27 (shortly after the ending of the Feast of Fools)

[takethat]

[Staring at the empty door, sans nameplate, Phoenix can feel his throat burning with the effort not to cry.

Someone, some ethereal shadow of a memory, had once told him that the only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over. Now, defeated, he stands there with tears leaking from his eyes anyway. He'd taken Maya's presence for granted, just assuming that since she'd been such a staple of the castle when he arrived, she would always be there.

He stands for a long time, silent and heartbroken, before leaning heavily against her door and clumsily thumbing open the journal.

These kinds of announcements never get easier--especially not when they're about one of his closest friends in the world.]

For... for those who knew her... Maya Fey went home.

[What else can he say? He will be leaning on the door there in the hallway for a while yet, tumbling into silent thought.

After some time, he writes a filter in the journal.]


[Trucy Wright]

Trucy--I want to talk to you. I can tell you've been avoiding telling me a few things I would really like to know.

Comments

[takethat]

...yeah. Please.

[He hasn't been in GLaDOS's room since the night he temporarily lost an arm; being there now isn't bringing up the greatest of memories. Still, it's nicer than being alone at the moment.]

[sawadeertoday]

Um... [ She closes her eyes, trying to recall what he liked to drink. No such luck. ]

... What would you like? [ She looked around, eyes settling on the table with its chairs before speaking again. It was obvious that she was trying. ] You can sit down, if you want.

[takethat]

[At her invitation, he plunks down hard in one of the chairs, bending over the table until his forehead rests against it. No sense keeping up pretenses with GLaDOS. She's one of his closest friends now.]

Beer, if you have it. If not, just whatever's handy works for me.

[sawadeertoday]

[ She opens her fridge, wishing for beer so he doesn't realize what she's doing- and pulls out a bottle, bringing it to him and sitting in a chair next to him. ]

...

[ What can she say? There's a hesitation, before she runs a hand through his hair, looking away. Maya might have not been as dear to her, but she was still one of the humans she had known most so far.

And suddenly, she was gone. ]