#although Turnabout Goodbyes is still my all time favorite case

[mostlyihyperfixate]

Noooo I don't wanna start the final trial portion of this case!

When I'm done, that means the game will be over!

[inlovelawyers]

just curious about what your fav cases are and which ones you dislike the most ? i’m sorry if you’ve been asked this before :( your posts are awesome

Hello, anon! How are you today? Thank you for asking!

Oof, my favorite cases? Let’s see... In a non-specific order, I’d say... [SPOILERS FROM ALL GAMES EXCEPT DGS 1 AND 2]

Turnabout Goodbyes is a MUST. I still remember my feelings when I played AA for the very first time. I hated Edgey-boy in Turnabout Sisters. How could he, right? But then something changed during Turnabout Samurai. Without realizing, I was in love with that man and I wanted to protect him as badly as Phoenix. When the intro played and Edgey was holding a gun, all I could think of was: “DON’T WORRY, BABY! YOU’RE INNOCENT AND I’LL PROVE IT!”

It’s silly but I felt like Phoenix in Turnabout Goodbyes, channeling all my love for Edgey in courtroom. Also narumitsu at its best. It brings me good memories!

The Kidnapped Turnabout is also great because I love the badgers so much. My URL used to be something related to Blue Badger! Also it’s the first time that we see Lang and boi, do I love that wolf???? He’s so hot wtf??? Ahem... Plus, there’s Kay and that Gavinners reference! Also Phoenix crossing the bridge of love? hahaha that’s gay. Still in the AAI universe, I also adore The Inherited Turnabout because Dad Greg is a precious beam. And the whole gang is so cool? Sebastian, Justine, Jeff, Katherine, Delicia... They’re all so funny and nice! AAI 1 and 2 are AmAZiNg games!

And lastly (and probably my fav), Turnabout for Tomorrow. People can judge me all they want, but I love DD. Mostly because Phoenix is back, he’s happier and healthier after his AJ breakdown. He’s engaged to Edgeworth. Also, although I didn’t like Apollo’s behavior when I first played it, I understand everyone now. Apollo? Did nothing wrong. Aura? Did nothing wrong. Lesbians? Everywhere. Simon Blackquill? Hot af. And the plot twist at the end? The Phantom? I needed to stop the game and go for some air because I couldn’t believe it was ~~Bobby~~ the whole time. Love it! Love it very much!

Honorable mentions: Rise from the Ashes is SOOOOOOOOO cool???? The characters are great, I love them! But it’s sooooooo long?? At some point, I need a break and finish it the next day. Also, how could I not mention Bridge to the Turnabout? Simply because, although I love all the angst, the plot, the tension... I love Godot very much. I hated learning he was the culprit. My first time playing? I had to stop it. I couldn’t finish it, so I just looked for a walkthrough and concluded the game with a broken heart. Not to mention Iris and Phoenix. It’s something that does not please me. I have very mixed feelings about it, although I do know it’s one of the best cases. It’s more like a personal matter, you see. Lastly, I find SoJ very weak as a game in general, but I do appreciate Turnabout Time Traveler, in which Edgeworth and Phoenix get married.

That said, those are my favorite cases! I haven’t played DGS yet, only watched half of the first game walkthrough. Also I don’t really want to go to AA2 and AA4. We... don’t do that here.

Finally, thank you for such kind words! I’m glad you appreciate my posts, it really means a lot to me! Hope my answer was good enough! Have a nice day!

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Ace Attorney original trilogy review

Side note: Yes, I know I’m several years late, I just finished the original trilogy recently.

Ace Attorney

Compared to the other two games, I have the least to say about this one. Not because I hated it or anything like that but because I can sum up my thoughts in one sentence:

I liked it.

It’s a solid game and all the cases were relatively strong, even the filler one (Turnabout Samurai). The only case that I felt had any hiccups in writing was Turnabout Sisters due to the deus ex machina at the end of the episode but other than that, the first Ace Attorney game was solid. 

I give this game a letter grade of A. 

Ace Attorney: Justice for All

I read that the second game was a rush job and that the writers were on a strict deadline to finish it. Honestly, I believe it since that’s how this game felt. While I still liked the overall game, it was still a disappointment compared to the first one.

First off, the quality of the cases this time around paled in comparison to the first game. The first two cases were relatively fine, it’s really the last two that bugged me. First off, Turnabout Big Top was not a good episode and it’s still my least favorite Ace Attorney case (even counting the sequel trilogy).

Second, Farewell My Turnabout was disappointing. Now, don’t get me wrong, the episode was still action-packed and full of good twists and turns. However, there’s still a lot I didn’t like and as the “finale” of Justice for All, I didn’t think it was as good as it should’ve been. I’ll break down my points:

1) I know people will hate me for saying this but I really hated how Miles Edgeworth was used in this game. In the first and third games, the writers wrote a complete arc for the lead prosecutor. But it didn’t feel like Franziska von Karma got a proper arc in this game and it’s mainly to do with Edgeworth. He gets shoehorned into the final episode and then ends up replacing Franziska as the lead prosecutor. 

Now, yes, Miles wasn’t the lead prosecutor of the last case in the first game either. However, he was still the main focus of Turnabout Goodbyes. In Farewell My Turnabout, Franziska was reduced to a minor supporting role. Even Gumshoe and Pearl Fey had a bigger role than her. For the record, Franziska von Karma is my personal favorite Ace Attorney character. However, I’m not saying all this just because I love this character. I’m saying this because Justice for All didn’t write a proper character arc for her.

Had the roles been switched, if Franziska got shoehorned into another Ace Attorney game and robbed Miles Edgeworth of a proper character arc, I’d write the same thing.  

This might also be a controversial statement but I would’ve preferred if Miles and Franziska’s roles were switched around for the final episode. When you consider how Franziska was introduced in the game, I feel like the story would have had more impact if it was Franziska who decided to work with Phoenix instead of against him once she found out what happened to Maya Fey. 

Meanwhile, Miles could be the semi-friendly side character who shows up with the crucial evidence for Phoenix and Franziska at the end of the trial. Instead of being the lead prosecutor, his role would be leading the police in their search for Maya Fey. Sort of like Gumshoe’s role but more serious. He would still be important to the story but he doesn’t overshadow the lead prosecutor.  

2) Matt Engarde was a bit disappointing as the game’s main villain. Now, I liked the character and I thought he was a thoroughly detestable villain. It’s mainly how he was used in the game that I thought was disappointing. 

Compare Matt to Dahlia Hawthorne and Manfred Von Karma. Although Manfred only shows up in the final case of the first game, he’s still a major presence in the other cases. It’s because of him that Miles behaved the way he did in the first game and Turnabout Sisters directly tied in with Turnabout Goodbyes. Meanwhile, Dahlia Hawthorne tied all of Trials and Tribulations together. She was present in three different cases and was responsible for why Godot behaved the way he did. 

You can’t really say the same for Matt. Matt is only the main villain for the last case and he doesn’t have a connection to the lead prosecutor. On his own, he’s not as interesting or menacing as Manfred or Dahlia either. I feel like his character should’ve been more present throughout the whole game instead of just the final case. Matt just feels like a character with a lot of wasted potential. 

Also, the fact that you don’t get a chance to cross-examine him (not counting the magatama portion where you expose his evil side) is a big negative to this character. 

Overall, I give Justice for All a letter grade of C+ / B-. 

Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

This is my personal favorite of the trilogy. It’s hands down the best written of the three and the most engaging. My two favorite original trilogy episodes, Turnabout Memories and Bridge to the Turnabout, are in this game. Also, while Franziska is my favorite character, Godot is my favorite prosecutor.

For me, what really made Trials and Tribulations work was its two lead villains; Dahlia Hawthorne and Godot (side note: Yes, I know it’s controversial to call Godot a villain but he is the final character that Phoenix has to defeat). The reason why is because the overall story revolves around Dahlia and Godot and they are strong enough characters to carry the whole game.

First off, Dahlia. Dahlia is one of the greatest video game villains of all time (at least, in my opinion). She is the most evil, detestable antagonist in the original trilogy and the fact that she’s ruined so many lives with her actions, even after her death, really made her a villain to hate. That said, she’s an incredibly fun, engaging villain who was the perfect nemesis for Mia Fey and Phoenix Wright.

Second, Godot. Godot is one smooth badass but it’s his backstory that really sold this character for me. His past with Mia Fey and the reasoning behind his actions definitely made him a lovable anti-villain (or anti-hero). Godot was a character that you can’t really hate, he was too cool to root against. Because of that, having him be the game’s final boss was a bit of a downer. It was like the Big Boss versus The Boss sequence in MGS3, you don’t want to take Godot down but you have to for the story. 

In general, the writing for Trials and Tribulations is miles above Justice for All and the story was more engaging than the first game’s story. Honestly, if I had to pick a weak point, it’d be Recipe for Turnabout. I wasn’t too fond of this case. However, that’s one bad case against four superb ones. 

Overall, I give Trials and Tribulations a letter grade of A. Not an A+ due to Recipe for Turnabout. 

[hotel-japanifornia]

Maya Fey Appreciation Post

(Note: this post was initially made as an entry for the 30 day Ace Attorney Challenge, that you can find here: https://demon-prosecutie.tumblr.com/post/141222773397/i-wanted-to-be-more-active-and-post-new-edits-and. Other things came up, so I never actually ended up finishing the challenge. However, since I had 2 entries that were written up, I decided to edit them and share them with y’all. This is the second one made, but the first one shared.)

Now without further ado, if you’ve visited or are currently following my blog, then you likely are aware of my fondness for Maya Fey. With this post, I wanted to go a bit deeper into why I love her and also go over some traits that I feel are slightly overlooked when examining her character. Maya, overall, is an interesting and absolutely adorable character. Although she is a generally popular character, I can’t help but feel that she’s a bit underrated as some people reduce her personality to burger jokes. It’s not a huge deal seeing as one of Maya’s character traits is that she really loves food but it can be tiring seeing those kinds of jokes so often.

To give some background, when I started playing Ace Attorney I started with Justice for All because I was 10 and I thought that playing a sequel was a good idea. I kinda liked Maya back then but it was mostly because she was more similar to me personality-wise than the other characters. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I started to appreciate Maya for who she was as a character. While playing through the first game, I liked her during Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai but it wasn’t until Turnabout Goodbyes that I began to fall in love with Maya. Seeing her sacrifice herself to keep Edgeworth from getting found guilty during the first trial was really heartwarming and it’s also telling of the kind of person that Maya is, in a way. This is because in Turnabout Sisters, Edgeworth had prosecuted her and Phoenix at separate points during the case and tried to get them found guilty. As a result, seeing her getting held in contempt of court for him shows how selfless she is and also shows that she has a strong desire for seeing justice go through. Turnabout Goodbyes is also where we see Maya being insecure about her abilities as a spirit medium as she’s unable to channel Mia at all during the case. Although she says she is useless, during the case there are moments where she is incredibly useful, for example: during the aforementioned part where she gets held in contempt of court for Edgeworth’s sake; when she communicates with the parrot in order to get it to talk; and most importantly, when she jumped on Manfred Von Karma when he was about to taze her and Phoenix and managed to retrieve a very important piece of evidence in the process. The moment Maya got tased for Phoenix’s sake and beat herself up for being useless despite carrying an incredibly valuable piece of evidence tugged at my heartstrings and was the moment that I knew I loved Maya.

Right off the bat, I'd like to go over her most recognizable character trait: her cheerful nature. Maya Fey is an absolute ray of sunshine and adds to investigation segments by making quirky observations or goofy jokes. The most popular of the former would be when you examine the ladder(?) in Studio 1 during Turnabout Samurai and she argues briefly with Phoenix about the true nature of the object in question. However, Maya does have other goofy moments such as when you examine the snowmobile before the murder occurs in Bridge to the Turnabout or when you examine the big signboard in the Basement Warehouse during the Stolen Turnabout. She also has her moments during courtroom segments such as when she pretty much spends the first trial day of Turnabout Samurai roasting Oldbag. Maya adds a lot of personality to even the most tedious investigation segments and I don't blame anyone who goes around investigating everything just to see if Maya has anything to say.

One thing that I feel people overlook when it comes to Maya is how selfless she can be. For example, when she refuses Phoenix’s offer to take her case during Reunion, and Turnabout because she’s sure Phoenix will lose and later when you read her letter to Phoenix in Engarde’s Mansion and she tells Phoenix to forget about saving her and get Engarde found guilty in order to ensure justice was served even at the cost of her life. Another example would be in Bridge to the Turnabout where she sees her mother get killed in front of her. She’s obviously aware of who the killer is but is stubborn about covering for him because although Godot killed her mother, he also saved her life in the process. Maya has no obligation to defend Godot, to the point that he even admits that if he actually cared about saving her, he would have gone to Phoenix first; and yet, Maya still continues to believe that he genuinely wanted to save her. It’s a real gray area and there’s no clear answer to whether or not Godot did care for her but even if he didn’t, it’s still quite telling.

One trait that I find admirable about Maya is her strength. We see her go through so much throughout the franchise from the moment we meet her such as: finding her sister’s body; being accused of her sister’s murder; getting tased; being framed for murder by her aunt; getting kidnapped and being starved and in the process also being used as a bargaining chip against her best friend; getting nearly murdered by the ghost of her psycho killer cousin and also seeing her long lost mother die in front of her; and more. And yet, despite all of that, she is still able to remain cheerful and never once becomes bitter because of all the things that have happened to her. At the end of Bridge to the Turnabout, she could have broken down and abdicated the role of Master and it would have been understandable considering what she had just gone through. But the fact that she doesn’t and that she decides to stay strong for Pearl who also suffered greatly during the case not only shows how strong she is as a character but also shows how she matures during the trilogy. The Maya in the first game might have ran away, but by the end of the third game, she’s gone through a lot more than she did in the first game. It’s very subtle compared to Edgeworth’s arc or even Phoenix’s arc but she does go through her own development as a character. 

Although she does have a habit of getting into trouble, having to help her never bothered me to be honest. Despite her penchant for getting into trouble it’s never her fault, as it either has something to do with her family or her relationship with Phoenix during the trilogy while the crossover and SOJ have her get accused of murder purely because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And even when she does get arrested for murder, it’s hard for me not to feel bad for her as she acts so downhearted (the part where she begs Phoenix not to take her case because she feels he'll lose if he does in Reunion, and Turnabout comes to mind). In a way, it can be considered clever on the writers’ part as Maya is one of the more beloved characters in the franchise so her getting in trouble can be seen as the result of Capcom wanting us to feel emotionally attached to a case. I’m not saying that it constantly happening is a good idea because she’s definitely gone through enough but I can’t get annoyed when you do have to help her. I just think that in the next game, in the event that she’s in it, Capcom should give Maya a break from being accused of murder and/or kidnapped.

Overall, Maya is a character that is very special to me and one of my favorite characters. Seeing her go through all the things that happen to her and yet still coming out with a smile on her face is something I admire greatly. She also happens to be Maya Fey-vorite AA character. There’s not much else i have left to say but I can give y’all a Maya:

[farafeys]

instant karma

my third, most recent fic (written as a comic on dl-6 day adapted to prose the day after), and the beginning of an au i’m currently VERY focused on haha

Characters: Gregory Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth, Manfred von Karma, Blaise Debeste, Raymond Shields, Bonnie Young, Franziska von Karma, and Sebastian Debeste, mentions of various other investigations characters

2,242 words; no romantic relationships; spoilers for aa1/turnabout goodbyes, spoilers for investigations 2 specifically the backstory mentioned in the inherited turnabout/aai2.4; not-super-graphic violence but violence nonetheless

on december 28, 2001, gregory and miles edgeworth go home safe and sound. about a year later, von karma finds his revenge in a different way. 

(link to ao3; fic under cut)

December 28, 2001

District Court 7:00 PM

The long long trial had finally reached an end. Miles could still hear the old judge declaring Mr. Masters guilty as he and his father walked into the elevator to go home.

Mr. Masters wasn't guilty. He knew, because his father said he didn't kill anyone, and he even proved that that mean loud old prosecutor man had forced Mr. Masters to say he did it. It was infuriating. His father had taken the loss with grace, elegantly accepting the unfair, incorrect verdict.

Miles glanced up at his father. He didn't look upset, his usual strong gaze watching the floor numbers tick lower on the elevator display. Miles watched it too, trying to mimic his stoic expression.

Then in an instant everything changed.

he couldn't see everything was dark

the elevator LURCHED        they stopped moving

he heard a yell that wasn't his father was it that man with the official-looking hat he'd forgotten he was there

what was going on—

And the lights turned back on.

They flickered, then stayed constant as the elevator smoothly began its descent again.

Miles found that he was clutching his father's arm. He felt somewhat embarrassed; it had only been a second or two, and he was too old for such things.

Gregory placed a strong hand on Miles’ shoulder. If he was frazzled by that incident, his face didn't show it. With a small smile, he asked, “Are you alright, Miles?”

He glanced between the ceiling lights and his father's kind face. “Y-yes, the light just— just went out, Father.”

The security guard sharing the elevator with them leveled a neutral look at the father and son. He seemed to be breathing almost as heavily as Miles.

Gregory squeezed his son's shoulder. “I know, dear, it's all alright. That was frightening, though, wasn't it?”

Miles nodded solemnly.

After several seconds of quiet, there was a gentle ding. The elevator doors opened onto the ground floor and the occupants all made their ways home.

About three minutes later, the same elevator let out a man holding an expensive cane, wearing expensive clothes, and thinking livid things.

January 15, 2003

Criminal Affairs Department- Morgue 2:00 PM

A simple slip of the tongue, a moment of forgetfulness, the vaguest implication, and multiple lives were instantly in danger.

Dr. Bonnie Young flinched as the tall man on the other side of the table roared, “FORGED? ”

“Did I hear you correctly, woman!?” Her face soured and she steeled herself against the cold eyes of the veteran prosecutor.

“I don't know what you're impl-”

von Karma cut her off, “Dover's autopsy was doctored and I was not informed.” His nostrils flared. Unflattering, she thought. “Correct?”

Dr. Young's denial stuck in her throat. Failure to keep the secret could easily cost her life but in the face of such an accurate deduction the lie she had prepared evaporated.

Too enraged to give her time to improvise, von Karma turned on his heel. “Enough.” He said nothing else as he strode out of the morgue, slamming the exterior door.

January 15

Chief Prosecutor's Office 2:30 PM

Blaise DeBeste was infuriatingly unruffled as von Karma burst into his office as if he were trying to tear the doors off their hinges. It was even more so as he leveled heated, snide accusations of his meddling in the Masters case.

The Chief leaned his cheek into his hand, grinning.

“REALLY, I got no clue what yer talkin’ bout, Manny. Are ya implying I'm at fault for that penalty last year?” His hands flapped lazily in rhythm with his words.

DeBeste reached up to adjust his ugly driving goggles. “Ohh, just the idea brings tears to m-”

“Do not condescend to me, DeBeste,” von Karma hissed. He leaned over onto the desk, getting into the other's space. By chance, his right hand brushed over a custom-made letter opener; the handle was custom engraved with a favorite phrase of Blaise's, 'previligium fori ’.

Manfred von Karma was not aware of this engraving. He was barely aware that there was an object in his hand, let alone a lethal one, as he gripped it unconsciously, fingers clenching as a means of sweating out desperate rage.

DeBeste, however, did notice this. His eyes narrowed, watching his hand as the other continued, “No one fools Manfred von Karma.” He was leaning far enough over the desk that spit flecked Debeste's face with every consonant.

DeBeste leaned back in his expensive swivel chair, glanced at the hand holding the letter opener, and took his favorite cigarette lighter out of his pocket.

“... Are ya threatening me, Manny? Cute.” He flicked the fire on and off, speaking to von Karma but not looking at him.

“What exactly are ya gonna do to the Chief, huh?” He glanced up once to smirk at von Karma's contorted expression. “Unless you wanna disappear?”

Several seconds of silence other than the subtle flick - whoosh - flicks of the lighter.

von Karma by now recognized that he was brandishing a small knife, and the idea of a simple and quick out to this problem was very enticing. He held onto perspective, the knowledge that they were in the Prosecutor's Office and that this man was more indestructible than even he himself, for a tense and chafing while.

The threat hanging in the air, inflamed by the nonchalant arrogance of its creator, felt like a string stretched taut over a quivering knife.

Somehow, something in the mind of that enraged man snapped.

In less than a minute’s time, Blaise DeBeste's assistant ran into the room at the sound of a pained shout. In less than ten minutes’ time, Manfred von Karma was handcuffed after being caught by a perfect witness with perfect evidence. In less than ten seconds’ time, and for the next five hours until all the evidence was documented, Blaise DeBeste's custom-made letter opener was lodged 4 inches into his heart, only previlig- visible over his bloodied chest.

January 15

Detention Center 7:30 PM

Ray stood nervous outside the visiting room door. He usually accompanied Mr. Edgeworth while talking to potential clients, but he had said that this visit was more a courtesy than anything, and he doubted they'd actually be hired. Knowing what he did about the man in question, Ray was glad both that they wouldn't be working with him and that he wasn't a part of this current conversation. Still, he was anxious for his mentor.

Inside, Gregory Edgeworth was enduring an unpleasant but, he thought, necessary conversation.

On the other side of the safety glass, Manfred von Karma sneered at him. “Don't make me laugh.”

His arms were crossed haughtily. “Defend me? Why not just spit in my face, Edgeworth?”

Gregory sighed and ran a thumb along his hat where it rested on the sill below the glass.

“Does the possibility of the death penalty not worry you?” von Karma's eyes flicked from his face to his extended arm. His glare deepened. “Everyone deserves an attorney, even you, Prosecutor von Karma.”

Gregory waited several seconds while the other glared at him, almost searchingly. Perhaps his words actually got through to him?

von Karma swallowed, then huffed a contemptuous sigh. “Leave now.”

His tone allowed no argument. Gregory stood, retrieved his hat, and bid the murderer farewell with a small nod.

January 16

District Court: Courtroom no. Three  10:21 AM

It was not a long trial. It made sense, what with how perfectly decisive the evidence was. The prosecutor called Dr. Young to explain the forgery of Isaac Dover's autopsy report, the subsequent reveal of which enraged von Karma to the point of attacking the man responsible for it. A perfectly precise motive.

Less than an hour and a half after the trial opened, with only three witnesses, the judge was ready to declare a verdict. There was no objection from the defense, as von Karma had refused the public defender offered to him, and had remained silent, glowering in the defendant's chair, the entire morning.

Despite how one-sided and clear-cut the proceedings had been, there was a tense anticipation in the moments before the verdict was called. As the judge's booming voice called out, “Guilty,” something just too sour to be relief filled the courtroom air.

Gregory and Raymond sat in the gallery a few moments past the time the rest of the audience had begun to make their way out. Just the two of them had come together, even though Katie Hall and Miles had both expressed strong interest in seeing the trial (Kate had a performance she couldn't cancel, although she asked Ray over the phone to tell her about the trial later; Gregory refused to let his son meet Manfred von Karma again, even at his murder trial, and even besides that pointed out that it was a school day.).

Just as the two of them got through the lobby into the main atrium of the courthouse, there was a quick tapping sound behind them, then a gentle hand on Gregory's shoulder.

“Excuse me, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“Hmm?” Gregory turned around. The person who had stopped him, her hand now again at her side, was the prosecutor who had just convicted von Karma, Ms. Werther.

She spoke again, “You were the lawyer that got a penalty against him, right?”

Gregory assumed that she meant von Karma. He nodded. Raymond hovered behind him, watching over his shoulder.

Prosecutor Werther smiled a bit and jiggled the papers in her hand. The wind from it ruffled her impressively large ascot and coiffed white hair.

“There's been an issue no one at the Prosecutor's Office could help me resolve. Both von Karma and DeBeste had small children- a three year old girl and a very little baby boy, just over a year.” Her glasses were too thick to see her eyes and her posture was neutral, but a tremble in her typically steady voice betrayed strong feeling.

“None of us want them to go into the foster care system, especially not when they're fathers were our co-workers (...however corrupt). But they don't seem to have willing relatives.”

“But!” her voice got several shades brighter, “I remembered that your son observes your trials! I've met him during recesses, he's a very polite child. I thought, since you're a parent and already connected to the case, you might know what to do.”

Ray looked between the two lawyers. It was a little odd hearing this lady ask his mentor for advice about kids, especially since she looked quite a bit older than Mr. Edgeworth. Her hair reminded Ray of his grandma.

Prosecutor Werther cleared her throat. “Regardless, do you have any advice about these children?”

Gregory stayed quiet a few moments, his hand on his chin. “Prosecutor Werther,” he began. “... What are these children's names?”

January 15

County Social Security Office  6:57 PM

“That's the last of the paperwork! All the best to your family!” The man behind the agency desk gave Gregory a tired smile and handed him carbon copies of the documents.

“Thank you,” Gregory replied, doing the best he could to give a farewell nod at the same time as tucking away the papers with the sleeping Sebastian in his arms.

As far as adoptions go, Gregory may have set a record for speed. Thanks to the thorough work of Prosecutor Werther, gaining the official approval of a judge for Gregory to take in both Franziska and Sebastian was very much painless. Most of the day had been spent speaking with the children themselves (who were not in attendance of the trial but had been supervised at the courthouse during it), then dealing with the many and varied tedious kinds of paperwork. The whole process would have taken much longer without Werther's help in the groundwork and legal aspects, and Raymond's youthful energy and support, as well as his attempts to entertain a stressed, bored three year old girl.

As Ray saw Mr. Edgeworth returning from the desk to the waiting room, he sprung up from his chair and offered Franziska a piggyback ride. After some barbed questions and several tiny slaps to his arm, she agreed and was on his back by the time her new father was ready to leave.

They made their way to Gregory's car. He had offered to drive Raymond home that morning well before all this, and reiterated it several times over the afternoon. He felt no need to repeat it again now.

“...Thank you for helping me all day, Raymond, it was entirely above and beyond the expectations of your position.”

Ray laughed and hopped a little to keep Franziska from sliding down his back. She whined tiredly but said nothing. “ 'Course, Mr. Edgeworth! Ha, Miles is in for a big surprise in a bit, isn't he?”

Gregory internally winced for a moment. Aside from not yet telling his son about this significant change to their lives, he hadn't called him after being out all day. It wasn't unusual for him to be out late and Miles was both very capable and used to this, but it still weighed on Gregory's mind. He certainly wouldn't be able to try that trick anymore; he well remembered how much attention toddlers need, not to mention a 16-month old like Sebastian. Perhaps he'd be spending more time at home with Miles now.

“... Yes. A good surprise, I hope.”