Wildflower

Honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago Idealism sits prison, chivalry fell on it's sword Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door

[nell-bigby]

Marshall grinned ruefully. “Never heard of it- oh wait, is that the thing I do when I run of out steam from pure exhaustion when I do a double shift and fall asleep for about 30 minutes before my dog wakes me up for a walk?” He thought about it. “Hmmm…. I Love Lucy marathon sounds good. There’s a lot of shows I haven’t even gotten to watch. Game of Thrones? All my coworkers were talking about that one. I think I saw 2 episodes.”

“Mhmm,” she hummed in agreement as she sipped her coffee. “Cheese is always waking me up before my alarm clock too. But he is a perfect nap partner.” Her bulldog may have been an unlikely companion, but she’d adopted him more than seven years ago now. He’d been as much hers as Nate’s. “You poor thing! My advice on that is stop after the sixth season. All the rest is garbage and disappointment. But really just do anything you like. That’s what vacation is for.”

[nell-bigby]

t-aldamiri

Tereik was new in town, but even he understood that if you wanted to go to a bakery when things were a little bit calmer, you needed to go later in the morning and his doctor was getting on him about being underweight, so he was going to try and get something to eat here and do some more work on translating his book, but he hadn’t expected it to be almost totally empty when he and his service dog walked in that day.  Cracking a smile at her comment, Tereik laughed, “It’s alright, good morning.  I definitely need to get some coffee, but I’m totally open for any recommendations you might have on what I should have for breakfast.  The worse for me it is, the better, honestly, I’m having one of those days.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Wiping her hands on the edges of her old apron, she stepped up to the counter with a smile. She’d heard talk at the local haunts about ‘the man from Cairo’ a ‘gravedigger or something other’ but she hadn’t yet laid eyes on him. “Personally I’m a fan of the cheese danishes, cinnamon rolls, or lemon bars when I’m looking to flat line on sugar. Or all three if it’s one of those spectacularly shitty days.”

She leaned up on her toes to peer down at his dog. “What’s this one’s name?”

[nell-bigby]

Ace had had a hard time to focus the past few days. Currently, he was on bad terms with Barbie and as if that was not enough, he had had the unexpected visit of his half-sister who was a patronizing child who thought there was a big chance to have a relationship. Which made him think what had their mother must have told her so she’d get the idea they could bond now? It was unbelievable. So with those things in mind he had forgot that Nelly would stop by the school to have lunch together and when she appeared at his office Ace looked at her with surprise in his eyes wondering what she was doing there; once he remembered he slaped his own forhead. “Crap, I totally forgot, Nel. Gimmie a minute.”

Throwing some stuff on the desk drawer and then grabbing his phone and keys he got up, giving the woman he considered a real sister a quick one-armed hug. “You won’t believe the fucking week I had.” He mentioned as he shook his head and closed the door behind him. “Just…  un-fucking-believable! I’m tellin’ ya’.” Stopping close to Nelly, Ace looked left and right to check no one was around. “My… mother’s daughter is here. She fucking moved into town.” He whispered.

“Forgetting things already, huh? I’d be offended if you weren’t such a senior citizen now” She slipped on a small smile as she watched him gather his things up. She’d been teasing him about turning thirty for months before the actual date actually rolled around. She was barely a year younger, but it was the principal of the matter. She could see the stress bunched about his shoulders and tightened along his jaw, but she’d always found it was better not to bring attention to what was bothering him. He’d either tell her or he wouldn’t. 

She lifted her chin and stretched up into his hug and then stepped out into the hall with him. Her eyebrows perked at what he said. “Sophie? In Frostford?” The topic of Ace’s mother came up infrequently, and the topic of the half-sibling he had in California even less so. That part of her family was as distant and unknown as a stranger to her. “What is she doing here?”

[nell-bigby]

“Oh yeah? Well what’re you waiting to tell me?” Josephine asked curiosuly before letting out a laugh at what Nelly said. “No way! I can’t believe I missed that! I’m in love with your pumpkin cupcakes! With everything you do, actually.” She added. “But I do have my suspicions. It was either you or that brother of yours.”

“Well all you got to do is ask and I’ll whip up something for you and the kids. You know where to find me.” She was obsessed with baking. She did it when she was sad, when she was happy, when she was bored. It was as much a part of her soul as Frostford itself. “As for Ace,” she smirked, “one day he will pay for his crimes. One day.”

[nell-bigby]

Mikki felt dead on her feet as she entered Wild Flour. She worked late last night and here she was preparing to go in again for another long shift. She needed a pick me up more than anything right now. She walked into the bakery looking at the pastries. Maybe she should buy one for Ivan too. Maybe it would make him a little less angry. She looked to see the blonde with her mouth full greeting her. Mikki smiled slightly. “Mornin’.” The waitress went to the counter. “Is there anything that’s fresh?”

Nelly dropped the tray on the counter, wiping her hands of four and brushing back her long hair. “It’s all fresh,” she said. “Everything on display was made this morning unless it says otherwise.” She leaned her elbows against the counter. “But if you’re looking for bread the mornin’ rush cleared us out. It was a bit Lord of the Flies for a Monday but hey those grannies got to get their sourdough right?”

[nell-bigby]

“Yeah I don’t think anyone grows up wanting to be a telemarketer. I think it’s just something people end up doing when they’re all out of options,” She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. “I’ve heard you have to be a people person to do a job like that but who really loves people that much?”

“I’m a people person and there’s not a chance in hell that I’d spend my days calling people trying to sell insurance.” She chuckled at the very thought of being tied behind a desk doing call after call. She’d been lucky in her career if not in other things. “I think they have an app now that can block those calls though.”

[nell-bigby]

Stella couldn’t stop the chuckle that managed to left her lips, quickly trying to put herself together before speaking. “Uh – good morning,” she said with a chuckle, feet heading towards the front counter. “I had no idea what on earth would crave my sweet tooth, but something tells me that those cookies are going to do the trick. What are they?”

Nelly wiped the flour dust off her hands with her apron, the edges of which were worn and faded. She was embarrassed to be caught out indulging her cravings but not surprised. “Shortbread. Fresh from the oven.” They were simply made with no flourishes or secret ingredients. She’d been making them since she was in pigtails. She gestured toward the tray. “You’re in luck because I made extra if you want to give it a try.”

[nell-bigby]

Everyone told him that he had impeccable timing and it was proving true now that he had managed to walk into Wild Flour at the exact moment the employee had put a cookie into her mouth. Hudson couldn’t help but laugh as he put his hands up in fake surrender. “Good Morning. Sorry, my timing leaves something to be desired.” He said as he looked at what was still available. “Look, I was supposed to bring deserts to this thing tonight and I forgot and I can’t bake so what do you have left that I can get in large amounts or maybe just a mix and match batch?”

“Ah, kindred spirit there,” she noted. She placed her tray aside and wiped her hands against her apron. It didn’t need to be added that she wasn’t supposed to be eating the sales in the front. By this point, her coworkers had given up on trying to stop her from sneaking a treat or two (or five) during the day. “Well we got some brownies that just were finished up a few hours ago. Or assorted cookie trays on the wall. If you have time to come back later I can also make gingerbread cupcakes if we’re going festive.”

[nell-bigby]

“Mornin’,” Dusty replied with some genuine cheer, managing an almost exuberant smile that belied the evident fatigue clinging to his frame. He was walking in a sort of hunched over way, sleepy and closed inward, as if to let the world know that he was in no mood to begin his own shift early that afternoon. But idle hands were the devil’s playthings, after all. And the devil certainly didn’t care if he had been up all night bleaching out his hair. “That don’t sound like too good a cookie flavor if you ask me. Shit…I mean,” he continued with a lopsided grin, but the words were spoken so earnestly, so plainly, that it made it difficult to gauge whether this were a sincere observation, playful ribbing, or some combination of both. He yawned, almost overdramatically, stretching his arms over his head. “I won’t tell no one ‘bout the free samples or nothing, though, don’t worry. You got any a’ them puffed jelly things left, or did they already clear ‘em out?”

“Oh he has humor,” she shot back. She’d been up for over six hours already and it was clear by the looks of the man that he’d possibly been just going to bed at the time she was rolling out. She offered him a smile, half-embarrassed and half-charm. “But he’s unfortunately out of luck. We got our senior citizens in an hour ago, swept them clear.” She offered him out the plate of freshly baked shortbreads she’d whipped up. The tray was still warm in her palm. She’d made extra (as she always did). “For your troubles.”

[christinawalkens]

Christina carefully wrote the last word on the cake in the colorful icing. She capped the icing bag up and set it down before picking it up carefully to show her customer her work. “So, what do you think?” She asked, her slight Australian accent still present and grinning at the work she had completed. @frostfordstart​

[norah-hendrix-blog]

A few feet away, her hands dug in some fresh dough for baguettes, Nelly gave her coworker an approving nod. Masterpiece, she mouthed. She waited until the customer had moved on and her dough was in the oven to go up to Christina. “You know how some people say some food is just too pretty too eat?” she asked. “I never believed a word of that until I saw what you can do with icing.”

[nell-bigby]

@acemadd​

It was a Wednesday, which meant a day off from the bakery and day when she could sleep past sunrise. She finally rolled herself into the shower and fresh clothes in the late morning. She dropped into her parents with fresh blueberry muffins and then dropped Cheese, her overweight frenchie, off at the groomer to get a bath. There were chores and bills and all the annoyingly adult things in life that had come with paying your own rent.

She grabbed two cups of coffee from the corner store, before heading over to the high school. It was unchanged from her own days walking these halls. There were the bleachers she’d sneak behind for smoke and makeout sessions with Nate, and the lobby with the school crest hung proudly. She made her way into the office, tapping on Ace’s door before swinging it open. They’d texted earlier in the week to met for lunch.

“Hey there counselor,” she grinned as she poked her head in the office. “Hang up your cape, pat some shoulders, and come grab a bite with little old me.”

[nell-bigby]

@frostfordstart​

After the morning rush at Wild Flour with sleep deprived workers and feral grandmas crowding around for freshly baked loaves things tended to die down in the cafe. They’d recover, clean, and then fire up the ovens for more intricate orders like birthday cakes, or scones or (her favorite) cupcakes. By late morning, it was dead, and she was brewing her second cup of coffee her fingers duster with flour. She slipped around the front of the shop with a platter of shortbread cookies, sneaking a few for herself as she went to go wrap them. She had a mouthful when the door jingled upon. “Oh shit,” she muttered around the cookie. Everyone else was in the back. She swallowed. “I mean, um, good morning.”

[soph-johnson]

Hillie wasn’t sure how they kept getting her number. She made sure she was unlisted in the phone book and she had changed her number a couple of times already. And yet that didn’t do her any good. They still were able to track her down. Listening to what the person on the other end had to say, she sighed. “You have the wrong number. Please don’t call again.” That part of her life was over yet no one would ever let her move past it. Hanging up, she put her phone away. @frostfordstart​

[nell-bigby]

“Don’t you just love telemarketers?” she was sitting just beside the woman, coffee cup in hand when she heard bits of what she spoke. “I always wondered what little kid grows up thinking ‘i want to be a telemarketer when I’m big.’“ She shuddered comically. “Poor souls.”

[emmarhee]

Moving her head left and right Josephine let out an ‘oomph’ when her beck cracked. “This is the only thing I don’t miss about travelling, feeling all stiff and wanting to stay all day in bed. But you know, work and kids doesn’t give you that option.” Josephine sighed although she was glad to be back home. “Any flash news during these three days I was gone?” She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice as she doubted she missed something important or interesting in three days.

@frostfordstart​

[nell-bigby]

“You did actually.” She leaned her elbows against the tabletop, tucking her long hair behind her ears. “I think I officially baked the best pumpkin cupcakes that have ever graced this little shindig. Somehow like 80% of them disappeared overnight. No major leads but I’ve got my suspicions.”

[rippedstitch-s]

“I just finished training my assistant manager… which means, I am officially on vacation. Which means I can actually do normal things and be fun. Problem is, I don’t do a lot of ‘fun’ things any more.” Marsh looked down at his lunch, taking another bite and sighing. “What do people do on their days off? Watch TV, I guess? I have a whole week off. Should I get drunk?”

@frostfordstart​

[nell-bigby]

She propped her feet up on the seat across from her, shooting a grin at Marshall over her coffee mug. “Personally I like to do this new thing that was just recently invented. It’s called napping and it’s pretty much the best thing ever.” The dimples in her cheeks were deeply indented. “That and pajama days with I Love Lucy marathons.”

[nell-bigby]

(brit Marling, twenty-nine, cis female, she/her) did y'all see (eleanor bigby) walkin’ into (custard’s last stand]? they’ve lived in frostford for [twenty-nine years,] and you can catch ‘em around town working as a [baker @ wild flour bakery.] I reckon they’re pretty [ brave and magnanimous ] but I hear they can also be kinda [ impulsive and indulgent] if ya see 'em around, be sure to say hi . . (leigh, cst, she/her)

@frostfordstart

Born May 31, 1990 to Frank and Caroline Bigby. Born and raised in Frostford.

Parents obviously thought they were hilarious in naming her after a Beetles song. She mostly goes by Nelly. Her fiancee used to call her Bigby. 

Has one younger brother. 

Was a precocious kid and more than little bit mischievous. Loved to know everything and everything and would chatter anyone’s ear off if she had the chance. 

When she was fourteen, her cousin Ace came to live with the family. Unlike most, she wasn’t intimidated in the slightest by his roughness or his wild streaks. She’d sit on the stairs eating ice cream when he was escorted home by the police and listen to the complaints. Later, she’d tiptoe into his room with commentary. ‘Not nearly as terrible as last week’s deviancy. I think your slipping cousin.’

Grew up loving to bake and running the cash register at Wild Flour Bakery. Had a real passion for cupcakes and a notorious sweet tooth. (often eating her own creations.)

At sixteen, she started dating Nathaniel Vance. After high school, he joined the army and she worked her way through cooking school. After graduation she bought a one bedroom apartment in Frostford and got a job baking for Wild Flour Bakery. By twenty-three she was engaged. 

They planned to marry when Nathan came back from his first tour but he was killed in the line of duty and she was left devastated. In many ways she has yet to move on from that loss. 

Currently still lives in her one bedroom apartment and still wears her engagement ring on a necklace around her neck. 

[marlingappreciation]

Brit Marling photographed at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.