lionhearted

It wasn't entirely common for someone to approach Cesar in public, though it had happened before. Each time, his ego swelled and he felt justified in his persistence to perform despite it feeling like it was going nowhere. Maybe he'd never reach the level of fame he'd dreamt of as a younger man, but even this local-level recognition was validating. "Hi, thanks," he grinned back. "One of my bands is actually going on tour soon. But I'm playing tonight at this dive bar close by here, if you're free and wanna' come through." Cesar was always trying to get more people to come to shows, even on weeknights. Then he remembered they were in the middle of the cafe's entrance, so he cleared his throat. "Am I in your way?" He asked, now wondering if maybe she hadn't exactly approached him, but instead their paths simply crossed.

Maeve blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Cesar's enthusiasm. She hadn't exactly intended to stop him—more like, their trajectories had just awkwardly aligned at the entrance. But now that he was looking at her like that, expectant and hopeful, she felt a small, amused smile tug at the corner of her lips. "You're not in my way," she assured him, shifting her weight to one side. "And—tour, huh? That’s cool." She tilted her head slightly, studying him with a mix of curiosity and mild skepticism. "What kind of music are you playing tonight?"

"Listen.. There's not a lot of things that I can make look easy. I'm glad that I can make roller skating look easy. It was something that my parents and older sibling did with me when I was younger so that's really how I learned." She said to the other. "I mean, I don't know if a literal push is going to help you." She giggled and looked at the other woman. "Here." She said as she rolled in front of her and then held out both of her hands. "Hold on and we are going to take it step by step."

She didn't know what she expected when it came to roller skating but she was glad that she had someone helping her out. "I guess that's good for me since you'll be able to help me do this without looking like a complete fool," she said with a laugh. Taking the other woman's hands, she let out a shaky breath. "Okay, I trust you. It shouldn't be too hard since you're guiding me, right? Baby steps."

Starter for: Olivia & Maeve @maevepeters

Maeve wobbled slightly as she tried to regain her balance, her arms flailing just a little before she steadied herself. She let out a breathy laugh, looking up at Olivia with a grateful smile. “Oh wow, you make it look so easy,” Maeve admitted, glancing down at her skates like they were betraying her. “I think I just need a little push in the right direction—literally.” She grinned. “Any tips before I end up as part of the floor?”

"Hey, sorry about that," he chuckled, noticing the frantic look on her face. "I just landed and was charging my phone on the drive over." Dylan had taken a quick trip back home to Colorado to talk to his mothers about the precarious situation he found himself in. They always provided honest and fair opinions on any issue he was navigating. Heather was more swift and direct in her delivery—pragmatic and decisive in all her decisions. Emily, on the other hand, was empathetic and compassionate, always with a glass-half-full outlook. They balanced each other well, so he knew that seeking their advice on how to handle the news of becoming a father and managing his relationships with Maeve and Azra would be incredibly helpful.

Maeve felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. She stared at him, her mind scrambling to make sense of his words. I’ve always loved you. The sentiment should have meant everything. It should have been enough. But it wasn’t—not when it came after everything else. Her arms folded tightly across her chest, as if that might hold back the storm brewing inside her. “You’ve always loved me?” she repeated, her voice sharp with disbelief. “Then tell me, Dylan—why did you ask Azra to marry you?”

Burning the candle at both ends wasn't an irregular thing for Genesis. Even though she was constantly starting over on this whole bettering herself thing, she was at least trying. In between shifts the wavy headed brunette hadn't been getting enough rest. She'd actually been losing sleep and exerting herself. It seemed worth it, though. On her way out Gen had been distracted with the internal debate of picking up coffee on her way home. Would it keep her up and again disrupt her need for rest or was it a comfort that was deserved. Instead, a near collision with her lovely co-worker had turned off her debate and dropped Gen into her instinctual moves. "Babe, say less," she offered a tired grin and took Maeve's arm. "For you, gorgeous, I say yes I can skip some sleep. A drink sounds heavenly, but I'm buying second round." Because there would be one if she had anything to do with it.

Maeve smirked, shaking her head as she let Genesis take her arm. “You’re impossible, you know that?” she teased, though there was warmth behind her words. She could see the exhaustion in Gen’s eyes, the way she carried herself like she was running on fumes but pretending it didn’t matter. “You really should be getting some sleep,” Maeve added, though she made no move to pull away. “But since you’re already committing to bad decisions, who am I to stop you and I will never say no to more than one round.” She nudged Gen playfully as they walked. “Just don’t pass out on me, okay? I might be gorgeous, but I’m not carrying your ass home if you fall asleep at the bar. But how have things been?”

Maeve shifted her weight, suddenly feeling a little ridiculous for showing up like this. “Yeah, well… I wanted to say thanks anyway,” she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You might just be doing your job, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.” She watched as he opened the container, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “They’re chocolate chip muffins. And, yes, I made them myself,” she added, crossing her arms. “I do more than just show up at bars and cause trouble, you know.” Tilting her head slightly, she nodded toward the container. “They’re best when they’re warm, so you better eat one now before they turn into just decent muffins instead of amazing ones.” There was a teasing lilt to her voice, but underneath it, she was watching his reaction carefully, waiting to see if this whole thing had been a stupid idea or not. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting your day or anything.”

Imani loved repeat clients, it was just so much easier not to have to do all the boring small talk. Her eyes widened though as Maeve declared that she was ready for a big change. "What exactly are we talking?" she asked, wondering if she was wanting a big chop or a whole new hair colour. Imani did love a big change up most of the time, it was much more fun and allowed her to show some skills. "I mean I'm pretty sure you would look incredible with any style," she said, not lying at all. "You know with me you'll always get the truth so lay it on me."

Maeve exhaled, rolling her shoulders back like she was hyping herself up. “Okay, so… I think I want to go short. Like, really short,” she admitted, glancing at Imani for a reaction. “I don’t know if it’s an impulsive, ‘burn it all down and start fresh’ kind of decision or if I’ve actually been thinking about this for a while, but here we are.” She bit her lip, a small, nervous smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “And maybe a color change too? I don’t know, something bold.” She waved a hand in the air, as if that would somehow illustrate the vague feeling she was going for. “I just—I need something different. Something that makes me feel like me again, or at least a version of me that isn’t stuck.” Her gaze flickered to Imani’s, searching for confirmation that she wasn’t completely losing it. “Tell me I’m not making a huge mistake.”

River had been lucky enough to make a few close friends since moving to Woodside. One of those friends was Maeve. There was a strength in her that he admired. It reminded him a little of Forrest. He strolled into her kitchen, holding up a a plate of brownies he baked. "I brought sugar, and even more carbs." River grinned as he rested the sweet treats on the table. He dropped down into his seat with sigh, reaching for one of the beers. "That all depends on how bad your week went. You tell me about yours and I'll tell you about mine."

Maeve raised a brow at the brownies, then at River, before reaching for one with a smirk. “You really know how to sweet-talk a girl,” she teased, taking a bite. “God, these are good. If you ever decide to leave your normal job, you could have a solid future in bribery via baked goods.” She grabbed a beer, twisting the cap off with ease before leaning back against the counter. “Alright, my week…” She exhaled, shaking her head. “It’s been a mess. Work’s been insane, Stella’s going through a phase where ‘no’ is her favorite word, and—” she hesitated, debating whether to say the next part but then decided screw it, “—Dylan showed up. Saying things I’m not sure I believe.” Taking a sip of her beer, she leveled her gaze at River. “So, yeah. That’s where I’m at. Your turn. Tell me your week was just as chaotic so I don’t feel like the universe is singling me out.”

Eddie leaned back in his seat slightly drinking the last of his cocktail, apparently he was quite thirsty, as Maeve asked the question. He chuckled and shrugged slightly. "Sure, I mean they were your words. I was just confirming but I have a feeling time will tell if I'm right or not." A slight smirk appeared as he sat forward and pushed the pizza dish more to the middle of the table, offering for her to eat if she wanted. He nodded at her question. "More an interesting mystery. Never actually met them before. Long lost sister." Cocking his head to the side slightly he raised a curious brow. "Persuaded, huh? Any clues on how?" He asked before standing up. "Great minds. I'm going to grab another drink. Do you want anything?" He asked before walking to the bar after she answered.

Maeve narrowed her eyes playfully at him, reaching for a slice of pizza. “Time will tell, huh? That’s a very diplomatic way of saying you think you’re right but you’re giving me space to figure it out myself,” she said, smirking as she took a bite. At his mention of a long-lost sister, her brows lifted slightly. “That is interesting. Mystery is definitely the right word for it.” She studied him for a moment, considering how much he was really saying versus what he was keeping close to his chest. “Guess you’ll have to let me know how that unfolds.” She leaned back, tapping her fingers against her glass as he questioned her. “Oh, I don’t know,” she mused, feigning deep thought. “Maybe I just respond well to a certain kind of charm.” Her smirk deepened before she waved him off toward the bar. “Surprise me. But make it something good.”

Azra wasn't embarrassed about crying in public, but for the first time, she was embarrassed about crying in front of her best friend. Because it felt weak, and predictable, and the last thing she wanted was Maeve to feel obligated to take care of her once again. Poor Azra, it was always something... That was the conclusion she'd come to, anyway, in the lack of any real answers: that she'd always leaned too heavily on Maeve, literally invaded her life. Azra understood; she was a lot, had more baggage than most would sign up for. And after announcing her engagement — why shouldn't Maeve take the opportunity for freedom when she saw it?

Maeve inhaled sharply, steadying herself. She had played this moment out in her head a hundred times, but nothing had prepared her for the raw hurt in Azra’s voice, the way she looked so… small. Like she truly believed Maeve had left because of her.  

her grin deepened, something darkly delighted flashing behind her eyes as maeve met her fire without flinching. this was what she craved—not just the heat but the game, the promise of something wild and untamed sparking between them. her fingers curled, empty now that maeve had claimed her drink, but she didn’t mind the loss. if anything, the gesture only fueled her further. “oh, sweetheart,” max drawled, mirroring maeve’s own teasing lilt, her voice rich with amusement and something more dangerous lurking beneath. “consumption’s never scared me. in fact, i’d argue it’s the best part.” she shifted, slow and deliberate, letting the space between them all but disappear. the faintest brush of maeve’s leg against hers sent a jolt through her, a silent dare, and max was more than ready to take it. her hand moved, light but intentional, tracing a single, feather-soft line down maeve’s forearm before retreating just as quickly — a tease, a promise, a challenge wrapped in the barest touch. her eyes gleamed as she leaned in, the corner of her lips tugging into something both wicked and inviting. “when do i get off?” she echoed, voice a sultry whisper, drawing out each word as if savoring the taste. then, with an infuriatingly slow smirk, she added, “depends… are you asking about my shift, or are you making me an offer?” she let the question hang in the charged air between them, the smirk on her lips daring maeve to make the next move.

Maeve let the silence stretch, savoring the tension like the first sip of something dark and intoxicating. Her smirk was slow, deliberate, as she reached for her drink—not because she needed it, but because she wanted to make Max wait. Wanted to see just how long she could keep that fire flickering in those sharp, wicked eyes. She took a sip, then placed the glass down with a soft clink, her fingers sliding away just as lazily. “Oh, I don’t make offers, sweetheart.” Maeve leaned in, her voice a velvet whisper against Max’s ear. “I give guarantees.” Her hand found Max’s wrist, light but sure, fingers tracing a slow, deliberate path upward, only to stop just before reaching anything too satisfying. A tease. A promise. A warning. “And if you’re as good at finishing what you start as you are at playing this little game…” Maeve tilted her head, considering, then let her smirk deepen. “Well. I might just keep you all night.”