[nicklennox]

nicholas kian lennox (نیکولاس کیان لنوکس) — (he/they, demi man) also known as nick, born on july 23rd, 1983. a proudly bisexual iranian-american baker, father, and traveler. father to parker james and legal guardian to madelyn grace; cat father to robin. portrayed by ramin karimloo & adored penned by cherry.

bio ⭑ timeline ⭑ stats ⭑ wanted

[hessgirards]

who: hess girard & your muse

where: aquatic conservatory

when: feat. world oceans day

" i know it's good to learn, i just ... " stares at the nearest aquarium, suspicious of what's swimming around in it. nothing truly offensive: angel fish, the lone puffer fish, a handful of colorful ones she's never seen before, but the whole thing gives her the creeps. she rubs her arms, standing closer to the door than someone on one of the guided tours should, trying not to sound rude but — ugh. how'd she get roped into this? " i just think some things should stay outta sight, outta mind. " taps fingers to temples, a ward. " like that thing. what even is that fish? " all this learning makes her thirsty.

[nicklennox]

Nick chuckled, glancing towards his kids who were preoccupied looking at a bunch of clownfish in a tank a few feet away. They knew their kids didn’t want to be there and would probably rather do anything else (but it was educational), but they promised the kids ice cream afterwards, so it was a solid bribe in Nick’s eyes. Of course, that meant he had to actually follow through with it when the time came, but for now, he could at least look at the fish. Fish didn’t interest them much either, so they couldn’t blame their kids’ lack of interest. Perhaps the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. “I’m just as lost as you are,” he replied. “It’s a little…repulsing though, isn’t it? Whatever it is, anyway.”

[leighash]

"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?"

[nicklennox]

Nick nodded, “It definitely does get busy in the morning, but I can’t say it’s necessarily a bad thing. Not everyone wants eggs or bacon for breakfast. Some people want donuts, and that’s okay.” He stopped, realizing his statement, and let out a nervous chuckle. “But I’m definitely biased, though. Although, I don’t typically come in until a bit later in the morning. I usually need to get the kids to school, the cat fed, the house cleaned up a little, and a bit of time to myself, in no particular order. Sometimes I miss the breakfast rush entirely, other times it’s dying down by the time I get here. My employees understand, though. It is just me today because I figured I’d give them a break for no other reason besides the fact that they deserve it. I mean, I like to think I’m a good boss,” they laughed. “I’ve been running this place since 2019, when I moved here. It’s been around long before I came here, though. I’ll admit that I felt weird at first. I mean, I can only imagine what locals initially thought about some random big-city Arkansas guy coming into their small town and buying the bakery. But I like it here, it’s peaceful. It’s a nice change of pace from where I grew up. But enough about me, what do you do for a living?”

[katiexdaltcn]

Katie’s expression softened almost immediately. When he nervously clarified for a kid, not an animal, a small laugh escaped her. "Well, that’s good," she teased gently. " Because I was about to say the paperwork for adopting a golden retriever usually isn’t quite that intense."

At his last question, her brows pulled together slightly. "Hey," she said softly, almost immediately. "No. You’re okay. This isn’t a bad time. And for what it’s worth?" she added, voice gentler now, "the fact that you’re this worried about doing right by her probably means you’re already doing better than you think." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "And I do happen to know a couple of cats around here who are real overachievers in the emotional support department. If you're set on getting another cat, of course."

[nicklennox]

“Thanks,” Nick let out a nervous chuckle. “I just…yeah, I want to do right by her, she deserves it.” He obviously wasn’t planning on oversharing his history with Maddy to a stranger, but he was trying to do good. Maybe another cat would bring them closer together. “I might get another cat, I’m not really a dog person, and my kids are used to having a cat around. I doubt they’re dog people either.”

[leighash]

"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."

[nicklennox]

“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.”

[lcrcmcrie]

Lara entered Flour & co in search of a few things. She was out of bread in the kitchen and needed some for the next week and a half for school lunches and just because. Lily had opted in to come along with her because she was done with sports practice for the season and Colton had left before she did, as did the rest of her friends. Lara didn't mind. She liked having her daughter with her.

She looked at Lily after a moment, who was looking between father and daughter and then the math textbook on the counter. The teen stuck her hands in her pockets. "I could help," she shrugged. "I think my mom wants to buy bread," she looked at Lara, who nodded and pulled up the list on her phone. "The two-pack please," she signed.

[nicklennox]

Nick nodded and moved towards the area of shelves where he kept the pre-packaged bread. Though it’d been baked the day of, they always knew there’d be customers who would want sealed bread. Obviously, he was one to cater to his customers’ wants. They grabbed the requested two-pack and took a glance over at their children still doing their homework (surprisingly) before heading back towards the front. “Alright, here you are. Is there anything else?”

[brooksienewman]

"Math is hard, so I'm sort of glad I didn't hear it," Kellan commented, giving a lighthearted laugh. He took the one math class he was required to in college and then never looked back. Even when helping with his nephews, he made sure to steer clear of any math beyond the most basic stuff. "What kind of math is it? Is it like...algebra? Or geometry? They still teach those, right?"

He looked over at the counter, knowing that the afternoon was maybe not the best time to be picking up new bread and sweets, but when a craving hits, it hits.

[nicklennox]

“It’s decimal multiplication, actually,” Nick replied with a bit of a laugh. “I don’t understand why they’re getting new material this late in the school year, maybe to keep their brains occupied, but…” he trailed off, shrugging. “They don’t seem to get this, so I’m a little worried for their algebra ability when that time comes. Thankfully they have a few more years, but still.”

[leighash]

Still finding her way around town, Ashleigh had decided to pop into one of the local bakeries, pick up a box of pastries, and surprise her volunteers in the morning. After all, there was no better way to put smiles on faces and perk people up than giving them baked goods to start the day. A little sugar and something freshly made never hurt anyone, she was very sure of that.

Flour Co. it was, decided on by asking a few of her fellow ranchands what the best choice was. Of course, everyone had their differing opinions, and Ashleigh very quickly learned the most valuable lesson: there were no bad choices. Pulling open the door to the bakery, she stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised by the smell, first, and the greeting second, looking up as someone popped behind the counter, seeming a bit frazzled, and leaving her laughing as they talked about math lessons. "Honestly, math is kind of like a foreign language to me, I was one of those straight A students except for math," a pause, "and physics. And… chemistry, maybe we'll say a curvy A student." Close enough!

Stepping closer to the counter, she let out a 'hmm' and shrugged a bit, "this is my first time here, actually, but I was thinking of picking up a box of pastries to take into my volunteers tomorrow morning, so. What do you recommend?"

[nicklennox]

“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.”

[whistledownn]

Ramin Karimloo as Kian Madani in Holby City (1999-2022): 22x17 Pleased to Meet You

[nicklennox]

who: nick & closed (3/3)

where: flour co.

when: may 2026

“Is 5th grade math really that difficult?” Nick whispered in a mix of disbelief and amusement (he wasn’t so sure) as he looked down at his children’s papers. They had ultimately made the decision to bring their children to the bakery after school because the kids didn’t have any extracurriculars to go to, and also, they figured the kids just wanted pastries. What kid didn’t want sugar after school? He considered himself to be a ‘fun parent,’ anyway, so a little sugar couldn’t cause much harm. They were alone in the bakery, anyway, so it wasn’t like the kids were taking up seats “Okay, listen, just ignore whatever decimal is there. Forget it, just multiply the numbers as if they were regular ones, and then add the decimal and shift it as necessary. If you’re still stuck, Google it. I really don’t know why you guys are learning new stuff this late into the school year.”

At the sound of the front door bell chiming, he hurried back behind the counter, signaling for the kids to quiet down for a moment. They looked in the direction of someone who had entered the establishment, and smiled slightly. “Sorry, I don’t know if you just heard any of that makeshift math lesson. I’m by no means a math teacher in any form. Um, anyway, what can I do for you?”

[katiexdaltcn]

STATUS: open (0/5) WHERE: the animal sanctuary WHEN: may, 2026

The late afternoon sun painted everything in shades of gold, casting long shadows across the gravel drive that led to the animal sanctuary. It had been one of those days where Katelyn felt like she had lived three separate lifetimes before five o’clock—one bottle-fed fawn, two runaway goats, a Labrador with a talent for escaping every enclosure he was put in, and a phone call from the high school about a student who needed someone to listen.

By the time she finally stepped outside, she smelled faintly of hay, shampoo, and coffee that had long since gone cold. Katie tugged the elastic from her ponytail as she crossed toward her truck. A rescue dog—an aging mutt with one cloudy eye and far too much personality—trotted faithfully at her heels until she crouched to scratch behind his ears.

"Alright, buddy," she murmured, smiling when he leaned into her hand. "You can’t keep following me home. Well... not unless you’re prepared to share the bed with three other animals."

Straightening, she caught sight of someone nearby and offered the kind of smile that came as naturally to her as breathing—warm, easy, and quietly reassuring.

"Sorry," she said with a soft laugh, brushing dog hair from the front of her flannel. "He seems to think he gets a vote in my personal life." She rested one hand on her truck door, hazel eyes bright in the fading sunlight. "How’re you doing?"

[nicklennox]

Nick smiled, chuckling a little at the woman’s comment about the dog. “I get it. They’re curious things, though they’re very endearing. Anyway, I’ve got a bit of an odd request. I’m in the process of working through a bunch of legal papers to finalize an adoption. For a kid, that is, not an animal,” he clarified with a nervous laugh. “Her and I…well, I won’t get too much into it, but I want to surprise her with a pet as a gift to try and make the process easier, probably for both of us, honestly.” They rubbed the back of their neck nervously. “We already have a cat, but she’s been asking for another one anyway, so…I don’t know, I figured I’d try to do something good for her. It wouldn’t hurt. Unless, I don’t know, is this a bad time? I can come back if it’s inconvenient.”

[electric-daisy-forest]

Tattoos and less anxiety, that’s all I want

[jacnaylor]

fave guys

be brave, be true, be kind.

[thatpinkkwitch]

I just heard the phrase, “If you wouldn’t trust their advice, don’t trust their criticism” for the first time and I don’t think I’ve ever needed to hear anything more

[fake-guns-blazing]

they should let me listen to music while looking out the window of a train for my entire life