bewrightback | IC Inbox [Empatheias]

[His answer creates a surge of red in her face while anger quickly swells inside her. Maya manages to remain calm with a few deep breaths through her nose -- she's just going to get right to the point.]

Do you know a man by the name of Bobby Fulbright?

[That sure looks like a surge of anger, and Phoenix looks uncertain. Then his eyes widen in surprise as Bobby is brought up.]

Fulbright?! Of course I do! Why... What happened? Did he do something, Maya?! [Now he looks worried.]

Is there anything I should know about him?

[Maya's testing him, seeing how much he's willing to divulge without dropping the bomb. She's missed a lot more than she thought she did while she was away. She had little information about the 'dark age of the law' and Apollo's situation, so guess there's no better time than the now to learn.]

[He pokes at his chin thoughtfully.]

Well... You must already know the basics. He's dangerous, but he's been staying clean for the entire time that he's been in this world, as far as we know.

Nick, stop beating around the bush. I don't know anything about him, I didn't even know he knew you until we figured it out!

[She brings her legs up onto the bed and leans in at him a little, her eyes still fiery.]

Apollo told me Mr. Fulbright killed his best friend. Is this true?

Edited 2017-01-09 04:41 (UTC)

What? [He goes pale as he hears that.] You- you don't know anything about him? [Now this changes things... and he quickly scratches at his hair uncertainly. But then his expression turns more grim as he thinks back to the murder that exposed Fulbright's true self.]

...Yes. Fulbright did kill him. Or rather, The Phantom did.

So he's the Phantom, huh?

[Seems she's missed a lot more than she anticipated while she was away in Khura'in. It was important that she go, yes, but Maya still can't help but feel a pang of regret for not being there to help him during those two years. She'd heard about the phantom in passing but... Mr. Fulbright!?]

... Why didn't you tell me?

He is.

[He slumps in defeat.]

I... I guess it would be because I'm an idiot. You were already here for a while when I first showed up, so... I just assumed that someone else had told you.

[He shakes his head.]

I never thought to double check with you about him...

No you're not.

[She raises her voice at him and slaps a hand against his leg.]

But you can't just not tell me things like that! Friends don't keep secrets like that. [Maya hangs her head a little.] No one else bothered to tell me about him or that he might be dangerous, either.

... What happened? In that case, I mean.

I'm sorry. I won't let something like this happen again.

[And now he looks away thoughtfully, the light in the room dimming as he remembers that time.]

A lot happened in that case. I don't know where to begin... but it all goes back to that man. The person we know as Bobby Fulbright is an international spy called The Phantom. He... he killed the real Fulbright and posed as him ever since. He's a master of disguise and of faking emotion. But one of his big secrets is that he's almost incapable of feeling actual emotion.

He committed one murder years ago, which resulted in one of the cases that started the dark age of the law. And then, when he was trying to hide evidence from that murder years later, Apollo's best friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and... he became the next victim.

At home, we caught him. He's in prison, and ready to face justice.

[Maya crosses her legs and listens quietly, remembering some of the details that she'd heard through the grapevine while in Khura'in. It's still a sensitive topic for her, the what-ifs constantly playing out in her head. This is something she probably could never have helped, though. It was out of everyone's control, but Maya still wishes she could have at least been there. To assist in any way she could.]

Incapable of feeling emotion? So him being so nice to people, is it all fake?

[This information is tough to swallow, and she's... confused??? All that energy and kindness he's shown her -- what was it, really?]

[Phoenix looks at her with a grave frown.]

Sorry, Maya, but... all of his cheeriness and lively nature? ...It's a lie that he's been living for years. That's how skilled of a spy he is.

I was afraid you'd say that. Is there nothing we can do to help him? Or I can do!? Maybe people can change!

[And if Phoenix listens very carefully, he may be able to hear the gears already turning in her head. People changing was never really A Thing that happened ever, in her experience... but is it worth a shot?]

[Of course. Of course after finding all of this out, the first thing Maya wants to do is to help him. It leaves him wondering if he's too jaded, or if she's too naive. But Phoenix frowns as he thinks it over.]

I... I don't know. I can't say for sure. If it is possible, it's not going to be an easy road by a long shot. And it would definitely be a dangerous one.

[And now he tries to meet her eyes again. He may not be able to stop her, but he can at least say this much.]

...Maya. Please be careful.

[Danger!? Maya laughs in the face of danger, HA HA HA!]

You worry too much. Mr. Fulbright has been nice to me so far, so if I just pretend I don't know anything, maybe I can somehow get through to him!

[..... There's a pause where Maya meets his eyes, her face suddenly serious again.]

Nick. There's nothing else you're hiding, is there?

[He looks nervous, but just for a moment, as he thinks about Trucy and Apollo.]

There.. might be a thing or two. But it's also something that's not my place to disclose. And it doesn't have to do with our safety like Fulbright, either. So that's... pretty much all that I've got for you.

[She isn't one to pry ~~okay, maybe a little bit~~, but Maya gives him one last suspicious, narrow-eyed stare when she notices his expression briefly shift before she pushes herself up off the bed.]

Well, it isn't my business then, but I'm not joking around, Nick. Please don't keep things like this from people. The longer you keep it from them, the bigger that divide in the relationship will be.

[He gives a sheepish smile as he looks towards Maya.]

I know, Maya. It's just... complicated. [He shakes his head.] I guess we've both said our piece.

Yeesh, you're lucky I'm so nice! But I'm gonna work extra hard to bring Mr. Fulbright around. Just you watch!

[She swings open the door and steps out, but not before popping her head back in with a toothy grin and a peace sign.]

Sleep tight!

[But Maya's smile vanishes as she shuts the door behind her, giving herself a few moments of thought before shuffling away to her own room.]

[He's really going to hope that her acting skills are up to par around that guy...

But as she offers him that peace sign, he gives a fuller smile and a simple wave back.]

Nighty night, Maya. Get some rest!

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