magsdeveaux

[magsdeveaux]

"You think by now people would know that smaller packages usually bring more feisty women," Maggie pointed out, shrugging her shoulders. She'd gotten used to people calling her short over the years, even though she didn't love the idea of it. It had made things harder in dance, especially once she reached the DCC. Everything had to be done big on a field, and smaller dancers usually struggled to find the right balance."I mean, I guess I can forgive him for his bad choices, but only because he was misguided by my own." She sat up straighter, not wanting to give any sign of doubting herself, even if the entire relationship with her ex felt more like one giant bad decision. In her defense, she'd met him in elementary school, surely that wasn't her fault. She couldn't help lifting her brow at Eli's mention of their mother. "We both know I'm probably the one Deveaux who could go toe-to-toe with Momma and win." Usually, Maggie had only ever gotten close to such battles with the backing of her Nana, so the statement wasn't entirely true.

Mags poked her tongue out at Eli's threat, because Eli was the least scary person she knew... At least when it came to her. She watched him carefully, ready to take whatever he said and run with it, but instead Eli played it safe. "Smart man," she teased before leaning forward slightly on the edge of the counter. "Laurel's always been so beautiful, you're right. I'm just glad she decided to slum it with my big bro, snagging a sister-in-law that perfect is just so special."

She slid off the counter and made her way to flip the sign over. Once she turned back, Maggie laughed at Eli's freshly floured hair and shook her head. "I swear, you're turning into one of those TV show dads more and more every day," she added. Grabbing the bowl, Maggie brought it to Eli and stood next to him. She didn't bake much anymore, always having preferred to bake with Nana or not at all, but she could make an exception for her big brother. "He'll be fine, he's been mostly avoiding me for the past few years. I think he just got mad because he saw me on a date last week with a guy from our class. He always gets riled up by me dating, for some reason. Like he thinks I should've come running back into his arms the second I moved home." She nudged Eli's hip with her own, letting him know she was ready for instructions on how to help.

"Best guess? Your height. I know, I know," he hated having to reduce it to that but that was his first thought. Clearly, his sister didn't get his filtered thoughts. "People look at you being small and pocket sized and assume you can get bossed around. Jokes on them though." Yet another thing she got from Nana. "Wells clearly suffered from low confidence if he thought you'd bend." That elicited a laugh knowing when Maggie set her mind to something, nothing stood in way. Not even people. He snorted as he half chuckled. "To his defense, he would always give his baby girl his blessing when she seemed genuinely happy. Technicality that daddy hit and missed that one time." Their mom would beg to differ though. "Just be glad mom wasn't the end all be all decision maker on your future. Imagine," he shuddered. "You'd be married to that doofus. Nana fought that battle when you weren't home." Truthfully, everyone knew when both women went to head to head no one got in the middle of it. Else risk getting their ass handed by them. "Though upside because of you, he knows better now and won't just hand out his kids' hands in marriages."

"You really inching to lose that finger, huh?" he replied as his eyes noticed her pinching the dough. Though his words didn't carry any real bite. He didn't care but loved to give her a hard time. As per usual. Luckily, the bowl wasn't for public consumption. More so the last remaining ingredients to make Maggie her favorites to take home. Though because of her cookie dough thievery, he'd tell her afterwards. "That's —" he thought about it and had no clever retort unless he risked Maggie taking it back to Laurel's ears. "Because you're all magical creatures who took the drink off that fountain of youth. Also to your point, Laurel has looked the fucking same since middle school. Only thing that changed is her poofy curly hair." Which now cece had.

"Make yourself useful flip the open sign to closed and then hand me that other bowl would you?" He pointed to the one next to her left and moved to the side to make room for her. He dipped his finger into the flour and streaked her hair. His smirk challenged her to retaliate. "You can always hide out here but are we gonna have to draw up sand lines to keep him away from all the hot spots? If you say the word we'll get him kicked out of town." Clearly not being serious but there wasn't much he wouldn't do for his magpie.

[magsdeveaux]

"I know, I know," she said with a shake of her head and a shrug of her shoulders. "But then I realized the error of my ways, and you'd moved on with your life. Such a shame, we would have made beautiful babies, Billy Blue Klein." She loved the way Billy seemed to really light up as he spoke about journalism. It was clear he loved what he did, and Maggie could appreciate that in anyone, but especially so in a dear friend. "I think she's still trying to pin down the type, but she's got a few colleges in mind with solid journalism programs. I just want to know how I can support her best in the meantime, you know? What do you wish your teachers had done more of when you were in school?"

He was punctual; always tried to be. Something ironed into him since childhood. Glancing over towards the door as he heard it open, a smile lit up on his face, a familiar sounding voice taking him back. Maggie had been a childhood friend, a confidant once upon a time, and he was so glad they had each other once again. "You're the one who left me! I didn't ask for a childhood divorce, Mags." But he loved the nickname; a string that could never be clipped. "Always, Mags. I mean, I obviously didn't plan on going into it, so she's already a step ahead of me! Blackstone was cool with my Associate's... but journalism at a traditional university is all about strong research, good writing. Interviewing. Storytelling, you know? How to take news and craft it into something narrative, something compelling, something honest. Does she have a particular angle she's trying to report on? Sports? Media? News? Or is it just the idea of it all, which I get- 'cause that's what I like."

[magsdeveaux]

"Oh my gosh, you did? I had no idea I was sitting here with a full on celebrity!" Maggie couldn't help but grin, her playfulness always on full blast when meeting new people. It was something she had always found natural, and a big part of her knew it came from her older siblings and her Nana. Between that crew, there was no way this woman wouldn't grow into a social butterfly. "You don't smell like buffalo wings, though I'm sorry for nearly causing your death by inhalation there." She reached down to pick up one of her boneless wings, breaking it in half. "So did you come tonight to scope out the competition and try to win again next time, or are you here to gloat?"

Tae hadn't necessarily planned on showing up at the Chicken Shack at the time when the next contest was going on, but he just so happened to turn up at the right time, or the wrong time, if what he'd wanted was a nice, peaceful meal. He looked up from his food as the young woman spoke to him. He almost choked on the chicken wing he was chewing in surprise, giving a cough then immediately covering his face with his arm and apologizing. "Hm? Oh, the contest?" He coughed a little, getting a napkin to wipe his mouth. "I actually won it. That's where I got the gift card to pay for this meal," he chuckled. His eyes widened at the idea. "Wait, do I smell like buffalo wings? Is that why you're asking me?"

[magsdeveaux]

"That sounds nice, though, a break is always so refreshing," Maggie smiled, tilting her head to the side as she remembered just how exhausting her seasons of dancing had been. Even now, being on summer break at the school and the studio had her finding relief in a little bit of a break herself. "I guess you're right," she said sadly, "I'll just have to contain my Pride Boost sex appeal to June. The world can't handle twelve months of me at full blast like this." She nodded excitedly at his invitation, wanting so badly to come watch him. "Just tell me when and where to be, I'll be there!"

"Sunny Splash sounds yummy." He quipped looking over the menu himself. "Of course I do, I have something like every weekend this month because of Pride. After that I'm taking a little break." Milo loved doing drag on the side, but it was mostly reserved for weekends. This month he hardly had any days off for himself. "I love Pride too, but baby I would never rest again if it was Pride every month." He put a hand on her shoulder. "But please do come to one of my shows. They're a lot of fun."

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / daniel molina-hsu @danmolinahsu ☆ location: late night dj set @ pride fest / downtown blackstone ridge

Mags had always been very careful about her alcohol intake, and she'd kept herself riding the finest line of a nice buzz all afternoon. Bluebonnet was going to be a madhouse during the day, so she'd volunteered to take Cece around Pride Fest and explore all the booths. After safely returning her niece to her designated adults, Maggie had popped in to the Whiskey Barrel to get her free shot, then she'd swung back by a little while later to buy another one. Not too long ago, she'd just come outside not that long ago after getting her third one that evening. After dancing away to some stellar mixes by Jin, she swung by the water stand to grab a bottle of water, which was where she spotted Daniel. "Danny boy!" She called out, running to close the space between them before pulling him into a hug. "I finally found you! I've been looking for you all day. Where were you hiding?"

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / finley shyba @finshy ☆ location: pride fest @ downtown blackstone ridge

"Well, fiddlesticks," Maggie said, fully aware that there could be students around. She didn't always choose such terminology when out and about, but something about a family affair made her instantly think about her niece and how easily kids picked things up. Plus, if any of her dancers heard her, then Maggie would be in deep shit. And worst of all, it'd find it's way back to Eli, and she'd never hear the end of it. She looked up from the bingo card she had in her hand, glancing toward the stage where someone was conferring with the leader's board to see if there had been a bingo or not. "I always get so invested in these things when there's like, literally no skill involved. How close were you that round?"

[magsdeveaux]

The Lion King (1994) — dir. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

[magsdeveaux]

-> @magsdeveaux

[magsdeveaux]

Maggie had meant every word, because Sara really did pick things up pretty quick. Sometimes people struggled with memory or execution, but Sara was one of those people who just oozed former dancer vibes. It was always nice to come across them, and Maggie firmly believed in speaking positivity out into the world. Plus, who didn't love getting a compliment? "Well, I'm sure you'd be killing it regardless of who was teaching, but I'm lucky to be the chosen one." She preened a little at the compliment, not wanting to blow it off immediately.

"Oh," Maggie said quickly, hoping that she hadn't immediately turned Sara off with defaulting to drinks. Thankfully, Sara seemed to be open to the idea of going out, albeit in a different location. Maggie's expression softened with relief, grateful that Sara had continued. "I definitely want," she said with a nod. "Coffee is perfect. I'm not sure when you're free next, but I can give you my number and you can let me know?" Maggie brushed a strand of hair back from her face, a curl having freed itself from her ponytail. "My schedule is chaos, but it's manageable chaos for the most part. Don't worry, I can make room for a date."

PARKER COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER - AFTERNOON

Dancing had been such a huge part of her life growing up - but it was, sadly, just another thing chronic illness and her Fibro had taken away from her. Walking and light stretches had been her only sort of exercise or movement for the longest time, but she wanted to try. Her pain was relatively under control these days, slow-acting morphine fighting off her body pain every step of the way. And when that didn't work, and she overdid it (not that she should be blaming herself - she was disabled!) and flared up, she had immediate-release meds to help her push through it. So she wanted to try. She had to try. Dancing was an art form in and of itself - and she needed that in her life right now. It was her fresh start era, and she deserved some joy to kick it all off.

She'd seen the flyer for the hip hop classes one day when she'd scoped out the community center - an attempt to find a place to house some of her miniature art - and made her mind up on the spot. If it was too much for her body, if the flare was too severe afterwards, she'd stop. But there was no harm (there potentially was) in trying. Her body was sore for the days after the first lesson, sure, and she had to spend extra time resting at home to compensate for that, but the flare was less than expected. It felt manageable. It felt like the risk was worth the reward! And so she went to the next class. And the class after that.

And now they were here: the sweat soaking her scalp at the end of the fourth class, her tank top sticking taut to her body, her heart frantically racing against her ribcage. Sara rummaged through her gym bag for a towel and checked her phone for the time. Maggie, the instructor, called out for her as Sara made way to leave the classroom. Maggie wanted her to hang back. Oh God, was she in trouble? Had she done something wrong? Sara swung her bag over her shoulder and fiddled with the strap, anxiety pricking at her skin. Maggie closed the door when the last other attendee left - shit, it must've been serious. Fuck, she was panicking! This was going to be bad, wasn't it?

Only it wasn't. Not at all. You looked really good today, by the way. I love seeing how much you're picking back up. It's clear you used to dance, you pick up choreo pretty quick. "Oh my God, thank you?" Sara said, almost as if it was a question. It was... weird, being complimented. Foreign. Praise, in this economy?! "I mean, it always helps having an amazing teacher to guide you." Sara flipped it back on her, because she felt like more comfortable territory. "I don't think I'd be going the way that I am with someone else at the helm." Her compliment was genuine, regardless. Maggie was patient, and skilled, and had a way with direction and counts. It felt easy, almost like she'd fallen back into step with her teenage self - even when she hadn't. Not quite yet, anyway. But she was on the right track! And that was all thanks to Maggie.

The next thing she said caught Sara even more off guard. I hope this isn't too forward of me, I just need to ask... Would you want to grab a drink sometime? If Sara hadn't been totally breathless before, then she definitely was now. Was she really that good of a dancer? Wasn't Maggie an ex-Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader?! What interest could she have in Sara? "I - I don't drink, actually," was the only thing Sara could think to reply with. Embarrassing. It wasn't the kind of admission that a sober person would make - her reasons were born purely out of trauma, not addiction or true sobriety. It made her feel gross admitting it to her. And then Sara had to scramble to make sure Maggie knew that she wasn't rejecting her. Platonically or romantically or otherwise. "But! But I could do another drink. A smoothie, or a tea or coffee, or something. If you want."

[magsdeveaux]

She genuinely didn't know what Azra would say, and Maggie was preparing herself to lose a game of rock, paper, scissors—and the last open table of the night. Azra Demirci didn't back down from a challenge, Maggie knew that as well as anyone in Blackstone. She'd helped get their cousin's conviction overturned, which had always made her something of a hero in their family. When they'd ended up meeting at a bar in town and were nearing a hook up, Maggie hadn't even debated whether or not to go for it. She was the hottest woman in town, naturally, so Mags had taken her shot and, by some miracle, scored.

But then, Azra was always one to keep people on their toes. When she agreed to it, Maggie smiled and nodded at the maître d'. "She's with me," Maggie said to the man. "I'll play it cool, don't worry, Demirci," she replied to Azra, a little quieter and much more playful in tone. "Just try not to go falling in love with me in the candlelight. I know escargot is an aphrodisiac."

Every now and then, Azra wanted to treat herself, particularly after a long, challenging day at work. Tonight, that took shape in the form of a nice, solitary dinner at Prime– an evening to decompress. Unfortunately for her, though, she hadn’t called ahead and her routine business wasn’t enough to cheat and get her a table. She’d come way too far just to turn around now, though. Azra had a goal in mind– wine and dine herself– and now that that goal had taken shape, she wasn’t so eager to walk away from it. Glancing up from her phone, she caught a familiar face, but not so familiar, considering they hadn’t really connected in two to three years.  Three hours? Azra quirked a brow. Well, that wouldn’t do. She held her tongue though, curiously watching and waiting as Maggie continued. The ramble was cute and not wholly unexpected, but rather than respond right away, she just tipped her head to the side, silently studying her for a moment before finally breaking through the sound barrier with a– “So have dinner with me then,” she supplied, shrugging a shoulder. To Azra, it seemed like the easiest solution. Sure, they’d hooked up in the past, but Azra wasn’t beholden to that, and neither was Maggie in her mind. “That’s not gonna be too weird for you, is it, Deveaux?” It felt like a valid question, considering Maggie’s approach. But for Azra, she just wanted a goddamn steak. “Because I just want to get wine drunk and eat escargot in peace– simple pleasures. So what do you say?”

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / taemin lee @legallytaemin ☆ location: fire & feather hot wings competition @ the chicken shack

Maggie had come out to watch the competition, knowing better than to sign up herself. She tossed some cash into the donation bucket on her way to a table, sliding in next to someone she thought she'd seen around town but hadn't quite met just yet. There's no such thing as a stranger, darling, only people you haven't met yet. Nana's voice echoed in her mind as she smiled at the person next to her. "Have you competed in one of these yet?" Maggie picked up a carrot stick in her basket of boneless wings, having opted for a dry rub instead of a liquid sauce. She shifted her gaze up to the makeshift stage where the contestants were seated, preparing to begin the challenge. "I could never do it. I remember my first time I came out, a guy ate so many wings that he started to smell like buffalo sauce. I saw him a week later and could still feel it burning my nose."

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / milo galvez @milogalvez ☆ location: smooth(ie) serenity

Maggie looked down at her punch card before glancing up at the menu again. "Okay, do I want the Purple Rain or the Sunny Splash? I am only two punches away from a shirt, so naturally I have to be strategic here." She pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side. She turned her attention back to Milo. "By the way, I need to come watch you perform soon. It's been too long and I want to see our moves in action. Do you have anything lined up the rest of this month?" It being Pride, Mags assumed Milo would be booked solid, but she hadn't been able to keep tabs on his performance schedule as much as she would've liked. "I wish every month was Pride, you know? Like, why can't we all be this beautiful and supported all the time. I want to celebrate being bisexual year-round."

[magsdeveaux]

Maggie had always loved hearing how much she resembled their Nana, even if she never said it out loud. Nana was the most amazing woman she'd ever known, and Maggie loved knowing she shared anything with her, let alone a lot of things. Unfortunately for Eli, Maggie being so much like Nana meant she was also never one to hold back a thought or reign herself in when it came to her big brother. He'd deal with it, Maggie always said, because that's what family does! She tolerated his nonsense right back. "Literally, when did I ever give him an inkling of an idea that I'd be the kind of woman he could boss around?" She crossed one leg over the other and rested her hands on the edge of the counter. "I still can't believe Daddy gave Wells his blessing. I feel so unloved." She gave her father crap for that, of course, but Maggie had genuinely loved her ex once upon a time.

"Wait, don't you put salt in them anyway? Just skip that part and consider your bitter old man tears salty enough." She flashed Eli an angelic grin before reaching in and pinching a bit of sugar cookie dough out of the nearby bowl. "Thirty is the new twenty, brother dearest. Especially when you're a woman. Look at your wife, she looks like she's not a day over thirty herself!" She popped the piece of cookie dough into her mouth before giving him a shrug. "I was in the area, had some time to kill after the little fiasco at the park. I figured I'd come hide out here and keep you on track for a bit."

Eli's head turned only about halfway to the left hearing his sister's ass hitting the counter and felt the words on the tip of his tongue but as he looked at her. She resembled their Nana. The attitude the face and the eyes. Those eyes were like staring at a young Nana trying to swindle some poor soul out of their wits. There weren't favorites supposedly but if their dad got asked point blank, he'd say Maggie was his favorite, the one who made him feel like his mother was still alive. He chortled as a quick shake of his head followed that up. "Clearly, he didn't know what the fuck he was on about. You've been doing whatever you want since you learned to walk on two legs not your hands." Which should have been another indicator to say she'd be a future dancer or cheerleader. "Poor idiot." He heard the frustration and knew that they'd shared that. And then some. "Fucking stupid. You still made the right decision for you. Fuck what ma had to say. You know half of us backed you up. Nana was the first one who said fuck this guy." An exaggerated eye roll had his eyeballs nearly come out of their sockets. "Original magpie. I think these sugar cookies will have salty tears in them. Whatever, you're coming up right behind me. You're thirty now, that's prehistoric in today's standard. He should be scared of this place. Got that frame to judge him whenever he walks in here." As he rolled up a sheet he chuckled. "Still not welcome here. What are you doing here so early anyhow? Isn't it dance day?"

[magsdeveaux]

Maggie had an espresso machine in her apartment building back in Mississippi, but she'd decided against getting one when she moved to Blackstone. Growing up, trips to Blackstone Brews with her parents or siblings were such fun little treats, and she loved supporting the local spot. She was headed in for her drink when she was stopped by a woman letting her know their machines were down.

"I—" Maggie faltered, closing her eyes as a wave of disappointment washed over her. "This is the single worst day of my life," she joked, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, what are our options here? Peach's has basic black coffee, but I would almost rather hit the gas station down the street and get a crappy cappuccino from a machine. What do you think? Either option has its pros and cons, I suppose, but I don't think I'm awake enough to make a full list." She hadn't even considered that the woman might be making do with something else. To Maggie, this was the sort of disaster you faced with all hands on deck.

CLOSED STARTER: @magsdeveaux. LOCATION: Blackstone Brews.

Her daily coffee, something she treasured. But unfortunately, her plans were foiled when the barista told her that the coffee machine was down. It was disappointing, but she decided to order a muffin and a bottle of water just to support the business before making her way to the door.

"Their coffee machine is down." She informed a woman coming in as she was leaving. There was genuine disappointment in her tone. "You'll have to come back later."

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / soren roque @rouqes ☆ location: downtown blackstone ridge

She hadn't realized just how much she had in her hands until she suddenly stared at the door of her Jeep Wrangler, realizing it was very much closed... Being short was a curse, really, and she'd left the top on the Jeep this week, so she couldn't even put something on the seat without opening a door. "Do you mind helping me out for a second?" Maggie asked the young man standing nearby, sighing at herself for not having planned ahead. "I forgot how heavy these boxes are, and I can't get my car door open without dropping them. If I drop these, my mom will never forgive me. They're apparently extremely important vases or bowls or tea kettles, I don't know." She nodded toward the red Jeep parked a couple feet away. "I'm that red beast there."

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / laurel deveaux @thornlau ☆ location: blackstone brews

There was a part deep down inside of Maggie that worried that Laurel might never truly forgive her for the menace she became during Lau's wedding. She hadn't meant to be so problematic, but she was only sixteen, and life was hard enough at that age. Throw in your oldest brother getting married, and it was like Maggie hadn't stood a chance. She had spent a lot more time trying to make it up to Laurel since then, of course, and now she would say she liked Laurel more than Eli most days... And it was only half of a joke, really.

"Here's your coffee," she said to Laurel as soon as she spotted her, holding out the paper cup. "And I got you the last cookie, because it looked delicious, and you're a trooper who deserves a treat. How are the babies? How's Cece? I can't believe how big she's gotten, it's like she never stops growing."

[magsdeveaux]

☆ closed starter / billy klein @billyblueklein ☆ location: mariana's cocina

"Well, well, well," she said as soon as she spotted him sitting on the bench inside the lobby of the restaurant. "If it's not the one who got away," Maggie teased, referring to that old familiar nickname she'd always used for Billy. Their short-lived relationship in the third grade had been quite the hot topic among their classmates, and they'd had the most attended wedding on the playground that semester. "Thanks for agreeing to get lunch with me, Billy. One of my dancers is looking at majoring in journalism and I want to get a feel for what she's looking at, and you were the first person who popped into my mind. I didn't even go to college so I'm not any help at all here, I'm completely lost."