i want to cut to the feeling

˚｡⋆୨୧ ୨୧⋆｡˚ ˚｡⋆୨୧ ୨୧⋆｡˚ ˚｡⋆୨୧ ୨୧⋆｡˚ 'Cause, baby, I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me and every day is like a 𝒷𝒶𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 but every night with us lis like a ✨ D R E A M ✨ baby, we're the new 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓈 come on, come along with me heart//break is the NATIONAL anthem we sing it p r o u d l y we are too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet baby, we're the [ n e w ] romantics the best people in life are free

[mayanoelle]

❥full name: maya noelle jackson ❥nickname(s): mai (pls give her more) ❥dob: september 12, 1991 ❥age: 33 years old ❥gender & pronouns: ciswoman, she/her ❥sexual orientation: bisexual ❥relationship status: single ❥character inspirations: haley scott (one tree hill), monica geller (friends), elizabeth bennet (pride and prejudice) ❥occupation: owner of latte love ❥hometown: blue harbor, il ❥previously lived: portland, or and los angeles, ca ❥time in blue harbor: from the ages of 12 to 18, moved to los angeles and returned at age 30 ❥current neighborhood: cardinal hill ❥faceclaim: alexandra shipp

📚 𝙱𝙸𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝚈 ☕️ 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 👩🏽‍🍳 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 📌 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃

TLDR; maya was born in portland, oregon to james and vanessa jackson and has an older brother, ethan. maya and her family moved to blue harbor when she was 12 years old to be closer to her grandmother, nana mae. nana mae is maya's role model and the whole reason that she fell in love with cooking. her older brother played sports in school, and his popularity, combined with her skills in the kitchen and generally kind personality landed her in similar circles. she went to LA to pursue a culinary career and a degree in business management. she returned to blue harbor at the age of 30 with the dream to open her own cafe. she worked at la galleria as a sou-chef for a year before quitting to open up, latte love.

[graham-oswald]

"asking for favors is the best part of being a family friend," he slapped his hand against his desk eagerly. "for example, it wouldn't hurt if i got a free pastry with every drink purchase at latte love." it's all in good humor, of course. graham had no reservations paying for his full order at the cafe, nor did he hesitate to drop a full twenty dollar bill in the tip jar. friends support friends, that was a motto that he could live by. loyalty, along with expensive taste, ran in his blood.

"i don't claim to be up to your standards, but i can do my best to make something that's appetizing," he was no trained pastry chef, but he had been baking with his grandmother since he was a child. graham was no stranger to a sieve, a mixing bowl, a whisk, or the oven. "knock-out? phew, guess i will have to pull out all the stops to make the 'muhammad ali special,'" he laughed, raising his fists up to imitate a fighting stance. in the back of his mind, graham was intimidated by the prospect of making a dessert that would live up to maya's expectations. he couldn't remember having ever made something all by himself for the whole of the jackson family to enjoy. he'd always had his grandmother to help alongside him in the kitchen. this could all go terribly wrong or incredibly right.

"they might eat around the corners to make them round and poker chip-like," he conceded, knowing just how crafty each of their grandmothers could be. he had to admit, he was morbidly curious as to how the brownies would become another bargain or bet in the elderly ladies' various games. "when you've been filing and filling out forms since before you could read, it definitely helps to make you an efficient adult," he straightened his tie with gusto. "that's why they let me fill in for records today, they knew that no one else would be capable of getting the job done."

graham can feel his forehead wrinkling as maya puts on an everything-is-fine facade. "i guess your lawyer was playing 'file clerk' as a child, too, then," it's his lame attempt at making a joke to keep things light for her. "if you need a second opinion on anything, you know who to call. i'll be graduating with my j.d. this december, and i'd be happy to provide pro bono services just for you."

[mayanoelle]

Maya laughed softly, shaking her head at Graham’s cheeky grin. “Ah, so this is why we’re friends, huh? The truth finally comes out,” she teased, crossing her arms as she leaned against the edge of his desk. “Lucky for you, I have a soft spot for shameless flattery. It will indeed get you everywhere.” Her tone was playful and her eyes warm. Graham had always been overly generous and it had not gone unnoticed, and Maya appreciated his constant support.

Her grin widened and her eyebrows rose as he lifted his fists in a mock boxing stance. “Oh, the ‘Muhammad Ali Special’? My taste buds eagerly await the moment,” she quipped, playing along. “And don’t worry, I won’t judge too harshly.” The mention of their scheming grandmothers had her shaking her head in amusement. Those two were a force unmatched by any she’d ever seen. “I would give them an hour before those brownies are a part of a high-stakes game of dominoes.”  When Graham adjusted his tie and boasted about his efficiency, she rolled her eyes with affection. “Efficient and humble. You’re just the whole package, aren’t you?” But her teasing softened when his expression shifted, and he not-so-subtly tried to lighten her load. “Wow, future lawyer at my beck and call… And pro bono at that! I must be moving on up in the world.” The gratitude in Maya’s voice was evident, the humor in her words only half-masking her appreciation. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on with her lawyer and the need to see the documents pertaining to the sale of the café, but it was nice knowing she had someone in her corner. “I’ll keep that in mind, Counselor.” Maya smiled brightly at her friend and tapped her hands to the counter. “Is that all you needed from me? I don’t want to keep you here later than you have to be. I know it’s…” she trailed off, her eyes flitting to the clock on the wall before continuing. “Past closing time now. Geez, I’m sorry about that.”

[seykacar]

“It’s almost as if you knew I was just on my way out to find a bite to eat.” A wide, cheeky grin broke across Sey’s face while she made it from her end of the hall to Maya's. “For all our thirty odd years, somehow neither one of us learned how to keep the fridge stocked with groceries.”

Mostly because they’d move from one hotel suite to another, enjoying the perks of room service and never having a need to source their own ingredients. Honestly, it was probably a good thing there wasn’t anything on hand because Sey and cooking ended about as the same as a dropped match and gasoline.

Maya had no idea how close she’d come to watching her apartment—and her livelihood— burn to the ground. 

“Here, let me take that for you.” Sey relieved her new neighbor of the pastries so she only had to worry about fitting her key into the door. “These smell so delicious it should be a crime” And she’d know all about those, wouldn’t she? The corner of her mouth twitched at the private joke while she tried to peek inside. “What’s in here, anyway?”

[mayanoelle]

“I have a sixth sense for this sort of thing,” Maya joked easily, the playful smile on her lips an answer to Sey’s own. “When I developed an interest in cooking and baking, my parents and grandmother immediately said whatever experiments or recipes I wanted to try, that I needed to buy the ingredients with my own money.” It had seemed so unfair to Maya as a child to be forced to spend what little money she had saved up for herself, but the skills it taught her had paid off on the long run. She allowed Sey to take the paper bag from her and then was finally able to unlock her apartment. A pleased flush came over her cheeks at the compliment. “A few scones, and danishes,” Maya explained, waving for her neighbor to come inside. “I may even have a chocolate croissant or two.” She cleared off the tiny rollable island in the corner of her kitchen and relocated it so that Sey could put the pastries down.  “You’re welcome to it. I do a lot of experimenting with flavors and end up with with plenty of leftovers. A perk of being my neighbor,” Maya giggled. “How are you settling in? Café’s not too noisy for you is it?” Another reason that Maya liked to share treats with her neighbors. She could only imagine it wasn’t easy living with the constant chatter of a coffee shop downstairs.

[mayanoelle]

[ 𝒾 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒸𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 ] // a character study.

01. white houses vanessa carlton 02. girl in a coffee shop zach seabaugh 03. in the kitchen reneé rapp 04. wonderland taylor swift 05. cut to the feeling carly rae jepsen

[alecflynnarchive]

Alec wasn't really one to play games. People thought he did, certainly, because of his penchant for cutting and running, but he did find it hard to resist a challenge. So her tone and the look in her eye made the line of his spine tingle, like invisible hackles rising along his back. They were both dancing around a lot of unspoken words, that much was clear. And now it seemed as though the game was seeing which one broke first.

As far as Alec was concerned, he'd take his grievances to the grave.

So he smiled like he had a secret. This was The Pour House, nothing about it was fancy, but he nodded all the same. "New fancy concoction coming right up."

He turned his back on her to mix up his drink, arms moving with an unnecessary flourish as though he were some mad scientist hard at work. When he turned back to present her with her drink, what he set down was a run-of-the-mill, everyday gin and tonic. He beamed. "I call it... a tonic and gin."

[mayanoelle]

Maya’s lips twitched in amusement as she glanced at the drink he’d presented her with, and tilted her head at Alec with a knowing look. “A tonic and gin,” she repeated, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Truly groundbreaking. You’ve outdone yourself.” She lifted the glass, and tipped it in a playful toast to his “genius” before taking a sip. Maya kept her eyes on him over the rim of the glass, amused despite herself. “You know with all that flair, I thought I was getting special treatment,” she teased as she set the glass down. “But no. At least you know how to pour a decent drink.”

She studied Alec as she took another sip of her drink, trying to reconcile the boy she remembered with the man in front of her. Maya could easily connect the dots and see how the two points connected. Alec still had that easy frustrating charm of his, but he still managed to be so closed off under the guise of being an open book with no worries.

[alecflynnarchive]

"I'm never cocky," Alec said with an overtly cocky grin, eyes glinting with all the energy of a wink without actually winking at her. "Don't worry about the size of my head." There was a heavy double-meaning dancing between the lines of his words. "It's perfectly above-average."

His attention trailed to her as she watched the guy on stage. He hadn't been lying— the dude was terrible. But he was having fun and people were having fun watching him, and to Alec, that was what it was all about. When her eyes moved back to him, he was already looking at her, cracking a smile in agreement. "So is everyone else who's watching." He nodded his head toward the bar at large, encouraging her to look around and see for herself. He couldn't imagine that kind of energy and attention wouldn't be enticing.

"Convincing, hm?" Alec's lips pursed as he thought that over. "I could go up there with you." He paused as he met her challenge with one of his own. "If you're scared."

[mayanoelle]

Maya scoffed, shaking her head as she caught the double meaning in Alec’s words. She smiled in spite of herself and tilted her head as she met his gaze. “Perfectly above average, huh?” she echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Funny how modesty just oozes out of you, Alec. It’s truly inspiring.” 

Her tone was playful, but there was a spark in her eyes as she let the moment linger, seeing his grin widen. Alec was absolutely infuriating, but she could admit to herself at least that he could be charming. Maya glanced at the stage long enough to see the guy up there hit a particularly off-key note for his grand finale. The crowd erupted into cheers anyway, feeding off his enthusiasm versus his talent. She laughed again, shaking her head and turning back to Alec. He was already watching her. “Are you trying to bait me into embarrassing myself so I’ll make you look good by comparison?” she asked, her tone teasing as she leaned in closer. His challenge landed, though. “I’m not scared. You must be confusing me with someone else,” Maya laughed with a bit of false bravado. She wasn’t scared, but she was nervous about getting up on stage in front of everyone. “But if I’m going up there, I’m definitely not making a fool of myself alone. So, you’re on, Rockstar.” Maya poked Alec in the chest. “What should we sing?”

[mayanoelle]

CLOSED STARTER FOR @lukegamble !! LOCATION: blue harbor firehouse

Maya peaked her head through the main entrance to the firehouse, impressed by its massive size and the firetruck being housed within it. She’d never been so up close to one before and it momentarily distracted her as she looked it over. In her hands, Maya held a neatly wrapped box of cookies – what some would call a bribe, but she preferred to think of it as a bribe. Reminded of her mission, she glanced around the firehouse and began her search for someone to assist her. She spotted a man near what looked like some lockers and approached, offering her friendliest smiles she came closer. “Excuse me,” she bent forward slightly until she met the man’s gaze. “Hi, I’m Maya from Latte Love. One of the, uh, coffee shops a few blocks over.” She vaguely gestured behind her towards the entrance of the firehouse. “I’m looking for someone I can talk to about hosting a fire safety chat in the next few weeks. You wouldn’t happen to be that someone, would you?”

[mayanoelle]

CLOSED STARTER FOR @maragalvin !! LOCATION: the apartments above latte love

The hallway above Latte Love was quiet, save for the soft creak of floorboards. Maya stood outside of her apartment door, juggling her keys in one and a brown paper bag with the Latte Love logo in the other, when the sound of movement caught her attention. She looked up to see Mara emerging from the apartment just down the hall. “Mara, hi!” she called out with a bright smile. Mara and her friend were her newest neighbors and she was eager to welcome them since they hadn’t been in Blue Harbor very long. “I’ve got goodies if you’re interested! Fresh pastries!” she said, shaking the bag in the air. The scent of cinnamon and butter was wafting from it and Maya hoped as her neighbor drew closer it would tempt her to chat for a few minutes.

[shadowsource]

Shouldn’t you be out hunting shadows? It’s my night off.

[mayanoelle]

@alecflynn

[graham-oswald]

"see, in my mind, family friends should get the highest quality customer service of anybody," he remarked. "that's how they stay family friends."

the mention of a jackson-oswald dinner party instantly brightened him up. it was moments like this that he remembered why he'd come back to blue harbor. home was the people in town and the kindness they shared with each other. "we can switch roles for the night—you cook, i'll bake dessert. how do you feel about a pineapple upside down cake? i've been working to one-up my grandmother's recipe."

he was sure that if either grandmother had something small and round, like a cookie, it could add to the problem. "brownies might be the better option. you give them anything that looks too much like a coin, and they start using them like casino chips and I-O-Us."

in graham's role, he had to go through more paperwork than most adults. sisyphus had nothing on the overworked mayor's aid. "growing up, i would make fake forms to fill out and sign because i liked writing in boxes. i wish that kid would come back out, like jekyll and hyde style, to complete my daily tasks for me," his life would be a whole lot more under control if that were the case. "is everything alright with the cafe?" graham asked, hoping to break the silence of the room. "i don't mean to pry, i'm just curious with the lawyers needing the land records."

[mayanoelle]

Graham’s remarks had Maya laughing softly to herself. He’d always had that bright enthusiasm that never failed to bring a smile to her face. Their grandmothers had been close friends for years, having frequent get-togethers with grandkids in tow. “Well, I’m not going to argue with that,” she replied, her tone teasing. “But then they tend to ask for a lot of favors don’t they?”

A dinner party with their families sounded so nice, she couldn’t help but smile at the wave of nostalgia that came over her at the thought. “You baking dessert, huhI Now, those are some awfully big shoes to fill,” Maya giggled teasingly before giving Graham a nod. “It sounds like a plan, though. I warn you though, I won’t settle for anything less than a knock-out dessert!”

His talk of casino chip cookies brought a small laugh out of her. With how competitive both of their grandmothers were, it was an easy image to picture. “Okay, I’ll make brownies, but I wouldn’t put it past them to find a way to turn those into some sort of bargaining chip, too.” When Graham mentioned his childhood fascination with forms, she grinned playfully at him. “So, that’s why you’re so good at keeping things running so smoothly.” His last question, however, caught her a bit off guard. Maya’s expression faltered, just for a second, before she masked it with her usual easy going smile. “The cafe’s fine,” she said, a little too quickly, forcing her voice to sound fine. “You know how it is–lawyers and their endless need for documents.” 

Maya wasn’t trying to be sneaky, but she didn’t want him to needlessly worry. She still wasn’t exactly sure why her lawyer needed the documents in the first place, so she didn’t want to sound the alarm just yet.

[alecflynnarchive]

Alec didn't know where the bitterness came from, only that it was suddenly there, her mention of coming back to Blue Harbor always being the plan. Then what was the point of leaving in the first place? Alec had only done it because it felt as though everyone else had done it first.

But he bit back that thought, ensuring none of it shown on his face. He was the lover, not the fighter. He was pleasant, fun, easy— none of the things that were off-putting enough to make people leave. Always a silent plea for everyone else to stay. "I think that's the first time anyone has ever said I've got things all figured out." A joke expelled on a forced laugh. It felt like she was saying something without saying it here, but he'd never been great at picking up on subtext. Still, it rankled him a little. "Well. I'm not going anywhere right now." He held her eyes as he said it. On his lips was a smile, but in his eyes, a challenge. "So what can I get for you?"

[mayanoelle]

Maya met Alec’s gaze, fighting her lips’ desire to form into a pout. He had always been good at this – smooth talk, mischievously grinning like nothing bad had ever touched him. It was that charm that always seemed to draw people into his orbit, but right now all it did was make her chest tighten. His quip about not going anywhere made her snort.

“Congratulations,” she drawled out, her tone slightly sarcastic as she met the challenge in his eyes. There was so much more she wanted to say, to bring up – the memory of unanswered text, and the radio silence that stretched on and on still stung – but the last thing she wanted to do was fight with Alec. Blue Harbor was a small enough town that it made running into old ghosts unavoidable, so she was better off pushing it down for now. After another moment of holding his gaze, Maya released a sigh, the tension sliding off of her shoulders and then leaned casually against the car. “How about a gin and tonic? Unless you’ve got some fancy concoction up you’re sleeve you’re dying to show off.”

[olivcrashford]

who: @mayanoelle

where: phantom manor

Oliver spots her pretty easily the moment he walks in. Maybe, it was all those days he spent at the cafe observing her from afar which was kind of stalkerish to think about. Hopefully, Maya doesn't view him like that the more he thinks about it. He clears his throat, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he steps up behind her. "Fancy seein' you here and not at the cafe. I was starting to think it was the only place I'd ever see you."

[mayanoelle]

After a round of what seemed to be non-stop dancing, Maya managed to sneak away from Liam and grab something to drink. The party was fun, but she'd forgotten how hyper Liam could get when he was enjoying himself. It warmed her heart but she also needed a break. She turned at the sound of a voice behind her, and smiled at the sight of Oliver, giggling as she took in his Waldo costume. "What? Did you think I was like a teacher and only exist at Latte Love?"

[alecflynnarchive]

Alec's grin only grew, reading her hesitation as confirmation. He preferred this vibe a hundred times over to the way they'd first run into each other at The Pour House. He didn't like having to look too closely at his feelings and it felt glaringly obvious that he'd been feeling a little bitter about it all still.

But he felt great now, riding a high that he chased with any drug he could get his hands on but only ever truly came from being on a stage. "So you liked it," he said around his smirk, teasing as much as he was serious. It was obvious she could feel the energy, too. It was far too easy to lean into, to allow it to sweep you away and into a dark corner or a back alley, content to ride it all the way to the end.

"I absolutely do want you up there," he argued, nodding his head back towards the stage where some guy was screeching Take Me Home, Country Roads. "You couldn't possibly be worse than that guy. And he looks like he's having the time of his life."

[mayanoelle]

“Don’t get too cocky,” she warned, crossing her arms defiantly. “You know you’ve got something up there.” Maya shook her head, fighting an amused smirk. “You’ll get an even bigger head if I’m not careful,” she teased, taking another sip of her drink. Her tone was playful, but the genuine admiration was still there, even if she’d never give him the satisfaction of actually saying how much she enjoyed watching him.

Maya glanced over towards the stage, catching sight of the guy passionately belting out his song, entirely off-key and blissfully unaware. She couldn’t help but laugh, returning her gaze to Alec. “I’ll give it to hi–he’s really feeling it.” Maya leaned in slightly, almost as if she’d just shared a secret. She’d never really been the kind of girl called to the spotlight. She could tell Alec was still riding the energy of his performance, and it was hard to resist getting a bit caught up in it. “But, if I’m going up there, you’re gonna have to do a bit more convincing than that,” she challenged, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

[mayanoelle]

MAYA NOELLE JACKSON as DAPHNE BLAKE 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚋𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺.

a couple costume with her bestie @liamalexanderr !!

[d3cad3nce]

liam: do you have a date for halloween ?

@mayanoelle

[mayanoelle]

maya: sadly no maya: why? are you asking me, mr. reed?

[alecflynnarchive]

Alec followed her nod over his shoulder, turning back to her looking pleased by the attention. "Well, if you can't beat them, join them, right?" He raised a brow in teasing expectation.

He watched her face soften, feeling something in him loosen, too, as she complimented his performance. He shrugged, one corner of his mouth curling in a roguish smile. "So you were watching?"

The bartender approached and Alec only turned after a beat, ordering himself a whiskey sour. He was still smug when he turned his attention back on her. "So am I gonna get to see you up there tonight, too?"

[mayanoelle]

Maya rolled her eyes as Alec seemed to soak up the attention from his little fan club. “You wish, rockstar,” she replied, leaning against the bar, her amusement evident. She’d admired Alec’s confidence all the way back to high school, even if his self-assuredness sometimes grated on her. 

When he caught here compliment, that familiar roguish grin forming on his face, her jaw dropped in surprise, momentarily caught off her girl. “I…” she paused, her mind racing to think of some comeback to say that wouldn’t have his ego bursting through the roof. “...was in the room.” She cleared her throat, turning to order a mojito for herself. What little composure Maya felt she had managed to keep was blown apart by his next question. “Me? Up there?” she laughed softly, shaking her head. “Yeah, no. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes type. You don’t want me up there.”

[thephoebeyates]

“Delivery huh? I do like this special treatment business…” She laughed, just grateful how understanding Maya was. Even if she was on the odds with Tefi, Phoebe truly was happy there was someone looking out for her, making sure she had a job and was in her corner. The two would never be friends — what the aspiring author thought was friendship was all built on a lie, and there was no going back from there — but she was glad that the newly-hired barista had someone at least. “Thanks, Maya. I promise I’ll be more of a bi girl about it, just one of those things where it takes time for me to feel normal…but I agree. I’d never hold it against anyone for helping others out.” It just wasn’t who she was. 

[mayanoelle]

Maya smiled softly, grateful that Phoebe wasn’t mad even if the situation was more complicated than either of them cared to admit at the moment. She’d always admired Phoebe’s honesty – but it was especially brave now. It was never easy saying things like that out loud, especially when it came to feelings about people you’d rather avoid. “You’re doing what you need to to feel okay, and that’s all that matters. Normal is vastly overrated.” Maya giggled, giving Phoebe another nod after a moment. “I’m serious about that delivery service! Don’t hesitate to text me! Who knows you might help me unlock a new business strategy.” She winked at Phoebe and then glanced up as another customer came in through the door. “I’ll see you around, Phoebe.”

THREAD COMPLETE ✅