#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.

[nimx]

#LangWorth Imagine right now In your mind: Interpol has Halloween party and invites Edgeworth

He is forced to dress up or something so he chooses to be a vampire. Obviously because it wouldnt be that hard for him to be one but anyways. He shows up at the party and he is like Where is agent Lang. Hes really the only person Edgeworth knows or cares about in interpol so

Lang avoids him the whole party because Lang Obviously chose to be a werewolf so theres some tension there between Vampires and Werewolves for sure. Hes kinda pissed at Edgeworth for choosing such a costume

Eventually after drinking a lot Lang comes up to Edgeworth and hes like What the hell man I thought we were cool. Scratches and bites you. And Edgeworth is like, Excuse me? and he doesnt even know what to say to that

But then Lang is like yelling at him Scratching you Biting you Rips off shirt

and Edgeworth eventually clears his throat and hes like Um. My high intellect and my agile qualities as a vampire allow me to avoid the scratches and bites you have attempted to harm me with.

Lang is like Not really man because my Bite force is literally in the millions and vampires are so fucking old so they arent really as fast as you say dude

And Edgeworth starts to get mad because Lang is soooooo wrong so he takes a step forward and hes like Your knowledge of vampires must be minuscule, because it is an elementary fact that vampires are very agile beings, and to get straight to the point, it is a belief from the populace that vampires generally out-class werewolves in every aspect. Of course, if that does not matter to you, I can say with upmost certainty that most scholars agree that vampires would beat werewolves if a given a scenario where said fight were to occur. He even waves his finger in Langs face. But Lang wasnt listening at all because he was trying to transform into an Alpha Werewolf and grow fur.

Edgeworth scoffs and hes like Really? You joined me at the marketplace of ideas and you bring nothing? and Lang is like Im a werewolf and Im scratching you and biting you but we accidentally kiss. Edgeworth is like What how did that happen? and hes a little surprised you know. But hes also confused because none of this is happening in real life still.and Lang is like Accidentally puts my werewolf arms around you and Edgeworth just looks down and hes like No you didnt your arms are by your side. Anyway this werewolf rp continues until they havesex but I cant figure out how to connect it to sex

[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 ✨

[battybiologist]

It's deeply intriguing to me how much Godot is bad at prosecuting when compared to every other main prosecutor.

He's the only prosecutor in the series who's ever let a criminal, Ron DeLite, walk free, and it's totally his fault. There are at least two instances in 3-2 and 3-3 where, instead of trying to pin Phoenix with evidence, he lets his conjecture fly and argues the logic of it, which anyone who's even heard of Phoenix knows is a losing battle. He's good at making arguments, but he falls shorts compared to prosecutors like, say, van Zieks. His only real troublesome trait is that he will not let Phoenix take shortcuts and forces him to lay out his full reasoning, whereas other prosecutors, namely Klavier, will catch on the defense's reasoning and will spell out the conclusion.

And at first, it's not shocking, because out of the gate, you know he's a rookie, and not a genius like Franziska or Edgeworth, whose first outing is a much more impressive.

However, we later learn that he's Diego Armando, an experienced defense attorney, and it doesn't make any sense. We saw him advise Mia, we heard him give advice that would inform Phoenix's tactics later on. He should be the perfect counter to him, much like how a certain defense-attorney-turned-prosecutor in another installment of the series actually is.

And then, you hit Bridge to Turnabout.

He's the killer. He knows everything that went down. It's more and more obvious as the case goes on that he knows more than he lets on. And yet, he continues to pressure Phoenix to crack the case, as usual. But this time, he's both more lenient and more unforgiving.

On one hand, he straight up gives hints to the defense. Every other time a prosecutor has done the same, it was in a clear team-up moment against a common enemy. This time, he's the culprit, so that's not what happens.

On the other hand, not only is it the case where he whips out the unlimited penalty, but he also cranks up the verbal abuse from "witty jabs" to "reason-you-suck speeches", is much more tough on which lines of reasoning you follow, and basically makes no prosecuting mistakes (I don't count the red-on-white stuff, man's disabled).

At first, I interpreted this as his guilty conscience pushing him to get caught, and while I still believe that, there's another, far more complex interpretation that makes him truly fascinating.

Godot admits at the end of the trial that Phoenix following in Mia's footsteps was both the brave and correct way to go about honoring her, unlike his desire for revenge, which he calls "running away from [his] grief". He also says he wanted to test Phoenix's mettle

So what if, deep down, he wanted to see Phoenix disprove his reductive vision of him, and subtly acted as a sink-or-swim type of mentor?

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't believe he purely had good intentions when he set out to do so, I think he was lashing out at an easy target and it made him forget his hurt for just a second. It's a textbook "vengeance feels empty" type story.

What I'm saying is, just like Edgeworth wanted to be guilty of his father's murder to be relieved of the weight of his grief despite his innocence and how Franziska thought she would be happy if she was as monstrous as her father and was devastated when she realized she wasn't, Godot thought becoming evil could free him from his suffering, but his best self, the person he could be if he faced his grief head on and grew to overcome it like Phoenix did, prevented him from losing himself in that villainy

Hey, it's almost like there's a thematic throughline with the OT's main prosecutors. Weird.

[attorneys-against-court-violence]

Damon Gant scares the hell out of me.

This man. This. Sodding. Demon. It's been a few weeks since I beat Rise From the Ashes, but the events of that case and the actions of this character have made the name "Gant" borderline blasphemous. For how far I have gotten into Ace Attorney, he's probably the most terrifying of the villains so far. Yes, that includes Manfred.

Now, coming fresh off the fourth case like me, you may have wondered given his reputation; how can they make this goofy orange funny man more paralysing than THE Manfred von Karma himself? Old Karma set the bar pretty high after all - never was there a worse feeling than catching him in the Evidence Room with a taser after all the work you put in to incriminate him and his witness.

Karma was built from Edgeworth's reputation, the way he was talked up prior to the trial, and his control over the courtroom. He was introduced on a pedestal and kept there till the very end. You are *expected* to fear this man and plays him pretty straight. No ambiguity, he's just that terrifying.

Gant? He practically comes out of nowhere. Even Edgeworth is surprised (even fearful?) when he appears. And he introduces himself by... just standing there. Not even in ellipses as Karma did - he just stares at you until bursting into friendly dialogue. He indirectly helps you connect the SL-9 incident to the current case. He scolds Edgeworth with a smug grin.

You have no idea what to expect from this man. He hits you with so many conflicting signals that you can't tell what you're supposed to think of him. He seems friendly enough, I guess? Maybe he's just like good ol' Gumshoe right? But that stare and the way he taunts Edgeworth... it makes you wonder what's going on with the guy.

Your fears may be alleviated slightly when he lets you into the evidence room. Maybe that same, cold stare he gives you only raises your eyebrows. At best he's a very eccentric fellow, at worst you have no idea why he's keeping up such a façade... if there even is one.

Then the pieces start coming together. There's a good reason why he was so protective of his office; everything you find in there ties him into both cases in a very disturbing way. The way Lana is acting, why Jake Marshall is so interested in SL-9, everything that connects him to Ema especially paints him in a very ominous light. He was involved with all their lives and how they turned out and it isn't shaping up to be a very positive influence. Even smaller details - like how he blasts organ music at officers under his watch to punish them - paint him in an ominous light.

By the time he's standing as a witness for the second time, it becomes crystal clear. Damon Gant is a ruthless, selfish and thoroughly manipulative person. Everything, from SL-9 to now, was planned and thought-out by this horrid man to ensure he gets off scott-free. No matter how many lives he ruins in the process. He frames Ema for murder. He convinces Lana to help him cover up a fake crime. He kills Marshall's brother in the process. He gave Edgeworth false evidence when he took over as prosecutor for SL-9. He did his damndest to remove everyone who investigated SL-9 from power.

Bruce Goodman died because he was getting too close seeing Gants web of lies he had spent 2 years weaving and keeping at this rate. He pulls every string he has - Lana, Edgeworth, even Ema as a scapegoat - to make sure Bruce dies with his secrets. One wrong move from Phoenix and he would have walked out a free man.

Why?

Because he was desperate. They had their serial killer - Joe Darke - but no evidence to prove it. Right or wrong, Gant wanted someone to pay for these violent murders, so he sought justice through the most vile means possible. Manfred only did what he did because he's a perfectionist. Gant did what he did because he wanted justice - or at least the next best thing.

And yet he's still incredibly goofy, mentioning swimming at the slightest chance, giving people nicknames, the whole $50 thing... Manfred doesn't have many humanising moments in Ace Attorney, especially in the first game. Gant is presented as just another eccentric dude with a kind streak and is given plenty of opportunity to look human.

Which might be the scariest part about him.

He's an old and silly police chief who did some truly terrible things for the right reasons. His ruthlessness combined with his eccentric behaviour puts him in an uncanny valley of sorts. He's so close, but yet so far from being likeable as a person (compared to Manfred, who's the textbook definition of "love to hate").

I don't blame Edgeworth for being shaken by his final words.

[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.

[ot3]

Hello! I was watching the PLvsAA stream yesterday, and you said to ask after the stream to elaborate on your thoughts on Phoenix having, I think it was attachment issues vs abandonment issues? Would you be able to explain your thoughts on that? I'm very curious, and I figured Tumblr was a decent place to ask. Only if you want to, of course!

ok i just Scoured shu takumi's interviews on gyakuten saiban library to try and find the quote i was looking for and could not find it. which is disappointing to me personally because now i feel insane because i know it exists somewhere, i don't believe I imagined this one because it stuck with me very immediately and very specifically. but at the end of the day the specific quote doesn't really provide any too necessary context.

at the end of the day 'attachment issues' vs 'abandonment issues' is probably really granular and nitpicky, but i mean. well. i love being granular and nitpicky about characterization. i definitely thought of phoenix as having abandonment issues for a long time but flipping the script to 'attachment issues' cleared up a lot about my interpretation of his character for me, so im going to type some paragraphs at you now

like to me the critical differences between the two are that 1. when you think of someone who has 'abandonment issues' you probably assume a certain amount of baggage regarding past experiences contributing to those feelings. or at least, i do. but as i've said plenty in the past i really don't think phoenix has any significant shit going on in his backstory. i don't think he has ever Been abandoned by anyone, really. and 2. you can be attached to things that aren't people, but abandonment is a purely interpersonal phenomenon.

here's this other takumi quote about phoenix that everyone is probably familiar with by this point:

Interviewer: It’s surprising to learn he wanted to become an actor. Perhaps he’s actually really susceptible to fads and things like that?

Takumi: I think he’s just the type who’ll go straight for something and stick to it once he’s convinced of something. Like the type of person he falls for (laugh).

obviously everyone focuses on this for being pretty gay. and like it is. lets make no mistakes about that but it's also just a generally really interesting little tidbit. when phoenix stumbles upon something or someone he likes or wants he will pretty much pursue it unquestioningly and then maintain that emotional attachment to it. and that's really the only place any of his drive comes from. when phoenix doesn't have, like someone or something to be providing this external motivation he just sort of stops doing things. not because he doesn't feel capable of doing anything, or feels unsafe or scared, like how you might feel if you were abandoned, but because he just doesnt Want to do anything

like. with abandonment issues theres a sort of reciprocal nature to that kind of interpersonal dynamic. the other party's behavior has a lot of influence over the feelings of the character in question, for better or worse. but phoenix's attachment issues are at the end of the day kind of an inherently one-sided thing. phoenix is the one bringing any and all emotional baggage into these situations. it's on him. he's obsessive about stuff, and he doesn't really need to be getting anything back from the other side to maintain that. probably indicated most clearly with just everything about his relationship to edgeworth in aa1. dude was truly insane for that shit. i love it for him specifically because it was such a wild and bizarre thing to do.

so like as much as phoenix was obsessed with/attached to edgeworth he was also super attached to doing it in one very specific way. he HAD to become a lawyer. and his attachment to that idea of being a lawyer and what specifically that means for him is a pretty significant throughline for the rest of the series. i think it would also be reasonable to extrapolate that indulging in these obsessive tendencies is how phoenix was able to work on the jurist system. doing that kind of slow, tedious, academic work is pretty atypical of phoenix who by his own admission wont even read any law books. but we know with the right motivation and investment phoenix was able to go from ditzy law student to practicing attorney in just a few years.

imo something else thats super interesting with this lens on his behavior is his relationship with kristoph. theres a lot of different takes on this character dynamic but i think we can all agree that theyre obsessed with each other. whereas you Could read the way phoenix interacts with edgeworth or maya or trucy or even iris as relating to a desire for companionship and a fear of losing that, resulting in a willingness to go out on a limb for people and believe in people, that all falls apart with kristoph. it doesnt make sense to view phoenix's attachment to kristoph as being rooted in a fear of abandonment in a way you could argue for the other characters. it kind of only makes sense if you view phoenix's attachment to kristoph as sort of arbitrarily intense and existing for its own sake, rather than related to any specific desires or outcomes.

a scene i constantly find myself rereading because i'm so obsessed with it is the bit in turnabout succession where phoenix visits kristoph in solitary. kristoph has already admitted to and been convicted of zak's murder, after trying to frame phoenix to it and ruining his reputation. their business is pretty much concluded. everything is already in place for phoenix to get his name cleared. but phoenix still isn't willing to let it go. he is desperate to understand kristoph's motivations on a personal level just because of the investment he has in this relationship regardless of the fact that its a fucked up and bad relationship. he's decided this is something important to him and there's not much of a way for any outside factors to change that.

so. yeah. thats it. kind of. i genuinely dont know if anyone else is going to vibe with this particular interpretation but this is how i see phoenix at the very least.

[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.)

[sunset-peril]

Ashes Remain - Chapter Six - Something About Athena

“You realize the procedure, right?” 

"Yes, Boss. 'The defendant has the right to know any special circumstances regarding their defense, including but not limited to: relationship to the Prosecution or Judge, any personal involvement in the case or similar cases that may produce bias…'"

"'Or legal designations passed onto the defense that display functioning not present in the normal population.' You're insane, Athena. The defendant has the right to know, and the court is requiring your declaration. I know you'd rather not talk about it, but insanity is serious." 

"Does Apollo have to be there? I… know an attorney went insane last year during a trial he was assigned to. It's selfish but-"

"You think he'll instantly believe you're the same." 

"Yes, I'm afraid." Her voice became silent, with trembling lips she muttered "I… can't start over… not again."

~~~~

Athena and Mr. Wright had been in a slew of private meetings since her arrival. When Apollo arrived at 7am the morning of the trial, they were already in another meeting. It was none of his business, he tried to ignore it. 

"Ah, Apollo! Would you mind dropping Trucy off at school? I need to take Athena to the courthouse to finish a few papers. This was the only time the notary could meet."

He saw Athena cringe. His bracelet didn't need to tighten in order for him to figure these were no standard papers. "Yeah, sure, Mr. Wright. You want me to come as soon as she's there, or?" 

"Why don't you come thirty minutes before it starts? That should give us enough time, and let you have a last quiet moment to look the evidence over." 

"Okay! Apollo Justice is out! Trucy! You ready?!" 

"All ready, Polly! See you after school today, Daddy! Good luck with your first trial, Athena!" 

"Thank you, Trucy! You do your best in school today."

"Of course! C'mon, Polly! I need to catch you up!" 

Phoenix waited until their footsteps were long out the door. "I… really don't know what you're about to go through. So, whenever you're ready. I'll let you lead." 

~~~~

April 18, 2027

8:30am

District Courtroom Number One - Private Judicial Chambers 

~~~~

Two officers stood on both sides of Prosecutor Blackquill, and two stood behind Athena. After Nine Tails Vale's incident, the guards standing on Athena's flanks were instructed not to grab her from the back unless absolutely necessary.

The judge sat front and center, straight across from her, with Phoenix on the right and Blackquill on the left. A Detective Gumshoe sat near her boss and the chief prosecutor by her uncle. Outside of the heavy oak doors, two armed guards stood just in case. A convict and a psycho were dangerous on their own, and unpredictable together. 

"Protector Blackquill was intended to join us by closed circuit broadcast." Mr. Miles Edgeworth cleared his throat and tapped his packet against the cold wood. "However, while reviewing this case, a complication appeared requiring his presence. Are you aware of this complication, Doctor Athena Cykes?" 

"Yes, sir. I must revoke custody from my guardian before any more matters can be settled." 

"Someone still has custody of her? She's an adult."

"Quiet, Wright. Doctor Cykes, you disappeared off the face of the earth a little over six years ago. Whoever you lived with during this time is missing from the records and cannot be confirmed. Due to this, we've gone down your custody list. Mother is dead, yes?"

"Yes, Prosecutor Edgeworth."

"Father?"

"No idea, sir. Mom never spoke of him."

"Are you aware your aunt refused your custody?"

"...yes. I was informed she'd been offered, but might refuse."

"Normally, this would defer your case to the orphanage that was supposed to transfer your custody the day you disappeared. A process like that would suspend your court entrance for several weeks."

Fingers scratched through her hair, fiddling with her ribbon. "Ah… I see." 

"However, we found one final relative. There's already a special case granted, so we were willing to append custody to this relative for the sole purpose of revoking it. Formalities and such." 

"Hence why I stand before you, the murderer himself." 

"...Simon." 

"The convict, Simon Blackquill, was found to be related to the interested party, Athena Cykes. Since this case will not require the interested party to live with the convict, we were able to keep the papers out of the foster system's queue. Both parties are required to be physically present; which is why Prosecutor Blackquill is not on broadcast." 

"Doctor Cykes, these are from the precinct." Detective Gumshoe passed a few forms in her direction. "The first is that you acknowledge you have been administered a psych exam and are here of your own free will without threat on your safety. The second is a choice: the results of your psych exam are stapled to the back. You and Prosecutor Blackquill will discuss the results. If you feel you are suitable for adult society, you will declare yourself an adult and Prosecutor Blackquill will sign to acknowledge your rights. If you feel claiming adulthood would endanger yourself in any fashion, or would cause negative legal repercussions, you reserve the right to rescind your adult rights. Because Blackquill is on death row, should you rescind, you will be transferred back to your orphanage of origin and they will transfer you to a special facility. You must then be adopted by a legal adult the same way a minor would. The third form is only if you acknowledge your rights. It essentially has the same purpose as declaring an emancipated minor. It's for the loose ends so we can send something to the orphanage. It states that you now take full responsibility for your actions moving forward." He directed her to go ahead and fill out the form declaring her free will. 

"Thank you, Detective." She signed the page and handed it to him. 

"Alright, then. Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth, Your Honor, let's give them and their cops a minute to discuss." 

"You know what you must do, Athena?" 

"Yes… it's just, frightening to hear all at once."

"Indeed. I believe they intended to intimidate you into declaring yourself a permanent minor."

"Hush, Blackquill. No conspiracies from you."

"Is it conspiracy if I've seen it occur?" 

"The provision… it frightens me, Simon." 

"Provision? What provision, Athena?" 

"You'll find out soon enough." She flipped through the pages of her results, even Simon was kept from seeing what lay on the pages.

Her damage was advancing. A precaution was being put in place to rectify any worries that her state may worsen substantially between exams. 

Her life was in the hands of her own AI. 

"Officer, I've made my decision."

"You've prepared your declaration for the court?"

"Yes."

"I will bring them back in." 

Everyone was brought back in, but stares drilled into Athena from every which way. They likely knew which she'd chosen. 

They'd wanted to keep her mouth shut for years, now they were losing grip. Perhaps they should have truly killed her off when they had the chance. 

The chief prosecutor had the deadliest stare. "Doctor Cykes, you were in discussion for… a rather short amount of time." 

"It was a clear-cut decision with the results. There was not a ton of discussion to be had." One look straight into Simon's eyes told the complete opposite. 

The Judge finally cleared his throat. "Your decision then, Doctor Cykes."

The faster this is over, the faster she could stop being called 'Doctor Cykes.' 

"I… Doctor Athena Cykes, hereby accept my rights as a legal adult." She checked the correct boxes, then signed the paper, passing it to Simon. 

"I, Mister Simon Blackquill, hereby rescind my custody of Doctor Athena Cykes." He checked his boxes, then signed his name before handing it to the judge.

"Very well, I hereby declare Doctor Athena Cykes as an adult in our society." The Judge signed and stamped the paper before handing it back to Gumshoe. 

"We've told you before, but we must make the statement public now: your precaution to protect the public," The chief prosecutor looked down at his notes, fiddling with his glasses. "That AI around your neck… it publicizes your emotions?"

"Widget? Yes, sir." 

I talk too, you know!

"Widget… stop, please." 

“As the AI has so helpfully demonstrated, it keeps a real-time analysis of Doctor Cykes’ inner emotions. It also, which we cannot demonstrate without being unethical, announces, how shall I put it… psychological shutdowns…”

“No…” Simon growled. “How dare you…”

“If the AI displays a shutdown after a violent analysis, or a shutdown while she is behaving erratically, Doctor Cykes, you acknowledge armed forces are allowed to hold this as a significant danger to public safety… and open fire on you.”

Simon’s officers instantly restrained him. 

“Objection!” Widget flickered due to the sudden desk slam, registering in Athena’s mind as a gunshot meant for her. “You’re endorsing the police shooting a young woman for a panic attack?! Of all the things Edgeworth, I never thought you , the child witness of DL-6, would stoop so low!” 

“I was opposed, Wright! I am fully aware of the potential for misinterpretation!” Edgeworth sighed and leaned back, failing to notice the seething Blackquill next to him. “Athena’s mother was a high-profile government employee. This case is much higher than our precinct’s jurisdiction. The entire case has been handled by the federal government’s justice department since it happened. They will manage Doctor Cykes for as long as she lives. The order comes from them.” 

“The blood of UR-1 is on your hands!” Simon broke from his officers and lunged for Edgeworth, only to cry out and drop to the ground.

“Now, now, Blackquill, mutilating prosecutors is no way to get justice, is it?”

“Curse you…”

“D-Detective… Fulbright?”

“That’s right, little missy! I was called to come down while you chatted privately. They were worried he’d get out of hand, and they were right! Good thing I brought his taser, huh?”

“Y-you… tased him?”

“Simple, but effective!” 

“Simon! Are you alright?”

“Ugnh… curse you, Foolbright…” 

“Didn’t know you had such a provision, Ms. Cykes! Otherwise I would have fitted a taser when you and that red attorney came by yesterday, ha ha!”

“You’d tase me ?” 

“Better than gunning you down, isn’t it? You’re quite the unassuming soul, I’d never have guessed you were a psycho! How’d you end up getting that badge? Didn’t know they’d give those to just anyone who fini-”

“Silence!” Simon pulled himself back onto the table. “Don’t you dare imply that she is not deserving of her badge. This whole debacle is an almost decade-old misunderstanding, one that does not seem like it will clear up anytime soon. You’d do best to keep that sword sheathed, Foolbright.” 

“Prosecution, Defense, Detective.” The Judge tapped a finger on the table. “The trial starts in less than an hour. Maybe we could save this for then?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Athena pulled her bangs in front of her face.

Simon bit his tongue. “Certainly, Your Honor…”   

“Prosecutor Edgeworth, are you alright?”

Phoenix had nearly forgotten about Edgeworth in all the excitement. 

He merely adjusted his cravat. “Certainly, Your Honor.” 

“Am I done here? You just needed me to sign that paper.”

“Of course. Officers, please escort Prosecutor Blackquill to a holding chamber until it's time for the trial.” 

“Goodbye, Cykes-Dono. I shall see you in due time.”  

“Bye…” 

“Has the co-council’s disability been disclosed to the defendant, Wright?”

“Yes, he still accepts Athena at the stand. Said it reminded him of his daughter.” 

“How quaint. I look forward to seeing just what you’ve gotten yourself into this time.”

“What do you mean ‘what I’ve gotten myself into this time?!’ Athena is an amazing young lawyer, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“You mean to tell us you felt no fear upon learning about her state? You must’ve hit your head harder when you fell off that burning bridge than I thought.” 

He felt Athena’s fearful eyes. 

Of course his blood ran cold when he found out he’d hired someone who was legally insane! It’s why he called her at 3am! 

But… he couldn’t just say he didn’t trust her in the middle of her lowest point. The cops had just dragged her through the mud and humiliated her. He became a lawyer to protect those with no one, and he wasn’t going to leave her for dead.

“I knew anything could come up with hiring an international whom I’d only known for a few hours. But I still wouldn’t have hired anyone else. Athena is a fit for our agency, I just know it.” 

“What about your other employee? You said your intention was to create a legal team? Does he know about her disability?”

“...”

“You’re intolerable, Wright. He’s in his twenties and has already been attacked by a psychopath once in the past year. He’s in danger and you aren’t even letting him know. Have they at least met? ”

“Yes, I met Apollo yesterday at the crime scene. He seems nice.”   

“She just arrived yesterday. I hadn’t had a chance to talk with him yet. The murder delayed those plans. He hasn’t approached me with any concerns about her, so I hadn’t rushed to it yet.”

“His lack of concern is a reason for concern. Thinking a psychopath is normal will get him killed.”

“I won’t kill Apollo!” Widget was red, aggressive, and she pounded the table. “I don’t want to kill Apollo. He’s a nice guy, a gentle soul.” She pulled her hair over her ear, twirled her moon earring, bit her lip. “I was really nervous about being in this country again, in this city. I was almost immediately arrested as well. I’d heard he struggled with trusting people, but was surprised when he took me rather well. I’d never want to hurt him.” 

That… Phoenix didn’t expect that. 

“Your desires are broken, Doctor Cykes. Don’t let your psychology degree get ahead of that. However, I can see the logistics being thrown off due to the murder. I will let you get by as long as you expose the truth, as you are so fond of doing, to your employee sooner rather than later. One’s privacy is only a priority until the lives of others are in danger. That is why investigations exist.”

“Of course, Edgeworth. We’d always planned to tell him.”

“I’ll be in the gallery for this trial, so I’ll take the papers down to the precinct with Gumshoe and get some copies made for my office. I shall see you soon, Wright.”

“Are you okay, Athena?”

“Huh? Yeah… I’m just glad it's over…”  

“I had no idea they were going to do that to you… otherwise I would have objected earlier.” 

“They’re afraid. I could hear it. The media also doesn’t have an accurate depiction of a more well-functioning psycho… just the Jack the Ripper kind. I can’t blame them. Especially because they are right, the rules of my case are run by a federal investigation agency, not the district court. It’s all out of their hands, they’re all pawns. Once I’ve been in court for a while, they’ll get to know me. They won’t fear me so much. Although, I must apologize to you, Boss.”

“To me? Why?”

“Because lawyers have a very long lived career. Apollo will likely be with you for decades. I on the other hand… my days are rather numbered…”

“Athena… I- you’re dying?”

“Slowly. I… have a traumatic brain injury. It led to some death, which is why I was declared insane. It’s been advancing suddenly, much faster over the past year.” She fished a little paper out of her pocket, opening it up and sighing. “If I make it to my fortieth birthday, it will be a miracle. By thirty, I may be too far gone. They aren’t sure. I only have five years guaranteed. By the time I’m Apollo’s age, I’ll probably be forced into retirement.” Her lip trembled, Widget turned the deepest blue, but no tears fell from her eyes. 

“I- wow… uh…”

“Heh… it’s alright. Plus,” She flashed him a peace sign. “It’s not over yet! This is no time to be crying! Now come, rápido, rápido! Apollo should be here any minute!" She was already out the door. 

He couldn’t follow yet, everything was still so much. He definitely didn’t expect any of what had happened already when he hired Athena. And now she was dying… wow… 

His fortieth birthday was only in a few years. He was likely already older than she’d ever be. His story started with Mia, who died at twenty-seven. That same story currently ended with Athena, who was slated to die in her thirties. He’d seen many premature deaths in his time as a homicide-specialized attorney, but the passings of these two women pained him most; because they were his story.

However, they were both right: the only time a lawyer could cry was when it was all over.

Athena was still alive, eighteen and full of energy, and the trial of Damien Tenma still lay before them. Apollo was on his way, and she’d meet him at the front door like nothing had ever happened. 

A great many shadows were cast over her life, but she still bounced around like a ray of sunshine. She was a living embodiment of the motto Mia left behind, one Phoenix needed to model today.

The Wright Anything Agency’s newest trial was starting, and Athena was front and center for it all.

[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.