#and so that it would be clear that it was Edgeworth and not just straight up Dante

[doctorsiren]

miles edgeworth and dante from devil may cry look kinda similar so I knew what I had to do

[sirgawainofgalifrey]

Last one of the Investigations Manga, aka; Edgeworth and Gumshoe just trying to live their lives and be together but people keep getting murdered around them.

Today we open with another fic trope: a Sick Fic!!

Classic trope of one person getting the other sick because they're always so close to each other.

"I can't believe you did this to me!" Oh my Gosh (girl why were you letting him get that close to you??!)

(also WHY ARE THEY SO SILLY I CANT TAKE IT??!)

But Gummie's determined to help his little munchkin

So let me get this straight:

Edgeworth

Agreed to go to a clinic he's never heard of before, instead of his usual one

Was willing to follow Gumshoe blindly when he'd said he'd HEARD (several years ago) that it could heal you quicker (no solid proof or testimony)

Has been walking around for an HOUR (wasting time on said hearsay) when it's clear Gumshoe doesn't even know where it is

In what he himself said was the busiest season for him

All because of Gumshoe.

And for Gumshoe.

Hmmmm okay 😏....

Then there is more silliness at the clinic

They're both somewhat scared of the clinic cause it seems seedy, but also Gumshoe is willing to be the tester for him.

And when Edgeworth starts investigating, even though Gumshoe's not there, he still pairs himself with him.

"WE may be of some help." BOTH of us. Because we are a TEAM. We are PARTNERS.

(he values their partnership!! And doesn't distance himself from him in the presence of others!! If anything he's more open about their connection!!)

And Gumshoe comes back pissed and Edgeworth's actually concerned!

Wow!! Actual acknowledgement of the impacts of Gumshoe's bad treatment?!

And the fact that Gumshoe doesn't blame Edgeworth at all for his state, despite the power that he holds over him (Almost like he knows he doesn't really use it, and that they're PARTNERS, not just a boss and employee.)

And Edgeworth's silence, either realizing and actually having sympathy for Gumshoe, and/or being dumbfounded at how he can put it off like that (and not blame him?)

And, of course, Edgeworth solves the case, but what's this?

He compliments Gumshoe?

Compliments him on something he would usually be yelled at for being clumsy? (And has been at other times, by other characters throughout this.)

Attributes the whole case being solved to it?

And Gumshoe being so confused, used to bad treatment by now?!

But Edgeworth seeing just how his instinct and luck (and perseverance and empathy and practical knowledge how and loyalty) can be useful a d important?!!

LOVE!!!

This whole series has been really good, especially in illustrating their relationship. The fact that most of the cases are just them doing regular things together or them being pulled together by fate. Showing how Gumshoe really cares for Edgeworth and wants to be helpful to him, but is constantly put down by literally everyone else for his weaknesses and mistakes, to the point of Gumshoe figuring Edgeworth would be better off without him. Showing how Edgeworth really cares for Gumshoe and sees his unique strengths and value, and while he sometimes snaps at him, he sees them as equals, and isn't afraid going against people who dismiss him or looking bad by associating with him, and goes out of his way to help him. Gumshoe really wants to be where Edgeworth is, Edgeworth really wants Gumshoe to be with him. And they're both so stupid and so silly.

Anyway. That's all for now, folks. Godspeed.

[schmorpthe]

I see a lot of debate on this fandoms found family obsession and I want to add my two cents and headcannons that no one reaaaallllyyyyy cares about.

I think there's a balance of it that's good. For example, I think interpreting Maya and Phoenix as siblings is just as valid as best friends. Siblings can be best friends, my own sister is literally my best friend. It works with the dynamic of them both feeling like they're taking each other in after Mia's death, and I see their banter and can relate it to how my sister and I treat each other.

On the other hand, I don't like it when people give Phoenix and Apollo the father-son dynamic. I think there is a level of protectiveness from Phoenix, coming from seeing some of himself when he was younger in Apollo, as well as knowing he's Trucy's brother. But Apollo is an adult who looked up to Phoenix when he was younger, just his trust betrayed. At first it's a case of never meet your idols for Apollo. He also finds him irritating. I think there is a point where those two can get on good terms and Apollo forgives Phoenix, but they aren't family. It's a different type of love and care. They are mentor and mentee. Apollo will always find Phoenix annoying too, he just gets used to it and that irritation no longer is from a place of resentment, just Phoenix pushing his buttons.

As far as Athena goes, I haven't played much of DD yet because I started as the new trilogy got announced and decided to wait, but I think it's another case of Phoenix being protective but not quite in an adopted kid sense. He sees a young girl who needs some love, care, and guidance. You can love and care for someone a bit like a daughter without going all the way into they are my daughter territory. Trucy and Athena? Best friends. You know how so many of us have best friends that are basically like a sibling but we don't literally feel like siblings? That's them. They are an unstoppable duo.

As far as Edgeworth and Kay goes, I haven't finished AAI but I do see a little bit of adopted father-daughter dynamic, but not as intense. Kay is very self sufficient and made it through her teen years without her own dad or Edgeworth in her life. They are bonded over the shared trauma of losing a parent at the courthouse and Edgeworth is protective of her and his door is always open for her in the good and the bad. The paternal instinct is there and he would help her through anything. I feel like Kay called him Dad by accident one time and that did make them more like family, but apart from emotional times or jokes, he is Mr Edgeworth.

On the note of Edgeworth, I'm not keen on the adopting basically the entire prosecutor's office. I just don't feel like that's Edgeworth. I do think he softens yes. I do think he cares about his employees, but it's the vibe of a good boss being on professionally friendly terms. They can go to him for help, sometimes not work related. He can be a mentor. But he's their boss first and foremost, and in a more Edgeworth sense than Phoenix. More by the book. So yes he cares about them and can sometimes be protective, but not in a family way.

I do like Edgeworth eventually becoming Trucy's other Dad, but it takes time. For a long time he's Uncle Edgeworth and it takes him a long time to adjust to that even. Eventually he starts treating Trucy like a daughter, Phoenix pulls him up on it, he has a bit of a crisis. This is after the 7yg when Phoenix no longer has to live in the shell he did before getting his name cleared, therefore being able to officially be with Miles. Point being it's not immediate. He does immediately live Trucy but his instinct isn't familial for a while.

Honestly me explaining this hasn't completely gotten what's in my head across about I hope you get what I mean.

Also, at the end of the day everyone can have their own interpretation of the game. People will make it what they need it to be and that's okay. As long as what you are going with isn't illegal or straight up gross, go ahead. These are my own conclusions I've come to and it's these interpretations I look for in the media I consume, but whatever fuels your love for this series is what matters ✨

[96percentdone]

Oh, this is going to be a fun one! (I hope.) Not necessarily romantic (but you can if you want!!) 14 or 22 for Larry and Edgeworth! (Ace Attorney)

Asks that remind me I never uploaded my Larry Zine fic to Ao3. Did that by the time you get this prompt fill, but Here's that for those who have not seen it. On with the main event!

14. phone call and 22. reunion hug

Although Miles has spent more time far across the ocean than here—speaking German in quaint little towns with clear skies, winding waterways, and unique historical architecture—Los Angeles with its sea of skyscrapers and palm trees mixed with shrines and Japanese street food stands is still the only city he truly calls home. It’s good to be back—or at least it would be were he not stranded at LAX for the past several hours with no ride in sight. He wants to sleep in his own bed!  For god’s sake, what could be taking him so long?

Bzzzzt. Through the many layers of his suit and coat, his phone vibrating is still more felt than heard in the endless noise of Terminal B. It doesn’t last long. “What happened?”

“Not even a hello? Rude!” whines the voice on the other end, loud enough Miles has to pull the phone away from his ear despite the surrounding cacophony. 

“Butz, I was on a flight for 12 hours in a cramped economy seat, and now I’m sitting on my suitcase in an airport terminal. You try being congenial in these circumstances.”

“Listen man—” Larry starts, and a horn blares from nearby him, “—the traffic out here is TERRIBLE! What do you want from me? It’s like Moozilla vs Gourdy levels of people trying to leave town, and then the car—” Another horn. Again? Larry pulls away from the mic and yells, “Hey, watch it, buddy! I’m right here!”

A horrible thought strikes him, accompanied by the image of a beat up Honda CR-V smashed like an accordion against a highway K-rail: “Please tell me you are not still behind the wheel.” 

“What? No!” Thank god. “I’m crossing the street! These guys are crazy out here! They almost hit me with a car!”

“Well, those are LA drivers for you,” Miles drawls with the faintest hint of a smirk. He really ought to stop underestimating Larry; although his choices are usually dubious, he agreed to pick him up on short notice when no one else would. 

“They’re out for blood! My life is at stake!”

“I’m sure you will survive the perils of crossing the street.” 

“What about the guys riding the curb? Nowhere is safe! I might not have any feet after this! And I don’t think you know how to drive American cars…”

What kind of ridiculous assumption is that? It’s just a car! It can’t be that different! “Just hurry up.”

“I’m doing my best!” Larry yells. “Why didn’t you get a cab? Most people do.” 

“I had not planned to return home this soon, and…” How could he? Who would have expected this? And only a mere two weeks after Miles swore to reform the entire legal system! As soon as the news graced his phone screen, well…let’s just say he panicked, and after an uncountable number of rejected calls and going straight to voicemail before that too was turned off, he booked the soonest flight home without regard to logistics; it only occurred to him mid-flight he does not have means to get home. “I was not quite thinking clearly.”

“He really provokes something else in you, huh?” The who remains unspoken. For his numerous idiosyncrasies and struggles with basic logic, for matters of the heart, Larry is strikingly intuitive. Though Miles did not once say why he was already back home in that call sitting in the back of the plane waiting to get out, the wobbling wave weaved through every word must have given him away. 

There’s a pause—1…2…3—then a sigh. “Yes.” 

“Yeah, I get it,” Larry says, in a quiet voice, or at least as quiet as he can manage in the interminable noise of LAX’s international terminal. “It’s good you came back.”

‘I agree’, Miles thinks. ‘I had to,’ he affirms. ‘Was there any other choice?’ he asks. ‘It is the least I can do to pay him back for all he’s done for me,’ he confesses. ‘I may not be able to do much more than this; the undertaking I’ve begun is so massive, and already I’ve lost one of my greatest allies,’ he worries. ‘I did not envision beating back this darkness alone,’ he despairs. ‘But I must,’ he resolves. ‘Perhaps it’s fitting that my work begins with changing the legal world to bring him back.’

“Mm.” A grunt will have to suffice. He’s sure that Larry understands that without it being spoken as well.

Larry says something indecipherable, muffled by something blocking the microphone, but before Miles can ask him to repeat it, there’s a shout and an abrupt click. “Now who is being rude,” he grumbles, looking up from his phone right as an orange track suit comes rocketing towards him. 

“Edgeyyy!!!” He yells, loud enough to turn the heads of several tourists, although if he notices, it affects him not one whit. 

“You’re causing a scene,” Miles says, giving a pointed glance to the other stragglers loitering in this corner who are now gawking at Larry as he jumps over suitcases and sprints across the tile floor. 

To his surprise, Larry actually listens, skidding to a sudden stop with an “Oops!” about five feet away, and the tourists return their attention elsewhere. “I was gonna give you a welcome back hug, but then I figured you don’t really like that kinda thing.” 

“A good assumption,” Miles says and picks himself off his luggage. Everything is still here—yes. Exactly where it should be. “Alright. We should make haste.” I cannot bear this noise for even one second longer.

But Larry says nothing and remains firmly rooted in place even as Miles starts wheeling his way out; whereas before he wore a smile too big for his face, now his mouth is curved into an uneasy half-frown. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

Normally, Miles would say, ‘a rarity,’ but with that wavering misty gaze, it’s clear now is not the time for snark. “About…?”

“I’ve never been to this part of the terminal before. Y’know. For arrivals.”

That’s it? But Miles bites his tongue. Obviously, that is not merely it, but what it is is beyond him. Miles is nothing like Larry; for him, emotions are an enigma beyond understanding. And I have no evidence to work with! Well, that’s not strictly true. Think! His phrasing suggests Larry’s been here for departures, and yet never the return. That’s not how traveling works—you have to return home—but Miles didn’t take him as the traveling type for several reasons, so that only leaves… “Ah.”

Miles has never given much thought to Larry’s myriad relationships. They never last very long;  he can hardly remember any of his former girlfriends’ names, only that they tend to be models and actresses, and at some point, without fail, they leave to travel abroad. Presumably, they must come back, in the same way Miles does, but…not for him. They never come back to him.

Passengers from the latest arrival pour out from the hallway out of customs and into the lobby in droves, reuniting with their loved ones waving them down with enthusiastic shouts of “Welcome home!” Not far from them, a middle-aged man welcomes a girl home, perhaps his daughter, with outstretched arms, and she tackles him with a laugh.

“Anyway, we can head out,” Larry starts, speeding towards the exit but without the bombast from earlier, “but I gotta warn you it’s really bad out—”

“Larry.” Deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. You can manage this.

“What?” Larry says. He hasn’t stopped.  

“Come here.” His arms move like they belong to a rusted machine, disjointed, clunky and slow and slow, and Miles has never felt less in control of his limbs before. How does anyone do this? 

“Why? Aren’t we leaving? I thought you wanted to go home.”

“Butz so help me—” 

“Dude, make up your mind—” But Larry’s words putter out once he finally turns around, and he stands there with his mouth still hanging open. It flaps, open, then less, again and again as he tries yet fails to speak. 

Yes, I know I look ridiculous! This was a terrible idea! What is he doing? Why is he doing this? Yes, they’re friends, but it’s not like he can fix it! He didn’t come home for Larry’s sake either, so isn’t this a meaningless, symbolic gesture of pity? What’s the point? 

“Edgeeeeyyyy!!!,” Larry cries, and once again barrels across the airport terminal, crashing into Miles at full force, almost knocking them to the floor were it not for Miles’ luggage behind them, but despite the strength of the crash, the hug itself is gentle. Enthusiastic, but gentle. “I missed you, man!!”

“I was not even gone a week.” The rust in his arms slowly falls away when Miles hugs him back. 

“Still!” Larry says as he steps back with a sniff. “Only you can make offering a cheer-up hug look like struggling to lift 200 pounds.” 

“Nnngghhh—” Must he say it so bluntly? Curse his intuition! 

But Larry’s impossibly big smile from earlier is back, so maybe this humiliation is okay. “It’s good to be back, right?”

Yes, it is. Los Angeles is a mess of skyscrapers and shrines and endless horrific traffic, a city rife with corruption that stretches deep into the foundation of government, yet just as filled with people who would drop everything to come get him, no matter how ill-tempered and emotionally inarticulate he is. “Yes, it is.” Thank you. 

Larry waves him off. Once again, Miles is understood without speaking.

[sylviesnrmts]

My favourite things about Ace Attorney :>

𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ 𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ𖥔 ִ ་ ، ˖ ࣪ ་ ˖ ʿ

~ Part 1 ~ Relationships

Narumitsu. // >:) It's my favourite ship ever atm, they bring me so much joy ahhh (I have thought about them non stop for 4 months omg)

Mia Fey x Lana Skye // In college they dated and or explored each others bodies so to speak. (not actual but that's my hc) (Also there's rlly good fanfics on ao3 that take place in a timeline where Mia didn't get conked and Lana didn't get Ganted which r rlly wholesome.)

The sheer intensity of Godot's love for Mia. // That is true passion.

Ron and Desirée DeLite // THE STRAIGHT COUPLE EVER. This is real love! At points you wonder if Dessie is just with him because he’s rich but no! She just really loves him. 🧡

Franmaya // Very swaggy. Wholesome and I LIVE FOR THE FANDOM INTERPRETATIONS OF THEM!! 🫶🫶

Klapollo // I haven't played Apollo Justice but I eat minor spoilers for breakfast. Klavier just decides from first sight. That is the one. "I've never felt this way about a man" And he just flirts with the short king while Apollo is oblivious but also is madly in love IDK AGAIN I HAVENT PLAYED THE GAME YET BUT I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM. (THE SHIP)

Faraskye // So cute, idk much about Kay Faraday but their designs together r rlly cute and I've seen a few edits of them which r rlly wholesome. 🫶

Doug Swallow.. x Feenie. // I read a fanfic about them and da bunch of objection.lols and I'm ngl they grew on me.

Maggey x Gumshoe // The age gap is iffy to me but they are extremely wholesome. (Weenie lunchboxes, anyone? :3)

Adrian x Franziska // They are similar, that's for sure. I can't help but feel the perverse power dynamic though that would likely be their undoing. Or maybe, They could change each other for the better. Adrian lets Franzy get more acquainted with her softer side, and Franzy teaches Adrian to be stronger and more confident! Ok now I have to write a fic about that. Feel free to use that idea, my treat.

April May x Ini Miney // I saw some fanart of them on Pinterest 😼 They both got a bit of an act goin, but they r very cute.

Dahlia Hawthorne/ Melissa Foster x April May // April and Ini's acts, dialled up to 11. I read a really good fic of them. I drew them too and I would do it again :)

Franziska x Ema Skye // (As adults) Pretty wholesome ngl.

Mia x Lana x Godot. // I dub them the hottest polycule in anime. This is assuming that Lana isn't lesbian (likely story.) and we would have to do some timeline gymnastics to give these three a happy ending but I think they would make a very good poly ship :)

Lana x Angel x Mia // Kinda popular on Tumblr, actually. (I just remembered I am ON TUMBLR right now...) Very cute. I want to draw them.

(I had a rainbow sherbet mother energy drink today 🤤 It tastes like nerds, would recommend.)

Edgeworth and Franziska siblings // They are bouncing in my head like a screensaver constantly. I love Sound the turnabout melody because it shows us how much love Franzy has for Miles.

“Why’d you go and dress him (Miles’ dog) up?”

“I thought it would make you smile..” IMSOBBING

And when Miles becomes Manfred’s disciple, Franziska is off to the side, literally in the shadows. But what does she do? The sweet girl who wants nothing more than to follow in her beloved papa’s footsteps and become a great prosecutor, watching as her papa gives his attention to the boy he took in as his own? She gives that boy the biggest smile she can muster. Her little head is filled with nothing but love and admiration.

Even as an adult, Franziska admires Miles. Her main motivation for even BEING in the second game revolves around him. It is made clear that she isn’t going after Phoenix because of her father, but because of Miles. She believed that Phoenix was the reason for Miles choosing death, and she was NOT going to let him get away with it. (I will add more later, I could go on about them for hours.)

Ema and Lana Skye // I think about them at least once a day, let Lana go see her sister PLEASE she's done her time ok let my girls be happy and investigate together... 🙏 anyway Lana risked and lost so so much to protect Ema..

Dahlia and Iris Hawthorne // Iris loves her sister so very much. Dahlia sees her as dirt. Been thinking abt them alot today. Iris was willing to help with Dahlia’s schemes despite not being evil herself.

Phoenix and Maya sibling relationship // They will forever be siblings to me lel.

By extension I feel like Mia and Phoenix were like family cuz they were like 🥲 all they had

Signal samurai trio // Especially as kids they r so fcking CUUUUTETETTEEE give me lifeee

Also narumitsu art where they are kids makes me so happyyyy cuz they r so!! adorable!! <3

Phoenix and Trucy being father and daughter // 🥲 Phoenix, can.. Will u be my father too? 🙏 (father issues) They are the adhd dad & adhd daughter representation we need but ya'll aren't ready for that information. (Direct quote from a post I made on my main 💀💀)

Gumshoe and Edgeworth friendship. // Trust. They have their own ways of showing their respect for each other 😭 but they work very well together and r close even if they don't act like it! (Or if Gumshoe's salary reflects it. 😭)

MIA AND MILES’ DYNAMIC. // I love how many interpretations there are of these two’s relationship. For one we got them being besties. I love this and yes I have drawn art of it. Then theres them hating each other’s very guts. This is reasonable! Also interesting. I wish we were able to see Mia’s reaction to the reason Phoenix became a lawyer. That would be very interesting. Anyway they live in my mind. Novice bimbos forever <3

Phoenix and Franziska friendship // When they manage to tolerate each other they r very cute and fun!

Trucy and Franzy auntie and niece relationship // This one is specifically because of the "How to court a fool in three months" fanfic. But they work so well together and I rlly want to see more ppl to utilize them :)

Miles and Gregory Edgeworth // All the art and posts about them are so very wholesome and Gregory seemed like a great dad. (I can't wait to learn more about him in AAI :3)

Manfred VK and Miles Edgeworth //

Drops this and runs but I run into a pole and get knocked unconscious 😵‍💫 I posted this btw 😵‍💫

Will be adding more cuz VK fam r the only thoughts in my brain rn.

Larry Butz.. and Maya Fey.. but their relationship is that of a fun uncle and silly niece. // This one may need some explaining. This is very much projection cuz these two remind me of me and my uncle (literally the funniest dude I know) Well not actually my uncle but a family friend. But yk.

Then I played... 😡 trials and tribulations 😡 And this bitch ass Butz was flirting with Maya! WTF?! Was that necessary?? Did anyone laugh at that? No! I could write a whole essay on how Larry's character got obliterated throughout the trilogy. He went from one of my favourite characters, to me actually cheering a little when he had something bad happen. (I still love him tho and choose to pretend that he doesn't become a shell of himself after the first game.)

(“Not exactly a friend… but yes, I know him” Cracked me tf up. Deserved lmao.)

---Not plot relevant spoilers for bridge to the turnabout ---

Going off from that I want to touch on Larry and Pearls friendship. // This had potential! Just kidding! It was ruined from before they even saw each other. Larry hears Pearl over the phone and goes "oH wHaT a CuTiEeE!" in a weird way. My c*nt that is a whole 8 year old child. But if we IGNORE THAT GRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I like in the anime adaptation of farewell my turnabout, Larry is rlly nice to Pearl :) And in bridge to the turnabout, this could be a hot take but I think the whole 'loser shack' thing was hilarious. Larry was so enthusiastic and boisterous and Pearl was just like yeah guess I'm here.. and as soon as Phoenix comes around she turns her full attention to him. Idk I just thought that whole exchange was charming.

--- Spoilerz over ---

.   ݁ ˖ ࣪ . ⋆ * .♡ *:･ﾟ.   ݁ ˖ ࣪ . ⋆ * .♡ *:･ﾟ.   ݁ ˖ ࣪ . .   ݁ ˖ ࣪ . ⋆ * .♡ *:･ﾟ.   ݁ ˖ ࣪ . ⋆ * .♡ *:･ﾟ.   ݁ ˖ ࣪ .

-- Hints at sexual shit ahead if you don't want to read that then all g — I removed some cuz idk 😭

These ones are just for shits and gigs.

Phoenix and Larry college situationship. // Had to throw a bit of a curveball at ya. I don't fucking know why this is in the back of my head but it is.

Ema and Franziska // This was from like one person on twitter or Tumblr but I like it. Bitter exes, get it. 💅

If by some miracle Edgeworth isn't a virgin (and also isn't asexual of course!) by the time he actually gets with Wright then I think he would do it with Gumshoe or agent Lang. Trust. I refuse to believe he would ever think about a woman that way 😭 And also the man's just married to his work he don't got time for that.

But why Lang gotta go around telling him to be a good little pretty boy or whatever the fuck gay stuff he says to him. (I have only seen a few screenshots, I have yet to meet Lang in the game 💀💀)

Anyway I just had to get that out there lmao. Don't take this too seriously 🤣

That's all for now! I was typing this for about 2 hours longer than I expected. Anyway please share your thoughts in the comments or tags!

Have a great day or night and if it is night then... please go to sleep. (5:22am 😻) Goodnight

Update:

Stfu tryna give people advice on when to sleep when I pulled an all nighter this week and got very disoriented the next night or maybe the night after (last night?!) because the last 48 hours had merged together to form a blur 😭

[heaven-s-black-box]

Embarrassment- ensemble

Return to File- Event Masterlist

Recovery date: July 26th, 2020

Description: Larry tells embarrassing stories about his friends to their subordinates

Notes: An entry from my 2020 research project into the universe of Ace Attorney. You can find the next entry here.

Word count: 740

Back to directory

“Nicky! Where are you?” Larry whined, as he barged into the Wright Anything Agency. Everyone in the office looked up at him.

“Oh! Hey uncle Larry, if you're looking for daddy, he’s out grabbing lunch with uncle Miles. Do you wanna wait here with us?” Trucy asked.

“Aww! Hey Truce! Man, Nicky and Edgey never tell me anything,” he huffed, flopping down on the couch beside his niece. He was either ignoring, or didn’t notice, the stares from the rest of the office.

“Um, hello?” Apollo asked, “Who are you?”

“What?! You don’t know who I am?” Everyone shook their heads. “I am the great artist Laurice Deuxnim, Nick and Edgey’s best friend since grade school!”

“Oh!” Athena yelled, “I think I’ve seen some of your books. Wait, how do you get Larry from Laurice Deuxnim?”

“How does one get Nick from Phoenix Wright?”  Simon asked, flipping through a case file.

“Herr samurai does have a point.”

“Oh! That’s because his real name is Larry butz,” everyone sent Trucy a curious look. “What? Not like some of your names are very normal. I mean Mr. Gavin’s name is literally piano.” Apollo and Simon both started snickering.

“Hey I have a great name!”Larry whined.

“So, Mr. Butz,” Athena said, setting down her case files.

“Call me Laurice!”

“Alright Laurice, if you’ve know Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth for so long, you have to have some good stories!”

“Athena lets not.”

“Oh come on! You have to have some questions,” Athena whined. “What about you two?” She turned to Simon and Klavier.

“I do have one,” Klavier said. “What’s with the samurai keychain herr Edgeworth always keeps with him?”

“Actually, I’ve been wondering that too. Mr. Wright has a blue one, but he won’t tell me where he got it, and he gets fidgety when we ask,” Apollo said, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Oh like this one?” Larry asked, pulling out his signal samurai keychain. “It was a set I won back in elementary school! It’s the signal samurai, Nicky and I got Edgey into it back then.”

“Edgeworth-dono? Watched a children’s samurai show?”

“What, I’m sure he wasn’t always so uptight,” Trucy laughed.

“Oh no, Edgey was always like this! Always going on about being a defense attorney like his father. He always wore a little bow tie and stuff.”

“Heh, that sounds like herr Edgeworth,” Klavier laughed. By now, everyone had set down their work and was listening. “Any other stories herr Butz?”

“Ooh! Wait I can do you one better,” he pulled out his phone. “I have a picture of us doing the signal samurai pose!”

“What?!”

“No way uncle Miles would do something like that,” Trucy said. As Larry scrolled through his phone, the door opened.

“What’s going on?” Edgeworth asked, as him and Wright stepped inside with two paper bags. “Larry what are you doing here?”

“Edgey! Nicky!” Larry yelled, dropping his phone and forgetting about the picture. “We were just talking about you two.”

“What were you telling them exactly?” Wright asked wearily.

“Can you guys do the signal samurai pose?!” Trucy yelled.

“Larry…” Edgeworth almost growled. “What did you say?”

“Nothing! They were just asking about the keychains.”

“He was going to show us a picture of the pose!” Athena yelled.

“Oh, then I see no harm,” Wright said, “Although I’m a little out of practise. Come on, there’s space over here.” Wright dragged Edgeworth to a clear area.

“Wright,” he hissed, “don’t humor him!”

“Oh come on Edgey!” He joined them, “ ready?” Edgeworth just huffed and looked away, standing straight with his arms crossed. Larry cupped his hand around his eyes, “Sense the enemies I do. So be careful, will you?” Everyone started laughing, even Edgeworth cracked a grin. “Signal Yellow!” He struck the signal yellow pose.

“Kick enemies to the curb, and sally forth!” Wright extended his hand, and Trucy burst out into a fit of giggle. Edgeworth’s shoulders relaxed. “Signal blue!” He struck the signal blue pose.

“Come on uncle Miles!”

“Ja herr Edgeworth, don’t leave your friends waiting!”

“Fine, but this never leaves this room!” He glared, before taking a deep breath as his face turned red. “You’re facing me, and I shall stop thee.” He went through the motions, although a little choppy. “Signal red.” He posed. Everyone began to snicker, before bursting into full on laughter.

“Hey! You asked for it,” Wright laughed.

“Again!” Trucy yelled.

[pollywiltse]

The painting of Anna Seward on the Claudia Kairoff book looks weirdly like my niece, actually. I think it's the shared ethnicity, though.

I still haven't opened it, partly because I keep getting distracted by trash books online so I have this pile of serious hardcover non-fiction that I mean to read but never get around to, and partly because when I was looking for something else, I stumbled on an excerpt from it where Kairoff insists that Anna Seward being supportive of Honora Sneyd marrying Edgeworth is evidence that Seward wasn't sexually attracted to her and I got pissed off. Again. Especially since I had just seen someone act like Baron von Steuben encouraging his proteges to get married was in no way evidence that he wasn't sleeping with them, and Kairoff is a lit professor, so she's in a field where it's, for example, completely acceptable to claim that some man who was constantly falling in love with women was actually exclusively homosexual because he never married any of them because the only possible reason a man could have been single was because he was gay and if you think this is sexist bullshit, you're either stupid or a homophobe, probably both. But somehow Anna Seward's crushes on men aren't fake even though she never married any of them and if you think this is kind of a sexist double standard, don't you know there are plenty of reasons for a woman to stay single other than her being lesbian and there isn't good enough evidence why don't you care about evidence? Weird.

Though tbh at this point I'm not really in favor of deciding historical women were gay using the same flimsy logic as people keep applying to men, because first of all it's dishonest and the left already has a problem with thinking it can lie for "moral" reasons let's not enable it even more, especially because second I think it will just end up like the slash fic where the canon female love interests would get made lesbian so they can be more easily put on a bus because the authors felt it was a less sexist way of completely erasing the male characters' relationships with them than making them straight total bitches. Which, I mean, I guess it is, but in a sort of being decapitated is better than being hanged sort of way. Like you would see fic that was tagged with an f/f pairing that you wanted to read, but then you'd open it up and it would be all "Arwen and Eowyn had just gone off to a lesbian retreat so Faramir or whoever Eowyn married I don't remember was staying with Aragorn. 'Good morning, darling,' said Faramir", and then you're like, "Fuck you, don't tag pairings that get mentioned once in passing, especially if they're rare pairs that no one writes and also this doesn't count as lesbian representation stop congratulating yourself." (Actually I suspect this is a bad example because the LOTR fandom is big enough that most Arwen/Eowyn fics probably actually involve Arwen and Eowyn, but get into smaller fandoms and you run into this constantly.)

In other words I think it's just going to end up somehow erasing women and benefiting men because it always does. Especially since I've seen multiple instances where it was really clear that someone was only interpreting this woman as queer because they were trying to use it as evidence that some man she was involved with was gay. (I don't think I have ever seen someone claim that a man being attracted to men was evidence that his wife was gay.) Granted these were not academics, but every time I stumble into queer academia, it's the extreme, overt version of the sexist batshittery that you see covert and toned down in real life. There's also the relative of this where people will look at female behavior that seems suggestive but decide it means that the men are gay and the women are straight. Like there's this meme from the turn of the 20th century that women are attracted to feminine men, and after you've read enough of these books, it becomes very clear that calling these men feminine isn't complimentary, but it also doesn't imply that they're gay. It's actually more likely to imply that they're some unacceptable ethnicity, or that they want to spend all their time with their chorus girl mistress instead of heading off to Africa and seeing how fast they can make lions an endangered species like a real man, or that they're capable of having conversations with women instead of standing in the corner hoping the girl they're into will realize they want to marry her by telepathy. So in early 20th century novels, it's like "dumb bitches need to realize what they actually want is a socially awkward Englishman and not this reanimated ancient Egyptian with social skills", and then the "of course homosexuals* exist (*male)" people got hold of the "women like feminine men" meme, but decided the obvious queer interpretation wasn't "women like feminine men because what women really want is another woman and this is the best they can do in a heteronormative society", it was "dumb bitches don't realize this guy is actually gay and what they really want is a manly man who will throw them over his shoulder and carry them back to his cave". I mean, both are unintended by the author, but there's this consistent resistance to the idea of women being gay from people who have no problem with the idea of men being gay. (Also the specific example I'm thinking of is a guy who literally gets described as having the face of an evil woman, and there actually might be an implication that he's maybe somehow a reincarnation of his mother (it's been a while, so I might be wrong), so a queer reading that claims that all the women who are attracted to him are actually secretly gay and the end where he's defeated and Our Hero's fiancee who he's cast a literal spell on is saved and marries her gender-conforming straight boyfriend is about female homoerotic desire being suppressed so the the hero's love interest can take her place as the submissive heterosexual wife of the main character would actually probably make more sense than the people on Goodreads who are like clearly Antony Ferrara is gay. But I forgot, we only do secret homoerotic desire projected onto the opposite sex for men. If a woman is written as attracted to a man, there's no possible way to interpret that as her being anything other than straight. Also, there are have never been any closeted lesbians in heterosexual marriages. Actually at this point I think people are more threatened by female homosexuality than by male homosexuality because how hard people try to explain why it doesn't count and how much less willing they seem to be to reinterpret women in heterosexual relationships as gay than men. It's like they can't bear the idea of a woman a man was attracted to not being into men. How dare you not be male property? You're only allowed to not be male property if no man wants you. Honestly the two groups of people that make me feel like they think a woman's true role is to be some man's property are conservatives and the queer representation people.)

[rivalsforlife]

Phoenix Wright: The Truth Reborn: Oh No We’re Doing This Again

hi.

Nearly two months ago, I wrote an essay summarizing and making very wild conclusions about the second Takarazuka Musical. I did this about two and a half years after watching the first Takarazuka musical. As such I did not have the full context for many things from the musical and was relying mostly on my memory, which blocked many things from this musical for my own safety. However, just this week, I decided to rewatch it, because I enjoy tormenting myself. I said I wouldn’t write anything on it. Here I am writing something on it.

Here’s the youtube thumbnail so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. And here, of course, is the link. This is the HD version which may be slightly more pleasant to watch. Maybe.

It was not quite as cringe in a funny way as the second musical to me, and therefore this essay may be less funny, but I feel like I’m doing a disservice to people by providing a summary of the second musical while completely neglecting the first. Quite possibly doing this is even more of a disservice. I just eagerly await the day that the third musical is translated because *that* will be the day that I finally shuffle off this mortal coil. Either way, I want to write this stuff down so that I never have to watch the musical again out of curiosity.

The following essay will contain major spoilers for both the first and second Phoenix Wright Takarazuka musicals, as I will be using many points from this musical to argue my thesis of the second musical. ... like you were going to watch them anyways. 

This one broke 8k. I’m dead inside.

Introducing The Director

Again another disclaimer that I don’t have anything against the actresses or the theatre troupe. I DO have something against Suzuki Kei, who I recently learned is the writer and director of all three of the Ace Attorney Takarazuka musicals, and is quite possibly my mortal nemesis.

This man is the one who brought this monstrosity into the world.

This man, allegedly, cleared the first four ace attorney games *seven times* before sitting down to write these musicals. He played these goddamn games seven times and did not take in a single word. The man clicked through them mindlessly while watching a badly written legal romance drama in the background and got them completely confused. I genuinely have no idea how this man could have played these games more times than even me and yet managed to get so many characters (MAYA!!!!) completely and utterly wrong. This haunts me every day, truly.

This man played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney seven times. SEVEN TIMES EACH!! and was told to create a musical based on the series. He played these games seven times each and you know what he said?? You know what he said?? “This sucks, I’m getting rid of all of Phoenix’s backstory, butchering half the characters, and writing Phoenix/Lana fanfiction, but also rewriting all of Lana’s backstory so that she was Phoenix’s childhood friend, and you know what, I’m changing her name for good measure.”

I think this man played the games seven times each and then hated it so much and was so sick of it he tried to write something that destroyed as much of the series as possible while still being vaguely recognizable. And then somehow it became a massive hit because people like me see this and go “what the actual hell” and watch it, or people who haven’t played the games see this and go “wow what a great musical!” and then he wrote TWO MORE, destroying EVEN MORE every time in his wake, until finally, finally, he stopped after making Edgeworth straight and time traveling into the past to face off against a corrupt Gregory. I guess that was the last straw.

I have to issue a disclaimer here that for legal reasons this is a joke. I don’t actually hate this man and would not punch him in the face if I met him because that would be rude, and he is entitled to his wrong interpretation of the games. I don’t know what his thought process was. But allegedly he did play the games seven times according to the wiki. This whole essay here is satire and not slander and I don’t want to offend this guy if he somehow stumbles across my nonsense tumblr post. At the same time: Suzuki Kei blink twice if you need help.

Anyways half the reason that I’m making this essay is because I want to share my fake ao3 page for this musical. The other half will become apparent later.

Sorry if that’s illegible because of tumblr quality it’s not really important. All you really need to know is that it’s a fake ao3 screenshot for the musical. Also in the author’s note I said he played the games four times but it was actually seven I just remembered wrong because I didn’t want to believe it.

at this point you may be like “Grace shut up and get to the actual musical” and okay, fine, let’s start this nonsense. Also note that I may be referencing things from my essay on the second musical very frequently; I’m not going to force you to go read that though because the fact that you’re reading this is enough of a torment already.

The Musical Begins

Unlike the second musical, this one opens with some narration from Phoenix.

Transcript:

Phoenix: I’m reviewing a particular case at the moment. To me, this case... is one I’ll never forget.

Immediately I think this is important because it establishes that this whole musical takes place in a flashback that Phoenix is reflecting on. Why is this important? Because we know, by the time of the second musical which takes place three years later, Leona is dead.

Knowing that Leona is inherently doomed to die of her Sad Woman Disease paints this whole musical in a different light. It’s not Phoenix reflecting on how he got back together with his lover; it’s Phoenix dwelling on their past together, and the opportunities they had, before her life was so cruelly and inexplicably taken away. We don’t know if Phoenix’s reminiscing takes place before or after Leona’s death... but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was after.

Phoenix, still in the present, starts to sing. “A wave appears on the horizon like a mirage, it trembles, then vanishes. Your voice, carried upon the waves, fades upon the shore, erasing the splendor of the past.”

This line actually shows up in the second musical, sung by Lucia about her imprisoned fiance quite possibly. It’s kind of hard to tell what the meaning of these songs even are. They’re too abstract for me I think. But this line appears very frequently in the first musical when Phoenix is thinking about Leona.

Then we enter the flashback time.

Phoenix inexplicably yells at a newspaper saleswoman. This is not relevant to anything whatsoever. Then Larry barges in to the office, looking for Maya. Phoenix describes him as “A real trouble maker, but you just can’t hate the guy”, the latter part of which I think many people would disagree with. 

Well, afterwards, Maya comes in. Phoenix describes her like this while making exaggerated “can you believe this shit” gestures.

Transcript:

Phoenix: She’s as ditzy as they come. Oh, and about the outfit... Apparently she comes from a family of spirit mediums. Try not to make fun of her, okay?

Suzuki Kei personally has it out for Maya and I can never forgive him for it. Maya in these musicals is here for pure comedic relief but it’s not even comedic because I just get so angry. How can you play the trilogy seven times and think this about her?? The girl who figured out DL-6?? The girl who told Phoenix to sacrifice her life in order to find the truth?? The girl who put on a brave smile in order to try and cheer up her younger cousin even after she saw her own mother murdered right in front of her eyes?? That Maya Fey?? Ditzy as they come??????

Ugh. Moving on.

Maya and Larry run off, leaving Phoenix to watch the American Broadcast.

Important things to note here are the Godot mug, the little line up of what I think are the messed up little ace attorney figurines beneath the screen, and the fact that while this broadcast is supposedly from and to America the screen is actually not at all showing America. Like literally almost everywhere in the world except North and South America.

The broadcast says that Leona Clyde, age 24, was arrested for murdering the senator Robert Cole! Leona Clyde -- that’s Phoenix’s ex-girlfriend! He runs off to the detention center.

She is not happy to see him.

Leona: Mr. Wright... I’m not the woman you once knew.

Let’s Play A Matching Game

Sorry for the abundance of screenshots that are going to be throughout this section. Phoenix convinces Leona to let him defend her. Some of the conversation seems... familiar.

Leona: No one would defend someone who admits to killing a senator. I’m waiting for a court-appointed attorney.

Edgeworth: Every defense attorney I’ve talked to has turned me down.

Phoenix: In that case, let me defend you.

Game Phoenix: Let me defend you.

Leona: Don’t be ridiculous!

Edgeworth: Don’t be ridiculous.

Phoenix: I’ll never accept that you’re a murderer. Let me prove your innocence!

Game Phoenix: Huh? Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to prove that Miles Edgeworth is innocent.

Leona: I’ve already confessed my guilt.

Gumshoe: He confessed that he did it! In court!

Leona: It’s foolish to think you can win this case.

Edgeworth: My case is near hopeless, Wright.

Leona: (in response to phoenix offering to defend her) No you won’t! Don’t ever come here again.

Edgeworth: Look, just go away, and leave me alone!

Phoenix: You of all people should know. Once I decide to do something, I see it through to the end.

Edgeworth: Once you start on something, you always see it through, don’t you?

Leona: I never thought that you’d be representing me.

Phoenix: Ah, who could have guessed this day would come?

Edgeworth: Not me.

Phoenix: You believed in me. You saved me. And this time, I swear... I swear I’ll save you!

Game Phoenix: Edgeworth believed in me, and I believe in him. I’m the only one who knows the real Edgeworth. I’m the only one who can help him.

I could’ve done a few more, but tumblr is already threatening to murder my laptop.

So long story short, Phoenix manages to convince his lover to let him be the defense on the case. Then immediately after swearing to save Leona, he starts singing a song, which I’m not screencapping because this is enough:

“As long as there are people in this world, there’s only one path I will follow! As long as there is love in this world, there’s only one path I will believe in!”

Edgeworth sings this in the second musical after saying that he returned to California because of Phoenix. Phoenix sings it now after swearing to defend Leona. You draw your own conclusions.

And then we finally get the opening credits. Eleven minutes in.

Just Pretend This Is Narumitsu Fanfiction

Following the credits, we see a beautiful beach. Couples (exclusively heterosexual, of course,) dance and embrace in the background for some time, before revealing Phoenix and Leona, in the Even Further Past, before the LSATs or whatever the ace attorney universe’s excuse for law school exams are.

Phoenix establishes his absolute hatred of change, an important characterization moment.

Phoenix: The view here never changes, huh?

Phoenix reminisces on when they were kids. Leona’s parents were both lawyers (they’re both lawyers) and sometimes they would be like lawyers with her when she was a kid. This inspired her to also become a lawyer after their tragic death of Sickness. They never specify what the sickness is that caused two people who must be relatively young to die while Leona was in her early twenties at the latest. It may be whatever sickness claimed Leona’s life later. Sad Woman Disease. (Sad Man Disease for her father, I guess?)

Phoenix also talks about why he’s becoming a lawyer.

Phoenix: Watching you chase your dream inspired me to become a lawyer too.

So, it’s not “my childhood friend looked sad in a newspaper” because I guess that makes no sense or is too gay or something. But this is another important piece of Phoenix characterization. His entire life so far has been focused around Leona. They’ve been friends since they were kids, and then Phoenix decided to become a lawyer solely because Leona was becoming a lawyer. Not even to try and get back into contact with her after she moved away or anything; just because he’s so obsessed with her that he wants to have the same career as her, then they can run a Mom & Pop Law Firm or something, years in the future, after years of happy marriage and a few children or like whatever the hell.

Well, there’s a few steps they’ll need to get to that. At this point Phoenix still hasn’t confessed his feelings for Leona. He does so here, on this beach.

Leona tries to protest.

Leona: But I’m pushy, selfish, and only care about my goals... You’d get fed up with me.

Phoenix: That’s what I’ve always admired about you. That’s who I’ve been chasing all these years. That’s the only person... I love.

Sooo, Phoenix, your type is pushy selfish people who only care about their goals...? In the first, older lower-quality video translation it was “only care about my work”, too. Hm. Things to think about.

They sing a little duet together. Then we go back to present-day of what’s technically still a flashback. Whatever. Murder is happening.

Back To The Murder

So some plot things to establish: Leona is the legal counsel of Governor Miller, who is running for president in the AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. After the flashback so that Phoenix has some time to change clothes, they show an interview of him talking about the murder.

Governor Miller: I vow to forge a peaceful country with my own two hands, and to prepare myself for whatever may lie ahead.

Reporters: Through thick and thin, he’s a friend of the people!

The Takarazuka musicals are not very good at hiding their killers.

Phoenix: Oh yeah... It’s almost time for the presidential election, isn’t it?

NEVER FORGET, WRIGHT. THIS IS AMERICA. LAND OF THE FREE! god what even was that line.

Anyways, we meet Gumshoe, who is incompetent once again. Maya runs around the crime scene, picks up the murder weapon, puts her fingerprints all over everything, moves things around, all while Phoenix is like “lol get a load of the world’s stupidest girl” or whatever. But who cares about that.

It’s time to get to the only valid part of this musical.

Edgeworth’s Gay Little Villain Solo

You may have seen this one before.

Edgeworth arrives, but not really. It’s like Phoenix heard Edgeworth was prosecuting and immediately entered a dream-like state, where Edgeworth is heralded by the sound of trumpets in Great Revival. He’s played by a different actress than in the other two musicals, since I think she retired in between the six or so months from this musical to the second. She still plays the role well, though, or as well as can be when you’re written in an ace attorney Takarazuka musical.

Shrouded in scarlet solitude... it’s Edgeworth.

Yes, those are six Edgeworths. Yes, they pick Phoenix up and carry him around and dance with him. Yes, it was probably not meant to be at all homoerotic.

He sings a song that’s called “My rule”. I only figured this out later, but it’s loosely based on a “catchphrase” of his in the Japanese version - in game 1 he says something along the lines of “All I can do is get every defendant declared guilty! So I make that my policy.” In DD in his dramatic anime introduction before the trial, he says “I intend to question the defendant with all I have. For that is a part of my creed.” “So I make that my policy” and “For that is a part of my creed”, to my understanding, are both translated from the same line, which I think is like, “sore ga watashi no ruru”, “That is my rule.” (If I’m wrong, please correct me.) In this song he sings about how he’ll reduce all criminals to ash and such, basically talks about his game 1 prosecuting strategy as “my rule”. 

It’s very fun and probably if you want to only watch one number of this musical, it can be this one. It starts about 26:10 in the video I linked.

Once the musical number is done, Phoenix and Edgeworth stare at each other, and the background fades into the courtroom, so court begins. I feel like I should note that Phoenix has not picked up any evidence or talked to any witnesses in this investigation except for Gumshoe, since Maya just moved some things around and then Phoenix had some weird fever dream about Edgeworth which presumably took up the rest of the day.

The Trial, Day 1

Edgeworth: Consider it a prelude to the poignant Greek tragedy that’s about to unfold.

Maya: The real tragedy’s your pompous attitude!

Those are the only screenshots I took of this trial day. Here’s a summary, though:

The trial starts off with Leona confessing, Phoenix says “no I think she’s innocent”, and since ace attorney doesn’t care about the defendant’s wishes he’s allowed to proceed. For some reason Leona lets him do this without complaint. 

Gumshoe is the first witness, he claims to have caught Leona red-handed at the scene of the crime, standing over the corpse. Phoenix tries to claim that since Gumshoe didn’t see Leona committing the crime, he didn’t actually catch her red-handed, to which Edgeworth responds “What do you think being caught red-handed means?” 

Once Gumshoe is dismissed, Lotta takes the stand. She has a photo of the actual moment of the crime, where Leona is holding a knife in the air in front of the victim. 

The Takarazuka musicals like to do this thing where the image is blurry and zoomed out, but then Phoenix will go “I’VE NOTICED A CONTRADICTION” and it zooms in really far as the resolution increases drastically in order to show you the contradiction that is impossible to spot for yourself, because they don’t want people figuring out the mystery in this musical based off of a video game where you have to solve the mystery yourself. Anyways Phoenix zooms in on this photo and sees that there’s blood on Leona’s hand, presumably before she stabbed the victim. How did it get there?

Edgeworth suggests the victim was stabbed multiple times. Phoenix says the autopsy report contradicts that. Edgeworth, uncharacteristically, does not update it to suit his argument. 

Phoenix concludes that this photo is not showing the moment Leona stabbed the victim, but the moment Leona removed the knife! ... Which somehow casts doubt on her having been the one to stab the victim. Because as everyone knows, anyone wanting to kill someone would never remove a knife, it’s not like they’d bleed out faster that way, or anything.

And this whole contradiction is confusing because presumably if the victim was stabbed and then the knife was removed, they’d know that happened, because then the knife would not be found stuck in the victim’s body, since the victim was only stabbed once. So this shouldn’t be news to the prosecution that someone removed the knife after stabbing. But the investigation was headed by the most incompetent version of Gumshoe ever, so. sure. I guess no one knew.

That at least manages to extend the trial another day.

This Totally Has To Be Illegal

After the trial, Phoenix goes to talk to Governor Miller, aka Mr. Totally The Real Killer. Phoenix asks him why he decided to hire Leona as his legal advisor.

Basically, it’s because her parents were both renowned lawyers. Her father was a Chief Prosecutor, and her mother was a defense attorney. ... a prosecutor and a defense attorney couple... who does that remind us of...

Phoenix points out that just because her parents were good lawyers, it doesn’t mean she’d necessarily be one. Miller says that, sure, but she is actually really talented, and her law school marks were spectacular. Phoenix says “WHY WERE YOU LOOKING AT HER LAW SCHOOL MARKS”, like it’s somehow? suspicious? for a government official hiring legal counsel to look at their law school marks?

Apparently it IS suspicious because Governor Miller freaks out and asks if this is an interrogation. Before Phoenix can press much further, he gets a phone call, and leaves Phoenix alone in a big room.

So naturally Phoenix behaves like a fully grown adult running a law firm.

If all he did was sit in the chair, lift up a desk lamp, and poke his finger on a pen, that’s one thing. But then he leans over, OPENS THE GOVERNOR’S DESK DRAWER, and finds a knife that’s just sitting there casually. It looks like a butter knife. It’s not anything major. Maybe the dude just wanted to butter his toast?

I mean I know Phoenix will dig around in stuff whenever in the games, but he has no reason to suspect Governor Miller at all, much less dig through his drawer probably full of confidential government documents to lift up a knife that he thinks is suspicious. It’s not even covered in blood or anything?

Naturally Governor Miller’s assistant comes in just then, and Phoenix puts the knife. in his breast pocket. 

bud. It may look like a butter knife, but putting knives up against your chest is not a great idea. Much less stealing a knife from a governor? 

Well, in his panic, he accidentally knocks over a bunch of books on the desk. The governor’s assistant helps him pick them up, and they find a photo. Look a little familiar?

The photo has the assistant, the victim Robert Cole, Governor Miller, and the victim’s brother who died in an incident two years ago. He’s the “Neil Marshall” of this musical, and he died in what was essentially the SL-9 incident. Same general premise, except it occurred in the courthouse, and the names are different.

AND FINALLY WE REACH THE END OF ACT 1. They do a musical number here which is a weird sort of mashup of the main opening credits song, Edgeworth’s Villain Solo, and the love duet between Phoenix and Leona. They are all such different songs that it sounds a little weird.

ACT 2, FINALLY

The act begins on a sour note with Maya playing with the knife and showing off her characterization, which is one of the most infuriating Maya characterizations you’ll sometimes see around the fandom by people who don’t like Maya.

Maya: Let me whip up my special spirit channeler hamburgers!

sigh.

But then we’re saved (?) by the arrival of EDGEWORTH, who is presumably just here to chat. He asks Phoenix if he’s defending Leona in hopes of winning her back, then says to keep out of it, since it’s a very important case and he can’t understand the gravity of it.

Then Phoenix says this.

Phoenix: Would you be saying that if you were the one on trial? The defendant is in a dark prison, reaching out for hope... Can you imagine the loneliness and sorrow of being ostracized?

CAN YOU IMAGINE IT, EDGEWORTH? CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU WERE ON TRIAL AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD DEFEND YOU AND BELIEVED IN YOUR INNOCENCE??

Edgeworth responds to this by essentially rehashing his speech in Turnabout Sisters about how he needs to find all defendants guilty because he can’t guarantee their innocence and all that. Maya gets upset and leaves so that Phoenix and Edgeworth can talk about their childhood in private.

Phoenix once again complains about how people change since nine years old.

Phoenix then says that he has something Edgeworth doesn’t: the POWER TO BELIEVE! Then Maya comes in and tries to spike Edgeworth’s coffee, so he leaves.

The Class Trial

Phoenix explains a bit about Edgeworth and his backstory to Maya. Namely, the class trial. Phoenix was accused of stealing lunch money, Edgeworth stood up for him, but instead of Larry, Leona stood up for him. I guess Suzuki Kei thought “oh the class trial, if Leona stood up for him, it would be so romantic, because she’s a woman, and he’s a man”, or something like that. 

Edgeworth wanted to become a Great Lawyer Like His Father! But then he turned cold as ice.

Phoenix: His father got too deeply involved in a case... and paid for it with his life. Edgeworth saw him murdered. He was never the same again. I bet he couldn’t forgive the criminal.

Yeah I bet he couldn’t ever forgive the person he thought killed his father all these years, Phoenix. I bet he really hates that person, Phoenix. I bet he has nightmares about that person killing his father or something, Phoenix.

Phoenix: He vanished, then returned without his mercy or compassion. He had become a monster. When he lost his father, he also lost the ability to believe in others.

So like... one of the most chilling things about this musical is that they never actually solve DL-6. This probably roughly takes place 15 years after DL-6, since they were about the same age when the class trial started, and at least Leona is 24 now. The next musical takes place three years from now, and in it, Edgeworth refers to von Karma as his mentor, implying he’s still around and doing things.

So, in addition to everything else going wrong with this musical, DL-6 still happens, but von Karma never frames Edgeworth for it fifteen years later. The statute of limitations runs out, and von Karma forever gets away with his crime. And Edgeworth has no idea.

What changes did they make to DL-6, though, you may ask? I’m desperate to know as well. In the third musical, which I’ve watched because I hate myself but am unable to fully understand because I don’t know much Japanese, there is a scene where Miles flashbacks to DL-6. It’s abstract, but he makes gun-throwing motions at Gregory, followed by a gunshot sound.

Therefore, in this musical’s internal canon, either Miles Edgeworth shot his father, or he believes he did for the rest of his life.

... moving on.

Phoenix: But he still has his humanity. It’s still there, deep down inside!

At least, if nothing else, Phoenix still believes in him. Even this Takarazuka Musical couldn’t touch that.

The Feenie Sweater

Right after this, Larry barges in, and Phoenix leaves him alone with Maya. The musical tries teasing Larry/Maya, but fortunately, Maya’s having none of it.

Maya: You’re barking up the wrong tree.

Props to this musical for not being as bad as it could have been.

After this, the two sit down on the couch, and Maya asks for more gossip on Phoenix and Leona. Larry launches into a story, which turns into a flashback that ends up being narrated by Phoenix halfway through. This one’s about Phoenix and Leona’s relationship.

This is an interesting line in here, “I’ll guide you to the future”, for it loosely referencing the sort of love ballad Phoenix sings with Lucia in the second musical which is about “I’ll take you to that radiant future”, and he later sings to the memory of Leona right around the time of his big spiral into despair.

I’m sorry if you haven’t read my other essay and just said “wait what” to what I just typed.

Leona was getting ready to move to New York to defend the weak “in the big city”. This is rather strange wording because it implies that California does not in fact have a big city. She says some things in her conversation with Phoenix that probably plant some of his later issues.

Leona: This is the first time we’ll be apart since we were kids.

Leona: We promised we’d always be together.

Leona: I’ll be waiting. Waiting for you to come to me.

Haha. Sure would be a shame... if something were to happen... and they wouldn’t be able to be together anymore...

So some dancers wearing black come in and take off their outer jackets, to symbolize the passage of time. They circle around Phoenix and Leona. In this, you can just barely see, Phoenix is wearing a pink sweater beneath his jacket.

“Oh,” I think to myself, “Is that the Feenie sweater? Are they including it here as a reference to the games?”

Then the dancers keep moving.

THAT IS NOT THE FEENIE SWEATER. That is a pink sweater with a sexily drawn woman on it.

This is the other half of the reason why I decided to go through with making this essay. 

This is so incredibly funny to me. Suzuki Kei Who Has Played The Games Seven Times has seen the hand-knit bright pink sweater with a giant red heart on it seven times. The sweater Iris, Phoenix’s girlfriend, lovingly knit for him that he wears all the time even though it is one of the tackiest, cheesiest items of clothing to ever exist. And so, when the costume designers were designing the clothes for College Phoenix Wright, they asked themselves: “Should we include the Feenie sweater?”

and “NO,” someone must have shouted, “NO, we can NOT include the Feenie sweater, it is PINK and it has a HEART on it and it’s TOO GIRLY. Phoenix Wright is a MANLY MAN. He would not EVER wear something PINK with a HEART on it.”

“BUT,” someone else said, “it’s a REFERENCE to the original games, where he DID wear a pink sweater with a heart on it! We MUST include it to pander to the fans!”

“WAIT,” a third person interjected. “I have a BRILLIANT IDEA. We can keep the pink... But to make it VERY CLEAR he is a heterosexual, masculine male... we put a sexy woman on it.”

And Person Three Got A Raise.

Thank god we’re finally halfway done this musical.

We Just Have To Go On With Our Lives Now

There’s plot or something happening. Leona breaks up with Phoenix inexplicably over the phone. Probably because of that freaking sweater. Imagine wearing that. God.

Eventually we go back to Phoenix talking to Leona, and he asks about the Jack Lyon case, which is the rip-off version of the Joe Darke case. Leona is pretty cagey about it, but Phoenix proves that she was there in the gallery that day. Leona refuses to answer, claims again that she killed the victim in her case, and leaves.

This makes Phoenix sad, so he starts singing.

Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.

If this sounds familiar, it’s the part where I started absolutely losing my mind in the second musical because this line had never shown up before then, I’d forgotten it was in this musical, and Phoenix was screaming it alone in a red room, so I thought he was like desperately resorting to a necromancy ritual in hopes of bringing Leona back to life.

Instead, this line actually has CONTEXT, though it does just end up enforcing my theory. This is Phoenix mourning what he used to have with Leona, wanting to bring the “old her” back, because he’s devastated that people sometimes change. There are several flashbacks of their college days where he’s wearing his Sexy Woman Sweater. He does succeed in winning her back at the end of this musical. Before she dies, of course.

Phoenix in musical 2 still believes that he can bring back what he used to have with Leona... even beyond death. That’s something affirmed by this musical. I’m very grateful to it for somehow managing to enforce my nonsensical theory.

Doctor Ema

After this, Phoenix returns to his office, and meets with someone new.

That’s right! Only now, halfway through the musical, do we actually get to meet the Ema-equivalent to Leona’s Lana-equivalent. Her name is Monica Clyde. She has little rainbow heart stickers on her briefcase, which is the closest thing this musical has to acknowledging that gay people exist.

But what does this little briefcase contain, you may ask? Scientific investigation tools? No.

A full surgical toolset. Because you never know when someone’ll get sick, or when someone will need an entire operation in front of you. I guess.

So yes, Monica Clyde is not a forensic scientist in training, but a doctor! She decided to become a doctor because of her parents, who passed away of The Sickness, and so became a doctor in order to save lives like theirs.

Once more this has much darker and deeper implications than the musical is even aware of, because Monica is so anxious about treating sick people that she carries a full surgical toolset around with her at all times, scared to lose someone like she lost her parents... and then sometime in the next three years, Leona, her big sister, is going to die.

Of what? The strange Sickness that claimed her parents? A car accident? A botched spur-of-the-moment surgery? Whatever it is, Monica was unable to save her, even when she’d been training her entire life for it.

Monica is not mentioned at all throughout the second musical. It’s as if she does not exist.

Because unlike Ema of Rise From The Ashes, Monica is not at the heart of this story. She is, primarily, a plot device here to make Leona not trust Phoenix so that he can angst about their relationship. 

What a mess this world is.

The Trial, Part 2

Rather than try to prove Leona’s innocence, Phoenix wants to link the current case to not-SL-9, the Jack Lyon case. He does this by showing this picture.

Senator Cole, the victim, is in this picture. His younger brother whose name I’ve forgotten, the victim of not-SL-9, is also in this picture. They are brothers. It is apparently novel that they are in the same picture, and somehow makes their cases linked.

As well, Governor Miller is in the picture. I guess you could say like... Governor Miller’s legal counsel is the defendant, so that’s another link? Even though the Governor would presumably know a Senator, so this isn’t an unusual group. Right now Phoenix has absolutely nothing to prove that these two cases are linked other than “hey, these two victims are brothers”, but apparently it works. So they spend a lot of time talking about not-SL-9, since Leona has confessed to the murder on day 1 and there is absolutely nothing indicating that she can’t be immediately declared guilty.

They hid the fact that Monica was a hostage in this not-SL-9, meaning that some of the case records were forged. Here’s Edgeworth’s reaction when this comes out.

Edgeworth: This is an outrage! I’m the most influential prosecutor in America! There’s nothing I don’t know!

In RFTA, when Edgeworth learns he’d been using forged evidence to give a man the death penalty, he is devastated, his entire worldview is shaken, he sees himself as a monster who could end up becoming horribly corrupt if he isn’t stopped.

Musical Edgeworth goes “I DIDN’T KNOW SOMETHING???”

It’s certainly strange characterization, but I guess Edgeworth is further behind in his character arc than in RFTA, so... ugh. Fine. 

Phoenix calls Monica out as a witness to prove she was involved in the case. This causes Leona to panic, and try to dismiss Phoenix as her attorney, like Lana in RFTA, but Edgeworth interjects to call Monica in anyways. He and Phoenix have a little moment.

Edgeworth: You said to believe in others. I suppose I’ll try believing in you. Try to keep up.

Phoenix: Edgeworth!

So Monica comes to the stand to testify. We get to see this picture of Monica being held hostage, and not-Joe-Darke’s incredible eyeliner.

Lots of it is very similar to the actual RFTA, except instead of the victim being stabbed on the knight with the giant knife, he’s instead stabbed with a regular old knife. Leona still refuses to admit to what really happened, until Edgeworth convinces her to believe in Phoenix.

Edgeworth: Your attorney is a runaway train with a one-track mind. Yet he placed all of his faith in you. Believe in him. You owe him that much.

Leona testifies, and says that when she found the victim, he was stabbed with a scalpel.

Here is where things get weird.

Scalpels Can’t Kill People

So basically earlier in this trial, they talk about how Leona knew that the knife that stabbed the victim was double-edged despite being buried in his chest. The judge questions if this means Leona killed him, but Phoenix is quick to say no, she was searched when she entered the courthouse and couldn’t have concealed a knife.

Yet, Monica was able to bring in her surgical toolkit which contains several sharp knives, scalpels, scissors, etc.

This is the first major contradiction.

Leona continues to say that when she found Monica, and the scalpel stabbed in the victim, she also ran into Governor Miller, who if you haven’t been able to tell yet is the Gant-equivalent of this musical. He offered to help her with the cover-up, etc.

The next bit goes a lot like RFTA. Phoenix accuses Governor Miller, who barges in, says Phoenix has the decisive evidence in his pocket. This is the “butter knife” that Phoenix took from his office when he dug around in confidential documents and stole it for no particular reason. It has Monica’s fingerprints on it! ... And Phoenix’s and Maya’s too probably because they were handling it without gloves, but they don’t mention that part.

Leona cries about how she shouldn’t have trusted Phoenix because he was apparently now blaming Monica, Monica looks terrified, she and Leona have some good sister moments but it’s not as good as it could be if the story was actually about Leona and Monica like how RFTA was about Lana and Ema. But Phoenix has the decisive piece of evidence that can turn this around.

It is this:

Phoenix: Scalpels are made for medical incisions, not stabbings. So how did it stab the victim?

...

...

...

... What?

So like. Yes, scalpels are made for medical incisions. Medical incisions often involve cutting through flesh, very easily. As a result, they are sharp. Extremely sharp. As in: their purpose is literally to stab people, very specifically.

Yes, they’re easier to control, so that surgeons don’t regularly stab people how they’re not supposed to be stabbed, but it’s not like, impossible to stab someone in a killing way with a scalpel? Admittedly, I have never tried to kill someone using a scalpel. And I do not have experience using a scalpel for surgeries because I am not a surgeon. But I’m pretty sure, if you take a sharp scalpel, and you stab someone in the chest with it with a reasonable amount of force... they die.

Like, is this a particular kind of scalpel that is not very sharp? Is the problem that the blade doesn’t match up with the initial wound? But even then, we don’t have the original unforged autopsy report or even a picture, so how would Phoenix know what the original wound looked like to say it didn’t match up? And even then why wouldn’t Phoenix say that instead of SCALPELS CAN’T STAB PEOPLE???

This is his decisive contradiction and it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME!!!

Well Darn I Guess Scalpels Can’t Kill People

This is such a decisive piece of evidence, that scalpels can’t kill people, coming from the man who thought “caught red-handed” does not involve being caught standing over a corpse with blood on your hands, that it causes Governor Miller to confess.

Unlike Gant, who created the murder with Neil Marshall both to ensure that there was decisive evidence to convict Joe Darke, a serial killer who had not left any decisive evidence behind, and gain control over the prosecutor’s office in order to pull similar stunts to get criminals convicted using false evidence, Governor Miller does not have that as his motive. After all, he’s not a police officer. Instead, he ended up accidentally killing not-Joe-Darke, and then set up the incident in order to get Leona on his side. As her parents were both influential lawyers and very respectable, having her and her parents’ reputation on his side could help him become President of America Where This Takes Place.

So, let’s just take a moment to run over some of the things that made the original Rise From The Ashes great, in my opinion. Just for fun.

1 - The heart of the story between the Skye sisters. Lana closing off to protect Ema, Ema wanting to get through to her sister and get back to the way things used to be. Phoenix, in this story, is more of a bystander to this plotline rather than in the heart of it himself.

2 - Edgeworth’s Character Development. Basically RFTA creates an interesting transition between Turnabout Goodbyes and JFA. It causes Edgeworth to re-evaluate everything he knows about being a prosecutor. So quickly on the heels of Turnabout Goodbyes, it crushes the last bit of hope in him. It compares him to Gant, who also hates criminals, and forces him to wonder if his hatred of crime will one day lead to him being a criminal himself. He’s already convicted one person on forged evidence; how many others could there be?

3 - The Ends Justify The Means. ... wait come back, don’t leave. What I found neat about this case was also Gant’s motive. At one point he was presumably an honest person who hated crime and wanted to stop criminals. But over time in the police force, he became corrupted. He wanted to have all criminals convicted. So what do you do when you don’t have the evidence to convict them? Joe Darke was a serial killer who has killed several people and may have killed more if he’d gone free. The only way to stop and convict him was by using forged evidence. Other criminals could hide evidence to get away with their crimes, so people like Gant would make it up to catch them; but then when do you stop? What happens if there’s no evidence because someone is truly innocent? When does the line between “this person is a criminal and I want to stop them” and “I just want to convict everyone I’m dealing with” become blurred? This is also something he shares with Edgeworth and helps to advance his character.

All three of these things are either lessened or outright ignored in this musical. Leona and Monica’s story takes a backseat to Phoenix and Leona’s Love Story, with Monica only showing up halfway through, and mainly as an excuse as to why Leona is withdrawn. Edgeworth doesn’t seem to blame himself for the forged evidence he used, and doesn’t have a crisis questioning his morality over it. And Governor Miller’s motive is purely power. Unlike Gant, who would have become Chief of Police whether he solved SL-9 or not, Miller needed Leona to win the presidency. And instead of asking her to help him with his campaign like a normal person, he just blackmailed her instead.

... How do you play the games seven times and miss this much?

The Case Finally Ends

god. we’re almost there.

The case ends, Leona is declared not guilty but will still face trial for covering up murders and such. Probably less of a sentence than Lana because she was not involved in ongoing police corruption? Either way she’s dead in three years, so she’s got something a bit more concerning coming up.

She’s led away. Phoenix sings a bit about Leona before being interrupted by Edgeworth... who has something important to tell him.

Edgeworth: You awakened within me those once-cherished emotions I had discarded. I see visions of a distant, nostalgic past.

So basically this is the unnecessary feelings of the musical. Something along the lines of “seeing you again and fighting for my former ideals is making me question many things about myself.”

How does Phoenix respond?

Phoenix: Edgeworth... Try talking normally for a chance.

Sure, we were all thinking it, but that’s a little cold, Phoenix.

Edgeworth tries a smooth recovery.

Edgeworth: I don’t do... idle chit-chat.

This doesn’t accomplish much. So he leaves to allow Leona to visit with Phoenix alone. He’s got to go change for something more important coming up.

Leona and Phoenix decide that they’re going to get back together once Leona is done her sentence! They make a promise that is very funny if you know she’ll be dead in three years.

Phoenix: I’ll be waiting. For you.

There are a lot of hugs here, I’m not screencapping them all. There are also several moments where their faces get very close together and like, their nose brushes the other’s cheek or something, but they never actually kiss. Is it because the actresses weren’t comfortable with it (valid), or they thought kissing would be too much for the musical (sure, whatever), or since both characters are played by women the show staff did not want two women kissing on stage (probably the real answer)? I don’t like watching kisses, but I kept bracing myself for one and then it never happened, so.

Phoenix ends the main part of the musical with one last musical number starring my personal favourite piece:

Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.

I like to think that at this point, this is present-day Phoenix, after finishing his reminiscing, still desperately wishing he could bring Leona back from death.

But alas, he cannot. And so, after one last daydream of them dancing together on the beaches of California, singing about their love, the musical ends.

Dance Time!

This starts at exactly the two hour mark, if you’re interested in watching what is, once again, one of the only fun parts of this musical.

Seriously, Edgeworth’s actress kills it here, when I first saw this I went “oh, this is why I saw so many people being gay for her on twitter.”

Edgeworth’s song is an encore of “My Rule”, so it’s lots of fun. Afterwards Phoenix gets another fun piece.

Then we get to the love ballad part, which I can probably overanalyze, I feel like I haven’t done enough ridiculous over-analyzing in this essay in comparison to the other.

Uhhh so the fog represents how Phoenix feels lost in this world without Leona. You can see it in the second screenshot separating the two of them, representing the barrier of death between the two of them. Idk it’s midnight I’m getting worn out from having to think about this musical for so long.

But his mourning over Leona’s death becomes even more apparent in the credits, where Phoenix sings that one line again:

Phoenix: I want to bring you back! I believe in you.

I’m not fixing that screenshot, I think it’s oddly fitting, in a way. That’s me right now.

Then at the very end, he sings this song.

Phoenix: I’ll spend... this eternal life... soaring through... the heavens!

Technically, this refers to his name Phoenix, but let’s dig a little deeper. He spends the rest of his life soaring through the heavens... the heavens that Leona went to after her untimely death, perhaps?

Overall, the musical becomes much more interesting when you just see it as a prequel to the second musical. This musical establishes many core concepts of Phoenix’s character: his refusal to believe in the concept of things changing, for one, and also his extreme dependency on Leona who he was never separated from since they were kids and where he based his entire life around her dreams and ideals. All he can think about is her. And in the end, he promises to wait for her in California.

Yet, to paraphrase Miles Edgeworth, all that is waiting for him is her death. Their dream of opening up a Mom & Pop Law Firm will never come true.

Thanks again for bearing with me even though this wasn’t as funny!

[writemyaceattorneys]

Widget Anon here again!! because I did also want to send in a request ghsndshbfds,, could I ask for headcanons for Athena, Gumshoe, Maya, and Sebastian with a very emotional s/o? (totally not projecting, shhhhh) like, they just see a dog and they're like "yes, my day has been made!!!!" but at the same time if something even remotely sad happens it's just straight tears (real story, was watching spirited away and when chihiro cried in the garden I started crying too hngfhdsa)

You know what Widget Anon, I very much thank you for this because now I can project as well, I COMPLETELY get what you mean and these need to exist so thank you for giving me the opportunity to make these Headcanons exist.

Also sidenote, Gumshoe is actually one of my comfort characters at this point 😭👍 I love writing for this man so much he’s actually just so cool, he is the OG Himbo in this series and he deserves everything good in this world, istg.

🎇Athena Cykes🎇

🎇First of all, Athena Cykes can read people’s emotions plus she’s really empathetic so putting her with an S/O who is also very prone to heightened emotions would make it more likely that she would also absorb those emotions so she’s going to be very compassionate and caring towards S/O.

🎇So whether S/O is feeling absolutely overjoyed over something that they saw that day or bawling their eyes out over a film or something that inconvenienced their day, Athena is going to be right there alongside them, picking up on those emotions and responding appropriately.

🎇Athena would absolutely strive to make S/O happy, especially knowing that due to their emotional sensitivity, when they are happy they are truly at the peak of positivity. So she’d make them lunch and take them out on dates and seeing just how truly overjoyed S/O is in those moments is absolutely worth it to her. If S/O did start to cry due to this kindness, Athena would be there for them straight away. She truly cares so much about S/O.

🎇If S/O wanted to return this kindness to Athena, she too would be absolutely amazed and would be sure to make the appreciation that she feels crystal clear to S/O (although with Widget’s habit of verbally stating how Athena is feeling, she won’t have to do too much in order to make S/O know how appreciated they are).

🎇On the flip side, being prone to more heightened emotions means that when something bad happens, no matter how inconsequential it may appear to other people, it can just really get you down. So if S/O had a particularly bad day and came to Athena on the verge of tears, she’d be so worried about them and would be quick to sweep them up into a tight hug.

🎇You can bet anything that she’ll do all that she can to cheer a highly emotional S/O up, she’d make them dinner, give them a hug while under a ton of blankets on the couch and put a nice film on for them that wouldn’t make them more emotional.

🎇If someone in particular did something to intentionally upset S/O, you can bet that Athena would absolutely tear into them, and if they refused to apologise she would send them flying (hopefully not hitting any bystanders while doing so). “You want to make S/O cry?! Take this you heartless fiend! Hyahh!”

🍜Dick Gumshoe🍜

🍜This man. THIS👏 MAN👏 (Mod Miles approves of Gumshoe very much and sees him as a comfort character 😩👌) He just gets along with everybody and is a massive himbo. I love him so much.

🍜He’s also very sensitive! But he’s also ridiculously loyal to those he cares about so he’d absolutely do his darned hardest to be supportive of S/O if they were very more sensitive to their own emotions.

🍜He’d absolutely make lunches for S/O every day with whatever ingredients he can afford on his salary (it's mostly gonna be weenies and rice) which is already going to be so flattering to S/O, however, if he saved up for a couple of months in order to splurge out on some other ingredients then he can probably expect to have S/O be so overwhelmingly happy when they meet up after work that evening. He can expect a massive hug and an even bigger bunch of “thank you”s!

🍜Another thing! Gumshoe is training Missile the dog so at some point he’d introduce S/O to Missile and it would absolutely make their day. They’d be so overjoyed to see this little Shiba Inu and would be sure to give him a ton of scratches. Fully expect to find S/O buying Samurai dogs especially for him.

🍜Of course though, S/O could be made particularly upset by something, maybe they happened to read something that upset them or watched a film or TV show that turned out to be really sad so they’d naturally go to Gumshoe in a pile of tears, unable to fully put into words what has exactly caused them to just start crying. They can expect to be pulled into a big Gumshoe hug. He looks like the type who’d be really good at giving hugs, he’d even take off his lucky detective coat and drape it over their shoulders if he thought it might cheer them up a little bit. “It’s okay pal! Don’t cry, we can talk about it later if you want to.”

🍜If somebody did something that hurt S/O’s feelings, he’d be pretty angry. He’d ask them to apologise (“pal”) and if they refused to then he’d get pretty frustrated with them and give them a firm talking to, he doesn’t care who it was that made S/O cry, he’s going to teach them a lesson! (If the person who upset S/O happened to be Miles Edgeworth then he can probably say goodbye to that month’s salary 😭😳)

🔮Maya Fey🔮

🔮Maya is pretty childish! Although she’s also someone who is fiercely loyal and who looks out for the people that she cares about. So she is the perfect person who will indulge S/O in positive situations and comfort them when something has upset them.

🔮Maya will do her darned hardest to make S/O happy every time she sees them so S/O will soon come to associate Maya with free serotonin. She’ll take them out for food (Ramen? Burgers? Ramen burgers? All of the above? Who cares!) and will be sure to indulge in their interests, although if S/O is also a massive Steel Samurai fan then fully expect Steel Samurai marathon dates at every opportunity.

🔮S/O might come to her one day and just tell her just how much she makes their day better and start sniffling because she’s just so lovely all of the time. Maya will be sure to pull S/O into a tight hug and tell them that she doesn’t plan on stopping because making them happy is her favourite thing to do. She might lightly tease them for being emotional but she loves every moment of it.

🔮It would be an absolute shock to Maya if S/O came to her while really distressed and upset about something. She’d be quick to drop whatever she was doing and just pull S/O in for a hug before taking them off somewhere private to talk about things. Whether someone had upset them or something that in retrospect might be a silly inconvenience had happened, she’ll reassure them the best that she can.

🔮Anyone that upsets her S/O will soon find themselves facing the wrath of the angry 5ft spirit medium and they will regret every minute of it. She knows when and where to pull her punches in terms of dissing people and she won’t spare anything for anyone who hurts S/O’s feelings 😤

🔮She’ll tell S/O that if they ever want to talk to someone who has passed on, she’ll channel their spirit any time (and for free 👀) if they just want to say their last goodbyes, S/O would definitely appreciate this if they had a family member that they never got to say goodbye to.

🔮Overall, Maya is just a supportive girlfriend who will do all she can to make S/O happy and will be there for them whenever they need her. Maya is best wife 😤👌

🎵Sebastian Debeste🎵

🎵Let’s not lie, Sebastian is probably just as emotional and sensitive as S/O. Their relationship is going to be built on the two of them building each other up and supporting each other at their high and low points. (Mod Miles approves of this relationship)

🎵He’ll do his darned best to impress S/O, he’d probably show off in front of them but would still be very surprised when S/O finds what he does to be really interesting. He’d appreciate that they don’t treat him like an idiot as well.

🎵Sebastian and S/O might go on a walk one day after work and if they see a dog while they are walking, the two of them are gonna be clinging to each other while trying not to freak out about how cute it is. They’d definitely talk about it all the way home and he’d just be in awe at how kind and gentle they are.

🎵If S/O and Sebastian watched a sad film, S/O might find themselves getting upset, so Sebastian would be quick in pulling them into a secure embrace and reassuring them (although if S/O looks closely, they’ll see tears brimming in his eyes too). He might start another activity with them as a distraction if it’ll help and then once both of them are feeling less upset, they’d probably talk about their feelings for a while.

🎵If somebody willingly upset S/O, Sebastian would probably get so frustrated himself! Seeing S/O being upset would be enough to trigger Sebastian’s own sensitive emotions, he’d run up to S/O bawling his eyes out just as much as they are while wrapping them up into a hug. If they happened to be sitting on a couch, he’d have them sitting on his lap while he cries into their shoulder and tells them that it’ll be okay.

🎵The next day, Sebastian would probably go to Miles Edgeworth to get his advice and support to go after whoever made S/O upset. He might not have the courage to do it on his own but if the person that he looks up to was there too, he’d feel a lot more courageous. “Hey! You-you leave S/O alone, I won’t let you hurt them. Apologise right now!”

[awarmbowlofhomemadesoup]

AceAro Miles Edgeworth’s Platonic Crush on Phoenix Wright Headcanons

Platonic crush: the desire to be platonically intimate with someone without romantic or sexual attraction. Intensity like any kind of crushes can vary. 

In Childhood:

When they were children, Miles would often talk more about Phoenix than Larry, to the point that Ray Shields began teasing him about having a crush on Phoenix. And Miles would be like, “No?” because last time he checked he wasn’t experiencing that “heart stuff” that he sees in zany cartoons.

When they have to sit and rest somewhere, Miles would read a book with at least his knee touching Phoenix. Or if there was enough space, his back touching Phoenix’s side. No, Larry, it’s not a snuggle, now hush. (Similar to how a cat would lounge at their favorite owner’s side while casually not looking at them).

As much as he enjoyed them as the Signal Samurai trio, his favorite moments were just talking with Phoenix about anything under the sun -in the early hour before class or when they have dropped Larry home and it was just him and Phoenix. 

He often looked forward to the quiet instances that Phoenix would hold his hand while they’re walking home alone since Phoenix is more at ease with affection than he was.

Some teenagers hollered at them for it and Phoenix let go, embarrassed, while Miles was wondering why he was embarrassed when they both know it was because they were good friends. So he just stubbornly grabbed his hand again and dragged him away from those immature buffoons.

Miles was neutral when it comes to Valentines Day. But when Phoenix received a box of chocolates from a girl he likes, Miles became more aloof and disinterested. He wondered why there was no celebration for friendship. Idle time was spent on thinking what gift he would give Phoenix if there was a proper day for celebrating best friends. (Larry is also his best friend but he doesn’t have the word that distinguishes his friendship with Larry and friendship with Phoenix.)

Miles was disappointed that he was unable to find the specific term between best friend and deeper best friend. Even his father doesn’t know. Gregory Edgeworth assured him he would find it someday.

Being someone who thinks ahead, Miles knew that someday Phoenix might not prioritize and value their friendship as much as he does once Phoenix would get a girlfriend. Miles tried very hard not to think of the time they would be in middle school.

After Gregory’s death, Miles never received Phoenix’s letters as von Karma wants to isolate him from his original home. Even when Miles appreciate the song request from Phoenix dedicated to him, von Karma made it clear that sentimental relations will distract him from perfection. Plus, Miles thought it was a one time and that Phoenix probably had a girlfriend to dedicate himself to by now.

In Adulthood (Platonic Crush to Queerplatonic Attraction to QP Love):

Early Career. When Miles received college Phoenix’s letters, his first reaction was confusion. Out-of-the-blue this ghost from the past was asking him why he was being called Demon Prosecutor. Second reaction was stonewalling. There was no point delving about how a person used to make him feel. 

State vs Fey. After the trial, Miles told himself he developed an intellectual hyperfixation towards Phoenix Wright as he arranged his brand new custom chess set with the “spike-y” pawns. He was half-right. If only he wasn’t so entangled with von Karma’s opinions on “sentimental relations”.

State vs Powers. Miles’ platonic crush resurfaced somewhere after Will Powers’ case and Phoenix asking to defend him.

State vs Edgeworth. He faintly realized at the moment Phoenix had smiled at him in relief once Miles got acquitted, that Phoenix was someone he wanted in his life. If only Miles deserved so. 

Miles would never admit he finds a unique sense of enjoyment in working with cases where Phoenix had to defend. He doubted if a lot of people experience intimacy in rivalry.

State vs Skye. Unfortunately, Miles have bigger things to deal with like coming into terms with a mentor that had both raised and twisted him, struggling to find a new norm as eyes watched him, his very story available to the public, then having to face the Skye case that made him question everything he was as a prosecutor. 

It all became too much and he wasn’t thinking straight and one of those thoughts was that Phoenix was better off knowing a better person than him. 

State vs Engarde. The belief was instilled when Phoenix got mad at him for faking his own death.

After having a talk and Miles realizing that cutting people off abruptly was more of a dick move than he thought, he and Phoenix kept in touch after.

In the space he had given himself in Europe, Miles decided that aside from becoming a better lawyer, he wanted to be the friend Phoenix deserved to have in his life, with the same intimacy they had in childhood that he still couldn’t name. 

State vs Iris. Miles was pretty much neutral around Iris. If Phoenix would decide to rekindle his relationship with her (though the deception made him wrinkle his nose no matter how true Iris’ feelings were at that time), he wouldn’t care as long as he and Phoenix would still be in good terms as partners. Even if Phoenix would not put as much special connotations as he would in their partnership. That was all he could ask for after everything. 

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Whenever Kay would tease him about “that man”, Miles would just look at her dryly. At this point, he should know not a lot of people would understand.

7-year Disbarment. Phoenix’s disbarment drew them closer together after Miles’ was finally able to contact him when Phoenix shut everyone out. Miles couldn’t do much being in Europe but he does what he could from flying them to Europe so that Phoenix could help him with his cases to caring for Trucy.

Their commitment for each other only grew from raising Trucy together to righting Japanifornia’s legal system. 

Miles wished he could kiss Phoenix on the forehead without making it weird. It just felt like Phoenix needed it. Comforting Phoenix with hugs and handholding, at least, was never questioned for romantic interest.

When Phoenix began to study for the bar again, Miles often enjoy Phoenix falling asleep on his shoulder. Unseen, Miles would smile before poking him awake.

He enjoys movie nights with the Wright family where Trucy and Phoenix would snuggle close and dinner/banter with Phoenix every week. 

Fantasies of sleep-snuggling with the man he admires and trusts the most and has an intense emotional-intellectual connection? Of course, he does. “So near and yet so far” has never been so painful in that one time they have to share a bed.

After Phoenix got his badge back, Miles was pretty much satisfied. His life was more stable, inner and outer, than it had ever been. Phoenix and Trucy’s life were also stable. Miles now felt more confident and comfortable in their bond and Miles would do what it takes to keep it as a part of his life.

He may have felt a little thrill when they both become comfortable enough for Phoenix to be casually affectionate with his touch -an arm around his shoulder as they laugh about something, a hand on his arm when asking about a case- it felt like back in their more carefree childhood. 

State vs Wyatt. Miles was pretty much ruffled with questions about marriage directed at him of all people. But if he has to marry someone, it might as well be someone he knew so well and trusts so much. Miles may have opted out some of his opinions in marriage but he was no longer the person who would lie to himself of who that someone would be.  

He wanted... something. He wanted a sort of exclusivity with Phoenix. The idea of Phoenix dating other people made Miles realized he wasn’t the type to share. The revelation itself was frustrating when he was neutral or repulsed of varying degrees when it comes to different romantic and sexual acts.

With a combination of finally having the words to describe what he wanted in Google Search and help with his therapist, the name of what he wanted with Phoenix was a queerplatonic relationship with a compromise on whatever would be Phoenix’s romantic/sexual needs from him. If Phoenix would have him as so. And if Phoenix wouldn’t... well, their friendship had been through a lot of things, this one event wouldn’t change it much. 

(This is from my own experiences and wants as someone in the acearo spectrum. I’m not the universal experience for acearo and it can be different for everyone else.)

[abluescarfonwaston]

Gregory Week - Flowers

Day 2 of Gregory Edgeworth Week (note: contains delayed speech Miles and Gregory excited when he does start talking. He’d had taken steps to learn how to communicate even if Miles didn’t talk because he loves his son but please take care of yourselves.)

“So when do I get to meet the most important person in you life Gregory?”

She smiled at him and his chest ached. He wanted to run his fingers down the length of her braid. Kiss every blossom weaved in. She was beautiful and kind and perfect.

“Soon Flora. Soon.”

He sat on the floor next to Miles as he sorted through his building blocks. Arranged them by color and size. “There is someone I would like you to meet. If you would be partial to that.”

Miles considered one of the strange pieces. Debated where to put it. Set it down carefully so all the lines were straight. Nodded.

“Thank you.” He outlined when she would come over and for how long. Miles always appreciated that. Knowing exactly what he was up against. It made grocery store runs less daunting for them both.

Hopefully this would be less upsetting than the grocery store.

She brought a large bouquet of flowers with her.

“Don’t worry, we were going to throw them out anyway. Oh! But- But I’m not trying to give you subpar flowers it’s only that-”

He took them. Cradled them in his arms. Breathed in their sweet scent. “I love them.” He wasn’t sure anyone had ever given him flowers before. Not before her. Kept them on the desk at work until she threw them out and replaced them with new ones.

It was the little things like that. Like how she packed an extra orange for him because those convenience store meals don’t have any fruit in them Gregory! You have to take better care of yourself! You’ll get scurvy! Or how she reminded him to sort through the mail collecting on his desk. Or just pulled him up out of his chair to stretch. 

Or how she laughed so bright and warm and it filled his chest. Just like it did when Miles giggled.

He wanted to be good for them. Be better. Be put together and organized and not be constantly two weeks behind on laundry and debating which of Miles shirts had the least amount of stains so people wouldn’t think he was failing as a parent. 

“Well I like doing laundry Gregory. And we all need a little help sometimes.”

Oh he could love her. Marry her. One day.

“This is Flora, Miles. She’s one of my friends.”

Miles hid his face in his pant leg. Waved with one hand and clung with the other.

Her lips pressed together into a frown. Cast a worried gaze up to him.

“When you said he wasn’t talking yet, I thought he was younger.”

Add this to the list of ways he’s already failed Miles as a father. That he didn’t know they were missing milestones.

She sits next to Miles as he flips through the pages of his favorite book. Evidence law. There’s a little chick on the front with a deerstalker. He’s had to move his current law books up out of the reach of sticky fingers because Miles loved to take them out and stare at them. Mirror him as he read his own tomes. Although these couldn’t be interesting, they were just text.

Miles wiped his nose against his sleeve again. A button up with a bowtie. If he dressed Miles up fancy enough maybe no one wouldn’t notice how his shirts hadn’t been ironed in months. She leaned closer and pointed to one of the pictures. Braid with all those beautiful flowers falling over her shoulder. Asked him a question about it.

Miles sneezed. A tiny kitten of a sneeze. Neither could stop the instant coo. His sneezes were just so cute. Miles tugs on his sleeve and then covered his nose with both hands. Tissue please. He understands. Retrieves one and hands it to him. Blows his nose with a honk.

(I hope he isn’t catching a cold.)

Dinner is Miles favorite. Which isn’t the most impressive of meals but in the debate between impressing Flora and making sure Miles was as happy and content as possible for the duration of the meeting, keeping Miles happy had won. Besides, he barely had time to clean the spaces she’d see before she’d come over, much less make something fancy. 

He reaches out and strokes the soft petal of the flowers on the table. They really made this place seem nice. Adult. Not like the bachelor pad turned baby playground it was. They could go to the farmers market together, swing Miles between them, and buy fresh fruit that wouldn’t rot in the bottom drawer half the time. Purchase nice art to hang on the walls. Always have fresh flowers for the vase. Have enough time to actually clean the dust he’d only noticed built up on the shelves once she’d stepped in the door.

(You’re getting ahead of yourself Gregory. Taking things too fast.)

“Miles dear? Is something wrong?” Flora asked.

He was wiping at his cheeks. Tears flowing. Snot running down his face. Discomfort and distress in every line. Breaths ragged like the start of a meltdown.

“Miles?!”

He scooted off his chair. Ran to his room. The door slammed closed behind him.

They stared at each other. Those beautiful flowers framing the shot.

Wilted alongside them.

“I should go check on Miles.”

He could never tell what the problem was with Flora. Miles seemed to like her right up until he started crying out of the clear blue. Began to sulk whenever they’d go to see her.

“I’m sorry Flora. Perhaps when he’s older...”

He knows she won’t wait that long.

She shouldn’t have to.

She leaves him with a dried flower and a book on sign language.

“So we can communicate even if you don’t talk.” He says and signs achingly slow. Has rehearsed these motions countless times in preparation. He wants to hear his son’s voice more than anything. But even more than that he wants him to be happy and understood. “I love you Miles.”

Miles plays with his trench coat. Fiddles with his attorney’s badge. He’s always worried Miles will pop it off and hurt himself. So far he’s been content to just shine and admire it. Cocks his head the way he does when he doesn’t understand a direction. Say that again?

He does. Begins to repeat the explanation on sign language. Miles shakes his head. Waves his hand. “Just the last part?” Nods. He hesitates. “I love you Miles.” He says and signs.

Miles watches his hand. Looks down at his own. Adjusts his right hand into position with his left.

I love you. He signs back.

His glasses immediately begin to fog. Tears blinding his eyes. “Can I…” Oh he doesn’t remember that word. He’ll just have to make one up for now. “Hug you?” Held his arms out wide. Shrugged his shoulders. Cocked his head.

Miles nodded and climbed into his arms. Pressed his ears against his chest. As if listening to his heartbeat.

I love you. I love you. I love you. He hoped Miles heard with every single beat.

I love you.

Miles played quietly under the bench as he argued his case. He didn’t like bringing Miles to court – one very prominent memory from when Miles was even smaller that ended in him covered in sick, making closing arguments through tears, and lightheaded with hunger came to mind. He really should have just switched to formula sooner. He hadn’t been able to keep up with the calorie demand. – But the Judge was always incredibly lenient about such things. Had taken a crying Miles off his hands to rock him to calm more than once. Refused to give him back until the trial was over, cooing his questions to Miles the entire time.

Wait. Did he just say-

“Hold it!” He began to say. Your statement contains a contradiction.

“HOLD IT!”A voice he did not recognize called out. High and loud. Young. He glanced around for it’s source. “Or Statement contains a,” Hesitation. He peered over the bench to the voices origin. To where the prosecutors, judge and courtroom were all staring. “Con-Tra-Dic-Tion!” Every single syllable was over and carefully enunciated.

Miles little grey head stood on the other side of the bench. Finger pointed.

The court erupted into noise.

Did he just- Oh that’s so cute! – why’s there a toddler – did you hear him?!

He rounded the bench and scooped him up. “What did you say?!”

Miles jumped. Looked away. Startled. Head bowed like he’d done something wrong.

“No- no no no. Miles what did you say? Can you say it again? Any of it. Say anything again.” Nuzzled into his hair. “I love you so much please say something.” I want to hear your voice so bad.

(Am I pushing too hard? Am I scaring him? Too much. You’re making this too big a deal. You said it was okay if he never spoke.)

It would have been. He loved his little boy. No matter what.

But he couldn’t help but want to hear that voice.

Miles buried his face in his shoulder as he squeezed him to his chest.

“… Father…” Came the embarrassed little squeak.

Oh I love you I love you I love you.

The prosecutor cleared his throat. “Gentleman… I believe we were in the middle of a cross examination?”

He rounded on the witness. Pointed with his free hand. “Yes! We were! And as my favorite legal assistant has just pointed out,” Miles giggled. Oh he loved that sound. “Your testimony directly contradicts the evidence.”

“Thank you.” The defendant’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “You truly saved me.”

Miles studied him from behind his legs. Eyes catching on the brilliant fabric of the magicians cape. He pressed his hat to his chest. “I was just doing my job.” Bowed.

“Yes!” Magi laughed. The light caught on the glitter on his cheeks. “Take a bow!" Ah. That was… “You’ve put on a magnificent show.” Removed from his sleeve an entire bouquet of flowers. Handed it to him. “Truly. Thank you.”

He accepted it. They were beautiful.

He knelt. “And for the legal assistant and his indispensable aid,” Pulled one more beautiful flower out and presented it to him. “Here.”

Miles reached out. Took it. Inhaled.

Sneezed.

Sneezed again.

Magi covered his laugh as Miles sneezed once more. “Oh dear.” Pulled out a colorful handkerchief for him. “My apologies.” Took the flower back and made it disappear as Miles blew his nose. “I didn’t realize you were allergic.”

Allergic.

He dropped to the floor. Pulled Miles to his chest.

“Oh Miles. That’s why you didn’t like Flora. She always had flowers on her.”

And he was just allergic enough to be irritated.

What a fool he was.

“… Father.” Miles was tapping him. He forced open his eyes to Miles signing at him. “Why are you laughing?”

He received an invite to Flora’s wedding not a month before. They seemed very happy together.

That could have been us. If only I’d know about your allergies.

Father? He repeated.

“Because I’ve been very silly. And caused you unnecessary pain.”

(I’m not a very good Father at all am I? I keep messing up.)

“… Oh. You want another handkerchief?” Magi asked. “Here you go.”

Cloth touched his face. He opened his eyes to Miles very seriously wiping the tears from his face. Just like he would for Miles. He let him finish his very serious work.

Miles dropped his hands. Considered him from where he stood in the nest of his knees.

Raised his right hand and signed, “I love you.”

Oh Miles.

“I love you too.”

[phoenix-wright-defense-attorney]

It's been a while, Mr. Wright.

I'll cut straight to the point. I've noticed the emotional minefield you're currently going through, and... I'm concerned, to say the least. This is not in any way meant to be condescending, I assure you. I understand if you're bothered by me potentially breaching your privacy, but I have to say something.

In regards to your subconscious doubts about Prosecutor Edgeworth... it's an understandable reaction. Irrational, but understandable. It's not a bad thing to have doubts about your close ones; you're not being a hypocrite, or a paranoiac. You're simply being human. After all, what is faith without doubt?

On the other hand... if you have doubts in Mr. Edgeworth, you have to talk to him about it. It's okay if you're scared, but you can't tiptoe around him forever. Even if it'd hurt to confront Athena, do you think I would've gotten the answers I wanted if I'd just stood silently in the sidelines stewing in my doubt?

It hurts to confront someone you want to trust completely, but only by hearing his own answer from his own mouth can the seeds of doubt in your heart be cleared up. Besides, Prosecutor Edgeworth values the truth above all else, doesn't he? I have good faith that if you ever decide to bring up your worries, he would only give you the truthful answers and hide nothing from you.

Questioning Athena is NOT something I am proud of, and it never will be, but in the end, I am glad I had taken action and not withdrawn further from you and Athena, because no fight is one man's fight alone. I hope you can find the strength to move forward and take the next step.

That's all for now. Take care of yourself, Mr. Wright.

- Apollo Justice

PS: You can expect another message from Athena later, but don't hold your breath; she's currently afraid that you're mad at her for going off on her own secret mission after getting ratted out to you by Prosecutors Gavin and Blackquill.

You don’t have to worry about me, Apollo. But I guess that’s not going to stop you all from worrying anyway… I’m sorry.

I really do want to trust him completely, I really do. Trust is what built our relationship before in the first place so why can’t… why can’t we have it now…?

But… I guess you’re right. If I want to completely trust him again, I have to open up to Miles… even if I’m a little scared. I’m sorry that I made you all worry. I’ll go talk to him. Thank you, Apollo.

[SHATTER]

Ow. I… I guess that was what it was then. One more lock to go.

[smolfoxbab]

okay here’s the Narumitsu angst (with a happy ending)

its my blog and i get to choose the hyperfixation to post about

((1,830 words //tw for injury + blood// hope u enjoy!))

Phoenix Wright wasn’t the type of person to make enemies. At least, not on his own. His selfless nature and optimistic personality made him a likable man to be around, even if he was often clumsy and oblivious at times. However, being a defense attorney was a different circumstance, one that brought a certain set of unspoken dangers with it. In proving his client’s innocence, the guilty verdict was placed onto another. While most of these people posed no threat behind the bars of their sentences, there was no guarantee a grudge wouldn’t push them to seek vengeance.

Miles Edgeworth had plenty of experience with this concept already. He was a prosecutor-- The Demon Prosecutor. Among the death threats and various other attempts on his life, he was all too aware of the risks that came with his job. But he had learned to shoulder them, right alongside the other burdens he carried. He also knew that Phoenix didn’t consider these things, didn’t consider his own safety as much as he considered others. Concussed, tazed, nearly drowned and beaten to a pulp in an infamously deadly river... none of it seemed to phase him. He never slowed in his pursuit for protecting others, and that... that concerned Miles more than anything.

“You need to be more careful, Wright,” he had said once in passing after a trial where a guilty offender nearly wrung Phoenix by the neck, the defense attorney standing just a little too close when the verdict was handed down.

“One of these days something... serious, might happen to you, and you won’t be able to just laugh it off.”

Phoenix only flashed him that dopey grin and said, “I’ll be fine, Edgeworth. For an unlucky guy, I’m pretty lucky.”

Miles wanted to believe that, truly. The man seemed to get off easy in dire situations more often than not, so perhaps he had a point behind his foolish reasoning. Even so, his worry lingered. Luck always tended to run out at some point.

---

Then one afternoon, his phone rang. He had already been driving towards Phoenix’s office, having been called over earlier on the premise of having an “important discussion.” He’d left as quickly as he could, but the traffic seemed to determined to keep him from reaching his destination. It was slow, and he seemed to be hitting every red light possible. It was at one of these prolonged red lights, as he sat impatiently tapping the steering wheel, that a familiar tune sounded off in his pocket. Sighing, he slipped his phone out and checked the screen, not too surprised to see Phoenix was the one calling. Forgot to tell him something in the first call, most likely. He hit “answer” and brought the device up to his ear.

“What is it, Wright.”

There was a raspy breath on the other end before Phoenix spoke, his voice just as hoarse.

“M-Miles, I... I-I uh...”

Miles’ brow furrowed, and he found himself straightening in his seat, grip tightening on the phone.

“Wright? Is something wrong?”

There was another breath, followed by a rather nasty sounding cough. There was then a sound that could have been a laugh, if it wasn’t so strained.

“Ah... s-something like that... I w-was trying to call... hhhah... I guess it d-doesn’t mmmatter... a-are you almost... here?”

The light turned green, and Miles pressed on the gas. Harder than he should have, perhaps, but he was uneasy now.

“Yes, I am. What is it, Wright? What happened?”

There was a grunting sound, and the rustle of paper. 

“W-well... fffunny story, ah... there was s-ssomeone at the door and it t-turns out it wasn’t... w-wasn’t you and ahm... shit-”

The hiss was sharp and pained. Miles turned a corner a bit too hastily, nearly catching a street sign as he swung around it. Before he could say anything, Phoenix continued.

“I’m not... I’m nnnot doing too hot, Miles... It’s getting... k-kind of hard to... focus...”

Miles clenched his jaw, trying to hold his composure. He was on the final stretch of road, he just had to get there.

“Stay with me, Wright. Stay on the phone. Do you hear me?”

“Yeah...” came the reply, but the strength in it was fading, “yeah... Miles...?”

“I’m here, Wright.”

He turned into the office parking lot as he said that, haphazardly parking and exiting the car in record time.

“.....what I w-wanted to... tell you... I... I love... you.”

Miles’ breath hitched as he ascended the steps. He would’ve have stopped completely if not for the adrenaline fueling his movement. A lump formed in his throat, which he heavily swallowed as he pressed on. Damn it, why now did he- Damn that man. 

“J-Just hold on, Wright. I’m coming up on the door now. Wright? Wright?”

Silence filled the other end of the line as he approached the door, which sat unlocked and ajar. A red smear stained the door handle, while more splashes led across the floor and deeper inside. Miles only hesitated a moment before flinging the door open, rapidly searching the room for the other man. It didn’t take long.

The defense attorney was slumped against a bookshelf near his desk, various papers and books scattered around him, along with his still lit up phone. He wasn’t moving. Miles sucked in a breath as he practically slid to Phoenix’s side, one hand clasping his shoulder while the other went to check his pulse. Thankfully, he could still feel it, though it was weakening.

“Wright? ...Phoenix, can you hear me?”

He tried to get some kind of response, lightly shaking his shoulder, but got nothing. He shifted his gaze downward, where he couldn’t help but spot the dark stain soaking underneath his jacket. He lifted the blue fabric slightly, trying to get some assessment of the damage. It looked too wide a tear to be a gun wound. A stabbing seemed more likely.

“Damn it. Damn you,” Miles cursed under his breath, shucking his jacket off and moving to put pressure on the wound. He set to call the authorities at the same time, his now-shaking hand nearly dropping the phone entirely. He stared at the unconscious man before him as the phone rang, mumbling to himself before the responder picked up,

“If you die, you fool, I’ll... I’ll bring you back and kill you again myself.”

Emergency services responded quickly, and an ambulance was sent with haste. The police force arrived as well, with the ever-diligent Gumshoe heading the charge. Ever-diligent, and ever-emotional, as the detective seemed to blast through one emotion after the next while Phoenix was being prepped for the drive to the hospital. Miles was given the assurance as he boarded the ambulance himself that, no matter what, the culprit wouldn’t get away with it. In the tense silence of the ride that followed, Miles let that statement repeat in his head- let it hold him together. They wouldn’t get away with this. He would see to it personally... Once he was assured that Phoenix was going to make it out of this alive.

---

Several hours of absolutely nerve-wracking waiting in the hospital lobby followed after, but all well worth it when he was informed that Phoenix was in stable condition. That didn’t stop him from nearly throwing the recovery room door off its hinges upon arrival, however. He needed to see it for himself, confirm with his own eyes that the other was alive. 

A tired smile greeted him from the bed.

“Hey Edgeworth...”

Miles stood in the doorway for a moment, silent and stiff. Then, slowly, he drew in a breath, let his shoulders relax, and stepped inside with the door closing behind him.

“Wright.”

Phoenix winced at the tone of Miles’ voice, like a child about to be lectured by his parent.

“Look, before you get m-”

“You are an absolute moron, Phoenix Wright. I mean really of all the idiotic- Not only do you call me as you’re bleeding out, rather than contact the authorities-”

Phoenix attempted to interject.

“To be fair I was actually trying to call the-”

But Miles didn’t let him finish.

“But then you have the gall to go and declare- to tell me that you- in such a dire circumstance you decide to claim-”

“Miles-”

“Not seconds before I walk in on what could have well been a murder scene- And what would I have done then? Knowing you had said such a thing before I could even have a chance to process it let alone-”

“Miles if... if you don’t feel the same I-”

“Reciprocate.”

Both of them fell silent then. Phoenix, slack-jawed and staring straight at Miles while the prosecutor locked his gaze to the floor, feeling the heat begin to burn in his cheeks. Phoenix blinked rapidly, beginning to flush a bit himself despite his currently paler complexion.

“Y-y-you mean you-”

Edgeworth huffed and turned towards him, closing the distance between himself and the bed before closing the distance between the two of them. It was an impulsive kiss, and not the one either of them imagined would be their first, but it was real. Phoenix was real, and still here, returning the kiss like it was the most natural thing in the world. A wince and a hiss broke the moment though, Phoenix pulling back to sink into the mattress he’d started to push off of. Miles pulled back hastily, rubbing at his arm with an awkward clearing of his throat.

“A-apologies, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, no- my fault, really. And look I... I’m sorry for worrying you and... how I said that really wasn’t how I meant to go about it-”

Miles cut him off again before he could start losing himself in his rambling.

“I... I know, Wright. I would be far more concerned if your plan had been to confess to me by having a near death experience.”

Phoenix chuckled nervously and looked elsewhere, giving Miles the chance to take up the seat next to his bedside.

“Yeah that’s... a little far out there... even for me. But Miles, you really...?”

Phoenix looked back with a start as Miles took his hand, his grip cautious but protective. Miles attempted to play it off as if he was exasperated, rather than jumbled mess of feelings he was grappling with. The mess of feelings he had been grappling with for some time.

“Honestly, I would have thought just now made it clear enough, but. If I must say it to convince you. Yes, Phoenix. I... I love you, too.”

There was a pause, far too long yet far too short, before Phoenix smiled. Still tired at the edges, but warm and genuine. 

“Okay then. I’m... I’m really glad to hear it isn’t just... I’m glad.”

Miles couldn’t help but smile faintly himself, gently squeezing the hand in his.

“...As am I. Now... why don’t you tell me how you got into this mess?”

[aaimagine]

Hi there I was wondering if I could have headcanons for Phoenix, Miles and Apollo. How would the three react if s/o Play the major character in the TV shows Steel samurai and Pink Princess and who a very cool major character and is very talented actor/actress?

Yes you can! Thanks for requesting! I will answer this with gender neutral pronouns but if you want any specific please let me know. Also sorry how long this turned out 😋 I want to learn to write more concisely! I hope you enjoy.

Phoenix, Miles, and Apollo With an Actor s/o

PART TWO

💙 Phoenix Wright

It all started after he met Will Powers. You had been in an internship at Global Studios as an aspiring actor. Thankful that Phoenix had accepted in defending one of your heroes, you offered your help as best as you could with the investigation.

Surprisingly enough to both of you, that trial was not the last time you saw each other. After months of keeping in touch every now and then, you slowly began a relationship together.

It became easier for him to bond with you over the fact that Maya and Pearl were fans of yours as well, idolizing you as an aspiring actor. They loved to visit you, and visa versa.

He was well aware of your dream, but whenever he saw you on stage auditioning for minor roles, even an amateur as himself could tell that you were leagues above your peers. When you scored a major role, he was more than supportive. You maybe even think he's more excited than you!

His face always heats up when he sees you act. He can't even hide it no matter how hard he does. Why are you so cool?

The fact that Maya and Pearl were there made it easier for him to slip in excuses to see you at your job. Once again he could use them to his advantage!

("They just begged and begged to see the amazing (character name) in person today!")

Not that you minded though! Just like him, they were like your little nieces as well.

He religiously watched Steel Samurai and it's spinoffs before because of Maya, but now at the office it feels like he's the one who's the most excited to see his partner on the big screen!

Definately owns all of your merch. He even has a picture of you in costume at the office and loves to joke that he's dating a celebrity.

Especially loves to play the fact that he's dating only the COOLEST actor on television off as nothing, the cocky bastard.

💖 Miles Edgeworth

Oh boy, this closeted fanboy is living his best life

I can see him meeting you by chance, perhaps through gumshoe or one of his (few) friends. You both are standing off to the side while the group is hanging out. You bond over steel samurai!

Once he sees you again and finds out your passion as an actor, I can see him holding you under more respect. He can feel your dedication.

After knowing him for a long time, you find out that you've been accepted into the role of your dreams- a new main character in the franchise! You've been keeping your auditions a secret from him and you couldn't wait to share it with the world.

Instead of telling him straight away, you decided to surprise him with the news! After all, you knew he was an even bigger fan than you were when it came to this stuff.

He would grumble about how you insisted he cleared his schedule for this important date, more irritated that he wasn't even allowed to know what it was. But we all know he's a softie! He could never say no to you.

But once he, sitting behind set, realized what was going on, even he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. Was he dreaming?

This must be some kind of mistake? Had you invited him to see a secret viewing of the new samurai series? But- then where were you?

It hit him like a ton of bricks when he realized you could be starring in the series. But he was dumbfounded as ever when you never showed up.

He experienced whiplash once he saw you remove the mask off and see that you were THAT character? The MAIN character?!

He felt he was in a dream.. and officially was out of his element. His crush was an actor in the show he knew more about than himself? The blush on his face was redder than his suit once he realized this was all an elaborate surprise.

After that point, and especially after you go out, he never grew out of that excitement phase of your career. His chest would always puff with pride whenever he got to talk about you and your role.

And the best part of this? The fact that you got to have your boyfriend act uncharacterially adorable in front of others without him realizing it.

❤ Apollo Justice

Apollo probably had met you at a mixer. After graduating university, he attended these frequently on his off days from working at Kristoff's office. Hey, the man had to make connections as a rookie!

Finding out that you were an actress was so cool to him! It was so cool that he, embarrassingly enough, realized he forgot to ask where you currently were working.

Since you both exchanged numbers, you frequently spoke about your careers with each other. However, you tended to be vague (though his bracelet never went off, so he knew you weren't necessarily lying)

Honestly, the dork probably tries to show off his chords of steel training to you and you find it so adorable that he would be so willing to share something personal with you that you can't help but practice along.

One day, while hanging out at his apartment, the issue really bothered him. You seemed busier by the day, and he just wanted to know what you were up to!

When you finally came clean, you explained that you hid it for many reasons, one being that the series was in development and fully unreleased as of now.

You did want to tell him, but having him ask made you feel like you finally got something off of your chest. When his bracelet once again did not react, he felt his jaw drop slightly.

He wasn't even upset. Once he finds out who you play and what you have been doing it renders him speechless. He was attempting to give advice to an actor of one of the, if not the most popular craze on television right now! How embarrassing!

Justice, oh Justice, they are way out of your league.

Don't worry though, you still find him endearing all the same! Go for it, Justice!

After word gets out, I can see him bragging every now and then about how cool you are, just like how he fondly spoke of his best friend. Everyone totally calls him out for it (like seriously, you can gush about them THAT much but not ask them out?)

Some days he just watches you on T.V. and cannot believe how cool you are. He never says it to your face before you date though. Once Trucy mentions it to you though, he feels his soul leaving his body.

He definately helps you practice lines regularly. I can see him getting a little too into the roles of the characters he's attempting to act, as adorable as it sounds.

[turnaboutyandere]

Tw for domestic abuse

Ihave this concept stuck in my head for soulmate au. See phoenix met his soulmate in college when he was dating dahlia and to prove his love to his sweet dollie he was rather cold to them.as much as it hurt him he was borderline cruel. In front of people. And that my friends is how viscous rumors spread

Months after the dahlia case he tried to reach out to his soulmate to find that they switched universities. And it hurts. it hurts so badly to know he turned away a chance of what could be true love and that he hurt his soulmate so much they felt the need to fall of the face of the earth.

Then by miracle he meets them again not threw a case but threw an outing with maya. Their working at either a coffee shop or cafe and blatantly asks her coworker to serve them outloud in front of everybody. Including the owner who isn't too pleased that y/n was being rude to a customer until she told him thats her soulmate. Then the owner straight up tells phoenix that y/n is a daughter/son/child to him and to fuck off.

And he does . Hell he's not even mad cause though y/n's voice was nonchalant and they did embarrass him in front of maya, their eyes were so sad.

So he swallows his pride and admits to maya just what he did. And she, ever the sweetheart tells him it's not too late to find love and that he can definitely fix things. And he takes it entirely too far.

And trying to fix things slowly became stalking and he sees just how much that one cruel moment hurt y/n whom was bullied at school and abused at home from a young age.

When he realized this that he was one of many to fail y/n he doesn't feel better. In fact he feels worse, much worse. He feels he should have been a light at the end of the tunnel for them. A savior. Instead he was mean to them over a girl that made a absolute fool out of him.

So he does his best to aid them in there day to day while they ignore him completely. Any attempts at helping is sidestepped and any affection is blown off.

Then he finds out they have a boy/girlfriend and he breaks down. Phoenix is dead convinced that this person is going to hurt y/n like dahlia hurt him(and he's not wrong) but like there's nothing he can do about it. If he takes this person to court y/n would just hate him more so he just suffers in silence

Then it comes out that y/n's boy/girlfriend beats them and all hell breaks lose.

He pulls as many strings as he can; documenting the abuse,hand delivering it to the police.blacklisting this absolute garbage person to other defences attorneys, and even gets edgeworth to prosecute. (Who saw the videos of this person beating their lover and would absolutely love to prosecute)

When it's all done y/n is crying quietly cause they were attached to that asshole and though their alot calmer then he was it reminds him of the day dahlia was found guilty, but that's ok he's right their now and y/n is very very single

-lightningbug anon

I... Have no words. There’s literally nothing I can add to this without ruining it. This is perfection. The story, the characterization, Phoenix’s guilt and subsequent spiral into obsession, his darling’s backstory, the ambiguous ending... Like, my God, Lightningbug Anon, you really pulled all the stops and delivered an amazing story.

EVERYONE COME AND READ THIS AMAZING STORY! I WANT EVERYONE TO GAWK AT LIGHTNINGBUG ANON’S TALENT!

Seriously though, welcome to the Anon Squad and more importantly, thank you so much for sharing this with me. This ask watered my crops, fed my children and cleared my skin. If you ever decide to turn this into a full-length story, please let me know because I will happily read it.

______

- Mod Dollie

[heaven-s-black-box]

Hangout- cafe Recht Chpt.3

Return to File

Recovery date: August 17th, 2020

Description: Miles owns a cafe with Franziska, and Phoenix and Maya are famous actors. Their daughters go to school together, so what happens when they want a sleepover?

Notes: A entry series involving a descendant of a traveler, following the death of her mother it was determined Sky would be better off staying with Miles Edgeworth. This is an OC insert, the fantastical technobabble is just for looks

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Word count: 850

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“Clay, wanna come with me to pick up Truce?” Apollo asked, as they left school. 

“Sure, I haven’t seen her in awhile. We can go bother Kay afterwards, I heard the production crew for a movie is staying there.”

“Yup,” Ema said, making them all jump. “It’s even worse than when the cafe down the street was swarmed cause they had that famous singer working.”

“Because it’s happening to you this time?” She glared at Apollo and ripped open a bag of snackoos. It took great restraint on her part to not eat them during class, especially during tests.

The three of them left, and met Kay at one of the other entrances. Her locker was on the other side of the school, and she actually used it. Beside her was Sebastian, he was pretty quiet most of the time, and Kay seemed to drag him everywhere. 

To their surprise, the road straight to the school was clear. They’d expected it to be blocked off because of filming, but they were able to walk right by during a take. It was, of course, surrounded by people watching. So they couldn’t see what was happening, but they could hear some yelling. Some of the lines made them snicker as they passed.

---

“Polly!” Trucy yelled, as she launched herself into Apollo’s arms.

“Hey, how was school?” He laughed, stumbling back a bit.

“Good! Can we go over to Sky’s family cafe? Please! Please! Please!”

“Well, we were-”

“Sure!” Clay said, waving at Trucy from behind Apollo.

“Oh! Hi Clay!” She went to hug him once Apollo put her down.

“Hey guys!” She yelled, waving over Sky and Pearl, “We can go! Is Athena coming?”

“No, her mom came to pick her up. They’re going to dinner,��Pearl said.

“Awww.”

With that, the group made their way down to cafe Recht. When they got to the intersection, they found the crowd had begun to dissipate. It looked like they were moving their equipment into the nearby warehouse. The actors didn’t seem to be with them though. Kay had shrugged it off, saying they were probably already in the warehouse.

“I’m home!” Sky yelled, as she opened the cafe door.

“And she brought friends,” Kay followed.

Miles looked up from the register and smiled. “Oh? Do I finally get to meet these friends you speak so much of?” Sky’s face turned pink, and she laughed nervously.

“Hehe,” she waved the younger two over to the bar, and Miles went to stand in front of them. “These are my friends papa, Trucy and Pearl! And that’s Trucy’s brother Apollo,” she pointed at Apollo who waved as him and the others took a seat, “And that’s Apollo’s friend Clay! He’s going to be an astronaut!” Clay waved and laughed.

“Hey! Why does he get a fun introduction?” Ema said, in mock offense.

Sky looked confused, “Because Papa already knows you.”

“Tha-I-never mind. Hey mister Edgeworth? Kay and I will take our usuals.” He nodded.

“What smells so good?” Sebastian asked, looking around the cafe.

“Hm, dunno,” Kay said. “But it smells nicer than usual. Almost like…”

“Aunty Kath!” Came a shrill cry from Sky.

“Sky! We don’t jump over the bar,” Franziska scolded.

Sky was currently dangling from Katherine’s neck, as the woman attempted to adjust her hold on the girl. The few other patrons seemed unfazed, as the two laughed together.

“My how big you’ve gotten, ma bichette. You haven’t been causing too much trouble for your father, have you?”

“Hehe, nope! Here, come meet my friends!” The two turned to Trucy and Pearl who were in awe. “This is Trucy and Pearl, we’re in the same class!”

“It’s the Piece of cake lady!” Both girls screamed. By now, the other patrons were laughing at the exchange on the other side of the cafe. Katherine laughed.

“Why yes, I am. In fact, I just finished making some cake. Would you all like some?” The girls began to nod furiously.

“Careful, your heads’ll fall off!” Clay said. 

Katherine set Sky down, and went back into the kitchen while Sky went around the bar to her seat. Miles handed the girls juice boxes, while Franziska made, and served, the teens their drinks. Katherine brought out a beautiful marble cake, and served the three children before calling over the others. Kay and Ema laughed at the look of shock and awe on their friends faces. 

“By the way, where’s the fop?” Ema asked, as she took a bit of cake. “Wasn’t he working today?”

“Mr. Gavin had some business with his band, so I let him off early.”

“Hey Papa? Can Trucy, Pearl, Athena, and I have a sleepover?” Sky asked, as she squashed her juice box.

“I don’t know. I’d have to talk with their parents, do you girls know their phone numbers?”

“Yes sir,” Pearl smiled. “Well I know my cousin's number, she’s the one who takes care of me.”

“Alright, that works.” He turned around and grabbed a piece of paper and took a pen from his apron. “Just put down their name and number.”