#threads.maya

[annihilvtion]

closed starter : @ofemeralds

location : the rooftop

The air had thickened around her so rapidly, heaviness weighing on each limb. It was like trying to run in a dream, she could only move slowly. One, two, three... Up to fifteen, sixteen... thirty. She counted each step, until she reached the door that would take her up three flights of stairs. She counted the stairs, up to the number sixty. And it wasn't until the door swung open, revealing the night sky, that she took her first breath of relief. Each step that lead her toward him, grew quicker and easier. "You're early," the air buzzes around her as she takes her rightful seat at his side, nudging him with her shoulder gently. "Or is it me, who's late?"

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She listens to his words carefully, soaking them in as if to give herself a little bit of hope for the future. As much as she knew she shouldn't feed into the idea too much, it was still nice to allow herself a moment every now and again. "I would love to see it someday," she smiles over at him softly, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

She laughs at his words as she goes through her units. It'd taken her years to accumulate this much, and she was grateful for her hard work every day. So it was nice when a friend showed interest and asked questions. She knew she could often get carried away but it didn't seem to bore the teacher at all. "I wouldn't call you old," she comments back with another gentle smile. "That," she begins. "Is dandelion tonic. It's an anti-oxidant, basically universal power machine. It'll cleanse everything. I like to put dandelion on toast, or in tea. It can be something of an acquired taste."

Lying was never fun. Especially when Ms. Campbell was involved. But Rafael gave a nod, forcing a soft smile with it. "I do. It'll take time--maybe a lot of time--but one day, things will be all right again." His voice was gentle and hopeful, despite there being very little hope left inside the teacher. But he didn't need that to spread to Maya, or any of the younger generation for that matter. They were the future--and the future needed h o p e . Rafael was quick to shift his mind to something a little more positive--learning. Pushing his glasses up a little higher on the bridge of his nose, the elder listened closely as Maya described each of the items she picked up. Some, he was familiar with. Others? He hadn't a clue. But he was always an eager learner and he was mentally taking note of all the little details the herbalist was sharing. "No, no--not at all. I know I'm old but, I do still have some power to learn up here," he added, grinning as he tapped at his temple. He reached out slowly, picking up a container of a material he wasn't familiar with. "And this, oh wise medicine woman? What's this?"

[annihilvtion]

closed starter : @gcampbell

Maya walked along the curbside, balancing herself with just her arms out as she headed home from work. It was another long day, she'd gotten there early and stayed late, but it truly was her happy place. She perks up, at the sound of someone's voice, an oddly familiar voice at that. Her eyes widening as she searches for where it was coming from. It can't be, she would think to herself, just before spotting him with his own two eyes. And she walks slower than she meant to, as if she were running in a dream and couldn't speed up. "Grayson?" She questions, almost accusingly.

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"Yes! That's the perfect name for it," Maya grins wide. For whatever reason, she could tell that Alex was good. It was in the way that she instantly felt comfort in the other woman's presence. Perhaps like the long lost sister, she'd always wanted. "My brother brought me here about four years ago. After my childhood home burnt down," she nods slowly, nibling at her bottom lip. "How about you?" She asks curiously, shifting the focus momentarily.

Alex listened attentively as the other enthused but didn't allow the brief abatement in her smile go unnoticed. Only hoping she had something she could say to make it seem as if the possibility of her being able to see those things could ever happen, but she couldn't even convince herself that was true. "I'm sold. I am an avid people watcher, been doing it for years." she joked, bringing light to the fact she was indeed a loner for most of her years residing in Jackson. "How'd you come across this place?"

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Maya tilts her head to the side, slightly intrigued by the quick explanation. She allows the other to talk fully before she says anything, amused smile reaching her lips as she folds her arms over her chest. "I'm not judging you," she then steps closer to the fence. "Maybe you'd like some company?" She links her own fingers through the fence, reaching the same height and smirking at the other girl. "Come on, before we miss it."

| ︰ 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⸻ open to all !

her words rang true, it wasn't what it looked like. honey like tones, thick with sweetness and an innocent tilt, hiding the devilishness beneath. ❝ i swear ⸻ this isn't what it looks like ! ❞ she wasn't climbing the fence to escape, was she climbing the fence ? her fingers in the wires and her feet pushing upwards said yes. was she escaping ? while it appears so, she was certainly not. perhaps it was that almost innocent look on her face that deemed her just that little bit untrustworthy. perhaps it was how she garnered one of the many monikers she had, but there was truly innocence in the reasoning behind her early morning climb. ❝ i just wanted to watch the sunrise. ❞ and the way the sky was slowly lightening could back her words, she hoped.

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His touch warmed her momentarily, sending a chill down her spine and she turns toward him with a small smile. "I'd be upset if you did," she tells him. She could tell by the way he carried himself and the way he looked at her that this would be a better night. She could always understand his grief, always knowing in the back of her mind that they would have each other. Even if it hurt sometimes. She leans into his kiss, closing her eyes as one hand is placed on his chest delicately. "I missed you too," she whispers back before pulling herself away, afraid she may tear up if she lingered any longer. Although, she brings her hand to meet his, fingers interlocking with hers as she takes careful steps toward the kitchen. "Where have you been?"

The fact she wasn't making a huge deal out of this made him feel less anxious. "Yeah" he agreed with a smile as he followed her inside the home and closed the door behind him. His hand placed on her lower back as he looked down to speak with her, "You know i can't turn down your hot chocolate" he smirked slightly. This back and forth they had was like routine for him at this point, if it were to no longer be a thing he'd probably feel lost. It was messy but it was consistent and that's what he needed. When able to he leaned down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, "I missed you."

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She follows his instruction, trying to keep from wincing as she moved. There wasn't much more she hated than feeling weak, and useless. She'd wanted to help, not hide. "Ice sounds good," she agrees with a forced laugh as she looks up at him, trying to see how worried he was about all of this. It's how she would determine how royally fucked Jackson would be now. "You're brave, Mav. Thank you for helping me," she smiles.

Maverick embraced Maya back immediately, his hands caressing her head gently. He was so happy to see her alive, he wouldn't have known what to do if she wasn't. He wiped her tears gently as she began to speak to him. He decided to let the thought of Josh go for the moment, not wanting to upset Maya any more than she was already was. "Here, sit, let me see." Maverick gave her a hand to lower her to the stairs, examining her ankle once she was settled. "Okay, okay, you gotta get off this ankle. And we need to get you some ice." He concluded with a nod. "I don't know if it's over yet, but it seems to be over for right now. I'm okay, you know me, nothing I can't handle."

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"Good," Maya chimes in with a giggle. She'd only been creeping up on the man, planning to give him an even bigger scare than she had. "You ruined the berries didn't you? Those are my favorite kind," she takes her own seat in the grass. Her fingers skim through the weeds absentmindedly. "You know, it's okay to take breaks... At least that's what I told myself on my way up here."

open to all. farm lands

Minding his business. That's what Reed was always doing, minding his own business as he sat in the tall grass nearby the farmland that he tended to as he picked from a pile of berries that he had snagged for himself. It wasn't until the sound of footsteps behind him that he finally jumped back to his feet, almost crushing the berries in his hand. "Shit." He breathed out in a sigh of relief and a small chuckle at how jumpy he had been lately. "I damn near thought I was about to meet my maker."

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Maya, up to her routine of things, had been wandering past curfew. She wasn't the type to get into too much trouble, nothing that would be truly harmful. However, she did like to sit up on the rooftop and gaze up at the sky. On her way back home, she decides to take the field. It was a longer trip, but definitely more scenic. Not yet ready to say goodnight to the sky. The sound of a voice in the darkness startled her, causing her to jump backward, tripping on her own feet. "Oh, shit," she calls out as she catches herself. "Sorry, sorry. It's me, Maya?" It relieved her to hear that the other was just as fearful, it made her a little more at ease.

grace was exhausted after a long day taking care of several patients but now she couldn't sleep. insomnia would keep her up and when she would finally sleep a nightmare would wake her up again. it wasn't every night but right now she found herself out in the dark. she brought a flashlight with her to have some light since it scared her. she found a nice spot in the grass and laid down, eyes glancing up at the starry sky. she was starting to have that relaxed feeling when she heard rustling, making her sit up quickly and grabbed her flashlight. ''who's there?'' memories of that day eight years ago came to her mind. ''who is it?''

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River made a fair point and maybe Maya's family had sheltered her from that, in a way. But she'd also witnessed plenty more death than she would have liked to and it started with her parents. Thoughts swirled in her mind until River asked her next question, which seemed to snap Maya out of it some. "Oh, no. I wouldn't worry about that. But if it gets worse, I want to see it again," she assures Riv with a small smile. "Hmm," she takes a deep breath as she thinks, looking around the shop. "Yes. If you see bins... Storage bins, or any kind of compost bin. I can always use more. I'd so so appreciate it, Riv."

"yeah, it's never easy, but it's part of life, i guess." river shrugged. the woman hadn't given the action much thought until now. it was a reality she had to grow up with, integrated into her very being. in this world you didn't think about it-- you just did. not acting could be the difference between life and death sometimes.

"more? this stuff ain't addictive is it?" she joked, shaking her head. "all jokes aside, thanks mage, you're a real lifesaver." she winked, taking the goods from the girl. "mind puttin' it on my tab? should be going out on a two-day run soon, anything i should keep my eyes keen for?"

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Maya was initially about to put her head down and get to work when Sofia began asking her about help around the shop. "I have a couple people who work here," she tells the woman with a slow nod. "I just, have a certain way of doing things. Call it OCD or whatever," she then shrugs as she moves a few more items around. "I mean, it is a lot, but honestly I like working alone sometimes. It clears my head."

Sofia's brows shot up when Maya accepted her offer. She didn't think it would work but she was glad it did. A little work for some free weed. Sounded like a great deal. "No problem." She said with a wink and walks over to the bottles, glancing over them carefully, studying them as she started putting them alphabetically in her head already. She reached for the bottle and started arranging them. "Ever thought about having someone help you if this seems a lot for you?"

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Maya laughs, not at the other woman's first joke but at her next statement. It was a slightly cynical sounding thing though she nods her head. "Herbs," she corrects with a tilt to her head. "Herbal remedies. They can treat rashes, insomnia, anxiety.. Feel free to take a look around and tell me about yourself. I haven't seen you around before."

beck had entered the herbal area just as an honest stroll around the town, when she heard an unfamiliar voice shout out to her. her sharp brows were furrowed as she followed the echo of the voice, leading her to a blonde girl. she crossed her arms with a smirk. "oh come on, not even if i say please?" she teased. "no, i was actually just wondering what this was. i'm assuming you sell... flowers?"

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She simply shrugs, nonchalantly. "Then they'll last longer and make it easier to quit," she smirks. It was always great to be able to trade for material items, things for her shop and her home. Her hobbies, even. But she did take a unique pleasure in trading for the little things, and she was a firm believer in paying what you can. It was hard enough to get by, in the world they lived in. And she was self-sufficient enough to not have to worry about it too much. "No way," she can't help but grin when he pulls out the chocolate. It was like a beacon of light in the dark. "Do you know how long it's been since I've had something like this? And twenty-five years at that. You're amazing."

A playful glare took over Rafael's features, though a slight smile soon broke through his façade. "This old man's trying to cut back if I'm gonna live to see another decade," he mused lightly, eyes dropping to look at the container once more. He thought about it for a moment--then another moment--before a long sigh left him. "Alright, you drive a hard bargain. Double it and make it twenty," he grumbled, raising the bag he carried over his shoulder to let it rest on the counter. As a teacher, he didn't exactly have much to trade with, but as an old man, he had managed to collect decades of goodies for moments like this. "Let's see--I've got--" He started, hand moving through the contents to sort out what Maya could be interested in. "Aha!" He exclaimed, pulling out a little sealed plastic bag that contained small chunks of dark chocolate. "You know, when you preserve it right, dark chocolate can last a good twenty-five years."

[annihilvtion]

"That's the beauty of art," she hums. "The chaos of it... It always fascinates me to see pieces from before, you know. I haven't seen many, sometimes in old books. I would have loved museums and galleries," her smile fades slightly at the idea that she may never get to see one. Especially not as they were meant to be seen. "My secret spot," she looks over at Alex and smiles. "I mean, it might not be so secret but it's secret to me. It's up on the rooftop, you can see everything from there."

Friend. A term that has appeared infrequently in her standard life. The subtle alchemy prompts her to grin as she replies, "Of course. It's honestly such a captivating piece, impressive even if you were only there to witness his ridiculous yet innovative methods to make it precisely how he visioned it." Heavy bits of remorse coating her words. She started following the other in the direction she was headed in away from the event. Observing her surroundings as the chatter and music fades in the distance. "Where are we headed to by the way?"

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The corners of her lips tug upward and she giggles softly. "You're right," she makes herself more comfortable, leaning backward onto her hands. "Tell me about your day.. Your week," she closes her eyes as she inhales the cool air. It happened to be her favorite weather this time of year, when it was just cold enough to turn her cheeks pink. She'd thought about this moment all day long, counting the hours it'd take to get her here. Her gaze eventually falls on Kumar, smiling as she studies his face.

kumar was always early. always on time even though he hasn't had a working wrist watch on him in years. it was a strange talent that he has had over the years ever since he's gotten a job where he's actually needed to be there on time. "it's probably you." kumar says glancing over at her with the slightest bit of a grin on his lips. he feels like he's been waiting here since he got off the of work though he feels like the rooftop is familiar he needed some place to go to clear his mind after not seeing her for a while. "you know i'm always on time." he says stretching his feet out to where they dangle off the side of the rooftop.

[annihilvtion]

Her lips form a tight line as she contemplates saying anything next. Ultimately, choosing not to. There was no reason to bring up the past so constantly, only pushing them father away from each other in the end. She had only attempted to move on once, after possibly the worst fight they'd ever had, and at the encouragement of a good friend. Obviously, it didn't go well and she was grateful for that. There wasn't anyone else for her, but Josh. She decided a long time ago that no matter what happened, she'd be there for him. She smiles at his reply as she sets the now steaming mugs onto the countertop, arms moving to wrap around his shoulders, she nods. Quickly, however, she's startled by the sound of gunfire nearby. Coupled by screams, and more gunshots. Her eyes fall on Josh, then, panicked and confused. "What was that?"

"Right" he muttered quietly as he picked up one of the empty bottles to look at it, "yeah that did happen" he spoke rather awkwardly before setting the bottle back down and looking over at her. Their latest fight being that he fought she was flirting with others, one of the many times he unintentionally ruined something good between them. Joshua had a tendency to self-destruct whenever things seemed to be going too well for him, the fear of losing people permanently like his parents scared him and he'd rather not grow attached if he could help it. Maya was somebody he felt addicted to though, he ruined things but always came running back. "I hope so" he smiled slightly, "can we be okay? I don't want to fight anymore."