For a moment, Maika weighed the pros and cons of sharing their story. While they were rather certain Val wouldn't judge them, it was almost difficult to come to terms with the truth behind their actions. Then again, perhaps the conversation would would provide Maika with some practice and insight before coming clean with Noa later that day. "No, we didn't. And that was kind of intentional. See.. I had feelings for her and they began to consume me. I didn't know how to deal with having feelings for another woman. Let alone my best friend, so I ran. Especially when my relationship... with a man, might I add, started getting serious. It was a lot."

Taking a deep breath, the brunette nodded in understanding. Family dynamics always seemed so complicated. They could understand Val's frustrations, just as they could understand why it would make her sympathetic to her newly discovered cousin. "That definitely sounds complicated. I'm sorry your mother did that to you, and even more sorry that you don't have answers as to why. But the important thing is, you're your own person. And I'm glad you're able to make those decisions for yourself now."

Val winced a little as understanding dawned on her about the other's situation. "Gotchya." she said, nodding to show she understood. "You had to do what was best for you, Maika." she reassured. "But I can see how that'd make for an awkward reunion now. Did you guys have any contact while you were gone?"

Val let out an exasperated breath at their question. "To be honest, my family has too much drama to keep track of. Mi madre, for her part, is dramatic enough that she cut us off from the rest of the family when I was just a kid and to this day, I don't fully understand why." It was painful for Val, now that she had such a close relationship with her tia and abuela, to think of all the time her mother took away from her, all the years she could have known them. She could imagine Antonia was coming to her own realization of the same.

closed starter for @bea-knight & @marcusbishop location: upper hand tattoo studio

Monday mornings were always frantic. Especially after enduring a weekend of late nights and drinking out on the town. While Maika was lucky enough to be working a closing shift at Fresh Garbage, Bea had been up bright and early that morning with her first tattoo appointment booked for 9 am.

Not long into her morning routine, Maika had been in the middle of making themselves a cup of coffee when they noticed Bea's phone still sitting on the counter. If it had been anything else, Maika may have left it until her roommate got home. But knowing how much the woman relied on her device, Maika knew that it would be appreciated if she stopped by the shop to bring it to her, with a tray of coffees for Bea and Marcus as an added bonus.

As the bell chimed above their head, Maika stepped into the tattoo studio and marched straight up to the front desk, greeting the secretary with a quick 'hello' before making their way over to Bea's station. "Have you been looking for this? I'm a life saver, I know." Maika teased, playfully dangling the phone in front of their friend's face.

The more that Maika tried to explain, the more Noa began to rebuttal. Not that they blamed her. There were too many reasons why they'd run, too many reasons why they hadn't told her. Hadn't told anyone. But as Maika searched for the words to explain, all they could do was look at her, matching Noa's sullen gaze with one of their own. "I don't want you to think that you meant nothing to me, or that you were the only person who didn't know. I didn't even tell my own brother at first, but... the answers you want, I have them. Just.. not now. Not here. Swing by my place later and we can talk. I'll text you the address."

This was a lot to take in. Not just seeing Maika again out of nowhere — she'd left like nothing and reappeared like nothing — but being confronted with her presence. Hearing that what had happened was all out of her doing what she had to do sounded like Noa just needed to accept that all she had been was collateral damage. Then before things could really even begin to get started, granted this wasn't the proper place or time, she felt as though she were already being easily dismissed. Maika had meant everything to her at one point in her life. Noa had to mourn the loss of her and trudge through the wake of her absence. "Sure... you needed to get out," Noa nodded, "but why couldn't you have at least told me that?" Clearly, Maika had no idea what she'd left Noa with and how much of a deficit she'd put her into. When an employee walked nearby she raised an arm to get their attention, "hi, sorry," she told them, "we had a little accident and dropped some eggs." An apology was in her expression and they'd commented they'd send someone for clean up. As soon as that moment was passed her attention went right back to Maika. "I never wanted you out of my life. You made that choice for the both of us. But I agree that this isn't the place for that conversation." As much as she knew it would only bring up old wounds there was a large part of her that wanted to her Maika out. To know and learn the whys.

At the mention of paying for the movers, Maika couldn't help but raise a brow, a guilty smile slowly creeping onto her lips as she spoke. "You think it's too late to call in reinforcements?" With a small chuckle, the brunette pushed through, following Cameron's lead to get the bed frame tilted upright. It certainly would have saved them some time and energy if they had left it to the professionals.

Eager for a break, Maika seated themselves on the step next to Cameron, one hand reaching up to wipe some sweat off their brow. While Maika should have known that this question was coming, they had felt too many conflicting feelings to have given it much thought. With a small sigh, Maika shrugged, keeping her eyes trained to the wooden bedframe rather than turning to meet her cousin face-on. "It's okay. I mean.. I've still been avoiding family like the plague and I had a run-in with an old friend that didn't go super well, but living with Bea has been great and I have missed some things about Briar Ridge. I'm just wondering how long it'll take before I feel like I can truly be myself here, you know? How's it going for you? I still can't believe you impulsively bought a diner. Gen really did a number on that head of yours, didn't she?"

"Specially cause you know I would've agreed to pay for it to have gotten out of this." he teased. Cameron grunted a little bit as he pushed his end of the bed frame up the stairs, causing Maika's to raise towards the ceiling until finally it was standing upright on its end. "Okay, let's take a break here for a sec." Making sure the bed frame wasn't going to fall over, he finally let go and moved to take a seat on one of the steps. "So, how's it being back?" he asked, diving straight into the heart of the matter instead of beating round the bush. Maika and him had that kind of relationship. He could always talk to his cousin and they knew that he'd always be there for them. And Cameron knew how tumultuous this move could turn out to be for them. He wanted to make sure it was going well for them.

While handing the task off to somebody else meant that there was at least a chance that the resume would never make it to HR, Maika had to trust that he would keep his word. Especially so that they wouldn't bother the man any further by turning him into the resort's official tour guide. "You know, that would be great actually. So long as you don't mind." Stepping into the office, the brunette handed over a brown paper envelope that concealed the freshly printed resume. "I do! In the apartment building at the end of Main Street, right near Chapman's. My name's Maika, by the way. I think I've seen you chatting with my friend, Leyla."

“Sure. Never know how long they can take.” He lightly scoffed, though the cleaning crews would likely be a decent while considering the successful turn-out at the recent gala. If he had to take a guess. “Oh.” Levi glanced upwards from his phone screen upon hearing the individual actually had a resume to drop off at the establishment. “You can give it to me if you want? I can drop it by HR later on today.” He casually suggested with a shrug. “Unless you have a need to do it right now. Then I can take you there another way. Up to you.” The options were there, depending on the level of urgency of the task to drop off the document. “— I do live in an apartment downtown.” Levi confirmed with a nod upon the supposed recognition from the other. “I’m sure you have seen me then? I’m guessing you also live in that area?” He probably had seen them around himself, everything just still seemed to be a blurring altogether lately. And that included potentially familiar faces.

While they hadn't been the most discreet, Maika was embarrassed by just how quickly Val had caught on. Ever since reaching a point of self acceptance, it had become nearly impossible for the brunette not to wear her heart on her sleeve. "Definitely. I guess you can say, we didn't leave things on the best terms... Or at least I didn't. You know when you're so desperate to get out of a situation that you just run away from your problems and don't look back? That's kind of what I did when I left for New York. I didn't give anyone warning. Not even those closest to me."

It was difficult for Maika not to feel guilty at times, even if they had truly done what they felt was best for them at the time. "Your situation doesn't sound any less complicated, though. Yikes. How do they seem? Was there any sort of an explanation?"

With a knowing look, Val asked, "Would said old friend have anything to do with you feeling like you're in another world?" Val didn't know Maika's full story, but she knew enough to have put together how difficult a transition coming back to their hometown had been for Maika. She hoped that it wasn't too bad of an interaction. "To be honest, I'm feeling a little other worldly myself these days." she admitted. "A mysterious cousin, who I've never met before and who my family hasn't seen since she was a kid, showed up on my aunt's doorstep the other day. Kinda like I did six years ago." she explained with a laugh, before reaching down to pick up a stray tshirt that had fallen to the floor.

For as much as they'd given him a hard time, Maika was typically one to appreciate their cousin's sense of humour. Growing up in a household of parents with such high expectations, things had always felt rather serious, but with Cameron and Marcus, she was able to let loose. At the sound of his idea, the brunette's eyes followed his toward the ceiling as she attempted to analyze the amount of space they would have as leeway. "I think we can do it. I mean, at this point, it's got to be worth a shot." Shrugging their shoulders, Maika took a deep breath before lifting their end of the bed frame. "Please remind me why I was too cheap to hire movers again."

Cameron couldn't lie, he had thought his reference to that scene in Friends was pretty damn hilarious. So when Maika didn't seem to find the humor in it, he rolled his eyes. "You're killing me, smalls." he groaned before propping the wooden frame against his own knee for a second, catching his breath. He leaned over so he could get a better look of the angles of the bed frame and the staircase they were trying to carry it up. Looking up at the ceiling, an idea was beginning to form in his head and he asked, "What if we push this up so that it's standing on the landing and turn it that way? Think the ceiling's tall enough?"

Maika should have known that their roommate would choose to ignore every meaningful word they'd spoken, and while distractions had certainly worked to Bea's benefit in the past, Maika's willpower had since grown a little bit stronger. Resting their hands on the woman's shoulders, the brunette couldn't help but chuckle as they shook their head. "I know your tactics, bumblebea. I'm not letting up."

While their friendship had crossed over into hookup territory in the past, Maika knew that it was an unhealthy coping mechanism for them both. "I'm serious. I know we're just friends who happen to live together, but I want to make sure you're looking after yourself. You lean on me and I'll lean on you. Deal?"

Bea peeked up at Maika when they spoke, trying to gauge just how transparent she was going to be. It wasn't that she distrusted her roommate, by any means, but it was challenging to open up to, well, anyone. Opening up almost always resulted in more tests, more big words, more mentions of depression and anxiety and mental illness when she just wanted to be. But, maybe, this time... She was a breath away from being more honest, but then the mention of the other sort of trouble they would've gotten into provided a perfect segue into anything but that.

"Us? Get into trouble? Whatever do you mean?" Bea took a step toward where Maika leaned against the counter, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips all the while. She'd gotten very practiced at invading their personal space, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity for a little distraction.

With such little food in the apartment, Maika had concluded that it was finally a good time to stop ordering takeout and pick up some groceries. What they hadn't expected, however, were the inconvenience of elevator maintenance and a run-in with their ex-best friend. Feeling rather introspective, the brunette had hardly registered any of Val's words until she glanced up to catch site of the 'out of order' sign. "Oh god. Thanks, I totally forgot! Sorry, I feel like I'm in another world today." With a small sigh and shake of her head, Maika set their grocery bags down onto the ground in preparation for what would be a long trek up to their apartment. "It started out okay... Until I got to Chapman's and ran into an old.. friend of mine. How about yours? Aside from all the stairs, of course."

starter for: @maikabishop location: ground floor of their apartment building

“Mierda!” Val cursed aloud as her overflowing laundry basket dropped yet another article of clothing as she made her way down the staircase of her apartment building. She refused to believe that she had dropped said article of clothing because she simply did not need another dig at her confidence right now. It was clearly the basket’s fault. Her and Leyla's washing machine was on the fritz so she had volunteered to wash her little family’s dirty clothes in the communal washing machines downstairs. However, what she hadn’t planned on, was the elevators not working and having to carry said laundry basket down six flights of stairs.

She was just rounding the corner on the ground floor, when she spotted one of her favorite new neighbors, Maika waiting by the elevators. “Elevator’s broken, babe.” she called with an exaggerated sigh of frustration. “And I picked the worst day to need to do laundry downstairs.” Setting her laundry basket down on the ground, she paused to take a break and catch up. “How’s your day been, though? Besides now having to climb up a ridiculous amount of stairs to get to your apartment, I mean.” she added with a chuckle.

They should have known that this wouldn't go well, and yet Maika had remained hopeful. With a small sigh, the brunette crouched to pick up what remained of the carton, hoping that they would be able to get the attention of an employee nearby. At this point, they were dying for an excuse not to look at her, an excuse to walk away from the heartbreak and betrayal she saw in Noa's eyes. "I know it sounds like an excuse, but I truly am in a much better place. You know I needed to get out of here. My parents just.. I couldn't do it anymore. I was running from so many suppressed emotions, battling so many inner demons.." As Maika's voice trailed, they met their friend's gaze once more. "I have a lot of things to tell you. I just don't know that this is the place. On the other hand, I completely understand if you want me out of your life for good."

The shock displayed on her expression wasn't easy to push aside. Especially not the hurt that began to fill her eyes as it began to settle just who was standing in front of her, and so casually at that. Sure, Briar Ridge was Maika's home too, she had family here and an announcement of her entering city limits wasn't owed, but Noa couldn't shake the feeling that she wished she'd received a warning. The wounds were aged now, not quite so fresh, but it wasn't lost on her that this was coming just as she finally felt solid ground under her feet.

"Really?" Brow raised, Maika's comment had been unexpected. "I thought you always did exactly what you wanted." The delivery may have been a bit cutting, Noa's hurt was beginning to show, the words had actually not meant to be so. She'd always admired Maika for many reasons. While she sucked in a breath, Noa stepped back from the damaged eggs and mess on the floor, and perhaps for a little breathing room from the one that she'd believed in her heart had been her best friend. Not knowing what to reply, Noa nodded and gestured generally over Maika, "well, you look good at least... happy, healthy..."

While distancing themselves from the family business had been freeing for Maika in many ways, earning enough to make a living had been a rather difficult challenge. In New York, Cameron had taken them under his wing, providing his cousin with a place to stay despite her frozen credit cards and little income. Now, in Briar Ridge, Maika was officially on their own and while they had saved up enough to get by on the first few months of rent, working shifts at Fresh Garbage wouldn't be enough to cut it in the long run.

Noticing that Paradise Point had put out a hiring ad for a new bartender at their poolside bar, Maika planned on using all of their previous bartending experience to their advantage, in hopes that it might impress the resort's hiring manager. With a resume in hand, they wandered down the hallway, only stopping when they heard the sound of the man's warning. "Oh, uh. Thanks for the heads up. Do you happen to know where I can drop off my resume?" Studying his features a moment longer, Maika realized she recognized him from the halls of her apartment building. "Hey, you don't happen to live in an apartment downtown, do you? I feel like I've seen you before."

location: paradise point resort open starter: ( capping at 4 max )

The success of the Masquerade hosted by Paradise Point had displayed a soaring increase in numbers, just as intended. Yet, it also meant more work had been piling up onto his desk, and unfortunately as a result, lunch breaks had to be cut shorter than usual for the time being. Now back onto the resort campus heading in the direction of the offices, Levi realized his tracks were cut short, the path blocked as the ballroom was currently under a deep clean-out from the recent event. Of course. With a sigh, he took a seat in a lounge area, deciding to start going through work messages on his phone. Hearing footsteps nearing closer, he glanced upwards momentarily. “I wouldn’t go that way.” Levi remarked, nodding towards the signs the clean up crews had put out. “It’s blocked right now.”

Although Maika had been living in Briar Ridge for just over a week, it was rather safe to say that they were far from settled into their new apartment. With boxes lining the walls of the room, Maika had found themselves sleeping atop a mattress in the middle of the floor until her cousin had volunteered to help her move the last pieces of furniture into the apartment.

With her knee wedged beneath the bed and both hands supporting sides of its wooden frame, the brunette couldn't help but pant as they continued to push and pull. "God, you really are such a Ross. But now isn't the time for jokes. I'm dying over here and I can't turn this thing any further!"

starter for: @maikabishop location: the staircase of maika's apartment

Cameron was seriously beginning to regret the fact that he allowed his cousin to talk him into helping them move their bed frame into their apartment. Somehow the elevator just happened to stop working that day and they were stuck trying to maneuver the long frame up a very narrow staircase. "I swear you just have to pivot and we're home free." He practically groaned under the weight of the bed frame. "PIVOT MAI, PIVOT!!!" he shouted in an exaggeratedly similar voice to Ross in Friends.

Bea had always been a rather tough nut to crack. While most people thought they could read her, Maika knew firsthand that there was far more laying beneath the surface. Her complexities were something that had always fascinated them, though the more Bea had grown to trust Maika, the more she had begun to lower her shield and put down her mask.

At the woman's explanation, Maika flashed her a sympathetic smile. In some ways, they could relate, fearing that word of their return would get around soon enough and the labels would come to follow. But it was nothing compared to the nearly lifelong title that Bea had been attached to. "Hey, I know it's hard, but anybody who's met you should also know that there's so much more to you than that. Are you sure that's everything, though? I can see the gears turning in that head of yours and I'm not fully convinced." With a small chuckle, Maika shook her head, leaning back against the counter as she spoke. "If I had been there, we would have left the party early and gotten into even more trouble."

The morning after the masquerade felt about as close to a kick in the head as Bea had ever felt, and it was safe to say that she'd overdone it. With a hand shoving back through her hair, she entered the kitchen, in search of coffee when Maika's voice broke through her morning haze. "Mm, good morning to you, too."

At the mention of, er, just how much she'd let loose last time, the brunette found herself grimacing. "Don't remind me," she muttered, heaving a sigh. She was quiet after that, instead focusing on the preparation of her coffee, to maybe start her day on a semi productive note. Eyes squinting, she glanced at the clock overhead. Already past noon.

"I just.. Sometimes when the whole town gets together again, it comes up. You know, that I was the car crash girl," Bea confessed, intentionally avoiding eye contact. She and Mai were two peas in a pod, but they knew her too well, would pry if they got a real good look at her. Bea wasn't sure she was in the mood for that just yet today. "It's annoying. I just wanted to have a good time. You should've come. I, for one, would've had a lot more fun, and probably a lot less to drink."

From the look in the other woman's eyes alone, Maika had begun to prepare themselves for a barrage of questions and name calling. While she had never known Noa to be cruel, there was nothing Maika felt they deserved more. Abandoning her best friend had never been part of the plan and hurting her certainly wasn't intentional. Running had been the only thing that made sense in Maika's head and while it wasn't the most mature way to go about her problems, the act had been freeing in ways that others would never quite understand.

Taking a deep breath, Maika's gaze lowered to assess the carton of eggs before finally returning to Noa's. "Yeah, well. Wouldn't be the first time I've fucked up." With every word they spoke, Maika felt like they were drowning. There was no good way to explain her disappearance and no good place to start. At least not without exposing thoughts and feelings that were far too intimate for a grocery store setting. "I've only been back a week. I was going to text you, but it's hard to know what to say when sorry doesn't quite cut it."

With her list clutched in one hand as she pushed her little cart along, picking up all the essentials and some of her father's favorites up along the way, Noa was a woman on a mission. She'd been hoping to find some time to herself and to relax a bit over the weekend, so getting chores completed had become a head down and get through it sort of task.

The moment she'd set her hand down on a carton of eggs in full autonomy mode Noa had felt the fingers of another hand brush her own. They both pulled back instantly and when her green eyes came into focus, landing on the person she would've apologized to and insist they take the eggs, she stood blank and frozen to the spot. Even her lungs quit expanding and deflating with oxygen. Perhaps her heart had stopped it's casual cadence. Her lips parted but nothing came out.

In front of her stood the person she'd trusted with everything. The same person that had abandoned her and left her to drown. Noa had just finally come even from the damage. Why was she this unlucky? The crash of the eggs to the floor and their possible splatter couldn't even tear her gaze away from Maika. It wasn't like her once best friend and platonic soulmate was stepping off a bus and just back in town. No, she was grocery shopping as though she'd been here a while. What the fuck?

"Wha... you..." Suddenly her head was filled with everything and nothing all in one moment. "You dropped your eggs," was what ultimately came out rather than all the things she'd had built up that she wanted to yell at Maika if she ever got the chance.

starter for @noaandreas location: chapman's grocer

Maika had reached the point in the week that their fridge was almost entirely bare and there was nothing but some rotting strawberries and a can of diet coke left on its shelves. Although the temptation to give in and order Chinese food was strong, she willed herself to Chapman's to pick up the essentials, hoping to make the trip as quick as she possibly could.

Now that their shopping list was nearly complete, the only thing left to grab were some eggs. Reaching for the carton closest to them, Maika's had only just begun to lift the package into the air when she noticed a hand next to hers. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Turning to meet the other with an apologetic gaze, Maika felt herself freeze, hand releasing the carton just as she could begin to process the sight before her.

"Fuck." As the eggs fell to the floor, there was a large crack that paled into comparison to the thundering in her chest. While Maika knew that they would run into Noa sooner or later, they had hoped it would be when she was well and ready to confront perhaps the only person she owed an explanation for her disappearance.

closed starter for @bea-knight location: apartment downtown

Ever since moving back to Briar Ridge, Maika had been feeling unusually on edge. It had been difficult to go from finding comfort in New York City to feeling a sense of embarrassment and unease around town. Once one of Briar Ridge high's 'popular girls', everyone had seemed to know when she had left. Just as everyone would soon know that they had returned. For Maika, it was so easy to feel disconnected from that time in their life, knowing they had been the most inauthentic version of themselves imaginable. The constant social pressures of her parents and those around her had been enough to drive them crazy at times.

For the past week, Maika had kept her head low, with nobody but her cousins and a few close friends knowing that they were back in their hometown as she worked out the best way possible to break it to immediate family. Bea was one of the people in her support system during this time, and it was a hell of a lot easier adjusting to her new living arrangements with a familiar face around as a source of comfort. Peeking around the corner, Maika entered the shared kitchen before greeting their roommate with a warm smile. "Hey, I forgot to ask. How did that masquerade thing go? I noticed you seemed a little.. well, you know. Not that I'm judging."