prosecutor-paledew

[prosecutor-paledew]

Well, wouldn't you agree the angels have been generous with him thus far? It's difficult to imagine them granting a third chance in a row, particularly from this office. So unless Mr. Lipwig indeed possesses certain celestial connections – and frankly, I wouldn't put it past him – failure to comply with the court's sentence will result in hanging.

@prosecutor-paledew

Ms. Paledew. Why did you save my husband?

[prosecutor-paledew]

As I’ve previously stated, I personally have nothing to do with the deal Mr. Lipwig, however temporarily, got away with. Were that the case, the entire legitimacy of his trial could be called into question... potentially reverting to the original death sentence scenario. You understand the implications, I trust?

That said... purely hypothetically, of course: even if your assumptions were correct, any personal benefit to me would be entirely irrelevant here.

@prosecutor-paledew

Ms. Paledew. Why did you save my husband?

[prosecutor-paledew]

Really? Did I do that?

@prosecutor-paledew

Ms. Paledew. Why did you save my husband?

[prosecutor-paledew]

Has he found the money to buy himself off the gallows yet, Ms. Dearheart?

@prosecutor-paledew

Ms. Paledew. Why did you save my husband?

[prosecutor-paledew]

For the oc asks, 2 and 6 :)

2. Favorite books

i'm biased towards classics, be warned

albert: coleridge, wordsworth, byron poems; shakespeare plays (namely hamlet, macbeth, dream of summer night, much ado about nothing); milton's lost paradise; something like herodotus' histories and such

edith: wild jump, but she'd like the murderbot series by martha wells; vanity fair by william thackeray; the trial by franz kafka

harriet: i'm choosing decameron lol; also, predictably, agatha christie's books; and let's add here frankenstein by mary shelley and david copperfield by charles dickens

6: Are there any major inspirations to the oc? (creatively, out of world)

edith was created from an ace attorney oc :'D but that one was a wildly different person with a different name, i just liked that she was a lawyer. for some reason i get inspired visually first (how ocs look), and for edith i briefly saw some art... i can't even reference it cause i don't remember anything except that the woman on it wore a deep crimson waistcoat

and that's pretty much it, idk how everything went from there 🧐

[prosecutor-paledew]

How has Edith changed since you first began thinking of her?

personality-wise, she's way sassier than i first imagined (but let's just say she’s got a soft spot for taunting lipwigs)

and well, the lore. so much of it came from my daydreaming music sessions haha, both about her and the lawyers' guild. for me, those two always go hand in hand when inventing new discworld hcs

[prosecutor-paledew]

What books does Harriet like?

either extremely dumb adventure and romance (the worse the better, she needs to let her brain to go into off mode after work) or grimy detectives and memoirs. she also likes epistolary novels and whatever form of gossip literature she can get her hands on (she's reading it mostly for funsies, but her favorite past time is to see and compare how differently people can lie about the same thing)

[prosecutor-paledew]

7 for the ask thingamabob?

7: Are there any major inspirations to the oc? (In world, things that inspire them)

albert gets a kick from guild meetings (where everyone goes classically insane and backstabby; you know how he loves to plot and scheme). he’s also weirdly into educational methods, so he often mines inspiration from books on the subject, especially foreign ones (and it gets... wild, since those authors tend to be into bizarre stuff. well. cultural differences 😔). art too edith is married to her work, so she only gets inspired when a case is complex, messy, and a complete handful. for her, it’s about riding the chaos wave straight to that sweet moment of clarity and order. that’s what hooks her harriet is perpetually inspired by work life. with their weird clientele and weird coworkers she’s got endless material for her notebook of eccentric incidents

[prosecutor-paledew]

Oc asks game thingamabob

1: If placed in a context where they could play video games, what would the character's favorite game be?

2: Ditto for books

3: What would the characters preferred species of pet be?

4: Ramble about something relevant

5: How has the oc changed since they began rotating within your brain?

6: Are there any major inspirations to the oc? (creatively, out of world)

7: Are there any major inspirations to the oc? (In world, things that inspire them)

8: What real voice you've heard do you think is most equivalent to the character? If possible, provide a specific role/song

9: Does the character think of themself as a hero?

10: Who are some people the character likes? (friends, family etc)

11: If the character isn't human, how does that cause their views to differ?

12: What does the character think happens after death? Within that world, are they right?

13: If your skill allows for it, could you draw something as the character?

14: What caused the character?

15: Do you like the character as a person?

[prosecutor-paledew]

He stands up.

You live in a bleak, rotting world, Ms. Paledew. It's gotten to you like all the rest. What of justice?

Justice is a viewpoint. A judge's. A lawyer's. A client's. I don't believe in it as an absolute, it's the most subjective thing there is. It lives in laws spun from tradition, altered when convenient. In the spiderweb of the human mind's pure, unclouded monstrosity. By that measure, justice was served, even if not yours.

Think on it, Mr. Grau. Let Mr. Lipwig be useful to you. Let him pay. He'll glance over his shoulder till he dies. Not dead now... but ruined. Don't ruin yourself on his account.

[prosecutor-paledew]

You scheme, manipulate and now lecture me on what I need. Is there no end to your audacity?

Only the bounds of my ability to scheme in court before everyone's watchful eyes. And Mr. Lipwig did receive the fairest trial Ankh-Morpork could offer.

[prosecutor-paledew]

He barks a mirthless laugh.

Money? Money, prosecutor? For my life – money? Why did I think it'd be different this time?

It can be. You told me you're sick of it all. Money won't return lost years, but it can buy new ones. Aren't you tired? When does the chase end? When you kill someone in their office?

Purely musing, of course, though I'd prefer you draw the knife after I finish speaking.

[prosecutor-paledew]

After another pause, Christoph sits, but looks ready to storm out.

If you wanted Mr. Lipwig dead, you could've hired the Assassins' Guild. A perfectly respectable organization with a long history of impeccable sartorial choices. You still can, actually.

But that's not what you wanted. You wanted legal means. You wanted him to pay.

And he will.

[prosecutor-paledew]

After a long, very long pause, the blade is taken away. Christoph takes a sharp intake of air.

You don't even deny it, then. What you did.

She walks around him to her chair, touching the spot where the knife drew blood. Rubs it between her fingers thoughtfully.

I would say these events have no demonstrable link to myself or my associates. That said, for reasons entirely separate from this case, I believe your reaction is justified. Therefore, I'd kindly ask you to sit. So we might have a civil conversation. Though this is Ankh-Morpork, so let's stop at “conversation”.

[prosecutor-paledew]

The blade is pressed closer to her artery.

...The men you chased in Uberwald were hanged through proper legal means. I know it because I checked. Years of pain haven't made you a killer... do it now, and you'll end in a cell, then the noose. While Mr. Lipwig walks free. It does sound like an inefficient outcome to me.

[prosecutor-paledew]

A worthless truth! Is this your Guild’s justice: bargaining injustice for coin?

So tell me, why shouldn’t I slit your throat? I’m tired, madam. Too tired for games and for the likes of you.

Her eyes dart to the agent.

You are a bad kitty, as they say.

The she looks back.

Do it, if you must. I can't fight you and I certainly don't have any energy to scream. The prospect seems... delightful to me, if anything. But I do think you’re making a mistake.

[prosecutor-paledew]

He invades her space, growling.

All lies. All theater, exactly what I fought in Uberwald. I know who approached the Silbersteins, madam. I know why I was late to trial. You used me. Betrayed me. And you can’t even muster a shred of remorse! Was I just a pawn in your story? Is this my reward for years of hunting? Him walking free with a goddamn fine?

Mr. Grau.

The knife nicks her chin, forcing her head up.

I never promised death. Only the truth. And we delivered it.