your dishes into the wash."

"Well, something you can do for me is finally grant me that interview I've been coveting for the longest time. Or at least allow me to have a proper chat with you, finally get to know the big man behind the best casino in town. Off the record, if you so wish," Chelsea said, about to light a cigarette, but stopping herself in time. "You mind?"

Truly, she completely understood the appeal of remaining mysterious. Hell, that was the angle she picked for her own carefully built persona. And yet she knew there was something else to Mr Borror, something she was determined to dig out. "Pray tell, what does a casino owner do for fun?"

Oz waved her the ok.

"By all means. We all have our vices.....as we live and breath we're sittin' in the house of vice."

Oz thought for a moment. He held that for quiet longer than he needed to, all the potential answers floating around in his head.

"Bugs." Oz said. "I collect and preserve bugs."

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Sally said quietly, wondering if he was being truly mournful or not. She also wondered what his mother had been like, and whether she was partly to blame for the man who was now standing in front of her. If Oz's final personality and demeanor was a result of domestic nurture or of external circumstances, or perhaps a combination of both. "Were...? Were you two close?"

Sweetheart. Sally felt herself wanting to shrink down on her chair, hide behind the desk, cover her face with her hands. She did none of that. Instead, she stood her ground, raised her chin and stared him down. Who did Oz think he was, being all patronizing? "Oh?" she said, raising her eyebrows just a little. "And why would that be? Are you hoping to join Community Theater?"

"But I ain't here to give you my sob story," Oz looked down at her. "Community theater, huh. Imagine that. Me on stage. I'd sure make a good Hades in Hadestwon."

Oz lowered his voice.

"But I ain't here about no community theater either." He took a breath. "Word around town is that you may be in need of some money. Down on your cash. Gettin' more in the red. However you wanna put it."

"Sure has," Sally muttered, not even bothering to acknowledge the greeting.

"For Mother's Day," she answered curtly with her eyes fixed on the flowers. She knew she should be kind and courteous to everyone who stepped into the store, even when that someone was Oz Borror; but, in all honesty, she wasn't very much in the mood to pretend. "Looking for a gift for her?" The quickest she got rid of him, the quickest she would be able to go back to...

To what? A boring day at work? Waiting for someone to come along? Sally looked up at him. Why on Earth did he come in? Just to check on her? To, actually, get a gift for Mama Borror? Unlikely. Sally didn't know him much, but if there was something she could be sure of, was that having Oz nearby was bad news.

Oz made a show of exhaling deeply, and clicking his tongue.

"Nope, today Sally, I was actually, looking for you, sweetheart." He pointed at her.

May was a quiet month at the shop. The only holiday of note was Cinco de Mayo, which came and went quite fast, and Mother's Day... Sally didn't particularly enjoy Mother's Day. She could put on a happy face for it, of course, and smile and be as nice as she always was to customers. But privately, she always had that sense of discomfort and anxiety. As she arranged a bunch of paper flowers on the counter, she wondered if Ella ever had these same feelings towards the holiday.

The little bell by the door ringed its familiar tune. Sally looked up, shook those thoughts out of her mind, and smiled. "Hello, welcome to Jack's Attic. Can I help you?"

He pointed to the paper flowers Sally was arranging.

"So what do we got going on here?"

returning home alone when a grand wedding was taking place was rubbing salt in the wounds and she couldn't face it. hoping to apologies to the couple, jane carried a wedding gift she intended to deliver to them.

@happieststarters

Ray leaving was going to leave a hole there, that was for sure.

"Town just ain't the same with Ray gone, such an absolute shame." Oz said, "Course, no one knows how hard it is more than you darlin', ain't that right?"

At the man's confirmation of his beliefs, Oz gave a long whistle.

"Ah, the break-but-this-time-its-different." Oz said. "Been there plenty of times. Never really ends well, does it? How many breaks we talkin?"

Gabe steeled himself, pushing through the crowd until he was close enough to regret it. "She's not returning my calls."

@ozborror-highroller

"Gabe, long time no see!" Oz said, "Now, who's not returnin' calls?"

trying to take his mind off of it, he turned to the bar and ordered another beer.

@happieststarters

There was a rather bothered looking man beside him at the bar ordering yet another beer. Oz raised a brow.

"Lose your job or lose your girl?" He asked. He gave the man a once over. "My money's on you lost your girl. Or guy, if that's what you're into."