Keep smiling, even in the darkest night.

((RP Blog as adult Maya Fey, Mafia AU.))

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[adifferentkindofmagic-blog1]

[Auntie Maya saw through it, as expected from someone who used to hang out with Daddy. The magician ignored it and instead continued her act although it was really obvious. This was clearly her worst show to date.]

Auntie Maya? What’s wrong?

[For her, It’s much easier to try to cheer up people rather than being in the receiving end. She asked with so much innocence in her tone that you would think that she’s really asking if you didn’t know her better.]

Why are you crying?

[That question was unnecessary but it was better than staying silent.]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"..."

Maya back off just a bit. Tears still in her eyes, she looked at Trucy. 

"You... really can't trust me, can you...? No matter what I say... Isn't there anything I can do, to... to show you that I mean it...? Trucy..."

Maya stood there for a bit, trying to get a grip on herself again. She whipped the tears off her face before more could come.

"W-Well... Then... Then I have decided...!"

"I'm... gonna stay here with you! Whether you like it or not!"

Maya forced a smile, and looked straight at Trucy,

"I'm going to stay here with you and I'll keep trying to help you, until you trust me! I will! There's..."

Finally, she stood straight.

"...There's just no way I'll leave you abandoned! There's no way I'll give up on you! ...You hear me? That's a promise, even if you don't believe it."

All throughout her talking, Maya's hands were balled to fist. She was being sincere with every word she said. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

Maya still didn’t let go of her. 

“Trucy…” she said. “You don’t need to go through this alone. You really don’t need to…”

“That… That would be fair! It’s never been fair…”

She paused a bit.

“If there’s anything you need to talk about, anything you want to say, or if you just want to scream at someone… Please do it…!!” she said.

Maya held Trucy by the shoulders.

“I am here. I swear to you, I am here…!”

She just couldn’t keep watching as Trucy burried it all within herself…

“…I…I want to be your family. If I wasn’t part of it before… You shouldn’t be alone. You just shouldn’t.”

[adifferentkindofmagic-blog1]

[She knew how unfair the world is. It had been for her ever since the moment she turned around in that courthouse lobby and realize that Zak Gramarye was not there. But it was okay because Daddy was there and she could tell him everything and she’ll still be his little princess. But what will she do now that Daddy’s not here?]

..I know, I know.

[She knew that it’s not good to keep everything to herself and it’s best for her to spill out some things and have someone that will listen. And she’ll be much happier if she accepts that offer and although a bit rushed, she’ll have someone which she again can call  family.

But some part of her brain, the one that was trained by her original universe and still refuses to go away, tells her that she shouldn’t trust Maya fey. At least not yet. Not until she knew what exactly happened to older woman in those few month.

She listened.

But it won’t do any harm to pretend to accept it in the outside, right? ]

But you’re already my family, Auntie Maya!

I call you ‘Auntie’ after all!

[asyluminkurain-blog]

And Maya knows, she's not being honest. She knows Trucy is just pretending, closing herself off. She knows it. And it hurts. 

She wants to help her? Why can't she help her? Is there really no way to?

She had always wanted to help Trucy... Ever since she first met her. She didn't want her to ever again feel abandoned... left alone. 

But there was nothing she could do. Not as long as Trucy wouldn't open up to her.

There was nothing. Nothing. Not if Trucy wouldn't trust into her. And she wouldn't. The only people the girl had trusted in, were...

...

...Maya kept holding on to the younger girl. She wouldn't let go. And she cried.

It was so stupid. She wasn't the one with a reason to cry. She wasn't the one who had been abandoned. She wasn't the one who was alone now.

But yet, it was Maya who cried. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

Maya looked up when she realized the tone in Trucy’s voice. Only now she realized that what she had said had probably pulled the girl down. Trucy was so good at hiding her emotions, Maya often had trouble taking them into account. 

“I-I’m sorry…” she quickly said, genuiely regretting having brought up what she did. Right…Maya had no right to be as upset as she was. After all, she had been gone as well. Even if she didn’t know why. She wasn’t the one who had been left behind alone. She wasn’t the daughter whose only parent had abandoned her… Not now, not here.

“Trucy…”

Maya didn’t know what to do or what to say. But she knew how Trucy must feel - No. Actually, Trucy probably felt even worse than she could imagine. It was the second time, after all. Trucy had been abandoned… twice.

“…”

Unable to figure what to say, Maya did the only thing that came to her. She stood up. She walked over to Trucy…

And she embraced her.

“It’s… It’s alright…” she said, but couldn’t keep her voice from shaking.

“I-I’m here now. And I won’t go away again, I swear. I’ll stay with you, and I’ll always be there when you need me, I promise! I swear it!”

She held her tightly.

“If it’s just you and me now then I’ll stand by you… I will, I swear! Always!”

Maya’s thoughts were with Pearl, with Larry and everyone else… And she could only hope that they were doing well now, wherever they had gone. 

But the thought of Phoenix somehow only brought disappointment and anger to her mind. She tried not to think of it. But she couldn’t help but feel that this man, her old friend… had abandoned her. The one girl who needed him the most. And it enraged her…

[adifferentkindofmagic-blog1]

[She returned the hug and wrapped her arms around her. She wanted to believe her words, but too many times before the people who said that ended up leaving. She better not get her hopes up too much.

Trucy could actually clear her suspicions by using her Gramarye eyes, but then she was too tired to do so. Or maybe she was just afraid of the answer. ]

Thanks Auntie Maya, but you don’t need to worry that much about me. I’m fine, really.

It’s been 5 months, I already have a lot of time to get over it.

[You wouldn’t need a magatama (or other spiritual devices) to see that she’s lying. It’s totally impossible for 5 months to be enough.

Apollo left 8 months ago and she’s still not over it. Her real father disappeared 7 years ago and she’s still not over it. And she loved them much less than daddy, she’ll probably die first before she fully accept the fact that Phoenix Wright had left her.]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

Maya still didn't let go of her. 

"Trucy..." she said. "You don't need to go through this alone. You really don't need to..."

"That... That wouldn't be fair! It's never been fair..."

She paused a bit.

"If there's anything you need to talk about, anything you want to say, or if you just want to scream at someone... Please do it...!!" she said.

Maya held Trucy by the shoulders.

"I am here. I swear to you, I am here...!"

She just couldn't keep watching as Trucy burried it all within herself...

"...I...I want to be your family. If I wasn't part of it before... You shouldn't be alone. You just shouldn't."

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

As Apollo spoke, Maya took a closer look at the Magatama. While the usual charm for reading a person’s psyche was on it, she quickly noticed that it wasn’t just that. Maya didn’t take long to identify what the actual main charm her other self had placed on the talisman was: A protective hex, just like the one on the bead-wristband she had made for Trucy last Christmas… Meant to protect one’s psyche from outside influences. 

(If she gave him that, that means,) she thought to herself. (…that she had the same worries that I had back then. That someone or something might start a direct attack his mind…)

Back then, she had forged talismans and protective charms for everyone she knew, in order to fend of the vengeful spirit of a Dahlia Hawthorne, who had found a way to materialize herself in the world of the living… Maya hoped that the manace this charm was meant to fight off wasn’t the same…

Interested, she listened to Apollo and pieced more together from the information she got.

“A technique to calm restless minds…?!” She listened up. This sounded… familiar… no… not familiar, but, somehow… something…

“Ungh…”

A short bout of headache hit Maya, much too sudden, she found herself clasping her hand over her head, gasping.

(W-What is wrong…)

It was strange. Maya didn’t understand what was going on, but… Suddenly, a word came to her mind, but she didn’t know why. Just a single word…

“…Extinguishment…” She uttered to herself, barely audible, hoping Apollo wouldn’t hear it. 

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Maya would be right in her deduction. What she doesn’t know, and what Apollo is unlikely to reveal, is that leaving him so exposed like this could bring great harm to him.

Just as the headache hit Maya, Apollo felt…something in his chest. An aching that was all too familiar now. Fortunately, with everything he had been through, especially these past few years, this sort of thing doesn’t affect him as deeply as it could have.

But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t worried. He knew now what would happen if he absorbed too much of someone else’s pain and suffering.

He also didn’t like the way that word sounded to him. Extinguishment…what was that supposed to mean?

“M-Maya,” he said in a concerned tone. “Give me the magatama. Please.”

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"Uhm..."

Maya quickly sat up again. Her short headache hadn't lasted long, just long enough to be noticable. She straighthened her back... And then returned the Magatama to Apollo with a smile.

"Here," she said.

"It's a protective Charm, hm? I didn't know that, sorry. It's just... it reminded me a lot on something a friend of me had, a while ago. Except that his... was a "weapon" of sorts..."

She paused a bit.

"...One that can be dangerous to the one who uses it as well. That's why I was shocked to see you with it. I am sorry, I hope I didn't startle you or anything." She tilted her head a bit. "What you say sounds pretty interesting, though. A technique that can calm spirits and minds... If something like this really existed...!"

Maya felt a warm, excited feeling in her chest... Was it "bliss", maybe?

"...There's so much one could do with it...! So much that could be stopped from... happening...!"

[[Let me give you a bit background to have this make more sense: In the past, Mafia!Phoenix more or less accidentally shot and killed a Medium from Kurain while she was possessed by Dahlia. Due to how the talk where Phoenix told Maya the truth went, Maya was led to believe that it was entirely intentional on his part and that, pretty much, ehm... cost her her marbles. She pretty much decided that everyone from the Mafia-Au (including herself) is too horrible and dangerous and unredeemable to exist and that it would be the best for everyone if they all just ceased to be. Maya then went out to buff up her powers with training, then she wanted to go on a wild killing spree, where she tried to literally destroy (Or "extinguish", as she called it) the souls of everyone from her Universe who'd ended up here. She never got further than to Adult!AlternateTimeline!Trucy, though (killing her was pre-detemined with the RPer, because she had wanted to quit the account any way, don't worry), because after that stuff happened and I kinda abandoned the account for a while. ^^;

The basic idea is though that abusing her powers for something as horrible as this basically caused damage to Maya's soul as well, even if she doesn't realize it. I have... an idea what is going to happen, but I will wait to see how it plays out.]]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[adifferentkindofmagic-blog1]

….

[She was silent for a moment. She remember asking those questions in her room, repeating it several times in hope of getting a answer. But of course, nothing comes out from the empty apartment and she could only hear the echoes of her weeping.

She looks down, the top hat covering her eyes. Even though she’s actually tired of it, it’s a habit of hers to not show any weakness to anyone. ]

I honestly don’t know either.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

Maya looked up when she realized the tone in Trucy's voice. Only now she realized that what she had said had probably pulled the girl down. Trucy was so good at hiding her emotions, Maya often had trouble taking them into account. 

"I-I'm sorry..." she quickly said, genuiely regretting having brought up what she did. Right...Maya had no right to be as upset as she was. After all, she had been gone as well. Even if she didn't know why. She wasn't the one who had been left behind alone. She wasn't the daughter whose only parent had abandoned her... Not now, not here.

"Trucy..."

Maya didn't know what to do or what to say. But she knew how Trucy must feel - No. Actually, Trucy probably felt even worse than she could imagine. It was the second time, after all. Trucy had been abandoned... twice.

"..."

Unable to figure what to say, Maya did the only thing that came to her. She stood up. She walked over to Trucy...

And she embraced her.

"It's... It's alright..." she said, but couldn't keep her voice from shaking.

"I-I'm here now. And I won't go away again, I swear. I'll stay with you, and I'll always be there when you need me, I promise! I swear it!"

She held her tightly.

"If it's just you and me now then I'll stand by you... I will, I swear! Always!"

Maya's thoughts were with Pearl, with Larry and everyone else... And she could only hope that they were doing well now, wherever they had gone. 

But the thought of Phoenix somehow only brought disappointment and anger to her mind. She tried not to think of it. But she couldn't help but feel that this man, her old friend... had abandoned her. The one girl who needed him the most. And it enraged her...

[asyluminkurain-blog]

((I will be going to bed, but if Apollo wants to reply to the last post, feel free to do so~! I'd reply to that then first thing tomorrow! It's been a fun RPing night! Thank you!))

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

“Well, I don’t mind. I have time for long stories,” Maya stated, remembering that she really had nowhere specific to go right now, and grabbing herself a glass and some soda, as she leaned against the kitchen counter. She looked at Apollo.

“Shoot away!” she stated, taking a sip of soda… She was still holding Apollo’s Magatama hostage, by the way, which may or may not be her way of saying ‘You either tell me or you’ll never see this again, cheers!’

As soon as Maya was done with the soda, she would go for the fridge, so Apollo’d probably better hurry. 

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Apollo was pretty nervous when he realized Maya wasn’t giving his magatama back. Without it, he has no barrier to protect him from unwanted transfers. And that could…

He shook those thoughts away. Maya isn’t thinking about whatever it was that made her angry or upset, so he’s safe. For now.

“Alright. In the universe I come from, there is a family, in addition to the Feys and the Gramaryes, who have some sort of special power or ability. Only the Master of Kurain knows anything about that family. Even my dad, who was part of that bloodline, didn’t know anything about it until he met May—er, your mother. Well, technically, my Maya’s mother, but you get the idea.”

“According to my dad’s journals, he and Misty discovered a way to help restless souls to pass on to the next world in peace. They also found that it could be used on the living too, help them overcome their pain and, in theory, recall repressed memories.”

[asyluminkurain-blog]

As Apollo spoke, Maya took a closer look at the Magatama. While the usual charm for reading a person's psyche was on it, she quickly noticed that it wasn't just that. Maya didn't take long to identify what the actual main charm her other self had placed on the talisman was: A protective hex, just like the one on the bead-wristband she had made for Trucy last Christmas... Meant to protect one's psyche from outside influences. 

(If she gave him that, that means,) she thought to herself. (...that she had the same worries that I had back then. That someone or something might start a direct attack his mind...)

Back then, she had forged talismans and protective charms for everyone she knew, in order to fend of the vengeful spirit of a Dahlia Hawthorne, who had found a way to materialize herself in the world of the living... Maya hoped that the manace this charm was meant to fight off wasn't the same...

Interested, she listened to Apollo and pieced more together from the information she got.

"A technique to calm restless minds...?!" She listened up. This sounded... familiar... no... not familiar, but, somehow... something...

"Ungh..."

A short bout of headache hit Maya, much too sudden, she found herself clasping her hand over her head, gasping.

(W-What is wrong...)

It was strange. Maya didn't understand what was going on, but... Suddenly, a word came to her mind, but she didn't know why. Just a single word...

"...Extinguishment..." She uttered to herself, barely audible, hoping Apollo wouldn't hear it. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

“I know plenty, thank you very much.”

Apollo released a long sigh and his shoulders slumped. He wanted a break for a day and this is what he gets.

“I know that’s the reason I was given that magatama. I think these white locks are supposed to be the barrier Maya mentioned, too,” he added as an afterthought.

He was silent for a moment, wondering how much he should tell her. By now, he was pretty sure his father’s ability, and everything that goes with it, is unique only to the universe he comes from. Then again, this is a Maya from a mafia universe so he doesn’t exactly have much of a choice, unless he wants to risk bodily harm to himself (which he’s had more than enough of).

“There’s a bit of a long story about me and this magatama…”

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"Well, I don't mind. I have time for long stories," Maya stated, remembering that she really had nowhere specific to go right now, and grabbing herself a glass and some soda, as she leaned against the kitchen counter. She looked at Apollo.

"Shoot away!" she stated, taking a sip of soda... She was still holding Apollo's Magatama hostage, by the way, which may or may not be her way of saying 'You either tell me or you'll never see this again, cheers!'

As soon as Maya was done with the soda, she would go for the fridge, so Apollo'd probably better hurry. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

“…Locks?!”

That was all Maya needed to hear to feel herself confirmed in all suspicions. Quickly taking a decision, she rushed over to Apollo before he could possibly act (and being trained in martial arts made sure that she could do so *very* quickly), grab his arm and pull it forth. She took what he was holding from him…

…A jade jewel, shaped like a hitodama was now in her hand.

“…I knew it…It’s charged with a charm…” She said to herself, before turning to Apollo. She was glaring.

“Where did you get this? Why do you have a sacred Magatama, huh?!”

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

She moved so fast Apollo hardly had time to react. The moment she grabbed his arms he knew there was no point in struggling. Besides, it was his own fault for being too hasty.

“The Maya in my universe gave it to me. As for why, well apparently it has to do with some secret that only the Master and one other person know. I don’t know if that same secret holds true in other versions of my world,” he answered quickly. He was still shaking a little, mostly because he wasn’t expecting to see locks on himself. He wasn’t holding any secrets. At least, not ones his magatama could reveal. That’s not its purpose.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

Maya looked at the jewel glitzen in the light for a bit...

"Your Maya... No wonder I took so long to realize what it was... It's my own Ki..." she mumbled to herself. She could clearly feel it now how familiar the energy emitting from the bent jewel was...

"...She told you that? Do you really know nothing more about it? If she gave you that, it ought to be important! The Magatama are sacred to us! You don't just give them away without a good reason! ...And this blockade you have... When it displays, you have a really strange "Ki"...Aura." She quickly corrected herself on the last word, as to not confuse him. "...Those aren't regular Psyche Locks, so much is for sure. Do you think this is the reason you were given this?"

Maya was really interested in what Apollo's story might be now. If he was given this by another Maya, there had to be more behind it... Something important. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Apollo could tell Maya sensed…something from him. Can she tell he has a magatama?

As Maya answered his question, his bracelet tightened. He had almost forgotten about his mother’s perceive ability. He saw how she touched her forehead and the scratching. Now that he thought about it, whenever Maya mentioned something that angered her, something she couldn’t remember, she would start scratching. Either she knew the reason or circumstances behind her anger and chose to keep it secret or her mind suppressed them so she couldn’t remember. The latter was certainly possible. It happened to him once.

His eyes drifted to the floor as he thought about it. It’s been almost two years now since that incident yet it still haunts him.

He suddenly screamed and lept back a couple of feet, dropping the object he was hiding in the process. A clear magatama, almost as if it was made out of glass.

“I-I-I-I…” he gasped. Now he regretted using the magatama earlier. He still had a long way to go before he could be skilled enough to use his father’s ability. He should have followed Maya’s advice and left the magatama with her.

“I-I have locks!! Wh-Why do I have locks?!”

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"...Locks?!"

That was all Maya needed to hear to feel herself confirmed in all suspicions. Quickly taking a decision, she rushed over to Apollo before he could possibly act (and being trained in martial arts made sure that she could do so *very* quickly), grab his arm and pull it forth. She took what he was holding from him...

...A jade jewel, shaped like a hitodama was now in her hand.

"...I knew it...It's charged with a charm..." She said to herself, before turning to Apollo. She was glaring.

"Where did you get this? Why do you have a sacred Magatama, huh?!"

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

“Hm?”

Apollo’s behaviour struck Maya as weird. What had suddenly gotten into the boy?

When he asked her if she wanted something to drink, she stood up from her seat and actually followed after him into the kitchen,

“Oh, oh, it’s alright! I’ll help myself!” 

Without asking, she entered the room. The actual reason why she had said she was going to get herself something to drink had been so Apollo couldn’t just “escape” from her, of course. She stood right behind him.

“So… Where’s Trucy living now, actually? She didn’t tell me yet…”

(Is she all alone, I wonder…?)

“How long ago did you meet her, actually?”

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Apollo whirled around when Maya followed him into the kitchen, his hand clutching something behind his back.

“She, uh…she’s living in an apartment. I think it’s the same one she’s lived in since she came here.”

It happened again. Just moments ago, when he slipped his hand in his pocket, something strange happened. The whole world went black except for the woman sitting in front of him. Chains appeared and with them, three blue locks. That was why he fled to the kitchen.

And he was seeing it again. Unknown to Apollo, chains surrounded him as well, with three pure white locks over his heart.

“I met her a few months ago.”

He took a deep breath. He might as well ask.

“Maya…you mentioned feeling angry about something…?” Was it really his business? Perhaps not. But he forged ahead nonetheless.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"...!"

When Maya followed Apollo, a strange feeling suddenly overcame him. It was a an odd "Ki", like an aura of spiritual energy...Was an object or person with spiritual power closeby?! 

Her eyes turned sharp and she became very altert. Should the source of the power be a person... If they were hiding, chances were they were hostile. She'd have to be ready for the case anything suspicious happened...

However, it turned out that nobody else was closeby. Maya realized this when she scanned the air for any signs of a foreign presence, like living energy or just hitodama... However, the only people she sensed were herself and Apollo, who suspicously turned around before she could even take a close look at his back. He was really acting strange.

Whats moreso, though, if the source of the energy she felt wasn't a person, that mean it had to be an object... Maya let her eyes beam through the room quickly, searching for gohei, beads, mandala or any other sacred objects that could be the source, but, of course, nothing like that was here. Of course, why would Apollo have anything like that? ...Unless...

Her eyes rested at his arms. Why was he hiding his hands from her so intently...?

It was then, when Apollo spoke about Trucy and kept hiding his hands behind his back, that Maya's suspicion confirmed himself. A blockade appeared on his heart. She could clearly sense it.

...Psyche Locks...

(Cute, but still as closed-off towards others as always,) she thought to herself. (...What could he possibly be hiding from me? He doesn't even know me yet! Then again... The Ki feels special. There is something unnatural about this secret. I wonder...)

At the same time, Maya didn't realize her own blockade at all. Part of the blockade was the inability to become aware of it, it seemed. When Apollo asked her his question about herself, she thus reacted surprised.

"Hm?" Maya tilted her head.

  "I... think I was angry. It's hard to tell, though... My memory is very blurry. It's more of... a feeling, than anything else."

If Apollo has paid attention to Maya so far, he'll notice that she's been touching her forehead a lot ever since Apollo had brought up the "Amnesia" earlier. Also, something only he could possibly notice is that she scratches a bit whenever her having been "angry" at something is brought up...

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

“Hm… Amnesia… I dunno, maybe…”

“Last thing I remember, we were all here, together, plentiful, then things get a little blurry… I think I vaguely remember that I was really upset for… reasons… And now, here I am…”

“…And suddenly, it looks like Trucy and me were the only ones left… She said, everyone’s gone… Even… …”

Maya doens’t speak on. She ends the sentence with a sigh and then stares at the ground for a while in silence. 

“So…How’s Trucy been doing?” She finally asks absentmindedly.

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Phoenix Wright, he finished in his mind. Who else could Maya be talking about?

“Trucy seems to be doing fine,” Apollo answered. But his thoughts were far away. He began to wonder if he can try…no, he couldn’t. Shouldn’t.

He stuck one of his hands in his pocket. “She’s been working at the Wonder Bar, performing and everything.”

There was a sharp intake of breath. Apollo suddenly stood and hurried to the kitchen. “S-Sorry! D-Do you want something to drink Maya?”

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"Hm?"

Apollo's behaviour struck Maya as weird. What had suddenly gotten into the boy?

When he asked her if she wanted something to drink, she stood up from her seat and actually followed after him into the kitchen,

"Oh, oh, it's alright! I'll help myself!" 

Without asking, she entered the room. The actual reason why she had said she was going to get herself something to drink had been so Apollo couldn't just "escape" from her, of course. She stood right behind him.

"So... Where's Trucy living now, actually? She didn't tell me yet..."

(Is she all alone, I wonder...?)

"How long ago did you meet her, actually?"

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

“Actually, I’ve been a bit out of the loop as well. I haven’t been here for…almost three weeks now, I think. Plus, I’ve sort of kept a bit to myself while I was here…”

Try as he might, he just couldn’t get this one memory suppressed. He’d had a couple of close calls, but that night…

“S-So, Trucy said you somehow got amnesia?” he added hurriedly.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"Hm... Amnesia... I dunno, maybe..."

"Last thing I remember, we were all here, together, plentiful, then things get a little blurry... I think I vaguely remember that I was really upset for... reasons... And now, here I am..."

"...And suddenly, it looks like Trucy and me were the only ones left... She said, everyone's gone... Even... ..."

Maya doens't speak on. She ends the sentence with a sigh and then stares at the ground for a while in silence. 

"So...How's Trucy been doing?" She finally asks absentmindedly.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[asyluminkurain-blog]

“So…?” Maya repeated. Then, she starred at him for a little while. A few second passed, before she burst into laughter.

“Aheheheh! You’re not good at this whole talking-thing, are you?”

(He’s so shy…!)

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

“Nice of you to notice, Ms. Fey.”

He had momentarily forgotten that this Maya may not react to the name he just called her the same way his Maya would have. She was just so much like the Maya from his own universe.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"Oh, last name basis? Aww, and I thought we were going to take this relaxed~!" Maya joked, she leaned back.

"Well, alright, if you won't come up with anything, how about if I suggest something? You could tell me a bit about what's been going on lately. I think I'm a bit out of the loop, somehow~! Heh..."

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[[Thankies~~! ^__^]]

“Oh! Sure, if you don’t mind!” 

The young woman took herself a seat as soon as she was offered one and sat down, crossing her legs.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to be our Apollo anyway… Not after what Trucy had told me, anyway…”

“…I guess when I say that, you can probably imagine where I know her from, right?” Maya smiled. “She doesn’t call me ‘Auntie’ for nothing, you know~”

The reason why Maya was a bit vague was that she was trying to be careful. She didn’t know how much Trucy had told this Apollo. She didn’t want to give away more than necessary. 

[justice-is-served-deactivated20]

Apollo sat across from her. “Ahahaha, that’s right.”

It was clear he was a bit on edge. He recalled a conversation where Trucy mentioned coming from a ‘mafia universe’. Since then, he was careful not to get too involved. He’s already had enough ‘excitement’ for one lifetime.

For the moment, he thought it best to simply pretend he knew nothing.

“So……” He hated when his mind drew a blank on him like this.

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"So...?" Maya repeated. Then, she starred at him for a little while. A few second passed, before she burst into laughter.

"Aheheheh! You're not good at this whole talking-thing, are you?"

(He's so shy...!)

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[[Thankies~~! ^__^]]

"Oh! Sure, if you don't mind!" 

The young woman took herself a seat as soon as she was offered one and sat down, crossing her legs.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be our Apollo anyway... Not after what Trucy had told me, anyway..."

"...I guess when I say that, you can probably imagine where I know her from, right?" Maya smiled. "She doesn't call me 'Auntie' for nothing, you know~"

The reason why Maya was a bit vague was that she was trying to be careful. She didn't know how much Trucy had told this Apollo. She didn't want to give away more than necessary. 

[asyluminkurain-blog]

[adifferentkindofmagic-blog1]

Well, except for Nick. He’s still around and he’s supposed to come over and pick up his cats soon-

(Wait, Auntie Maya’s ‘nick’ is different from my ‘Nick’.)

But if you meant Daddy-nick, Yeah.

He’s gone.

(I wonder if she remembers that he went to jail.)

[asyluminkurain-blog]

"..."

(...T-that can't be... Nick wouldn't... he...he'd not have...)

Maya is silent for a bit. In the back of her mind, something is stirring. As if she was recalling something, but... Nothing is coming to her. She just stands there for a while, as a great rage welled up in her chest.

"H-How..."

"B-But... Why? How... How can he be gone... When you're still here? He... He'd not have... You're his..."

(Why do I feel like I should have expected this...? Why am I so mad at him...? T-There has to be a reason! There has to be! He'd not have left Trucy behind! He...He'd not have left... us behind...)

"...Trucy..."

Maya sound like she was going to say more, start a question, but it never comes to this. She just stands there, her face rather blank, her hands balled to fists.