#*rsvp. i just recently don’t have the energy to do something this weekend. or any weekend. auuuuugh

[walterdecourceys]

goodnight

[snezfics-n-shit]

Whumptober Day 23: Shiver

Fandom: Ace Attorney 

Characters: Larry Butz, Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Trucy Wright

Notes: Respecc Larry 2020. Trucy’s going away to college in two months and her Uncle Larry has come all the way from his last book-signing tour stop to celebrate Laurice Deauxnim style. In which Larry lies about as well as a Weeble and earns himself that extended stay with the Wrightworth family he’d been wanting since Miles and Phoenix got married. He just wishes it was under better circumstances. Now who wants some wholesome fluff? 

“You’ll remember to call us as much as possible, right?” Phoenix scribbled a checkmark next to a few names on the RSVP list for Trucy's graduation party.

"Of course, Daddy! I'm not going for another two months anyway, so don't worry too much yet." Trucy grinned, peeking once or twice in the hallway, looking for someone.

"Uncle Larry is still sleeping off his jet lag." Phoenix knew exactly what Trucy was going to ask before she even spoke. "He had a long trip here, so naturally he was pretty tired."

"See? When I suggested we prepare the guest room before his arrival, it wasn't for nothing." Miles commented before checking what names were on Phoenix's list, raising a brow at a few names that were clearly only contacted via spirit channeling. He could understand his father and Mia Fey, but then there was Harry Houdini written as if he could just be sent an invitation by mail. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Trucy, sweetheart, remember when we said your guest list should be realistic?”

“It is realistic! Aunt Maya said the mediums she’s training could use the practice.” Trucy crossed her arms. “I’m officially an adult now, so why can’t we go all out?”

“He’s right, Trucy.” Phoenix nodded, proud to see Miles putting his foot down about this. “We should really restrict the channeled guests to just family and friends.” He looked over the list again, noting how Trucy’s biological father was not even considered once. It wasn’t like he could blame her, but his heart ached sensing the hurt and betrayal that fueled Trucy’s decision. He put on a smile, though, just as his mentor taught him. 

“Fine.” Trucy sighed. “I hope Uncle Larry wakes up soon, then I can talk to someone who likes fun.” She teased.

“Trucy.” Miles feigned an authoritative tone, chuckling as he shook his head. In the corner of his vision was a figure sporting an oversized T-shirt in a familiar shade of orange.

"He's up!" Trucy sat up from the sofa to greet her Uncle Larry, who was now surely full of energy ready for a night of movies and calling Mr. Grossberg to ask if his refrigerator was running.

"Hey Nick, did you turn up the air conditioning while I was asleep?" Larry shivered on his way to the living room. "It's really cold in here!"

Phoenix and Miles looked at each other. The last time they significantly adjusted the air conditioner this year was during a particularly bad heat wave that had since passed. Not to mention, wouldn't Larry feel warmer in the LA heat after staying in states with far cooler climates?

"No, Uncle Larry!" Trucy giggled, assuming Larry was joking.

"I don't get it." Larry blinked a few times, looking bewildered by something only he could see. “I guess I might just have gotten too comfortable in that cozy guest bed of yours. I never really had a good sleep from those hotel beds.” He rubbed his shoulder. “All those hard mattresses really added up.”

“Then I’m sure you’ll appreciate every bit of sleep you’ll be getting this weekend.” Miles smiled. If this had been ten years ago, he wouldn’t have dreamed of letting Larry even set one foot in his house, let alone stay for two nights. He had to admit, seeing Larry so successful that his busy schedule typically only allowed weekend stays made him proud, but there was a tug of guilt about how he and Phoenix treated him in the past. Miles wondered, if it weren’t for Trucy, who had taken a liking to Larry from the start, would Larry have even wanted to associate with them? 

“So, Larry,” Phoenix stood up to pat his old friend on the back, “are you rested enough for tonight? Trucy’s really been talking up that movie night you suggested.”

“Should we order the pizza now or after a few rounds of Uno?” Trucy asked. Uno was a long-standing tradition for Larry’s visits, probably because it was one of the few card games he stood a chance against Phoenix, since having a card-playing professional win every time wasn’t very fun. Larry even had a solid win streak across his recent visits once Trucy declared herself too old for him to let her win.

“Actually, uh, I’m not really that hungry.” Larry shrugged, shivering again, already twice too many times for the middle of June.

“Did you eat before we picked you up from the airport?” Miles pushed up his glasses. “I don’t think you ate anything here before you fell asleep.”

“Nope.” Just as he answered, Larry was caught off guard by a deep tickle in his chest. He attempted getting rid of it with a brief cough, but as soon as he started, he couldn’t stop it on his own and let the fit overtake him.

"Larry?" Miles frowned in concern. "Are you alright?"

He was still coughing. It felt like an eternity until he could finally stop, and when he was done it was like all his muscles had left his body.

"Yeah." Larry's eyes were wide, he was still trying to figure out what just happened. "Allergies, probably." He guessed, tilting his head.

"That's odd." Miles said softly. "I recall you saying you were only allergic to cantaloupe just a few months ago. Something you told us you didn't eat from our fridge while you had hives on your arms proving otherwise."

"We caught you red handed there, Uncle Larry!" Trucy added, laughing at her own joke. The laughing stopped just as quickly as another coughing fit started from Larry, this one sending him dropping to his knees. “Uncle Larry?”

“I know that cough.” Phoenix held his chin. “You didn’t get your flu shot this year, did you, Larry?”

“How did you know?” Larry looked up from his position on the floor, his cheeks discolored from the strain. “I really planned to do it, though! I just forgot, is all.”

“It may be too late.” Phoenix crouched down to press his palm on Larry’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“That’s impossible.” Larry insisted. “I feel great. Can we play Uno now?” He attempted to stand up on his own, but instead almost immediately fell back down, this time supported by both Phoenix and Miles holding him so he wouldn’t hit the floor again. “This takes me back to those trust exercises we did when we were in school. Remember those?” Larry smiled as if that could prove his claims of good health.

“You can’t lie to us, Uncle Larry.” Trucy singsonged. Lying to any member of the Edgeworth-Wright family was just about impossible to get away with. Sure, a little fib here and there would be overlooked because it wasn’t worth the fuss, but Larry certainly wasn’t telling Phoenix his novelty ties were not at all tacky. “It’s not like we can’t play a game of Uno while you’re in bed, if that makes you feel better.”

“You’re absolutely right, Trucy.” Miles nodded. “Can you help us carry our guest back to bed?” He ignored Larry’s weak attempts to wriggle out and run for it. Where would he run to, anyway? Miles looked at Phoenix, then back at Trucy, signalling he was ready for the three to use their collective strength to hold Larry upright as they led him to bed.

Larry thought it wasn’t fair. Not just the fact he was outnumbered, but also that this would be how his desire for a longer visit would be fulfilled. There was no way he’d be allowed out of bed by Monday, not when blinking of all things was a source of discomfort. Don’t get him wrong, he couldn’t think of a better family to take care of him, but that in itself made him feel like he was intruding. He figured it was probably that ‘dad instinct’ he knew both Phoenix and Miles had down pat by now that explained their willingness to not only carry him to bed, but tuck him in as well. His face felt hot as he wondered if he was even worth being cared for like this.

“Don’t you, uh, think this is kind of weird?” Larry stared at the blanket over his legs, disappointed that it barely warmed him at all. “I mean, I’m not your family or anything.” He let his head rest on the soft, definitely expensive pillow.

“I don’t think it’s ‘weird’ at all.” Miles said as he walked to the guest bathroom.

“Yeah, it’s not weird.” Phoenix agreed, pulling the end table’s drawer open to grab the box of Uno cards that resided in it.

“And of course you’re family!” Trucy added. She sat on the edge of the bed, dangling her feet above the ground despite her being tall enough for them to touch the floor. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be Uncle Larry, you’d just be ‘Larry.’”

“Or we would just call you by your pen name,” Miles entered the room again with a digital thermometer in hand, “‘Laurice’ or perhaps ‘Mr. Deauxnim’ to be more formal.” He slid the thermometer between Larry’s lips and felt relief when Larry lifted his tongue in cooperation instead of fighting off the device like he initially expected. 

“Besides, bedside manner isn’t exclusive to family anyway,” Phoenix smiled. He slid the card deck out of the box and into his hand. “What else would we do? Just leave you alone, coughing up a storm and being generally miserable?” He heard the thermometer beep and closely watched his husband gently take it to analyze the numbers on display.

“Congratulations, Larry.” Miles’s tone remained flat. “You have a fever.” 

Larry wasn’t sure what it was about everything his old friends were saying that made him flustered enough to hide his nose under the blanket. Maybe it was the attentiveness, which, to him, seemed undeserved and out of nowhere. This was only made more apparent when he broke into another intense coughing fit that sent him doubling over. He could feel Phoenix’s hand carefully sliding up and down his back. 

“You said you don’t have any more book signings scheduled, right?” Phoenix saw Larry nod in response. He was grateful Larry wasn’t straining himself by talking if he didn’t need to. “So you shouldn’t have anything stopping you from resting.”

“Can Uncle Larry stay with us for a few more days after he’s feeling better?” Trucy looked up at Miles with puppy-dog eyes that held an impressive success rate over the last ten years. 

“I’m fine with that arrangement.” Miles adjusted one of the pillows to provide Larry with some elevation. “It would be a shame if you two never got your celebratory movie night. Of course, that’s only if he wants to extend his stay longer than we already have.”

“I don’t know.” Larry closed his eyes, finding that to be slightly less painful than keeping them open. “Are you really sure you guys want me here that long?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Phoenix trailed off before he shook his head with a laugh. “Just give it some thought, but first get some sleep.” He closed the curtains to keep the summer sun out of Larry’s eyes.

“We’ll leave you be.” Miles ushered Phoenix and Trucy out of the room. “I’ll bring you some water for when you wake up. If you don’t have an appetite, you should at least stay hydrated.” 

Larry nodded in understanding. His eyes fluttered open temporarily to watch the family leave the room. He picked up some of their conversation as they left, bits and pieces of debating when they should consider him seeing a doctor, a few comments about a trip to the pharmacy. The sincerity of their concern was not lost on him, prompting him to smile as he dozed off.

[magnoliawhetstone]

h e a d c a n o n s, pt. 1

( tw: mentions of eating disorder )

When Lia is drunk/ tipsy she likes to act our favorite movie scenes—even if she’s alone.  Most recently was the titanic scene (where she also got her knee suck in the balcony). She can quote all of the legally blonde courtroom scene and definitely knows the mean girls Christmas dance as well.

When Lia bakes, she has this small habit of humming or singing when she does so. Interestingly enough, for how involved baking is, she’d done it for so long she’s relatively good at shutting her brain down for a while when she does it. Or, at least, it takes all her energy to bake instead of overthink. It’s why she stress bakes so frequently and it’s also why she hums/sings when she does it. It’s mindless and she’d be embarrassed if anyone heard it–but she doesn’t always realize she’s doing it.

Surprisingly, while Lia’s favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, her favorite movie is Love Actually. She can quote most of the movie–as she can with most things she loves–and her favorite scene is when Hugh Grant dances to “Jump (For My Love)” by the Pointed Sisters. This is another scene she sometimes recreates when drunk.

Lia is not the biggest fan of Harry Potter. She doesn’t even know what house she’s in (its Ravenclaw but she can’t remember that). She never got into the series, never found it to be that interesting–magic didn’t quench her thirst the way some other books did…

Yes, that’s right. Magnolia Barnes was absolutely a Twi-Hard. You could not pull her away from these books–it was even worse since, at age 18, you’d think she would have had better taste. But no, she was #TeamJacob all the way. And yes, she did go see the movies when they came out. And yes, she did cry at the end. Don’t judge her.

Lia loves watching home renovation shows, though she literally has no reason to watch the show. She’s never had to do a home reno in her life. But she likes to imagine a day when she would–she thinks she’d be quite good at it. Sometimes about being able to use her hands in a meaningful way strikes her as soothing–its why she likes baking so much. She doesn’t have proof she’d be good at it, but she has a feeling she’d be pretty good with her hands if she can make delicate pastries so well.

Lia loves college football. Like absolutely adores it. Big Clemson gal, Tiger Rag is her jam. She remembered spending fall weekends at their Lake Keowee home so they could easily drive over to Clemson and go to a home game. Hates the Gamecocks with a passion. Rivalry weekend was her favorite time of year growing up–it was so full of excitement and energy. In fact, the most heated you might ever see Lia out of an argument is walking a Clemson football game. And yes she knows exactly what’s going on down on the field and if you ask her one more time if she’s sure–she will throw a piece of pie in your face.

Speaking of Clemson, Lia wanted to go there for college–get her degree in English. But she also had high dreams to be the baton twirler on the field–the one who dots the i with whatever family they’re celebrating that day in the pregame ceremony? Yeah, she wanted that. She thought that maybe she could mix the two worlds of hers, her two areas of interest–but no, that was never to be the case.

Lia grew up going to State fairs every summer–but never an amusement or theme park. She has never been to a planetarium, and her first trip to an Aquarium was with Beckett. Her first trip to a Zoo was with Ryder. So sure she’s ridden some rides, but it’s never been like most people have. It’s her dream to go to DisneyWorld one day and somehow, someway, stay in the Cinderella Suite. she’s watched enough youtube videos to know that not one gets to stay there but contest winners and celebrities, but still–a girl can dream.

While her peers took their vacations in Paris, Nice, Monaco and Italy, Lia’s father preferred north–like Amsterdam. Which, to be fair, was really very nice and Lia liked going. She even had a friend, Tess, who she’d hang out with when they would go on holiday as they called it. Tess was cool–she was into collecting model trains and really liked to read also. But then Tess’s parents sent her to boarding school after they had found out that she had been chatting with people online that she shouldn’t have been. Lia thought that sounded awfully harsh and hoped her parents would never do something like that to her. (Oh, irony)

When she’s sick, she doesn’t want chicken noodle soup, she wants wonton soup. Why? She doesn’t know, but she’s never liked chicken noodle soup. She thinks its the mushy carrots and celery. But wonton soup is essentially the same thing, but with a wonton and better flavor. She likes hers with spinach.

If toast is cut diagonal, she can’t eat it. Vertical squad for the win.

Big Bon Appetit fan. The quickest way to make her smile is to make her watch an episode of “one of everything” or “gourmet makes”. she might have a small crush on alex delany but we don’t talk about that.

Lia believe in aliens but not ghosts. She’s not big on conspiracy theories either–but she might be tempted by the stories at Denver Intentional Airport. She just can’t accept that humans are the only living things in the universe. That’s a lot for her–but she doesn’t go actively searching for them. Ghosts, on the other hand–she just never believed in them. Why would anyone want to haunt someone? Seemed like a weird power play to her. And no, despite what some people at the Malnati think, the moon is not made of cheese.

Lia is obsessed with spreadsheets. If you asked her what the dorkiest thing about her was–she’d tell you it was her planner and spreadsheets. She has a spreadsheet for probably every aspect of her life. her planner–which is really a bullet journal–is how she keeps track of things when she can’t get on her computer, but she has one for chores, her books, work, her bucket list, hell–even a bachelorette watch party she had a few years ago. She loves being organized.

Office supplies are her kryptonite. She absolutely loves blank notebooks and pens. She has a favorite pen for different things. Pentel RSVP RT Retractable Ball Point in black for everyday items, Staedleter fine tips felt pens for her bullet journal, sharpie pens for when she wants her notes to stand out, Zebra Mildliner for headers in her bullet journal or giving the pages shape. She is incredible persnickety on who can borrow what pen, and even keeps less important pens in her pencil bag just to lend out. And under very few circumstances will you ever see Magnolia Barnes using a pencil unless she has been required too. She hates the darn things.

Lia doesn’t swear–her mother taught her ladies don’t swear and while she doesn’t believe language as a gatekeeper for femininity anymore, the expectation still holds. So if you do hear her use a curse word, something is very very wrong.

Go to coffee order, you ask? Easy. Grande White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha with Blonde Espresso and Almondmilk and yes whipped cream. Sometimes she’ll get it with Raspberry instead. If its iced, it’s a tall and no whipped cream. However, she can also be bought over with a Venti Iced Guava Tea Lemonade with 8 pumps sweetener.

Lia has seen the Chatworth House–the house used as Pemberly in the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. While its not her all time favorite movie, she sure loves it still and begged her parents to take her one summer. They relented and it was everything she had dreamed of seeing.

It’s well known that Lia cannot dance–she often tells people she can only line dance and Viennese Walz, and the former only happens when she’s tipsy on PBRs.

Lia loves sleeping with windows open because she can’t sleep in silence. The white noise of the city helps relax her and and makes her sleep easier.

However, she must read in silence–any noise will distract her and she gets relatively grumpy if anyone interrupts her reading. She also adores reading by a window. She likes the way the natural lights illuminates the pages.

Words are some of Lia’s favorite things–she thinks they’re magic. So loves the way they sound and likes to think about the way they feel in her mouth and how they roll off the tongue. She does her best to take her time when speaking too–because if words are so important, its better to get them right the first time. (Although perhaps she would learn that getting it right may not always be nearly as important as saying something at all).

(tw: eating disorder) Not many people know this, but after the book incident, Lia has begun to go to therapy. Her counselor, Tonya, has been helping her try to work through what things are Lia and what things are Lia’s mother. They haven’t gotten to the eating disorder conversation yet–and Lia dreads it. because Lia has never used the term out loud–in fact, the only time it was ever spoken was by the doctor the night of the incident. She has never named it and technically never claimed it out loud–though she knows its true in her heart.

Lia hates pickles. Don’t know why, but she thinks they are gross. Also parmesan cheese.

Magnolia loves horses–perhaps not the extend of others, but she had grown up riding them and when she rode them, she always sensed a freedom that was just out of reach at home. Perhaps that was because who was always riding wit her, but she doesn’t like to dive deep into that. It complicates things (that maybe needed to be complicated, just sayin’). Leaving her childhood horse Butternut was like leaving a pet (something the Barnes did not have as Lia grew up). Butternut and her went on a lot of adventures together, usually along side Buttersquash and Jack. It was good squad.

Lia’ favorite dessert is Mrs. Whetstone’s peach cobbler–and she has pour her life’s work into recreating it since she never asked for the recipe before she left. Every time she tries, she feels like she gets a little closer, but its never quite right. But it does remind her of home and its one of those memories she loves dearly. Anyone who asks her, though, what her favorite dessert is, she’ll say cheesecake because nothing even compares in her mind to that cobbler and she doesn’t want something to try to do something that will never reach what she expects. And she does love cheesecake.

Favorite flavor of yogurt? Chobani Raspberry Lemonade. Its only available in the summertime, but boy is it worth the wait.