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Recent Flashback @ Smokers Paradise Smoke Shop - Interaction: Mollie | Collab with [@Moon Child]
Clark's General Store - Interaction: Silvester | [@Pumpkin Jackdaw]
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[color=E26612]“Hey bitch! How’s it been?” [/color]

The familiar greeting from a friend brought a smile to manager Mollie’s lips. The young woman had sought employment at Smoker’s Paradise two months after her husband’s passing, desperate to find a distraction from the grief that had consumed her for those eight long weeks. She had risen through the smoke shop’s ranks rather quickly, proving her trustworthy and responsible nature to the owner within the first six weeks of her employment and getting promoted to manager as of two months ago.

From the opening day of Pines’ new establishment, the young father had been a loyal customer of Smoker’s. Initially, Lee and Mollie had limited themselves to exchanging polite pleasantries and limited conversation to whatever requests the man had. But with enough frequent visits, time passed and rapport built, the two’s casual relationship had grown into a genuine friendship. Nowadays, Mollie actually looked forward to Lee’s visits. They were a welcome distraction from the grief and chaos around her.

[color=694553]“Hey, Lee,”[/color] Mollie greeted the man from behind the counter with a welcoming grin. [color=694553]“Will it be your usual today, or are you in the mood for something new? We got some new product in yesterday that’s really good. I think you might like it if you’re in for trying it out!”[/color]

The speakers play Crazy Train by AC/DC and he starts bobbing his head and grooving to the beat. “This one is definitely on my repeat list lately! Good taste, girl.” he smiles a big toothy grin. He holds up an arm for a side arm hug over the counter, which the blonde happily reciprocates.

Mollie’s chuckle filled the air. [color=694553]“AC/DC was one of Kent’s favorite bands, so I play their music whenever I want to feel closer to him,”[/color] she explained, copying Lee and bobbing her own head to the rock song playing across the small store. The sound of the vintage band’s song blasting through the Pines Holler silence had always been a sure way of knowing when Kent was in the vicinity or when he’d arrived somewhere. When the grief started to rear its ugly head, the young woman played one of their songs to find comfort within the familiarity of the beats and the lyrics. [color=694553]“How are things, though, hun? How are Sally and your mom doing?”[/color]

As she talks, he digs through the bucket of cheaper lighters looking for a yellow one. But as he digs, it starts to feel like maybe he’s sold her out of them already. Maybe he needs one of those retractable lighters on a badge clip, a frown filters over his lips. Lee notes the Kent mention but rather than ask he chickens out. Instead, he makes a mental note to ask later. He files it with post it #12 saying the exact same thing. 

[color=E26612]“Mom’s alright- getting worried about her knees, but she’s been happy to have Sandy mostly home for the Summer. Sandy- she's smart. Taking Summer classes for extra credits.”[/color] The last part of his statement is lower- even so he’s unable to keep the wavering from his voice. 

Clearing his throat, he changes the subject. [color=E26612]“How are you holdin’ up?”[/color] He turns to pick out a tab of papers from the shelf behind him, and then pulls out cash to cover it. He leans on the shelf beside the corner, knocks something over, and just barely catches it before it hits the ground. A soft apologetic laugh escapes him.

Mollie was quiet for a second, thinking of the best way to answer Lee’s question. [color=694553]“It’s… It’s getting better,”[/color] she admitted with honesty. [color=694553]“There are days and there are days, like anything else. I’m just trying to keep my head u–”[/color]

Before she could finish her sentence, every electric-powered item and device in the room suddenly shut down. [color=694553]“Goddamn it…”[/color] she muttered under her breath, brows furrowing in annoyance. [i]Another[/i] power outage. How lovely! Leave it to Pines’ shitty electric grid to ruin what otherwise could’ve been a perfectly good day of sales. [color=694553]‘This never would’ve happened in Vegas…’[/color] Mol found herself thinking before she could stop herself.

When the power goes out, he feels his anxiety ratchet up a full click. [color=E26612]“You gotta be kidding me.”[/color] His hands rise nearly to his face before they softly slap down to his thighs. [color=E26612]“Every goddamn time.”[/color] It’s pure exasperation.

The air around them begins to still and he looks up to refocus on his friend. [color=E26612]“Want me to grab ya a bag of ice from the gas station?”[/color] He’s gotta grab some for Ma anyway, plus some just in case for Clark’s.

[color=694553]“That would be amazing, thank you!”[/color] Mollie answered, sighing gratefully. She was sure Dallas would appreciate the gesture back at the house, too. 

[color=E26612]“Alright- be back.”[/color] On the way out the door he chastises himself for not asking about Kent [i]again[/i]. It had been a door wide open, and instead of taking it, he’d cowered at the entrance. Just like always. 

When he returns with the ice, he’s worked up the courage for one thing though- [color=E26612]“Hey, Sandy’s Gran is having family dinner again at our place next week sometime.”[/color] He sets the ice beside the counter entrance, and slowly backs up toward the door. [color=E26612]“Open chair if you’re interested.”[/color]

He’s hoping she’ll come to the family dinner, and that will prove he cares. Yeah, action over words right? Lee can maybe do that.

The blonde’s face lit up with a bright smile at the warm invitation, and she was quick to nod her acceptance of the kind offer. [color=694553]“Sure! Just let me know the details and I’ll make sure to be there.”[/color]

Lee nods to her before heading out the door in a hurry- a tiny win for today.

[hr]

Inside Clarks, Lee was sweeping their limited produce section out of the display racks and shoving them into a cooler. He’d preemptively packed the bottom of it with ice and added a layer of cardboard. It was a relatively fast task, but he was going slowly so as to not bruise the tomatoes or greens from the local farm they [i]just[/i] got delivered. 

He’d been working here for most of his adulthood. It’d been basically the same thing every Summer. Clark trusted him at this point- which was very much not the case when he’d been a punk ass kid that was barely 17. Lee was grateful to Clark. He took a chance on a teen dad. 

It’s when he’s moving the last tomato, he leans up to see someone walk into the front door. The sign is flipped to Closed, but Lee recognizes him immediately. Silvester. Owner of Belasco's Antiquaries- he was close in age to Clark- and he noticed they occasionally caught up. Lee thought he had the kindest smile in town- so of course he developed a micro-crush on the man. It was pretty common for Lee to crush on people based on just the way they treated others. 

But it wasn’t just that with Silvester- Lee thought he was [i]handsome handsome[/i] in the same way his Uncle Jack used to say was ‘classic’ before he moved to the city. 

Lee was happy to see him around. Quickly heading over, he unlocks and holds the door for Silvester. Extremely aware of the heat that began to creep into the store, he fans the bottom of his shirt away from his stomach a few times. The synthetic fabric sticks to him each time and it rides his shirt up a little before he pulls it back down. 

[color=E26612]“Hey- been a minute- store’s closed since the power’s out. Are you looking for Clark?”[/color] Lee’s voice is creeping into customer service voice territory. [color=E26612]“If you’re looking for something, I can still check you out with cash?”[/color] Conscious of the tension in his shoulders, he tries to shake it off as he heads for whatever Silvester asks for. 

If Clark is coming out, or Silvester has a few items he purchases- Lee attempts small talk over that interaction. [color=E26612]“So- any new finds lately?”[/color] Lee’s never been into Silvester’s shop. The idea of being around so many breakable objects freaked him out. Expensive objects to boot. 

[color=E26612]“Know anybody trying to get rid of one of those dorm style beds that is lofted, or a futon?”[/color] Since Sandy got older, Lee started sleeping on the couch in the living room. His Ma was pressuring him to find a more sustainable solution. He figured without floor space, he could always get something lofted or foldable. [color=E26612]“Only so much room in the trailer-”[/color] he jokes, puffing out a laugh that is mostly air.