#bro would slam the desk like no other attorney

[cheesecake801]

Have some Y0 Kiryu sketches

Also some Oda and Tachibana ft. squirrel sketches (the context is that I dreamed about Oda liking squirrels for some reason)

[destinywillowleaf]

hey @greentrickster i made a basically full (rough) spriteset for this AU. literally the only things missing are his 6-5 breakdown and a version of Apollo's disheartened sprite(cause he looks more frazzled than disheartened or discouraged at the end of his surprise set(s)) and it would be done.

also featuring "Nahyuta is vaguely like a fallen angel" in color because it turns out the implications his scarf had were "another Japanese cultural shorthand that conveys Nahyuta’s holiness and suggests that he is like a god" and "not unlike a character with a pair of angel wings in the West" so that's. fun. (both links lead to the same page btw) not sure how godly Apollo get to be as a result. probably not that much tbh sorry bro.

anyway, sprites! in order, top to bottom, left to right, left page!

normal/neutral, thinking (and transition into talking and thinking, the side profile is a reference for how his hand's positioned), desk slam into determined (his left hand comes up and is a fist on the desk), objection point, confident (two versions).

right page!

shock 1, shock 2 and its progression, shock 1 resolution (because i forgot it before), nod, shake head, embarrassed.

fun facts/information about the choices made in the sprites under the cut~

Nahyuta keeps his arm around his back because he's mimicking Kristoph when he was standing as co-counsel (and also because that's just what he does in canon :P but here it's more of a mimic). He can take off a coat easily but mimic poses are harder to break.

his thinking animation has a fist to his mouth because i do that sometimes and this is my AU and he should have a unique pose. originally was considering keeping his arm behind his back and still might do that instead?? it works either way really

desk slam is mostly based on his canon slam, but without the beads. It's just a forearm and fist into the bench together, with his arm sort of parallel to the front of the bench instead of perpendicular (mostly to differentiate himself a bit from Asogi)

the determination pose changes the angle of the arm and adds his other hand to the bench. it's supposed to be able to slide into his breakdown (with a change in face, of course) with the vague plans i have for it now

also the main reason he gestures with his right is cause i thought it'd be fun since prosecutors use right arms/hands and defense attorneys use their left arms/hands. so what if Nahyuta just. didn't get with the program.

idk what i want his confident post to be but crossed arms is always an option. could be unique, could get in another mimic. (also if you can't read it the additional text is just saying the weird colors are a bleed-through from the colortest Apollos on the previous page)

why shock 1 and shock 2: you know how Apollo as of soj (and maybe dd) has two version of his shock animation where one has his mouth crack open like the og sprite. it's sorta like that. shock 2 is for more intense surprise which is why the papers float, Nahyuta pauses to see the floating pages (eyes dart from one side to the other), and then slaps them down to try and regain composure. also because green suggested it near the start of this whole AU and i love it. that was so much fun to draw.

i also have no idea what i actually want his embarrassed sprite to look like. awkward smile is probably gonna stick around though. it's funny.

important note, cosmic turnabout would be the same animations but the bits of hair in front are braided into the rest. he's not letting his emotions show as much. there might be an additional damage animation where he just flinches and grabs his prayer beads for this section.

when he's got Clay's jacket, it's sort of worn like Dhurke's because i like parallels and no one can stop me. maybe his arm is also actually broken but i haven't decided yet. what matters is that he refuses to use his right arm because he can feel a burning sensation from the Defiant Dragons tattoo due to his failure to his friend and he's just having a rough time of it all. also there's a non-zero chance his hair would be down more if he can't use his right arm 👀

[santoteez]

In The Bronx- Hongjoong (6)

Part: 6 of 7

Genre: Drugdealer!Hongjoong, Drugdealer! SeonghwaAU, Eventual Fluff

Word Count:  2.5k

Requested: no

Warnings: MC is a black female, swearing, Hongjoong’s brother is inspired by Mingi, mentions of abuse and police corruption

NOTE: This fic does NOT, in any way, shape, or form, portray the way I view any member of Ateez nor does it depict their true personalities or actions. This AU is just that. An AU.

Santana stared at the window, watching the snowfall onto the streets. It had now been 3 months since Hongjoong was taken into custody, but she remembered that day like it was yesterday.

*flashback*

The address Seonghwa had sent was to the new warehouse. The location was noticeably smaller, but the crew resumed their work as if nothing happened. As they suspected, the old place was raided. A raid in which nothing was found, damaging the Coca Twins’ credibility. They tried multiple times to convince the police of Seonghwa’s involvement, but with their lack of home security cameras and the solidity of Seonghwa’s alibi, it was impossible to incriminate him. They were several people (all of who were friends of Hongjoong’s) vouched for him being at his “job” at Panera. There was even video footage. Of course, the video was several months old, but the police didn’t need to know that.

Santana and Minjoon were escorted to the back office upon arrival. Seonghwa locked the door when they walked in, gesturing for them to sit. This office was much more put together, with brand new furniture and white carpet.

“How’s he looking?” Seonghwa sat down behind the desk.

“He hasn’t slept, that’s for sure,” Minjoon said. “I feel like shit. Has he always been that tired and I just never saw it? So many times he could’ve gotten killed while I was sleeping.” He ran his hand through his hair.

“Don’t think like that. That’s the last thing HJ would want. It’s the reason he never told you. He wanted you to have the childhood he didn’t.” Seonghwa said, shutting down Minjoon’s worries immediately. “Anyway, I called you over here because I found out-”

He was interrupted by Santana’s phone ringing. “Someone’s calling me private.”

Seonghwa stood up. “Answer it. It might be him.”

Santana answered. “Hello?”

“You have an incoming call from an inmate at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The inmate calling is *Kim Hongjoong*. To accept the charges and connect the call, press 5.”

“It’s him. It’s him!” Santana shouted, dialing in the number. The phone went silent for just a second until she heard Hongjoong’s voice.

“Baby, I miss you.”

“HJ, I miss you too.” She sighed in relief.

“Listen, is Minjoon there?”

“Yeah, he’s here. So is Dragon.”

“Yeah? Put me on speaker.”

“Okay.” She removed the phone from her ear and put it on speaker, the hustle and bustle of the prison filling the silent room.

“Minjoon. Dragon.”

Seonghwa walked over to the other side of the table. “We’re here.”

“I need y’all to listen to me. Bianchi is crooked, man. The public defender, too. I spoke to her earlier, and she said she wanted me to confess to the Paredes case for a reduced sentence.” His voice was muffled from speaking directly into the receiver.

“Is he nearby? Is that why you’re whispering?” Seonghwa asked.

“Yeah,” Hongjoong said, much clearer now.

“Don’t say anything else. Luckily, that’s why I called Santana over. I’m already ten steps ahead of you.”

“Minjoon, you listening?”

“Yeah, what’s up?

“Keep going to school. Remember you wondered why I forced you to get your license but never let you take the car? This is why. Drive yourself, and drive Santana to work. If there’s a party, I’m not telling you to not go because that will raise suspicion BUT make sure Santana and Seonghwa know where you are. For fuck's sake, buy a portable charger because I know your phone dies every other second. And wash your damn clothes! Coming here to see me in a shirt I saw you in two days ago. I don’t spend money at the mall for you to walk around musty.”

Minjoon rolled his eyes. “This is also not the time to talk about this, but alright.”

“You should get going, HJ. You’ve been on the phone for a while. I’m sure you’re almost up. I’m gonna head up that way to see you in the morning. We’ll talk then.”

“Alright, bro. I’ll see you then. Santana, take the phone off speaker. Lemme talk to you real quick.”

Santana placed the phone to her ear. “Yeah?”

“You know I love you, right?”

“And I love you.”

“I don’t have much time, but I had to tell you that. I know you never wanted to be with a jailbird, but I need you to hold me down while I’m in here. Even if you wake up one day and think I’m gross and disgusting, please don’t leave Minjoon alone. I know he’s over there saying he’s grown and shit, but he’s just a kid and I don’t want him doing this alone. Please, tana.”

“I wouldn’t leave either of you. No matter how long it takes, I’m gonna be right here.”

“Let’s go, inmate. Time’s up.”

“I’ll come see you as much as I can! I love you.” Santana shouted.

“I love you, too,” Hongjoong said before the call cut off.

*end*

Three months later, she kept her word. Every day, she was dropped off to work by Minjoon, who picked her up after doing homework or before heading to a party. She’d attend his games and ignore the ridiculous claims that she was his girlfriend. Although she didn’t need it, Seonghwa provided them with money and the occasional grocery shopping. Santana and Minjoon visited Hongjoong as much as they could and waited for his call every night. Minjoon got a weekend job at the local diner, cursing himself for not thinking of getting a job before.

Seonghwa continued to run the warehouse, as well as collect evidence on Bianchi and Sarah. Turns out, the pair had been terrorizing not only the neighborhood of Soundview but the entire borough of The Bronx. Everyone Seonghwa spoke to knew at least three people who were fucked over by them, and each of those three people know more people. Upon his findings, Hongjoong refused to work any further with Sarah and requested to hire his own lawyer for the trial. Seonghwa found the best lawyer in New York City who, after carefully reviewing his evidence, decided to request a mistrial due to police corruption.

“Are you ready?” Santana asked Seonghwa. The day of the trial had finally arrived, and they were about to head into the courtroom to hear Hongjoong’s fate.

“I should be asking you. You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin.” Seonghwa laughed. “He’s gonna be fine. We’ve got a solid case. C’mon. Minjoon, we’re going in.”

As the trio was about to enter, they locked eyes with the Coca Twins. Daedae and Nunu turned their heads quickly as their eyes averted Santana’s worried gaze and Seonghwa’s icy glare.

Once they were all in the courtroom, the bailiff addressed them.

“Please rise, the honorable Judge Johnson is now presiding.” A short, black woman entered the room. “You may be seated.” He said once she was seated.

“Case #157, Claremont vs. Kim. The charge is attempted murder.” The bailiff handed Judge Johnson the case folder.

“Mr. Kim, how do you plead?”

Hongjoong’s lawyer spoke up. “Not guilty, Your Honor. As a matter of fact, the defense requests a mistrial due to police corruption and tampering with evidence.”  

Gasps and murmurs were heard throughout the courtroom and the Coca Twins looked at each other in despair.

“On what basis do you support these claims, Attorney?”

“The defense team and I have conducted a private investigation along with Mr. Kim’s longtime friend, Park Seonghwa, which was approved by the lieutenant and commander. Over the course of three months, there has been evidence collected which proves that the arresting officer, Carlo Bianchi, has been wrongfully incriminating the people of The Bronx alongside his partner, Anthony Manganiello, as well as District Attorney Sarah Fawcett. May I present to the court Exhibit A.” A surveillance tape was pulled up on a TV. “Here, at 10:40, we have my client, Kim Hongjoong, exiting the Claremont residence. Note his calm demeanor and lack of a weapon. This behavior is not common of an individual who’s just failed to kill the persons they intended to. Here at 10:50, we see Officer Bianchi arrive at the scene. Not only is he out of uniform, after reviewing the schedule with the lieutenant, it has been confirmed that Bianchi was also off the clock. We see him walking through the same gate my client just walked out of, touching it without gloves and therefore tampering with what is supposed a crime scene. So, if Officer Bianchi responded to a call as severe as attempted murder without his partner, off-duty AND without securing the crime scene, who could’ve possibly dispatched this call? Easy. No one. See, the police were never called and an official report was never made. In the eyes of the law, there’s no possible way Bianchi could’ve known of the crime or gotten there so quickly.”

Santana's mouth fell agape in disbelief. This was far more than she had suspected. There was evidence even Seonghwa had failed to tell her.

“Exhibit B. The injuries inflicted on the Claremonts. Here we see the shoulders of Timothy and the hands and wrists of Clarence. All badly bruised and tattered. There’s only one problem. Here are the hands and arms of my client.” She pulled up another picture. “This photo is an enhancement of his mugshot. His hands have not one sign of strenuous activity, much less indication he beat anyone up. These pictures were taken less than 24 hours apart. According to the medical examiner, in order for those injuries to have been made by Kim Hongjoong, there would have to be some type of defense wounds on him as well. Do you know who did have signs of a fight visible to the eye? Officer Bianchi. The same man who arrived at the Claremont residence almost instantly after my client, as well as the man who falsified a police report for a crime that did not take place. They entered my client’s house without a warrant and slammed him into the ground in front of his girlfriend of almost two years, possibly scarring her from such a traumatic event. May I also mention, Your honor, that this isn’t a first offense. In our investigation, we have discovered dozens of citizens who were victims at the hands of Officer Bianchi and DA Fawcett. Here are our findings.” The lawyer handed Judge Johnson a folder.

At this point, the Coca twins are sweating through their suits. Sarah’s face was beet-red, and the court was at the end of their seats, as was the jury.

“My final, and possibly most incriminating piece of evidence. This is video footage from DA Fawcett’s first meeting with my client before he blatantly refused to meet with her and requested a switch.”

The lawyer played the tape and the jury watched in disgust as Fawcett’s spiel about Hongjoong as well as the people of the Bronx was exposed for all to hear.

“Note how DA Fawcett makes her stereotypical belief of Bronx citizens clear to Mr. Kim. A true defender of justice shouldn’t see race, background, or education as a factor when trying to portray the truth. As Mr. Kim stated in the clip, he was nowhere near the crime scene, as building management provided us with surveillance that shows Mr. Kim entering his apartment at 8:30am, exiting at 2:50, and returning with his younger brother at 4:00pm. May the jury keep in mind he is his brother’s legal guardian and only known blood relative. Since Mr. Kim’s arrest, Kim Minjoon has had no other choice but to step up immensely and, with the help of his sister-in-law Santana, find a job to help support himself, since my client was his only source of income and the sole breadwinner of the house. This entire ordeal has caused the Kims are great amount of pain, and all for naught. It is, for this reason, we request a mistrial and demand that Kim Hongjoong be released to his loved ones immediately.”

The judge took a moment before saying, “I will appoint a recess in the time I take to review the evidence given to me. Jury, your verdict will not be needed. I thank you for your time and you will be compensated. I will call you all back when I have made my decision.”

The recess lasted almost an hour, in which Santana and Minjoon went to grab a bite to eat. They brought back a sandwich for Seonghwa, despite him insisting that he wasn’t hungry.

“You may all re-enter; the judge has made her decision.” The bailiff called.

“Let’s pray this was enough,” Santana said, rubbing her hands nervously.

Seonghwa placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s enough.”

They once again sat behind Hongjoong and his attorney as the judge addressed the court.

“Before I make my decision known, I would like to address DA Fawcett. Sarah, I am utterly disappointed in you. The great people of the Bronx have time and time again been prejudiced against. Discriminated against. Been robbed of opportunity. And called liars and thieves and burdens. And this instance is no different. May I remind you, you’re in the courtroom of an impeccable Bronx citizen. You wanna charge me of a crime too? It is for this that you, as well as Officers Manganiello and Bianchi,  be placed on UNPAID administrative while this evidence, as well as the list of witnesses, are further investigated. As for Mr. Kim, given the evidence delivered today in this court, I hereby declare this case a mistrial and order that he be released from custody effective immediately. Mr. Kim, on behalf of the judicial system, and from one Bronxite to another, I sincerely apologize. You are a good man, and from what I can tell, you’re an amazing boyfriend and you’ve raised your brother to be a well-mannered, poised young man. I wish you nothing but the best. Court adjourned.” She slammed her gavel, getting up from her chair.

The court erupted into cheers, Santana tearing up almost immediately. Three long, hard months. It all came to a close in a matter of hours. Hongjoong turned around and motioned with his cuffed hands for her to lean forward. When she did, he trapped her lips into a tight liplock, eliciting oohs and aahs from the onlookers.

“I’ve wanted to do that every time I saw you for the past three months.” Hongjoong looked deeply into her eyes.

The guard came over with a smile and uncuffed him. “Good going, kid. Remember our talk?”

Hongjoong nodded, smiling and rubbing his wrists. “Absolutely. Thank you, sir.”

He shrugged. “Just looking out for someone that reminds me a lot of myself.”

The courtroom had long emptied out, and the trio waited for Hongjoong to emerge from the courthouse, sans the jumpsuit. When he walked down the steps in a black coat, jeans, and sneakers, Minjoon broke into a sprint.

“There he is! I wore clean clothes today, just for you.” He said, gesturing to his suit.

“As you always should. That’s how I raised you. “Hongjoong said, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, lil bro. For everything.”

Minjoon shook his head. “You did it all for me. I understand now. Now, I’m gonna go to college, be somebody, and I’ll pay it all back. But for right now, let’s go home.”

Hongjoong laughed. “Couldn’t” have said it better myself.”

*STAY TUNED FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!!*

[myrainydayloves]

Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked

In an attempt to soothe Apollo’s nerves, Annaka goes for a late night evidence hunt. She encounters all sorts of midnight enemies like gangs, poker games, and troublemaking ex-boyfriends. All part of business as usual. TW: Knife fighting and light strangulation. 

(TWO FICS IN ONE NIGHT??? YEAH! Uh no serious. You might see some familiar characters in here but that’s bc it’s my self insert world and I’m not bound by the rules of copyright)

There were three things Annaka was looking forward to when she walked into the Wright Anything Agency at two-thirty AM. One, the leftover Chinese food Phoenix had left in the fridge for her to eat when she got home from her mission. Two, her favorite chair being unoccupied and ready for her. And three, a blanket she had thrown in the dryer before she left. She would finally be able to catch more than an hour of sleep before waking up the next morning to help Phoenix again.

So the anger that coursed through her when she walked into see Apollo sobbing over the papers on his desk in her favorite chair, with an empty Chinese food takeout container next to him, and curled in her blanket was immense. If he hadn’t been fully bawling, she would have honestly strangled him to death. But he was sobbing uncontrollably, head buried in his arms as he gasped for air between bursts of tears.

“Apollo?”

He looked up, snot running from his nose and his eyes bright red from tears. “A-Annaka?”

“What the fuck happened?”

Apollo burst into tears again, head rolling back as he cried so hard he was almost a human fountain. “I’m gonna...I’m gonna lose this case!”

“And?”

“And an innocent person is gonna go to jail and I’m never gonna be able to get another case and I’ll be stuck here! Cleaning toilets for the rest of my life!”

She walked over to the crying young man, picking up what few non-tear soaked papers there were to read them. “Oof, Yeah. Simon’s really painted you into a corner…”

As Apollo sobbed even harder, she looked through more of the papers before pointing to a sentence. “All you need to find is proof this guy bought the poison right? Then your client goes free?”

“But there’s nothing! No one knows where he could have gotten it and my client is a chemist!”

With a hum, Annaka resigned herself to more work. “I’ll get you the info. You stay here and take a nap on the couch, okay?”

“I-Okay…”

There’s no rest for the wicked, Annaka thought as she walked down the stairs and onto the LA streets. Her heeled boots echoed through the quiet as she walked to her bike. She threw herself on her trusty motorcycle, turned the key, and settled into her business. There was nothing like the bass of some pop song bumping through her helmet as the street lines shot past her. She weaved through the streets as easily as a needle through cloth.

And the paved streets that housed the Wright Anything Agency degraded into potholes and cracked streets. It was a sign she was entering a whole new world rather than the squeaky clean one Apollo knew.

She slammed on the brakes midway through a tunnel, stopping the bike so that next to it was an unassuming door into the tunnel proper. In the dark, Annaka coughed.

“It’s rude to keep a lady waiting,” she said to the door. “Plus, I need someone to park my bike and I’ve got something I need explained.”

The door opened to reveal an eye patched man with silver hair leaning against it’s frame. “So the witching hour brings old devils to my door.”

“Cut it, Niles. Is Nyx in tonight?”

“What’s it to ya?”

“Need to know where and when she sold poison to this guy,” Annaka said, climbing off her bike to show him the photo. “Got a defense attorney crying his eyes out cause she’s too good at her job.”

Niles clicked his tongue before whistling. A young girl appeared sporting a wrench and a grease stained shirt. Without a word, she took the keys from Annaka to park her bike and Annaka walked in. Gracious as the Chester Cat, Niles opened a hatch for Alice to fall down into.

And she did.

Landing on her ass in front of the ruler of LA’s biggest gang was something she was unfortunately very familiar with. Annaka rubbed her butt as she stood and Niles slid down the ladder behind her. The boss raised an eyebrow; he was as he always was, refined and poised but unequivocally dangerous. He had been enraptured in a game of poker before she had tumbled down and now looked at her over his cards.

“Little Princess,” he said with a wave of his hand. “How are you?”

“Good and you?”

“Business is booming. Scalped tickets to Prosecutor Gavin’s concert sold for three times their worth.”

“Well considering they’re worth nothing, I’m sorry to hear you’re still in the red.”

The boss laughed and patted the seat next to him. “So cutting Little Princess. How is your lawyer friend?” He jerked his head to the unnamed dealer. “Deal her in.”

“Still better at poker than either of us.” A king of Spades and a three, she sighed inwardly at her luck. “Call and can I get a drink?”

“Of course, Annaka!” Cried a pastel pink haired girl from the darkness. “Your usual Shirley Temple?”

“Yeah, Thanks Felicia.” She tapped the table. “You making a play or what, Xander?”

“What?” The boss asked. “Call.”

A well dressed man next to Annaka sighed. “I’ll fold. There’s no point trying to play when such a beautiful woman is at the table. I’ll only fall more in love with every raise.”

“Stuff it, Laslow.”

The dealer laid down a pair of threes and an ace. Xander raised a hundred chips. Annaka called. Laslow sighed and took the cherry from her Shirley Temple. Xander called. Annaka called. Laslow presented the stem of the cherry which he had tied into a knot with his tongue.

Xander had nothing. Annaka had the high card. Laslow had a handprint carved onto his cheek.

“Info,” Annaka said as Laslow rubbed his stinging cheek. “Nyx sold the man in this picture poison. In front of what security camera did the sale happen?”

“What makes you think we did it-“

“Standard procedure. You help people who help themselves. If the guy was smart enough to cover his face then Apollo’s screwed. But I’m betting he wasn’t.”

Xander hummed and leaned onto the table so he could pick up a lock of her hair. He rubbed the curl between his fingers in a move that was less power and more praising. Finally he patted her head.

“Annaka. If you ever get tired of dealing with boys and lawyers, there is always a place for you by my side.” Xander cracker the first smile of the night. “We have boys for you to play with too, you know.”

Annaka smiled back. “I don’t need to join to play with Laslow, Big Bro.”

He laughed dryly, amused but exhausted by his retainer. “The camera on 38th on the side of the LA bank.”

“The one that over looks the farmer’s market? Since when do we sell produce? Fuck that’s smart. Thanks, Xander.”

She scrambled up the ladder at half past three am and rode to the bank. In the dead of night, it was more than destitute. Which was good because Annaka had a feeling she was gonna need to pick the lock.

After a few minutes fiddling with the lock to the security entrance, she entered to see the camera room empty. Judging by the cup of coffee on the desk, that meant someone had gotten to the guard before her.

And only one person in this city could get the drop on Annaka.

“Well well well, I never thought I’d see you in the flesh again. Have you gain weight?”

Izaya.

Turning slowly to meet the knife pointed in her direction, Annaka smiled. “Gained as many pounds as you lost inches off your dick.”

“God,” he said, gliding forward to thrust the knife at her chest. As she ducked, he slashed downward, barely catching her left ear. Pain was the word on her mind but the blood would have to wait.

“You have-”

Izaya cut the edge of her denim jacket.

“Always thought-”

A slice aiming for her eyes missing to connect with the metal racks behind her. Izaya scowled as she rolled to the other side of the room. Annaka flicked her skirt up to reveal her own set of precious knives and he rolled his eyes.

“That you’re so cute.”

“You used to think I was.”

“I still think you are.”

“Then I have reason to believe my thoughts!” Annaka ducked under his blade and aimed her own stab at his ankles. Jumping, he laughed.

Now that they had swapped positions in the room, Annaka blew a piece of hair out her eyes and demanded, “Whatever video you took from the camera, I need.”

“Now why do you need something like that?”

“Polly’s needs a-”

Izaya shot forward as she started to answer. She barely had enough time to meet his knife inches from her face. He pushed with all his strength and Annaka’s arms shook under the pressure. Ducking away, his momentum carried him past her. Burying her heel in his back, she helped push him into the racks.

Before he could get up again, she jumped on him, pinning him down with her weight and driving her knife into the ground next to him. “Stay down,” she hissed.

His mouth curled into a beautiful sneer and his knife clattered to the ground. “Do you end up on top with Apollo? You seem used to thi-”

Annaka wrapped her hands around his neck, pressing against his throat. “I know this is the only human touch you’ve felt this week but I need the video, Izaya. No more games.”

His hands flew to hers to uselessly try and loosen her hands. She tightened her grip on his throat until he slapped a pocket of his jacket. Still keeping one hand wrapped around his throat, Annaka searched the pocket before producing a thumbdrive.

“This better have what I need on it, Izaya.”

“It does,” he choked out.

Releasing him, Izaya coughed and gasped for air. “D-damn...when’d you get ruthless?”

She stood up and offered his a hand. After taking it, she hauled him up and dusted him off. There was no room for hard feelings in the underbelly of this city. Next time, it could be his hands strangling her. Izaya examined the bruises forming around his neck in the reflection of his phone screen with a certain appreciation.

“I gotta jet. You need anything?” She offered.

Izaya shook his head. “I’m begging you. Come back and work for me, Anni. There’s nothing in this city that could stand against you and I together.”

“Sorry, but the sunshine is calling my name.” Annaka tossed him his knife. “See ya ‘round.”

In a few seconds, she was back on her bike riding toward the Agency. Before she walked in those, she gave herself a once over in the window. Her ear was still bleeding. Izaya had gotten her pretty damn good. There were probably stitches in her future. Annaka would be sure to send him the bill for that and the jacket he’d now ruined.

“Dick,” she muttered, pulling out bandages from her bike’s seat.

After quickly wrapping herself up, Annaka checked her watch to see the numbers flash 4:42. Apollo was fast asleep on the couch and she set the thumbdrive on his desk, slapping a little post it note on it. Then, exhausted, she fell into his chair and let her head roll back.

“Fucking ridiculous,” she mumbled. Just before she started to recollect herself so she could drive herself to the E.R, Annaka’s phone rang. Her hand unfortunately brought it to her good ear and she growled out a, “Go for Annaka.”

“Annaka! My case! The file! It’s gone and the window is open and I think someone broke into my apartment but they got away before I could kick their butts! But my case file is gone!” Athena wailed, deafening her.

Annaka sighed, hit end call, and stood up. Looks like E.R was gonna have to wait.

[hawkofnavarre]

Writing Challenge #5: Invisible Ink

Series: Ace Attorney, for @irraydiance. Happy taboo day? Lulz. I didn’t limit myself to 20 minutes for this one, so is it really a challenge? Idk. Also, I didn’t edit this. Sorry bro.

Prompt 7: Trace

Summary: Some things, you have to read between the lines. [Justicykes(ish)] 

**Spoilers for Spirit of Justice**

Apollo leaned back in his office chair, exhausted by the day’s events. He had been to court in the morning, gotten his client exonerated, promptly visited the detention center to see his next client, gotten that client exonerated, then headed back to the office to prepare for his appearance in court tomorrow. Since he’d started working in Khura’in, things had been nonstop. Considering he had initially been the only defense attorney in the country, people flocked to him like pigeons to a bag of food. He was used to sleepless nights when he had a case, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually had a day off--or even some downtime, for that matter. It didn’t help that Rayfa liked to stop by from time to time to harass him. There was a sort of fondness that grew in him when it came to the bratty princess, but attending to her also took up precious time that he didn’t have.

For once, he allowed himself to procrastinate as he closed the file he was studying and looked around the room for something he could do to entertain himself for even just a few minutes. A small stack of letters lying at the back of his messy desk caught his eye and he pushed the mess of folders strewn over the table to reach forward and grab them. Apollo had always wondered how Phoenix Wright’s work area was so chaotic, but with the hurricane of cases he was working through, he finally understood.

The first letter was a bill, which the young male set aside quickly. When the second and third were also bills, he was beginning to regret his decision to sort through the letters at all. Entertaining, this was not.

The fourth, however, had Athena’s bubbly but slightly messy writing on the front. Suddenly, the stress that was weighing down on him felt a little lighter.

Apollo cut open the letter quickly, unfolding the sheets of paper in eager anticipation. 

“Hi Apollo!” it read. “I know you’re busy, but I hope you still have time to read this letter! We miss you a lot over here and I think Mr. Wright is going crazy without you around. Cases have been flooding in and I think he’s a bit overwhelmed, but he refuses to hire anyone else for the office. I’ve had to clean the toilet a lot recently too. Apparently I don’t clean it as well as you since Mr. Wright always sends me back to clean it a second time...”

Apollo grinned, the image of Athena scrubbing the toilet sloppily in her haste very amusing. The letter went on to recount a few cases the Wright Anything Agency had taken on recently and how Athena had unwillingly become Trucy’s new magic assistant because he was gone. He felt a little sympathy for her, but was glad that she seemed to be doing well.

As he finished reading, he began to fold up the letter to put back in its envelope when his trained eyes noticed some misplaced indentations where there was no ink on the paper. There were just traces of these markings on the first page, and he realized the indentations were from whatever she had written on her notepad before his letter. He didn’t want to invade her privacy, but Apollo’s need to investigate got the better of him.

He took a picture of the letter on his phone to keep the contents, knowing he was going to ruin it with his examination. A moment later, he was shading over the letter with a pencil, making the ink less visible and the hidden contents more visible. When the whole page was covered, he began to read.

“The plane ride home was good. Sort of. I mean, you weren’t on it with us so it wasn’t that good. They had pudding for dessert. I know how much you love pudding. It just reminded me that you weren’t--” 

The rest of the paragraph was scribbled out, but there was another paragraph a few lines lower.

“...feel like sometimes I hate you. I told you I would understand if you left and I do, but sometimes I hate you for it. And then I know I’m stupid for that, but it’s not the same without you. I wish you were here working cases with me. I wish--”

That paragraph followed the same trend as before and he immediately looked for the next section of text, completely captivated. Most of the other lines were scribbled out with only single words legible here and there until he reached the bottom of the page. He swallowed, his chest feeling tight as he read.

“I miss you, Apollo.”

Letting out a shaky breath, he placed the letter back on the table. He stared at the blank cover of the folder in front of him, trying to calm the storm of emotions that hit him reading the words she had never wanted to him to read. What she had sent him was cheerful and lighthearted, disguising her sadness so he wouldn’t worry, or feel guilty, or...whatever. 

Apollo knew he had made the right decision to stay. He owed it to Dhurke, he owed it to Nahyuta, and this country needed his presence so it could heal, but it didn’t mean he hadn’t been heartbroken to leave the makeshift family in America he’d been adopted into behind. It was just that the worked piled up so quickly and time melted away like it was nothing, leaving him no time to mourn or miss. He had no choice but to forge ahead or he would lose focus on what was in front of him. 

He pictured himself walking through the terminal of LAX one day, seeing the smiling faces of Trucy and Mr. Wright standing there waiting for him. Athena... She’d be impatient and throw herself at him, probably unintentionally body-slamming him into submission while his suitcase toppled over and exploded clothes everywhere. But he wouldn’t care. He’d just smile and hug her, knowing he was there to stay.

He tucked the letter away into one of his drawers to read again later and opened the case file in front of him. For now, he had work to do, and the sooner it was done, the sooner he could make that vision a reality. 

Word count: 1061