#i have so many thoughts and feelings about maya and the feys and hair and like

[your-local-granny]

musings on maya fey and the ship of theseus

They say that every 7 years so many of your cells have died and regenerated, that you, your hair, your nails, your skin, you, are a biologically different person. I wonder how many trims it will take for my hair to forget the feeling of your fingers?

[snapdraqons]

go ahead and tell us about franziska....... please

I HAVE SO MANY FRANZISKA THOUGHTS

- She was brought up almost exclusively by Manfred von Karma and an assortment of nannies and barely remembers her birth mother, who had divorced MvK not long after Franziska was born. She's done all she can over the years to separate herself from her father but she still notices the mannerisms and habits that she's picked up from him. Most notably, she was often taught to react to negative situations with aggression and violence, which she picked up from her father unintentionally. As she gets older she tries to leave that behind, but it's difficult when that's all she's known.

- Speaking of MvK, she feels absolutely awful discussing her own feelings about her upbringing because she feels like Miles had it so much worse. As she grows up, her aggression and dominance in the courtroom is less a response to not getting her way and more a way to pretend that she's happier and more confident than she really is.

- She sleeptalks very loudly. We're talking full conversations in her sleep.

- Post-trilogy, Franziska's outfit changes to look less like MvK's. She also grows out her hair to around her mid-back and generally wears it in a half-updo.

- Post-trilogy, she stays in contact with Miles (of course) as well as the Feys. She had a crush on Maya for a while, but they become friends long before they start dating. But she also makes an effort to get Pearl to like her - which she does, eventually.

- To aid in rebuilding the Khura'inese legal system, Edgeworth sends over the odd prosecutor to help out with cases. Franziska sees a lot of herself in Rayfa as a young girl put in a position of authority that she's too young and immature to fully understand and the two get on surprisingly well. She also gives Rayfa a whip (to everyone else's dismay).

- As an international prosecutor, she has briefly worked with both Klavier Gavin and Nahyuta Sahdmadhi before. She gets on with Klavier better than she does Nahyuta (See above)

I love Franziska so much thank youuuu

[sketchy-squiggles]

Nightmares

Miles Edgeworth wakes up to another nightmare, but this time it’s not his own. 

Self indulgent Maya/Miles friendship snippet (under 1000 words)

At first, he had been the one scared to fall asleep. Maya had insisted it was a sleepover, and that a true sleepover ends with everyone crashing in the living room together. She had refused the guest room and refused to let him leave for his own room, and somehow, despite being a famed prosecutor that argued for a living, Miles Edgeworth could not stop her. 

She had almost kicked down the door when she arrived, box set of Steel Samurai seasons in hand, announcing they were going to binge the series until the finale aired that night. He was shocked, but somehow deeply touched. Nevertheless, he had put up a fuss and resisted, until somehow they were two seasons in and arguing about the plot, Maya laughing and teasing him like they were old friends. And now somehow it was 3 am, and he was lying on his couch trying to fall asleep, professionalism cast aside for a childishness he hadn’t felt in years. He had never realized how uncomfortable his couch truly was. 

He was still thinking about that when he heard it. A small yelp as Maya rolled over in her sleep below him on the floor. Then another, louder cry, as her body tensed into a ball. The sound was almost familiar. He had been waking up to his own night terrors for the past decade. 

“Ms. Fey?” 

Edgeworth bent down and tapped her on the shoulder. Maya yelped again. She was tossing and turning frantically now, trapped in her nightmare. It sounded like she was hyperventilating. 

“Ms- Maya?” he tried again.

He awkwardly tapped her one more time to no response. Then, something took him over, and he found himself brushing her hair back and rubbing her shoulder, the way a parent would. The way he always wished he could have awoken from those horrible memories. 

“Maya, it’s alright. Nothing will harm you here.”

“Nn? I-” her eyes fluttered open and her fear was replaced by a look of confusion, “Edgeworth?”

“You were having a bad dream.”

Maya sat up next to him but avoided his gaze. 

“I’m sorry for waking you up like this.”

“Nonsense,” he felt a smile creep into his voice, “I thought my sleeping problems were common knowledge by now.”

She didn’t respond. She looked so young in the dim light, younger than he ever realized she was. For a moment, he wanted to reach out, to sweep back the hair covering her face that had fallen from her messy bun. He felt frozen in place. If Wright were here, he’d surely be hugging her by now. Wright would have her smiling again easily, while she complained that he was ruffling her hair or not letting her go, or any of those annoying ways a brother is supposed to show they care. Those kinds of gestures didn’t come easy to Edgeworth; they felt years out of practice. He realized his hand was still awkwardly resting on Maya’s shoulder.

“I’ll make us some chamomile tea,” he finally said, “would you like to come with me to the kitchen or do you feel alright waiting?”

“I’ll be okay waiting. You don’t have to trouble yourself, though, I don’t want to make you get up.”

“Ms. Fey, I am only doing my proper duty as a host. I have already failed as a host once tonight, not offering you enough blankets to sleep comfortably here.”

Despite how late it was, brewing tea came easy to him. He had been doing it on autopilot for hundreds of other sleepless nights. Within a few minutes, he returned with two cups, and set them next to Maya. After a moment’s pause, he also fetched a large comforter from the spare room to drape over her. 

“Thank you,” Maya said, looking down into her cup, “I’ve been having bad dreams more often after, after…”

She trailed off, but the possibilities hung in the air. How many times had that poor girl been forced back into the witness stand?

“I understand,” he took a sip of tea, “the last few years have been very hard for you.”

Maya nodded and brought her own cup to her lips. Her mouth twitched like she wanted to say more, but no sound ever came. 

“They get easier,” he heard himself saying, “they’ll happen less frequently too, as time passes.”

The residual perfectionist in him shuddered at the admission; he could feel his face grow hot with embarrassment. 

Maya exhaled deeply and leaned back. Her head was almost in his shoulder now, the weight of her arm pressing against his. He wanted to say so much more. Did she feel the loss of a parent the same way he did, dreaming that it was still somehow all her fault? Did the pressure of being the survivor weigh on her with a suffocating sense of responsibility? 

The bags under her eyes were still visible in the dim light, and seeing them made him feel ashamed. She was still barely an adult, with the weight of years of trials on her back. Badgering her with questions was the job of a prosecutor, and tonight, he was not a prosecutor, he was her friend. Neither of them needed to relive the memories that kept them up at night..

“While I may find many of its areas lacking, I do have a box set of Pink Princess on hand,” he said with a smile, “I’m sure the nonexistent plot will put me to sleep again easily, so we’d best watch it.”

-

[browniefox]

Keep in Touch

The complications of keeping in touch from Kurain Village

A little 1K word fic about Maya and Phoenix after AA2.

oOo

Kurain is two hours from Nick’s apartment. If you want to get there from his place, you need to take a train, then a bus, and when you got on the bus you had to tell the bus driver where you wanted to go, because ninety-nine percent of the time there was absolutely no reason to go out of their way.

It feels like a world away, and every time Maya makes the trip from one to the other, she finds herself gawking. The tall buildings of the city were so imposing, and the quiet nature of the village so jarring. She could remember clinging tightly to Mia’s hand the first time her older sister had taken her out of village. Nick often laughed at Pearl’s comments and questions at things he considered so common-place, but a young Maya had been no better, really.

There’s a single phone in Kurain village in an old telephone booth, something Maya had never seen anyway but at home or in a tv show. When you made calls on it, the phone crackled and at times would make screeching sounds that Maya swore would make her deaf one of these days. Sometimes, Maya wondered if it was on purpose, to dissuade people from contacting the village and vice-versa.

The odd relationship between Kurain and tourists had always confused Maya, though she felt she could safely say why that was now. Her aunt, who had more-or-less taken over in Misty Fey’s absence, had been more wary of outsiders and the effects they’d have on the village’s culture. Yet they needed the income.

Things were improving now, slowly but surely, yet slowly always seemed far far too slow.

After the Engarde case, Edgeworth had stayed around. He dropped by the Wright & Co Law Office for seemingly no reason whatsoever. It was there that he must’ve heard maya complain loudly about not having a phone. A shiny brand-new one had turned up at the office the next day, still in its box, with no note attached to it, but they both knew who it must’ve been from.

Kurain wasn’t so medieval that they didn't have things like outlets and such. It wasn’t used as much as maybe it could be, with proud tradition glaring at the electronic and easy way of doing things in favor of complicated tasks. Although, to be honest, Maya didn’t mind much of it all that much, especially after she’d been home for a week or two and was adjusted back to the world she’d grown up in. Washing your clothes by hand really wasn’t that hard, and only setting them out on lines to dry ever gave them that perfect clean smell.

After the whole De Killer debacle, Maya hadn’t thought anything of it. She’d stayed in the city for a week longer, and whenever she was over she stayed at the office. Apparently Mia had spent many late nights there, and the couch doubled as a bed. Nick had to come into work every day, and Maya would wake up and get her and Pearly put together usually before he was in.

She hadn’t noticed then how Nick had looked out of breath every time he came in, the door banging against the wall with how much force he used to open it. He’d see Maya, then Pearly, and then he’d smile and start his day.

Three days after Maya and Pearly had returned to Kurain, Nick barreled into Fey Manor with his hair a mess, face pale, and dark circles under his eyes. He’d found Pearly first, who followed behind him with clear concern, a litany of ‘Are you okay, Mr. Nick? Do you need to sit down? You’re scaring me, Mr. Nick.” going on and on and on. As soon as he’d seen Maya, he’d practically fallen on her, engulfing her in a hug, sobs wracking his chest.

(It felt wrong, Maya being the person who got kidnapped, and apparently Nick coming away with the PTSD.)

So things couldn’t really continue as they were.

Calling, while at first seeming to be a perfect solution, turned out to be a Bad Idea, capital B and capital I. See, on paper it was as easy as ‘ring ring, this is Wright and Co. Law Offices, ah yes, good to hear you’re still alive and kidnapped, goodbye’. There were three reasons exactly - Maya and Nick had actually sat down over the phone and listed them - that this couldn’t go on.

1) Nick had two phones, the office phone and his cellphone, and that meant Maya might need to call him twice, and with the phone booth requiring money, that started to add up every single day. Even if Maya simplified it and only called the cellphone, that still usually ended up costing about $3 a day or more, because,

2) They really had too much to talk about. Like, way way too much to talk about. It was easier, when they saw each other everyday and thus anything they wanted to talk about, they could then. Not to mention, they usually were together for most of that time, so they didn’t need to give background information on anything they’re doing.

3) The phone was absolute shit. The amount of time spent repeating things over and over again was insane!

So, daily, Maya made the climb up the nearby mountain. She hid her phone in the sleeves of her kimono, not yet enough of a Master to not have to respect the elder’s opinions on devices, and cited the hike as training. She got proud nods and she always grinned at that, feeling sneaky and proud about it. She’d be a true Master, soon, and things would be different after that, but for now she’d play this game.

Throughout the day, she’d record her thoughts and such in the notes part of her phone, and at the top of the hill, where she finally got cell service, she’d send it all at once to Nick. She always got a big block of text back too, more like emails than texting.

It was a long hike, and oh how on rainy or snowy days it felt almost like torture.

But seeing that text, daily, settled nerves and worries Maya hadn’t known she’d had. Perhaps it wasn’t just for him.

[agoldengalaxy]

A Samurai’s Love

read on AO3

There’s a Steel Samurai marathon at the Wright Anything Agency, and Miles and Maya have a heart to heart.

--

“Justice will soon be served, evildoer! Your foul deeds will not be tolerated, for I, the Steel Samurai, shall strike you down!”

Miles does his best not to grin, though keeping it a secret that he is a fan from his companions has proved to be fruitless; it’s why he’s here in the first place, after all, at the Wright Anything Agency. Since Phoenix had gotten disbarred, he’d been rather distant - not returning many calls, only focusing on the little girl that his client had left behind. So Miles and Maya had to take it upon themselves to do anything they could to support him, and that included showing they cared.

“Oh, this is the best part!” Sitting on his left, a starry-eyed Maya is grinning ear to ear as she stares at the screen. Beside her, her head in her lap, is Pearl, curled up rather contently, having fallen asleep much earlier. She doesn’t really understand the appeal of the show, despite being a child herself.

Miles can’t hide his smile this time, and he nods. “I agree.” Of course, he’s seen this episode before. How would he not? The watch party was more of a distraction for Phoenix than anything else, even if the man didn’t particularly care very much for the show.

The Steel Samurai grunts in his struggle against the Evil Magistrate, though besides the TV, the room is very quiet. Just as Miles is wondering why they hadn’t been met by a sarcastic comment from Phoenix, he feels a soft weight press into his right shoulder.

He glances down and bites his tongue to keep from gasping, trying to comprehend the scene before him. Phoenix had slumped over, head resting against Miles’ arm - it seems he had been falling asleep and needed someplace to lay. Trucy is curled in her father’s lap, head against his chest, a hand grabbing a fistful of his hoodie loosely.

When the surprise wears off, Miles takes a moment to look at his old friend’s face, only illuminated by the flickering light of the TV. His brow is slightly furrowed, and his lips slightly parted. Relaxed like this, he looks more his age; the past few weeks, he’d been looking a little worse for wear. Miles frowns deeply at the dark circles underneath his eyes, unlike anything he’d ever seen. He wonders how long it has been since Phoenix had gotten a good night’s rest.

He sighs softly, shaking his head a little. He has half a mind to wake him and tell him to go home and get some real sleep, but...he has a feeling it won’t go well. He’d certainly fight him over it, so he might as well let him get some well-deserved rest. Without thinking much about it, he reaches over with his opposite hand and pushes some of Phoenix’s stray hairs out of his eyes. He doesn’t move.

“He hasn’t been sleeping.”

Blinking, Miles looks up, finding that Maya is now looking at him. Her expression is one of concern now, and he realizes she must have been watching for some time. “...Is that so?”

She nods, her eyes shifting to rest her gaze on the sleeping man beside them. “I haven’t been able to visit him as much as I’d like,” she admits softly, “but he told me...not that I couldn’t have figured that much out on my own.”

He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Even he had come to that conclusion. “I can’t say I blame him,” he replies, opening his eyes to meet Maya’s. There’s so many unspoken things in just this one look - concern that doesn’t really need to be voiced, because they know. But there’s nothing they can do about it. Phoenix is disbarred, and that’s that. Although Miles will be doing everything in his power to help, he is not Chief Prosecutor, and he doesn’t have very much authority. So all they can do is support him.

“Um, Mr. Edgeworth?” Her voice is still soft, though she’s dropped her gaze to run her fingers through Pearl’s hair in a comforting way. For a moment, she looks like she might cry.

“Yes?” He’s not sure what it means, but he’s almost positive he won’t like it.

Maya swallows hard. “He won’t tell me anything about that day. About the case. He hasn’t even told me if the rumors are true.” Taking a shaky breath, she lifts her gaze back to the TV. “I don’t believe them, Mr. Edgeworth. Nick would never forge evidence. But I…” she closes her eyes, shaking her head. “I feel so useless. I sometimes wonder if things would have turned out differently if I was by his side like I should have been.”

He has to admit it catches him off guard, at first. Maya is such a positive force, it’s hard to remember she’s still young. She’s the one that forces a smile and does anything she can to get Phoenix laughing again. He hadn’t even thought about what kind of toll it must take on her.

Shaking his head, he tries to meet her eyes. “You cannot blame yourself for what happened. Even I don’t know all of the details, but…” he sighs. God, what can he even say? It hurts to think about, let alone talk about. “I have a feeling this was bound to happen, no matter what. This trial...it reeks of foul play. But not to worry, Ms. Fey. I will get to the bottom of it.” If it’s the last thing he does. He would do anything to see Phoenix Wright genuinely smile again.

Maya reaches up to wipe under one of her eyes, and she smiles a little. “Yeah, I’m sure you will. I guess there’s no use thinking about what might’ve happened, huh?” She sniffs, then looks back up at him, still smiling. “And geez, Edgeworth, how many times do I have to tell you to call me ‘Maya’? We’ve known each other for so long.”

Blinking, he stares at her for a moment, then smiles just a little, himself. “I apologize. It is just a habit.” He bows his head. “I’ll try to remember next time.” They both fall quiet again, turning their attention back to the screen, though he’s sure they’re both paying it only some attention. He allows himself to look back down at the man leaning against his shoulder, and for some reason, he smiles. He’ll chalk that up to relief, but...something about having him so close like this really warms his heart.

On his opposite shoulder, he feels a nudge. Looking up, he’s met with a smirking Maya. “You know, Nick may keep secrets, but I know he’s not the only one.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” he asks carefully, not liking the way her smirk curls upward smugly.

“It is so painfully obvious that you love him, Edgeworth. Well, obvious to everyone except him, of course,” she answers nonchalantly. What…? His heart leaps into his throat, and he stares at her blankly. Any coherent thought leaves his mind, because...she’s right, of course, but he doesn’t want to admit that much.

However, he’s well aware that the longer he stays silent, the more suspicious he seems, so he clears his throat and looks away. He can’t look into her eyes. Not now. “I...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices her roll her eyes. “Right.” She draws out the word. “You may be a big bad prosecutor, but you happen to be a terrible liar.” A hand comes up to rest on his arm, and he brings himself to look back at her. Her smirk has softened into a smile now. “Look, I know it’s probably hard for you, but I just want to let you know that you have nothing to worry about. No matter what, through thick and thin, Nick has always been there for you. And I know...I know he feels the same.” She seems very confident. “He may not be in the right place right now, and you both may be too stubborn to admit it, but...I just want you two to be happy.”

For some reason, the words end up making his eyes burn. He has to drop his gaze, not wanting Maya to see. What can he even say to this? He closes his eyes for a moment, shaking his head a little. “I...don’t know what to say.”

Maya seems to understand, and she smiles again. “Just think about what I said, okay? I’m sure Nick could use some good news.” She yawns, stretching her arms above her head, then leans back against the couch, just barely resting her head against his other arm. She rests one hand over Pearl’s back comfortingly. “Guess we’re not going home tonight, huh?”

Miles pauses, staring down at her, then smiles a little, despite himself. “Hmph. I suppose not.” He looks back up at the TV, watching the credits roll.

“Good night, Mr. Edgeworth.”

“...Good night, Maya.” He feels her smile against his sleeve, and then relax.

And he is alone.

He lets himself look down at Phoenix again, his face still as handsome as ever, even shrouded under the cloud of exhaustion. He can’t help but wonder if he truly was as obvious as Maya claimed, or if she is just exceptionally perceptive. Perhaps it is a bit of both.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he leans his head against the back of the couch, noticing Phoenix’s hand by his lap. For a long moment, Miles considers taking it, but decides against it. No. Not yet.

But soon. Despite how out of the blue it had been, he supposes Maya has a point. And perhaps he will feel better when his deepest secret is no longer just a secret.

His eyes slip shut, and as he drifts off, Maya’s voice echoes in his mind.

I just want you two to be happy.

Perhaps they do deserve that much.

[demonprosecutor]

bodyguard au where phoenix is the hired bodyguard to chief prosecutor miles because the police cannot be trusted due to ingrained corruption. 

thoughts on events....

this came after franziska was shot during one of her trials and her police escort did nothing to help her out (check this: maya is her hired bodyguard uwu)

this is due to the incompetence of the police tbh because fran gets a threat in the mail - but since she receives so many of it, her and the police department dont really bat an eye

miles has to literally drag her to the hospital and stationing the only policeman he trusts (Gumshoe) as a protective detail

before he takes over the trial. of course, he wins the trial because what else is expected?

but miles then starts gaining even more notoriety after being promoted as Chief Prosecutor of Japanifornia because he starts weeding out the corrupted prosecutors in his buildings until there are barely ppl there

he moves his sights onto the police department, ready to build a case against high officials and corrupt police

this terrifies a lot of people because of the fact that he ALWAYS wins his case and always gets his verdict

so ofc cue the assassination attempt! like his sis, he gets shot, but at the leg - so he’s out of comm for a bit (well, he can’t walk for a bit, but don’t mistake him for not being able to work! ziska has all of his files just in case this happens ehhehe)

lana, the previous chief prosecutor, then tells him to hire a bodyguard because she knows what miles is doing and even if she is (redacted becoz of plot reasons), she doesnt want miles dead

so under the recommendations of lana, he forwards a request to the wright anything agency (weird name, but whatever!), even if he’s like “i don’t need to be protected.......... i got this handled” sure there honey, you got shot in the fucking leg!

soon enough he goes thru this interview period and eventually ends up with phoenix, his mysterious and dangerously handsome bodyguard HEHEHEHEHHEHE

all in all, phoenix ends up living with miles in his condominium 

NOTES ON MILES

miles follows the same path basically, but its raymond shields who actually defends him against manfred

but even then, he runs away to europe for a year before returning! sure, he’s a bit warmer or smth. but miles is DEFINITELY still ruthless and rude and cold at times coz he’s been conditioned to think/act like that.

but he isn’t the demon prosecutor in the way we are introduced as. still, the police and high officials try to slander him b/c they’re threatened by him lol

nonetheless, very influential and powerful in his own (w)right! very intelligent and logical. but he is an absolute dork, loves steel samurai and adores dogs tbh (when he goes on walks with pess, he always has a ziploc bag filled with doggie biscuits to give to other dogs hehe)

he wears glasses after years of straining his eyes and grew out his hair so hehe ponytail miles! he ties it back with a silk ribbon ASDJKHLJKHLAKDJH

very composed and doesn’t get cowed easily - hold him at knifepoint and he’ll be stoic 

but he does have ptsd! so he has a very severe phobia with earthquakes and elevators and despises guns with a burning passion

while it may not seem like it, he is super close with gumshoe and is “reluctant” friends with larry (only because i feel like larry has a lot of potential and i really want to explore the potential relationship between him and miles)

he has anxiety and depression, which he is attempting to deal with thru therapy (but secretly because there is still a stigma against mental health)

NOTES ON PHOENIX

phoenix went into the business after inheriting it from mia fey who died on the job

but he only takes jobs from clients that he knows needs protection from evil people. he really does have weird fucking clients tbh, the most noteworthy one being an orca

he has heterochromatic eyes and a scar on his mouth from eating a poisoned necklace for his college girlfriend AKSJDH

he proficient in muay thai, tae kwon do and mma. is an amazing as fuck shot and wields throwing knives/daggers with ease too

hes really strong and whew, that man can lift edgeworth (not that edgey will mind, but.....)

very sweet and kind and gentle

but when its business, he’s kinda scary. like he gets this look in his eyes that tells u that he will kill ppl for his clients tbh

connects with his clients really fast and does care about their wellbeing quite deeply, which is detrimental a lot of the time

tries to keep in contact with his former clients to see how they’re doing

likes to wear formfitting black turtlenecks and black cargo pants + combat boots. and like a chain around his neck with the magatama on it

(cue edgeworth internally shaking,,,,,)

[voids-colourful-creations]

“Idly, Franziska noticed how their steps perfectly aligned with each other. That shouldn’t have made her heart flutter the way it did.“

Words: 1457 Rating: G Warnings: None Pairing: Franziska von Karma / Maya Fey Summary: Franziska is leaving the courtroom when Maya catches her attention. It's really a waste of her time to chat with her like this, but she just can't help herself.

Franziska sighed, stepping out of the lobby and heading towards the stairs. She had planned to leave the courtroom as soon as the case was over to prepare for the next, but instead paused, a glimpse of dark hair catching her eye.

Perhaps the hair shouldn’t be what caught her attention, what with the person it was attached to calling her name and sprinting at her as fast as someone wearing platform sandals could.

“Hey!” Maya called, waving an arm back and forth as she darted forward to meet Franziska’s slowing strides.

She finally caught up and matched pace, breathing heavily with a smile. Idly, Franziska noticed how their steps perfectly aligned with each other. That shouldn’t have made her heart flutter the way it did.

“Maya Fey.” Franziska didn’t quite make eye contact, but acknowledged her presence regardless.

“Hi Franziska!” Maya chirped, and yes, that was a good way to describe her, Franziska thought.  She reminded Franziska of a songbird. Carefree, curious, mischievous, yet elegant somehow… beautiful, even.

“So, you just left a trial?” Maya asked, leaning forward and tilting her head, her feet swinging out in front of her as she walked along.

Franziska nodded.

“Obviously.”

Maya tilted her head back, looking up at the courtroom’s ceiling.

“Nice, nice. How do you think it went?”

Franziska took a quick glance at the ceiling to see what was so interesting. Nothing really, but maybe Maya saw something she didn’t.

“I won, naturally,” Franziska responded. Something about her own voice seemed wrong to her.

“Congrats!” Maya cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

“It was an open and shut case. I’m not even sure why they wanted to call me in for it anyway…”

Maya tilted her head again.

“I mean maybe, but it’s still impressive! It must be hard doing so many trials after all!” She laughed to herself as she looked off. “Nick only takes like, five cases in a year and he’s still going gray over it! It’s kinda incredible you can do so much at once, haha!”

Franziska scoffed.

“Well, I am much more competent than that fool.”

She took a moment to think, wondering if the walk out of the courtroom had always been this long. Part of her wished it was longer, which she hastily buried.

Her tongue hesitated on her lips before she spoke again.

“Speaking of… that fool… where is he? I was under the impression you always stuck fairly close to him.”

Maya raised an eyebrow.

“Hm? Oh, Nick? Nah, he’s not here today, he’s back at the office, at least I think… He might have left for lunch?”

Now it was Franziska’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Really? What are you doing here if not to accompany him?”

Maya laughed.

“You know I have a life outside of Nick, right?”

Heat rose to Franziska’s cheeks.

“I-I knew that, naturally! I’ve simply never seen you without him not also being close by.”

Maya raised a finger to her lips.

“Hmm… I guess that’s true! It’s not like you really see us outside of investigations or trials. That’s kind of disappointing to be honest…”

“Disappointing?”

Maya sighed.

“Well… you know! Mr. Edgeworth and Nick are rivals and they hang out sometimes, and Nick texts him a lot, at least I think that’s Edgeworth, he always gets all flustered and defensive whenever I ask, but I don’t know who else he’d be texting and he gets this dumb smile on his face and-“ Maya cuts herself off. “Nick is gonna kill me if he finds out I told you any of this.”

Franziska made a mental note of Maya’s ramblings before speaking again.

“Well, if he does I suppose I would just have to find him guilty on your behalf.”

Maya smiled teasingly, her eyes shimmering with playful malice.

“Wow, you would do that for me? I guess you really do have a heart!”

Franziska spluttered some excuse out, but it was clear Maya wasn’t listening.

They continued walking a few more steps before Franziska spoke again.

“So, if not to watch Phoenix Wright, why did you sit in a trial?”

“Well I-“ Maya began before backtracking, “Wait, hold on a minute! How did you know I sat in a trial? I could’ve just been here for a book or something! How do you know I don’t just really like the food here?”

Franziska couldn’t help but let a smile sneak onto her face.

“You have some court confetti caught in your hair.”

Sure enough, the tiny multi colored scraps of paper clung to the thick, dark strands of Maya’s hair. The light caught onto the tips of the confetti as she stepped into and out of the reach of streams of light that flowed through the court house’s windows.

Maya laughed, reaching up to grab one off her head.

“So I do!”

She held the light blue piece of paper up to the light, squinting to look at it as if it were something much more valuable. She laughed once more, trailing off into a contented sigh.

“Yeah, I came to watch your trial, actually! Surprise! Bet you didn’t see me up there.”

The rhythmic clicking of Franziska’s heels halted as she stopped momentarily, stunned.

Maya stopped too, a few steps ahead, and turned to look back at Franziska.

“What? You okay?”

Franziska shook her head and kept walking, speeding up to meet Maya.

“I’m fine.”

Their steps matched. Again.

Franziska didn’t even take the time to regain her mental composure before she began to question Maya.

“Why on earth did you come to watch me? Are you trying to find flaws in my work to hold against me? It won’t work, my case was flawless-“

Maya interrupted, waving her hands about as she spoke.

“No, no, no!! Hang on a second, whoa, no! I didn’t come to like… sabotage you or something! That would be so weird! And mean too, who would do that?”

Franziska could think of a few people, but she kept her mouth shut.

“And I came to watch you because I wanted to? I mean anyone can just walk in and I hadn’t seen you in a while. Plus I didn’t have a way to contact you so…”

The gears in Franziska's brain turned at lightning speeds trying to comprehend the sheer madness behind Maya’s actions. Consistently, she got stuck on one thing.

Maya wanted to see me?

Franziska sighed, hoping it masked the whirlwind of broken logic and emotion swirling around in her mind as she spoke.

“Well, next time you want to contact me you don’t have to attend a trial. Just call me.”

Maya pouted.

“Well this was more fun! Plus, like I said before, I don’t have your number or anything…”

Impulsively, Franziska pulled a business card and pen out of her jacket pocket. Scribbling as best as she could while walking, she wrote down the digits of her cell’s number in admittedly still very neat handwriting and then shoved the paper in Maya’s direction before she had the sense to abandon the entire idea.

“There. Now you do.”

Maya oooh’d at the card, tilting it back and forth to see the shimmer of the ink, still wet.

“Did you just give me your cell phone number?”

Franziska coughed into her hand.

“The number that’s written is often busy and hardly ever checked. If you need me in an emergency, the number I’ve written will be more effective.”

Maya smirked.

“Looks like you should update your business cards then.”

Franziska refused to let her face or voice betray emotion.

“Looks like I should.”

As she spoke, the pair finally reached the doors to the courthouse entrance, swinging out to a single ray of setting sunlight shimmering through the clouds. Despite the gray skies, the world seemed to be cast in a warm, comforting light.

A car was waiting at the curb, and Franziska knew it was for her. The thought shouldn’t have made her feel as disappointed as it did.

“Well, looks like this is where we part!” Maya commented. “See you later!”

Franziska nodded, “Goodbye,” and walked towards the street.

She had only gotten one foot into the car when she heard Maya call out to her, one final time.

“Hey Franziska! You should know, there’s some confetti stuck in your hair too!”

Her voice carried, a bubbly sound, and when it reached Franziska’s ear she got the distinct feeling she would find herself playing it over again in her mind.

She didn’t respond and closed the door.

As the car began to rumble down the road, Franziska reached up to touch her hair, and found herself pulling out a violet scrap of paper.

She smiled.

“So there is.”

[The End]

[the-hidden-writer]

A Second Chance: Chapter 2

An Ace Attorney fanfic. Read on both AO3 and FF.net!

Summary: Miles learns the identity of his "dead" mother, and the aftermath of that revelation is a tricky one. Especially when his newfound little sister is trying to turn him into a spirit medium.

AKA Miles is a Fey. Miles also doesn't really know how to family properly.

[Chapter 1] | [Chapter 3]

Comments make my day! :D

The Sisters

Straightening himself and brushing non-existent dirt off his coat, Miles knocked on the door of Wright & Co. Law Offices. There was a buzzer, but Phoenix had requested him to knock instead. That way he wouldn’t freak out at an unexpected client.

It also meant he could take his time to answer the door.

Miles would never admit to being impatient… okay, he was. But this time he wouldn’t mind stalling. He kept his gaze on his shoes and tightened the grip on his briefcase.

He’d called in sick that day (per Gumshoe’s very adamant request) and had spent the morning thinking and composing himself. Also, he had been trying to work up the courage to come here. Once he’d made up his mind (and hadn’t changed it on the way to the car), he hadn’t bothered changing into something professional. So there he was in his white shirt, black overcoat, and brown trousers (he’d called them as such in front of Wright once, and the man had exclaimed “Jesus how much more British can you get?!”... he’d felt self-conscious about them after that). He felt like wearing his prosecutor’s suit may ruin the image of an older brother.

An older brother.

He couldn’t help but feel agitated, knowing he was the only one who knew the secret thus far. Well, apart from Gumshoe, but he hardly counted. He’d already spent too long thinking about Maya and Phoenix’s reaction that he didn’t want to waste any more of his heart going down that road again.

Finally, Phoenix answered the door. “Hi Edgeworth!” He said, with that charming smile he always seemed to wear.

“Good afternoon, Wright.”

He noticed that Phoenix look him over. He’d never come to their office in casual clothes before. He tried not to shuffle awkwardly, but thankfully Wright invited him in before he got the chance.

He had never been very good with people.

“What’s up?” Phoenix asked, once inside. He motioned for Miles to take off his coat, so he did and handed it to him.

Damn. This wasn’t the time to blush.

“Hey, are you okay? You look exhausted even for you.”

Wright looked genuinely concerned.

“I’m fine, thank you. I was working until rather late last night, that’s all. I’m not working today though.” Miles added after Phoenix raised his eyebrows.

What he couldn’t tell him was that he hadn’t slept a wink last night. He’d shooed Gumshoe away almost immediately after he’d calmed down, but it took a lot of convincing to get the detective to trust him to be alone. Every single second, right until morning, was spent thinking about his life, how it would have differed if he’d known the truth, and how he was supposed to announce the news that he was Misty Fey’s son.

“Wanna go get coffee or something? Or we could watch something, I’m not that busy.”

“Actually,” He said apologetically when Phoenix gestured towards the scruffy blue couch. “I’m here to talk to Miss Fey.”

If Wright tried to hide the disappointment on his face, he didn’t do a very good job.

“Oh… sure! She’s in the room over there.” He pointed to one of the few identical white doors. “I’ll come with you.”

“Um, actually,” Miles hated to break the man’s heart like this, but it was necessary. “Could we have some privacy? It’s rather important.”

Phoenix looked at the briefcase, and then back at Miles.

“That important, huh?”

A deflated Phoenix Wright was a scary thing.

“Sure. I’ll be here I guess… let me know if you guys need anything.”

Miles shot him a look of sympathy. “Thank you. But I’m warning you that it might take a while.”

Phoenix just nodded, that familiar smile returning, and then turned to continue… scrubbing the floorboards? Was he really that addicted to cleaning as the rumours said?

He took it as a sign to leave.

Gathering all of his courage, he entered the room.

Maya Fey was sitting at a small wooden table, engrossed in her work arranging… Limited Edition Steel Samurai Season 2 Silver Trading Cards?! He sincerely hoped his jealousy and awe didn’t show.

Alas, it did, and his eyes lit up. He had to refrain himself from asking about them.

Maybe this whole sibling thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Hey Edgeworth! What are you doing here?”

Maya was always so positive and cheerful. Miles had an awful feeling that he was about to shatter all of that.

“Good afternoon Miss Fey.” He replied, and suddenly the finalized speech that he had spent all night learning (yes, there had been many drafts) disappeared from his mind.

He blanked. And panicked.

With a deep breath, he knew he would have to improvise. He was a prosecutor for goodness sake, he knew how to think on his feet!

“I, um, came to talk to you about something. It’s important.”

The difference with improvising in court is that he could feign confidence. For some reason, he couldn’t do that here.

Luckily for him, Maya took the hint.

“Oh… okay.” She said, her smile wavering ever so slightly. She motioned towards the chair opposite to her. “Here, you can sit down if you want.”

“Thank you.”

As he sat himself down, he carefully placed his briefcase onto the table. Maya watched his movements like a hawk.

“So, er,” He began cautiously, “we searched Misty Fey’s residence.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Was all Maya said, then suddenly she opened her mouth in confusion. “Detective Gumshoe already brought me a whole box full of stuff this morning!”

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that. This may be the first time the detective acted so quickly. Well, the first time he ever succeeded in doing so.

Flashbacks of the horrid crunch of a car crash over the phone came to mind. He cleared his throat to try and rid himself of those particular memories. “That wasn’t the only box he found.”

“Really?” Maya’s eyes lit up. “What else is there?”

Miles sighed. It was now or never.

“Before I tell you, I would like to ask: what do you know about your father?”

This obviously took Maya by surprise.

“Oh… pretty much nothing, I guess. My Sis didn’t really remember him that well and said Mom never talked about him either.” She looked at him with a sudden determination. “Why? Is it to do with him? Do you know who he is?!”

“I-” He wasn’t sure how to answer. “He died. A long time ago. Not long after you were born, I’d imagine.”

As quickly as it arrived, Maya’s excitement died. Just perfect- he’d managed to crush the spirits of Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey in the span of 10 minutes.

Maya looked more miserable by the second. Time to move on.

He opened his leather briefcase. “Here, I’d like you to have a look at this picture.”

After warily taking out the picture of his- no, their parents, he handed it to her.

He hadn’t brought the entire box since he wasn’t ready to share that with the world, however, he’d brought certain items that would have served as evidence for his speech. But since the speech had been abandoned…

“That’s Mom!” She exclaimed, and he understood what she was experiencing. They’d lost their parents at a young age, albeit by different methods, and when Miles had first seen that picture he’d immediately focused on his own father. After having a very limited collection of photos to look at over the years, any new ones became a treasure.

Then Maya’s focus shifted onto the other person in the picture.

“Is that my Dad?” She asked quietly.

Miles nodded, preparing himself for that dreaded conversation. He may have forgotten his speech, but he’d faced worse in court. He could do this.

“Woah, he’s so handsome!”

What.

“Mom had good taste at least. I bet she was so sad to have to send him away!”

Maya’s enthusiasm had returned full swing, and she was practically clapping her hands with excitement.

“I, er-”

“They look so happy together!” She continued, oblivious to the heat in Miles’ cheeks. “Aw, this beats anything I could’ve imagined!”

Finally tearing her gaze away from the photograph, she looked up at Miles to see if he was sharing her joy. He wasn’t. He was confused, mostly.

Then Maya’s jaw dropped slightly. She looked down at the photo, then back at Miles. Photo, then him. Photo again, Miles again.

She laughed. “He looks a lot like you, y’know!”

Miles held his breath as the penny dropped.

Her head snapped down to study the picture again, and her grin began to wobble. “Wait is that…”

He stayed silent.

“H- That’s why he looked so familiar…” she whispered. “I remember that picture.”

Knowing exactly what picture she was talking about, Miles shuddered. It was the only photo she could have seen. The photo of his father's corpse, lying in that cursed elevator, blood streaming out of his gunshot wound. The photo that still haunted him to that day, despite knowing he wasn’t the cause of it.

Now it would haunt Maya too. He suddenly felt cruel.

She eventually looked back up at him. “My dad is Gregory Edgeworth?”

He nodded slowly.

“But that would mean-”

Miles brought up a finger to shush her. “Hold on a moment.” He said as he rummaged through his briefcase for the other photograph he’d brought, before handing it over to let her examine it.

It was a smaller photo that had been lying underneath the letter, so he hadn’t discovered it until later on the previous night. It was a picture of Misty Fey nursing a sleeping baby boy in her arms, with a young brown-haired girl peeking curiously over her shoulder. Though the baby seemed content enough, Misty had tears rolling down her cheeks. And yet she still had the small trademark Fey smile on her face.

Her expression was one that Maya wore now.

“Sis is way too young for that to be me. Is it…” She waited for Miles to finish her thought, but when he didn’t she continued. “...you?”

“I believe so, yes.” He said, voice breaking. Damn it, he was getting emotional now.

Maya leaned back in her chair and sat still for a few moments, mouth open and eyes wide. Her tears had stopped, but they had left their marks on her face. Miles felt anxious about her response but knew that it was his responsibility to tell her the truth. Especially as her-

“Oh my god, YOU’RE MY BROTHER!” Maya squealed, and he could hardly process how quickly she’d jumped out of her seat and ran around to squeeze him, and he flinched at the unexpected contact.

Almost straight away, she pulled back, as if realizing what she was doing. “You’re my… brother.” She repeated quieter, presumably as the implications sank in.

“I am.” He confirmed. She looked up at him.

“I just don’t believe it. All along! I wouldn’t’ve thought you were such a jerk if I’d known!”

Miles cocked his head. “Thank you..?”

Gently, he pushed her away from his side. “Now listen Miss Fey, I understand if you don’t want anything to change between us. We don’t even have to tell Wright. After finding out that you’ve lost your father, it may be better just to carry on as nor-”

“Are you kidding?!”

Miles blinked. “No?”

“Dude, you’re my brother! All this time I thought I was alone. My sister was murdered and then my Mom was murdered- I never even thought about my Dad really- and then I find out I still have a brother! This is awesome!”

Whatever reactions Miles had predicted in his mind, this was not one of them. Why was she being so supportive?

“Why are you so supportive of the idea? I tried to get you convicted for murder!” He exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

“‘Cause you’re my brother, duh!”

He wasn’t sure when the roles had swapped, but now he was the one who had eyes brimming with tears. It was contagious, and soon she began to sob again too.

When she hugged him again, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he held her tightly, if somewhat awkwardly, and genuinely didn’t want to let go.

This was his little sister. The universe definitely tried hard to take everything away from him, but it failed. Oh goodness, it failed. And at that moment, that one blissful moment of siblings embracing, he felt calm. Everything was going to be okay.

Maya jerked backwards suddenly. “I have to tell Sis!”

“Wait, what-”

“Hold on I’ll channel her, you need to tell her too!” She cried.

“No! There’s no need! She’s resting, leave her be!” She was dead, but that's the same thing, right?

But Maya wasn’t listening, she had already crossed her fingers and furrowed her brows in concentration. The Magatama thing around her neck started to glow.

Miles began to panic again. He’d only thought about Maya, and not even considered Mia Fey at all. Cursed spirit channeling!

He turned to look at the door and wondered if Phoenix was listening in. Probably not, since he’d been very interested in his own chores, but he couldn’t help but wonder nonetheless.

He’d planned a different speech entirely to tell Phoenix.

“Edgeworth?”

That wasn’t Maya’s voice.

He turned again to see a familiar face in Maya’s clothing, looking at him in confusion. He frowned- the last thing he wanted to do was to go through that entire conversation again.

“Hello, Miss Fey.” He said, shaking slightly. Though he’d seen this practice in court before, he doubted he would ever get used to the concept of spirit channeling.

“What’s going on? Maya didn’t leave a note, so I’m a little confused.”

She looked more than a little confused, but Miles wasn’t going to point that out.

“After searching your mother’s house, we found out that your father is my father, and I’m your mother’s son. I’m your brother.”

Wow, ripping the bandaid off in one go really does make it easier.

Mia appeared sceptical. “What?”

“See for yourself.” Miles replied, gesturing towards the pair of photographs on the table.

Mia pulled them towards her and studied them, her face scrunching up slightly as she did so.

She gasped. “You’re… you’re our brother?”

Her reaction was definitely less emotional and dramatic than Maya’s, but Miles could still sense the shock coming from her.

“I am.” He nodded, feeling a sense of deja vu.

“Oh… Oh god, I shouldn’t’ve said all those shitty things about you after our first trial!”

Like sister, like sister, even at his own expense. Wait…

“OH!” He shouted suddenly as he brought up a hand to cover his mouth. He looked away in shame. “The horrid things I called you… even in court…”

Mia raised a hand. “An eye for an eye. Never mention it again?”

He copied her action. “Agreed.”

And then they both laughed. And, for the first time in a while, Miles felt safe. It all felt unreal. This wasn't him, this couldn't be happening. It was probably a dream, so he'd enjoy it while he still could.

“I can’t believe it…” Mia said after they’d settled. “I knew our Dad was a defense attorney, and I’d even researched Gregory Edgeworth once I became one. God, it all makes sense! That’s why Mom agreed to help, and why it was such a big deal to her.” She held her head in her hands, and her stolen black hair fell in front of her face. “I’m so stupid,” she muttered, “I should’ve put two and two together!”

“In your defence,” Miles responded, “I didn’t either. And it is rather obvious now.”

“My Dad was a Brit.”

Miles chuckled again. “He was.”

Without warning, Mia’s embarrassed expression turned into one of sympathy.

“I’m so sorry Miles.”

Now it was his turn to be confused. “Why?”

“We all lost our father at a young age, but Maya and I never found out, and we didn’t really mind since we still had our Mom. But you had no-one…”

Miles was about to argue that he had Von Karma, but decided against it. It wasn’t the time to bring him up. It was probably never going to be, either.

“There’s nothing we could have done.” He said sadly.

Mia scoffed. “Yeah but…” she cut herself off with a smirk. “You’ve got a little sister to take care of now.”

“I already have a little sister-” He argued instinctively, then cringed. He shouldn’t have said that to his dead biological older sister.

Still, Mia seemed to show understanding. “Franziska Von Karma, right? She’s still your sister, just as much as Maya is. Maybe even more than her. But I'm warning you, Maya is a hell of a lot clingier.” She paused. “How did she take it?”

Of course, Mia wouldn’t know since she was busy being dead. “Not how I’d expected, but good. I think she’s happy.”

Mia smiled. “Good.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, in which Miles wished he could have properly met Mia Fey while she was alive, but it was eventually broken by Mia herself.

“You should tell Diego.”

The happiness and warmth that Miles had felt began to dissolve.

“Wh-What?”

“Diego Armando. He told me he worked under Gregory Edgeworth briefly, and he never had a bad word to say about him. I think he deserves to know.”

Diego Armando was a defense attorney that he had faced off against in court a few times but never had the chance to meet properly in person. Even Miles struggled against him, though he would never admit it. The man was poisoned by Miss Dahlia Hawthorne and was in a coma for 5 years. When he woke up, he disguised his identity under the name “Godot”, and was recently convicted for…

A shaky hand was brought to his mouth, and he felt sick to the stomach.

“H-He murdered our mother…”

It was the first time that fact had really sunk in, and Miles hated it.

All of a sudden his shoulders were being gripped tightly. He was forced to look into Mia’s eyes.

“Yes, he did kill our mother.” She stated, matter-of-factly. “But he also saved our sister, whether that was his intention or not. He also mourned me, Miles. He may be a criminal, but he is nothing like Manfred Von Karma. Don’t you dare compare him to him. Deep down, he's a good man.”

“I-I won’t.” Miles replied and for the first time in his life, he genuinely felt like a little brother.

Releasing his shoulders with a satisfied look, she stood up and made her way to where Maya had originally been sitting.

“I’ll let Maya come back now. I’m sure you both have a lot of catching up to do, and I presume Phoenix doesn’t know yet either. You’ll tell Diego, won’t you?”

“You have my word.” Is what he said, but he still felt very hesitant.

“Good.” She said firmly. “I hope to speak to you again soon, Miles.”

Averting his eyes as her figure began to morph into Maya’s, he glanced at the door again. Mia was right, he was yet to tell Phoenix. How would he react, finding out that two of his friends were related? Would he break ties with him? Go into denial?

“Edgeworth!”

It was his turn to smile. This had all gone far better than expected. “Miss Fey.”

Maya (she was back to Maya now) frowned, and Miles immediately took back that last statement. “Dude, we’re siblings now, if you call me Miss Fey again I will end you.”

Once he was certain she was joking, he let himself laugh a little. Perhaps his little sisters weren’t that different after all.

“Alright, Maya.”

It felt strange on his tongue, but he could get used to it. Hopefully.

“Right, what are you up to?”

Both siblings’ heads snapped towards the door, where Phoenix stood with his arms crossed playfully. The pout looked quite authentic though…

He realized that the scene he'd walked into must look very odd, with one friend laughing hysterically and the other letting out a rare chuckle, both with tear tracks on their cheeks.

Now he had another hurdle to cross. Luckily he’d remembered his speech for Phoenix. He would have to be gentle in his delivery and be certain he had the correct order of facts. Reaching out to pick up the photos, he stood up and took a deep breath. It was time.

“We-”

“Guess what Nick?!" Maya yelled, startling him. "Edgeworth’s my brother!”

Oh.

Oh no.

[unnecessarygayfeelings]

Finished my Farafey fanficton! Here’s a link to it on ao3, but I know not everyone uses that, so I’ll post it here under the read more. No content warnings (there’s a small mention of alcohol, but no one is intoxicated), just 2k words of fluff. This is for the Farafey micronation especially @aquilamage because she has epic content that inspires me a lot.

Lavender Lip Gloss

It was new year's eve and Kay was going to be late to the party because her roommate was hogging the bathroom.

Kay should be used to this, really. Ever since she and Sebastian decided to rent an apartment together at the ripe old age of nineteen, she became well aware of her friend's quirks. But she could handle the misplaced pens, loud classical music, and endless pacing at ungodly hours of the night. She would be a hypocrite if she judged him, though. Half of the pens they owned were probably on her desk, and in the early mornings she liked to sing her favourite pop songs in the shower. They argued about who was the cause of their the noise complaints every time they received one.

They've been roommates for years now. Kay was used to Sebastian's habits... except for one.

"Seb, leave the goddamn door open when you're just fixing your hair! I need the hairspray!"

It took a long time for Sebastian to break the habit of placing barriers between them when it wasn't necessary (Kay had grown up in a home with open doors and open hearts; she wants the same for Sebastian), and eventually he stopped locking the door behind him every time he entered a room. Kay respected Sebastian's need for privacy. But she also respected their friendship, and that's why she knew that what she was about to do was not only expected, but acceptable in their tiny apartment. She took a step back, lifted her leg and opened the door with one swift kick.

There was a high-pitched yelp from Sebastian, who had styling gel on his hands, a strand of hair sticking up on his head, and an unimpressed expression on his face as he saw Kay's triumphant smile. "I-I was almost done!"

"You always say that, and then you end up taking another thirty minutes," Kay replied, grabbing her hair spray and securing her high ponytail right there. Sebastian's face scrunched at the smell. She sprayed a little bit of the product in his hair, too. They both laughed, doing the finishing touches on both of their party looks together.

After a final once-over from each of them ("The green button-up was a good choice, right, Kay?" "Yeah, but what about this silver skirt?"), they were ready to go to the new year's party. It was at Miles's house this year, and if they both weren't used to bothering him at every location possible, it might have felt a bit weird to party at the boss's place.

When they arrived at Miles's house, the host himself greets them. Although he does look genuinely pleased to see them, his smile turns strained when Kay tells him to "prepare for trouble, and make it double". While Sebastian is making small talk with Edgeworth, Kay lets her mind trail elsewhere— to the reason she was so eager to get to the party in the first place.

Maya Fey had been in Kura'in for a while now. Despite their friendship being long-distance, they were still very close. Their bond was just as strong as Kay's with Sebastian, although she felt very different about Maya than him. Kay's heart soared every time her phone dinged with a new message. She circled dates on the calendar with a violet marker whenever they planned to video chat. The time difference was brutal, but Kay would gladly stay up late just to hear Maya's voice.

"Waiting for s-someone special?" Sebastian's teasing voice broke Kay out of her thoughts. She hadn't even realized that Miles was long gone. The only one next to her was her best friend, who was looking extra smug. Of course Sebastian knew about her crush. He was the one Kay would go to at one in the morning, bombarding him with texts and asking him if he thought there was a deeper meaning to them. The deeper meaning, he would tell her, is that you both like each other and it's only a matter of time before one of you make a move. He was being ridiculous, of course. Just because Maya called her pretty and laughed a little too loud at her jokes and had a purple heart emoji next to her contact name didn't mean anything.

Okay, it definitely meant something, but Kay wasn't going to take the first step and confess or anything because... she was shy. Ugh. She wasn't used to being shy. Sebastian was the shy one, not her. But Kay hadn't seen Maya in person in what felt like forever (it had been six months), so who knows. Maybe she would make a move.

"Hey, there she is!"

Kay's head shot up, pure enthusiasm with a twinge of anxiousness filling her whole body. She looked to where Sebastian was pointing, and there she was.

Maya Fey was here. Maya Fey was looking around the room. Maya Fey was making eye contact with her. Maya Fey was walking towards her.

"Hey!" Maya Fey's voice sounded so much more real when it wasn't through a speakerphone, all light and chipper. Kay wasn't sure how she'd survive the night, let alone make a move.

"Hi, Maya!" Sebastian greeted, holding out his arms and allowing a brief hug. Maya showed her affection through touch: high fives, hair ruffles, and hand holding. Kay was the same which was one of the reasons why their long distance communication was difficult. You couldn't embrace someone through a screen.

Then Maya turned towards her, arms outstretched, and Kay found herself being pulled in like a magnet. Maya's hugs were warm and welcoming. She didn't miss how they both lingered, the hug lasting many seconds longer than a hug Kay would have with any other friend, even Sebastian. But eventually they had to (slowly) pull away.

"It seems like forever since I've seen you!" Maya exclaimed, looking up at Kay with a big grin. "You look great! I love your skirt!"

Kay's brain seemed to short-circuit. Maya was wearing a cute pink party dress and her long hair was in its usual style, decorated with sparkly hair clips. Her lips were shiny with a purple gloss. It was a light shade, like lavender. Was this weird, just staring at her lips? She needed to respond before it got weird. "Thanks! I love your lip gloss!"

Okay, so now Maya had solid proof that she was staring at her lips. Oops. But Maya just smiled at her. "Haha, thanks! Do you guys want a drink? I saw Miles bought the good champagne."

Had he? Kay didn't even notice. Sebastian nods and then a minute later Maya is offering her a drink. Kay takes the glass, and tries not to think about the brush of Maya's fingers against hers too much.

Conversation is easy. Maya asks what they've been up to since the last time they talked. Kay feels like this question is more for Sebastian, since her and Maya just talked this morning on the phone. Sebastian tells her about his latest case (not a murder, thankfully), and Kay includes details from her perspective as the detective assigned. She's sure she had mentioned this case to Maya before, but Maya seems very interested anyways.

When they ask what news Maya has, she perks up tremendously. "I've finally mastered the bowl without falling on my face!"

Recently, Maya has taken up skateboarding while in Kura'in. Pearl has been the one teaching her; she was very talented, and had a cool skateboard with a flame design on the sides. Kay had been blessed with many cute selfies of Maya in her skating gear (lavender knee and elbow pads, and a florescent pink helmet that could probably blind a person if they stared too long at it) and ten second clips of her skating around in sunglasses, striking poses at the camera. Maya was a beginner but she refused to give up, despite the constant complaining of bumps and bruises from falling all the time.

"Really?" Kay gasps. She's received many texts about the bowl, and according to Maya it was one of the most difficult things to master in her life. ("It's harder than channeling spirits, Kay! Stop laughing, it's the truth!") Kay had never skateboarded before so she felt like she couldn't judge but it certainly didn't look easy.

Maya quickly pulls her phone out of her dress pocket. "Let me show you. Pearly got it on tape! Proof that I'm not making it up to sound cool or anything."

Kay believed her. Maya wouldn't need to make stuff up to sound cool. She unlocked her phone (Kay felt herself blush at the lockscreen— it's a selfie that they had taken the last time Kay was in Kura'in, a trip that was impulsive and expensive but she didn't regret it one bit) and pulled up a video of Maya on top of the bowl. Pearl can be heard off-camera shouting encouragement. Then Maya adjusts her helmet, balances herself on her board, and slides down the bowl in one swift movement. She skids to a stop once she's on the ground. The last thing they hear before the video cuts out is Maya and Pearl screaming with excitement.

"That's so cool!" Kay exclaims, genuinely impressed.

Sebastian's eyes are nearly bugging out of his head. "Whoa! You look like a pro-professional skateboarder!"

"Yeah, this makes all the times I fell down on my butt worth it," Maya says, grinning from ear to ear. They talk some more before Maya goes to mingle with an old friend.

"Hey, do either of you know where Nick is? I want to bug him before the year ends."

Sebastian points Phoenix out across the room, where he is currently distracted by his daughter Trucy pulling an comically long scarf out of the tiny pocket on her blouse. A mischievous smile, a wave of her hand, and Maya's off.

There's a brief silence as they watch Maya leave. Sebastian turns to Kay with the same shit-eating grin he has when he's about to say something clever. "Kay? I diagnose you with gay. Lesbianism, if you want to be specific."

Kay groans. "I know, I know."

"Well, it's clear that she likes you, too, so I don't see what the con-conundrum is."

Kay believed that she was a relatively logical person. Her field of work made use of that trait, tested it. And now she was being presented with more evidence and a restless witness. The pieces fit together perfectly— Maya Fey liked her. The only question was what she going to do with this information.

"Was I... obvious about it?"

Sebastian raises his eyebrow. Takes a long sip of of his drink. "Is that a trick question?"

Not everyone Mr. Edgeworth invited was at the party, but the house is noisy regardless. Friends and acquaintances are talking in groups, there's music coming from an unknown source, the television is playing a new year's special, and Kay's heart is beating up a storm. Despite all of the activity, Kay thinks her heart is the loudest thing in this place.

Sebastian is tapping his fingers against the table next to them. Another noise, although it's muffled by the black gloves he's wearing. "Well, I know you don't like champagne."

Kay looks down at the drink Maya gave her, still full. The condensation from the glass mixes with the sweat on her palm. The feeling of Maya's hand brushing against hers lingers.

In the distance, Maya nudges Phoenix roughly in the side, and his drink splashes on his shirt. Maya laughs and then points at the stain, exclaiming loudly that it kind of looks like the Blue Badger. Phoenix seems to push his annoyance aside to carefully examine his sleeve. Maya calls other people over to look, a light yet determined expression on her face, and Kay can feel herself fall a little more in love.

...

The flashy countdown screen on the TV lights up, signaling the last minute of the year. Kay smiles and swirls the untouched champagne in her glass. She's lost in the way the tiny bubbles cling onto the sides of the cup until something distracts her. Or more accurately, someone.

"Hey," Maya says, placing her own glass on the table in front of them.

"Hey," Kay echoes back intelligently. She places her glass next to Maya's as her friend (she ignores the tightening in her chest when she calls her that; she's not sure there's a single word in this world to describe what Maya is to her) sits down next to her.

There's a moment of silence between them. Maya smells like jasmine and nostalgia. Kay wants to look but she's glowing like the sun, so she decides to play it safe and stare ahead. She sees Sebastian and Klavier talking about something, but she can't concentrate enough on their voices to know the topic.

Maya's voice snaps Kay out of her trance. "Happy new year."

For a split second, Kay thinks she miscounted the seconds, and missed the celebration. She checks the television quickly, and sighs with relief. "You're about thirty seconds too early, but I appreciate your enthusiasm." Then she had to use all of her strength to resist the urge to kick herself for sounding so weird.

"Oh." Cheeks flushed red for sure, Kay risks a glance at Maya. She doesn't regret it. She doesn't think she'll ever get tired of seeing Maya smile. "Happy new year's eve, then?"

She barely pulls herself together before responding in a passably-normal-although-probably-too-eager tone. "Yeah! Happy new year's eve!"

Maya laughs at that, and Kay can physically feel her heart soar. She knows it's bad to look at the sun but she can't help it, and within seconds she's pretty sure she could map out all the freckles on Maya's face. Kay stares too long to pass as normal and she knows it. But Maya is staring, too.

"TEN SECONDS!" Kay doesn't recognizes whose enthusiastic yelling the voice belongs to, but she doesn't even bother tearing her eyes away from Maya.

Ten.

Maya is sitting so close to her that their thighs are touching. How did Kay not notice that until now?

Nine.

Maya hesitantly reaches over and touches Kay's hand with her own.

Eight.

Her hand is shaking slightly. It's sweaty, too. Kay doesn't complain. She's probably the same.

Seven.

Kay curls their fingers together. She can't seem to stop smiling.

Six.

There's no denying it. The walls between them tumble down to reveal something a bit more than friendship, a bit more than just simple attraction.

Five.

Kay wants to say something, anything, but she's been rendered speechless. She's pretty sure she looks ridiculous. Ridiculously lovestruck.

Four.

Maya's other hand reaches over to brush Kay's hair out of her face, and her touch lingers near her cheek.

Three.

There's a line that they haven't neared, trying to maintain their friendship. Maya is standing at the edge of it, threatening to cross over.

Two.

Maya tilts her head, leans in, and closes her eyes. Kay can't hear the music over her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

One.

Kay closes her eyes, leans in, and unconsciously holds her breath.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Their lips met, and Kay smudges Maya's lavender lip gloss.

[hotel-japanifornia]

Like, I love Miles Edgeworth, but he's overshadowing literally everyone else. Like he's not overrated since he actual holds up to his love, but damn, there are so many fics on him and his story from the og trilogy only. Miles has grown up beyond it and I love him for it since it makes him three dimensional.

Ok, you wanna know what greatly amuses me about you mentioning how people only pay attention to him and his story from the og trilogy only?

Edgeworth plays an important role in 4 of the 5 cases in the original game (3 of 4 if you really hate RFTA and want to exclude it from your mind. Feel free to do so but you’ll be hella frustrated when you play AJ. Unless you liked Ema.)

He only appears in 1 of the four cases in JFA and is mentioned in 2 and cameos in 1. If you don’t count the cameo, which I do, that only adds up to 1 case. Comparatively a small role, but he has a big impact on Franziska’s motivations and is the reason she wants to crush Phoenix so badly. Points to Takumi for not doing a generic “avenge my father” plot. Respect him (and Franziska) for that. He does play an extremely important role in the one case he appears in, so don’t think I’m trying to downplay him or anything.

Edgeworth is majorly absent in the third game. He prosecutes in only one case and that’s his annoying 20 year old self. He comes back in the fifth case to fill in for the defense and does play a hand in Iris and Dahlia switching places. Had it not been for that earthquake, he wouldn’t have freaked out and lost sight of Iris in the first place. He doesn’t do a whole lot else after that though. 

I say this because if you think about it, Edgeworth is only in 7 of the original 14 cases if you count physical appearances only (6 out of 13 in the OG trilogy). While I won’t argue that Edgeworth isn’t important in the cases he’s in because he is totally, I will argue that it does feel odd how the focus is on him so much of the time.

And the thing is, I can see how people would argue how Edgeworth is the central character in the first game. Edgeworth is the character we see grow throughout the course of the game. We learn the most about him than any other character and the events of the game revolve around him (Turnabout Goodbyes, the DL-6 incident, etc) more than other characters besides Maya who shares a connection with him as they both lost parents to the DL-6 incident (how have those two not had more interactions, honestly?) and loses her sister in the second case.

I would argue however, that Edgeworth isn’t the character at the center of the second game although we do see him mentioned in conversations by Franziska and Phoenix. I don’t know why people will acknowledge his “Miles Edgeworth chooses death” note but absolutely refuse to acknowledge how awful of a move that was. The reason being is that it was cryptically worded and anybody reading it would think he killed himself which Franziska and Phoenix did, while Gumshoe was the only one who knew what really happened. I know what the note actually meant (i.e. the death of the prosecutor Edgeworth once was) but still, it was poorly worded. 

In actuality, Phoenix is the protagonist and central character of the second game. He’s the one who goes through the most growth as we see him face a huge moral dilemma in the fourth case where he has to choose between saving his friend or sending a truly guilty man to prison. It’s absolutely interesting to see him in conflict with the character he was up to that point (someone who believed his client was genuinely innocent) and it’s something I think needs to happen more often. By that I mean, defending truly guilty defendants. While I don’t think they should be like Matt Engarde necessarily, it would be interesting to see more truly guilty defendants. (I know there’s one in DGS but not everyone has played that one so I won’t spoil.)

As for the third game, it’s pretty obvious who the main protagonist in that game is. It’s the Fey Clan obviously. Specifically, we learn more about Mia Fey, Phoenix’s mentor, through getting to play as her during the tutorial case and the other tutorial case both of which are short but help us get to know Phoenix’s wise and calm mentor. We see her during her first two cases and even get to witness her taking down Dahlia Hawthorne in an amazingly cool manner (by asking her to prove her innocence by taking Phoenix’s cold medicine which she poisoned). We also see her during her first case which was mentioned in Turnabout Memories and was said to traumatize her so badly that she felt like she was never going to step into court again. Since her opponent, Bratworth, had never lost a case before Turnabout Sisters, we know that the case won’t end well. But even so, it’s what actually happens that makes the case so gutwrenching. Seeing Terry Fawles kill himself on the stand to protect his former girlfriend who was the true killer makes for a saddening end. Regardless of what you think of him as a character, seeing Mia so distraught over not being able to prevent Fawles’ death tugs at your heartstrings. 

What’s even worse is that six months later, she loses her boyfriend when he gets poisoned by Dahlia. Which does raise an interesting question: did she see the case against Wright and take it because she saw Dahlia mentioned in the case files and thought she might be connected to it? It’s likely, seeing as she brought the article talking about Diego’s poisoning with her but who knows? Either way, seeing her so determined to take Dahlia down that she’s willing to have her badge revoked is sincerely cool to watch.

And even in the present day case that Dahlia appears in, Bridge to the Turnabout, Mia doesn’t stop being rivals with Dahlia. When Maya channels Mia to ask her what she should do after Dahlia attacks her, Mia advises her to lock herself up in the Sacred Cavern in the Inner Temple and channel Dahlia in order to protect herself. It’s an extremely risky move on Mia’s part and had Dahlia not been so stubborn in seeing Maya’s corpse for herself without considering that she might be channeling her, Maya could have died of hypothermia in there (which isn’t something I had considered until the last year or so). Still, it works out in the end and Iris and Dahlia-in-Maya’s-body switch places during the second investigation period. Mia then proceeds to exorcise Dahlia out of Maya’s body with Phoenix’s help:

Dahlia: …Grr…Mmm…Nnnn… Grrr… Ahh! M… M… Mia F… F… Fey Mia Fey! Mia Fey! MIA FEEEEY! You… You… spinster!! I was supposed to kill Maya Fey like I swore I would! And if only you had gotten this spiky-haired jerk the guilty verdict… …I wouldn’t have been hanged to death!

Mia: …… True.

Dahlia: …!

Mia: But I think you finally understand, Dahlia Hawthorne. …You will never defeat me.

Dahlia: Wh-What…!? What did you say!?

Mia: Whether you’re alive, dead, or somewhere in between, you will never defeat me. As long as I’m around, you’re destined to lose for all of eternity!

Dahlia: Grrr… Grrrr… Grrrrr…

Phoenix: …I remember what you said earlier in the trial. You said there was no way we could punish you… …because you were already dead.

Dahlia: What about it!?

Phoenix: Then you said… “Even when the body dies, the spirit, the ego, it lives on… forever.”

Mia: …That’s very true, Dahlia. And that’s exactly the punishment you’ll never be able to escape from.

Dahlia: …!

Mia: For all of eternity, you’ll have to remain as Dahlia Hawthorne. A miserable, pathetic, weak creature who can never win at anything… And for you, there is no escape from that. No hope of freedom. Since the day you were executed… …the narrow bridge that once stretched out in front of you has burnt to a crisp!

This causes Dahlia to freak out and pop out of Maya’s body with a extremely loud scream. It’s extremely chilling and awesome at the same time. 

One thing that stands out though, is that defeating Dahlia never stops being Mia’s personal victory as Godot mentions later on.

Godot: The woman who had spiked my scalding hot coffee… Dahlia Hawthorne! Ha…! Good ol’ Mia. She didn’t let me down. She got her revenge before she checked out. In the end… There wasn’t anyone waiting for me when I woke up.

In a way, the way that Mia Fey and Diego Armando go about taking revenge against Dahlia serves an interesting contrast to each other. Mia, although angry at Dahlia for sure, never let her anger consume her when trying to take her revenge on Dahlia. The only thing that Mia sought out to do was to make sure that she received justice for her crimes and upon finally getting Dahlia convicted of murder, moved on with her life. Mia even took Phoenix under her wing, despite his past connection to Dahlia. Even though he really had nothing to do with her crimes and even was supposed to be one of her victims, you can’t help but admire her for that.

On the other hand, Diego Armando never let his hatred of Dahlia Hawthorne go. Even after waking up from his coma and realizing that Mia had gotten revenge for him and got her sentenced to death. He was so blinded by hatred that upon encountering her at the Inner Temple Garden, he stabbed her with the cane sword, killing Misty Fey in the process. And unlike Mia, Diego hated Phoenix and even blamed him for Mia’s death. There’s also a line that suggests that he knew that Phoenix was the one that inadvertently helped Dahlia hide the bottle necklace containing the poison:

Godot: …… I never liked you. Six years ago… …you helped the woman who put me to sleep by hiding her bottle of poison. 

It’s an interesting line, indeed, and implies that Diego’s hatred of Phoenix went beyond Mia’s murder. Because Phoenix “hid” the bottle of poison, Dahlia was never able to be caught for Diego’s poisoning and thus escaped justice. In summary, Mia was able to move on with her life after Dahlia got caught while Diego wasn’t which ended up being his downfall.

I can also see how some people might make a case for Maya going through development of her own throughout Trials and Tribulations. During the second and third case, we see her express doubts about her own abilities as a spirit medium and it’s implied that she’s still shaken up by the murder in Kurain Village to the point that she hasn’t even returned to the village in a while:

Maya: Well, I’m kind of taking a break… I’m having a bit of trouble right now, you know?

Phoenix: (Last year’s incident must still be on her mind… I haven’t seen Maya train at all since then. I think Mia said it’s because Maya’s “at a loss these days”…)

It’s an interesting line, and is definitely one that people seem to overlook while playing through the game. Despite her lack of training however, Maya is still able to channel Mia during the last portion of the Stolen Turnabout. The conversation the two of them have reveals that Maya is going through a dilemma currently.

Mia: I’m just joking, Phoenix. Don’t take everything so seriously. But on the other hand, Maya… She seems kind of lost these days.

Phoenix: You mean about becoming the Master of the Kurain Channeling School?

Mia: Becoming the Master… means saying goodbye to our mother.

Phoenix: You mean Misty Fey…?

Mia: …Watch over her, will you Phoenix?

One thing I find interesting though, is that Maya’s dilemma about becoming the Master isn’t overly prevalent in dialogue. Sure it’s a part of what she goes through over the course of the game but it doesn’t take a huge focus. It’s certainly unique. Here’s one such example in Recipe for Turnabout 

Armstrong: You ‘ave la perfect face for a waitress, you know.

Maya: Um, thanks. I guess if things don’t work out someday, then maybe I’ll be back.

Phoenix: (What things? Is she talking about her being a spirit medium…?)

I honestly appreciate it for it’s subtlety; little character moments like this one, is what adds to the replay value of the games. True, you can just breeze through them, but taking the time to present random things to people can also reveal tons of interesting dialogue that can reveal more about the characters than if you were to do a regular playthrough and do what you need to do to progress further through the case.

All of this culminates in the last case when Maya goes to Hazakura Temple with Pearl and Phoenix to do some training which as mentioned before, she hasn’t really done much of since the Kurain Channeling incident. And unfortunately for her, it ends in disaster with her nearly being murdered by the ghost of her cousin, Dahlia and also witnessing Godot stab the spirit to death which kills her mother in the process.

When we first see Maya in the last trial portion of Bridge to the Turnabout, she’s more traumatized than we’ve ever seen her. And through this line, we get to see how she feels about the Kurain Channeling Technique in her current situation:

Maya: … I… I’m frightened. The Fey clan… I don’t want any more to do with it.

Now, let’s think about what this line means. Maya has dealt with a horrible amount of tragedy in her young life due to her heritage. She lost her mother, her sister left the village partly because she didn’t want to feud with Maya over the title of Master; her aunt plotted to have her convicted for murder and later tried to murder her through her beloved cousin, Pearl; and the one time that she decides to start training again, another tragedy occurs. Her mother was killed right in front of her by a man who was blinded by hatred towards the spirit possessing her body. It’s hard not to see why Maya would not want anything to do with her heritage after all the grief it caused her, so then, why does Maya decide to inherit the title of Master anyway?

Well, here’s the deal: The Fey Clan is extremely screwed up and has caused many of its members grief over the past two years. It’s no secret that the branch family has plotted against the main family before and has done so throughout its history:

Bikini: There is only one heir to the title of “Master” at any time, and it’s usually the eldest. That child becomes the new Master of Kurain, and her daughters, the main family. All other mediums become branch family members, with no hope of controlling the clan. That’s why nothing has changed throughout the history of the clan… Branch families always have and always will plot to erase those of the main family line.

However, Pearl doesn’t hold any sort of resentment towards Maya despite her being the heir to the title of Master. In fact, Pearl adores Maya and vice versa. The only reason she ever went with Morgan’s plan was because she thought by “It’s for the good of the Fey Clan” that her mother meant that her plan would benefit Maya and Pearl both. Maya similarly doesn’t hold any resentment towards Pearl  when she tries to blame herself for the death of Maya’s mother.

If you think about it, the fact that Maya stays and decides to become Master could also considered to be not only a result of her strength but a result of her deciding to fix the screwed up legacy of the Fey clan. As two of the people hurt most by the rivalry between the main family and the branch family, Maya and Pearl could work together to fix their family’s screwed up background and restore the Fey clan to its former glory. That’s the way I see it anyway.

Sorry for my long rant there, the Fey clan is very interesting to me. Honestly though, I’d argue that Edgeworth is more like a tritagonist. He’s extremely important at first but he becomes relatively less important over the course of the trilogy to the point that he’s only ever in one case in his present day form in the last part.

Maya is more or less the deutragonist of the games. She’s in 10 of the 14 cases in the trilogy and 6 of those cases (1-2, 1-4, 2-2, 2-4, 3-2, and 3-5) have her involved majorly in the plot whether it be her being accused of murder, dealing with her and her family history, or kidnapped (in which we get to control her too!). While she isn’t involved in the plots of 1-3 or 2-3 directly, she is the person who convinces Phoenix to take both cases and she even helps Phoenix out in the latter by raising the question of where Max’s bust is located which helps him catch Acro as the true murderer.

However, despite Maya’s overall importance to the trilogy, what stops her from being the main protagonist like Phoenix is that we don’t get to go into her head very often. We see Phoenix react to the situations around him, we get to see his thoughts while dealing with crazy witnesses and when he’s having a difficult time trying to prove something in court. Through this, we get to know Phoenix and in a sense, feel like we can connect with him. Even Edgeworth gets to be played during the first investigation and trial day of Bridge to the Turnabout where like Phoenix, we get to go inside his head and see how he thinks and how he feels about what’s going on around him.

With Maya, the time that we do get to control her in 2-4 is extremely short and doesn’t exactly allow us to get into her head. That’s not a point against her however as we do see her react to what’s going on when we aren’t in control of her. It makes sense that it would be extremely short though, as Maya is currently kidnapped when we do control her and the areas you can have her go aren’t very numerous. 

Still as much as I argue that Phoenix fits the central character and protagonist mold more than Edgeworth and Maya do, I believe that all three characters are important in their own unique ways.

[nijiirorhyme]

NaruMitsu/WrightWorth Fic: Lights, Camera, Action! Chapter 4

NaruMitsu/WrightWorth Fic: Lights, Camera, Action!

Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning

:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney

Relationships:

Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright

Ayasato Mayoi | Maya Fey/Karuma Mei | Franziska von Karma

Characters:

Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth

Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright

Ayasato Mayoi | Maya Fey

Karuma Mei | Franziska von Karma

Miyanagi Chinami | Dahlia Hawthorne

Godot (Gyakuten Saiban)

Description: Rookie actor Phoenix Wright can not believe his luck as he  scores his first major acting role in one of the most anticipated movies  of the year. But, what was better than starring in one of the most  anticipated films of the year? Starring in one of the most anticipated  films of this year with famous actor Miles Edgeworth.

A Wrightworth acting au where two dorks (eventually) fall in love!  

 (Sorry for the formatting, I’m tryin a different way!)

The whole thing can be read here (this link goes to chapter 1)

CHAPTER 4: ACT 1 SCENE 4

 October 12th, 9:15AM

Phoenix’s Apartment  

“Nick! Nick!” He felt someone jostle him from the side. “If you don’t get up, we're going to be late!”

He lazily cracked his eyes open, “Mm? Maya?” He rubbed the sleep out of them before lifting his arms above his body, tightly pulling his body into a full body stretch. It felt amazing. “What are we going to be late for?”

“What do you mean ‘what are we going to be late for’?! You and Edgeworth are practicing today, remember? If you don’t get up right now we’re going to be late!” She jostled his body once more, a groan of dissatisfaction emerging from the back of his throat until it finally clicked in his sleep hazed mind. Today was that day.

In an instant, Phoenix’s eyes opened, he was wide awake now. It was if his entire body had been doused in cold water. He sat up in bed, flinging his blankets off of him and scrambled to get ready. “Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?!” He asked in a panic, his words muffled from the frothed toothpaste foaming from his mouth.

“Because… I woke up late, too…”

 October 12th 9:45AM

Global Studios: Rehearsal Room #2

Miles tapped on his watch in irritation as he watched the second hand make its way around the small clock for the one thousandth time. Wright was fifteen minutes late to their planned rehearsal time. He should be grateful that if it weren’t for his manager, who was waiting for Ms. Fey, he would have left five minutes after nine-thirty. He was one for punctuality, which apparently was not something in the rookie actor’s dictionary.

Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed passed him from the doors being opened with such force. Finally, the man who originally asked him to do this had arrived.

He spent the first moments of his arrival bent over with his hands on his knees, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He had a bit of sweat dripping from his brow, his blue coat folded in his arms, hair disheveled, “Sorry I’m late...” He breathed out.

“I will not wait like this again, Wright,” he scolded. “Now about that uh… autograph...” His heart skipped a beat in excitement. Finally, he’d have in his grasp the Steel Samurai’s very own autograph. That would put the cherry on top of his Steel Samurai collection! Certainly, he could have asked his manager to fetch one for him, or to get one himself, but he rather not live with the embarrassment of Franziska teasing him, nor for word to get out to the public that he liked such a childish show. He could almost feel his mouth break into a small smile at the thought of receiving something he desired for far too long now-

“Oh uh, about that… I kind of… forgot it?” Phoenix awkwardly chuckled after admitting the fact.

And just like that, Edgeworth could feel his heart break into two.

“…”

Miles was ready to stroll out of the room right then and there, when a hand grabbed his arm. “Wait wait wait!” Phoenix begged in desperation. “I promise to bring it next time I see you! I’ll see you in a few days anyways since we’re going to start filming right? I swear, it’s at home!”

Miles paused. Though he was a bit upset at not receiving what he originally came here for to begin with, rationality shined through as Wright technically did get him the autograph, but it just wasn’t here right now. There would be many opportunities later to receive it, so he should at least uphold his end of the bargain.

He sighed, “Fine, but do not expect me to go easy on you after this.”

[read more]

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

ninth circle

A Fae AU side story. The core concept here was originally going to be a meta post sometime after Chapter 17, and then I came up with some dialogue I liked and thought it should be a story, and then I proceeded to not write it for a couple more months, but we’re finally here.

[ao3]

They ask her name when she goes to visit, because that is what humans do, ask names flagrantly and carelessly and even if it takes more than just knowing the name to snatch it away and leave its bearer a shadow, the knowing is the first little step closer and little steps add up. Her sister taught her that because Nick taught her that, watching Nick put the little pieces together in court taught her that, and even though the name she offers up is not one that can do her harm for anyone to know she still hesitates. Her name in this realm is borrowed pieces of her sister’s name in this realm and her sister is important and a piece of her sister should not end up in the claws of the devil.

But they need a name to keep record of all of the visitors who move in and out of the prison, and so she tells them anyway, “Maya Fey.”

They don’t blink and that might be nonbelief and that might be fear deliberately acted as nonbelief, fear of pulling her evil eye if they let on to knowing what she is. And they tell her to wait because Maya Fey is, despite her name, a human with brown skin and glossy black hair and a thin mouth that pull apart into a smile made of flat teeth. She is only so much here, out of her realm, and she is so much less in this prison with iron running through its walls like veins, this cold iron tomb meant to shut away her kind as easily as humans are shut away, and that is one thing they’ve managed to do. Within iron they are equal. She is so much less here and even less without Nick, and sometimes even with Nick she is less.

Nick is a lawyer like her sister is a lawyer – was, was a lawyer, her sister was, end of sentence – and evidence means something to lawyers. Motive means something. Knowing why means something, not like in the Court where when the wind blows word of someone meaning to do harm to you and yours, there is no waiting. There is no trying to uncover why before acting; there is only the action, the reaction, that is what her kind are made of. That is what her family did, her aunt and her cousin, that is what they were, reactions coiled tight to spring within a body of magic and they saw a threat and acted. They moved with the barest breeze.

It is human to wait, to mitigate, and sometimes she thinks this is why so many of her kind become lawyers: to simply see if they can, to see if they can temper their nature, their culture, the lashing forth, the fae acting of prosecution, judge, and executioner all in one. And her sister is-was a lawyer and died for it and Nick is-was a lawyer and was cursed for it, and she—

She is the Mystic, ascendant to her mother’s throne, and what is hers was harmed and she could not harm back in return because what is hers bound her otherwise. What is hers wished otherwise and she helped Nick jail Redd White when her teeth wanted red blood and white bone, because it was the way Nick wanted to do it, because it was the way that Mia wanted-would have wanted to do it. And with Nick she did little things, little steps that added up, and with Nick she is Maya and she is human because that is what she wants to be with Nick.

She is Maya is tempered pride and selfish possessive fury. How dare someone think they can harm what is hers. How dare Manfred von Karma lay a hand on Nick. How dare Matt Engarde and the assassin even think to try threatening Nick into doing as they wished. How dare they. She would put a hand through muscle and sinew and pull a bullet out of a shoulder herself to return the hurt; she would put new scars down their faces. Her Court agreed that the human court was a good place to litigate their disputes but what of disputes between human and fae; there is no law, no rule, binding them, because what of her kind does not just react and immediately destroy the little weak human thing that vexes them, that is not an enemy because that implies equality, as her aunt would never think a human more than a fly to swat and that is why she lost, because Maya had Nick. Maya had Nick and Maya had her own humanity, a borrowed skin that she’s kept in pieces and patches, in love, because in the Court there is no love wasted on someone who could turn threat, there is only the reaction, and family is always a threat, but Maya loves her sister loves her youngest cousin forgave one of two other cousins. Like Nick would. Like Nick does.

And Nick knows this all of her, knows that when she leaves the Court, steps out of a ring, she is Maya and Maya is human – and he still twisted his words around her, bound her to behave in line with his morals, did not trust her but bound her to be sure she would not act until he knew why, what motive. She promised him that if he was killed, she would kill the man who did it; and he didn’t trust her not to do it even while he was still alive.

He pushed away his human friends and allies – he tried to hold his own daughter at arm’s length – and he to her he did more than that; he put the Queen of Winter on a leash and tied her out in the yard, unable to trust that she wouldn’t just kill someone he wanted information from.

It wouldn’t have mattered if she did. Nick never got the motive, the why, the evidence, he was so keen on, and she warned him there was nothing but misfortune and misery down that path and she was right. There never was an answer.

She doesn’t expect an answer, either, now; she doesn’t even expect to be allowed in. She just has spent too long tangled in Nick’s contract to stay away that now that she’s free she has to come close. For petty spite, for righteous fury, for other feelings she can’t put name to, the reaction, the lashing out. That she has spent this long wanting to sink her teeth into something, and she could now – Nick never said she couldn’t kill him after the case was closed, Nick’s name untarnished.

She could. She could, if she was let back to visit, and she doesn’t expect to be – but she is, and she could. Easy, easy.

They lead her in, deeper into the iron forest, lock her into the iron sarcophagus that presses down on her chest and expels all the magic from her lungs and her bones and she is left with crude teeth and claws. It would be enough, even in iron. Easy to end this the way her aunt would, the way Dahlia would, the way the devil would.

And the devil has his own teeth and claws but she thinks he would hate to get blood on them. He sits above the fray with poison and weak, clumsy curses, the kind that are self-taught after a life of not knowing. Were he someone else she would feel bad for the desperation woven into his every curse, and the way he has been buried in this iron tomb that makes her skin crawl and her spine go cold and hangs a weight off of every muscle in her body. What a hell for one of her kind to be locked away in.

Red and blue battle for space in his eyes, the way the colors of his skin, brown and gold, flicker back and forth, blurring between his two faces, and in the lamplight even when his horns have blurred away they are visible in his shadow. Even to her eyes that should see him clearly, he is fighting to show a different face, to dock the tips from his ears and teeth, to drain the magic from his blood, but his long white claws hold steady. The claws, he’s accepted as part of what he is, whatever it is that he thinks he is.

He holds his chin high, like he isn’t the prisoner, like she isn’t the queen, like they aren’t both drowned in iron, sunk and suffocated in it, and he smiles without showing teeth, and behind his glasses his eyes still don’t know if they’re fae or human. “Did he send you to gloat?” he asks lightly. “Too much of a coward to come again himself? Phoenix Wright, the—”

She lunges, finds she can still reach something cold within herself in fury, slams her claws down onto his desk and even with the iron around her, the bars shutting them both in this cell, she digs deep, leaves scars in the wood. “Keep his name out of your foul mouth!”

He casts one last glance about for a marker for his book and then with a sigh, shuts it without. His cage is well-furnished with wooden bookshelves and a nice desk and she would love to leave rivets with her claws in the former, in everything he has here, in all of the gilded trappings that he can only try to distract himself from the crushing iron sensation all around them. Does he feel it as strongly as her, when he lived half a lifetime not knowing why it burns? “You people and your thing with names,” he says. “Do you give everyone silly childish nicknames like my brother? Or has the Court found a more elegant way around that?”

He sneers every word about his brother, spits the mention of the Court, poison in his own mouth, and she casts a bored look around the cell for a chair. There’s nothing. Is that the way he wanted it, shut himself away from two different words, no one allowed to stay long, and she would sit in the air to mock him if she was certain she wouldn’t collapse halfway through with the force of exerting magic against the iron pressing in on every side. “Well,” she says, and she is Maya and the Mystic all rolled into something furious because in everything she is, she loves Nick. She knows that much. “If you know that, you’ll at least understand how exactly it is that I hate you, Kristoph Gavin.”

The taste is bitter on her tongue, his name spat back at him, but his name is hers to sneer, a prize claimed in Nick’s victory over him, the way Dahlia is a name she can also force forth from her throat. Names, tricky things, but all to the victor they go.

Kristoph’s eyes settle on red. “For what?” he asks. “You’re here for what? You’re mad, that I broke the badge off your favorite toy?”

When she walks into iron while glamoured, wearing her human face, Maya, Maya human Maya, it sticks to her, melts onto her skull, two dark eyes and lips that don’t stretch the width of her face, and she cannot just let the glamour drop, she has to peel it off, with force, stretch out her mouth to show her teeth, and she already made sure to show her claws, but now when she sneers, Kristoph sits back. He should have been able to properly see her, even among iron, with his fae eyes, but he doesn’t seem to want fae eyes the way his flicker, but now he can see the full extent of what she is and the teeth that she would use to crush both his heart and the chains tight around it.

“I’m mad that you hurt my friend!”

He laughs. He is afraid and even he knows he can’t hide it but he laughs all the same, at her, laughs loud and long and she glances about the cell to find something to sink her claws into that isn’t the bone of the man in front of her, the one whose name is Kristoph Gavin but because he stole it. Names, tricky things, and she could barely disentangle the two Gavins when she first learned of them, because Kristoph and Gavin belong to them both and neither of them quite know who has more the claim.

“That’s something I’ve never heard from your kind,” he says, and when the snarl twists his face only a few of his teeth are barely sharp. And then they aren’t, everything about him twisted and confused and torn and she would feel sorry for him, lost between two worlds, if he were someone else. “Friends.”

“My kind?” she repeats. “Our kind, you mean?”

That makes him move; he laughs again but even more bitter, more ice, and he stands and leans forward on the desk and even leaning he is taller than her but he knows how to use none of it, not the claws or the magic or the height, knows how to use nothing but his head and that he has already lost in laughter and fury. “I am nothing like any of you.”

“You’re as petty, from what I’ve heard.” She doesn’t have to try to hit her mark; he presents the target easy to her, too easy, easier than how long the battle took Nick. He cracked the devil open and she is here to scavenge among the pieces, pick at the scraps that Nick leaves behind for her when she follows in his wake, because first she chose to be there and then when he tied her there she resented it but even free of that contract she is still here, feasting on the bones that the firebird hunted and dragon’s fire scorched clean. Last on the scene, nothing useful to contribute, and maybe not even if Nick had let her. She found Nick his daughter and that was all she could do.

“And you don’t have friends either,” she adds. “So – alike, except where I actually do have the friends.” She blows some wood shavings off her claws. “What I wanted to tell you,” she continues, because he has no response but to laugh and she has heard enough of that, “is that you’re lucky that Nick is a good man. That he wanted to earn back his name the legal way, catch you and destroy within the courts system. It’s him that you owe your lifetime in hell to.” She spreads her hands wide, gestures around the room. “It’s nice, except the part where it’s an iron hell. But better to rule in it than to serve, yeah?”

He snorts, his claws curling under his palms still on the desk. “Milton, really?” he sneers.

“Who the fuck’s Milton?” she asks, wandering over to the bookshelf, running her knuckles down the spines. “I dunno, that’s a thing from a story my cousin talked about. She did a year studying human literature.”

“Milton is the – it doesn’t matter.” He turns to keep watching her, stands up straight, and his face is holding steadier, now, and fae, more steadily fae, his horns having found their place and solidity and his mask and resolve of what he thinks he should be is crumbling. “You don’t care, because you’re only playing at human and understanding our culture and us.”

She goes still, her hand still raised and touching the books, and he is still flickering at his desk. “I don’t care,” she agrees, “about anything you’d tell me, because I’m telling you that you’re lucky Nick played the long game that spared you while I would have just ripped out your heart and it would almost have been a fair exchange.”

“My heart for Wright’s badge?” he asks. Her claws hurt digging into her palm. Nick’s name has been polished clean and has no place on the devil’s venomous tongue. “My heart for his heart? Or—” He tilts his head to the side. “Or do you think that trade would be my heart for what you think is your heart?”

“Dunno,” she says. “You think I’m a moron playing at being human, so why don’t you tell me what you think I’m saying?”

“Of course you’re a moron, and pathetic,” he says. “You keep company with Wright.”

She’s about to draw her own blood stopping herself from drawing his out of his throat.

“It’s funny, listening to you – really, it is,” he continues. “Funny and pitiful, to hear you talk about friends and hearts like you’re capable of anything but selfishness – like you’re capable of love, like you’re human enough to love.” She circles past him, knows when a welcome is fading even if usually she doesn’t bother to heed it, but she’s almost got what she came for, what she never expected to pry loose. “I see plainly how you are, Ms Fey – almost like my brother, actually, rather cute, how you think the amount of time you’ve spent in this world is enough to make you human.”

She looks at him, brushes some hairs out of two of her eyes. “Nick thought it was about power,” she says. “About you wanting to be strong in magic, about getting Magnifi’s grimoire and whatever else and your anger that it escaped you.”

His jaw tightens; his mouth twitches.

“Did you think it was about the grimoire, too?” she asks. “You must have. You locked the rest away.”

His claws dig into his own arms. “Guard!” he calls in a voice that quavers at its core, and satisfaction settles in her stomach. “If you would please escort my visitor out of here.”

“You’re jealous,” she says, and the guard isn’t here yet and the two of them disturbed nothing else in the cell, nothing moving but his claws flexing and hers tapping lightly against themselves, but she hears the sound of breaking glass. “You’re jealous of your brother, in every way that matters, and you thought if you were a powerful magician the feeling would go away—”

“Miss—” the guard says, and she takes a step back out through the barred door that would burn her if her skin, whether brown or purple, touched it, the mouth of hell that she can step forth from and he never can.

“—but you’re just jealous that he gets to be human,” she adds, and she grins at him with all her teeth, and his face blurs, again, cycling between human and fae features, torn and tearing apart and coming back together with the cracks all visible, again a shattering, and Nick said there were five but some of it must already have come undone because next to sound is the chains clattering away and she is left here with the answer that evaded Nick, that evaded Kristoph, and that – that is what she can do. That is the offering to drop at Nick’s feet, the last of the marrow cracked out of the sun-bleached bones.

“Also,” she says to his unsteady face behind the bars, and if she couldn’t have his heart in her hands then she has just damaged it so that he cannot keep it either, “just, by the way – I’m not a moron.”

[scarlettlawyer]

Next attempt: Shelly de Killer and Pearl Fey!

Shelly de Killer:

- I hate them / I don’t like them / I’m neutral / I’m ok with them / I like them / I love them / I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

- favorite thing about them: THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF ELEGANCE AND MURDER. HE’S JUST SO GREAT!!! I love the aura of absolute calm and aesthetic interlaced with imminent threat. Well, not absolute calm. He can certainly lose his patience. But he's not really one to raise his voice. It’s a quiet and terrifying anger if invoked. The veneer of calm is part of the gentleman aesthetic; the hint of anger is the imminent threat. Outside of his being angry, however, it’s still the same: even if he’s not angry at you, his mere job makes him intimidating. That’s inescapable. But his polite demeanour is still there. The combination of those things is fantastic. He will kill you if he must but damn if he isn’t going to do it in style.

- least favorite thing about them: I actually did have a reply to this come to mind, possibly connected to AAI2, and yet it slipped away shortly thereafter and now I cannot recall it, and after losing the actual reply I had I’ve honestly sat here struggling to come up with something. Like there were moments when I enjoyed his character a bit less, but... Hard to just list off a least favourite thing from that.

- ship(s): ...Oldbag. You have done this; you have planted this idea in the mind of my friend and I. Like okay I don’t actually ship it in canon OR in your fic, but the thought of it is so out there, and therefore amusing. And then my friend came up with this amazing JFA au running with the idea so, I do “ship” it specifically in the context of her au ahahaha. I love my friend’s idea of... him liking her and her not really being aware of it? Because it’s a reversal of what’s usually the case in canon. Let a guy be interested in her for once and have her be unaware of it. XD

Also just gonna tack this fic-related message(s) on randomly too but FOR CONTEXT TO BE FAIR THIS WAS before I read the ending which actually does address the death of Wendy’s husband and before the actual dynamic between Oldbag, Shelly and Benny had been elaborated on by the story:

(I ACTUALLY MEANT IN THE SENSE OF HAVING BEEN HIRED BY SOMEONE TO KILL MR OLDBAG BUT THEN MY FRIEND WAS LIKE “HOW DO I MAKE THIS ABOUT THE SHIP” LOL). Okay but maybe Mr Oldbag could have been an important figure in an au that someone would have reason to assassinate 🤔 :P

- BROTP(s): I guess Sirhan Dogen is the main candidate for this, although I haven’t thought about their interactions too much!

- NOTP(s): I don’t think I’ve really seen any Shelly shipping haha...

- Game/case where I like them more: Gonna go with standard JFA case for this one, but AAI2 case 1 is also just really awesome. Particularly the whole hostage thing to help Edgeworth’s investigation out.

- Random headcanon: Not headcanons about the character himself but rather in relation to him; I like to imagine how scandalised Phoenix would be if he heard that yes, Shelly de Killer, that guy Edgeworth and law enforcement at large are so intent on apprehending? The guy who kidnapped Maya? Edgeworth totally spoke kinda casually with the guy a bunch of times, and was even assisted by Shelly (you could even stretch this to perhaps argue that he COOPERATED with Shelly). Even saw Shelly face to face during AAI2 and had a chat with him. Well, yes, context, but... :P Especially without context, Phoenix would not be pleased. Not that Edgeworth would readily offer up this information to him. I think Edgeworth is in a slightly awkward position with regards to Shelly post-AAI2, at least slightly more than before, given how much help Shelly was and now having actually interacted with him in person.

Another thing I was thinking of recently is that... I think that there could be a very secretive and select group of individuals working for law enforcement SPECIFICALLY dedicated to trying to arrest Shelly and gathering as much info as possible. A highly skilled and dedicated team of say 5-10 people, and all of the information they deal with, and about them, is absolutely top secret. The group itself is secret, even, because this is dangerous work. They’re all about trying to track him down, analysing all the data they’ve gathered, you name it. Not that they have much success. But they would also over time probably veer more towards less conventional methods. Delving deeper into the criminal underworld for information, going undercover... Honestly? The closest they might come to actually getting a hold of the guy in person... is to go undercover as a client. Finding out how to hire him. It’s an awfully dangerous game they would be playing and their covers would have to be airtight.

- Unpopular opinion: I wasn’t sure how I felt about him sparing Simon. I really gotta replay AAI2, get my thoughts in order. This ties in with the “least favourite” question but I wasn’t too sure about the whole thing where Simon was considered to have broken the bond of trust for not saying it was a double and yeah I just gotta, replay the game haha. But... if a client normally recounts the ENTIRETY of the circumstances to him, expected not to leave anything out, as opposed to a simple “I want this person dead”, then I suppose that makes sense....Actually, wrong question for this but I’ll add it as a headcanon anyway: when Shelly meets with a client, part of establishing that bond of trust is kind of like the client “confiding” everything thoroughly to him, like telling a story of everything connected to, and culminating in the assassination request. He wants to know not only the who, but the why. What’s the client’s connection to and history with the target? Was there a time when they got along, were they always enemies? Is it just a political or corporate matter? It’s not about justification - Shelly doesn’t care how “justified” a client is and he certainly doesn’t judge. He just listens. None of the added information is necessary to complete the job, but divulging so much information is a demonstration of trust and helps make it clear this person is real with motivations and not an undercover person trying to arrest him or something like that. It’s also kind of an added bonus to get to hear some of the tales of intrigue that result from such meetings with clients. In the context of something like this, omitting the fact that the “president” was a double is a very serious offense.

I was gonna go on another tangent but this is already long enough lol.

----

Pearl Fey

- I hate them / I don’t like them / I’m neutral / I’m ok with them / I like them / I love them / I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

(I do love her! Just not with as much intensity as some of the other characters this series has).

- favorite thing about them: She is adorable incarnate, she is strong, and very cute

- least favorite thing about them: The fact that she was not allowed to grow as a character at all post-timeskip. I have so many complaints about older!Pearl. They took a ~17 year old character and forced her into the exact same role and characterisation as a ~nine year old! She is restricted and kept the same, and it feels deeply unnatural and kind of uncomfortable to me. The whole thing around her height too, like... why did they go out of their way to make her so short and tiny? To reinforce that we are still supposed to see her as a 9 year old? I love trilogy Pearl, I love her so much, but I find older Pearl so boring and so uninspired on top of that undercurrent of discomfort. They did nothing new with her, but in a uniquely and unnaturally limiting way in the sense that she is trapped as her trilogy self. After the timeskip the games appear to have a weird preoccupation with infantilising her because I guess they think connecting back to the trilogy (instead of doing something new) is the only way to keep us caring about her??

And like... Yes, Pearl embodies and encapsulates the cuteness and innocence of children. That’s a big part of her character and I love her for it, and I would therefore be reluctant to let that go. There’s nothing wrong with preserving stuff like that when she’s older. All I’m asking is for the games to actually put at least one new spin on her; SOMETHING that can distinguish her from her younger self so I’m not left feeling like she did not change at all in nearly ten years. A slightly different design, one (1) distinct new and different thing that sets her apart from (and potentially at odds with) her younger self, and I’d probably be happy. I don’t like what they did with her hair either. It sucks. Should’ve gone with the gorgeous inverted pretzel style.

Anyway I want to be given a reason to care about and be invested in older Pearl, an older Pearl trait that I can love older Pearl for...

- ship(s): Trupearl can be cute, but I don’t think about shipping much at all seeing as I vastly prefer her younger self, haha.

- BROTP(s): General “Pearl getting along with the gang” type dynamics haha.

- NOTP(s): Well, I do not like any implication that she has a crush on Marlon or vice versa. I really don’t like that.

- Game/case where I like them more: I’m not sure ahah. Good thing I’m trying to work through the games in Chinese on youtube so maybe I can brush up on my AA knowledge a bit.

- Random headcanon: Ok made this one up just now: When she’s slightly older she adopts the term “Narumayo” for her shipping of Phoenix and Maya. At least, the Japanese version of her where the characters have their Japanese names... lol. I guess her English-speaking self tried but failed to come up with a good name as the counterpart headcanon. Mayanix?

Actually, I guess another headcanon would be her being a hardcore shipper for any media she’s invested in. She moves away from shipping real people and onto characters, channelling all that energy elsewhere.

Or honestly, she could stick with real people and either become an Ace Matchmaker or overall consistently terrible matchmaker. Either’s good. If you combine the two, she could try to matchmake what seems to be an absolutely horrendous pair/combination of people, only for it to actually work.

- Unpopular opinion: Well, I think I already got quite opinionated above, and nothing really comes to mind to reply to this with. I might have been too harsh on older Pearl, but everything I wrote is what I genuinely felt and the impression that I was left with. That impression may be false, I’m not sure, but yeah.

[runningwolf62]

@wardencommanderrodimiss @pachelbelsheadcanon

Happy Phoenix gets disbarred day, have this. Hopefully Tumblr doesn’t crop it.

Credit to my brother for the “Dahlia commits tax fraud” joke.

Larry runs his hand through his messy brown hair and looks to Maya. She has too much experience in burying relatives. He wishes he could do this on his own, like Godot talked about. Protecting Maya for Misty. But this was too much for him to carry on his own.

“A small ceremony for just family and friends might be wise,” his voice is rough and Maya jumps a little when he speaks, “we can have a large, what do you call it for funerals? Is it still a reception?”

“After the funeral it’s a reception, before it’s a visitation,” she replies tiredly, Larry gets to his feet to head to his kitchen and get them both a drink of water.

Maya barely acknowledges it when he puts it in front of her, simply staring blankly at the papers before her. Larry sits down next to her and lets out a rough breath. They are too young to be doing this. Maya should not have had to bury this many family members.

“I- shit I have to be one to give all the speeches don’t I?” He’s only known her three months but that was more than Maya.

“I could channel my sis I guess but-” Maya swallows and reaches for the water, Larry moves to sit next to her.

“If you’re gonna channel people why not channel your mother to do all this paper work,” Larry jokes, Maya glances at him but doesn’t laugh. She doesn’t seem more upset though so Larry takes it.

“I could you know.”

“Huh?”

Maya is staring at her water not at him, “channel her. If you want to talk to her.”

Larry stares at Maya and hesitates. What does he say? He wants to see Misty, he does. To ask for explanations, to say goodbye, for any final guidance but Maya looks exhausted.

“I think we’ve all had enough of channeling for a bit?” Larry says instead and Maya huffs softly in what sounds like agreement.

“I would like to talk to her, at some point. But not now.” There’s so much to say to her but so much to now.

Larry pulls a paper to him and starts trying to fill forms out.

“Are you mad at Nick?”

Larry looks up from the form he’s trying to understand to Maya, “no? Why would I be?” He and Nick have things they need to talk out but now’s not the time when he’s this exhausted emotionally and Nick’s busy.

“For defending Go- Diego.”

Larry sucks a breath in through his teeth and sets the paper back down. “Not really.” He runs a hand through his hair and tries to find the words to explain, “I’d- I don’t know how mad I am him honestly. Like yeah he killed her but she-” he cuts off and looks away from Maya.

“What?” Maya pokes his shoulder with one finger, “What?”

“She died trying to save you,” Larry mumbles as though that will take the sting out of his words. Maya looks startled but not hurt so maybe it does. “If anything I’m mad at her I think! Like, how is this fair?” And that’s what it boils down to, Larry doesn’t know how to feel about the fact that he knew Misty better than Maya had.

That she’d had the chance to meet her daughter and instead died for her.

Not even his fanfiction can help with this.

-

Stripes?

Hey Wolfman

Don’t die, funerals are a pain in the ass to plan

I will become immortal just for you

‘ppreciate it

-

Larry stops off with Maya at Nick’s office, it’s not like Godot is sitting there drinking coffee, he’s in jail and it’s just Nick sitting in his office, probably avoiding paperwork.

But the smell of the coffee lingers on Nick’s shirt, or maybe just in Larry’s imagination, and he’s quiet as Nick and Maya talk.

Honestly they’re all quiet. Maya’s trying to get excited for something she and Nick are talking about, Steel Samurai or something, but Larry can see her struggling.

He coughs quietly, “I’m gonna go.” Edgeworth’s lent him a couch in his apartment while Larry and Maya deal with the funeral and cleaning out Elise’s place and Larry looks into moving somewhere new because he doesn’t need to live close to Elise now.

Misty.

Fuck.

Nick nods and Maya wishes him a good night. He gives a small smile and wave and heads out. Maya and Nick will help each other.

He flicks his phone to see that WolfDragon is still offline (good he should be sleeping) and send Edgeworth a text that he’ll be there soon.

He slips the phone back in his pocket and stands outside the Wright and Co offices a moment longer, wondering that if he just started screaming until his voice gave out if Gumshoe would just let him off with a warning.

Deciding luck has not been favorable towards him lately he heads for his car instead.

-

Edgeworth looks up from the book he’s reading as Larry comes in, “have you eaten?”

“No. Nick and Maya were talking about getting something but…” Larry felt like he was imposing. Edgeworth just hums and points to the fridge.

Larry opens it to find Edgeworth’s snagged him leftover spaghetti. He debates just eating it cold but the knowledge that Edgeworth would never let him live it down convinces him otherwise.

He watches it spin around in the microwave, Edgeworth still silently reading.

“Did you stay up just to see that I got back?” He hesitates, is Edgeworth starting to squint at the page? “Maybe you should take a break, let your eyes get some rest.” Had his dad needed glasses? God Larry couldn’t remember anymore.

Edgeworth shakes his head but sets the book to the side, “I had reading I wanted to do. However yes, I may have positioned myself to make sure you got in safely.”

Larry shakes his head, “you can just say yes Edgy.” He turns to check the time on the microwave, “thanks man.”

There’s a pause before Edgeworth says, “You’re welcome.”

The microwave beeps and Larry pulls out the plate and sets it at the counter across from Edgeworth who’s gone back to squinting at his book. Larry’s not going to be the one to tell him he might want to think about glasses.

He tucks in and after a few bites his appetite returns full force and he has to struggle to not shove it down his throat in a horrifying display that would undoubtedly end with Edgeworth throwing him out.

Edgeworth says nothing though, simply continue to read, Larry finally takes in the book he’s reading.

“Edgy?”

“Yes?”

“Are you reading about how to do Oragami because-“

Edgeworth snaps the book closed to glare at him and Larry shuts his mouth. He looks away from Edgeworth first.

“You’ve heard that story about paper cranes right?”

Edgeworth lets out a sigh, “who hasn’t?” He shakes his head, “I doubt folding a thousand paper cranes is any more likely to grant a wish than eyelashes or pennies.”

Larry nods and pushes his plate to the side, “I guess it’s just nice to think, you know, if we put that much passion and energy into something we could somehow seize control of our fate for just one moment.”

Edgeworth startles a moment before nodding. He sets his book to the side and visibly wrestles with something before he finally speaks.

“I’m sorry. It’s very clear that your apprenticeship was good for you and that you’ve grown as a person and I’m sorry that it was, that she was taken from you.”

Larry wants to thank him, to cry, to scream, because god, that’s all he’s wanted; the respect Miles is showing him now.

So of course something else comes out of his mouth.

“Do you ever,” Larry pauses and takes a deep breath, “do you ever feel like you killed him?”

Miles pauses and looks to Larry, “what?”

“Your dad. And I don’t mean the part where you thought you’d caused the gun to go off like-”

Miles considers it and looks over at him, “yes. I’ve been told it’s a normal part of grief.”

“Who told you that?”

“A therapist.”

Larry lets out a weak laugh, “maybe I ought to get one. I just worry they’d get murdered and I’d be accused of doing it.”

“Larry.”

“You said it yourself, I bring misfortune down-”

“Larry-”

“I can barely look at Maya and I worry Nick blames me you know? Like it’s not my fault but Maya should’ve gotten to know her mom and didn’t but I did and I know he holds that against me-”

“Wright does not-”

“Objection!” Larry looks at him now, Edgeworth’s pushed the book to the side and his steel eyes have softened, “do you really think he doesn’t hold that against me Edgy?”

“It would be utterly illogical to hold that against you,” Miles replies firmly, “Misty Fey made her choices and you were as much a victim as Maya.”

“You’ve seen Nick in court he doesn’t use logic.”

Miles laughs at that but looks at Larry gently, “but he reaches the truth all the same. You are not responsible for what happened. Any part of it.”

Larry wonders what it would be like to be as in love with someone as Edgy is with Nick.

“Thanks.” He runs a hand through his hair and kind of shakes himself, “I didn’t mean to unload all of that on ya.”

Edgeworth shakes his head though, “it is… wise to talk about these things.”

Larry reaches over and claps Edgeworth on the shoulder, “still. Thanks.”

Edgeworth actually smiles and Larry pulls his hand back and lets out a rough breath.

“We’re thinking of making the funeral a private affair and having a reception for other authors, friends and fans.” Larry lets out a rough breath. Shit he’s got speeches to write.

In the silence that follows Pess stirs from next to Edgeworth’s legs and comes around to see Larry, her claws clicking on the floor.

“Hey girl,” Larry runs a hand through her soft fur, she’s like a big walking cotton ball, “you’re so big and fluffy.”

“She’s a puppy still actually,” Edgeworth gets to his feet as Larry continues to play with his dog, “my sister recommend I get one for companionship and emotional support and a breeder she’d bought from had just had a litter so…”

“Wait.” Larry looks up from the dog now, “is this the sister that has the niece that has the dog named Phoenix?”

“It’s her daughter technically-”

“You know what I-” Edgeworth shuts him up by showing him a picture of a young girl with her arms wrapped around a fluffy orange dog.

“Oh my god it’s adorable.” He tries and fails to smother a laugh, “smaller than Pess though.”

“They’re two separate but similar breeds and the breeder my sister got from has lines for both.”

Larry glances at Pess and considers that this dog is likely worth more than he is, “I see.”

“Yes, my niece’s dog is a German Spitz while Pess is a Keeshound.”

"A Casehond."

"Keeshond."

“Case Hound."

"No."

“Case Haunt. Croissant.”

“Stop.”

Larry is laughing though and while Edgeworth is shaking his head Larry gets the impression he’s not actually angry at him or his antics.

Edgeworth considers his dog a moment longer before he looks at Larry. “Come on, she needs a walk and-” Pess shoots to the front door, “and some exercise would be good for both of us.”

“Alright.” Larry gets to his feet, he wouldn’t mind spending some time with Edgeworth and just kind of roaming.

-

Larry walks alongside Edgeworth, the silence just slightly awkward but neither of them seem eager to break it.

“We all just have shit luck with mentors,” Larry finally says, Edgeworth smothers a laugh.

“You aren’t wrong.”

Larry looks at him and his mouth twitches, “someday I’ll say something you’ll have to admit is right.”

Edgeworth looks unconvinced but Larry is pretty sure it’s with some fondness. He needed to work on rebuilding his friendship with Nick like this. Get to a more comfortable place.

The park is largely deserted at this hour, the unseasonably cool air must’ve kept most people inside. Larry drops onto a bench and pulls out a small sketch book and a pencil.

He normally didn’t like people watching him draw but he makes no effort to shoo Edgeworth away as he sketched the city skyline through the trees. His goal is just a messy sketch finished in five minutes, the focus on shapes and conveying details without fine details.

He shows the finished effort to Edgeworth, “just a drawing exercise, no body flying over a burning bridge…”

“You’ve got a lot of talent,” Edgeworth smooths the awkwardness of his morbid joke, “I’m glad to see you using it.”

“Thanks Edgy.” He smiles slightly, “I’ll be honest though, I should really work on faces, not backgrounds.” He had gotten a lot better but he needed to keep at it.

“Oh?”

“Yeah Nick was always better at faces, I did backgrounds really well.” Because he was trying to avoid drawing cats. Occasionally he’d slipped big cats into his art just to use those skills- oh Big Cat AU. That would be a fun drawing exercise and produce some content for his fanfic.

“I wanted to ask you about that.” Edgeworth seems to hesitate before he sighs, “about Dahlia.”

“Oh fuck her,” Larry sprawls out, “in life she was a bitch and death didn’t stop her.” He leans his head back, “okay so you know Nick became a lawyer to save you right?” Which was one of the gayest things he’d ever heard.

Edgeworth nods and Larry looks over at him, “so he’s studying law… on the side.”

“I read the case file.” Edgeworth cuts in, Larry grins at that.

“Oh okay stop roasting Nick got it.” He runs a hand through his hair, “so what do you want to know?”

Edgeworth shakes his head, “how none of you noticed and why… why after all that he’d still go to such lengths to defend Iris?”

Larry snorts and shakes his head. “Look I know you studied at the finest schools in Germany and all that,” he shifts his leg so Pess can get under the bench to sniff around, “but for those of us who went to public university in America it is simultaneously the smartest and stupidest times of most people’s lives. No I didn’t question the girlfriend Nick was always with, thought it was grossly sappy and I didn’t think they were gonna get married or anything.” He makes a face, “and the pet names were disgusting but look man, Nick’s not bad looking, and she was pretty too. They seemed to like each other. No I didn’t think she was secretly the twin of a psychopath or- no Dahlia’s just a petty- anyway no.” He lets out a rough breath, “kicked my own ass for that enough. My best friend gets framed for murder by his girlfriend, who tried to poison him, and I never even thought anything was wrong.”

Pess shoves her head between his legs, Larry ruffles her ears and then shifts before she can tangle the leash around his legs.

There’s a moment of silence and then Larry adds, “and the whole time she was committing identity theft so-” and that makes Edgeworth actually laugh.

Larry joins in and Pess adds a happy bark, her tail wagging furiously behind her.

“Hey hot shot prosecutor does that count as tax fraud or…” Larry wheezes and Edgeworth is clearly struggling not to laugh harder.

“You cannot accuse Dahlia Hawthorne of every crime that ever existed.”

“You can’t prove she didn’t commit arson.”

“Larry!”

It’s not funny, it’s really not but it’s the way Larry’s trying to make this conspiracy theory work and the way Edgeworth can’t keep a straight face long enough to be his straight man that makes it hilarious. Or maybe it’s just that he needs something to laugh at in all this.

Once they pull themselves back together Larry rubs at his eyes. “I think you had another question?”

Edgeworth pauses and Larry cuts in, “and not ‘what’s wrong with you’.”

“I would not have-” Edgeworth shakes his head, “why after all that Wright would do so much for Iris?”

“She didn’t commit arson.” Larry loses the battle against his grin as Edgeworth glares at him, before he answers more seriously.

“One of Nick’s strengths is his loyalty,” he gestures between the two of them, “it’s why he still puts up with us.” Despite all the Edgeworth had done and Larry’s own various shortcomings. “I don’t know if he just sees the best in people or if he’s too stubborn but Nick’s loyalty is hard to lose.” He would know.

Edgeworth nods in agreement and Larry leans back against the bench. “But as loyal as he is to friends there was only two people Nick would've done anything for," Larry glances over at Edgeworth, "Dahlia was one of them."

"Who was the other?" Edgeworth asks and Larry takes the moment to reflect that he was considered the stupid one of the three of them.

"Come on Edgy don't make me spell it out for you."

"Oh of course. Maya."

That's it Larry is going home. Or back to Edgeworth’s apartment. Shit. He just sighs and leans back against the park bench to watch the sunset reflect off the city buildings.

-

The funeral is… something. Larry gives a speech, he remembers writing it, but he does not remember what he says because he looked over at Maya and just hated that he’d gotten to know her mother for four months and that was more than Maya had been allowed to have.

The visitation is alright. He knows some of the authors that show up. He’s glad Maya can stick close to Nick he wheels through the crowd playing host and hoping no one can tell he just wants to scream.

They bury Misty next to Mia, Maya cries into Nick while Larry stares blankly at the grave. It’s real. This is real.

The next thing he remembers clearly is waking up on the floor of Edgeworth’s kitchen. Pess licks at his face and whines, he groans and forces himself off the floor. Well he’s clothed so that’s good. He’s also not that… hungover… Oh.

He looks to see Edgeworth sitting at the kitchen table and rasps, “please don’t judge me.” He’s entitled to, Larry spent the time after the visitation crying himself almost sick, did maybe two shots of vodka, laid down on the floor to cry more and passed out.

Edgeworth looks up from the newspaper at him, “that was hardly the worst thing I’ve ever seen anyone do in the name of grief.”

Larry slowly pulled himself to his feet, his head throbbed in tempo with his pulse.

Edgeworth got to his feet and got out a glass, Larry flinched at every sound but gratefully downed the glass of water Edgeworth put in front of him.

“Between the crying and the drinking you’re probably dehydrated. There’s advil in the medicine cabinet.”

Larry blinked gratefully at him, “do you mind if I lay in bed all day and maybe steal your dog to pet?”

“Take a shower first.”

Larry runs a hand through his hair and groans, “sounds good.”

-

Are you handling things okay (edited)

Stripes?

Hey Wolfman

Sorry for the late reply, you’re probably asleep but yeah. The funeral was rough. But yeah I’m okay.

Do you want to talk about it

No

Tell me about Warriors

Bramblestar has rabies is the hot new meme

What?

We got the description of book 2 of series 7 and Bramblestar’s going to lose a life and start acting weird and the fandom decided he has rabies.

I read enough 2006 fanfiction to know that he’s obviously been possessed by Tigerstar’s ghost.

I will stage a revolt and establish you as the series’ new writer if they bring him back again

Okay please tell me that exhaustion is making me misread things and one of the protagonists is not named Shadowpaw

Unfortunately he is

WHY

It gets worse

Oh no

His parents are Dovewing and Tigerstar the second

Oh god no they made him leader

Larry has gently encouraged Wolfdragon to ramble, well rant, about Warriors for half an hour when Edgeworth knocks at the door.

“I’m not dead,” Larry calls back, Edgeworth pushes open the door.

“Are you up to eat something for lunch?”

“Not Eldoons I don’t think,” Larry glances to his phone, Wolfdragon’s still typing something about wasted character potential by bad plots and back to Edgeworth, “but yeah probably.”

-

Sorry, gotta go, but if they kill Bramblestar in a bullshit way I’ll get rabies.

If you or a loved one has contracted rabies from Warrior Cats you might be entitled to financial compensation

Pfft See ya Wolfman

Night Stripes!

Oh yeah it’s like close to midnight for him. Edgeworth is waiting in the hallway when Larry stumbles out, his head hurts less and he aches in his chest but he could do lunch. He can pretend to be a human.

“Who are you texting?” Edgeworth asks curiously, Larry shrugs slightly.

“A friend.”

“Who is she?”

Larry gave him a dirty look, “he’s just a friend. We talk about books and shit.”

Edgeworth lifts his eyebrow, “what books?”

Larry steps back, “what am I, on trial?”

“You’re hiding something,” Edgeworth replies firmly, “and I am…”

“Aww are you worried about me?”

“Given the spiel you said in court, yes.”

Oh. Well that is his fault. Larry hesitates a moment, debating and lets out a breath. “You… can’t tell Nick okay. I met this guy writing fanfiction.”

Edgeworth looks so incredulous a moment that Larry regrets it immediately. “You…”

“I know.” Larry shoves his hands in his pockets, “but that’s why I thought about writing in the first place and he encouraged me to try and then Misty took me as her apprentice and he’s been checking in on me.”

Edgeworth is just staring at him and Larry is tempted to start rambling again but he’s afraid he’ll confess that it’s 1) Warrior Cats fanfiction 2) he may have accidentally caused a bunch of people online to ship fictionalized cat versions of him and Nick and boy that would be a mistake.

“It’s not Steel Samurai fanfiction is it?” Edgeworth’s voice is strained and Larry stares at him a moment.

“Oh my god.”

“Answer the question.”

“You used to read-”

“Answer the question!”

Larry’s head hurts as he laughs, Miles Edgeworth read Steel Samurai fanfiction. “Don’t worry,” he finally wheezes out, “I don’t write Steel Samurai fanfiction, you’re not secretly my number one fan.” He grins at Edgeworth, “no shame Edgy, it’s a fun hobby.” Just not one he expected Edgeworth to have.

Edgeworth looks away, “I expected as much, I would read the meta people put forth and occasionally someone would… run with an idea.”

“And once you get a taste for good fanfiction it’s kind of addictive,” Larry agrees easily, “even in a good series there’s moments to explore or just things there wasn’t enough time to explore.” Ah, Edgeworth probably read gen fic then. He rubs the back of his neck, “yeah I’m up for lunch. Nothing too strong and somewhere quiet…”

“I was thinking of going to Wright’s office to talk with him and Maya.” Edgeworth glances at Larry, “to check in on her.”

Larry nods and bumps against him, “yeah.” They need each other right now.

Pearl isn’t bouncing around the office but she does chirp a greeting to them. Larry makes a note to ask later if she wants to finish Into the Wild at some point.

Maya’s still quiet, still subdued but she offers them a small “hey.”

They make some small talk, all very subdued, before Maya gently tugs on his sleeve and Larry follows her away to the hallway.

The moment they’re there she wraps him in a hug, Larry starts before he returns it. She shakes against him, Larry wants to say something but that’s part of why he likes writing. He has time to think out the best words.

“I’m so sorry.” Is what he settles on, Maya clings to him before stepping back.

“Nick, Pearly and I are gonna go back to the Kurian Village for bit I just… I need to take care of her house, can you-“

“I can help,” Larry agrees immediately. “We should probably hire some cleaners,” he thinks about it, “let them uh, clean out all the trash and food and things and then just- we’ve got this.” It’s not as steady as he wants it to be. He’s not as steady as he wants to be.

Maya nods and swallows, “two more favors.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh, Pearly mentioned reading a book with you?”

“I was going to ask about that!” Larry perks up at that, some of the pressure in his chest easing, “I was just trying to distract her, does she want to borrow it? I’ve got most of the series but it’s just collecting dust, I’d love to give it to her so they actually get read and loved.”

Maya claps her hands together, “you would?”

“Yeah, I loved them and I’d love to see someone else love the series too,” Larry rubs the back of his neck and grins, “I hope she does.”

Maya nods quickly, “and I think she’d like to read with you again before we go.”

“I can do that.” Larry let out a breath, nothing bad. Nothing hard.

“One more favor.” Now Maya looks nervous and Larry swallows. Something prickles at him and he’s not sure he wants to agree to whatever Maya’s about to ask of him.

“I- The trial’s over. Nick got him 15 years on Second Degree Murder.”

Larry doesn’t know how to feel about that and nods jerkily.

“I want, I want us to go speak to him. Maybe have you talk to Mia or Mi- my mom.” Maya looks at him worriedly and Larry lets out a rough breath.

Despite himself he nods, “yeah. Yeah I can do that.”

[wrightworthmakesmylifeworthwhile]

fantasy au shit

ok so to celebrate 1000 followers im posting more of this fantasy au shit i posted the first part at like 400 followers so if you haven’t read it part one here

Consciousness dawned sluggishly, resting on Phoenix like a thin blanket. As he peacefully grew more and more aware, he could hear a faint voice quietly chanting over him. Another few seconds, and he could understand the words.

“Revera, revera…” A woman’s voice intoned, using a spell Phoenix recognized to slowly revive him.

Unfortunately, the world was not so patient. “Hey! Spikey-guy! Wake up!” Another voice screamed into his ear.

Phoenix jerked awake. He nearly bumped heads with the person who had screamed. She was a teenager, no more than seventeen, with black hair bundled into a little topknot.

“Maya, stop that.” Mia chided from nearby. The baker looked to pinpoint where the woman was, in the process recognizing the inside of his own house.

How did I get here? How did they get here?

The leader, the one who had been chanting, leaned down to look over him. “How are you, Phoenix?”

“I… I'm not alright!” The baker could still feel a burn in his chest, ruling out the possibility of the events before being a dream. He didn't dare to look at the heart shaped mark the pendant left. It would surely scar.

“Dollie hurt me! Why would she do that?” Phoenix searched for answers in the leader’s face. “ Wh-Why would she hurt me?”

He could feel treacherous tears welling up, and turned away before the others could see them fall.

The leader sighed heavily. “...It isn't your fault. If anything, it's ours. Dahlia Hawthorne is an estranged member of the Fey clan. Throughout the years, there have been many of us who have used their powers for nefarious purposes. Dahlia was one of those, and after much deliberation the clan agreed to take her powers away. Her magic was stored in the bottle of that necklace,” she gestured at Phoenix’s burn.

“Dahlia would only ever be able to have her powers return if the necklace was given to her voluntarily by someone not in the family.” The woman met Phoenix’s eyes. “...I guess she talked you into doing that?”

The baker nodded miserably. That does make this my fault.

“Um, Mystic Misty?” A quiet voice piped up “I brought the object that you wanted…” The speaker was a tiny, seven year old girl with mousy brown hair twisted into strange loops. She held a candlestick.

“Thank you, Pearly.” The leader, Misty, took the candle from her, and little girl retreated.  “Phoenix, do you mind giving us some light?”

“What?” Phoenix pushed away his tears. “Oh. R-Right.” He touched the candle and closed his eyes. He frowned.

The flicker of fire on his fingertips that had come to him so easily throughout his life was nowhere to be found. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn’t produce any fire. “I can't!”

“I was afraid of this.” This time, it was Mia who spoke. “You're cursed.”

“C-Cursed?”

“Dahlia couldn't take revenge on those who took her powers away from her, so she did the next best thing she could; she stole away your magic powers. Do you remember her casting any spells like that?”

I can't use magic, I can't use magic… The loud, destabilizing mantra rang around in Phoenix’s head, making it hard to think.

“Of course not.” The baker chuckled in disbelief. “There has to be some mistake! She can't take away my powers! That's dark magic!”

“Dahlia’s not the person that you thought she was, I'm afraid,” Misty said grimly.

Everything slowed. He could feel the blood rushing through his ears, the thoughts swirling in his head. What am I supposed to do without magic? It's all I've had. It's everything I've worked for! What about my family line? What about my business? I’ve never had to bake without magic! If I can't bake… if I'm not a mage, what am I?

“I have to have magic! I’ve just got to!”

Mia’s surprisingly sympathetic voice cut through his panicky haze. “Phoenix. Think back. Try to remember what she said to you. Did she say there a way to reverse this?”

The ex-mage took a deep breath. He tried to focus. “Uh. She did say something… b-but I don't remember what! Oh Dollieeee!” This time, the tears did spill over, flooding down his cheeks.

Mia’s sigh sounded suspiciously close to “of course.”

“We’ll have to figure it out together. You're our responsibility now,” Misty said.

“What?” Maya squawked. She fell off the foot of Phoenix’s bed with a loud thud, startling Phoenix. He'd forgotten the girl was there.

Pearl directed an inquisitive look at Misty, gnawing on her thumbnail.

Phoenix sniffled pathetically. “Really?”

“Really?” Mia said flatly.

Misty nodded. “I'm sorry, Phoenix. Dahlia has already been on our radar for years. If we had been more careful, this could have all been prevented. This is a Fey matter. You never should have gotten caught up in it at all.”

The ex-mage gaped, wiping his runny nose on the hem of his sleeve.

“We’re honor bound to help you get your powers back.” Misty bowed.

Mia groaned quietly.

“This is going to take forever!” Maya hopped up from the floor. “No offense,” she added, glancing at Phoenix.

Just because you say that, doesn't mean that the hurt goes away...

Pearl didn't say anything at all. She stared at Phoenix as if his soul was laid bare before her. It was kind of unnerving, really.

The leader huffed. “It won't take that long. We keep the most of our powerful magical artifacts stored in the castle. Odds are one of them will have a solution to your little dilemma.”

“In the…” Phoenix blinked and wiped away the last of his tears. “Wait, does that mean…”

Misty grinned cheekily at him, “Ever been inside the King’s castle?”

The Kingdom did not have the most fanciful of castles. Quite the opposite. Very much like the King himself, the castle was square, robust, and practical. That was where the similarities ended. The castle was otherwise unremarkable. Gregory Edgeworth, by contrast, was remarkable among rulers: known throughout the realm as a just leader who cared about his subjects.

Despite Phoenix living only half a day’s travel away from the castle and having seen the King on public occasions, it had never been in an individual setting. It was fair to say that Phoenix was a tiny bit nervous.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods…! What do I say to him? What do I do? I've got to bow, right? But how low? What are the Feys going to do? Maybe I can do what they do?

“Hold,” Misty called, putting her hand up. The Feys stopped. Phoenix bumped into Pearl.

In front of the leader was a stony lamp post. It held no light and seemed to serve no purpose. The only out-of-the-ordinary thing about it was a swirling mark with a star on it etched in the stone at about chest height. A rune.

Misty traced the spiraled rune with a finger. Sparks flew up in the wake of her fingertip. There was a grinding sound and all of a sudden, the drawbridge of the castle was down.

Misty turned and met eyes with Phoenix, grinning. “I always love that part.”

The Feys turned and started to cross the drawbridge as if nothing unusual had happened at all. Mouth hanging open, Phoenix looked at the castle with new respect. Clearly there was more than met the eye.

Briefly, he tried to run his finger over the rune in a vain hope, but nothing happened. Phoenix hurried to catch up with the others on the bridge.

By the time he had drawn even with the Feys, the King had already arrived. Gregory’s countenance brightened upon seeing the company. He strode over to them, stopping just short of the eldest Fey.

“Misty,” he greeted with a genuine smile, unlike any Phoenix had ever seen. “It's been far too long.”

“I agree,” Misty hummed, eyes alight with amusement.

The two stood looking at one another for another moment before Misty broke and launched herself at the King in a hug, laughing.

“I missed you, you cretin.” Misty pecked Gregory’s cheek quickly.

Phoenix's jaw dropped. Did she just call the King a cretin? And kissed him? Does she want to get herself killed?

To his endless astonishment, King Gregory didn't even slightly mad. If anything, the man was flustered.

“...I’m glad to see you too.” The King managed at last. “You didn’t write. How long do you think you'll be staying?”

“Probably not very long, unfortunately. We’re here because we have a little situation to fix.” Misty glanced over at Phoenix.

One of Phoenix’s hands entangled itself in the hair on the nape of his neck as the King’s full attention turned to him. Gregory seemed just as uncomfortable as he did at having been seen in a moment of unprofessionalism.

“Ah. Of course,” the King cleared his throat. “I wish you luck with your… situation.”

“Thanks, Your Majesty,” Phoenix grinned sheepishly. I can’t believe I’m talking to the King of the whole realm! “I really appreciat-”

“That reminds me,” Clearly Mia didn’t realize what a big moment this was for him. “We should get started. The sooner we fix this mess, the sooner we can catch Dahlia.”

“Dahlia?” King Gregory’s tone was one of worried surprise.

“I’ll explain it all later,” Misty promised.

“Sis’ got a good point! Let’s go use Nick as a spell-dummy!” Maya grabbed Phoenix by the arm and started to tug him across the courtyard.

Spell-dummy? “Wait, no!”

“We’re not going to do it like that, Maya.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Nice to see you again, Sir King Gregory!” Pearl chirped.

The King smiled gently, kneeling down to her height. “It’s very nice to see you as well, Pearly. I’ll dispatch a messenger to tell you three when dinner is ready.”

“Thank you!” The little girl turned and skipped after the playfully quibbling sisters and the protesting Phoenix.

The afternoon went by quicker than Phoenix could imagine. At first, he couldn’t help but be stunned by the castle’s immense collection of magical objects. But eventually, even the most legendary of artifacts seemed to blur together as Mia, Maya, and Pearl all took turns harnessing the power of ancient potions, rings, goblets, hourglasses, statuettes, scepters, mirrors, and tomes in an attempt to cure him. More than once Mia had to reverse a carelessly cast spell (usually one of Maya’s) to ensure that something didn’t go horribly wrong. 

”Hey, this one says it can turn anything into ash!” Maya held up a crystal skull with far too much eagerness. Phoenix’s stomach turned.

Pearls bit her thumb, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” She already had her hands full healing a welt on Phoenix’s arm from another one of Maya’s “good ideas.”

“He’s called Phoenix,” Maya shrugged. “I dunno, maybe he has to be turned into ash for the rebirth of his magic powers or whatever.”

“No.” Mia vetoed, not bothering to look up from her tome.

Thank you.

Grumbling, Maya turned away, making as if to put the skull away. But at the last minute she whirled around and cast a nasty-looking spell straight at Phoenix. The baker shoved Pearls out of the way, then jumped hard right to dodge it. Behind him, where the spell hit, a shelf of important looking magical texts started turning to ash before their eyes.

“Look. Are you sure there even is a cure?” Phoenix said, panting and doubled over his knees.

“Of course. Any magic that’s done...” Mia strode forward and, with the wave of her hand, returned the texts to their original form. She gave Maya a meaningful glance. “Must also be able to be undone.”

But after another few hours upon hours of spell upon spell with no results, all four of them were beginning to get tired and discouraged.

“I knew Dahlia was a feared mage, but I had no idea how powerful her dark magic was,” Mia muttered to herself.

Evening fell outside the castle windows and the group had to abandon their task halfway through for dinner. As they made their way down a winding staircase, Phoenix felt a tiny hand touch his back.

“Don’t worry, Sir Nick,” Pearl said. Although Maya’s nickname for him had taken off, the girl felt a need to add a level of respect to it. “I’m sure we’ll find out how to fix you!”

“Thanks, Pearls,” Phoenix muttered, feeling vaguely humiliated that he had to be reassured by a seven-year-old.

The four emerged into the large arched dining hall. There was one very long banquet table with only a few seats. On the table Phoenix was shocked to see that there wasn't much food.

Really, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. Probably plates filled with more mouth-watering meats than a butcher’s shop, delicate little sugary cakes and pies, and exotic spices that cost more than his entire home. For a castle, this banquet was shockingly ordinary.

Maya noticed his confusion. “The King said something about not wanting to live a life of plenty while some peasants live out there with so little. Y’know.”

“It's about class in-ee-qual-itty,” Pearls bit her thumbnail.

King Gregory himself was at the head of the table, an empty chair on his right and Misty on his left. The others Feys started to file into their seats. Phoenix followed suit, and found himself sandwiched between Maya and Pearl, sitting across from a strange man that he didn’t know.

“Oh, there you are! Any results?” Misty called out to them.

“Nothing’s working yet,” Mia said, sounding as dismayed as Phoenix looked.

Gregory frowned in sympathy, “I’m sure there’s a cure somewhere in there.”

“We’ve collected hundreds of magical artifacts over the years,” Misty chimed in.

“Yeah, and we’ve blown through half of them in one afternoon!” Maya said, sneaking a bite before she was supposed to.

“That still means there’s half of them to go!” Pearl chirped, far more optimistically.

I hope you’re right, Pearls.

Silence fell over the table as they waited for the last member to join them, and fill in the empty seat so they could begin the meal. Maya smuggled a few more furtive bites before Mia nudged her.

“He’s late,” the strange man across from Phoenix barked, breaking the silence.

“I’m sure the Prince is busy attending to his duties.” King Gregory said.

Before the man had a chance to respond with something nasty, the King continued. “Phoenix, I suppose you haven’t met. This is Manfred von Karma, the my advisor and second-in-command.”

Phoenix studied the Royal Advisor. He was an older man in a jeweled robe with long white hair. His face was etched in a permanent scowl.

“...Nice to meet you,” Phoenix lied.

Manfred’s eyes narrowed at him. “Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Uh, I—”

“I’m sorry I’m late.” A younger man swept into the room, closing the door behind him with a loud thud. He wore a red tunic with interwoven with an elaborate gold design. He bore an air of regality, and his prematurely gray hair just added to his distinguished aura. Phoenix knew immediately that this must be the Crown Prince.

“I was reading,” Prince Miles said. He took his place on his father’s right. He met Phoenix’s eyes and smiled at him.

“Reading what?” King Gregory sounded excited. Everyone at the table started to eat.

“Hmph! You let this boy get away with far too much, Your Majesty.”

Prince Miles’ attention swiveled. “Sir Manfred,” he greeted diplomatically. “If you're dining with us tonight, that must mean you have some news.”

“Fantastic. Just what I want to talk about at the dinner table. Politics,” Misty groused.

The King squeezed her hand and smiled apologetically. “It won't take long, dear.”

Manfred cleared his throat, rather self-importantly, Phoenix thought. “Yes. I come bearing news from the south-east.” He leaned forward, as if he was sharing a secret. “Your Majesty, there was another attack. They suspect the cause was rooted in magical extremism.”

Mia snorted with derision.

“Those damned mages have been at it for weeks! I recommend military action, Your Majesty. They must be stopped before they wipe the rest of us out!” Phoenix jumped as Manfred slammed his fist on the table to illustrate his point.

King Gregory looked uncomfortable. “My guards are stretched too thin right now to even consider military action. And, please, Manfred, I ask that you keep present company in mind when you talk about issues of magic.”

The mood at the table had shifted. Pearls and Maya picked at her food, keeping their heads ducked down. Mia was openly disgusted, and though Misty seemed more composed, her eyes were blazing.

“Of course. I apologize for my insensitivity.” He seemed more satisfied than sorry. “I am merely saying that there are some dangerous people out there. We need to take action soon so we don't find ourselves regretting inaction later.”

“Have you possibly considered,” Mia cut in, voice dripping with irritation, “that vilifying an entire group for the actions of a few is not only baseless fear-mongering, but also completely counterproductive and stupid.”

“...I have a headstrong daughter as well,” Manfred said in a deceitfully calm voice. He turned to look at Misty. “The difference is that I taught her respect.”

“Learn some yourself,” Mia snapped. “Excuse me.” She stood from the table and stormed off.

Wow.

Misty took a sip of her wine, but Phoenix swore he saw her grinning behind her goblet.

Not to be outdone, Manfred stood up and strode out of the room.

Those that remained at the table were silent for an unbearably lengthy moment.

Maya sprang up and hastily began stuffing rolls into her hood. “Well, looks like dinner’s over! Let’s go, Pearly!” She grabbed her cousin’s hand and practically sprinted from the room.

King Gregory blinked. The poor man had been caught in the middle of cutting his steak and been stuck that way for some time. “I suppose she's right. It does appear that dinner is over.” He set down his utensils, suddenly looking very old and tired. “I'm inclined to agree with her. Magic has been a huge asset to this kingdom, and making broad generalizations rarely does anyone any good. ...But that’s a discussion for another time. I’m going to retire for the evening. Good night, everyone.”

Misty followed him out, leaving Phoenix all alone with Prince Miles.

I wonder what he thinks of all this.

Phoenix studied the Prince’s face, but it was unreadable.

“...You must be Phoenix Wright.”

“That’s Wright,” Phoenix said immediately. He mentally kicked himself right after the words left his mouth. Stars, Phoenix! He’s a prince! You can’t just say stupid things like that to a prince!

Prince Miles frowned, “That was bad.”

Phoenix laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, desperately trying to alleviate his own idiocy. “Good thing I’m not a court jester, huh?”

“I don’t think you’d last very long in the profession.” He smiled and gave Phoenix a short bow. “My name is Miles Edgeworth. I’m prince of the realm.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Your Highness!” Phoenix stumbled over himself to bow in return. Prince Miles steadied him.

“There’s no need for that. Call me Miles. You’re our guest here. Ah, speaking of that...” The Prince trailed off, looking awkward. “You’ve come at a bit of a bad time. The Feys already occupy most of our guest rooms, and our last remaining one is under renovation. You’re to room with me. I’m hoping that’s not an issue...”

“Y-You would just let me—”

Prince Miles looked away, “It’s not ideal, but it isn’t completely unheard of. Mystic Misty and my father frequently share a chamber in order to leave other rooms free.”

Phoenix nodded quickly. “It’s not an issue for me.”

Silence lingered for a beat. The Prince’s gaze lingered on Phoenix’s face, expression still inscrutable. Finally, he seemed to realize that it was his turn to say something.

“Ah! But I’m being a poor host.“ Prince Miles coughed into his fist. “Would you like to see the royal gardens?“

Me, in the royal gardens?

“I’d love to!“

“Fantastic. I’ll show you the way then.” Prince Miles pushed open a door that lead outside, leaving Phoenix to follow.

Outside, evening had fallen and the stars shone bright overhead. Everything was quiet as the two walked through the castle's’ garden. Waist-high, neatly-trimmed hedges lined the path, interspersed with brightly colored flowerbeds. Magnificent trees with purple leaves looked on in the background.

Prince Miles kept walking, but Phoenix lagged behind, trying to take it all in.

“These gardens are gorgeous!”

“Thank you.”

“...Is dinner always that crazy?”

“Not typically. When Manfred is over, though...” The Prince paused, waiting for him to catch up.

Phoenix snorted. “He seems like a real piece of work.”

“He can be harsh, but he’s a brilliant man. That’s why Father keeps him around,” Prince Miles crossed his arms defensively. “He’s taught me a lot.”

“Sorry.” Phoenix wasn’t, really, but he didn’t need to go out of his way to insult the Prince’s tutor. Maybe there was more to the old coot than he knew.

Prince Miles unfolded his arms and looked curiously at Phoenix for a long moment. “Not that it’s any of my business, but what exactly is it that you do for a living?”

I can’t say I’m a mage. Not anymore.

“Oh, um, I’m just a baker.”

“I have to wonder,” The Prince said, glancing sidelong at Phoenix. They walked by a golden statue of a hooded woman bearing a seven pronged sword. “We’re not hiring at the moment. What’s a baker doing here at the castle?”

That’s really not something I want to get into.

“Sorry, but that’s on a knead-to-dough basis.”

Prince Miles groaned. There was a long pause, then, tentatively, the prince ventured, “That was a… crumby joke.”

Coming from the always-serious Prince, the pun surprised Phoenix. He burst into laughter. Prince Miles laughed too, albeit much quieter. He quickly coughed to try and cover it up. Phoenix wished he wouldn’t. His laugh was probably the best thing Phoenix had ever heard.

They fell silent as they reached the end of small garden, basking in the glow of the other’s presence. Phoenix followed as the Prince started to climb a grand, double-sided staircase.

“Miles, what were you reading earlier?” Phoenix asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“The book that made you late to dinner. Must’ve been interesting. What was it?” Phoenix rambled, “Y’know, maybe I’ve read it or something.”

“You’re literate?”

“Hey, you don’t need to sound so surprised!”

Prince Miles huffed, flustered. “Well, it’s not as if most people are.”

“Yeah, well, I need to be. How else would I know how to...” learn new spells and read tomes. “read recipes,” Phoenix finished rather lamely.

“Of course.” The Prince sighed, “If you must know, it was about government. The delicacies of running a country.”

“It must be a lot of pressure.” Phoenix frowned sympathetically. Just thinking about all those people relying on you... And he’s my age!

He shook his head in wonderment. “Candidly, I don’t know how my father handles it.”

“Sounds like you really admire him.”

“My father is a great leader. I have a lot to learn from him.” A light had sparked in the Prince’s already stunning gray eyes.

Phoenix smiled warmly at him. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ll do a great job.”

You seem like a good man. Just like your father.

Prince Miles’ cheeks turned pink. He muttered a “thank you” before hastily turning back towards the castle doors.

“W-We should head back inside. It’s getting late.”

Before following him, the baker turned to look back at the other wing of the castle. In the moonlight Phoenix could see Misty and King Gregory standing close together up on the balcony of the castle’s main tower. They looked happy.

[ashenworth]

ITS FIC TIME

hi remember that small thing i wrote about me and Miles’ first kiss?

i said fuck it and just made a fic of it bc i thought it was cute :)

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Ship: Ashen Dust(self insert)/Miles Edgeworth

Word count: 2526 (WHOOPS)

Genre: Fluff, a little bit of Chatfic at the end as a treat for me :)

Additional Notes: I rushed to get this out before midnight so there’s probably some grammar mistakes haha oops

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Sunday, June 9, 10:48 AM Lordly Tailor Shopping Mall

Ashen closes their eyes and breathes in deep through their nose, taking in the scent of their surroundings.

Ah, that new book smell. One that Ashen doesn't get to experience as often as they would like, but a welcome one nonetheless.

They open their eyes and examine the shelves of the newly opened bookstore with a determined look. They've been wanting to come here since the grand opening only a few weeks ago, and they're going to explore every single nook and cranny, no matter what.

They turn to their date, expression unchanged.

"Mr. Edgeworth, is the prosecution ready?"

Edgeworth chuckles.

"The prosecution was born ready."

With a wide grin, Ashen hooks their arm around his and pulls him down the first aisle. They walk slowly, checking all the genre labels and inspecting book spines on the off chance that one jumps out. They pass by science fiction and fantasy without stopping, before the romance section catches Ashen's eye.

They stop for a second, frantically reading labels.

Come on. There has to be one here…

Beside them, Edgeworth quirks up an eyebrow. They never mentioned being interested in romance books before.

"AHA!" Ashen lets go of Edgeworth's arm before crouching down and pulling a book off the shelf. They stay in that position as they scan the cover, barely holding back a laugh.

"Edgeworth, you gotta check this shit out." They giggle, holding the book out to him. Tentatively, he takes it and looks at the cover.

"Red Hot Wings: A Tale of Love and Claws… what the devil is this…?" He mumbles, gaping at the book in his hands.

"Dragon, actually. These quote unquote 'shapeshifter' romance novels have been picking up in popularity lately. The covers on them are some of the funniest things I've ever seen. Maya and I send pictures of our best finds to each other."

The cover on this one was particularly good. It featured a woman, only covered by a blanket, lying down. Above her is a man, halfway through transformation, caressing her face. If Ashen didn't know any better, they would say that they stole the half man half dragon straight from the cover of an Animorphs book.

"I presume, then, that this one will be sent to Miss Fey as well?" Edgeworth asks, handing the book back to them.

"Oh, absolutely. Look at this guy! He has flesh wings! It's disgusting! She's gonna love it."

Edgeworth shakes his head, smiling to himself as Ashen pulls out their phone to take a photo.

"Speaking of romance…" Edgeworth stops to clear his throat, a blush creeping its way onto his face. "You look quite handsome today."

Ashen freezes, their fingers loosening their grip and sending their phone tumbling to the ground. They curse under their breath as they pick it back up.

How many dates had they been on at this point…? Six? He compliments them every time and yet, they still get flustered.

"Uh, t-thanks. So do you, by the way. You look… really good." Ashen manages to stutter their way through a response.

Come on, Ashen. He gave you "handsome" and you gave him "really good"? They look to the ground, placing the book back into it's spot on the shelf.

They aren't lying, though. He does look really good. His outfit is less "casual" and more "slightly dressed down", as he's still wearing a pair of slacks and a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Ashen, on the other hand, feels a little too casual in comparison. A pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, sleeves also rolled up, with their hair tied in a loose bun at the nape of their neck.

The concept of a "casual lunch date" was unfamiliar in this particular case. Their previous dates had all included dinner at higher end restaurants, so, Ashen was more than a little nervous. They weren't sure why, though, as the place and dress code never really mattered. All that mattered was that they were with him. A date could never be bad with him, in their eyes, and they could only dream that he felt the same way.

"-ing at, Dust?"

Ashen tunes back into reality, only to find out that Edgeworth was speaking to them.

"Hm?"

"What are you staring at over there? You seem… lost." He asks, a flash of concern washing over his face for an instant, before disappearing.

Ashen smiles softly and shakes their head, standing from their crouched position.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be on a date with an angel." They give him a sly grin as they sidle up next to him and grab his arm again. Edgeworth stares at them blankly for a moment, then, it clicks.

"You…!"

"Come on, we still have so much left to see!" Ashen starts walking down the aisle again, red-faced Edgeworth in tow.

----------

Having seen almost everything the store has to offer, the two of them have settled in a secluded corner in the far back of the room. Ashen hadn't found anything of particular interest to them (Although, they may have to come back to get a better look at that Steel Samurai novelization they caught a glimpse of...) but Edgeworth, on the other hand, currently has his face buried in a book taken from the single shelf dedicated to law.

Ashen scans the shelves around them, hoping to find something, anything that will entertain them for the time being. Coming up short, they take a glance over at Edgeworth.

Big mistake.

With his bangs covering half of his face, it's hard to make out all of his features. What Ashen can see, however, grabs their attention.

His eyebrows are slightly furrowed in concentration, often relaxing or tightening as he reads. His eyes dart around the pages with such passion and intensity, the likes of which Ashen's never seen before. The corner of his mouth will curl slightly every so often in reaction to the words he reads, positively or otherwise.

Ashen notices every detail. Every movement. Every curve. And as they do, they realize something. They realize that the worst day of their life would be the day they could no longer see his face again, and they'll do anything to keep that day from coming.

"Edgeworth?"

"Hm? Yes?"

Before Ashen's brain can catch up, a question is already falling from their mouth.

"Can I kiss you?"

To say that you "could hear a pin drop" would be an understatement, although Ashen wasn't aware of that fact thanks to the sound of their heart trying to hammer it's way out of their chest. All they know is that Edgeworth is staring at them, eyes completely wide and face flushed, and he hasn't said a word.

"I- I'm sorry! If you don't want to, that's fine! I was just thinking that you looked really cute while you were concentrated like that and I don't know, our dates have been going really well so far so I-"

"I- Dust, please calm down!" Edgeworth puts down his book before gently grabbing both of Ashen's shoulders. Their rambles get caught in their throat before dying out. They open their mouth to apologize again, but Edgeworth cuts them off.

"I would like that."

"Wh- really?"

Without an answer, Edgeworth cups the side of Ashen's face with his hand and gives them a gentle smile. Ashen accepts that answer and crashes their lips into his, probably a bit more forcefully than needed.

Short but sweet, albeit rather clumsy. A first kiss is never perfect, but to Ashen, it's damn near close. Without even realizing it, Ashen finds themself smiling against his mouth, before breaking away and giggling quietly.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just… really happy right now. I feel like I was waiting my whole life for that." They speak softly, looking to the ground to hide the grin on their face.

Edgeworth puts his hand under their chin and turns their face, forcing them to look at him. Then, he leans in and kisses them again.

This time, they sync up rather quickly, and Ashen completely tunes out the rest of the world. They feel as if they're the only two people to exist at this moment, and they briefly wonder if they had died and gone to heaven.

It seems Edgeworth feels similarly. Or at least, Ashen thinks so based on how much he leans into them. They end up taking a step backwards to compensate. Then, another. And another.

Then, their back hits a shelf of books, and now, Edgeworth effectively has them pinned. It takes a few seconds for Ashen to realize that even though they're leaning against the shelf, for some reason, they're still moving backwards. 

When their brain finally catches up, they break away from Edgeworth and whip around to grab onto the shelf behind them. But they're just a little too late, and the sound of books crashing to the floor can be heard from the other side. Slowly, Ashen turns their head to face Edgeworth, a nervous smile on their face.

"Ah ha ha, whoops. Uh, at least it didn't knock over the other ones…?" They mumble, mostly to themself.

Edgeworth quietly walks around the shelf to assess the damage. Luckily, the books were packed fairly tight, so only a few actually hit the ground.

"We should… clean up this mess." He says, crouching down. Ashen stands there for a moment, watching him try to put books back in their proper places as fast as possible (They may have also taken a quick photo, but they won't admit that to him), and a small laugh escapes their mouth. Next thing they know, they're doubled over in laughter, tears clouding their vision.

"What are you laughing at over there?! Come help me!" Edgeworth hisses, still embarrassed from their little fumble. Ashen laughs for another minute or so, before it finally dies down enough for them to speak.

"It's just… we're attorneys, for Christ's sake! Everyday, we're solving cases and delivering justice! Yet, it took only 30 seconds for the two of us to turn into the biggest idiots in all of Los Angeles."

Edgeworth chuckles. They're not wrong, that's for sure. He picks up the last book and is about to place it in its rightful spot before Ashen stops him.

"Wait, I want to take that one." They say, grabbing it from his hands.

"Huh. I didn't quite peg you as the philosophical type." He mumbles, standing up. Ashen looks over the cover. It's a compilation of the writings and teachings of Immanuel Kant.

"In all honesty, I'm not. I just couldn't leave here without some sort of memento of today's events."

"M-memento!? What for!?"

Ashen places their hand on his shoulder and looks deep into his eyes.

"Edgeworth. We had our first kiss and it was so good that we almost destroyed a bookstore that only opened a few weeks ago. I refuse to let myself forget this day. Now, let's go pay and get the hell out of here before we actually do break something." Ashen removes their hand and starts walking towards the front of the store. Quickly, Edgeworth grabs the law book he was reading earlier and follows them.

They get through the checkout with ease (despite the fact that they have some difficulty looking the cashier in the eyes) and make their way out of the store.

"Did you have anything specific in mind for lunch?" Edgeworth asks. Ashen snorts.

"You still want lunch? I thought you would be full by now, considering how much of my face you ate back there." They joke, smirking at him. Edgeworth groans back.

"Ashen Dust, you're the most ridiculous human I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

"But you admit, it was a pleasure to meet me."

Edgeworth just shakes his head, a smile on his face, as he starts walking towards the mall's food court. Ashen jogs to catch up with him, and the two of them are off to finish their date.

----------

Sunday, June 9, 3:16 PM Wright and Co. Group Chat.

[Ashen]: hey maya. i found an absolute gem today [Ashen]: (attachment: IMG_47284829_18539294.jpg)

[Maya]: AKSKFKSJFKA???? [Maya]: OMG [Maya]: WHY DOES THIS GUY LOOK LIKE A MID SHIFT ANIMORPH

[Ashen]: AJDKFKDKF SAME HAT!!! I THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING

[Phoenix]: oh, that's awful

[Ashen]: I KNOWWWW

[Maya]: please tell me where you found this bc i might have to go buy it [Maya]: UNLESS YOU ALREADY DID???

[Ashen]: oh GOD NO. i was with edgeworth akldjdfk

[Maya]: wait what [Maya]: when

[Ashen]: this morning

[Maya]: WHAT [Maya]: YOU HAD A DATE WITH HIM TODAY AND YOU DIDNT TELL US???

[Ashen]: ?????? yes? [Ashen]: i dont have to tell you guys about every single date we go on lmao

[Maya]: UH YEAH YOU DO [Maya]: NICK AND I INVESTED A LOT OF TIME INTO YOU TWO MORONS (affectionate)

[Phoenix]: she’s right. remember when you refused to talk to him for seven months?

[Ashen]: et tu, phoenix? [Ashen]: and CUT ME SOME SLACK HE LEFT A SUICIDE NOTE???? AND FUCKED OFF FOR A YEAR???? I WAS MAD

[Maya]: the yearning was obvious, my friend

[Ashen]: ALRIGHT if i tell you two about my date, will you shut the hell up

[Phoenix]: yes!

[Maya]: no promises :)

[Ashen]: FINE [Ashen]: actually this could be fun. just give me a sec [Ashen]: okay i have a little game we can play

[Maya]: :O

[Phoenix]: :D

[Ashen]: i have a photo that i took earlier and two words associated with that photo that describe the date [Ashen]: im gonna send the picture and i want you guys to guess what the words are [Ashen]: (attachment: IMG_58294867_9683858.jpg) [Ashen]: alright go ahead. only one guess each bc you two WILL make it weird

[Maya]: hmmm. kicked out?

[Phoenix]: i was going to say “lifetime ban” haha

[Ashen]: nope! phoenix you can try again if you want bc that was p close to mayas

[Phoenix]: how about “unmitigated disaster?”

[Ashen]: nope! sorry, no winners today :(

[Maya]: boooooo this game is rigged

[Ashen]: youre just a sore loser [Ashen]: would you believe me if i told you the answer was “first kiss”?

[Maya]: WHAT

[Phoenix]: what, did your moms ghost not approve?

[Ashen]: ASLKFJSDHHGD PHOENIX

[Maya]: NICK NOOOOO AKSLHAHFDFH

[Ashen]: i refuse to elaborate further [Ashen]: you’ll just have to settle with this: it was a good date c:

[Maya]: im just glad you two finally fucking kissed

[Phoenix]: three years in the making. three long and tiring years

[Ashen]: shut the fuck up both of you [Ashen]: i hate you guys. im leaving wright and co

[Phoenix]: :(

[Maya]: :(

[Ashen]: awww fine you’ve convinced me. i guess i can stay [Ashen]: only because you know for a fact this place would fall apart without me [Ashen]: and because you two are my friends and i love you <3

[Maya]: awwwww i love you too, ash!

[Phoenix]: do you love me enough to take my current case from me?

[Ashen]: absolutely not <3