Roll for Initiative

Session 12

Maya walks briskly from her apartment around the corner onto the street, the bright blue sky already blasting heat from above. She's groaning internally at the thought of Gumshoe's non-air conditioned kitchen. But that's not what makes her hesitate as she arrives in front of his door. It's really just weird to turn up here on a weekend like normal. As if everything with her aunt and Dr. Grey hadn't happened. Well, wouldn't be the first time she had to just carry on and pretend like everything was fine.

It comes back to her a bit, like a dream. The sight of her sister, slumped against the wall, blood pooling around her. Movement, sirens, light. Then a jail cell. The same jail cell as this time. She'd remembered the half-peeled off technicolor sticker of a cartoon panda by the sink and toilet, a mystery in a void of institutional beige. And then, like before, she received her things back and she went home. Not guilty. Grand.

All's well that ends well, but she has to wonder why she keeps getting caught up in these horrible situations. Especially this one. She remembered visits with Aunt Morgan when she was a kid. Had she been secretly seething, plotting revenge on their family when she watched her and Mia as children? While they were running outside, making mud pies, watching clouds on the hillside? She knew now that she had to put aside those memories.

Yes, she was free now, but the truth was its own kind of prison. It was harder than she had imagined to discover her own family was capable of such things. But, then again, that's why I'm here, back in LA she thinks. Family is overrated if you happen to have a bad one.

Phoenix answers the door, which Maya is grateful for. She could really use a hug right now. Larry was out of the question, and Gumshoe was nice enough, but his coat smelled like something must have died in it at one point.

"Good." He says as he releases his hold. "Sorry about... well, you know."

"Why are you sorry? You came in and fixed everything." She lowers her eyes. "Like always."

He ignores that. "Did you find a place to stay yet? You're always welcome on the couch at my place." He pauses a moment. "You look beat."

She shakes her head in disagreement. "Nope! I'm actually getting a second wind coming here. It's so good to have a distraction." He studies her carefully, chin in hand, glancing not-so-sneakily into his other hand.

She rolls her eyes. "Nick, why are you so obvious about using that thing?"

"Sorry," he says, shifting the magatama to his front pocket and grinning at her. "I'm still getting used to having magic powers."

"It's not magic! It's an ancient artifact so be careful."

"Magic ancient artifact? Like a real one? Let me see!" Larry comes over, throwing an arm around both of them. Maya wiggles away.

"So how's Hazel?" she asks, trying to change the subject away from her own problems. She hadn't actually met Hazel yet, being detained and all.

"Nope!" says Larry, shaking his head at her. "We don't talk about that one here. She's not coming today, right Nick?"

He glares at Larry. "Yeah...she is. Why do you guys hate her so much?"

"Because she absolutely ruins the game for everyone else."

"I talked to her about last time."

Larry looks at Phoenix for a long time before sighing. "Gumshoe, what do you think?"

He looks between the two of them. "It's fine," he slowly answers, "I mean, I think the second character she made is more balanced."

Maya has about a billion questions about this, but they're soon answered when Hazel arrives.