lawunabiding

[lawunabiding]

outside aroma mocha

there was frost on the ground and a chill in the air, but it didn't phase maeve in the slightest. as long as it was above freezing, it was warm enough to be outside. ( it helped that aroma mocha had heaters placed among their outdoor seating. )

maeve was seated at a table with lincoln at her feet and ruth in her lap, both wearing one of their many coats to stay warm in the cold weather. she absentmindedly pet ruth, her fingers toying with the fabric of the sweater, as she read through a new case file with furrowed brows. always working, even outside of the office, even on a weekend.

" oh, you can sit if you want. they're friendly. " maeve's gaze flicked up without really seeing the person, then immediately turned her attention back to the the file.

[lawunabiding]

M A E V E byrne's pets

➻ four year old border collie / pit bull mix named lincoln. ➻ eight year old papillon mix named ruth bader ginsbyrne.

[lawunabiding]

@tequilamockingbyrne

the byrne women were forces to be reckoned with - maeve with her litigation, shay with her business acumen. they were just very, very different people. maeve was positive shay always asked to meet at the bunny buckle just to watch her sister squirm. she wasn’t a prude by any means, but maeve wasn’t quite as confident with herself as shay’s performers were. " when you said you wanted to spend time together, i thought you meant watching a movie and drinking some wine. maybe we could even play at monopoly and i'd let you cheat without saying anything. " maeve darted out of the way when a drunk customer got a little too close to her, mistaking her as someone employed there. " but you know that i...i just don't...hey where are you going?! "

[lawunabiding]

" of course. it's nice to get a break from all of declan's headaches. and to help with yours. " maeve was seated on the floor, legs tucked beneath her, surrounded by meticulously organized piles of documents. the paper she was currently inspecting was an old medical bill with a massive balance that she was positive corey wouldn't be liable to pay on behalf of their mother. she worried her lip between her teeth as she scribbled notes in the margins that only she would be able to read later on. " the legal bullshit made my head spin until i was hundreds of thousands in on scholarships and loans. that's why you pay me the big bucks. " ( big bucks refers to the tray of snacks being carried over. )

" how about wine? " after a beat, she added, " you don't even have wine, do you? " corey's last statement, thrown away as if it was completely unimportant, finally got maeve to drop the paperwork and turn her face up with a narrowed gaze. " i'd say ten, but i believe there's always room to get worse. so, nine. "

Closed starter: @lawunabiding Location: Corey's House

"Thanks for doin' this," Corey said, looking up from their self-assigned task of putting together a tray of chips and dips. Once upon a time, the idea of asking a Byrne for help would've made Corey want to scratch out their own eyes, but somehow, Maeve had wormed her way in, made herself a trusted ally and confidante. When Corey had needed help changing the name and gender marker on all their documents and IDs, Maeve hadn't hesitated to make sure it happened, and quickly.

Corey should've figured some day, it would be Maeve they asked for help with the legalities involved of wrapping up their mom's estate. "I've never fuckin' applied for probate or whatever they call it. All this legal bullshit makes my head spin. You want a beer or anything?" Corey asked, munching on a chip. They carried a tray of various snack foods over to the coffee table, setting it down. "Also, on a scale of one to ten, how bad would you hate me if I was hanging out with Elle again?"

[lawunabiding]

" your face always says ' go away ' , " maeve dismissed easily. whatever inspired her to sit beside the bitter walker was lost to her. maybe she understood sitting alone at a bar, wishing that you weren't. " wow, i didn't realize you were so cheap. " regardless of her biting comment, maeve called the bartender over and ordered them a both a drink and a shot. " cheers. "

OPEN: everyone LOCATION: last call

❝This is my go away face,❞ Sawyer said sourly as someone sat next to her. Maybe coming to a bar when being in such a mood was not the best idea but then again, she wanted to drink and not do it entirely alone. As long as no one offered her sympathy or asked her any sort of questions. ❝If you insist on being there, you could at least pay the next round.❞

[lawunabiding]

if the clovers were unwelcome at wild horses, then the brynes themselves were strictly forbidden. yet another unspoken truth that hovered over oxbow ridge. how shocking it would be if anyone watched maeve bryne effortlessly enter the cowboy watering hole late into the night? how many would await the fallout of such a reckless action? the thought made her roll her eyes.

maeve slid into the seat beside logan, resting her chin atop her palm. " i never thought i'd get a free drink poured by logan walker himself, " she teased. it wasn't frequent that she entered enemy territory like this, but she was thirsty and the light was on. part of her - most of her - hoped that it was olivia closing up. she thought maybe they could sit and talk like they were seventeen again, but that frivolous idea vanished quickly when she was faced with the other walker instead. her thirst remained, though, and she wasn't about to turn down a free drink.

who: open

where: Wild Horses Bar

It had been a quiet night, so quiet that Logan had basically been on his own for the past hour. He had wiped down every table, scrubbed all the corners they didn't normally get to, and was now hunched over the bar, drink and a meal in front of him

He didn't look up at the sound of the door swinging open behind him, far more interested in his feed and his beer.

"Bar closes in 5 minutes." He told them, "I've already packed up the till, but I'll pour you a free one if you give me some company." Finishing up his plate, he turned to face the latecomer, "that means pretending I'm interesting until I've finished closing the place up."

[lawunabiding]

time had gotten away from maeve, as it often did. it seemed to run circles around her, ticking away in seconds and minutes while she remained chained to her desk buried under piles of paperwork. it wasn't all declan's dirty work, only most of it fell into that file. her stomach announced its hunger the moment bea appeared in her doorway. " if you weren't married, i'd kiss you. " maeve stood and accepted the gift greedily. " actually, i still might. "

MAEVE'S OFFICE / FT. MAEVE ( @lawunabiding )

"Knock, knock," Bea said as she stood in the doorway of Maeve's office. There was take-out in her hands, nothing too much, coffees and pastries that she had just bought from the Aroma Mocha. Ever since she got to know the other woman, she learned that eating on a schedule was not something she always did. Bea had an appointment in the neighbourhood and took the afternoon off. Visiting Maeve had been a spur of the moment thing. "Are you too busy for a quick coffee? I can leave it here if you are."

[lawunabiding]

maeve became accustomed to her routine of short nights and long days, buried underneath paperwork and someone else’s mess. coffee - more specifically, caffeine - was the only thing holding her together. still, her hair fell in effortless waves down her back and her makeup was expertly applied. first impressions are everything when it comes to the judicial world, so no matter how exhausted she may have been, she was sure that no one would tell. her attention was occupied by the many messages on her phone, but when she lifted her head, there was already a lingering gaze on her. olivia. it had been fifteen years now since she’d broken liam’s heart, and maeve struggled to forgive her. it was selfish to think, but olivia had broken maeve’s heart too. they were best friends, practically sisters, and they’d never had so much as a goodbye. now they were hardly acquaintances, exchanging polite pleasantries in a coffee shop. “ right, ” maeve agreed curtly with a taut smile. she pushed down the urge to embrace her warmly, to invite her to sit for some conversation. they were not the same people they were at nineteen. “ how have you been doing? i know you don’t exactly have warm, fuzzy feelings for him, but i’m sure it’s difficult with your uncle’s…situation. ”

AROMA MOCHA / FT. MAEVE ( @lawunabiding )

Morning coffee in last night's clothes was not unusual for the woman, not that anyone would know. Olivia often looked sort of disheveled to begin with. The coffee she was in line for was much needed, last night's mistakes weighing heavily on her. The goal was coffee on her way home than a shower and prepare things for work. Spotting Maeve, the woman cursed under her breath. Her former best friend felt so far from her now, with everything Olivia did and the time between them. Even now, there was still something inside of her that woke up when she saw the other woman around town, the urge to run to her. Maeve had been the sister she never had, a bond ever closer than most of her own family. But when she left town and ghosted everyone, she did that to Maeve too. Collateral damage of her own actions. "Popular spot today," she said as casually as possible once the other has spotted her. "Just can't get as good at home, right?"

[lawunabiding]

Succession Season 3, Episode 9

[lawunabiding]

ALY MICHALKA With Love From (2022)

[lawunabiding]

           EVERYTHING BELOW THIS POST HAS BEEN ARCHIVED

[lawunabiding]

their last encounter had been awkward, to say the least. maeve knew it was in both of their best interests to keep a wide distance between her and theo's booth, but it was like a magnet pulling her in. she passed by it three times before she finally gave up and stood in line. everyone was still shaken by that girl's claim, including herself - the boldness was unexpected, and she was sure declan had something to do with a young girl's willingness to accuse someone of murder. all she needed in that moment was comfort, even if it came in the form of a glimpse of theo's face and a taste of his familiar food. " that's fine. i'll leave it up to the chef's choice, then. and a water. " maeve didn't have it in her to make witty remarks and small talk today. she just offered a shrug and pulled out her wallet.

Theo's restaurant had a booth open at the spring county fair with some menu choices from their restaurant as well as some new creations. He didn't do food trucks or pop ups that often, but Theo did enjoy it every now and then. He liked trying new recipes with the people attending the event and he enjoyed conversing with them in a more casual setting. With the night coming to an abrupt close, Theo and his colleagues figured it was time to close up. But, with the long line, it didn't feel right to turn anyone away when they'd been waiting so long and everything got derailed. As he heard the woman accuse David Walker of murder, Theo could only shake his head, remembering everything he hated about this town and what drove him and Maeve apart. He shook off those thoughts as he greeted a customer in front of him. "What can I get you?" he asked them. "Unfortunately, we have to put up the tables, but you can get anything to go. We're out of the empanadas though."

[lawunabiding]

something told orion that his precious pink teddy bear would be transferring ownership by the ride's end. it was fine - bethany seemed to need it more than he did. " mhm. i definitely believe you. " he nodded solemnly, all the while planning ways to taunt her once they were up in the air. the line moved quickly and soon enough, the two were seated comfortably in a carriage of their own, slowly ascending into the sky.

a brow raised at orion. he was someone she could lean on, but she also knew a different side of him. "is that so?" her gaze shifts to the pink teddy bear under his arm and there was this sudden desire that she needed the bear. at the sight of his arm offered to her, her arm slips around his, leading him over to the lineup. "of course not," she scoffs at him, hiding the fact she was indeed afraid of heights, but really wanted to go on the ride. "definitely not afraid of heights." she repeats, looking up at him with deviance in her eyes.

[lawunabiding]

@lcganwalker

maeve was in no mood to attend the spring fair, but she'd never missed it. ever. even in the depths of her studies, she flew back to montana to partake in the festivities. as soon as she stepped foot onto the grounds, smelling the fresh hay and hearing laughter from the booths, her shoulders lifted. it all reminded her of better times - dragging liam to every single game and getting indignant when she lost, making silly bets with olivia and riding the same ride too many times, trying to coax logan into eating funnel cake or cotton candy or whatever else was terrible for them. a small smile formed on her lips, but her optimism was held cautiously. she felt similarly hopeful at the valentine's event - look how that turned out.

" well, hello there cowboy. " maeve spotted logan walking by and stopped him a smile that was more genuine. " what are you up to today? " normally, she'd wish him good luck for the rodeo. maeve wasn't sure about his entire situation, but something about it made her want to be gentle with her wording.

[lawunabiding]

@liambyrnc

although maeve had never been a particularly cheerful person, she'd never been this quiet and anxious before. for weeks, she'd been walking around town hidden behind her carefully formed facade but there was nothing beneath it. smiles didn't meet her eyes, laughter was forced through, pleasantries were exchanged without much thought. she could blame declan's demands or theo's reappearance, but neither excuse held the cure. " can i be the gloomy twin today? just this once? " liam was the only one she could share anything and everything with, yet she was plagued with all the ways she had wronged him to this point. her mind wouldn't stop churning and nothing would quiet her thoughts.

[lawunabiding]

maeve was raised in constant stress - the tension between the walkers and byrnes hung heavy on her shoulders, both as the friend of a walker and as her family's chosen scholar to aid in their business one day; maintaining perfect grades from high school to law school gifted her an issue with migraines; and her position at a major nonprofit in the nation's capital came with its own difficulties. all of it culminated to now - she wasn't sure what was going to happen, yet the paperwork on her desk made her nervous of what's to come. it was difficult to enjoy the festival with a pounding head.

she spotted billie at a distance and bit the inside of her cheek. this facade she put on as the pristine, composed lawyer was something she needed to maintain. but his products had more of an impact on her than any pain relievers ever had. she was thankful for his discretion as he approached her with a smile.

" oh yeah? i'll have to check it out, " she answered with a smile. " ranching was never much my family's thing, but i learned to ride with some friends. i kind of miss it," she recalled fondly. it had been so long since she was in a saddle. " what about you? "

Closed starter for: @lawunabiding Location: Fair rodeo grounds

There were people that came into Buddie's Dispensary with the same energy as a child sticking their hand in a cookie jar. Maeve Byrne was one of those people. Enough so that he was fairly certain that greeting her as if he knew her as a customer would cause her to crawl right out of her skin. That was the impression he got, anyways. Hell, he could always be wrong. It never surprised him when he was. Still, he'd try to be respectful. Treat her as if he knew her from the Trading Post, as was the case with most of the area. You didn't have to shop at Buddie's to know Billie.

Maeve didn't look like the type of girl that'd get on a horse and let it throw her around -- or spin itself around barrels -- but Billie knew that looks could be deceiving. There'd been a girl, back when they were growing up, that had looked like she'd never set foot on the ground in her life much less trudged her way through manure. Turned out that she'd almost never set foot to ground because she'd spent most of her life sitting on the back of a horse. She would have out ridden Billie at any relay, if she'd decided to try her hand at it. It was entirely possible that Maeve was like that girl, and Billie wouldn't have the slightest idea. Only one way to find out.

He approached the woman with his hands in his pockets, wearing a smile, "Y'know... they have some broncs over that way..."

He pursed his lips and raised his jaw slightly, indicating the direction of the fair's rodeo, "If you were looking to get into ambulance chasing. You seen what they have over there, yet? Swear there's a horse comes up this high, right to my belly button. Right here. Bet he bucks like he's got a spring in his belly. You ride at all?"

[lawunabiding]

@lcganwalker

orion didn't leave himself much time between shifts to actually enjoy the festival, but he was able to sneak into the stables to check on stevenson's booth now and then. remy wouldn't have any issues holding it down, of course. it was more to comfort himself than the stock. this was the first year he wasn't working at the rodeo - he couldn't say no to a fundraising project for a new park, then the school approached him with a similar query, and finally a third popped up. somehow he'd been roped into a kissing booth, dunk tank, and shaved ice stand - he loved every minute of it. but, still, that feeling pulling him towards the rodeo didn't settle until he was happily amongst the horses he was familiar with.

" planning on taking first this year? " orion was glad to see logan in the stalls. he looked like a natural. as much as he wanted stevenson to take home all the prizes, it'd be satisfying to see them beat for once.