Will you still want me? When i'm nothing new.

[midnightxraine]

Introducing...

Spotted on the ferry is PATRICK PERSUAD, they were mistaken for RAYMOND ABLACK. PAT is 36 years old, they identify as CIS MAN (HE/HIM) . They are currently spending their time as STORE OWNER/CLERK in Maple Creek and are residing in THE CREEK. On the island, people say they are LOYAL but GRUMPY. (KIT, 30, GMT, SHE/HER).

Spotted on the ferry is ELLA KAUR, they were mistaken for SIMONE ASHLEY. ELLA is 31 years old, they identify as CIS WOMAN (SHE/HER) . They are currently spending their time as NURSE? in Maple Creek and are residing in FIREWOOD APARTMENTS. On the island, people say they are OUTGOING but NON-COMITTAL. (KIT, 30, GMT, SHE/HER).

Spotted on the ferry is KRISTOFF JANSSEN, they were mistaken for MICHIEL HUISMAN. KRIS is FOURTY FOUR years old, they identify as a CIS MAN (HE/HIM). They are currently spending their time as ARCHITECT in Maple Creek and are residing in MAPLE FOREST. On the island, people say they are CREATIVE but BITTER. (KIT, 30, GMT, SHE/HER).

[melissatherstone]

Maple Creek had always maintained the ability to creep back into one's life, and that was exactly how she'd found herself back here — her parents' beck and fucking call. But it was always nice when she spotted a face that she hadn't before.

"I love this weather. The seasons are great, but spring? The best." She at least had escaped New York earlier this year when the temperatures had been biting at her fingertips if she got too close to the goddamn windows of her apartment.

Melissa hummed, lips tugging into a smile, voice low, as if she might disturb the rising sun. Oranges splashed against pink and purple, and she could've gasped. "My favorite kinda' day," Melissa admitted, eyes turning back to the sky as quickly as she could. "Plus...the view. Never gets old." It was something she had missed about this place, at least. "Been coming here since I was a kid."

[midnightxraine]

Ella continued to hide how out of breath she was, not wanting the stunning blonde to know that this exercise thing didn't come as easily to her as she wanted everyone to see.

She looked around as Melissa spoke, looking at the skies and the sand. It was beautiful this time of year, even if Ella never stopped to look enough. Still, she couldn't help but make a joke of it. She flicked her hair either side of her shoulders, smiling at the woman. "I know, many people have said the same they can't get enough of this view." She lifted one leg on a rock gesturing over herself. "Oh yeah? Local or holiday maker?" She raised a brow. "My dad lived here when i was little, mom moved away. Still, here i am dragged back in my old age. Which.. is a massive overshare, sorry."

[meaningofmaple]

Parker let out a small sound of amusement, shaking his head slightly as he pulled out the chair opposite without quite asking. "Hmm," he started, trying to keep his tone light. He refused to show his irritation. "Good to know I made that much of an impression."

He picked up the cup in front of him, keeping his eyes on it a moment before looking back at Kris. "It’s dreadful," he agreed, taking another sip anyway. "How I miss city coffee."

At Kris' question, he paused for a moment, leaning back slightly in his chair. They were both being polite. Civil. Adult.

"You know me. Not bad. Kept busy. Came back a couple of years ago. Work’s steady. People still manage to get ill in a town this size, surprisingly," he joked, his mouth curved just slightly. "What about you? Big business man?"

[midnightxraine]

Kris held in his sigh. He was hoping he’d get rid of Parker quickly but alas, here he was to ruin the rest of his morning. He leant back in his chair, holding his coffee in his hand and trying to give off his cool exterior. “Real memorable.” He joked. Truth be told he remembered Parker very well, or at least.. he remembered the woman they were both obsessed with as teenagers.

“Has the mortality rate in town gone up since? Bet you’re a big hit with the undertakers.” He joked, a small amused smile on his lips. He shrugged his shoulders humbly. “I built a few buildings in town, nothing impressive… we’ve been granted some land to look at some new commercial developments but we’ll see.” He learnt very early in Maple Creek that developments weren’t always seen positively and it was better to keep your cards close to your chest.

“It’s not quite Starbucks…” he sighed at his coffee once again.

[meaningofmaple]

Belle's face lit up as she looked properly at the man in front of her. She'd known him a long time and she did enjoy talking to him. She took a breath, making herself focus for a moment. "Okay, you have my attention. You know me, I get fixated on what I'm doing," she laughed at herself. "Aww, yes. I can put that in the window. You know how I feel about the town." She nodded, unable not to smile. "Are you inviting me to legit serious town business?"

[midnightxraine]

Pat tried to keep his grumpy exterior, a small smile creeping on his face. Although it almost looked unatural under his beard. Belle was hard not to like, she was almost a cliche in a small town like Maple Creek. But he'd often though of her as a staple of the town. "I am trusting you with serious legit business." He corrected before pausing. "I'm trusting you with business." He coughed. "I think you'd be good at it, you know... you did a great job with this place. You have... opinions on things in town." he paused again. "You have opinions on things in town, right?"

[melissatherstone]

FOR: OPEN TO ALL [0/6] WHEN: Early morning, April 5th, 2026. WHERE: Ext. Maple Creek Waterfront.

A lilt of a smile graced pastel pink painted lips. It was early morning, and the coffee had begun to set in. The usual jitters that would come along mid-morning and haunt her, were already working on their assault. Melissa wished, as she so often did, for the roar of New York City. The constant, yet unmatched 90 decibels of sound, but the crashing of waves greeted her instead. She knew Maple Creek well, had spent a lot of her youth in this very place.

And yet, she felt out of her skin here.

Melissa longed for a place her parents had forced her out of, and the band waited for her with each passing day...even if that date seemed to get further and further away.

It was the scuffle of a shoe against the pavement that tore her from her spiralling thoughts. At this time, most people were still sleeping. Sunday mornings were for rest, or at least, that's what people told them. She'd never slept well.

Melissa turned her head and half-smiled. "Morning."

@maplecstarters

[midnightxraine]

Ella spend a lot of time out by the waterfront or on the Rockies, the outdoor areas in Maple Creek couldn't be matched by anywhere else in the world. No matter where she had been, she always found herself out for a run here in Maple Creek and breath taken by the views. She'd been running on the beach when she began to slow. Most of her run had been undisturbed but she stopped for the blonde with a polite smile. "Good morning" She held her hips as she caught her breath. "It's a nice day for it, not too warm, not too cold."

[meaningofmaple]

status: open

location: Wildflower Bakery Cafe & Patisserie

@maplecstarters

Belle had flour on her cheek and absolutely no intention of slowing down. Once she was in her zone, there was no stopping her. She moved between tables with her usual bright smile, checking in, topping up cups of coffee, and making sure everything was okay.

She caught sight of someone lingering near the counter and offered a warm smile, she brushed her hands against her apron as she moved back to the front of the cafe.

"Hi, sorry there. I’ll be with you properly in just a second. It’s been a bit of a busy morning," she laughed lightly, glancing back over at the oven before returning her attention to them. "What can I get you?"

[midnightxraine]

Pat looked behind him, there was no one else in the queue but somehow the baker still seemed to be rushed off her feet. She always looked like that to be fair, but he figured that was the price of owning your own business. You rarely were not busy. "I was just bringing one of these for your window." he held out a stack of leaflets. "Town committee... we you know... do fundraisers for the flowers and decorations and stuff. I thought you might want to join." he pointed around them. "Most of the local store owners attend".

[meaningofmaple]

Parker had only meant to grab a quick coffee before heading back to the surgery. Though as he stood in the warm, dimly lit room, he could feel the tiredness behind his eyes. He was lost in his own thoughts, half-watching the room, half daydreaming. He recognised the voice before the face, though as he glanced, he hadn’t changed much over the years. "Kris?"

He raised one brow, eyes flicking from the pamphlet in Kris’ hand to his face. A small, smile followed, something almost amused.

"Didn’t think Medulla was your scene. Or has Maple finally worn you down as well?" He paused beside the table, his body language relaxed but serious at the same time, the way he always had been. "Been a while."

[midnightxraine]

Kris didn't know many faces in town anymore, or at least those he did know barely recognised him. Twenty years did that to a person. But he half chuckled looking at the blonde man that had once been the reason for a lot of swearing under his breath. "Oh.." He paused for a moment, as if having to think about who it was in front of him. He knew exactly who it was. But he wasn't going to give him that. "Parker, right?" he clicked his fingers in recognition.

"Medulla is apparently very my scene" he chuckled, little did anybody in town know but Kris had given in to the clean clinical look in his own work a long time ago. He lifted his cup to the man. "Only coffee shop in town that opens before 8am. The taste of the coffee is the price you pay for convenience" He wished he was joking, but the bitter overpriced coffee lacked the warmth of the shops further into town. "God... twenty... twenty five years? How has life been treating you?" He continued to ask about the man out of common decency.

[midnightxraine]

status: open

location: Medulla coffee house

@maplecstarters

Medulla wasn't Kris' normal coffee stop of choice, but he had been called in to a meeting and needed the strongest wifi he could find on the island. His option was here or the local library and he felt like he might disturb fewer people in the rather corporate coffee shop.

The people around him were a busy clientele and all sitting across separate tables. The walls were cold and clinical with the odd coffee bean decal stuck to break up the coldness.

As he finished his work call he closed his laptop, holding his head in his hands for a moment. "Fucking Maple..." He sighed, leaning back with his coffee he lifted his head just as a pamphlet fell from a passer by's bag. He stood to his feet holding it back up to the person. "You dropped this." He offered gently.

[meaningofmaple]

For a man who usually had a preference for the nicer things in life, Corin Valdris often found himself in a local Tavern. Though this particular one did make his nose wrinkle a little if he thought about it too much. He lifted his cup to his lips before the man’s words caught his attention. The corner of his mouth curved upward, his amusement obvious on his face. The expression was something he had practiced over the years, the face of a man who liked attention, a face of a man who knew what he looked like.

He turned slightly on the barstool, his light eyes glancing towards the man leaning on the counter. "Is that so?" Corin said lightly, his voice filled with amusement. "Then perhaps tonight, we should all whisper into our cups and spare ourselves the danger."

He took a small sip of wine, eyes watching the man with a mix of curiosity and a small amount of suspicion. Corin had spent enough years in court to recognise when a stranger worth noting. Though he would never admit that. "Though," he started again. "If one truly wished to overhear something valuable, this would be a disappointing place to find it."

[midnightxraine]

"Am i in danger with the words you plan to whisper my lord?" Torren raised a brow, sitting down beside the young lord. He kept his dark eyes on the man, wondering what Lord Valdris was doing in the tavern. "I have nothing to hide." he shrugged, lifting his ale to his lips.

"I am not sure about that, every Lord and Lady of any worth is here this evening. If one was to plan business.. this is where you would want to be."

[faeltee]

A light smile played on Faelan's lips. He wasn't one to talk about sensitive information out in the open. Still, the person was right. Anything could be misconstrued and be used against him. He was after all a Lord from the house Caelith. While he was used to hearing whispers about him and his family, that didn't mean he made a habit of actively wishing to start rumors. "Sage advice," he said. Faelan didn't make a habit of come out to the city, but with everything that was going on, he needed to express his concerns. "Lord Faelan," he said introducing himself. He didn't know too many people in the city, but knew that the more people he introduced himself to, the more allies he could have. 

[midnightxraine]

Torren knew people in the Kingdom, although some he only knew via reputation and name. Lord Faelan was one of these lords. Torren raised his eyebrow, his head tilting with interest automatically. A Caelith was certainly worth paying attention to. "My Lord." he nodded his head to a slight bow, enough to pay respect but just enough to say they were of the same rank. "Torren Blackmere." He replied. He had no intention to show his rank, trying to keep the conversation casual, friendly. "Now what is Lord Faelan doing in a tavern in the capital?" he joked, his smile growing as he moved away from listening to the conversation he'd been eavesdropping on. Faelan's presence in the tavern was much more interesting to him.

[midnightxraine]

Starter: open Torren Blackmere Location: Valdrienne, a tavern in the upper city

Torren didn't care for the capital, he'd been here a handful of times as a young man for tourneys. It was Blackmere tradition that you entered a tourney as soon as you came of age, of course, Torren had taken the victory that year when he was just twenty- one years of age. Now here he was, seventeen years later. The city still smelt the same though, the sky still looked the same. Even with the old king dead, nothing seemed to change in Durn - not really. The tavern was busy tonight, ladies and lords all making polite conversation, Torren preferred something a little noisier normally, still he leant on the counter leaning in to listen to someone's conversation. "Be careful what you say - you never know who could be listening" he joked to the person beside him.

[midnightxraine]

This blog is now related to @ashencrownrp

[meaningofmaple]

Gray winced playfully, rubbing the back of his neck as he straightened up once more, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Alright, alright, keep up my flexibility after twenty five, got it. I don't want to think about how long ago that was. Though maybe that flexibility will be useful in different areas on my life." He walked a little closer, tilting his head at her. "Though, if coming here more often means getting you as my personal yoga trainer, I might just start showing up uninvited."

He gave her a a cheeky smile, then followed her eyes towards the construction. The noise in the background made his nose wrinkle. "Yeah... it's like a clumsy drunk person at 2am. Just absolutely murdering the energy and the vibes." He folded his arms. "I say we stage a protest. You bring the incense and crystals, I'll paint a passive-aggressive sign." He nudged her, more interested in making her laugh than solving the town's noise problems.

[midnightxraine]

Sel paused, thinking so deeply about the noise that his innuendo had to drag her back to summon a 'that's what she said'. She let a small smile grace her lips. "Your lovers will thank me." She smiled gently. "You're always invited. I'd have you here more if you'd come." She swayed slightly as she spoke, although her brain was still slightly on the construction.

"I never joke about a protest Nardello." She raised a brow. "Do you think that would work?"

[carmenxherrara]

"That's what I said!" Carmen spoke, though was immediately shushed by the group of girls around her. She had a tendency to be animated and slightly dramatic; especially when talking about stories or reacting to things otherwise. There was a reason she'd excelled in drama classes in high school even if she had never had any intention of moving to Hollywood or becoming a big-time actress with her own star on the Hollywood Walk. "Honestly, I could've sworn I heard the Sullivan sisters talking about floral arrangements for her funeral the last time I ran into them at the library." Carmen stated. "I'm not sure what they were talking about because she's very clearly still alive." she shrugged as her gaze shifted from the girl to the building that was being worked on behind it. "I don't know much, that's just what I hear."

Carmen didn't mean to be a gossip; in fact in most cases she tried to stay out of other people's business. But, when it came to knowing things in the town and the different 'cliques' that seemed to have some big wig names in them, Carmen got a lot of her information from her aunt; or from people that had grown to trust her through the years. "Either way, though, they're ruining the vibe." she exhaled, stretching but inhaling. "They could've had enough respect to check their surroundings first."

[midnightxraine]

"Maybe it was just wishful thinking on their part?" Sel joked, a small sick smile creeping onto her lips. "Maybe we should spread it further, push her out of hiding." She folded her arms, looking around the now emptying park. It seemed like the noise had driven people out of the once peaceful greenspace.

"I'm gonna go tell them." Sel finally burst out, realising that she couldn't hold in her thoughts any longer. She glanced over at Carmen, giving her a nod before heading over to the construction guys.

[meaningofmaple]

Location: Open to anywhere in Maple

"Okay, okay, hear me out," she gave a pause for dramatic effect. "Pumpkin lanterns for a lakefront movie night," she grinned, sketching on a napkin. "It’s not Halloween, but it’s aesthetic, right? It’s not too early to start thinking about fall vibes?" She paused, eyes wide. "I'm just seeing a vision... or I'm wanting to wear my boots and cute jackets again."

[midnightxraine]

Kris took a sip of his coffee and was just hoping that this wasn't another ploy to get him on some sort of decorating or events committee. He shook his head with a sigh. "If i turn around and someone has put a shot of pumpkin in this coffee i won't be held responsible for my actions. When did fall become such a big thing. When i was a kid it was just you know. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th July. Now we're decorating for a season?"

[meaningofmaple]

Gray gave a mix of a groan and a laugh as he leaned forward. "My back has never felt more 30s than it does right now. Why do I ache this much?" he stretched once more, picking up his water bottle as he walked towards his old friend. "Why did I let you talk me into this?" he was rambling away, when she stopped. "What? The drilling? Oh, I put my headphones in and switch off from it? My mom hates it though."

[midnightxraine]

Sel smiled holding her lower back as he complained. "Because you lose flexibility every year after twenty five if you don't stretch it, come here more often and i'll have you as nimble as you once were." She clicked her fingers, as if somehow that demonstrated what she meant. "Because i'm looking out for your well-being and for that pretty face. It's know what's good for you." She spoke in simple upbeat statements, but it was clear her words were not up for debate.

She placed her hands on her hips, watching the drilling for a moment. "I hate it. The vibe hates it. It's ruining the zen. This is my yoga spot."

[carmenxherrara]

Carmen herself loved anything athletic. Running, jogging, hiking, even martial arts when she'd been into it a few years ago. Though, unfortunately with Carmen she had a tendency to give up on things nearly as quickly as she'd picked up on them. She'd have stuck to her hikes once a month in the summer time and doing something indoors like running on a treadmill in the winter, but her aunt had had other plans.

Aunt Cierra had decided on her own accord one day that they'd learn a new hobby - yoga in the park. It had started with encouragement to attend a class with her if she provided all the equipment - handouts wasn't exactly something Carmen could say no too - and was quickly followed up by the 'excuse' that the three of them (Carmen's daughter Elena included) should make it a regular thing; use it as a team building exercise. Carmen had expressed numerous times that she wasn't sure it was something they could just show up for, yet Cierra couldn't be stopped once she put her mind to something; that was why Carmen was now manager of a tea shop right here in town.

The drilling was giving her a headache. Or maybe it was the way she'd been head down on with her backend in the air for the better part of twenty minutes trying to prefect the pose, she wasn't entirely sure. Yet with a groan she lowered herself, shaking her head. "It doesn't!" she spoke, a little louder than necessary, basically a yell at that point. "I heard they're patching a hole from where Mrs. Rosenbaum ran her car through the library again." Carmen spoke, spreading the gossip she'd heard herself just that morning. "But knowing them they're putting up another general store. As if we need another one." she exhaled.

OOC Notes / Side Comments: I figured we could assume connections for this!

[midnightxraine]

Sel looked over at the stranger. It was one thing she loved about Maple - the pair of women here were completely different. Or at least they seemed to be. But everybody knew who Mrs Rosenbaum was. "Again?" Sel asked, her brows furrowing. "I didn't even realise she was still alive... or that we had a library." This time she looked at the woman with confusion in her brown eyes. "Huh." She mused to herself, as if a true moment of realisation had occurred.

She folded her arms, one of her legs stretched up on top of a rock. "The worst part is this one won't even have good coffee or donuts either.