maya ying-yue lee

carissa had debated whether or not to show up to the charity baseball game. she wasn't going to play and well, if she were being honest, she didn't really know the game either but she did have a soft spot for charities and she'd heard about where the proceeds were going so she assumed that at the very least, she could donate and enjoy some sunshine with her friends. glancing over at maya, she offered the other some of her popcorn. "you know, if they didn't have a scoreboard, i'm not sure that i'd know who was winning. i got lost at least fifteen minutes ago." she admitted with a small laugh.

Being active with different charities throughout the years, Maya had a habit of donating as much as she could for different causes, and with each project, a specific amount of money would always go to a different charity. Even though she wasn't a huge baseball fan, she reminded herself this was for a good cause, and hence, the brunette found herself trying to keep up with the game. She smiled at Carissa when she offered her some of her popcorn and had a few poppers. "Thank you," she said softly, before shaking her head. "I don't blame you, I can't keep up with it either because we're sitting so far away. The guy arguing on his phone isn't helping either," she responded, glancing over at said guy who was sitting a few benches away from them. "Maybe we can stick around for ten more minutes and call it a day? I don't know about you, but these seats are super uncomfortable."

At mentioning things he’d enjoy, Roman decided to take that as an opener. “I mean, music is my enjoyment. I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to get what I want to play on the show, but it’s been a hobby of mine for as long as I could remember.” He explained, and then, because talking with Maya felt safe somehow, he found himself adding a fact about him he hadn’t told anyone who didn’t already know., “I actually used to play bass in a band for a while.” It shocked even him, to admit that, as if it was some deep, dark secret, and not an easily Google-able fact. Probably the sun exposure, he mused. “I like autumn. Fall, you lot call it. Not too warm, not too cold, I get to wear my jumpers.” He laughed at Maya’s brothers’ comment. “Honestly, that is something I’d say to Ophelia, maybe it’s a brother thing.”

It was easy speaking to him, which was odd because Maya Lee would usually prefer to be as invisible to people as possible... and yet, here she was, not minding conversation. "That's nice... what do you like to play usually? I mean, I love music, and I'm one of those people who can only focus while playing something in the background," she explained, wondering if it was just a habit of hers or if it was more common than what she believed it to be. "You played in a band? Wow, that's amazing," Maya responded, smiling at his words. "The bass is great. Is it really as heavy as it looks? I wish I played an instrument, but as much as I love music, I'm not gifted enough to play it," she admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She loved the violin, but it just never happened. Even the piano in their family home seemed hard enough to play. "I love the fall. This place is beautiful during that time, and the temperature is just about right," the brunette agreed, nodding her head. "Maybe. Are you also the oldest?"

“Sure, sounds like a lot of hard work but you’ll get there in the end.” Roman jokingly agreed. It was difficult to work out how to answer her follow-up question, not because he was one who was easily lost for words, well, not vitriolic ones anyway. The kinder ones were harder to find in himself. How to explain that even if he wanted to (which he very much didn’t), he couldn’t, because of the damn hand. “I’m sure it is, but not something for me I’m afraid.” Neutral, polite. If she wanted to ask for more of a follow-up, it bought Roman a bit more time to answer without being too vague or too informative. “Snow only looks appealing in the festive movies, but I suppose if we had nice weather all the time, we’d appreciate it less. Two bottles sounds about right. My sister can tan, but I simply burn like toast.”

"I hope so," the brunette responded with a laugh, the very thought just amusing to her. She assumed that anyone's first reaction to seeing a snake wasn't going to be the same as seeing a cute puppy, but perhaps her fear was just not similar to other people's... just like their love for the outdoors. "Yeah, it's not for everyone, I suppose. Not to mention how cold the water is, so maybe you'll find something you enjoy more than this," she responded with a warm smile on her face. Of course, that granted that he was willing to find an activity that fit him. "I feel like I thrive in winter... summer, as much as I love it, isn't for me. I think I'm like your sister, so don't be surprised if you see me going around in huge hats most of the warmer months. My brother makes fun of me and claims you can only see the hat walking, but let me tell you, that's better than being unable to sleep at night due to a sunburn."

Maya made a face, her eyes glancing at the drink in her hands as she pondered everything for a moment. "I am not acting weird.." she whispered, before pausing. "Am I?" she muttered, not sure why it mattered anyway, they were still just connecting. "I am not going to ask him out on a date, don't be silly. Maybe he's not interested in me like that. Maybe he doesn't want to date, maybe he is seeing someone else, there are so many maybes and I don't want to make a fool of myself," she explained, taking another sip of the flowery flavored tea. "Maybe the more he gets to know me, the less he likes me. Besides, I know he doesn't want to give me the wrong idea. Just because he had a crush on me back in the day doesn't necessarily mean he likes me now... so yeah. I'll leave it. It's fine."

"Don't listen to him, my love, it's because he can't hop anymore, he's old," Maya cooed at her niece, smiling softly as Selvi reached with both her hands for her face. "See, us girls have secrets you don't know about," the brunette teased, before glancing over at her brother, giving Hoonie that 'I told you so' look. "Over here is just fine, maybe one of those goats will kick you in the head for being mean to me," she responded, narrowing her eyes at him before smiling brightly at the camera. She made sure she held Selvi securely enough while also showcasing her cuteness in that costume. It was incredible how fast she was growing, her measurements already different from a month ago. "Make sure we both look pretty, this is going to be my screensaver."

Emmy's groan only made the brunette smile a little, thinking it was nice someone was as invested as she was. Truth was, she enjoyed talking to Dean, getting to know him better, but at the same time Maya didn't want to jump into anything serious yet. Mostly because she was afraid of being let down, and considering they never discussed going on a date, she didn't want to think about it yet. Taking a seat next to her friend, Maya had a quick sip of the refreshing drink again before turning to Emmy with a smile. "It's good. I don't think I've had this iced before, it's definitely different," she exclaimed, nodding her head. "Talk to him? About what? We're hanging out. Unless he asks for it, I don't want to overthink about it," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. "He's single, I'm single. Maybe he's seeing someone. I don't know. I don't want to stress about it. If it happens... it happens. If not, I'll have one hell of a story to tell."

Roman didn’t know much about nature, but he doubted snakes would actually be lurking around here, especially anything dangerous enough to warrant throwing a shoe at. But that said, his little joke with Maya warmed something in him. Everything had been so tense recently, with Elijah, Matilda and now Kaya, that this was simple, and nice. He really felt like he deserved it, somehow. “You’d give St. Patrick a run for his money.” He commented, unsure if she would understand the reference, but might as well take a stab at it. “Oh, no, I don’t know anyone who enjoys kayaking to the point of racing it. Uh, back in London it’s raining cats and dogs, so I felt a bit bad being cooped up inside. I think my sister and some friends are stopping by in a bit though. But for now, just enjoying the nice day more than anything.”

That was one of the few things she could remember their dad taught them when going camping; it's the noisy places snakes will avoid at all costs, unless they were desperate for water. So the brunette wanted to think there was nothing to worry about for now. Bursting into laughter at his comment, she grinned. "You really think so? Sounds like I need a few more pairs of shoes to banish all snakes from the area," she responded, smiling at him. "Have you ever tried? It's fun," Maya admitted, nodding her head a little. "I'm glad you're enjoying the day. I think everyone was getting sick of the snow, so I'm not surprised you'd be tired of the rain. Before you know it, it will be so hot, you won't be able to step outside without carrying at least two bottles of sunscreen... and yes, I'm speaking from experience."

"Why not have both?" Maya responded with a grin on her face, looking over at her cousin. Considering she was the one eating for two, the brunette was more than willing to have anything the other wanted, from apricots to lemonade. "Depends on what you feel like having. I want us to enjoy today before you have to waddle everywhere," she teased, nudging Mei playfully. "You know what we could always do? We can come back and get some for home as well, if you feel like having any later. It's up to you, you get to make the decisions today." Maya suggested, offering her cousin the freedom to choose without any pressure.

"..you know I will, in a heartbeat," she responded as if it were a given. Considering she wasn't exactly related to her sisters, Maya thought her to be just as important, and if she had to stroke her ego a little bit? She would for sure do it. "What? no --- no, wait, definitely no," the brunette responded, shaking her head in disbelief and just laughing. Maya Lee having a fling? It sounded odd enough, if not tragically funny. "Nothing like that. I just want to sit down for a moment because I want to catch up with you, and I've already had five people bump into me," she lamented, wishing it were a joke, but it wasn't. "You're getting far too ahead, we're just hanging out. Haven't been on a date or anything, it's not like that," the brunette made a face, before quickly taking a sip of the iced tea, then looked down at the cup in her hand. "Damn, this is good. I think it's hibiscus," she muttered, before having another sip as they sat down on the bench nearby. Yup, definitely hibiscus. "I think it was one of those heat of the moment thing, so I am not overthinking about it. And you shouldn't either, I promise you'll be the first one to find out if anything changes."

“Ah, you tell a girl you’ll fight a snake for her, and that’s all you're apparently good for. I see how it is.” Roman joked, eyes trailing down to her shoes. “See those look like they’d whack one real good, but I got my nice ones on today, don’t know if it’s worth the risk of losing them out here. Mind if I sit?” He asked. It was weird, despite how hectic and emotionally taxing the last few days had been for him — with the sudden reappearance of Kaya and her kid, currently lurking in the house he shared with his sister, despite the Daniels’ best joint efforts to get her out of the house — Roman felt lighter. It helped immensely that the woman with him was one of the few people who didn’t aggravate him. “You a big fan of kayaking?” 

Maya couldn't help but wholeheartedly laugh at his comment. "That's why you have to be extra careful with your words," she teased, smiling at him. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd run into you here, so I had to put on something that would either boost my running or give a snake a headache," she explained in a light tone, though she was aware that with all these people, it was unlikely any snakes would come around. "Please," Maya said softly, tapping at the space beside her before glancing at the small crowd preparing with their kayaks. "Yeah... I think I'm a big fan of anything outdoorsy," the brunette explained, turning to look at him. "And you? Are you here to support someone participating or?"

"This was a bad idea," Maya murmured to herself, torn between the irresistible allure of the adorable animals before her and the practical considerations of her already busy life. Two troublemakers at home were already enough, and adding another wouldn't be ideal with her hectic schedule. Yet, how could she look away from those cute eyes? "We need someone to pull us out of here," she responded, acknowledging the need for some external force to keep her from making a spontaneous decision and taking one of them home.

The spring market always kept Emmy on the tip of her toes, especially since it's the place she ran into Verda one year, after years of not seeing each other, and also the place that eventually led to their impulsive decision to get married the previous year. Part of her couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen this year and the other part of her was happy to distract herself by meeting up with Maya, two iced teas in hand as she made her way toward the woman in the crowd, holding one out once she closed the distance. "One for my second favorite person in the world," Emmy greeted with a smile, handing the iced tea to the other. "It's some kind of special spring flavor. Lavender, maybe? Or rose? Hibiscus?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember what flavor was advertised when she purchased them, but gave up after a moment when it didn't immediately come to her. "Anyway, please tell me you've got some juicy gossip with your lover boy to fill me in on."

Spring was finally here, and the weather was taking a turn for the better, to the point Maya always felt the need to be outside, and that was a miracle on its own. Meeting up with Emmy was only one of the reasons she was excited for her plans throughout the day, another part being the fact they could easily indulge and try new flavors in the market's vendors. Looking around for her friend, a smile brightened her face as soon as she spotted the brunette in the crowd. "You really didn't have to, but I swear it's like you've read my mind," Maya laughed, taking the iced tea from her and embracing her friend gently. "Thank you, you're the best," she added, quickly pulling back to look around them. "Whatever it is, I've certainly haven't had it yet," Maya commented. "Goodness, don't call him that... let's go sit somewhere first, shall we?"

"Look, it's a goat!" Jacob cooed Selvi, holding her close to his chest as his seven-month-old baby reached out her chubby arms towards the petting zoo and stole a chuckle from her father's lips. The eldest Lee child spotted his younger sister among the crowd and waved her over to join them. She had specially sewn a bunny outfit for Selvi, so of course Jacob wanted her to see the result live, despite sending her several pictures on his way downtown. "Who's that coming over there?" He asked Selvi as Maya approached them. "Is that imo Maya? Do we want to hang out with her?"

She knew her brother was going to bring Selvi around, so the brunette didn't waste time making her way through the crowd, hoping to spot them nearby. Putting her plans of meeting her friends on hold, Maya just wanted to say hello to her now favorite person before letting her enjoy the day with her dad. And what was better than seeing the cutie pie in the bunny costume? A grin formed on the brunette's face as soon as she spotted them a few feet away, and as soon as she approached, seeing Selvi's arms reaching out to her, Maya was quick to reach out to the dressed bunny in Jacob's arms. "Oh my goodness, who's this cute bunny I see over here?" she exclaimed happily, planting a few kisses on Selvi's cheeks, just to hear her giggle. "Hang out with me, will you? Maybe we can hop away together when your appa is looking away?" the brunette teased, smiling over at Hoonie. "The costume looks so much better live, you were right. Come, take a photo of us."

He’d have to give this weird country one thing, and that was that their Aprils were actually warm. Really encapsulated the definition of Spring. Roman had been on FaceTime with his parents back home, the sound of the rainstorm outside loud enough for it to be captured on the low-quality audio. It had been the kick he needed to go out and enjoy the sunshine, a rare day off from both the record store and the station, deciding to see what the much hyped kayak race was all about. It had a good turn out, he’d give them that, noticing a familiar face in the crowd. “Not scared any snakes might come slithering out from the grass?” He asked Maya in greeting as he approached her.

Even though she wasn't there to participate, Maya still wanted to watch the race, be outdoors for a while, and breathe the fresh air before meeting her brother and some of her friends. As it was officially spring now, she could finally put the much colder days behind and just enjoy nature before the hot sun forced her to seek refuge. She found a spot in the crowd where she could actually look over at the water, shoving both hands into the pockets of her jacket as someone approached. A smile formed on Maya's lips as soon as she recognized Roman, greeting him. "Well..." her voice trailed off, looking down at her sneakers. "That's why I put on my running shoes," she half joked, grinning. "And now that you're here, I have no reason to be afraid. Unless your offer doesn't extend outside the walls of the aquarium."