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@leighash
ASHLEIGH EVA NARINE. ash, leigh. she/her, cis woman, december 10, 1988. Texas gal who moved to Maine in November, 2025 to start a new life. retired champion barrel racer on the rodeo circuit, trained in therapeutic horsemanship, lover of a good barbecue. lives on a boat in the marina, has a cat that knows how to swim, and always smells a little bit like hay and leather.
bio. stats. timeline. connections. wanted. muse. writing ideas.
That makes it perfect sense actually! My closet is almost filled up again. I feel like I just cleaned it too. Essentially, that is what happened. I think she might be starting to realize that I once was young too and had some sense of style. But mostly she likes what’s trendy, so we’ll see
It's so funny how fast you empty it out... only to have it fill back up again, right? Easy come, and come... and come... and then we struggle to let it go! Oh no, coming to the conclusion that parents were once young and hip is so rough, you have to basically rethink everything that you thought that you knew when you realize that! Trendy's good, though. She can stay ahead of the curve when she raids your closet.
“Oh, no,” Nick smiled and shook his head. “You’re not taking up my time at all. It’s been a slow day, less busy than normal, which I don’t exactly mind.” It gave them time to themself, and they knew their kids were too focused on math to butt into what the adults were doing. He loved the kids dearly, but the pair could be very talkative, especially towards customers. Sure, it would mostly be to sway them into buying a specific thing, but that wasn’t always necessary, even if Nick found it endearing.
They quickly gloved their hands before moving towards where they kept the little sample cups, grabbing two and placing them on the counter, before heading towards the display case. He opened it and grabbed a lemon blueberry croissant and a vanilla glazed scone, carefully cutting a chunk of each into smaller, sample-sized portions before placing them into the cups. “These are from a little bit ago. I assure you that I’m not one of those people who leave things in the display case for days at a time. That’s unhygienic. But anyway, I’ll give you these two to start, and then if you want any more, let me know. I’ve got time.”
"Then I'm happy to keep you busy," she said with a warm smile, meaning it, too. Since moving to Merrock, she had loved stopping into local businesses, little bakeries and eateries, shops and bars. It was nice to see how much the people who lived there cared about the town that they called home, how much work they put into the businesses that they owned, and the pride that they took in owning them. "I imagine a place like this does a pretty good breakfast rush, right? Everyone wanting to come in and grab a dozen donuts for the office, or a loaf of bread to make lunches?" She wasn't actually sure -- had never run a bakery or … any business, for that matter, but liked to think she had definitely shopped in them quite often.
Watching as they moved about to gather the samples, she looked around, smiling to herself and at their kids once more, watching them for a moment before turning attention back to the mission at hand. "I can already tell you from the smell that they're going to be delicious," she said with a grin, stepping closer to take them with a laugh, "and don't worry, I trust you. I get the feeling you really love this place and take a lot of pride in it." As she began to test the samples she was given, she chewed thoughtfully, trying to keep an air of mystery about herself as she let the lemon, blueberry taste win her over. "So, how long have you been running this place?"
"Okay, good!" said Amber with a bright smile directed toward the other woman. "Today is not a day for behaving." She was going to stick to that as well, there seemed to be ( on first glance ) too many yummy things available. "Honestly, the good food and the cute face make a fantastic combination." She laughed, starting in the direction of the food stalls with Leigh. "We should definitely make it our mission, I don't think I can make it through the day without them."
"At least where food's concerned," Ashleigh replied with a wry smile, "we probably don't want to misbehave in other ways and find ourselves kicked out of here." Although it would make for a story -- the time Ashleigh tried to attend a Spring Fling and found herself thrown out and banished from returning. Not fun. "Do you know how to make your own?" she asked curiously, "I've never tried, so I don't know how hard or easy it would be. And... I also know that sometime making it yourself doesn't compare to having someone make it for you, of course."
"God, I would hope so. That sounds like such a miserable way for a boat goat to go. Drowning," she shook her head, stifled laughter still audible. "Smart cat!" Jayla smiled when Ashleigh mentioned Howdy steering clear of danger on the boat. "That's what I keep telling myself! You never know.. One day I may just show up with a cat but volunteering at the ranch is a good deterrent to just focus on Misty and the other horses. But it doesn't mean I'm not tempted.." Her attention returned to the creatures they were petting before them. "Being an animal lover is not for the weak."
"It sounds like one of those things you hear in a bar, like… some old tale someone made up while they're completely drunk," she said with a loud laugh, absolutely able to imagine one of the fisherman she often times drank with down at Anchors telling the story, cigar in hand, waving a whiskey around while everyone laughed. Hence why she'd never get a goat on a boat. "He's very smart, and thank God for that." Otherwise, she'd have a whole mess on her hands that she would have to deal with, and Ashleigh didn't want that. "At least we do have places like the sanctuary to go visit and spend time with their animals, so we feel less bad about not having more of our own, you know?" made it a little easier. "Although with the weather turning warmer, we should spend more girly horse time together up at the ranch."
"Oh. Well. I always ignore those," said Amber with a shake of her head, a laugh slipping from within her. Life was too short to worry about those kinds of things if you were healthy within yourself anyway, all you needed to do was to keep an eye on things, treats never hurt. "I could do doughnuts," she answered with a nod. "There's no such thing as too cute to eat when it comes to food. And I'm thinking churros, I'm sure I smelt some around here somewhere."
"In which case, me too," after all, if someone in Amber's field could ignore those kinds of things, Ashleigh felt a little more comfortable doing it herself. "No, you're right. It's cute for a second, and then it's good food, and the good food makes up for the cute face." And even foods that weren't adorable tasted good -- were they supposed to skip those? Ashleigh certainly didn't think so. "Churros sound like a delightful choice, should we make it our mission to find some? I think you're right about the smell, I kept getting whiffs of cinnamon earlier!"
Just a little bit, but I am a lady of action, more broadly speaking, so don't cross me. Well, I did have some support in the form of a very large inheritance and I did grow up with wealth and connections, but I made sure to study my ass off and get the training to back up everything I do, you know? Even with privilege, you're not absolved of being the best version of yourself.
I personally wouldn't dream of it! Of all the terrifying people that I've ever met, you rank near the top, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible, trust me. Ah, see, that helps! But even with that, you can't just run a successful business based off of money alone. There has to be drive and quality behind it, so clearly you're bringing some of that to the table, yeah? I've seen a lot of people in my life who rely too much on connections and money, and if they don't have skills and talent to back it up, they fail.
"Boat goat! I'm not sure I would want to worry about having to save it if it goes overboard but that would be you problem, not mine," Jayla snickered. She too crouched down to greet the creature before them, loving ay excuse to bond with animals. "I have to constantly remind myself that I have Misty. I volunteer at the ranch for a reason.. I have been debating getting a cat for years but simply have not pulled the trigger on that one," she admitted with a nod and a soft laugh.
"Do you think some fishermen would help me out?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. She was sure that they got all sorts of odd requests, but... saving someone's goat from the ocean might be a new one for them. "Cats are fun, though. That one, I do have one the boat, but Howdy's really savvy, stays away from any danger zones, thankfully." She had yet to have any mishaps, didn't want to end up jinxing herself if she wasn't paying attention some afternoon. "But Misty is a pretty worthy star of your attention. But yeah, I spend a lot of time at the ranch and I'm glad for it, keeps me from making any decisions I might regret in the middle of the night when I look at these cute faces."
That was my thought, too!" Oliver agreed, nodding. "Reading a book under the shade of a big oak tree? That sounds like a good time to me, honestly," he smiled. He could do that. He used to do that during his time in university in Seattle. There were a lot of trees and spots to just do some work, read through a new book or just relax. Merrock had a few spots around the parks where he could indulge in some quiet time as well. "That's what I tell everyone! I may be clumsy and klutzy as they come and I trip over my own dog on a good day, but I can handle myself when I go out riding. Funny how that works, huh?" he laughed quietly. A shy grin appeared on his face. "I will do my best. Once I figure it out, I'll be sure that you're the first person to know,"
"Since I work up at the ranch, I'm noticing all these great big, open pastures with these huge, leafy trees, right? And now that we're talking about it, all I can think about is going up there with a picnic lunch and my mare and a good book and spending the day," it seemed like a pretty perfect way to pass a free afternoon, at least as long as the weather cooperated, anyway. "I think it's because the horse is in so much control," she paused, shooting Oliver a grin, "no offense, of course! I just mean that even the clumsiest person can be okay on horseback, as long as they keep their seat and hold on tight." A good mount would get you pretty much anywhere that you needed to go. "Thanks! I expect a book report on being a Merrockite… something tells me that you'll be good at it."
WHO: ashleigh & @xjaylahopkins
WHERE: spring fling, downtown
WHEN: may, 2026
"I swear, this is really dangerous," Ashleigh said with a laugh as she crouched down to scritch the ears of a baby goat, looking up at Jayla. "I cannot have farm animals on a house boat, but coming to this booth in particular is making me wonder about the logistics of a house goat." That probably could not swim and would be in danger every single time that it got up on the dock, so... maybe not. Still, it was hard not to want to smuggle them all home with her. "Do you ever feel that tug to just adopt every animal you come across?"
"Who says you should start with something proper?" Amber asked with a shake of her head and a laugh, and that coming from a medical professional. She'd never been one to follow rules, though, and why should you when you were out enjoying an event? She certainly hadn't followed any rules as yet, and she didn't plan to either. No, today was definitely for enjoying herself, and that was exactly what she planned to do. "What are you leaning towards?" she asked, stepping closer to one of the stalls.
"Nutritional guides," she said with a snorting laugh, because she really wasn't so sure that she believed in what they said. It seemed like they were just joy killers that wanted people to be unhappy, but with a piece of broccoli in their mouth. Who needed that? (No offense, broccoli.) "I' kind of thinking of one of those donuts. They're really cute, which then almost makes me not want to eat them -- but key word is almost, 'cuz they look so good, too," she grinned, then looked at her new companion. "What about you? Do you have any suggestions or recommendations so far?"
WHO: ashleigh & @amberstevenson
WHERE: spring fling
WHEN: may, 2026
Having attended a small handful of these Merrock events, Ashleigh was still learning what to expect -- it seemed like a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work, and she had watched as the townspeople put their heads together to come up with a solution for a Big Problem, which had been kind of inspiring. And now... it was kind of inspiring with donuts. Even better. "I feel like I don't even know where to start," she admitted to the woman next to her with a laugh, "I know I should eat something food food, like with nutrients before going straight for something this sweet, but how do you say no?"
"See, I can't do a savory dessert," she laughed, "call me weird or old fashioned or whatever but I don't know." She lifted her shoulders, and didn't really have much of an explanation but she had her opinions and that was okay. "Okay salted caramel is good but that's definitely still sweet in my book," she nodded and agreed, not being able to think of any other savory desserts either. Shuddering she laughed again, "don't even get me started! Like those sweet potato brownies or zucchini stuff? No thank you, maybe the zucchini muffins for breakfast. But dessert? No way." She never realized how heated she could get regarding desserts but it was a good kind of heated, more passionate than mad. Nodding, "exactly. And yeah though school itself wasn't exactly my favorite thing. The learning part I mean. But hey I turned out okay and it seems like you did too." smiling before taking a bite of her own, "it's a magical place I'll tell you that."
"Everyone's got their thing!" she assured her with a laugh, "I'd never judge you for it. I mean, how boring would the world be if we all liked the same things?" There had to be some good variety, someone out there to like every dessert that someone else made, or else why make it? But Ashleigh knew that there would always be some things that people just liked no matter what. Hot fudge sundaes, for example. There weren't any human beings on earth that didn't like that, she was sure of it. "It's not for me, either," she shook her head, "if that's someone's cup of tea, more power to them, but… nah." There were just better things to reach for when you wanted to taste something yummy after a long day. "I'm looking forward to experiencing all of the magic," she said honestly, taking another bite of her gelato with a happy smile. "Especially if it's all like this."
A gentle smile came to her lips at the words, the words meaning more to her after all the years than she would've thought. She gave a gentle bump to her shoulder in appreciation before she took another look at the fence. "You don't want to make the wrong impression, I get it. I think that even as a respected member of the community, it could still come off as odd to certain folks. Maybe we can be quick about it." Not that she expected anyone to suddenly pop around a corner, and it really wasn't the worst circumstances, picking up their lost items at night. Still, in a small town, gossip reigned supreme, and she didn't want Ashleigh to fall victim to it. A slight giggle at her comment, she gave a shrug. "Eh, worth a shot. So, how do you want to play this out? You have coordination, getting up on horses and whatnot..." Did it actually translate to the task at hand? Maybe not, but she would feel more confident after the fact, seeing her do it first. "Wanna go first?"
"You mean we damn well better be quick about it?" she asked, unable to keep a laugh out of her voice when the accent slipped through a little bit, but… there was some truth to it, right? If you were going to do something that was going to draw attention, then you might as well do it as quickly as possible to make sure that you weren't going to land yourself in any kind of trouble. Hopefully. Ashleigh didn't want to know what people talked about after church on Sunday mornings, but she did know that she didn't want to be it. "I mean, I am good at putting my foot in a stirrup and throwing myself up over a horse, so you might be on to something," and the wall wasn't going to move the way that a horse could -- was this going to be easier than Ashleigh thought? "Alright," she nodded her head, "cup your hands so I can get a boost, and then when I'm over, I'll heft you up there with me." Between the two of them, how hard could this really be? Ashleigh peered over the fence again, and nodded with more confidence, rolling up her sleeves and getting ready to make her move whenever Kennedy got into position.
“The flaw of humanity,” Bryan said with a chuckle. People tended to overreact even with the smallest things. That’s why people argued so much, he was sure. “Oh that’s cool,” he said. “When I was a kid, I always wanted a horse. One of my siblings was obsessed with them. So I wanted to be a knight or something. Or Aragorn. I had a wild imagination,” he said. “We may just have to make a day out of spending some time at the ranch. It’s gonna be the perfect weather to go riding too,” he smiled. “I think that’s the best part! What can beat melty cheese?”
"You're not wrong," she shook her head, knowing that there was no such thing as a person living in this world without flaws, no matter how much they might not have wanted to believe it about themselves. But that was somewhat unifying, at the same time, making everyone realize that they were all the same. "Nothing wrong with a good imagination! I wish that I had one, but instead of dreaming about unicorns, I just wanted to ride horses, you know?" Which wasn't so far off, but she had been glad when she had achieved her dream. "Hopefully, anyway, I can't wait to come home from a day of work and not be freezing cold," she laughed, shrugging both shoulders. When Bryan agreed with her about the cheese, she nodded her head eagerly. "Amen to that. So… what do you think. Is the gate unlocked to get in this garden to get my watch?"
Shady loves company, because who wants to be anything but shady? I never said my goodness extends to what I say and think behind people's backs. I am joking, by the way, I don't actually do shady things...that you'll ever know of. Somewhere between the ugly duckling and humble. Because I think if I had the money I had now I could have been thriving, but I didn't want to rely on my parents' wealth.
You're right! And don't worry, I got the feeling that you might be a little more talk than action when it comes to being shady. Which is okay, there's nothing wrong with talking yourself up as being a Shady Lady so that everyone knows not to mess with you! I can understand that. You wanted to do things on your own so that you could prove that you didn't need them. And look, I've only known you for what, half a year already? But it seems like you're doing pretty well for yourself!
“I decided to bring my kids here because I knew they wanted pastries after school, and they wanted to get homework done anyway. They, unfortunately, don’t seem to understand the math aspect of it, and as I said, I’m not a math teacher. I wouldn’t hold it against them if they googled it, and frankly, it’s May, so I’m not sure why they’re learning new stuff.” Nick chuckled. “I wasn’t really a math student either, I mean, growing up, I kind of sucked at it. Nowadays I do kind of need it for, well, this, but…” they shrugged. “I’m not a mathematician.”
He raised an eyebrow at the woman’s revelation that it was her first time in the bakery, though he smiled to show he wasn’t actually offended by it. There were plenty of bakeries in town, and while they considered theirs to be the best, they wouldn’t care if people went elsewhere. “Wow. That puts a lot of pressure on me,” he joked. “I’m biased, but you can’t go wrong with most of them. Though if you want specifics, the croissants, scones, muffins, éclairs, and danishes are some of the best-sellers. I will say some things sell out faster than others, like the cookies are practically gone by mid-afternoon. It’s mostly parents who give their kids treats after lunch, which…I can’t say I blame them,” they nodded towards their own preoccupied children before looking back towards the woman. “If you want, I can give you some samples. It might make your decision-making process easier.”
"Math never really stops mathing," she said with a laugh, although she completely understood where he was coming from. It seemed a little late in the school year to try to learn something new, especially when most kids were already thinking about summer vacation and spending time with friends, not… whatever it was that someone was trying to teach them in the classroom. And worse yet, making them do in their homework. "I'd offer you some help, but I feel like that might not leave the best impression. Walk into your bakery, make your kids fail math, you hate me, start poisoning all of my donuts… not really the best look, you know?"
With the nicer weather, Ashleigh finally found herself wanting to be out and about a little more, instead of spending her time between her boat, the ranch, and the occasional pop into a restaurant or store to get food. And why not start with a bakery that smelled delicious from the very moment she opened the door? "Actually… samples would be amazing -- if I'm not taking up too much of your time!" she said quickly, not wanting to hold them up from the math homework that they needed to get done. Although… hindsight, handing out samples to baked goods might have been a little more entertaining than that, actually. "But this way I can know what to get, even if absolutely everything sounds delicious, to be honest."
