Work Text:
August 21, 2026
Maya felt her face pressed against the cool linen of the bedsheets. Her mouth felt dry and her legs hurt from her chores and exercise earlier. The robes she was expected to wear for day to day activities had been discarded for her more modern clothes- shorts and a tank top for the summer heat. Her back ached from laying in bed for too long, but she felt sick trying when she tried to sit up.
“Fools, the tourists were looking for you and I told them that you were busy,” Franziska’s voice rang through her stupor, “are you feeling better?” She was slipping into the bed, keeping over the thin blankets. The ancestral Fey home hadn’t even been renovated completely- so the air conditioning was minimal.
“No, not really,” Maya managed, each word harder and harder to say through her teeth.
“Okay, well, you are coming back to our room and staying there,” Franziska huffed, leaning over her. She extended her arms and tugged her up around her waist. Maya buried her head into her neck, her stiff collar cool against her cheeks, and her blue hair, unkempt and poorly cut tickling her nose.
“I have to go do my job, Fran,” Maya whined, “Pearl isn’t here to step in and the tourists are here to get what they paid for.”
“We have other spirit mediums,” Franziska huffed, “and we have nuns that are happy to help.”
“I didn’t want to be in those robes for much longer. The elders only let me change when I'm at home or when it’s not worth laundering the clothes,” Maya muttered, “and it makes me feel better sometimes.”
“Should I call a doctor?” Franziska asked, creasing her eyebrows in concern. Maya nearly laughed at how declawed Fran looked in their bedroom. Her hair was longer than she had ever seen it. The couple of years in the mountains had made Franziska softer and less formal- but she wasn’t any less impressive in the courtroom.
“No, i’ll be fine in a couple hours,” Maya waved her hand, before her stomach clenched in pain and she buckled over, “can you bring a trash can, Darling?”
“Yes, dearest,” Franziska put a bite into dearest, but her voice was soft. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she tugged over a bucket to the edge of the bed. Maya adjusted so her head was pressed against Franziska’s head. Her laptop was balanced on her knees and her hand was resting in Maya’s hair, her fingernails grazing her scalp.
“What are you working on?” she asked, the pain subsiding as she breathed in and out.
“I’m writing an opioin piece on this murder trial,” Franziska explained, “I’m just reading through the evidence.”
“Are you going to leave soon?” Maya cringed as she heard how pathetic that sounded, but the summer was almost over and their time together would come to a quick close. Franziska had been doing her job for Interpol here- paperwork and skyping in to give advice to newer lawyers- but Maya could tell that she was getting anxious for the thrill of a trial.
“No, I am not leaving until October. There’s a big fraud trial set to be tried then and I need to be there, but I won’t be gone more than a month,” Franziska assured her, placing her lips on her forehead.
“What day is it even?”
“The 21st.”
Maya gulped, her stomach twisting again. She felt sicker. The anniversary of Mia's death is so close . Does Nick feel this way? Did anyone really grieve her death in the outside world? They scattered half her ashes in the ocean and sent the rest here to go with the rest of the families. Her law school friends sent flowers but did anyone feel the same?
“ Bärchen , are you alright?” Franziska asked, rubbing a thumb over her head. Maya groaned, rolling back on her front.
“I just, I wish I didn’t have to be here,” Maya managed, rubbing her eyes, “It’s nothing, I’m just tired.” She rolled over, watching Fran’s reactions to her word. Her eyebrows were knit with worry and concern, something that made Maya’s stomach twist with worry.
Franziska closed the computer, setting it down on the floor next to her feet. She slid onto the bed, twisting her arms around Maya. Maya settled into her touch, feeling her breath come easier.
“Go to sleep, the last thing you want to do is drive yourself to exhaustion,” Franziska hummed, her hands running through Maya’s hair. She hummed, thinking over her wife’s suggestion. Maya’s eyes fluttered close and she fell into a fitful sleep.
September 5th, 2026
“Have I gotten worse at this?” Maya shouted as she lept from a rock. Fran was silent as she jumped from rock to rock, but Maya’s approach was less methodical. She yelled as a rock slid out from under her and she jumped to the bank. Franziska laughed, touching down at the edge of the creek with a small crunch of sandy rocks.
“You know, for a meditative nature walk, you are very loud, Bärchen,” she teased, pulling her fingers through her hair. Maya stuck orut her hand and took Fran’s. Their fingers interlaced, warmth spreading through her ears.
“You’re just naturally quiet,” Maya retorted, shaking her head with faked disappointment. Fran laughed, a low chuffing noise that made Maya’s insides flutter.
“Whatever you say,” Fran shook her head, pulling her hand away to pull out her water bottle. The sun was still climbing towards noon and the true heat of the day. It was sticky and hot, but in the shade of the leaves of late summer, it was good weather for a walk. The side of the mountain was always cooler than the cities, and nights were freezing all the way into June, but when it got hot, it got hot.
“I’ve been in a funk lately,” Maya sighed, choosing to ignore Fran’s comment, “but, I’m going to try and get back into the swing of things.” She adjusted her robes, pulling it off of her neck and arms to make the weather more bearable.
“You haven’t been a funk, my darling,” Fran shook her head, “no, it’s too miserably hot and being stuck in the temple is making this season worse. Even indoors, the temperatures get far too warm.”
“You blame everything on the weather.” Maya chuffed. She must have got that from her father because I have ever heard Miles bring up the weather.
“Maybe I do. But everything can be traced back to the weather.”
“Maybe it’s just a bad time genuinely,” Maya pointed out, “historically, personally, whatever. Just a long history of shitty days.”
“And that,” Fran stopped, pulling on Maya’s hands. Maya stopped. Rookie move. I should have brought that up later.
“I’m fine Fran,” Maya shook her head, squeezing her palm.
“Do you believe I’m that foolish? You can’t sleep, you work yourself into exhaustion, you hardly eat,” Franziska pleaded, “ Bärchen, we can talk about whatever you need. This isn’t your burden alone.”
“It’s just, it’s been 10 years. I should be over this. Mia’s gone. Mom’s gone. It’s just me and you and Pearl,” her shoulders crumbled, tears filling her eyes, “I don’t even have Nick anymore. He’s pushed me away like we didn’t spend years of our lives together.”
“Maya, this is all rational. You’ve never grieved after all these years. You bounce back and forth in between crises and events and it’s finally okay to rest,” Franziska assured her.
“I did grieve. I grieved when I put them in the ground, I grieved when Godot got hung, I cried over all of it,” Maya paused, laughing through the tears, “she always said that. “You only cry when it’s all over.” I guess we’re finally there.”
Franziska hummed, thinking of her response. Maya beat her to it.
“Why now, why is it over now?” She was demanding something she knew that she couldn’t answer, “I made it through fine and now I get to fall apart? What shit logic is that?”
“None of these games that we get caught in make sense. But we’re out of it now,” Fran took her hands.
“None of it is fair!” Maya snapped, drying off the tears from her eyes, “it’s just stupid. Pearl doesn’t deserve this, the rest of the monks here don’t deserve this! The stupid entaglements of money and power ruined Mia’s life, they ruined Misty’s life, they ruined everything!” Maya felt tears on her face again, her voice breaking.
“I know, believe me I know,” Franziska held out her hands. Maya turned away from her, wiping tears off of her face.
“I know you know,” Maya felt her throat go raw and scratchy. Her mouth is watering and every breath is hard to take in. I’m going to say something I regret. God, this is embarrassing.
“Then why won’t you let me help?” Franziska’s voice is sharp. Maya knows that Franziska didn’t mean it- words of apology would echo like shrapnel in moments.
“You can’t do anything Franziska!” Maya shot back, “I’m sorry. I’m just- I just don’t know why it’s hitting me all now.”
“Let’s go back,” she placed a hand on the small of Maya’s back, “it’s going to be alright.”
“I just want to be left alone!” Maya pulled away, storming down the path the way she came. The cold wave of anger and grief welled up in her as she pulled off the sandals she had chosen to wear to cross the creek. The slimy and jagged rocks stuck to her soles, every step a little more painful than the last.
Maya kept walking as she shuffled the sandals back on to her feet. I’m surprised that Franziska hasn’t caught up yet. Her stomach growled and her feet were aching with the pain. It’s all a big knot all centered around everyone else that just sucks you in. DL-6 and every other court case is the gift that keeps giving.
The tears had dried on her face, but the hole in her throat just kept growing. The miserable circumstances just kept growing in her head. The temple’s roof was beyond the leaves of the green trees and sent her stomach into knots all over again. Was my grandmother stuck here like I am? Was her mother the same?
She walked into the courtyards. Nuns and tourists were walking around, laughing and talking. It fell silent as she arrived, people starting to clear as the Master of Kurain arrived. Maya felt angry as her eyes fell onto the flower beds. The summer weather hadn’t been kind to them and thick weeds grew in place of the delicate bushes that bloomed with fat flowers of every color you could imagine.
“What the hell is this shit?” she muttered, pulling up her sleeves, “it’s shameful.” She fell to her knees, the tears she had kept down welling up as she pulled up leaves and roots from the ground. When she was young it had been a chore- but the pain in her fingers was something to bring her back to earth.
Maya’s back ached as she worked, leaking the feelings of pain into the ground. The sun was hot and uncomfortable to be stuck under. A woman, a nun that had come to the temple last winter, was flitting around behind her, looking concerned.
“Are you okay?” she asked, tentative. Maya turned around, sitting down on her knees to look at the young woman.
“I’m fine,” Maya snapped, starting her work on another patch, “just leave me alone.” Her thoughts were spiraling in her head- the anger, the blame, the grief tumbling over each other in a sick chase for the top.
“Mystic Maya, it doesn’t look like it,” the nun’s voice made Maya’s blood boil.
“I told you- leave me alone!” Maya snarled, “what right do you have to make a comment about my state?”
“I didn’t mean to make you angry, Mystic Maya,” the nun raised her hands, before dipping her head and scurrying away. Maya coughed, finally letting herself drop into the soil. Sweat and dirt covered her head to toe, tears and snot smeared on her face. Not the worst scene I’ve caused.
“ Bärchen, why did you throw a nun out of her own garden?” Franziska knelt down beside her, her voice calm and patient. Maya groaned, looking back up at her. She was blocking out the sun with her head, but the glare made it hard to look.
“I needed something to do. I saw the garden.”
“So you verbally abused Sister Maggie?”
“Yeah,” Maya felt ashamed when Franziska put it like that.
“Come on, let’s go shower,” Franziska pulled her up, smiling. Maya stumbled on to her feet, walking on her sore and beat legs wasn’t easy. She let Franziska pull her up the stairs into their home, the exhaustion leaking out of her.
Maya let her wet hair drop over her shoulders, the soreness in her limbs was setting in. She tried to put on her best face as they wandered into the graveyard, the basket of flowers in Fran’s arms. It was a charming place for tombs, the heat of the day wasn’t bad- with the shade of flowering trees and the mountain stream that ran through it- it was peaceful. A good place to be put to rest.
“I smoothed things over with the Sisters, they know how hard today is on the whole village. It was the day after you left for the first time too,” Franziska sighed, keeping her hand on Maya’s back.
“I’ll talk to them tomorrow, make sure we get good tea up here for a couple months,” Maya promised, taking Fran’s hand to go towards the row of graves towards the back. They didn’t bury the bodies without burning them first, the only thing they buried was the ashes. Mia’s grave was one of the newest, nestled next to Misty’s. It was clean- the grass still sparse over the section they took out of it.
“I never met Mia,” Franziska remarked, “but I always admired her from the stories I heard. She was a talented attorney who was dedicated to it.” She handed the basket of flowers to Maya. Her hands shook as she took it, looking at the name carved in the stone with apprehension.
“She was my best friend growing up. Even when I saw her less- she still was there for me,” Maya smiled softly, “even after she died, she was there when everyone needed her.”
“Why haven’t you channeled her?” Franziska asked, voice low and reverent.
“It got harder every time. I knew more and more than she wasn’t there anymore. It felt unfair to keep her here longer than she needed to,” Maya responded, “I miss her but we're so far apart now. It’s not fair to Pearl or her.”
“What about you?” Franziska asked, cocking her head, “what do you want?” Maya felt more tears in her eyes gather.
“I just want my sister back,” Maya’s voice cracked with tears, “I just want to not care anymore.” Her tears were flowing more freely now and her arms were wrapped around Franziska. The flower basket was at her feet, spilling the petals over the grave.
“I know, I know schatz ,” Franziska placed a kiss to Maya’s forehead, pulling her close, “the foolish games we’ve been stuck in are long and painful.”
Maya took a long shuddering breath, standing up straight. Mia, I miss you so much. I hope I’m doing the right thing and I know you would be proud. She prayed silently, picking up the flowers. She placed the flowers on the grave. She took a step back, breathing in hard.
Maya didn’t move for what felt like hours, recounting stories to Franziska. Her chest felt lighter as she spoke, every breath taking in easier. Her trance was broken as a fat raindrop fell on her nose, cold and shocking.
“Let’s go,” Maya said, looking back up at the sky which was darkening quickly.
“I’ll make some tea and we can sleep the rest of the day,” Franziska suggested. Maya smiled softly, placing a kiss on Fran’s cheek.
“I’d be delighted.”