delicate.

pegasus – what are your strongest beliefs?

“Tikkun Olam, it’s a concept in Judaism, its kind of like little acts to repair the world. My parents didn’t attend Temple a lot, I didn’t much use to until I left home but now I guess...”

circinus – does your character have a sixth sense? if so, what is it?

“Understanding plants? Does that work.”

“We always find ourselves like this,” Ariadne chuckled softly, just as tired as the other woman, stepping into the kitchen with her socked feet against the cool tile flooring. The last time she and Maia found themselves isolated in the kitchen, finding a reprieve from the chaos, it had been healing in a way; and in all the craziness that had ensued after the fight with the hunters, Ariadne had withdrawn slightly, curling into herself as she mourned, and tried to make sense of the new reality she existed in. 

   They could have died, all of them. But she didn’t. Maia didn’t. They were the survivors. In the wake of that knowledge, breakfast felt like such a startling normal thing to consider, and Ari was touched by Maia’s sensitivity to the others needs. 

  French toast. It brought back a memory of one of their fallen friends, and Ari’s heart clenched. “Asteria used to make that a lot,” The astral witch remembered quietly, knowing how close she and Maia both were to the cheerful blonde. “She would have been so excited about the new witches. Do you think so, too?”

“You, me and kitchens, I think it’s starting to be a thing,” Maia chuckled, “Maybe it’s our place, I’ve always felt comforted by kitchens,” She turned away slightly as she rummaged through cupboards, organizing out ingredients in a neat order. Mostly out of habit than anything else, she liked order just as much as she liked chaos. Maia herself usually fell somewhere inbetween.

At the mention of Asteria, something in Maia twinged. It hurt still and it would never not hurt she thought, her first best friend gone and gone and gone. She’d looked at the grimoire, safely tucked away now and she’d been looking for an answer. Even in her grief, Maia had known what she knew with clarity now - there was no answer to be found, not there.

“I’ve found myself drawn to it lately,” Maia admitted with a soft smile, “I don’t know...I suppose I like keeping her with me,” She chuckled, “I think so, she would have loved to meet them and...” Maia trailed off for a moment, able to be a little vulnerable in front of Ari. “I hope they aren’t mad at us,”

“ – french toast? that sounds WONDERFUL.” the blonde said with a smile. a warm breakfast after the strain of their SPELLS sounded like a comfort for her weakened self. “do you need any HELP? i used to cook breakfast for my grandmother every morning, i don’t think i’d be in your way.” diamond offered with a gentle tone. she knew that like the others, maia had been through a LOT. she didn’t feel like she had the right to be as saddened as the others so diamond decided to be STRONG instead. to be helpful and encouraging to the rest of the witches.

“I’d love some help,” Maia said with a soft smile to Diamond as she shuffled around in the kitchen, grabbing things that they’d need. “I thought we could use some good breakfast after everything,” It had certainly been labor intensive for all of them and now well, now they had to wait and see the results. Diamond was one of their coven members that she knew the least and she turned to her, as she began to crack eggs into a bowl. She wanted to get to know her better.

“How are you holding up?”

where: genevieve’s house

who: open to all!

Maia had cried a lot over the past month, she’d cried - she’d been so angry that she thought she might break. Then - well Maia hadn’t known what to do, she’d just felt empty. Maia had just been tired and she still was tired, but she’d wanted to make herself useful so she’d started to try and take care of the others. It had been an impulse and Maia had just wanted to make herself useful. She was rubbing at her eyes that morning, the whole...new witches thing had been draining and she’d parked herself in Genevieve’s kitchen to make them breakfast.

At the sound of footsteps behind her, Maia turned. “Hey,” She said in that subdued manner that had marked her movements for the last month, feeling like she’d borrowed the shirt she was wearing from one of the others and not given it back. “I’m making french toast,”

She nodded, the witty quips missing from her words. Lucrezia’s entirety still felt shaky, as if she was somewhat absent from the rest of the women around her.  Instead of propelling from Maia’s energy, this weakened her felt fed off it. She leaned against the tree, beside the woman. 

“Shit is a mild way of putting it,” her voice wavered and Luce slumped down, the hem of her skirt grinding into the dirt beneath her.  “You were close with Asteria, weren’t you.”  Her sadness was genuine. “Can’t believe that idiot volunteered to mission me back……should have known better, poor thing.” But it was regret that propelled her, a strange reserved sadness for the naive little blonde. 

“It keeps getting worse,” Maia sniffed, “I don’t know how but it does...” They kept falling down like dominoes, Carter, then Luce but Luce had come back and now Asteria was gone. Would any of them be next? When Maia had opened the package in her mail box, she’d never expected this - she didn’t think that she could have.

She nodded, unable to stop herself from protesting “She wasn’t an idiot, she was just...kind,” Asteria had been soft in the same way that Maia was, she’d been her best friend and it was...Maia didn’t know how to feel anymore. “She’s gone now,” Maia said, hollowly. Quietly.

status: closed for @saturnmaia​ location: maia’s home 

   she told herself; don’t look, don’t type in the url, don’t even think of it… but during one of her insomnia driven late-nights in her hotel room, holed up alone with both belen and luce gone onto other things and asteria gone to this world… ari couldn’t help it. 

   she looked. and, startlingly enough, it felt as though maia was speaking to her, through her words, something that ariadne found herself relating with so deeply. how just a simple blog post managed to bring up some a sense of validation in the witch, ari wasn’t sure, but come morning, she was reaching out to maia… and finally, visiting her home for the first time. 

   if i have to do bad things to protect them, i will. ari hated how much of herself she saw in that line, a terrifying line that constantly wavered and waned. to know that someone like maia, who ari viewed as so strong, felt the same? well, she had to be there with her, to talk, to plan, to practice. and the grimoire left behind by carter was an intriguing mystery as well. so, ari was there, with a purchased package of baked goods from the store in hand and her expression perfectly crafted to hold back all the pain she felt inside. “good afternoon, maia. i brought, um- i brought these, if you were hungry. and tea,” a light, forced laugh, referencing their last talk. 

It had been to Carter’s grimoire that she’d found herself going again, Maia had been studying it as hard as she had been her own. It was something different now, the urge to find an answer among the strange pages. If bringing the dead back was a possibility then...maybe, just maybe they wouldn’t have to let Asteria stay in the cold ground where she shouldn’t be. They could bring her back and...it would be okay somehow, it would have to be okay.

She was still in her pajamas after another restless night, even if day had drifted to afternoon a long time since when the knock at the door came. Maia opened the door, blinking slightly in the light when.

“Ari?” Maia asked softly, the corners of her lips turning up a little at the laugh as hollow as it seemed to ring for both of them. “Thank you...I...” Maia’s face crumpled a little, wondering if she was going to be able to hold it together. “Do you want to come in?”

status: closed for @saturnmaia​ location: the woods near zel’s place, the pond

   with fishing pole in hand, roland glowered into the little body of water, wondering when and if the tiny fishes within it would even bother to bite under the afternoon sun. he was bored, to tell the truth, bored of having to tiptoe around the freaks of nature (read: witches), bored of the same stupid shed in zel’s backyard, and regretful of his decision to abandon the other hunters… to abandon jack. he was his closest friend, and now with him dead, maia and the hunter had more in common than either of them would ever know. 

   for the most part, roland was still a little foggy on who was a witch and who wasn’t. sure, he’d seen them all together when zelenia brought him to the weird coven gathering, but the faces had all gone blurry with the weeks time. when the vaguely familiar pond showed up, breaking into his little private fishing session, roland had a feeling this was bad news from the start. “can i help you, or what, you comin’ here to fish, too?” 

Maia had been in the woods too much over the past few days, she was calmer now but she couldn’t say that it had evened her out, that it didn’t hurt. Her head was a mess and the only way that she’d seemed to fix it was endless wandering, the rhythm of her feet against the floor as she walked. Maia didn’t think that she’d slept more than four hours a day in the past week, she couldn’t sleep and so she walked.

She knew the face of the hunter, just casually fishing like nothing was wrong. Like this was all normal, like he and his pathetic band of friends weren’t the reason why her best friend, the epitome of everything good in this world, was dead. Dead, gone and it wasn’t fair. It made a surge of anger rise up in her again as Maia snarled, “Get fucked asshole,”

he was just trying to get a morning hike in: he’d woken up to a frantic mason seeking shelter with him for the night, but hadn’t quite managed to find the answers to the rapidly growing questions on his mind. something was up, roman was certain, something going wrong with their mission here in salem. the hunters had been picked off and targeted one by one, and he was struggling to retain a sense of normalcy before the die rolled his number.

at some point the worn trail had faded into overgrown leaves, and roman found himself turned around, a little lost without his usual landmarks. he’d pulled out his phone in an attempt to use the patchy gps service to find his way back into town, but was distracted by an anguished exclamation. “hello?” he tried to move in the direction of the sound, concern peaking the adrenaline levels in his blood. “is anyone there? i heard a noise —” it’s then that he spots her, a shock of blonde hair against the forested landscape. he quickens his approach, stopping just a few steps away from her. “is everything alright?” his face twists at the stupidity of his question. obviously it wasn’t, but…. what else could he say?

Maia turned around slowly, the face opposite her wasn’t a familiar one and her hackles were immediately raised. She was too on edge after everything that had happened and it made her wonder if she would trust anyone outside of their little group again. 

“Do I look alright?” Maia asked, sharply. Stepping forward, a branch snapping underneath her feet. It had been a sudden and almost violent burst of temper, all she could see was Asteria’s body lying small and cold on the floor. She hadn’t felt like this in...well ever she supposed, it felt as though something soft in her had started rotting.

“No, really, tell me - do I look alright?”

The sound had startled Lucrezia- anguished and far too close for comfort.  Something in it echoed her own confusion.  It hadn’t been 24 hours yet since her return (revived? resurrected?) and she could not settle. Admitting it was weakness…but she was too afraid to sleep. She had spent too long as nothing and now she was desperate to cling to the reality she could live in now.

It was hard.  Ghosts were all too ready to taunt her when she shut her eyes - even if only for a blink.  In the silence she heard things that were not there. And she felt so. god. damn. cold.

She followed the scream until she saw the blonde…..Maia, it took her a moment to remember. When she cleared her throat it was almost timid, a shade of the confident woman she’d been before this madness. Her approach was slow, only when she knew the girl saw her, a mirrored pain in her eyes.

“Can I join you?”  Her voice is quiet and, strangely, harsh, as if the chords were fighting atrophy. “I think I need to scream too.”

Maia’s breaths came heavy, the quiet voice was familiar but she still whirled around - startled.

Lucrezia.

“Hi Luce,” Maia said quietly, she’d wanted to bring her back of course she had - but Maia had never expected that it would turn out the way it had. She’d thought that everything would be okay somehow. It wasn’t though and somehow Maia thought that it would never be okay again.

“Yeah,” Maia said with a hand still on a nearby tree, her fingertips pressed against it. Was it supposed to be calming? She didn’t think she’d be calm ever again.

“Everything keeps going to shit lately,”

where: the woods

who: open

This could not be happening. 

When Maia closed her eyes, all she could see was Asteria - rendered smaller still by death, just lying there - lifeless and cold. Her best friend was dead and it wasn’t fair and Lixue hadn’t even cared! She was just gone and it wasn’t fair at all, it almost surprised Maia how angry she was - how every emotion in her seemed to ricochet around like she was the center of a hurricane. She flitted around in her grief, nothing seemed to hold.

She’d tramped off into the woods, hoping that the familiar feeling of the floor against her feet would soothe her but Maia was just agitated. More than she ever had been in her life.

It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.

Maia didn’t say anything, stumbling around before she finally let out a low noise of rage, slamming her hand against a nearby tree and if in answer, the nearby trees moaned and rattled. Maia inhaled sharply, leaning her forehead against the tree.

She wanted to cry but the tears wouldn’t come.

So it’s been a while since I’ve written anything here.

I wanted to, a lot, this has long since been a safe place for me and it still is. Then stuff happened and my posts ended up being in a public place and well...it happened. I felt exposed, even with the whole magic stuff.

I guess I didn’t think anyone was listening to me or that I mattered enough to be listened to. 

I didn’t change my password.

On the off chance you’re reading, I want to tell you that it’s okay. You can read here, I don’t mind.

Anyway a lot of things have happened, I’m afraid that it’s gonna get worse though because that’s what’s seemed to have happened recently. Everyone kept dying and...I kept Carter’s grimoire because I don’t know what’s gonna happen but it drew me in.

Maybe we’ll need it?

I’m scared.

It’s a different type of scared this time because before...I didn’t have anything to lose, not really. Now I have something, I have people...who care about me and a year ago I didn’t think that I was able to be cared about.

I...I don’t know I’ve always thought there was something distinctly unloveable about me. If my parents couldn’t want me, then...who could?

I don’t know. I don’t know a lot these days but...I won’t let anyone get hurt and...if I have to do bad things to protect them, then thats what I have to do.

her eyes fill with tears once maia reaches for her. her feelings, these last days, seem to be always ready to spill. clementine successfully keeps the tears from rolling down her cheeks but she gives a thankful smile in turn. she hopes maia won’t ask much about it, her heart much too unprepared to continue talking about all the events going down. she’d much rather talk plants and all the details that make her life feel normal. “ sage is excellent, yes, ” she says, smiling and nodding tearfully. “ ah– excuse me. it’s been – well, you know how it’s been. thank you for doing this with me. ”

Maia just left it as a squeeze, she wanted to comfort all of the others but still...she wasn’t good with words yet and Clementine looked so vulnerable still. Maybe she was projecting a little but she didn’t want to pry, not so much at least. “Maybe ginger too?” Maia suggested, trying to wrap her head around all of the notes that she’d seen in her grimoire. “Though that’s maybe something to go in hot chocolate,” She said with a little smile, before reaching out to rest a hand on her arm again. “It’s okay...really it’s been tough, loraxes forever right?”

where: maia’s home when: june 4th status: closed for @saturnmaia​

maeve doesn’t have the same pull to the softer women on the group as others seem to have. it’s not personal, not about them in special. maeve avoid this kind of people in general. the contrast of their kindness with her harshness leaves a bitter taste to her mouth and maeve isn’t the kind of woman who enjoys being scolded, even if indirectly. so of course, the softest bunch of the pack are the hardest for the blonde to approach and to be fair, she only contacts maia because the woman holds something of her interest. 

carter’s grimoire. maia kept it in the midst of the chaotic seance and maeve would be lying if she said she wishes she thought of grabbing it first. but it matters not because maia seems inclined to share the knowledge in her possession. that’s how maeve finds herself knocking at her door, carrying baked goods with her. 

“ hello there, ” she smiles and offers the bakery bag to the woman in front of her. “ i brought you something – to thank you for having me. ”

She didn’t know why she’d picked up Carter’s grimoire.

Maia didn’t know why she had, it just seemed as though it had been calling to her so she’d scooped it up in her arms and shoved it in her backpack. It wasn’t as though she’d kept it a secret from the others either, the more knowledge they had...well Maia got the inkling that they needed it right now. 

Or at least it could be useful.

She kept a somewhat open door policy for the other witches with her apartment, something about needing to stick together but really Maia just...didn’t want to be alone. Maia didn’t think she could consider herself close to Maeve, but there was still a smile on her face as she opened the door to the other woman.

“Thanks, I’ll always accept bribes,” She said with a smile, “Come on in, do you want coffee?”

    It was a heart-wrenching tale, and though the differences were vast, Ariadne was surprised to find herself relating with Maia, feeling like she understood, and even lived parts of the struggle. No, she was not born someone else in such a literal sense, or kept hidden from the world; but, like Maia, Ari had been under pressure to grow into a pre-destined identity, someone worthy of pride and her parent’s love. Unlike Maia, however, Ari had bowed and bent to fit into the tiny, constricting mold; she still did.

   Constantly trying to be what they wanted, what she was supposed to be. 

  “You are very brave,” Ari commented finally, a sad, wistful smile on her lips as she looked at Maia with a renewed adoration and respect. Leaving everything, turning tail on family and all she knew… Ari could only dream of being so bold, so strong. 

   Failing. The word resonated with Ariadne, the ghost she’d always ran from, fearful of ever acknowledging it. For her, she believed as long as she did what was expected of her, failure was not possible. But now she realized; she had failed herself.

   Ari sighed, and moved to begin scooping sugar into a small bowl. “Brave and strong, like Rapunzel. You write your own story,” She continued, eyes on her task at hand, and not on Maia. The witch felt honored to have been shared with that special, hidden part of the girl, and leagues undeserving. “And I understand. My father, he wanted a boy. It is just me, their child, and for so long… it is different, of course, please do not think I am trying to take away from you at all, but I do understand. The pressure, the weight of it- the perfection,” she laughed now, making light of what she, too, was sharing. “I used to dream of being someone like you, someone with wings to fly away from it all.” 

Maia had never considered herself brave or strong, she’d always considered herself trapped in her own fear.

She’d run because she’d been afraid and she knew that she could never become anything else than a failure in her father’s eyes. Maia glanced at Ari as she began to talk, it seemed that she had something of a kindred spirit and that Maia could not deny. Even if some things were different, she understood - she understood more than anything in the world.

“I ran because I was afraid,” Maia admitted, “I don’t think I’ll ever stop it but...I know that I’m never going to stop being afraid so,” Maia paused, turning to Ariadne, looking at the other witch with an almost tender expression. 

“It’s not too late you know? If I can fly away then I think anyone can,” Maia sighed gently, “I hope you know I don’t mean anything by it just...” She trailed off. “I think you’re lovely, I do and you should be around people that know that too,”

THE MINUTE MAIA’S arms came around her, she melted into the embrace, even if her head reached the taller blonde’s chest…it didn’t matter. merely hearing the steady heartbeat in her chest soothed asteria, showing that she was alive and well after losing one of their own, it was a comfort she didn’t even know she needed. the tears flooded her eyes before she had a moment to react to them, thankful they were seemingly alone here, a private space for her to just hold onto maia with fingers clutching to the back of her shirt.

MOMENTS PASS, SHE ISN’T sure how many moments, but she doesn’t care. somehow, maia had become a safe haven for her, someone she believed truly belonged in her life. and the way her fingers combed through her hair lulled her into a calmer state.

LETTING OUT A shaky breath, she pulls back a bit to let her doe-eyes skim over maia’s face slowly, “i’m so glad you’re here.” asteria murmured, reaching up to touch the side of her face with a gentle smile. “i know i shouldn’t have come out here alone, but, will you stay with me. i don’t think i could manage going back to gen’s house.” nodding at her best friend’s words, she sighs out under her breath, “i do too, and we will, they aren’t going to get away with all of this. not anymore.”

She ran a hand along the top of Asteria’s head, ruffling a hand through her hair. Maia didn’t know what she could offer not really, but she was tall enough to give quality hugs at least? Asteria was her best friend and she couldn’t help but need to comfort her, maybe even more than the others. Not that she didn’t want to comfort everyone but it was different somehow. 

“It’s okay,” Maia said gently, “I know it’s...it doesn’t feel like home there,” That was as best as Maia could explain it. That there was a sense of unease about the house and she was trying to deal with it the best that she could.

“They’re not,” Maia said, almost venomously. “They aren’t, we won’t let them.” She squeezed Asteria a little, affectionately, “You know what they say about being afraid of the quiet ones?”

   Her fingers stilled on the mugs when Maia spoke - and Ari realized, not for the first time, how little she truly knew about each of the women in their little magical group. Without Genvieve, coven sounded too organized, and not yet as fitting as it should… but Ari was curious now, curious about the girls she had aligned with, whom she shared such awe-striking power with. And who she had snooped on, though even within Maia’s writing, it rarely spoke much of herself, or her past. More on emotion, the beauty of other things, the void from within - all things Ariadne found admirable, and when she finally turned to face the other witch, her eyes were full of that same feeling. 

   “Maia,” Ari’s smile was real now, less forced and full of strain, and something closer to the light from the sky, as Maia had once referred to her as. “You are a mystery.” She didn’t want to pry, especially now, with emotions so raw, and everything hanging on by what seemed to be a thread. And yet, Ari wanted to know more. 

   And maybe, just maybe, Ari wanted to find some sort of hope that she, too, could transform and change. Not be this person, whatever it was she was always trying so hard to be. “Were you someone else once, leaving everything behind?” 

Maia paused, giving Ari a small smile at the mention of being a mystery. 

“Am I? I only hope it’s a good one then,” Maybe she was really, Maia knew that she’d cultivated someone else out of who she’d once been. That she’d left it all behind and she’d hardly ever talked about it, about who she’d been once upon a time. She didn’t know how to talk about it, not really - not without feeling stupid but...

“I was,” Maia said, softly, leaning against the sink - an almost faraway look in her eyes.

“I’m from New York City I was born there, my parents have a lot of money and they made a big deal about appearances and I was...” Maia trailed off, “I was a disappointment, long before I told them what my real name was. I wasn’t what they wanted and I was homeschooled, I hardly ever saw anyone else. I used to wish that I was like Rapunzel y’know? Princess in the tower and my real family, the people who loved me were out there just waiting,” Her smile was a little wistful at that.

“That’s why I’m called Maia see, the eldest of the Pleiades who was hidden away in a cave,” She laughed a little. “But I just...they wanted to introduce me, to all of their friends and all I could do was hide under the stairs and I couldn’t breathe. I knew that I would never be enough, so...I just ran. I took what was important and I upped and left. I got on a bus and went to the end of the line and I kept going, this is the longest I’ve ever been in a place since actually,” Maia shrugged. “It’s been a year and they haven’t come looking for me, I don’t know...” Maia sighed softly, “I...I don’t know whether I should be happy or sad about that, but I left it all behind. I set fire to that bridge and I wanted to be someone closer to myself. The surname I was born with was Finch actually, I changed it because I wanted to make myself gold,” Maia shook her head a little, staring down at the floor. 

“I won’t stop failing I think, but I wanted to do it on my terms and that was probably more about me than anyone ever wanted to know,”