Chapter Text
January 3rd, 6:42 PM
Quiet Bean Cafe
“So I have to ask… How is school treating you? I noticed you haven’t said much about it lately.”
“It’s good, well you know, as good as school can be. Kinda lonely though.”
“Maya, you need to try and make some friends while you’re there. Wasn’t that the whole reason you wanted to go to school in the first place instead of being taught in Kurain?”
“I know, I know. Just… everyone feels kind of out of my league there. Everyone is the kid of some big shot executive or politician or something.” Maya looked deeply into the half-eaten sandwich sitting upon the plate in front of her. “I’ve been going for four months now and not a single person has looked my way! Unless it's to snicker about my hair.”
“Like I said, Maya, you have to put yourself out there! Even if it’s only one person. When I went to university after leaving the village, I was in your shoes too Maya. But I made one friend who made it easier for me to get out there!” Mia was always good at cheering her little sister up, a chipper and supportive tone obvious as she spoke.
“But you’re so pretty and confident, sis!” Maya puffed out her cheeks in frustration. “Plus, getting a college roommate basically forces you to have positive interactions with someone . And I have to go back to Kurain once the school year is over, so I won’t even get to college!”
“In that case, you need to make a friend, Maya! The school year ends in June so it’s not like you don’t have time.”
“Alright, so what kinda lawyerly tips do you have for convincing someone to be my friend?” Maya smirked a bit, leaning forward toward her older sister.
“No lawyerly tips, just big sister tips. Sometimes you just have to make the first move, Maya.” Mia sipped the coffee she had been drinking, stewing in its taste for a moment, before lowering her glass. “Not everyone is going to like you, trust me I’m a lawyer and I’m sure that more than half of the time, not even the judge likes me. But there’s someone out there bound to find Maya Fey, future Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, to be absolutely fascinating and worth befriending.”
“Pretty sure no one even knows what spirit channeling is, let alone the Kurain-style.” Maya felt a sweatdrop bead down her forehead a bit. Her older sister simply chuckled a bit in response, looking into her sister’s eyes.
“In that case, you’d just have to tell them about it, right?” Mia’s smirk told an entire novel’s worth of exposition to what she was thinking.”
“Did you just corner me… with logic?!” Maya jokingly scoffed, overdramatically acting as though she had been physically harmed by Mia’s words. Both sisters could not help but laugh after that, their bond only strengthened by the new time they got to spend with one another.
Hi! My name is Maya Fey. I’m a seventeen year old senior high school student! Oh and the future Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, but that’s boring stuff right there. I’ve done that my whole life, and thanks to my awesome big sister, Mia, I was able to come out to the city and attend a real private boarding school here. I miss home for sure, but I needed to get out of the village for a while… It felt so suffocating up there, so it’s awesome to just be myself! Too bad being myself isn’t exactly reeling in a billion friends…
“So what are you gonna do tomorrow, Maya?” Mia asked, finishing off her coffee and placing the empty mug down onto the cafe table.
“I’m gonna try and talk to someone! Make my first friend!” Maya pumped herself up the best she could, thinking of the best ways to speak to another human being without tripping over every other word.
“That’s my girl.” Mia smiled, before looking down to her watch and looking surprised at the time it read out. “It’s almost 7:30?! Guess time flies by when you’re having fun. I have to get going though, I have some things to go over with my assistant for a trial tomorrow.”
“Ooooh, how is your little intern doing anyways?” Maya asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is he gonna become the first lawyer besides you at the Fey and Co. Law Offices?”
“I certainly do hope so.” Mia chuckled a bit. “Phoenix, perhaps, tries a little too hard to help. But between the real world experience of assisting me in court and his deep studying sessions, he’s sure to pass the Bar Exam when he takes it. If he can stop being so utterly nervous, that is.”
“You’ve been running your office for almost a year now, right?” Maya asked, putting her finger to her chin in thought. “Why choose to hire someone now to be the Co. in your office? Haven’t you had other people try to get hired by you?”
“That is definitely true, Maya, I have been running the office on my own without anyone else assisting me. Of course, that’s excluding business advice from my old boss, Mr. Grossberg.” Mia leaned back for a moment, closing her eyes to think. “Let’s just say, I have more reasons to defend people than to simply win cases or earn money. And if anyone is going to work for me, they need to hold the same values as I do. And with Phoenix, I know he’s in the profession for the same reason as me. Even if he doesn’t quite understand what that means yet.”
“Being a lawyer sounds like a lot of work! If I didn’t have school every weekday I’d definitely come to see you in court, sis!” Maya smiled and clasped her hands together, ever fascinated by her older sister’s profession. It was so far outside of the realm of what normally occurred in Kurain, and it was a leading factor in Maya wanting to leave the village, if only for a short amount of time.
“It’s a shame you’re not a year younger. I hear Themis Academy is fully rebranding its image and getting a fully new curriculum based around our legal system.”
“I think I heard something about that too.” Maya had heard chatter about the school’s massive overhaul to make it stand out amongst its competition. And seeing as though the school already offered accelerated courses that exceeded even beyond a normal college undergraduate, it made sense to rebrand. “Good thing I’m just getting the normal courses then! I don’t think my brain had enough space for math, spirit channeling, and law! I should probably get going too, I have to finish some homework and watch this new show’s premiere episode tonight!”
“What kind of show is it Maya?” Mia asked, not knowing too much about her sister’s current interests, seeing as Maya didn’t seem to speak too much of them.
“It’s called The Steel Samurai , sis! I don’t know much about it, but I saw some stuff online about it! Looks pretty interesting to me.” Maya said, simultaneously rising from her seat at the same time as Mia. The brown-haired sister walked over and wrapped her arms around her sister for a hug.
“I’m glad we’re able to meet like this once a week, Maya. Keeping in contact was too difficult while you were in Kurain.” Mia was quiet, just as Maya returned the embrace.
“It’s not your fault Kurain hasn’t adapted to the 21st century, sis. I’m sure if you barreled back into town, though, that would be a different story.” Maya laughed a little, breaking apart after a few moments. “Hopefully by next week, I’ll have one friend to report back to you on.”
“Good! Just remember to text me if you need any more advice, okay?”
“You got it! How hard can it be to talk to just one person?”
January 4th, 11:55 AM
Themis Academy
Hallways
“Very hard, apparently.” Maya had thought back to her confidence the prior night, and could only think to roll her eyes. The ability to actually converse with her peers was one that she simply did not have, as any attempts were simply spent being ignored by those who looked down upon her.
The legal guardianship over Maya Fey was messy at best, with her mother, Misty, having gone missing nearly fifteen years prior but has never been declared legally deceased. Mia was not old enough when their mother had vanished to gain custody of her younger sister, and as a result Maya’s legal guardian was a branch family member named Mara. Morgan, Maya’s aunt, had refused to take custody of Maya and Mia, so the girls were raised by their distant relatives. She had only wanted the best for Maya and Mia, which meant that when the teenager practically begged to be able to attend one year of “real school”, it was on the condition of a highly respected school, one whose reputation was confirmed by the older Fey sister.
Themis Academy was a well known private school in the city, producing alumni whose immediate and influential successes only added to the legacy and power the institution held. From leaders in the business world to politicians and lawyers, Themis was a powerhouse for making those with influence that much more influential. Out of everyone, however, the private academy produced lawyers from all angles of life from civil to criminal.
It was for this reason, Maya had heard, that the school was itching to change its entire curriculum to better suit those students looking to enter the legal realm. However, the Fey girl truly perceived herself as isolated from her peers. The Fey name held zero recognition amongst her fellow students, only some barely recognizing the name from her sister’s legal practice. Most ignored her, too caught up in their own cliques and dramas to truly care about even bullying her. Some murmured their theories about Maya and how she could possibly afford to go to a place like this, apparently unaware of the political sway the Master of Kurain once held.
The lunch period had rolled around, and Maya had chosen to flee to the silence of the library for the time being. Most students ate in the common area or the dining hall, but it was a smidge too loud for the black-haired girl. She’s sure her classmates would be surprised to hear that her sister would call Maya a loud and boisterous person, considering her relative anxiety at school.
Sitting down at a small table, locked away in the corner of the shelf-filled room, Maya clasped her hands together to whisper a small prayer before beginning to eat the small lunch she had prepared for herself. While the girl certainly liked to eat, being able to cook for herself was something she was still learning. Mia could only teach her so much when they met on the weekends.A small handwritten book sat on the table in front of her, a one-of-a-kind script about the customs and traditions of Kurain, written entirely in Khura'inese, a language Maya had long grown up with due to its connections with spirit mediums.
And thus, once more, Maya ate alone in the silence of her own thoughts wondering about all sorts of things ranging from her sister’s job to her own possible future in Kurain. The title of Master was passed down from mother to daughter, and in the absence of her mother, the current Master, she would likely continue her spiritual training in her village once she graduated from high school and then be anointed at the newest head of Kurain. It was quite a bit of pressure, so living in the moment at school was all the youngest Fey daughter could do to keep a level head on her shoulders.
Her mind was focused on so much in that moment that she missed the first few words, one hand holding food up to her face while the other fiddled with the magatama that hung around her neck. Every facet of her being was distracted, but a slightly heavier tone in voice was enough to capture her concern.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” The voice was one that Maya had perhaps heard in passing, but never to her full attention. Her eyes quickly darted to the owner, a quick thump of the heart going in Maya’s chest. Ever familiar, a silver-haired, cut above the ears, beauty dressed in the school uniform stood before her. With striking silver eyes, a beauty mark to the left of her eye, with two startling aquamarine-colored earrings on her face Maya found it nigh-impossible to turn her face away.
“H-Huh? Are you talking to me?” Maya managed to respond, having quickly swallowed her bite of food.
“There is no one else other than the librarian currently in here, so yes I am speaking to you.” Her classmate said, looking rather impatient.
“I-I mean, yeah sure, no one sitting here but me so… you know, no objections there.” Maya said, feeling as though she were some small woodland animal being preyed upon. The person standing in front of her had a sense of pressure and power that Maya never typically felt, as though she were some mere peasant meeting a noble.
“Objections are for the courtroom, nowhere else.” The girl sat down, despite the somewhat sarcastic tone. Maya noticed she held what looked like some sort of purse, made of what looked to be black-colored leather. It must have been expensive from its mere appearance, but upon opening it… it simply turned out to be a costly-looking lunchbox. Metal, likely insulated containers, were held alongside proper utensils like one would see in a fancy restaurant. Whatever her peer had gotten for lunch smelled absolutely divine, the type of food Maya would love to try but likely could not afford.
Maya could only assume the girl in front of her was likely going to be a lawyer of some form in the future, whether she aimed to be a defense attorney or prosecutor was something she could not tell with a simple glance. Despite that, Maya had the impression this girl was likely to become a prosecuting force to be reckoned with.
For a moment the two simply ate in silence, only adding onto the confusion as to why this beautiful person suddenly decided to sit down with her. A part of Maya merely wished to audibly ask the question, while the bit of her that liked remaining quite alive told her to remain silent.
“My name is Franziska von Karma, this school’s perfect student, the top of this graduating class, however you may call me Franziska if you wish.” The girl said quite suddenly, the lightest German accent clearly riding on the tip of her tongue. A part of Maya could make notice that she was slightly annoyed that she had to continuously initiate the conversation.
“H-Hi there, Franziska, m-my name is Maya Fey.” Maya felt herself tripping over her words, internally chastising herself with each spoken word. Silence followed their introductions, Maya sipping from her water while Franziska continued to gracefully eat whatever her expensive-looking meal was. “S-So, why aren’t you in the dining hall?”
“Those in either of those areas are disorderly fools whom I never wish to associate with.” Franziska placed her fork and knife down carefully, patting at her mouth with a cloth napkin. “I have always eaten in the solitude of this library. However, in order to accommodate my ever-shifting schedule I have been given this late lunch period. I was unaware any other student of this school would choose the beauty of this silent hall as I have.”
“O-Oh is that why you wanted to talk to me?”
“I do not speak to fools, I speak to those worthy of my time. Thus far in my nearly four years at Themis, I have never met a peer I have considered as such. However, your face is one I do not recognize. Then, I find you in the silence of the library eating such a minimalist meal.” A small smirk appeared upon her face, her index finger extended out. “The only other person I have ever seen in here is you. Therefore, you intrigued me, Ms. Fey.”
“T-Thanks, though I’m not sure if I would qualify as an interesting person.” Maya laughed nervously. “I’m pretty much out of my league here.” Subconsciously, Maya touched her magatama as she did when she felt ever slightly stressed. Home could be equally distressful, but it was also home, a place she knew the ins and outs of quite perfectly.
“Yet, you still choose a book over interacting with those fools out there.” Franziska looked at the aging book, which has been kept in quite pristine condition despite its age of over one-hundred years. “Such an old book, is it not?”
“Oh, this?” Maya looked at the book, giving a short nod. “It’s been in my home village since it was originally founded. It’s mostly filled with our traditions and culture and stuff. I’ve read it a bunch of times before, but I have to ingrain it into my memory.”
The black-haired girl flipped open the pages, written in the Eastern language of Khura’in, to make a better example of something she enjoyed reading. Being able to take in her culture at her own pace definitely made it easier for Maya to appreciate Kurain and its long history, as opposed to when village elders insisted on her rigid education in the past. Not to mention, this specific tome was passed down from mother to daughter, and as of then it was one of the only remaining, yet distant, memories Maya had of her mother.
“I have never seen this language before…” Franziska looked interested, leaning over a bit more as Maya turned the book around to show her.
“It’s Khura'inese, a language spoken only in the country of Khura'in. Not too many people know about the country, but my village was founded by immigrants from there so a lot of our older texts are written in it instead of English.” Maya recounted, smiling a bit. No one ever asked her about herself or something she had.
“Fascinating. It seems even I, despite my plethora of knowledge, still have much to learn on my path to absolute perfection. Might I inquire about what the pages you have marked say?”
“Sure! Ummm.” Maya had been sitting directly across from her new acquaintance, but that made it difficult to read from the page. She nearly asked if it was alright to sit next to her, but refrained for the moment. Would that be considered coming on too strongly? They had just met, and the last thing Maya wanted to do was drive off a potential friend. Flipping the book back around to herself, her eyes scanned the page. “This passage here is mostly talking about general customs that have since kinda taken a different turn since it was written. These little pieces of paper kept in-between the pages were edits my mother made in order to modernize a lot of our practices she felt had grown too obsolete today. Oh! Sorry, if I talked too much! Sometimes I tend to ramble since I don’t get to talk too much, but I am definitely talking and I’m doing a lot of it!”
“It is quite alright, Ms. Fey, I have no intentions of dismissing someone who is teaching me something I have never heard of.” Franziska packed what remained of her food into the metal containers, before placing them back into the insulated purse-lunch box. “My father has always stressed absolute perfection in everything I achieve, and the opportunity to learn something new? I’m quite sure my father would be vexed if I chose to ignore it.”
“What is it you’re aiming to be perfect at, Franziska?” Maya asked, closing her book and sliding it safely into her bag.
“Everything I accomplish, of course. My goal is to become the youngest prosecutor this country has ever known.” Franziska responded, her voice filled with unbridled confidence. “My father is one of the greatest prosecuting attorneys this country, no, this world has ever seen. My aim is to be his perfect successor, and I will achieve that upon graduation. The fact you do not know this is utterly unusual, in and of itself, Ms. Fey.”
In the distance of the hallways, the sound of a ringing bell cut Maya off from responding to her classmate. For some reason, one Maya was unfamiliar with, she felt sad that she would be unable to continue this conversation. The top of the class, Franziska had said, and she had chosen to give the time of day to her? It was certainly unthinkable.
“Unfortunately as it is, it seems the class bell has come for us.” Franziska rose from her chair, ever elegant, and began to move. “I look forward to continuing this conversation tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Maya was surprised to hear that. Did that mean…?
“Of course, I have many more inquiries regarding that book of your’s. Additionally, I can say now that you are not counted amongst the many fools this academy seems to teach. Though you would do well to better reinforce your public speaking skills. Until then, Ms. Maya Fey.” Franziska exited with a strut in her walk, leaving Maya flabbergasted ever so slightly. She could only manage an excited nod, one she hoped that Franziska saw out of the corner of her eye. Lunch had never gone by so quickly before during her school day, it always felt like the slowest and most grueling part of her day.
Maybe Mia was right… It was possibly easier to get around the world outside of the village. You just need to find the right person. Walking out of the library after a few moments, Maya could barely think about her next class. The only thing on her mind was talking to her possibly new friend again tomorrow.