she smiled softly.

" go to the garden when you need to remember that everything is love. "                             Maeve Wishart || 33 || Owner & head florist at Bloom Cafe

[m-wishart]

jacksonkealoha‌:

Watching, he shifted the box in his arms as he watched her pull open the door. He navigated carefully, trying to move through the door frame without bumping his arms against the box. He didn’t want to drop anything, and he definitely didn’t want to drop the box that he was currently holding. “I’ve got a few more boxes if you’re really not interested in doing anything else, but I won’t make you stay. Seems like that coffee may be more fun than luggin’ a bunch of rocks around.” He wouldn’t mind the help - there was a box or two he would be willing to let her move around, but more than anything he just appreciated the offer. “Thanks for holding the door. And the nice offer, I was half expecting to be told to shove it.”

Returning her eyes to him for a moment, Maeve smiled and shook her head gently. “You’re not making me do anything if I’m the one who offered.” She pointed out as she found a ledge to place her coffee aside on. With how careful she had noticed him being with the box he had Mae felt safe in assuming these were valuable things, and she didn’t want to be responsible for dropping one of them because she tried to carry her coffee and the box at the same time. “Of course, it’s no problem. It’s not my style to be that rude. Besides, I haven’t done any of exercising today other than walking and carrying rocks has to be some kind of strength training, right?” Not that she cared all that much about fulfilling daily exercises, but she figured it would count anyway. “Just tell me what I can move and where you want it.” 

[m-wishart]

aureliasilva‌:

“You don’t like my posing?” She asked with a laugh, executing another ridiculous pose with an equally ridiculous expression before she laughed. It was helping - being out shopping and being around Maeve. Maeve was one of her closest friends - someone who always made her feel better just by existing. 

She twirled around Maeve, giggling at the action before smoothing over the blouse. She didn’t really need a new blouse, but she couldn’t help but think about wearing it out with Ryder. She shouldn’t be thinking that way - they hadn’t spoken about what had happened, and if she were being honest, she was so scared of the possibility of having him regret his choice to kiss her that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say anything about it out loud. “That’s a lie. In the morning I look like Gizmo from Gremlins.” She grinned as she said it, before brushing her hair back. “Now I just need to find somewhere to wear it.”

Laughing at the comparison Aurelia drew up for herself, Mae shook her head. “Now that is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. I think you’re forgetting I’ve seen you first thing in the morning, and even then you look great.” All the dinners at the Thompson’s with conversation that lasted so late it turned into just staying the night and having breakfast too meant Maeve had basically seen Aurelia at every time of day. If she was being honest sometimes she caught herself wishing she could be a little more like Aurelia in that regard, her beauty natural and effortless. Her appearance was something Mae likely cared about more than she should, but it was so ingrained in her that she doubted she could change it now if she tried.  

Taking the seat she had been in before Aurelia had come out of the dressing room, Maeve hummed in thought for a moment before she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I mean, you don’t need to justify buying it, Rei. You can get it just because you like it.” She pointed out with a half smile. After the stress of New Years, she felt like everyone was warranted in doing whatever kept them happy and calm for now. Even if that meant buying a blouse that wasn’t needed, but was wanted. “But if you really need a place, we could always go out for drinks Friday?”  

[m-wishart]

rhetthawkins‌:

“I’m pretty notoriously forgetful when it comes to plants. I can barely keep myself and my dog alive.” Granted, Hades would tell him when he needed to be fed and dog him until he was satisfied. It was better for him to not have anything that needed too much attention. He’d been told for years on end that he was lucky he had even made it that far in life, and if he was being honest, he kind of agreed. “That’s really nice of you. We’ll see how adventurous I feel when I got to leave. A baby cactus is a lot of responsibility, I don’t know if I’m ready to be a dad.” He was babbling on, preferring to talk about this than anything else. 

He grinned at her words, a small chuckle rising out of him. “I think that might be a point of contention among a lot of people.” He wasn’t the most liked person in the world, and he knew that. He was fine with it being that way. “Yeah, I guess things haven’t really been all that easy for…anyone, lately.” He couldn’t believe what had happened on New Year’s, and he could, all in the same breath. He knew what the city was like - he had seen firsthand what could happen to those that lived in it every day at work. He had buried Abby because of the city. Because of his job. “Uh, yeah, please. I think my veins are caffeine at this point but what doesn’t kill you, I guess.”

“I don’t know, you’re already a dog dad. I doubt that a cactus would be more work than that.” She teased, a light laugh escaping her lips. “Besides, if you manage to kill a cactus that would mean you’re literally less nurturing than the dessert. And I would really hope that’s not possible.” Some people just weren’t plant people though, and Maeve had to remind herself of this sometimes. “What’s your dog’s name?” 

Maeve’s brows furrowed slightly as he expressed his belief that most people would feel differently about him, in part just confused about how he didn’t seem care all that much about it. “That sounds like something you shouldn’t be as okay with as you are,” Mae said with a soft shake of her head and half smile. She would have been mortified to have a reputation that she didn’t feel accurately represented her. “But I don’t mind disagreeing with people on that. I’ve never let the opinions of others sway me before, don’t plan on starting now.” In her mind it just didn’t seem fair to dislike someone based on what others had told her. If Rhett was actually a dick, she’d find that out for herself. Turning away from him she moved to the coffee bar to get his drink started, returning a moment later with the coffee and handing it across the counter to him. “Did you want something to eat too? I love coffee as much as anyone, but it might not be great to survive off caffeine alone.”  

[m-wishart]

hadleysinclair‌:

She smiled at the flattery, feeling almost as though people were doing it just to try and make her feel better. She had to admit that it was working, even if a part of her wanted to simply pretend that there was nothing that had happened and move on from it. It was a lie, obviously - she still had the wound to prove it, but thinking about that night just made her scared, and confused, and guilty. It wasn’t easy for her to think about the consequences everyone had to face, and the reality that she had been the person to gather them all in one spot. “Well, thank you. Your flattery is much appreciated.” She could sense the tension that hovered over Maeve, in the same way that she had seen that tension written in the faces of everyone else who had been at that party or lived through the aftermath. They had been bonded together by the reality of the chaotic nature of their world. “I’m doing alright, I suppose. On the mend, and everything looks good. I just wish that I had answers for everyone.” She shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep a smile on her face and keep the mood as light as she could in the midst of their terrible conversation. “I’m happy to be back and getting into routine again. I missed the comfort of this place more than I can tell you.”

Maeve was sure the relief at hearing that she was getting better showed on her face, reflected itself in her smile. While she couldn’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been, she was at least glad to hear physically Hadley was recovering. Though her smile did drop a little at the mention of wanting answers to give others. “Getting and giving answers doesn’t fall on you, Hadley. I know I can’t technically speak for everyone, but I feel pretty confident in saying people don’t blame you for what happened.” At least in her own experience of hearing people buzz and talk about it, she hadn’t heard Hadley’s name brought up as anything other than discussing what had happened to her. It didn’t seem fair to Mae that just because Hadley was the one to host the party that she would be responsible for getting answers about what happened at it. “It was New Years Eve. If you hadn’t thrown the party, someone else inevitably would have and what happened at your place would have happened there instead. It’s not your fault.” Mae’s voice was soft when she spoke, reassuring. All she wanted was to make clear to Hadley that it wasn’t on her. Her smile did start to return though at her words, glad that her store could be a place of comfort for her. “Routines can be so good sometimes. Helps everything get back into some semblance of normalcy again.” Maeve herself had been relieved to get back to work after New Years if only to have something to distract herself with.   

[m-wishart]

abel-evans‌:

“Yeah - it’s been a tough few days alright” Abel agreed with a nod, but he was feeling better, didn’t want to dwell on anything too much anymore. “Tulips were my gran’s favourite too” he grinned. It was nice to have a flower to represent the important people in his life, even though his grandmother had been a bit mad, literally. “Must of been a generational thing” Abel laughed. “What time are you working until?” he asked with a raised brow. “The flower - it’s the first thing that’s cheered me up in a good while now, I’d like to buy you lunch - if you’ll let me?” he continued. He liked this girl. Her aura was positive, he needed that, wanted to be around her. “Abel by the way” he remembered, giving her another smile. 

Maeve’s smile grew at the mention of their grandmother’s sharing a favourite flower. “Can’t really say I blame them. Tulips are timeless, they’ll always look good in an arrangement or even on their own.” In fact, they were one of her first go-tos when making spring floral arrangements. While he probably had no idea what his words meant for her to hear, Mae couldn’t help but smile. To have confirmed that her small little act could, and was, making a difference for at least some people made her day. And maybe that was why when he offered to buy her lunch, Mae nodded in agreement. “That’s really kind of you. Yeah, lunch would be great actually. I’m starving.” Spending all her time worrying about the people she cared about meant her eating had been pushed to the side, and she couldn’t remember a time in the last few days that she’d had a proper meal. “I own the store, so I kind of just come and go whenever I please. There’s enough staff here right now, so I could be free now if that works for you?” It had been a slower day so far, and she was confident in her staff that they could handle everything without her. “It’s nice to meet you, Abel. I’m Maeve, but most people call me Mae.” 

[ofmymuses]

Character Aesthetic  ➙ requested by anon ;; {  the kind soul }

being kind does not make me VULNERABLE 

[mrdamienclarke]

Damien had been doing a lot of thinking since the new year started off with a hell of a bang. It had been a long time since he’d really sat down and taken a look at his life, what he wanted for it. When he was in his senior year of high school everyone kept bugging him about college. Where would he go, what would he study. The idea of college was suffocating. He hated school, he wasn’t planning on doing more of it. His choice to go into the military was thought out and focused, one of the best choices he’s ever made. Now he seemed to be back in that place, where his career path felt tentative, currently not headed anywhere good for him. 

Shaking his head from his thoughts remembered he was in a cafe and though it felt distant he could have sworn someone said something to him. “Wait what? Sorry I was in another world” 

@newamericanastarters​

[m-wishart]

Maeve had recognized Damien as soon as she’d walked into the cafe and moved up into line behind him, but she stayed quiet at first. He seemed deep in thought, and she was ever the polite one who didn’t want to interrupt if he had something important on his mind. It wasn’t until it was his turn to approach the counter and he didn’t move that she spoke gently to let him know, giving a half smile as she seemed to shake him from his thoughts. “It’s okay. That seems to be a common theme these days.” Maeve said, shaking her head to dismiss his apology. Not that Maeve could or would hold it against anyone. With such an unpleasant start to their New Years, she understood how everyone could be walking around in a daze. After all, she was also still trying to wrap her own head around what had happened. 

“I was just saying you’re up to order.” Gesturing to the counter where the barista was waiting patiently for him, she waited while he ordered his drink before stepping up to order her own, moving to join him again at the end of the counter to wait for her drink. “How are you after everything? You didn’t get injured New Years?”  

[m-wishart]

abel-evans‌:

Abel had placed his tea beside the register, but he was in a daze himself, watching people walking around, he got lost people watching sometimes, jumped with a fright when the girl behind the till finally spoke. “Oh don’t worry” he smiled, his real smile coming back after the past few days. “I’m exactly the same” he breathed as he handed over a twenty. He looked over at the flowers and his eyes lit up. There it was, there was the kindness in the world he was doubting since New Years Eve. That small little gesture had brought back his faith in humanity again. “That’s really nice” Abel smiled, shook his head at the change she was handing him and pulled himself over to the flowers. He chose a daffodil. his mother’s favourite - a little stem of happiness she used to say. He brought it to his face and inhaled deeply through his nose, smiling at the memories it brought. “Which one is your favourite?” he asked, fixing his eyes back to her.

The smile came easier to Maeve’s face now, appreciative of the fact that he wasn’t getting upset with her as she was sure some other customers would have. “I guess everyone is a little out of sorts right now.” She murmured softly as her eyes turned down to the register in front of her entering in his drink to ring him through, though she glanced up just in time to catch his expression brightening as he took in the flowers. That exact look was what Mae was giving out the flowers for. For the chance that it could be the thing that cheered someone up and brought a little happiness to their day. Watching him browse and pick out a flower, a happier smile lit up her face giving his question some careful thought before answering. “I’m always a toss up between peonies and tulips. Peonies are beautiful and so fragrant. You can smell them the second you walk into a room, and I love that. But tulips will always hold a sentimental place in my heart. My grandma used to have them in her flower bed outside her place, and I would get so excited when I saw the tulips blooming because then I knew spring was starting and all the other flowers would be coming up soon.”

[m-wishart]

ryderthompscn‌:

After having spent the morning texting Aurelia to see if she could meet him later, much to his stomach’s intense hatred, Ryder instantly sprinted to the Bloom cafe. While he hadn’t seen Mae at the party the previous night, he also couldn’t bare to think that she was hurt, especially after the little warning that Hadley’s assailants had given him. His eyes scanned the store, looking over colorful flowers for a dark head of brunette hair. Finally, it was her voice that caused him to spin around as she spoke to a customer. Making sure she saw him first, he wrapped her in a hug, gently cradling the back of her head. Ryder was certain she could still feel the thump-thump-thumping of his heart, ready to barrel out of his chest if anything had happened to her at all. “Sorry, I know you’re on the clock,” he said, grinning wildly as he pulled away to look at her. “You’re okay? Nothing happened to you at the party?”

Now that Maeve was zoned back into her surroundings, she heard the faint ding of the bell above the door signalling someone had come in and she briefly looked past the customer to see who it was. Ryder. Breathing a sigh of relief just from seeing him, Mae left the customer she had been dealing with to one of her employees to finish their order before she was stepping around the counter to meet him. Easily moving into his arms, she wrapped her own around him too and let herself take a moment to truly relax. His heart was pounding against her ear, and she knew immediately how anxious he must be. But she had to admit that she was partially just relieved to be hearing the sound of his heart still beating regardless of its current speed. “Don’t say sorry. I’m really happy to see you,” Maeve smiled up at him, taking hold of one of his hands once he had pulled away as if still needing contact to remind herself he was there. “I’m fine, I left before everything happened. What about you? Are you alright?” She asked as she looked him over, needing to see for herself regardless of his words that he was fine. “I wanted to call, but...” she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence though she was sure he would know what news she would have been afraid of getting.  

[m-wishart]

aureliasilva‌:

@newamericanastarters​

Shopping made her feel better. It had been a while since she had bought herself anything, and after everything that had happened on New Year’s Eve she felt that she deserved a new blouse at the very least. Coming out of the dressing room with the blouse on, she looked at herself in the mirror, turning from one side to the next to try and determine whether she liked it or not. It was different than what she normally wore - but she didn’t know if she hated it. 

“What do you think?” She asked, making eye contact through the mirror, tipping her head to the side. “Can I pull this off or does it look like I’m trying too hard?” She twirled to face them, placing her hands on her hips and striking a ridiculous pose. 

The invitation to go shopping for the day was met with an immediate and enthusiastic yes. Maeve herself was feeling like buying a new dress or shirt could help ease some of the stress she’d been feeling since New Year’s Eve. And any time spent around Aurelia would calm her down, so of course it was easy for her to agree. 

As she sat outside the dressing room, Mae waited patiently as she scrolled through her phone, replying to a few texts until she heard the door to Aurelia’s room opening. Immediately she was smiling, followed quickly with laughter at the pose. “With that pose? Kind of. But the blouse itself is great.” Maeve teased, before getting up from her spot to take a closer look at the blouse on her. Taking Aurelia’s hand, she guided her through another brief twirl to take a look at the shirt before she was nodding. “It looks great, Rei. But you always look amazing so I don't know why you even feel like you have to ask.” 

[m-wishart]

rhetthawkins‌:

He was refusing to acknowledge that anything was wrong. It was typical of Rhett to ignore everything that was going on and pretend like nothing had happened, except in situations where he completely couldn’t avoid it. It was just how he handled situations best. Ignoring things was easier than having to deal with the what-ifs and the constant reliving and rethinking everything that he had done or could have done. He had done that enough with Abby, and he couldn’t stomach the idea of doing it any more. No one had died - luckily, and Hadley was well on her way to being as healthy and job-obsessed as she had been before. Everyone was alright, and that was all that mattered. That wasn’t stopping him from looking for answers and trying to determine who had been there and why and what they had been trying to accomplish, but until he had something to tell people he was keeping everything close to the vest. 

Caffeine was all that was keeping him going, and tucked in the corner of the cafe he had left his belongings on a table in the corner while he went to go get another coffee. He knew Mae - not well, but he had met her a few times, enough to be comfortable as she came back to the present. “Nah, it’s alright. I’m more of a cactus kind of guy. Plus, I’m not really in that much of a hurry that I’m gonna flip out over an extra 30 seconds. I know I’m a dick, but I like to think I’m not that bad.”

Seeing that it was only Rhett, Mae visibly relaxed a little her smile easing into a softer, more genuine one. She didn’t know him well by any means, really had only met him a handful of times. But he was at least familiar to her. And right now familiar was just as welcome as a friend. “Hm, that’s smart. A cactus is one of the easiest plants to take care of and lasts forever.” Maeve was always sure to keep a few on hand in the store just in case someone like Rhett came in, more interested in lower maintenance plants than flowers. Glancing over at her current stock, she shrugged one shoulder as her eyes turned back to him. “You can take one of the smaller ones off that side shelf if that’s more your speed.” 

“For the record though, the offer has nothing to do with me thinking you’re a dick that was going to freak out. I know you’re not.” At least in the few interactions she’d had with him previously he didn’t seem like one. “I’m offering them to everyone right now. I figured people could use something to brighten their day and flowers are pretty, so...” Mae trailed off, not entirely sure why she was explaining her thought process to him. Flowers really weren’t going to fix anything, and deep down she knew that. She also knew it was probably best to just move away from the subject altogether. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling. Were you coming up to get another drink?” 

[m-wishart]

hadleysinclair‌:

She was finally out and about, moving around almost as well as she had been before. Her wound was healing well, her stitches were slowly dissolving and she was finally able to lift her kitten Fergus without any twinging in her side. All in all, physically she was doing quite well. Mentally, it was a bit of a different story. She was having a hard time resolving the guilt that she felt about everyone who had been injured, and she was having a harder time with the apparent lack of answers. The police hadn’t been able to tell her much, neither had the FBI when she had questioned them and tried to determine if they had any knowledge of the situation. She wished that she had something to tell people - a way to apologize for the actions fo others, but for now, she was left with no answers and no way to shake the feeling that if she had ignored her parents and not thrown a party, everyone would have been better off. She was hiding out in Mae’s cafe, happily drinking tea and trying to catch up on her cases, but she could see that Mae was just as out of it as she was. “A flower would do a lot to spruce up my look, I think.” She said happily, taking a flower and tucking it behind her ear, tipping her head to the side. “Are you alright? You look like you’re in another world.”

It was as if Mae’s mind had still lagged a few moments behind her words and it wasn’t until the fog was entirely cleared now that she realized she was talking to Hadley. Hadley, the one who had been seriously injured at her own party, one of her favourite customers if only because of how kind the other woman always was. Though she wouldn’t admit that to any of the other regulars. She couldn’t possibly imagine how Hadley must be feeling physically or emotionally, but as she took the flower and tucked it into her hair, Mae couldn’t help herself from briefly checking her over as if looking to see how she was healing. Masking her surprise at how happy Hadley sounded considering the circumstances, Mae just smiled a little more and shook her head. “Flower or not, you always look great.” She pointed out, before taking a breath and shrugging one shoulder. As much as she was appreciative of an invitation to talk about what was on her mind, Maeve was hardly about to burden the woman with her worries when Hadley had her own to be concerned about. “I’m pretty sure I should be the one asking you that all things considered. How are you doing? It’s nice to see you back here. I missed seeing you in your usual spot.” 

[m-wishart]

bella-delgado‌:

where: local cafe

when: a few days after new years

open

@newamericanastarters​

With her sprained wrist, it had made it hard for Bella to play her guitar, so she hadn’t done any gigs since the incident on New Years. The girl sighed as she sat on the couch in the cafe with her songwriting notebook, writing something new. Bella looked up when she heard footsteps approaching, a small smile on her face. “Hey, how are you?”

When Maeve noticed the woman in the corner’s cup was empty, she couldn’t help herself from making a replacement. She looked hard at work, and Mae knew whenever she was deep into something, whether it be reading or writing, she always enjoyed having a fresh hot drink beside her. Carrying the mug over, her lips curved up into a smile as she set the drink on the table near her. “Hi, I’m doing alright, thank you. I’m so sorry if I interrupted you, I just thought you might want a refill.”

[m-wishart]

jacksonkealoha‌:

@newamericanastarters​ O P E N

He was working on setting up an exhibit, showing off his latest finds in the comfort of the American Museum of Natural History. They had offered to move all of his things in and set it all up for him, but he preferred to do all of his own setup, especially when it came to his work. He took pride in what he did, and he didn’t want to risk someone breaking one of his artifacts, or placing the wrong information with the wrong piece. Hefting a box, he glanced at someone walking by, offering them a quick grin. “Hey, you mind getting the door for me?”

Walking down the street with a latte in her hand, Maeve briefly found herself wondering if it was weird to be getting coffee from anywhere other than her own shop. Then again, being in another part of the city seemed like a perfectly valid excuse in her mind. Not that anyone else would likely be paying all that much attention to what she was drinking or where it was from. Looking up as she heard a voice speaking in her direction, Mae locked eyes with the man and immediately nodded in response. “Oh, yes, of course.” Slipping around him while being careful of the boxes he was holding, Maeve opened the door and held it for him before glancing back to see if there was anything else he needed carried in. “Is this everything or do you need a hand bringing anything else in?” 

[m-wishart]

where: bloom cafe who: open @newamericanastarters​

Maeve was still in the process of figuring out her thoughts on what had happened New Years night. She was a constant back and forth, torn between relief and guilt that she had left early and avoided the chaos. If she hadn’t been so tired, if she had stayed just a little longer.. maybe she would have been able to help a few people out. Or tracked down her friends to make sure they were alright. Dwelling in those thoughts, Mae almost didn’t notice the figure approaching the cash register to pay for their drink. As it was, she had to shake her head slightly to get rid of her daze and put on a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, I seem to be a little distracted today.” She murmured, her smile quirking up a degree higher as if hoping that would excuse her behaviour. “Feel free to grab a flower on your way out if you want,” She gestured over to the shelf by the counter lined with vases of a variety of single stemmed flowers. It was a small thing and in no way would make up for the fear she knew people must be feeling right now, but Maeve was hoping a free flower could be the first step to brightening the otherwise tense moods. 

[cacaonuts-deactivated20180224]

[iconicgirls]

Adelaide Kane photographed by Jordan Harvey