#I've been in a big ratattorney mood lately

[spirit-small]

The elevator doors close. Maya relaxes, letting out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She's alone, free from prying eyes. Well, alone being a relative term, at least.

"Are you sure we should be going directly to the person who said they saw me committing a murder? Like. We know it's a lie. They gotta have some reason to hate me, right? So wouldn't me being alone with them, kind of... You know..." Maya makes some vague hand gestures to express her point, sure that even if she couldn't find the words she was looking for that her meaning came across.

"I hear you, but this is our only lead. If we don't investigate, we'll go into court tomorrow with nothing. Maybe less than nothing." Phoenix closes his eyes tight, gripping the fabric of Maya's robe. He's still not quite used to this whole shoulder-ride thing. There should at least be a seatbelt, or a harness, or something. Actually, that's not a bad idea, a thin strip of fabric, maybe something akin to a belt loop...

The ding of the elevator drags him out of the depths of thought. They've arrived. Maya stands outside the door to the room, her fist hovering, waiting to knock. She takes a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" she whispers.

"I don't think it makes a difference if I am." Phoenix gulps.

Maya nods, closes her eyes tight and faces the ground, tensing up as she knocks. One knock and the door moves forward, just a little bit. She pokes her head in to an empty hotel room.

"...Snoopin' time?" Maya whispers.

"Snoopin' time." Phoenix nods.

Maya steps swiftly, but quietly into the room, and starts rummaging through things. Drawers, bags, under the bed, even the garbage can.

"Oohoohoo, what's this? I think I hear a naaaaughty wittle bellboy who's here a wiiiittle too early, nya~?"

Maya freezes like a shaved bigfoot caught on tape, staring at the bathroom door. The mission's been compromised. Abort. Abort!

April May bounces out of the bathroom, giggling. Until she spots Maya, already halfway toward the exit. They stare at each other, and Maya can literally see the facade draining from April's face, being replaced with pure rage.

"What exactly do you think you're doin' here, moiderah? Shouldn't you be rottin' in some jail cell somewhere?" Her eye twitches, just a little.

"My bail was posted! In a 100% normal, legal way!"

"Bah. Cops these days... How is wittle ol' me supposed to feel safe with a moiderah on the loose?!"

"Ms. May... We both know you're lying. I know that you're the one who really killed my sister!"

Maya and April stare at each other for a moment.

"...S-sorry, I've been told I need to be less... Uh... Accusatory. I know that you're covering for the person who REALLY did it! The... The pompous sounding man!"

"The... Pompous...?" April laughs, with a little snort at the end. "You don't got nothin’ to go offa, do ya? I heard you couldn’t even get a lawyer! Hope you liked spendin’ the night in the slammer, because you’re gonna be seeing a lotta that from now on.” She gets in close, a hint of laughter in her voice. She taps Maya’s nose and she stumbles backward a little bit.

"That... That's not true! I have a witness- like, sure, he can't testify or anything, but-"

April laughs harder, smacking Maya on the back as she does so. She stumbles forward, knocking Phoenix off her shoulder. She barely manages to catch him, but not before he's spotted.

"Owo what's dis?" April reaches for Phoenix, but Maya holds him a distance away, trying to keep him from her grasp. She gets up close, pressing her body against Maya. This distracts her just enough to give April the chance to swipe Phoenix off her hand. She holds him up high, dangling him from the back of his jacket, and examining him.

"This your so-called 'witness', eh? This itty-bitty wittle thing? Yeah, I don't know if that'll hold up in a court o' law." She chuckles and tosses him in the air and catches him in her palm. Maya lunges forward, but she's stopped by April's other hand on her forehead.

"Give him back! Now!!!"

"Hmmmmm..." April thinks for a moment, putting on a big show about it. Looking up into the corner of her eye, cocking her head to the side, tossing Phoenix up and catching him a few more times. "Nuh uh. I don't think so, girlie. If this thing is really all you got, then wouldn't it be in my best interest to... Y'know..." She looks down and stomps her foot, grinding it into the floor. She giggles, winks, and sticks her tongue out.

Maya glares at her. Death stare. If looks could kill and all that. Her rage knows no bounds. April just laughs it off and continues tossing him up and catching him.

"Or maybe I should have some fun with it first. I can think of lotsa things I could do with one of these. I bet this little freak would even enjoy some of 'em. Wouldn't ya?" She bites the air right in front of him, to scare him. It works. Reveling in the visual terror, she laughs and tosses him up again.

Maya goes for it. She lunges at her right at the start of a toss up, and manages to snatch him right out of the air. She makes a triumphant "Ha!" And rushes out the door, scrambling down the hallway, clutching Phoenix close to her chest. The elevator doors open right as she approaches, and she pushes past the people exiting to slam right into the wall of the elevator. The doors close, and she's alone once again in this elevator. Breathing heavily, she slides down the wall, sitting down just for a moment, to catch her breath. She opens her hands to look at a clearly shaken-up Phoenix rubbing his head.

"I think... That coulda gone better. I thought you were supposed to be some big shot lawyer?"

"Me?! I think you're the one who let her grab me."

Maya pouts. "Okay but like in my defense I was a liiiittle distracted. I mean, did you see her chest? And it was... Pressed right against me..."

"She's trying to get you convicted of murder."

"Which is kind of hot of her if you think about it!"

"You are an insane person." Phoenix shakes his head. "I will never understand you beans."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, old man, out of touch."

"Is that really an age thing, are you sure that's not just me being a borrower?"

"It can be two things." Maya nods, satisfied with herself.

"Yeah. Okay. Fine. Whatever you say. Annnnyway, I think that whole thing was... Kind of a bust. We still don't have hardly any evidence whatsoever."

"Oh, evidence? You mean something like..." Maya digs into her sleeves and pulls out a bundle of wires and electrical components. "This? I'm not sure what it is, but it seemed like she was really trying to hide it, so I thought it might be important."

"...Maya... I think that's a wiretap. H... How?!"

"What? You think you're the only one who can 'borrow' something undetected?" She smiles a mischievous grin at him. The elevator dings and the doors open, and she stands up, hiding Phoenix on her shoulder once again.

#ratattorney #look who's actually writing again #I've been in a big ratattorney mood lately