Franziska had never dreamed of falling in love. Only fools fall in love, after all. Even on the occasions when she considered the possibility of love, her significant other was always a man. Under no circumstances did she ever think she would fall in love with another girl, let alone one younger than her.
But here she is, standing in the overcrowded courtroom with sweat running down her neck and her eyes fixed on the girl at her opponent's side. It's distracting her, she realizes as she makes a faulty objection. She can't focus; she keeps getting drawn back to Maya. She shakes her head in an effort to clear it and snaps her whip at the current witness when he begins talking. The judge notes her frustration and calls for a recess, and as the room clears, Franziska seeks the girl out.
They stand in a secluded corner of the hall, and for Franziska, the knowledge that are alone weights heavily. She shifts a bit then opens her mouth, but Maya is already speaking.
"I know who you are, Miss von Karma. But what do you want with me? If you expect me to give you any information Nick has, you must be insane," Maya says bluntly. Her eyes are fierce as they meet the prosecutor, and Franziska can't help but flinch.
"Don't insult me. As if I need your help with investigating. My case stands solid enough on its own. It's you who need help," Franziska shoots back before she can help herself. She mentally smacks herself as Maya takes a step back.
"What do you want?" Maya says warily. She has already fled in her mind, Franziska acknowledges.
"You're the one who mentioned sharing information. I just thought…" Bad start. Damn. "I thought that you and I could go out for a drink sometime. You must get tired of only being around Wright. I… get tired of being alone," she finishes, confident her words must move Maya at least a bit.
No. Maya takes another step and shakes her head. "No offense, Miss von Karma. You're an amazing person. But all I've ever seen you do is hurt people. I don't want to be at the receiving end of your whip. I don't trust you." With that, she turns and dashes back to Phoenix.
Franziska watches her go with a stab of pain. It's a familiar feeling, but it's less like the pain she felt after arguments with her father and more like learning of her brother's death.
Maya is beautiful. Long black hair, warm and gentle brown eyes, an easy laugh… She is practically the dead opposite of Franziska, icy in everything she does. But sometimes fire can melt ice in a useful way, and Franziska clings to this possibility with everything she has.