tcnetwork | MAX MAYFIELD

[ The box isn't too fancy. Just something one would use to carry a dozen donuts or something, but there's a card. Miles' handwriting is neat, small but still legible. The box contains a dozen cookies, four different kinds.

Lemon Lavender Shortbreads

Chocolate Chip

White Chocolate Macadamia and

Snickerdoodle. And the note that accompanies is on a card that was clearly decorated by a child. There's a picture of a girl with red hair holding hands with a smaller girl with brown hair. Both of them are on skateboards and both of them are wearing capes. The smaller girl is saying THANK YOU and the inside of the note reads: ]

Molly thought we should bake you cookies as a thank you. I wanted to do something for you to say thanks, but couldn't figure out what. Thankfully, Molly had this great idea. We also couldn't figure out what cookies specifically, so these are the four we came up with.

Enjoy.

And again, you're fantastic.

--Miles and Molly

[ At first, Max doesn't know what to expect when she gets the box and finds the card. But then she is just kind of...lost.

The thought is sweet and more than she would have ever expected from anyone. It's the kind of sweetness that makes her realize that she is in real trouble here and she doesn't seem to mind one bit. It's not just Miles either but also Molly who is easily the most adorable kid she has ever met before.

The brother is pretty adorable too.

Once she is done sampling the cookies, she finally picks up her TC to send a text. ]

You didn't need to get me anything but you did really good in getting me cookies. They're so good!

I thought chocolate chip was my favorite but the snickerdoodles might be now!

You're so sweet.

PS. Please let Molly know that the card is now hanging on my fridge. She's a real artist.

Anything with citrus flavor is mine. That's why there are the lemon lavender ones. We really couldn't decide which ones to bake.

Don't tell Molly I told you this, but that's the sixth card she made. The other five she thinks she threw out but I saved them.

Normally anything chocolate is mine. But the lemon lavender ones are good! I wouldn't have thought lavender would be good for baking, it's crazy.

Please tell me you're going to bring them over to me one day?

I didn't, either, until my eldest sister, Marnie, started teaching me how to cook. She made this bottle of lavender simple syrup for a friends tea party/baby shower and honestly up until like right then I was so sure that lavender was just a pretty flower that supposedly relaxed people with it's scent.

I had a lot of questions for her, that day. Might have irritated her.

I'll try to. She'd be mad if she found them, but I'll pull them from the trash and ask her if it's okay to show you.

Hey, I'm right there with you on the whole pretty flower bit but it actually has a nice flavor. At least in these cookies, it does.

Did she teach you about any other flowers that can go in cookies?

Oh right, we don't want her to be mad. I'll be content with my masterpiece though I'm guessing they were just as good.

Edited 2020-06-27 02:12 (UTC)

Are you okay?

[ Cryptic? Sure. Not on his end, but he just got the weirdest text from Max and he's worried. ]

Edited (i can't html) 2020-07-03 12:49 (UTC)

[ Yep, that is a strange text to get randomly but it means she is instantly concerned. ]

Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay?

I don't know yet, honestly, because I got a message from you a bit ago saying you were stuck in a field and couldn't find me. But now you're saying you're fine.

[ Two seconds later: ]

And it just got weirder. I just saw the timestamp on that message. It's dated for tomorrow evening around 4:15 pm.

Edited 2020-07-03 19:07 (UTC)

And you're totally sure that it's from me?

[ A couple second after that: ]

That's so weird. What would we be doing out in the middle of a field?

[ Worried that he'll sound snarky in a text reply, Miles calls Max directly. His voice is tense and hushed, likely to keep Molly from worrying. ]

Hey, gorgeous.

[ Said after Max answers, of course. ]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure it came from you. I hit reply and now we're talking about it, so there's that.

[ The tone is anxious and worried and ind of confused. ]

There've been others who said something about a field. Did you see?

Hey, babe.

[ She murmurs as a way of greeting though she sounds concerned, just a little on edge, by the strangeness of the situation. Especially after what happened not that long ago... ]

No, I haven't. I haven't really been paying attention today.

[ A little sigh. ]

What do you think it is?

I have no idea.

[ And that's the part he doesn't like. At all. There's a sharp exhale from him, Miles on the other end pinching the bridge of his nose. Up until this point, he'd been pacing back and forth, really trying to not let his anxiety get to him. ]

Can you do me a favor? This is absolutely stupid of me, I know, but I have to check this out. Can you come and watch Molly?

[ She frowns a little at that. ]

Do you think it's wise to do that? I don't like the idea of you going alone.

No, I think I'm being a moron.

[ ... points for him for at least admitting to that much? ]

But if people are getting stuck in there, I have to see if I can help.

[ She blinks at that. ]

I wasn't going to go that far but...just let me come with you, please? I know I can't do much but I don't want you to go alone. Is there anyone else we can ask to watch Molly?

[ He already knows well enough that Max isn't someone that'd take a 'no' in this situation. Her brother already told her she was ballsy and tough. But the idea that this could put her at risk...and if anything happened to her.

So he's quiet for a few minutes, really weighing his options. ]

Are you sure?

[ She can hear the hesitation and she doesn't appreciate it, Miles. Slightly. ]

Yes, I know I don't have cool powers or anything but this isn't the first time I've dealt with strange things, okay?

If you get hurt, I'm pretty sure your brother would kill me.

[ And he wouldn't be too fond of himself, either. ]

Just...stay with me when we're in there? Okay?

I won't let him do that.

[ She nods despite the fact that he can't see her. ]

I will, I promise.

[ Gosh, he loves this girl. He smiles a bit, knowing she can't see it, but it's there and he's stopped pacing. ]

Babe...it's Friday. We're supposed to be going to dinner and a movie and instead...

[ One day, they'll have a real date. With nothing weird going on. ]

Allison is supposed to watch Molly.

[ He really shouldn't promise or hope for such things. Not with their lives. ]

So maybe ask her to watch Molly while we try to figure out what's happening? Call her and once she gets there, come over and pick me up?

The mayors recent post about all those locations we can take a shuttle to got me thinkin' a little bit.

What about a trip to Seattle? I know it's not one of the listed locations on Allison's post, but it could be fun.

It could be fun. What's in Seattle again?

MAX MAYFIELD

06/26 - evening - package delivery with note

text message

Re: text message

no subject

no subject

no subject

07/03 - early afternoon - text:

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

07/09 - early evening

no subject