Roots

open || clothing store @indulgencerpgstarters​

SQUEEZED IN TIGHT FABRIC, her arms were stretched above her head. it was clear that however she managed to get this dress on her body now she was trapped inside. she thought over her options, going over each to ensure that she wouldn’t rip the garment and be forced to pay for it. nothing. she thought all hope was lost until she heard the subtle sound of footsteps outside the changing room door, whoever it was didn’t matter at this point, she needed help. “ hello ? ” she called out. “ i know you’re out there and this is out of the blue, but please, i need help. i’m stuck. ” the brunette sighed. “ just open the door and i’ll owe you big time. ” 

Theo didn’t venture into clothing stores often, preferring to purchase online. But there were some things you had to try on first, particularly shoes for and bathing suits for her. She was despondent already, prepared for disappointment, it was not a good self esteem day. The sound of the other woman’s voice was a welcome distraction, even though Theo feared she may not be as quickly helpful as she’d like to be.  “Okay, I’m coming,” she calls as she stumbles awkwardly into the dressing room door. “Uh I think...it’s locked from the outside, you gotta open it for me.”

Rylan looked at the girl for a second trying to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say next. “Sweetie…are you new here? You don’t do that unless you wanna have someone be fixated on you and stalking you.” She said slowly. “Thankfully im looking for actual houses so I can get out of this complex.” 

Her brows furrow with confusion. “I mean I...wouldn’t put my name and address on it...” She trails off. The struggle of her life has always been trying to relate to people, to figure out how people tell when to say something jokingly, when to add snark, when to be quiet or loud or aggressive. Conversation absolutely overwhelms her with its complexity. “Oh, well I wish you luck with that. It feels like the real estate here is getting snagged up faster and faster. You may wanna also look for people renting out like above garage apartments and guest houses. I’ve seen a lot of those.”

Alessia valued her time with Theo so much. It was so nice to still have such a good friend that was so normal. Theo was always willing to listen and to help Alessia destress. So, anytime the other invited her over, Alessia accepted without hesitation. Today was no different.

She didn’t have to wait long after knocking on the door for Theo to answer, small potted plant in hand. The gesture never failing to bring a smile to Alessia’s lips. Graciously taking the plant, Alessia greeted it immediately after greeting Theo. “Hey, Theo. Thanks. And hello Echo.” She smiled between the two. “You know how much I’m a fan of easy to care for plants.” Alessia added with a laugh, stepping inside. “Watering once every week? My kind of plant.” At the mention of pasta and breadsticks, Alessia groaned with hunger. “Theo, I am always down for garlic and carbs.” She laughed again, setting the plant and her bag near the front door before entering further. “So, what have you been up to?”

Alessia spent a lot of times pushing limits, at least as far as Theo could tell. She was a young woman who perpetually seemed to be trying to prove herself, getting in and out of trouble, performing for herself and for others. And this was all fine with Theo because it meant that when they hung out Alys could rest, she could breathe and relax and be still for a little bit. It made Theo feel proud that she could give that to her friend.

“That’s my girl,” she grinned as her meal plan hit exactly how she wanted it to. “I got us some wine too.” She turns into the kitchen to finish plating the pasta, heaping warm saucy servings for them both. “Thad took me ice skating the other day. I was so nervous I thought I was going to pass out. You know me...I’m a danger to myself without metal blades attached to my feet. But it was fun, I was awful at it but it was fun.” Her eyes assess the girl’s face as she offers her a plate and motions towards the couch. Her spidey senses are tingling, she can always tell when there’s something underneath the girl’s smile that needs to be let out. “What about you? What have you been up to? Did you have a good holiday?”

@indulgencerpgstarters​

Sebastian was nothing if not dedicated to his work, which was why he was in an alley behind a dodgy bar, kicking the shit out of man who had decided to write a scathing article, outing the adultery of one of his clients. Sure, he could have simply run some counter press, maybe have the politician tearfully admit his wrongs while holding his wife’s hand, saying he was manipulated into sleeping with the daughter of his opponent. But violence was much more fun, and a retraction from the person who had started it all, with a forced admission of falsifying information would mean less work for him in spinning a believable story.

“Now, unless you want your wife to have to identify your body, you’re going to do what I ask, and you’re going to do it with a smile, is that understood?” He hissed, the cowering journalist nodding and struggling to scurry away. It didn’t matter if the man ran, he knew his address and if he didn’t make good on the threat, then he would happily take the steps to make sure he never wrote anything again. Sebastian turned, wiping his mouth of his own blood, the bastard had gotten at least one good punch in. To his shock there was someone in the alley, staring. Fuck. “How much do I need to pay you for you to forget you ever saw this?”

The service in the bar was crap. Theo supposed that made sense, this was the type of bar people went to when they didn’t want to be found, didn’t want to be contacted. It wasn’t exactly her favorite establishment in town, but it was a quick walk from the garden center. Theo scowled, holding her phone out, eyes pleadingly waiting for the bars to go up so she could get enough service to text Thad to come and get her. Without success she began to move, eventually meandering into the alley beside it, where she was chasing a few bars that played hide and seek with her. And then she was freezing, eyes taking in the shadowed figured, the dark hushed words.

Wouldn’t be the first or last time she’d come upon a scene like this in this town. “I...I...um nothing. You don’t have to pay me anything. I just needed service so I could call my ride.” Blood glinted, dripping from the corner of his mouth, and she winced. “The way this alley gets used you’d think they’d put out some band aid quarter machines like they have tampons in the bathroom.”

“Theo the ice isn’t going to go anywhere, and it’s nice like I can’t convince them to let us in even if we arrive a little past our booking. I mean I am famous after all.” Thad beamed though he managed to stumble as his foot made it’s way into his trainer. “I swear I set mine, I even checked so god knows but you’re right we’ve got to work on this. I’d get one of this big old clocks but I would never be able to tell the time on it so it would be useless anyway.” Pulling his coat around him and grabbing his scarf That moved to stop her, hands taking her own. “Will you calm down I have my keys…I think…and this is supposed to be fun. It’s not like I’m going to let you fall Theodora.” 

There’s something about him using her full name that makes her still. Her hands are in his own and his voice reminds her to breathe, unclench her jaw, release the tension in her shoulders. “I know you won’t,” she murmurs, but there’s something stubborn and panicky inside her that doesn’t want him to have to catch her. This built up dream in the back of her that wants a scenario where she takes to the ice like a swan on water, is accepted and adaptable to this thing that Thad loves so much. She doesn’t want to disappoint him. “I’ve just spent my whole life being told to immediately fear and avoid stuff like this. I’m excited. I’m excited and nervous all at once.”  Theo leans in, tucks her head against the curve of his neck and breathes him in. “I’m more worried you’re gonna be so busy trying to stop me from falling that I end up making you fall,” she admits with a chuckle. And then she pulls back, though one hand stays firmly twined with his. “Let’s take your car.” Theo can manage driving when she’s calmed and focused, but on a day when she is a knot of energetic butterflies it’s a safer bet. “How old were you when you started skating?”

“Her name is Echo, she’s an echeveria plant. One of my favorite kinds of succulents,” Theo greeted, meeting Alessia at the door with a tiny potted plant in her hands. This would not be surprising to Alys as there was almost always a gifted piece of greenery given to her upon every socialization. “They’re really easy to take care of, you water her once every seven to ten days. Just check the soil and don’t water till it’s almost bone dry.” Stepping aside she grins as she welcomes her friend into the apartment. “I hope you were in the mood for Italian cause I got us some pasta and those really good garlic butter breadsticks.” @alessiaxcirrilo​

“You ever wonder what the hell is going through some peoples minds sometimes?” Rylan said as she stared at the coffee in front of her. “I swear i need to find a better place to live because the neighborhood crack head wont stop fighting with her imaginary boyfriend.” 

@indulgencerpgstarters​

“Yes and no. I think it’s more like I feel bad for what’s going on in their head, but I don’t wanna know about it.” Theo admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. “Cause ya know, usually it’s not fun stuff. Especially in a scenario like the one you just brought up.” Ever a problem solver, she tapped a finger against her chin and leaned into the blonde. “What if, we put together a small flower arrangement and had it delivered to her place as if it was from the imaginary boyfriend? Does she shout his name when she’s fighting with him? We can see if we can do something to trigger a makeup in her reality.”

A SILENCE FILLED THE ROOM, slowly but surely the brunette thought over the other woman’s words. effie nodded her head, she’d hadn’t been in that situation in a while but it was a feeling she was well aware of. “ i know what you mean, usually on those days i’ll try to go back to sleep for a while…kind of like a reset. ” she shrugged. “ some days it works, but occasionally it takes more than a nap for it to stick. ”

“A nap sounds so good right now,” she answered, giving the other girl a grateful smile. Normally when she went off on random monologues to people they looked at her like she was an annoying gnat in their way, or they were so drunk or high they couldn’t even understand what she was saying. “What are you backups? Like what else works for you if the nap doesn’t?”

–

“Well I mean we do live in a place that happens to be filled with fuck ups, I’m not surprised you get a lot of people that need to say sorry.” Thad was pretty sure there could be a shop around here that ran on apology products alone and it would make a damn fortune. He loved this though, just sitting and listening to Theo talk about what she loved, with all of the clumsiness she was often unsure of herself or saying sorry for something, but when she talked about her work she knew exactly what she was talking about and she was so passionate. “Well how about I buy you a whole bunch to keep here yourself, then it’s still good business see…and don’t worry about me I had to plans anyway so I can stay and save your hands.” Watching as she lifted her hands he linked his fingers with her own without even thinking about it. “They’re perfect just as they are, and they can have tomorrow off.” 

“My mom likes to say there’s no fuck ups, there’s just a lot of people learning lessons about themselves and the world around them.” She laughs, her mother the type to talk like a hallmark card or a fortune cookie. “But then I’d drop her gran’s irreplaceable china teacup or something super important and I’d watch her get upset and I knew that sometimes a fuck up is just a fuck up and there’s nothing to be learned except for how to make yourself more useful to people so that your use outweighs the fuck ups.” Typical Thad, if she wanted to turn the entire house into a wall to floor sea of greenery and flowers he’d probably let her. Their fingers link with ease. She’d thought she’d had best friends when she was younger, but they’d all grown apart, grown up and stopped fitting together. Theo didn’t want to imagine a world where they ever stopped, Thad was her person, the only person she truly felt like she fit with. She squeezes his hands and leans in to snuggle into his side, her head on his chest. “I really won the best friend and the roommate lottery,” she mused with a smile. “Oooh, I can sort of pay you. We can work a half day, you’ll help me get my work done faster and then maybe when we’re done I can treat you to lunch and then.” She takes a breath. Skating is Thad’s life and she lives at the rink cheering him on, bringing him coffee and hot chocolate in thermoses, lunch to snack on in between practices. But she’s always said no when he talked about teaching her to get on the ice herself. Murder blades strapped to her feet terrified her. But Thad loved it, and she wanted to love the things that were important to him in the same way he gave love to the plants she adored. “I was thinking I might finally let you give me a skating lesson.”

Jacob loved the smell of fresh flowers, of nature. It probably traced back to when he was younger and he would get lost in fields, just running around and being free. Or when he was a bit older and he would go there for some solitude or he could scream at the top of his lungs and he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone hearing him. He always felt a sense of calm when he smelt flowers and that sensation washed over him as soon as he entered Petal Pushers Garden and Florist Shop despite the stress that coursed through his bones just seconds prior. Jacob let out a small chuckle depsite himself at Theodora. Her bright smile contagious. ‘Yes. Do you have anything that says “Sorry I was a dick to you the other day, I didn’t mean it. I was just in a bad mood and I took it out on you I’m sorry?”’ Jacob winced, a small guilty smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

“Uh oh, are you in the doghouse in a friend capacity or a significant other capacity,” she queried, tsking and wagging her finger in his direction. “Lucky for you I know exactly what you need, come on.” He’d found her near the Garden Center and now she lead him to the other half of the shop, bringing him to some of her free cut flowers. She liked to let guests make their own bouquets sometimes if they were the creative types. “So Lilies are always good, they stand for humility and devotion, I’d go for yellow. And then Tulips symbolize peace and fresh starts. We could make these the stars, three of each in the bouquet. And then we can add a little snapdragon and sweat pea to bulk it up.” She gives him two thumbs up. “Guarantee if the bouquet doesn’t get you immediate forgiveness it’ll at least cut a good two days off the forgiveness process.”

–

It could be said that for Theo, Thad was a…what did the guys call it? A shrimp? No…a Simp, that’s what they called him. Not that he knew what it meant nor did he care to, he didn’t really care what anyone thought when it came to his best friend. “Hey I am always burning calories, perks of a high metabolism and you can’t hate me for that, years of sculpting this figure I deserve to be able to pig out when I want to.” As she tucked herself into his side the male chuckled, ordering far more food for the pair than they needed but he was sure that they would manage, or he would. “Say’s it’s going to be thirty minutes so you’re going to have to put up with me till then…tell me about your work today. You need help with anything tomorrow I have no plans.” Thad offered, already knowing he would be cancelling on the lunch he had planned so that he could stay home and help her if her hands were bad again. “We can get so much done.” 

She’d never had good luck with answering adds until Thad. Like all her bad luck and fuck ups had earned her this one good thing that got to be hers. There’s nothing that feels as safe as snuggling into his side. “Work was okay. A lot of people asking for apology bouquets trying to get out of the doghouse,” she answered with a laugh. “And we got this new shipment of Daylilies that are just...stunning. I almost want them all for myself.” She knew that Thad meant it, in fact he’d come to work with her a few times before when her coordination was particularly bad. “Actually I have...I have a lot of repotting to do tomorrow. For plants that have grown too big for their current pots.” She plucks away an imaginary fuzzy on the sleeve of his shirt, then looks up at him with humble concern. “But you don’t have to...I mean I don’t want to take up your whole day with stuff. You have your own job, Thad, I can’t ask you to do mine for me. It’s not fair.” She held her own hand up, glaring at her fingers like they were foreign invaders. “Maybe these guys will decide to behave tomorrow.”

@indulgencerpgstarters​

Theodora has gotten used to doctor’s office waiting rooms. She’s had specialists since she was a child, physical and occupational therapists are as normal to her as anything else. The biggest fear she’d had when considering moving to Santa Ysabel was a worry that the emphasis on wild chaotic lack of inhiation would mean she wouldn’t be able to find those kinds of resources. She was happy to be proven wrong, she was happy to be settled in this city three years now. People were...oddly nice here...edgy and full of vices, yes, but that meant they were open too. Open to her differences, understand and patient and non judgmental when something took her longer. She found a sense of peace in the doctor’s office now, especially when the door opened and her favorite waiting room buddy came in. “Look at that, i saved you a seat,” she called out to Loren, patting the spot beside her.