Work Text:
Your new job at the fast food restaurant on the corner involves remembering orders, relaying information, and doing lots of repetitive tasks. Maybe it's dull, but it plays into many of your strengths, in a way. Just a normal, boring teenager, with a normal, boring job. It suits you just fine.
This lasts for about a week.
One night, during the quietest hour before closing time, a young woman walks into the shop, setting off the bell and making you jump a little. You're used to quietly minding your own business at this time of night before you can go home. As you make your way to the counter, you're stopped by another employee.
Your co-worker is one of the very few people who also works at this hour. His name is Donald Fry, or "Don" if you're friends, which you aren't. He's older than you - though he can't be that much older, you think - and he's been working here for a year already, so he believes he’s the main authority on everything going on in the restaurant. You've been trying your best to ignore him, like the others do.
"I wouldn't talk to her, kid," says Donald, narrowing his eyes at you.
"That customer? Why not?"
"She's a regular here. She's a little..." He folds his arms, searching for the right word. "Odd," he concludes.
You frown. "Odd? What do you mean by that?"
He shrugs. "Y'know. Odd. She'll talk your ear off about weird stuff if you don't get away fast enough. We all avoid her as much as we can.”
"What kind of weird stuff?" you press.
Donald rolls his eyes. "Do you need to know everything in the world? You ask so many questions."
“It'd save some questions if you’d let me find out for myself."
Donald shrugs again. "I suppose it would, wouldn't it? Knock yourself out."
You walk over to take the woman's order, and realise that she does look a bit "odd", as your co-worker had so eloquently put it. She's dressed in a kimono and a purple jacket, with jet-black hair tied partly into a topknot, with some draping across each of her shoulders, decorated with purple beads at the ends. What catches your eye the most, though, is her necklace – seemingly made of large pearls, with an orange teardrop-shaped stone in the middle.
Luckily, it appears she didn't notice the staring - or notice you at all.
"Hi again!" she says with a bright smile. "The usual, please!"
"Um," you respond, "I don't think we've-"
"Oh!" she interrupts, eyes widening, "Are you new? Sorry! My head's a little all over the place tonight. Me and Nick had a murder trial today."
You stare at her, waiting for her to say she's joking, or at least to elaborate. She does neither. "Um. Okay. What's your order, then? Because I don't know what ‘the usual’ is..."
"No problem!" She claps her hands together. "Let me tell you..."
"See? Odd," says Donald, who's already waiting for you in the kitchen.
"Was she being serious about a murder trial?" you ask, glancing back.
He shrugs yet again. "Dunno. It's always either law or spiritual nonsense with her. I tune it out. She’s a total weirdo."
Cogs begin to turn in your brain. "Spiritual stuff? Like that necklace, you mean?"
Donald cocks his head. "Her necklace? Is that some spiritual thing?"
"I don't know. I'm asking you."
"How should I know? And again, you don't need to know everything in the world, kid." He shoves a tray of food into your arms. "Anyway, I got this done already. She always orders the same thing. Let her know we've got it at the counter."
"Can I take it over to her instead?"
"You got a sweet spot for her or something?" He rolls his eyes. Whatever. Just don't get drawn in."
When his back is turned, you roll your eyes in return. How could you possibly get "drawn in"? This is a random customer ordering a burger.
You make sure everything is balanced carefully on the tray, and carry it over to where the woman is sat alone at her table. "I've got your order for you, miss..." you say timidly.
She looks up, and beams. "You guys usually don't bring it over here for me! Thanks!" She takes the tray from you and places it on the table, before taking a huge bite out of her burger.
"It's no problem!"
You hover for a moment, unsure what to do, then you lose your nerve, give her a polite nod, and scurry back to the kitchen.
Later in the week, it's that quietest hour of the evening again, and you're washing up when a voice makes you jump.
"Hey, look! Your crush is back today!" says Donald.
"My what?"
You peer round the door, and see that young woman again - the one with the funny outfit and the necklace. The one who'd randomly mentioned a murder trial.
"Oh, she's back?"
"She's a regular, I told you. Comes multiple times every week. You can go and take her order again." Donald gives you a wink.
"Hey! It's not a crush!"
Donald jumps a little, startled. "Wow, okay, no need to be so loud!"
You scratch the back of your head sheepishly. Keeping an "inside voice" has always been a bit of a struggle.
So you go to the counter again, and the woman asks for the usual, and you mostly remember it, but need to clarify some details, although it all seems a little pointless anyway, because when you go into the kitchen, Donald already has it on the tray again.
You decide to carry the tray out to her. She's a regular, after all, and you have to be nice to your regulars. That's why they keep coming back!
...That's what you tell yourself to avoid feeling nosy.
"Thanks!" she says, giving you a smile, "But you should know that I'm taken, sorry."
"...Taken?"
She takes a bite of her burger. "Yep! By burgers! No room for romance, I'm afraid. Don't take it personally. I don't wanna break a poor kid's heart."
"What do you..." You suddenly remember the conversation in the kitchen. You slump your shoulders. "Oh. You overheard that."
She nods. "You shouted that. It was hard not to hear it. I'm flattered, though, really!"
You start to regret every single life choice you've ever made to land you in this situation right now. Maybe you should just quit on the spot and walk out the door. You’ve had a good run. Partway through mentally calculating how much money you'd still make, you shake your head. Get a grip.
"I'm... sorry," you sigh, "I promise it’s not true! My co-worker was teasing me about bringing you your tray, that's all. When I really just wanted to ask you about..." You trail off. Why do you want to ask her, anyway?
The woman’s eyes light up a little. "Ask about what?"
Well, no turning back now. Probably.
"I might have misheard, but I think you mentioned something about a trial? A... murder trial?"
She nods. "Oh, yeah! That was finished up the other day. We got a 'not guilty' in the end!"
"We?" "Not guilty?" You'd assumed she'd attended a trial from the gallery.
You frown thoughtfully. "If you don't mind me asking... Are you a lawyer or something?"
"Yep!" she says through a mouthful of fries, "Well, an assistant lawyer, anyway. I work at the Wright & Co. Law Offices."
You blink in surprise. "Wow! So you were assisting a defence attorney?"
"Yeah, that's Nick! He's kind of like a little brother to me. Well, big brother. He's older than me. I've been working with him for a couple of years now. Since..." Her jolly expression drops for a second, and her hand reaches for her necklace. "Well, since my sister died..."
"Oh..." You suddenly feel awful for asking at all, even though she was the one who brought that up unprompted. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It's fine. She's still with me, in a way. Literally!"
"It's always either law of spiritual nonsense with her."
Your eyes widen. When she says "literally", could she really mean...?
The woman raises an eyebrow at you, and you realise that you've been standing in silence for a while. "Sorry!" you yelp, and it makes her jump.
Inside voice! Inside voice... you remind yourself.
Your voice lowers to a whisper. "It's just that my co-worker mentioned something about spiritual stuff... Is that what you mean?"
"Your co-worker, huh?” She puts a hand to her cheek. "’Spiritual stuff’? I guess you could put it that way. I'm a spirit medium."
Your jaw drops. "What, really?! A real spirit medium?"
She claps her hands together. "Really really! I'm still in training, though. I can only channel my Sis consistently."
As absurd as everything sounds, you find that you can't really doubt anything this woman is saying. Her words feel earnest in a way that's hard to ignore.
"Well, I'm about done," she says, handing the empty tray back to you. “It was tasty! Compliments to the chef.”
Oh no. You've been stood here that long? You give the rest of the restaurant an anxious glance, but it's completely empty. At least there isn't anything else you're supposed to be doing.
"Um...” You take the tray awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say. “Sorry for keeping you."
She waves a hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry about it! I like to talk about this stuff!" Her smile fades a little. “The other people here seem... pretty busy all the time.”
“Oh...”
Then she brightens up again, with a certain glint in her eye. “Hey, next time I'm here, why don't you ask me about that murder case from earlier? If you're not busy. It happened in a restaurant. Not one like this – a cute little French one. I worked there for a bit!"
"You seem to have a lot of qualifications!"
She looks to the side, puffing up her cheeks a little. "I can't count that one, apparently. It was only a day, and there was, y’know..."
"...A murder?"
"A lot of legal stuff, yeah." She claps her hands together again. "Remind me to tell you the story! It's a good one. But I've gotta get back right now, so that's for next time, okay?"
"Oh! Okay!"
...Have you actually become invested now?
"Don't get drawn in," Donald had said when she'd first walked through that door. Now you're starting to understand what he meant.
Just as the woman opens the door to leave, you call out.
"Wait! H-hold it! I, uh... What was your name again? I don't think you ever introduced yourself.”
"Oh! Sorry about that. My name's Maya. Maya Fey."
"Well then... It's been nice to meet you, Miss Fey!"
She gives you a smile back. "And what about you?”
You stare at her blankly for a few seconds, then gesture wordlessly to the name tag on your uniform. Whoops. Maybe that seemed more passive-aggressive than intended.
But Maya doesn't seem to mind. "Sorry, I guess I just never read that! Nice to meet you too!"
This job was supposed to be normal, you think to yourself as the door closes behind her. Normal job, normal co-workers, normal customers, normal life...
But you can never seem to get the hang of that.
After escaping Donald's usual comments, listening to Maya's order for no reason, and grabbing the tray with the ready-made meal on it, you start to wonder if you're a little too excited to talk to a customer.
But she's a regular! Good service keeps regulars coming back, doesn't it?
...Maybe that excuse fell flat a while ago.
You reach Maya's table and give her a friendly look. "Here you go, Miss Fey!"
She laughs as she takes the tray from you. "You sound so professional! Just Maya's fine."
"I'm... supposed to sound professional. I work here."
"Oh yeah. Whatever suits you!" She takes a bite out of her burger.
"You told me to remind you..." you begin eagerly, before reminding yourself to dial it back and trailing off.
Her entire face lights up. "Oh! You wanna hear about what happened at Trés Bien, right?"
You nod. "Yeah! If you want to-"
"Of course I do! Take a seat, it's a long one."
You glance around anxiously. "I'm on the clock right now.”
"Nobody's here!”
You look around the restaurant again. She's right. Once again, she's the only customer. "...I'm not sure business is going well for this place, actually," you mutter.
"I think you're right. It's a shame! Your burgers are my favourite!" She takes another bite to illustrate that point.
You nervously slide onto the seat opposite her. Your mind runs through the policy for this kind of situation. You're good at memorising things, and you read the rulebook cover to cover on day one. You’re the only employee who actually bothered to do that, according to the snickers of your co-workers.
"I think I'm allowed to do this if I'm assisting you in some way?" you conclude carefully.
Maya nods thoughtfully, then slides her drink right to the edge of the table. "I do need help, actually. That drink could fall off at any moment! Could you hang around to make sure it doesn’t?”
You can't help but grin at that. "Lawyers... Good at loopholes, huh?"
"I've learnt a few things!"
Maya leans forward. "Now, I'll set the scene: Me and Nick had just got back from abroad in England. That was a whole thing. A story for another time. Then Gumshoe - he's a friend of ours who's a homicide detective - he bursts in through the door and starts shouting at us! Turns out one of his subordinates had been arrested, because while we were away, someone had pretended to be Nick, and failed to defend her in court!"
"The defence attorney? How did someone impersonate him?” you ask incredulously.
"Pretty badly, as it turned out... With a badge made of cardboard. But that's for later. We started to call him Xin Eohp - Nick's evil twin!"
You frown a little. "What does 'Xin Eohp' mean?"
"Oh, that's just 'Phoenix' backwards. Clever, right?" She sees your blank stare, and something dawns on her face. "Oh! I never told you Nick's proper name! His name is actually Phoenix."
"Phoenix... Wright?"
"Oh! Have you heard of him?" Maya exclaims. Then she grins. "Have you heard of Maya Fey? Future master of Kurain Village? We did an exhibition a few months ago, and it got a lot of publicity."
"Khura'in?" you splutter, "That's where you're from?"
Maya laughs. "You're thinking of the country, aren't you? Nah, I'm from Kurain Village. Just a couple hours away by train."
"Oh. I never knew that was there..."
She sighs heavily. "I guess you didn't see our exhibit, then?" She puffs up her cheeks in annoyance. "I can't believe it! After all the stuff with Mask☆DeMasque..."
Your jaw drops again. "Mask☆DeMasque?!"
Maya puts a hand to her cheek. "Y'know... I'm starting to think I should've started with something earlier. An earlier case. Set up the context, establish the characters..."
"Yeah, I need that context now!" you insist, then quickly add "I mean... If you want to-"
"Right! So it all started when my sister was murdered..."
Well, you suppose you should have expected it, but this has taken a dark turn all of a sudden. But there's no turning back now, so you lean forward in your seat, taking in every word.
Eventually, closing time arrives, and Maya has to leave, despite ending her story on a cliffhanger.
"...So it turned out that I was off the hook, but now Nick was being accused instead!"
She promises to continue the story next time, and you promise to listen. When you go to sleep, you dream about being in a courtroom.
"It's strange to think about it now. I missed the pivotal part of the trial because I was channelling Sis! Nick told me about all of it afterwards, but it wasn't the same..." Maya sighs, popping some fries in her mouth.
You sit there in your seat opposite, agape. The tale seems too unbelievable to possibly be true, but as usual, you find that you believe every word.
"But anyway, I started working as Nick's assistant after that. My sister gave me a letter of recommendation. Well... not exactly.” Her expression softens a little. “She told me to take care of him. I think I’ve been doing a good job!”
"Wow... How long ago did you say that was?"
"Hmm... Two years ago. I'm nineteen now, so I suppose I was only seventeen back then."
You realise that you’ve never really considered how old Maya is, but nineteen still feels like a surprise in some way. Perhaps you assumed she was older without realising, because she works as a legal assistant, and you need qualifications for that kind of thing.
...Right?
"Isn't seventeen kind of young to be a legal assistant?" you wonder aloud.
"Well, maybe, but... Special circumstances." Maya shrugs. "How old are you, anyway? Aren't you a bit young to be working?”
You stiffen up slightly. "I'm fifteen, actually. But people always tell me that..."
"That you look young?"
"Yeah..." You frown. "People still think I'm a kid. I feel like nobody takes me seriously."
"Don't worry about it! It probably just makes you seem more impressive," Maya reassures. "I knew a prosecutor who started at thirteen, you know."
Your ears prick up a little. "She started studying law? Because-"
"Nope! She started prosecuting at thirteen. She started studying law even earlier, I guess. I wonder what she gets up to now, actually. She tried to prosecute me for murder when I first met her!"
You stare at her incredulously, but as usual, she doesn't seem to be joking. "H-how many times have you been accused of murder?"
"Oh! Didn't I mention that?" Maya leans back, and starts to count on her fingers. The very fact that this process is required at all makes your eyes widen in fear.
"Three," she concludes, "So far, anyway. Counting the witch trial."
The number three combined with the phrase "witch trial" renders you completely speechless for a few seconds.
"So... So far?" you finally manage to splutter.
She nods. "So far! I mean, you never know, right? It could happen again!"
You can only stare at her in horror. "How... How does this keep happening to you?"
She puts a hand to her cheek in thought. "Beats me. I think it's just a wrong place, wrong time kinda thing."
You feel your paranoia of being accused of murder has increased tenfold since starting this conversation. Wrong place, wrong time? That could happen to you! In fact, how have you managed to get this far in life without getting accused?
Maya must've seen the expression on your face, because she says "Don't worry! If you get accused of anything, I'll get Nick on the case for you!"
"Did Mr Wright defend you all three times?"
She claps her hands together with a grin. "Yep! Good lawyers are handy to have around, right?"
"He sounds amazing!"
"He really is, you know. Even when things are tough, he always manages to turn it all around in the end. He has so much faith in people... It's kind of inspiring. He made me believe in myself, too." Her expression of fondness shifts into a cheeky smile. "But don't tell him I said any of that, okay? It'd only get to his head."
You feel a smile spread across your face. She really does seem to act like a little sister.
"So... Did you enjoy being a legal assistant from the start?"
"Well, Nick didn't take many clients, and he was still recovering from the shock of everything too. AND he had a lot of paperwork to do, and I didn't know how to help with that. I still don’t. So... I usually just went over there to hang out. Or take a cold shower - that's the closest thing to the waterfalls us spirit mediums train under." She grins. "Until one day, when I saw something on the TV..."
"So, it turned out that the man on trial was actually-"
"Hey!" a voice yells across the room, "Are you working over there?”
You whip round in your usual seat to see Donald glaring at you. You panic, and open your mouth to speak, but Maya interrupts.
"I'm getting help with my drink!" she calls back.
Donald frowns. "What's wrong with it?"
"It's about to fall over!" She points to the cup. "Just look at it! Right on the edge!"
"...I don't think that's going to fall over, miss."
"No, of course not," says Maya brightly, "because your lovely colleague is here to help!" Her grin turns to a slightly mischievous smirk. "It's why I'm a regular, you know. Great food, great service!"
Donald can't formulate a response to that one. He stares at Maya. He stares at the drink. He stares at you, and you try not to sweat. He stares at Maya again. He opens his mouth, then closes it.
He walks out the room.
You give Maya an awestruck look. "That was amazing! I wish I could stand up for myself like that.”
"Like I said, I've learnt some things! Anyway, where was I?"
"Who was on trial?"
"Yeah! That's right! It was Miles Edgeworth! That horrible prosecutor from our last two cases!” She clenches her fists. “I didn't get why at the time, but Nick seemed to completely lose his mind. Even after everything Edgeworth had done, including trying to prosecute both of us for murder, he was still determined to prove his innocence no matter what. I couldn't get it!"
"Well... You did say that he joined your side in the end, right?"
"Sure, he helped out at the end of the Steel Samurai trial. But after that he got all mad and walked up to us just to tell Nick to get lost. Apparently he was having weird feelings."
"...What does that mean?"
"Beats me. Something about unease and doubt. He kind of had a whole crisis over it." She sips her drink thoughtfully. "And you know what was also weird at the time? They already knew each other somehow. But Nick wouldn’t tell me anything about it... Anyway, we eventually talked to Larry again, and he mentioned Edgeworth too! Then I finally got it out of them both: They were all best friends in grade school!"
You gasp, leaning forward. "What kind of coincidence is that?"
"I know, right! And not only that, but it turned out those two were the whole reason Nick became a lawyer in the first place..."
"So then I went back to Kurain Village for a few months! Apparently Nick took a case or two in the meantime, but I never heard too much about them." Maya sips her drink. "But one day, when Nick came to visit, things took a turn..." She trails off.
"...A turn?" you prompt.
"You know... This was the second time I was accused of murder." She claps her hands together with a smile. "But other than that, it was pretty boring! I met that prosecutor I told you about, yeah, but other than that...Not very interesting." Her hand reaches for her necklace. "Maybe I should skip ahead? I’ve got a fun circus story I can tell you instead!"
You feel your eye twitch a little. You don't understand why, but amongst all the strange and wonderful stories this woman has told you, this is the thing you're certain is a lie. You wonder what she's hiding, and what could've happened in that particular trial, but of course you won't ask her. What's private is private, after all.
You don't actually find the exciting and fascinating story of the circus case as exciting and fascinating as Maya does, but you still sit politely and take in every word.
Not for the first time, you start to wonder... Is this woman particularly odd? Or is this all just considered normal in a courtroom? You're really hoping for the former.
"You know, as eventful as it was... I actually missed a lot of the next case as well... So there's not much to tell, really." Maya forces a laugh, but you hear her voice crack a little. "What's the point of a story if I'm not in it, right?"
Before you can say anything, she gasps.
"Wow! I just realised how that sounds! We talk about me all the time, don't we? Why don't we talk about you? Got any interesting stories?"
You stiffen up. "N-No... I'm just some ordinary guy working at a fast food place. One that's, uh, slowly going out of business. That's it, really. Nothing interesting..."
"Oh, right. Well... don't feel left out." She leans back thoughtfully. "Sometimes I wonder if life would be better if things were just normal, y'know?"
You want to tell her that you often wonder the exact same thing.
...But you can't do that now, because you just claimed that your life is simple and ordinary already. So you just nod silently.
"So... Do you want to finally hear about the Kurain Village exhibition?" Maya asks, eyes sparkling with excitement. "A whole exhibition at Lordly Tailor dedicated to our village! With our sacred urn in pride of place!"
"Oh!" You scratch the back of your head. "I, um... I'll see if I can pay it a visit?"
"I'm not trying to pitch it to you! It's already over. I'm setting the scene!" she laughs. "But it is annoying that nobody seems to know about it ever happening. We put so much effort into promoting it, and all we got was some thief! Now people only ever talk about Mask☆DeMasque..."
"If you got Mask☆DeMasque's attention, then that urn must've been really valuable!" you insist, trying to cheer her up.
She stares at the floor sadly. "That's the thing... It wasn't! Not that those appraisers know anything. It's literally got Mystic Ami's spirit in it, how do you put a price on that? They said it was worthless. But..." She perks up. "That was all part of the mystery..."
Next time, the hour before closing, you're washing up again while Donald's comments bounce off you like a forcefield. You've been getting pretty good at ignoring him.
"Hey! Are you even listening?"
You aren't, so you make a vague noise in response.
"I said it's funny your girlfriend isn't here yet!"
You can't help but take the bait on that one. "Not that funny," you say lightly, "because I don't have one. I think it'd be weirder if a girlfriend did show up."
Donald sighs heavily, which gives you a little bit of glee. "That woman. The strange one who wears those same clothes. The one you're always having...” His eyes narrow. “...secret conversations with."
You roll your eyes. "You make it sound shady. We're in a public restaurant. Anyone could listen. Or even join in."
Donald glares at you. "There's never anyone else there!"
You do briefly consider the number of customers you've been getting recently, and wonder when "public restaurant" actually ceases to apply. Presumably, it's after the business actually goes down, from a legal perspective. You wonder how long this one has left.
"Well, I've gotta be there." A sly smile creeps onto your face. "To stop her drink from falling over."
Donald groans. "I'm gonna talk to the manager about that loophole."
You shrug. "Then do it. I think she's got bigger concerns, to be honest."
"Ugh... Either way, looks like you're just stuck with the washing up this evening. And I already put the fries in and everything!"
Wait... What?
"Hold on... What are you actually talking about?"
"I KNEW you weren't listening!" Donald points towards the door. "Empty out there! Even the regulars have deserted us!"
"Huh? Miss Fey isn’t..."
You peek through the door, and your co-worker is right. Nobody's there. You frown, checking the time. That is strange. Maya's always been coming here at the same time, on the same days, like clockwork.
"...Maybe she's just busy tonight," you conclude.
"Do you want to pay for the fries I just made? To make up for it?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Seriously? No way."
So you get back to your washing up. And you forget for a moment that Maya is just another customer. So you start to wonder where she could be.
The next week comes and goes, and still no sign of Maya.
"She's probably busy," you explain to Donald, "Because... She's a legal assistant and stuff. It's bound to get on top of her sometimes."
“Mhm.”
Another week passes. You take orders, you wash up, you do repetitive tasks, just as you wanted. No sign of any spirit mediums or legal assistants with strange stories.
And again, you forget that she was just another customer. You start to worry. Just a little.
On the third week, you actually start asking the employees who work during the day if they've seen her around. Maybe she's just changed her routine? That would make sense, right? But nobody else has even heard of her. Always just the last hour before closing time, Donald insists.
"Face it," he says, "you've been dumped."
You sigh heavily. "Please quit it."
"I don't mean she dumped you, kid. I think she dumped this place." He gestures around vaguely. "It's a bit of a dump, huh?"
"But... the burgers here are her favourite," you respond weakly.
"Whatever! She found better burgers! Don't get so hung up over it. It's not personal. Just do your job."
But it was personal, you realise. Because Maya hadn't even told you that story about the French Restaurant yet. And that's the first thing she'd told you she'd do. Would she really leave without even saying goodbye?
Or was it just strange to expect a random customer to say goodbye? It's not like you even knew her. Even if it felt like you did.
Something else is nagging at you as well, as much as you try to ignore it.
You lie awake in bed, unable to sleep, with the same thing playing in your head over and over.
Three times so far, she said...
Could it...
Could it really be..?
More days stretch on.
You take orders. You write things down. You remember things. You answer the phone. You wash up. Repetitive tasks.
You try to stop thinking about Maya. Donald was right. She's just found better burgers somewhere else. You can't blame her, really. This place is a dump.
Another week passes.
You take orders. You write things down. You remember things. You answer the phone. You wash up.
Repetitive tasks. Boring tasks. Normal tasks. Normal job. Just like you always wanted.
Two more weeks go by.
You take orders. You write things down. You remember things. You answer the phone. You wash up.
Maya Fey and her stories all feel like something you made up, now. Like a dream, and now you're awake again.
And everything's normal. Just like you wanted from the beginning.
Everything’s normal.
In the middle of an evening, you're just about to clock out until later when the bell at the door rings.
"Argh! No!" you can't help but yell.
Your co-worker - not Donald this time, because he arrives later - gives you a heavy sigh.
"...Inside voice," you predict.
"Yes," she grumbles, "Inside voice. What are you, a little kid?"
You drag yourself through the door and to the counter, stomach grumbling, and feeling even grumpier than usual. You were about to have your break for dinner before doing the late evening shift. Not that the late evening shift has anything for you to do these days.
"Hey! I knew I recognised that loud voice!"
Your head whips up. There's a familiar face looking back at you.
"Maya!" you yelp. "Maya! It's you!"
The other customers in the restaurant turn to see what's happening, and Maya laughs. "Yep! There it is again!"
Ack!
"It's so good to see you again!" you say, lowering your voice to an excited whisper.
"Likewise! I've been trying to track you down all day!"
"...Huh?"
She puts a hand to her cheek. "Well... I know you're around the hour before closing time, but I never found out when your shift starts."
"...Why would you need to know that?"
"Because!" She claps her hands together. "When I come before closing time, we only have an hour, don't we? And today, I want to talk for longer!"
"Talk?"
"Of course! I want to tell you about the French Restaurant, remember? It's one of the first things I said when we met. Unless you're busy..."
"I was about to clock out after your order, actually." Your stomach lets out a very pointed growl.
"Perfect! I think I'll make that order a double, okay? Do you still remember it?"
You do. Of course you do. In a little bit of a daze, you make it back to the kitchen to give them the order. Then, when it's all neatly organised on the tray, you walk over again. You haven’t done that with anyone else.
You sit yourself down, and Maya slides you a burger and some fries. That's when you finally realise why she ordered double.
Maya laughs at whatever expression you must have on your face right now.
"That stomach is almost as loud as you are. I'm not gonna let you go hungry! It's on me!" She chomps down on her own burger, and after an uncertain pause, you follow suit.
Finally, you manage to get out some proper words. You try to sound light and casual, but you can't stop the desperation from creeping into your voice. "So... Where have you been?"
Maya's mask slips for a moment, and you see an expression on her face that can only be described as haunted. Her hand reaches for her necklace, and she avoids your eyes. "I... I don't think I can talk about any of it. I'm still processing it myself, y'know?"
You stare at the floor. You can't think of anything to say.
"Hey..." says Maya quietly. "Have you been worrying about me?"
There’s no point trying to hide it, is there?
"Yes!" You’ve started shaking now. "You always came on the same days, at the same time... And I know you're just a customer, and you can get whatever burgers you want, but... But I thought, maybe... Maybe you were in trouble!"
She gives you a smile, tears creeping into her eyes. "You know... I don't think I ever appreciated what a good friend you've been. I’m sorry."
You’ve been holding yourself together, but now everything hits you all at once. All that time spent talking to Maya while keeping an eye on her drink. Waiting for her to come through the door whenever that bell went off at that last hour before closing time. The first time she didn't arrive. The first week of anxiety and concern, then the second, then on and on, building and building, until it got so big that you had to block it out altogether.
But now she's here. And she's alright. And you care, because she isn't a random customer. She didn't just leave and find better burgers. She came back to tell you that first story, because she promised you she'd tell it.
She's here. And she's fine.
And then you just burst into tears.
Before you know it, you feel Maya press a napkin into your hand. You bury your face in it immediately.
"Sorry I don't have an actual tissue to give you," she mutters, but you can hardly hear her.
You tense up and take a breath. You're making a scene, you can tell. People must be staring. Then, in this pause, you hear a sniff from the other end of the table. You glance up to see Maya tearing up a little too.
"Look at the state of us!" she laughs, handing you another napkin to wipe your eyes, while wiping hers with her sleeve. "I'm so, so sorry. I should've checked in sooner. I didn't know you were so worried."
"Neither did I," you admit, “It all just... crept up on me. I’m glad you’re safe.”
"Safe... Yeah. It's fine, now. I'm fine. You're fine."
"I'm fine!" you repeat. Then you say it again, a little louder. "I'm fine!"
Maya laughs. Neither of you care who's staring at this point. "Yeah! That's the spirit!"
You wipe your eyes, take a deep breath, and steady yourself.
"So..." you begin, though your voice is a little hoarse, "What happened at the French Restaurant, Maya?"
Maya looks up, and a grin starts to spread across her face. "Well, let me set the scene: Me and Nick had just come back from abroad. We were just sitting in the office, then Detective Gumshoe came bursting in through the door..."
And so she starts to tell you the story.
When you finish your food, you head to the back to clock back in, and see that Donald has arrived. He frowns at you.
"You look... happier."
"She's fine."
It's all you can say, but it's enough.
Surprisingly, Donald gives you a smile. "It’s good to hear that, kid. Have you talked?"
"A little. But now I'm on the clock, so... I need to do work. Because there are actually customers to serve right now."
Donald gives you a thoughtful look. "You know what'd be really helpful right now?" He opens the door a crack, and points through. "You see that lady over there? I think her drink might fall over. You should probably help. I can take over here."
You stare at him, wide-eyed. "Seriously?"
"Seriously! Catch up with your friend. But back to usual business tomorrow, got it? No more of this!”
"Yes!" You smile at him, and it's the first time it's been genuine. "Thanks, Don."
You return to the table. "My colleague just told me I need to watch your drink, Miss Fey!"
"Of course!" Maya pushes her drink to the edge of the table again. "I'm so glad you're here to help, because-"
She's cut off as her hand slips, knocking the drink onto the floor and scattering ice in all directions.
You both stare in silence for a few seconds.
"You see?" she sighs dramatically. "This is why I need you around."
"...I'll get some paper towels."
The story goes on well into the evening. Before you know it, you’ve reached the last hour before closing time again.
You don't ask about what happened to her over the past few weeks. When she clammed up, and her hand reached for that necklace again, you understood it was too personal. And if she could talk about her sister's murder to a stranger without batting an eye, then this must run deeper than you can even imagine.
The story of the poisoning at Trés Bien might not be the most interesting or exciting one she's ever told. But right now, at this moment, you think it's probably your favourite.
And when it finishes - with Phoenix Wright presenting a phony piece of evidence to trick the culprit into confessing - you can't help but clap your hands.
"I know, right? What an ending!" Maya laughs.
"I don't know how you guys come up with all this stuff on the spot... It sounds hard."
"It is hard. But the adrenaline rush really helps. And you know what else? Seeing Maggey's smile afterwards. She lost the waitress job, obviously, but I think she's moving on to better things now."
"...And it was all because of you and Mr Wright."
"Yeah! That makes it all worth it!" Her smile fades slightly. "Yeah. Despite everything... All worth it, in the end."
You shift in your seat. "I have something I want to tell you, actually..."
Maya raises her eyebrows. "Oh! Have you finally got your own story to tell, Mr Normal?"
It occurs to you, in that moment, that Maya might have seen through your lie of a “normal” life since the very beginning.
You give her a small smile. "I've been thinking... I might start studying law."
Her eyes widen in surprise. "Really? That's awesome! Did all these stories inspire you?"
You laugh. "That was part of it, yeah. It got me looking into some of Phoenix Wright's cases, actually." You bite your lip, suddenly feeling guilty. "Um. Your name did come up quite a few times... Sorry."
Maya waves a hand. "Eh, it's fine. I think you already know pretty much everything, don't you?" She puts a hand to her cheek. "You know... Maybe you would be a good lawyer. You got a lot of information out of me!"
You open your mouth.
"You don't need to say it, I know you didn't mean to! But it's still a skill, y'know - being a good listener. Though it’s usually the quiet people who are the best listeners, not the loud ones..."
"Do you really think it could help?"
"Definitely!” Maya slams her hands on the table. “You could yell OBJECTION super loud! It'd reverberate round the whole courtroom!"
"...I meant the good listener thing."
"Oh! That. Well..." Maya taps the rock on her necklace - which you now remember is called a magatama. "You never know, do you? Anything could turn out to be useful."
You smile again, feeling hope rise in your chest. You could really do it, couldn't you? You could become a lawyer, like Phoenix Wright. Or an assistant, like Maya.
You never wanted this. You've spent so long chasing that dream of a normal life, and the courtroom sounds anything but, from how Maya described it. But the way you listened to those stories, and the way your brain whirred, and the way you wanted to slam the desk and yell "OBJECTION" yourself...
There had to be something in that, right? Something new to chase. You've never been good at being normal, because weird things seem to follow you wherever you go. You couldn't even start a job at a fast food restaurant without a random customer changing the course of your life. But perhaps that was never a bad thing.
You suddenly notice Maya's expression from the other side of the table.
There's sadness in that smile.
"...Maya?"
"Listen... I've gotta tell you something, too. I'm not gonna be able to come here anymore."
Your shoulders slump. "Oh... You found better burgers?"
"Hey! I'll never find better burgers! But I've ended up at a similar point in my life to you, I think. I know what I have to be now, and where I have to go." She clenches her fists with determination. "Khura'in! To train! So I can become the next master of Kurain Village!"
You can't help it. Your mouth falls open. "K-Khura'in? Really?"
"Yeah! You've heard of it, right? It's a country full of spirit mediums and stuff. It's... Far from here, though." She gives you another sad smile. "I guess by the time I get back, you won't be working here anymore, huh?"
"I hope not. Even without the law stuff, I'm not even sure this place will be open that much longer..." you mumble.
You stare at the floor.
No more burgers. No more repetitive tasks. And no more of Maya' stories.
But for the next chapter to begin, you suppose this one has to end.
You take a deep breath. "I think I'm gonna miss listening to your courtroom stories, Maya."
"...Yeah. I'm gonna miss telling them. But hey!" Her face brightens up. "If you do become a lawyer, you might run into Nick someday! And if you run into him, you'll probably run into me sooner or later."
"...And hopefully not on the witness stand?"
Maya laughs at that. "We can hope, can't we? And if you're ever worried that's where I am, just call Nick. The number for the Wright & Co. Law Offices is online somewhere."
"Can I just do that? Is that allowed?"
"Yeah! Just say you're asking after Maya the Magnificent!"
You press a finger to your forehead in thought. "Is that some sort of code?"
"No, just a title I'm hoping will catch on."
You burst out laughing at that, and Maya joins in.
You don't know what to make of that idea, but you suppose that saying that title will at least prove you've met her. And it sets your mind at ease knowing you can avoid another anxiety spiral if your brain decides to worry she’s in trouble again.
You look up at the clock, and Maya catches your gaze.
It's closing time.
Both of you go quiet.
You know, and so does Maya, that as soon as somebody moves, the two of you might never meet again.
In a way, you realise you’ve come to think of her as a friend over these months. Maybe it's strange to be friends with an odd woman who sits in a fast food restaurant rattling off such strange stories. But you listened to those stories, and they inspired you. She was a friend to you, even if it wasn't for long. And you were a friend to her as well – she’d said so herself.
Eventually, though, Maya does stand up, picking up her bag, and giving you a smile, as always. "Guess I'll be off then! Do you want to say goodbye?"
You nod, feeling a little choked up all of a sudden. "Goodbye, Maya. Thank you for everything. And good luck in Khura'in!"
You’re unsure what to do next, and Maya seems to sense this, so she opens her hand and you give her a high five.
“I don’t think this is really goodbye forever, you know. Good luck to you too!" Maya opens the door to leave, then turns back one last time with a grin.
“Until we meet again, Apollo!"