♡ MEET MAYA! | Home is Where the Heart Bakes
"a soul so sweet, like wild honey; born of bees and wildflowers" - l . peterson
♡ A LITTLE INTRODUCTION
spent her entire life growing up in Beacon Hills, and the-girl-next-door in every sense of the phrase.
she's been best friends with Stiles Stilinski for as long as either of them can remember, their childhood measured in shared summers, late-night window conversations, and a friendship that's become the centre of both their worlds.
Scott McCall has always been right there alongside them too. he might have carried a harmless childhood crush on her once upon a time, but between scraped knees, science projects, and growing up, she became the little sister he never had.
at home, she is deeply loved by two parents who would do absolutely anything to keep her safe—even if their good intentions sometimes leave her feeling a little trapped.
♡ IF YOU ASKED AROUND BEACON HILLS
ask Sheriff Stilinski, and he'll tell you...
...that Maya is the only person in the entire county with a high enough patience threshold to act as a literal brake pedal for his son's frantic mind. he'll smile, shake his head, and tell you that she's fed him more homemade dinners than he can count, and always remembers his birthday. to the Sheriff, Maya is the sweet, reliable girl next door who keeps a spare key to his house and always leaves a tray of fresh baked goods on his kitchen counter when he works late shifts.
ask Scott McCall, and he'll tell you...
...that Maya is one of the easiest people to be around. she's the kind of friend who makes bad days better without even trying. he'll point out that she's the only person (apart from Stiles) who doesn't judge him for being an awkward, unathletic boy with asthma, and he'll laugh if you bring up the fact that he had a crush on her in elementary school, insist it was "like... fourth grade" and then very quickly change the subject because Stiles never lets him live it down. these days, she's family.
ask Stiles Stilinski, and he'll tell you...
...that Maya is impossible to sum up in a few words. he'd tell you she always eats the broken cookie first, apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them, and laughs so hard at her own jokes that it's practically contagious and you have no choice but to laugh along with her. he'd tell you she's incapable of pretending she's mad at someone for longer than five minutes, that she cries at animated films every single time, and that she can't walk past a stray shopping trolley without putting it back. he'd probably laugh and insist Maya's the one who's been putting up with him all these years, not the other way around. truth is, Stiles doesn't know how to live life without her. he doesn't want to, and he has no idea what he'd do if he ever had to. but he's certain about one thing; he's got no intention of finding out.
ask her parents, and they'll tell you...
...that Maya is their entire world. her mother will tell you she has her grandmother's gentle heart, and her father will tell you her laugh can reset any room. they'll praise her perfect grades and culinary talents, and they'll proudly tell you how thoughtful, hardworking, and compassionate she is, before reminding you that she's expected home by curfew. they love her more than anything, they just have a difficult time remembering that she's growing up.
ask Maya, and she'd probably tell you...
...that none of those people are particularly reliable sources. she'd insist that she's just a normal girl who likes baking, loves her friends, is currently failing to understand AP Chemistry, and has absolutely no idea why everyone keeps making such a fuss over her. then she'd apologize for talking too much, offer you something fresh from the oven, and ask if you'd like a cup of tea.
♡ A FEW TANGIBLE DETAILS
favorite baked good to make
↪ warm, gooey cinnamon rolls with sweet cream icing. especially if someone she loves has had a bad day.
favorite season
↪ autumn. she loves the crispy morning fog, the smell of woodsmoke, and the excuse to wear oversized, fluffy cardigans.
coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
↪ a warm mug of chamomile tea with a heavy spoonful of local honey and a splash of milk, usually held between both hands while sitting on her windowsill at 2am.
what's always in her tote bag?
↪ a copy of Pride and Prejudice, a ring of spare house keys, a pack of cherry lip balm, and a half-empty box of dry-erase markers.
her handwriting
↪ small, rounded, incredibly neat, and looping cursive with little hearts dotting the occasional i when she's distracted.
favorite flower
↪ white daisies. they're simple, unpretentious, and they look like little splashes of sunshine.
random talent
↪ can estimate measurements surprisingly accurately without measuring cups.
early bird or night owl?
↪ a stubborn night owl. all because her next-door neighbor refuses to go to sleep at a normal hour.
comfort food
↪ homemade kimchi fried rice made by her dad on saturday nights.
favorite weather
↪ gentle, misty northern California rain with her bedroom windows wide open—the type where the air smells clean and she can just listen to the drops hit the lawn.
signature scent
↪ sweet vanilla bean extract, fresh linen laundry detergent, and a tiny hint of powdered sugar that lingers on her sleeves no matter how many times she washes them.
♡ CURRENTLY...
reading
↪ a heavily worn paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice for the comfort, mostly because she already knows how the story ends. (she insists it's just "one more reread")
listening to
↪ Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine on repeat from the 'stolen from stiles' passenger seat' playlist while she cleans her room.
baking
↪ a massive batch of sweet milk bread rolls.
loving
↪ a beautifully carved, antique wooden rolling pin that her grandparents mailed to her all the way from Seoul.
dreaming about
↪ opening her own community artisan cafe and bakery one day in a bustling, peaceful town.
watching
↪ The Princess Diaries and/or The Great British Bake Off on a lazy afternoon when her parents are out.
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