PWFY- Ch. 1: A Stable Beginning

With her luggage at hand, Maka stood at the airport of LAX with Stein and Marie standing on either sides of their adopted child. After the death of Spirit and Kami, Stein and Marie were obligated to care for Maka until she was legal of age. For the past half decade, Stein and Marie learned that Maka had inherited her mother’s talent and intelligence as well as her father’s boisterous outbursts when pushed at the wrong button. Ultimately, Maka had been a blessing for the couple and had truly enjoyed her company.

“Are you sure about this?” Marie sniffled. Marie hated goodbyes when it came to people she was emotionally attached, child or not, Maka was no exception.

“Yes, Aunt Marie. I’m sure about this,” Maka replied determinedly. “It’s been half a decade since I saw Kid. I’ve been eager to see him.”

“We know,” Stein answered, “you never leave the house without wearing his ring.”

Maka glanced at the scratched silver band on her left ring finger. “It is a promise after all.”

“Just like Kami and Spirit,” Marie added, “Oh you really are a replica of the two!” Marie threw herself on to Stein’s chest as tears flooded down her cheeks. “Our little girl is all grown up!” she wailed in a squeaky voice.

Stein sighed at his fiancée’s melodramatic reaction, nevertheless held her and rubbed comforting circles on her back.

Maka chuckled softly as she watched her two guardians held one another. She couldn’t help but picture herself and Kid when they see each other again. She couldn’t wait to see the surprise on his face when he sees her turn up in Death City.

“Are you positive that you want to do this, Maka?” Marie unlatched herself from Stein in order to face her.

“Yes, Aunt Marie. I’m eighteen now and I am legal to take care of myself.”

Marie and Stein shared a quick glance followed by a nod. Maka took it as a sign of Stein’s approval.

“Alright then,” Marie pouted, “But make sure to call me once in a while.”

“I will. I promise.”

Marie launched herself at Maka for an endearing embrace. “Oh, I will miss you so much, Maka! You have always been the child I’ve always dreamed of.”

“And you have cared and raised me like a proper mother would.”

That comment triggered tears from Marie’s eyes. “Oh! No one has ever said that to me before,” she wailed, “I love you very much, Maka!”

“I love you too, Aunt Marie,” Maka replied genuinely.

Marie reluctantly released herself from Maka while Stein moved forward to take her place.

“Stein,” Maka acknowledged.

“Maka, take good care of yourself alright?” Stein requested. Then in a soft whisper and a hand cupping one side of his mouth, “Save me the trouble from her…” Stein did not dare to finish for Marie was standing behind them with her arms crossed, a pout settled on her lips, and an audible upbeat tapping from a foot.

With a nervous, “Never mind,” Stein ruffled Maka’s untied hair and returned beside his fiancée.

“Goodbye then, Stein. Aunt Marie,” Maka bowed. With a small skip in her stride, Maka headed to her designated gate to Death City, Nevada.

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“That’ll be five dollars,” the taxi driver reported.

Maka fished out a five dollar bill from her wallet and handed it to the taxi driver. With a small thank you, Maka took her luggage from the trunk and stood before a large building of mismatching blocks. The building appeared as if it was assembled straight out of a stacker’s game, complete with several colorful blocks that protruded from said apartment. The pink cubicle at the very top worried Maka endlessly due to half of its portion dangling off the edge. The four triangular supporting blocks only lessened her reassurance.

She spent several more moments observing the building’s strange architecture with peculiar interest about the building’s stability before cautiously walking into the front desk.

To her surprise, the interior design was completely normal like any ordinary reception area. Maka was immediately greeted by a very attractive woman sitting behind the counter with a preppy expression on her lips. She was young, about her mid-twenty’s, luscious, long plum hair pulled over to one shoulder, flawless, peach skin, and a hypnotizing pair of gold eyes, similar to those of her childhood best friend. She wore a white button down long sleeve blouse and on her left bosom was a gold name tag of her name Blair inscribed in thick, bolded letters.

“Hey there, sweetie!” she greeted in a friendly soprano voice. She paused to glace at Maka’s green and white striped luggage before continuing. “Are you a new resident? I haven’t seen your face before.”

Didn’t she notice my luggage? Maka wondered, but to be courteous, she nodded.

“That’s great!” she replied enthusiastically, “well my name is Blair and I’m the receptionist here. Other than that, I live here too.” She finished with an over bubbly smile that reminded Maka of a kitten’s curious grin.

“I’m Maka Albarn,” Maka introduced with a gloved hand extended.

Blair shook the material with gusto. After the exchange, Blair stared at her with an epiphany imprinted her thoughts.

“Maka Albarn, you say?” a slender index finger gently tapped her chin.

Make met her eyes with confusion and curiosity.

“Oh yes!” she snapped her finger, “I have a room reserved for you on…” her fingers danced across the keyboard in a muddled staccato manner, “room five-oh-six, fifth floor.”

Maka blinked several times as Blair extended a hand with 506 marked on the dangling key. Hesitantly, Maka took the key and held it gingerly in her grasp.

“But I didn’t ask for a room before hand…” Maka spoke softly.

Blair stared at her with the same kitten-like smile but her eyes held confusion. “Oh!” she held an index finger forward as a way to express her exclamation in an animated manner, “Yes, a male with deep, monotone voice asked for it.”

“Oh,” Maka smiled softly as an image of the voice matched the face of her father figure guardian. “Thank you,” Maka stated as she made her way to the elevator. She pressed the arrow pointing upwards and waited several seconds before a ding sang its arrival.

Just as she entered the elevator shaft and brushed her finger off the circular button with 5 set in the middle, Blair yelped a flustered, “Oh!” The sandy haired young woman turned to face the receptionist with inquiry, wondering what she needed to say. Just before the door closed, the receptionist shouts, “Enjoy your stay!”

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The wait in the elevator had been a bundle of excitement and nerves despite the reassuring piano piece that danced about the shaft. Its comforting melody flew from one ear of the sandy haired young woman and out the other end, leaving her to question the song’s motives. Although Maka was born a prodigy of the educational department, music was the only subject that she could never get herself to understand. It was a foreign language composed of five horizontal bars with vertical lines attached to ovals. How was I supposed to decode this language? she wondered. Maka had spent countless days dissecting the music sheets, but, alas, she gave up. In fear of disappointing her peers and loved ones, Maka had purposely avoided any curricular activities relevant to the subject. The elevator music only encouraged her anxiety.

The heavenly chime that announced her arrival relieved Maka from listening to the foreign sound, yet reminded her of her premonition of the room where she’ll reside for the time being.

Maka was surprised to be greeted by a clean, stable interior design in contrast with its exterior architecture. The floors were wide, smooth, rectangular, solid chocolate tiles, divided by a small black dip line from other tiles. The walls were a giant mural of large, multicolored mosaic pieces, separated by every other mosaic columns and solid columns. With every three columns, stood a brown door with a golden plate set at middle along with the room number carved in shining glory.

501 on the left… 502 on the right… odd left… even right, Maka observed.

504…

506.

Maka gingerly inserted the silver key into the hole and listened intently as the bolt unlocked. With caution, Maka turned the knob and was welcomed with a homey sight. The flat consisted of a joined kitchen north of the entrance and a living room to the right. To take a better look of her surroundings, she slipped off her shoes and luggage by the door and walked towards the living room.

The living room was small, but it certainly gave a comfortable invitation to sit on one of the three red, plush couches varying from one to three seaters. A long, white, spotless coffee table sat in the middle of the three for guests to use during gatherings or a place for her piles of books to stack during her idle hours. A twin stereo sat on the opposite end of the couches with an old gramophone sitting in between the two advance technologies. There was also a small TV beside them, angled at the corner of the room. Vertical to the TV was a one seating chair that stood in front of a double sided window. Across it sat the three-seaters then parallel to that was the two-seaters. The walls were a warm yellow shade with several animated pop posters glued to every other wall. A matching yellow rug rested below the couches to help balance the wall with the dark furniture.

Lavender tiles carpeted the floor from living room to its joined component. The kitchen had a table and two chairs set in front of a kitchen counter and stove. Horizontal to it was a large white fridge, about seven feet tall. Beside the fridge was a single blue door.

With her fears of an unstable home now replaced with excitement of her adventure, Maka opened the door with enthusiasm. Behind it was a small bedroom with a brown mahogany desk immediately to the left of the entrance. On top of it was small shelf filled with stationary objects and a few metal figurines. Beside it was a small, blue table with a candle and a sphere shaped alarm clock with the design of a grinning orange soul placed in the middle. Followed by a fresh, white-sheet, made bed. Beside it, a luscious, blood red drapery clung to the tinted sun kissed window as if embracing its warm rays from peeking any further from the bed. Lastly, at the foot of the bed, was a large blue chest.

Maka made her way to the bed and sat on it. It was then noticed the wall adjacent to the mahogany desk had an acoustic guitar pinned to the wall.

Alas, her adventure had come to an end and Maka threw her back on the comfy sheets. With a sigh, she prepared herself for a well deserving nap. She recounted her discoveries throughout the flat and mentally noted to send a big thank you to Stein for his thoughtful decorations for her accommodation. It was her latest discovery that caused her to sit up abruptly and turn her head to see an unfamiliar figure at the bedroom door with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

An ear piercing shriek was released into the evening, destroying what was once a peaceful day and her beautiful vision at a perfectly fresh, new life.