#i need to get used to drawing trucy

[its-hai-time]

Apollo Justice 2 AU dialogue

For three years now I've had dialogue moments from the "game" written out in my notes app and I've never shared them. I planned to draw them eventually but I'm horrifically inconsistent so it never happened lol.

Here they are!

(Case AJ2-2, in the defense lobby before the first trial)

???: Excuse me,

Apollo: Ack! (TALL)

???: I presume you're the one they call Justice?

A: Ah! Justice! Um, yep that's me! (She's glaring so intensely, my palms are clamming up already)

Destiny: So then you're the rat I'd heard word of on my crime scene. I'm Prosecutor Atlas, your opponent today.

A: (Rat!??)

Trucy: I think I can see your tail, Apollo!

(more under the cut)

(Case AJ2-3, day 2 of investigation)

Apollo: So you're.... Married to Prosecutor Atlas?

London: Yep!

A: But you're still her personal assistant?

L: Ah! There's no weird motive behind it!

L: We met right before we started.... Working together. When we started dating she didn't want me to lose my job, so we agreed to keep it professional.

A: Couldn't that have gone horribly wrong?!

L: Haha... Yeah, I guess it could have. But spending every day at her side is more than I could have ever asked for.

Phoenix: That's.... Wonderful.....

A: (Mr. Wright looks weird.... wait, are those tears in his eyes?!)

(Case AJ2-3, first investigation, forensics mini-game)

Phoenix: Oh, this feels familiar.

Ema: Feels like the good old days, doesn't it, old guy?

P: Oh come on, I'm not old yet!

E: Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself that, Gramps.

Apollo: (I really wish they wouldn't banter while I'm trying to focus.)

(Case AJ2-3, Right after the end of the TL comic, Klavier has just accepted Apollo's offer to defend him)

Phoenix: You're doing good, Apollo.

Apollo: Mr. Wright?

P: I've been doing a lot of hiding. Should have known you'd know exactly how to drag the truth out of me.

P: You've been a real good sport through all of this.

A: What do you mean?

P: After my... Memorable first impression, I expected you to abandon ship. Run away from my nonsense, from the card.

A: (The card.... He's talking about the forged evidence from my very first trial..... I didn't think he still thought about that moment.)

P: I guess..... I wanted to say thanks.

A: .....With all due respect, sir, where is this coming from?

P: Ah....... I guess this case is just making me sappy.

A: (I guess his talk with Prosecutor Gavin earlier got him thinking about the past...)

(Case AJ2-4, directly after the murder attempt on Trucy. They're in the hospital while she lays on the bed unconscious.)

Phoenix (at her bedside, facing away from Apollo): Trucy.... I never got to give her a stable life to grow up in...

P: I think she could tell I didn't know what to do. But I just kept bluffing. I guess that's all I've ever been good at.

Apollo: Mr. Wright.... Trucy's going to be okay...... She has to be.

P: ..........

P: I know she will be. She's a strong girl.

A: (there's a familiar feeling gripping my wrist...)

A: *sigh* Mr. Wright, you should stay with Trucy. Look after her.

P: !

P: But what about your investigation?

A: I can manage by myself. I know my way around a crime scene by now.

P: ...... Thanks, Apollo.

A: Right, I'll get down to investigating. Tell me if her condition changes.

P: Will do. Good luck.

>move

>hospital hallway

A: *big frustrated sigh*

???: Forgive me for overhearing-

A: Wha-

A: Prosecutor Gavin?!

Klavier: You need help in the investigation, ja?

A: ...What?

K: I want to help you.

A: (What????)

A: Gavin, what brought this on? Why are you here?

K: I was in the crowd for the whole event. I wanted to see how the fraulein was doing.

A: And now you want to help... Me?

K: Fraulein Atlas has already taken the case. I assure you, Forehead, I really do wish to help.

A: But I-

K: You would have been investigating alone this time around, no? It never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes, and you would know mine are quite sharp.

A: I guess but-

K: Perfect! I can drive us back.

A: (Something tells me he isn't going to take no for an answer.)

A: Alright, Gavin. Let's go then.

K: Ah, I was hoping you'd say that!

[australianklaviergavin]

MASTERPOST HERE

I'm back again with more designs! This is a smaller batch, given that it's only Edgeworth, Godot, and Blackquill, but these have a biiiit more meat than the last one. Godot is last, because I... Definitely think I have a favorite child.

As usual, all left-handed (I'm right-handed) but the quality jump is much more evident SOBS...

Miles Dogworth

Putting Edgeworth first, since I did him first, even if his art is all OLD and I DON'T LIKE IT VERY MUCH. As I said in my main post's tags, he's a collie/borzoi that, because of how he was raised around cats, doesn't understand tail wags as being a signifier of happiness, and thinks they make him look plainly interested or mad. Sorry bucko! Everyone knows you're happy. He's a fancy man who's smart and goal-oriented, hence the breeds I picked for him.

Simon Blackcat

Jumping back to the present! Things look acceptable now! The Blackquills are Norwegian forest cats! Aura isn't actually here, sadly, as I sincerely was running out of steam, but I'll be doing a post for her and some other girls later, and there'll be more on him there! For now, you just need to take him on his own.

GODOT 🔥

Now, here he is... My pride and joy, my sweetest baby boy, FOXDOT.

Now, why fox, and what's happening here? First of all, he... He's a bit of a foxy man, no? We can all agree? Good. But I wanted something to fit his cleverness, his wit, those teef, AND... Something that changes coats due to weather. As Diego, his fur is a bright orange-red, like coffee fruit, and as Godot, he's now rather cafe au lait than anything else.

As a product of his poisoning, he's now permanently stuck with part of his winter coat (which I imagine he maintains to be shorter) which is fitting, as his world has been winter ever since he was poisoned and Mia killed. Due to the fact he can't differentiate red and white, it also means that to him, it's no different whether his paws are bloodstained or not. Out, damned spot!

... And for staying so long, you get a bonus Mia draft, cause I feel bad for separating them. Chocolate!

My Trucy and Kazuma designs used to be my favorites, but... Foxdot. I'm quite chuffed with his design, and almost cried over Godot's theme TWICE while drawing him. Thank goodness I'm planning my next batch, or I might jump right back into a left arm injury by drawing him again

[box-dwelling]

So I can't animate or draw well enough to do this but I do think the world needs a Krisnix No children animatic. So a breakdown/story board plan and idk maybe I'll make it as practice for some of the comic stuff I want to do.

I hope that our few remaining friends give up on trying to save us: Edgeworth and Maya desperately trying to contact Phoenix who is ignoring their calls. Maybe including Edgeworth insisting that Phoenix would never forge evidence to lead into the next line

I hope we come up with a fail safe plot to piss of the dumb few that forgave us: Phoenix forging the ace and then a reference to SL9 dagger to hammer home what that would mean to Edgeworth

I hope the fences we mended: Kristoph being the only vote in favour of him

Fall down beneath their own weight: Kristoph doing the small manipulative smile with the diary page in the background

And I hope we hang on past the last exit: Phoenix meeting Trucy

I hope it's already too late: Kristoph watching Phoenix losing the badge

I hope the junk yard a few block from here some day burns down: the courtroom burning

And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away and I never come back to this town again: Phoenix going to Europe with Edgeworth

In my life: warmer colours come in as we get a little close up of Edgeworth seeing Phoenix and smiling

I hope I lie: warm colours gone Kristophs black psyche locks

And tell everyone you were a good wife: Phoenix telling Edgeworth about Kristoph while smiling. Colours are muted but still brighter than the rest

And I hope you die: back to black. them dining. Kristoph speaking

I hope we both die: same but Phoenix speaking

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow: Kristoph killing Zak (not the best line for but idk what else to put and this works for the general narrative flow)

I hope it bleeds all day long: Phoenix in the detention center

Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises: trucy, with Apollo entering in the background

We're pretty sure they're all wrong: Phoenix getting decked by Apollo

I hope it stays dark for ever: Kristoph in his cell, wanting to keep what he did in the dark

I hope the worst isn't over: Phoenix post turnabout trump working on Mason

And I hope you blink before I do: spilt screen of Kristoph reading in his cell and Phoenix working on Mason

And I hope I never get sober: Grape juice on the desk beside Phoenix's computer

And I hope when you think of me years down the line: Phoenix in his new suit with the full WAA found family.

you can't find one good thing to say: Athena finds the nail polish bottle, Phoenix scowls while Klavier gets a hug from Apollo and Trucy looks forelorn

And I'd hope that I ever found the strength to walk out you'd stay the hell out of my way: Phoenix getting his badge back

I am drowning, there is no sign of land, You are coming down with me, Hand in unloveable hand, And I hope you die: Kristoph screaming this as he has his breakdown

I hope we both die: Phoenix putting away the hoodie and putting the beanie on the shelf and pouring the grape juice down the sink. Symbolically killing that version of himself

Writing this out I do really want to do it but if anyone else beats me to it, I'd love to see it because I am Bad at Art and while this could be fun practice seeing someone more skilled make this would be awesome too, though I'd appreciate being tagged so I can see it

[oodlyenough]

aa4-1 turnabout trump

alright i finished the first case of aa4 last night!

despite my efforts i think i'm more spoiled for aa4 than i realized, or at least most of the hanging mysteries from the first case are ones i think i already know the answer to. kind of a shame but i don't think there was any way to avoid it. oh well, this case was fun anyway. i think 3-1 is my fave tutorial case still but this one was great even if i embarrassed myself by hitting the wrong button. also after banging my head against the wall through aai for five months it was nice to play a case where i could just use my brain and solve it because all the logic made sense and clues progressed naturally lmfao. i know first case are usually the easiest, but still.

apollo seems fun enough but the real draw of this case for me was FINALLY getting to meet beanix, whose characterization i know to be somewhat controversial lol. i've enjoyed him so far although fandom primed me to expect a weird secretive asshole -- will see if that changes as the game goes on. i missed phoenix a lot playing AAI so i am clinging to his ankles. was very exciting when his musical cue started in court. get his ass nick

the forgery ace stuff is... hm. i'm reserving judgment until i finish the game. also, lmao not to reference AAI for the thousandth time, but the conclusion of its grand finale was "illegal evidence is good sometimes" so i guess we already crossed this moral event horizon.

i've also been eager to meet trucy, who didn't do much in this case but have a bug-eyed stare. one thing i'm glad to be spoiled for actually is trucy and her approximate providence because the game trying to tease that as a mystery would've bugged me so much LOL and it's very funny to play when everyone is like "you have a DAUGHTER?!" and phoenix is just like :) yeah and as the player i am probably meant to be asking all kinds of questions about what happened there when i know the truth is just

i think the biggest hurdle this game is going to have with me personally is the level of suspending disbelief i have to do that maya and edgeworth are just totally uninvolved and unhelpful while phoenix is embroiled in whatever kind of conspiracy plot is going on. on a real-world level this is almost certainly the result of the franchise wanting to pivot to new characters, so there's not much explanation beyond that. but it's a bit hard to rationalize in-universe, especially because i also know the franchise immediately goes "lol lmao nvm" in 5&6 anyway. phoenix said something in this case about needing a lawyer he could trust, in reference to apollo, and i was like yeah if only we... knew one of those....

but whatever i guess. the true gift aa4 will give me is finally being able to read all the 7yg fics i have marked for later on ao3. onwards to 4-2!

[thefandomcassandra]

Do you ever have an idea you need to excise from your brain before you die from it? I saw an image and was inflicted with psychic damage so hard I had to get rid of this thought in my head.

Spirit of Justice spoilers below the cut.

[Image ID: a two page comic of Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright from Ace Attorney. In the first panel of the first page, Apollo is pointing angrily at a large framed painting of baby Apollo, who looks like a bug. "WHAT IS THAT?!" Apollo asks. "Like it?" Trucy asks. In the next panel, a chibi Trucy explains "We don't have any family photos so I commissioned our GOOD FRIEND Vera to draw this based on that Séance." A chibi Apollo is seething in the foreground. In the first panel of the second page, Trucy is leaning down to talk to Apollo, grinning as she says "As your BOSS: If you remove this, you're fired." Apollo, nonplussed, says "I quit." In the second panel, a chibi Trucy clutches at Apollo, wailing, "POLLY!" while a chibi Apollo stomps off saying "I have a successful firm in Khura'in. I don't need this." At the bottom of the page is a text box that says "*He kept the picture up" ./end ID]

[Image ID: a pencil sketch of Apollo Justice from Ace Attorney sitting at his desk. Behind him is a large framed painting of baby Apollo wrapped in a blanket, who looks like a very small bug. It's signed "Misham" ./end ID]

Context: me n @bitter-like-coffee had the torturous idea that Trucy, as a "welcome back to Japanifornia, congrats on your legal revolution" present for Apollo, commissions a very large painting of an intentionally bad sketch Trucy did of the baby Apollo based on Athena's recollection of the Séance. Vera is like "are you sure?" and Trucy is like "hell yeah we are!" then drops a fat stack on it and puts it behind Apollo's desk and its so big and so ugly and Apollo threatens to quit and go back to Khura'in all the time (enough that Athena has a running tally of how many times a week he threatens to do this) but he secretly is deeply touched by this gesture. He does later go talk to Blackquill to get an embarrassing photo of Athena covered in Aura's expensive lipstick with a bad sword-cut hairstyle to use for her "congrats on graduating from junior partner" party in revenge. It's all about love bby

I think Trucy will be taller than Apollo when she grows up (lookit her daddy) so she 100% does the Klavier lean to irritate him and also I draw her with Shadi's skintone and nose because c'mon CAPCOM stop making characters this pale. Her daddy and granddaddy got melanin, just coz her mommy is white asf doesn't mean she is smh.

[therestofmyfandoms]

turnabout succession thoughts

parts 1 2 and 3

this ones gonna be a lil different, ill be adding thoughts as I play, then do a summary at the end. ill probably do this one under a read more

edit: i've finished, and yeah, glad i put it under a read more. just a massive block of bullet points under there, so i'll do my summary up here instead. full breakdown is under the cut. spoilers ahead!

apollo: loved his whole thing here. glad he still got to do the final blows to kristoph. phoenix did take over a lot, but i'm glad apollo was still there, yknow. also his bracelet! i know some people are probably like "great magic bracelet" and tbh the "power" is a little stupid, but i like that the bracelet technically has nothing to do with it? it's just something that tightens perfectly to your skin, and it feels like it gets "tighter" because you get more tense. fascinating

phoenix: mans is so mysterious. why do you not explain anything to anyone. please please please fucking tell your daughter she has a brother wtf. i get things are on a need-to-know basis with you but like. come on. that seems pretty need-to-know. also his fuckin hat camera thing!! oh my god!! man has been recording shit (presumably) this whold fucking time!!! what the fuck!!!!!!

trucy: never change queen i love you. been bossing people around since day fuckin one and no one can stop you. queen shit

klavier: this man. has been through. so fucking much. how are you still standing. how have you not collapsed under the anger and the grief and the stress youve been under?? baby boy please take a rest. please see a therapist. please im begging you

kristoph: what an evil man, but tbh? im still a little confused on his motive. why did he want to be so famous? why did he decide to kill so many people. why. mans a fuckin insane serial killer and yet. he still trusted his brother. maybe because klavier would've been harder to get rid of. the mishams, whatever, they're reclusive painters, no one would've noticed if they up and disappeared (technically). but klavier? man

conclusions: i love this game and i love apollo justice. thank you.

i called it i knew valant was gonna come back. yet he's only technically tangentially related to this case. suspicious......

vera. pretty..............

WHY does drew misham have that hair. fuckin mad scientist lookin ass

the fuckin. layer thing?? the minigame x-ray thing?? honestly super fun i want to do more

why did misham draw our cases???? how did he get this images when he has barely left his house at all?? im ngl i genuinely got a shiver down my spine when that got revealed like wtf. i felt like i was being watched

also didnt mention earlier but like. the envelope that nick gave trucy? fuckin. chekov's gun. deus ex machina. "this is a surprise tool that will help us later"-looking ass. thats so suspicious phoenix what the fuck

I HATE THIS STUPID BRUSHEL GUY I HATE HIS FACE WHY IS HE LIKE THIS

and hes gonna be a fuckin witness because of course he is goddamn it

and the trial's starting i do not feel prepared but what else is new

goddamn brushel. why do i have to look at him sweating. i hate this

klavier?? just fuckin flirting with apollo?? and my man just goes "anyways heres the point i was making" like my boy. my man please he wants your attention so bad hes so desperate

apollo goes "what if drew was a fake himself" and i suddenly caught on to his train of thought and felt like i slipped into the matrix. for a moment i felt so incredibly smart

"the... de.. vil...." vera please. did you just call kristoph the devil??

aaaaand of course this ties back to the case 7 years ago of course it does. phoenix "haunting the narrative" wright motherfucker. man please i just to play as apollo why are you bringing phoenix back into this

BABY KLAVIER THIS IS NOT A DRILL I REPEAT BABY KLAVIER

baby boy why are you wearing shades i cant see your pretty eyes.... baby your hair is so short why..... so young so pretty

oh right and phoenix and gumshoe are here. but klavier......

also calling it now valant is gonna be the second witness

in the meantime. did zak (shadi) actually do it???? did valant do it?? is perhaps my dislike of valant coloring my perception of the case?? so many questions so little time

fuckin called it there he is twirling his stupid baton. man idk what it is but i hate this guy so much

maybe he reminds me of max galactica. maybe i just have ptsd from the big top case. not sure

man also had a letter. but for a later time. hmm...

also where does the girl fit into this. isnt troupe gramarye a 3 person show? is the girl just. eye candy or somethin? did she also get a letter? or was she fully excluded from this whole thing?

speaking of girls theres a lot of guys in this courtroom. i miss maya. where's my favorite small medium at large?

klavier i love you PLEASE shut up about your music. no one cares

oh god oh no not the magician's grand prix please no

""ace attorney" Phoenix Wright" he did he said the line

"theres no proof he didnt do it, either" FUCKING THANK YOU. how long have we gone... with perfectly good explantions and reasonings, only for the prosecution to be like "yeah but i dont think they did therefore youre wrong" shyagzjfhsjks

fuck i know this evidence is forged but like. phoenix doesn't?? also is just the page fake?? is the whole book fake?? and klavier knows, right? didnt kristoph tell him that phoenix made-up evidence? though i got it from trucy, who got it from a mysterious man in the hallway. what the fuck is going on

god its such an obvious trap but theres literally nothing else i can do. it fits too well goddamn it

oh fuck and klavier's trying to warn me. god fuckin...

wait wait wait hold on. so we knew misham was a forger. we've known for years. it was brought up in court, in front of a judge. and they didnt arrest him???????? my only thought is that maybe they decided to "overlook" this crime in exchange for him cooperation but like. why

aha and im already seeing inconsistencies. misham is obviously covering for his client, he "never met them". vera, on the other hand, claims she met them face to face. a clear discrepancy, and now klavier's earlier (later?) freakout makes much more sense. hes been under the impression that phoenix is a liar and a cheat this whole time. obviously, he has no idea his brother's involvement in this whole this (tbf im still not clear on the details myself but dramatic irony at its finest)

MAN FUCKIN JUST DISAPPEARS ON THE WITNESS STAND. MY MAN YOU HAVE A CHILD WHERE ARE YOU GOING

OH MY GOD THE MAGATAMA??? ITS BACK????

just as a little aside as i embark on the mason system: looking at the court record, i see that kristoph and apollo have been added. both of them have (what i presume to be) their "present" descriptions, but their "past" ages. so apollo says "a greenhorn defense attorney. i call him apollo" and his age is 15. like first off. you did not meet apollo at 15 i call bullshit. plus kid is not a defense attorney he is in HIGH SCHOOL

anyway the kristoph one is funnier because it says he's 25 but "incarcerated for the murder of shadi smith" which has not happened yet. they dont even know shadi yet (well they do but. you get my point). okay aside over back to the game

awww its officer meekins. ill be honest i really was not expecting to run into him of all people

baby truce is the same as ever i see. she has immediately taken over phoenix's life and honestly? good for her

"i just dont know much about anything other than law" yeah thats what happens when you drop out of art school to save your crush from 2nd grade, phoenix. you end up knowing nothing

god fuckin. trucys mother. the woman in troupe gramarye. lamiroir. fuuuuuck

BABY VERA. SHES SO CUTE

WAIT WAIT WAIT BRUSHEL WAS THERE???? BRUSHEL WAS AT THE BOWL CLUB?????????

why does kristoph have a full study for a cell. what is this. what kinda rich asshole bullshit

black psyche-locks??? what does this mean...

okay wait im just now doing valant's locks. did they fucking shoot thalassa??? is that what happened to her??????? oh my god poor lamiroir....

no wait wait wait apollo has the same thing as trucy yeah but youre not implying what i think youre implying are you game?????? trucy and apollo?? are actually related???? nah nah nah say it aint so. i thought those were fuckin. headcanons. not. not actually....

ah so magnifi killed himself. okay. sure

WAIT WAIT WAIT HAS PHOENIX BEEN RECORDING THE WHOLE TIME??? WITH HIS LITTLE BUTTON??? OH MY GOD???

"mr. wright told me everything that's been happening" did he mention you have a sister. did he mention you and trucy are related. did he fucking mention that

god klavier... youre helping me against your brother.... man what this man must be going through.... your brother is a murderer yet you still help to make sure the truth comes to light instead of covering for him... fuuuuck

"i have to pull that darkness out of him" GOD FUCKIN-- apollo is trying to save klavier and klavier is trying so hard to help apollo even through all this emotional shit jesus fucking christ im going FERAL

okay so even though kristoph is a fuckin murderer and does not care about anyone... he still cares about his brother. he killed literally everybody else who knew about the forging (or tried to), he covered all of his bases..... except for klavier. did he just never expect klavier to betray him? did he trust klavier? if youre killing everyone else, why not your brother?

GAHDGSYDUJD

LAMIROIR??? SHES A JURIST???? HUHHHH???

ohhh fuuuckkk and the reveal of the other bracelet omggg

if you didnt piece it together by this point that would be a HELL of a reveal

i love vera im glad shes alive

question. for the straight people out there. is vera supposed to be apollo's love interest? like i know he was a lil blushy around her or whatever but like. is that just typical ace attorney stuff or are they trying to insinuate stuff.

i mean obviously klapollo is superior regardless but like. is that the intention

trucy dear we dont need to find you a mommy we just need to figure out where your other daddy is. probably in germany somewhere

PHOENIX YOU HAVENT TOLD THEM THEYRE RELATED WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU

and thats the end! lets go me

and as an aside for those who read through to the bottom of this: i'll be playing duel destinies next, and ill probably be writing my notes as i play again. my question to you is this: would you prefer this play-by-play again? or simply the post-case breakdown like my first posts were? thanks!

[tcvsfiredemon]

Narumayo Week Day 1: Waterfalls/Reunions

Phoenix had bought flowers, which was unusual for him. He tended to actively avoid taking any sort of responsibility for plants, with the one exception of Charley. Even then, it was purely through luck and Maya’s intervention(and now a little extra help from Trucy, thank heaven) that Mia’s favorite piece of greenery wasn’t a brown and shriveled husk at this point. Whatever the opposite of a green thumb was, Phoenix surely had it.

Yet as he’d made his way to the train station this morning his eye had been caught by a stall out front selling a whole rainbow’s worth of beautiful flowers, and something deep inside him compelled him to buy a whole bouquet of purple ones. Some kind of orchids, he thought? Although they could have just as easily been tulips or something. Really he’d just bought them because they were purple and purple was Maya’s favorite color.

Would she even care about getting flowers? In terms of gifts Maya tended to prefer things with more use to her like clothes or games or food. Especially food. Phoenix had brought food, of course, a big hearty order of Eldoon’s famous breakfast ramen that he desperately hoped hadn’t cooled down too much during the two hour train ride. He felt like he needed to give her something else, though, something to show how truly sorry he was for being such a crappy friend and not talking to her for the past two months. Were flowers enough? Was this whole surprise visit a mistake?

But regardless of what kind of spur-of-the-moment decision-making had led him to where he was, Phoenix was there all the same, standing outside the door to the Fey’s family home at nine in the morning with a big bouquet of orchids in one arm and a big brown bag of food in the other. Realizing a little too late his logistical mistake he knocked as firmly as he could with his foot. Within a minute the door slid open and the tiny, surprised face of Pearl Fey poked through.

“Mr. Nick?” the small girl exclaimed with a smile that quickly turned into an angry frown, “You said some real mean things to Mystic Maya.”

She was right, of course. Phoenix had been in a bad place the last time he saw his spirit medium best friend. After hearing the news about his disbarment Maya had rushed into the city as quickly as she could, only to be turned away at his door. You weren’t there for me when I needed you, he’d spat at her, why would I want you here now? Phoenix cringed internally at the cruel verbal beatdown he’d given the person he loved more than anyone else in the world, who had dropped everything just to be there for him in his time of need.

“I know, Pearls, I said a lot of hurtful things that I can’t take back and that’s why I came to see her. To make things up to her and show her how sorry I am. Is she here?”

Immediately the expression on Pearl’s face thawed a little, with the tiniest hint of a smile drawing up the corner of her mouth.

“Mystic Maya told me you didn’t really mean those things. She said you’d say sorry as soon as you could.”

She gave a sudden gasp of delight, putting her hands on her face to hide her blush. “But she didn’t tell me you’d come all the way here to say it! And with flowers! You must have had one of those ‘lovers’ quarrels’!”

Phoenix’s hands were a little too full to hide his own blush. “N-no, Pearls, it’s not like that! Friends give each other flowers too. To show how much they care about each other. Where is Maya, by the way? She’s not asleep, is she?”

“Mystic Maya’s doing her morning meditation in the waterfall in the sacred grove. I don’t think she’s supposed to be interrupted… But for you, Mr. Nick, she won’t mind!”

Phoenix nodded. “Okay, sacred grove, huh? That shouldn’t be too hard to find! Thanks for the help, Pearls!”

They waved each other goodbye, she with her hand and he with his foot, and he set off to find the sacred grove, wherever that was. Hopefully Kurain Village would have some kind of big map to help him find his way around. His mind fully on the task at hand, Phoenix failed to hear Pearl yelling behind him, “Wait, Mr. Nick! I forgot something about Mystic Maya’s meditation!”

***

There was, unfortunately, no tourist-friendly signage to help Phoenix along his way. After a bit of trial and error he found his way to a forest path that seemed fairly grove-y to him, flanked by stone statues that Phoenix judged to look pretty sacred. Before too long he could hear the rushing current of a waterfall and he knew he was on the right track.

It really was a beautiful vista, full of ethereal trees, lush greenery, and a brilliant view of the mountains. At one point he could have sworn he saw a white deer zip out of sight. Even after nearly four years of knowing Maya he couldn’t believe that she got to grow up in this magical fairyland. Although he supposed even the most beautiful view could get boring if you see it every day.

After a little more walking a lovely clearing came into view, full of lush green grass and brightly colored flowers. Phoenix inspected them for a bit to make sure they weren’t the same ones from his bouquet. At the other end of the clearing was a clear pool beneath a waterfall where Maya sat in meditation. She looked totally at home under the water, eyes closed, relaxed…and completely naked.

Phoenix went cherry red as soon as he registered what he was seeing. Suddenly he recalled that Pearl had been yelling at him as he left to find Maya. This must be what she wanted to tell him. Maya was obviously doing some kind of meditation technique that required the user to take off all their clothes. And with her legs folded under her and her arms at her side, Phoenix could see her whole…her…

He tore his eyes away as fast as he could and tried to figure out a way to make his presence known in a way that wouldn’t be insanely awkward. Finding no obvious solution, he decided to just rip the bandaid off and shout “MAYA!”

“Nick?” she yelled back excitedly, followed by a horrified shriek and a scream of, “Don’t look at me!”

“I’m not looking!”

“Hold on, let me get dressed! Don’t you dare sneak a peek! What are you doing here, Nick?”

“I haven’t seen you in months. I thought I’d pay you a visit. And trust me, I’m not trying to look at you naked.”

“Well then, how did you know I was naked if you didn’t look?”

“Okay, I saw you for a second, realized you were naked, and looked away immediately. Happy? Plus I think your reaction would have given you away even if I hadn’t seen.”

“Not necessarily, Nick, I could have been wearing something really embarrassing like a fursuit or something. You can look now, by the way.”

Phoenix turned to see Maya squeezing the water out of her hair. She wasn’t wearing her usual robes, but what looked like a thin white bathrobe. Probably some sort of training uniform. She was still dripping wet and the fabric clung to her body in a way that didn’t lessen his blush at all.

“What’s a fursuit?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the situation that was boiling his blood into tomato soup, “Like a big winter coat or something?”

Maya put a hand on her chest and grinned. “Oh, you sweet summer child. I’ll explain later. Whatcha got for me?”

Her eyes locked onto the big brown bag emblazoned with the Eldoon’s logo and he could see her mouth begin to water immediately.

“A couple orders of the breakfast ramen, hopefully not too cold. Extra maple syrup for you, of course.” He handed the bag her way and she grabbed it greedily.

“Ugh, Nick, you have no idea how much the noodles here suck. It’s basically like eating string. And when I talk about putting syrup on them everyone looks at me like I have two heads.”

“To be fair, syrup on noodles is pretty weird everywhere in the world but Eldoon’s.”

Maya was getting ready to tear into the bag when she spotted what was in Phoenix’s other hand. With a gasp she dropped the food and rushed to wrap him in a crushing hug and plant a kiss on his lips, getting him completely soaked in the process.

“Oh my god, no one’s ever gotten me flowers before!” she exclaimed, on the verge of tears. When she let go of her hold Phoenix handed her the bouquet and she took a big sniff. “They’re gorgeous! How did you know I love lavender?”

“Uh, to be honest I just got them–”

“Because they were purple, right? You big dork.”

She punched him in the arm and then wrapped it in hers. Phoenix had accepted at this point that wet clothes were a fair trade for a happy Maya. She looked up at him with an expression he couldn’t quite parse.

“You know I’m still mad at you, right?”

“I don’t blame you.”

“Of course you don’t, you were an absolute bastard that night and you know it. I hated you for a good week after that. I tried to put on a brave face for Pearly, but as soon as I was alone in my room I cried my eyes out. Do you know how devastating that is? To have someone you think is your best friend tell you that they don’t ever want to see you anymore? And then just stop talking to you for two whole months?”

She squeezed down so hard on Phoenix’s arm that he had to suppress a yelp.

“Maya, I’m so sorry.”

“I know you are, Phoenix. I know you were sorry as soon as you closed that door in my face. I know you stood there wanting to take it all back but decided not to say anything because you didn’t think I deserved a friend who was capable of saying the things you said. That you spent the next two months telling yourself that us not seeing each other was for the best even though every instinct you had fought against that. And that’s why I couldn’t hate you as much as I tried. Because no matter what words fly out of your mouth when you’re in pain, no matter how many times you tell yourself you aren’t worthy of love, you’re Phoenix Wright, and you’re my best fucking friend in the whole world.”

Maya detached herself from Phoenix and turned to face him, the flowers still firmly in her hands. They said nothing for what seemed like minutes. Then he finally spoke.

“Maya, did…did you rehearse that speech?”

A smile spread on Maya’s face.

“Shut up, dork.”

Phoenix started to break into a grin as well. It was physically impossible not to smile when Maya Fey was smiling. “No, I mean seriously, how much time did you spend in front of the mirror getting every word just right.”

“It’s not funny, you asshole.” Maya snorted.

“Then why are you laughin’, kid?”

“Because I’m too hungry to think straight. Come on, Nick, let’s make with the noodles. And you can tell me about this Trucy that I keep hearing Edgeworth talk about.”

“Oh man, you’re gonna love Trucy…”

And just like that, everything was right with the world. At least for now.

***

“Okay, but I really do need to finish up my meditation for the day.”

Their breakfast long finished, Phoenix and Maya were lying together in the grass, heads next to each other, attempting to decipher the clouds in the sky. Maya had been eager to hear as much about Trucy as she could and insisted on going to her next magic show(and bringing Pearl along, of course). Phoenix had taken as many opportunities as he could to sneak apologies in, with Maya magnanimously batting them all aside as ‘water under the bridge’.

“You sure about that? You just finished drying off.”

“Yup, I’m pretty sure. Some of us have jobs, Nick, and mine is to be as good at spirit channeling as I possibly can be.” She pushed herself up off the ground. “And sometimes that means sitting buck naked under a cold waterfall for an uninterrupted hour.”

Phoenix sat up, hearing his back crack as he did so. “You mean you have to start over again.”

“Uh, yeah, old man, meditation isn’t really something you pause halfway through and pick up later.” She cocked her head at him. “You know, if you want to, you can join me this time. I can teach you how to clear your mind.”

“Will I have to be…uh…”

“Yep, unfortunately. As the day you were born. On the bright side, though,” she said, leaning in with a devilish look on her face, “I will be too.”

“Well, uh,” stammered Phoenix, whose blush had gone as purple as the flowers, “I guess I could try it…”

He hoped beyond hope that Pearl never got wind of this.

[letapollojusticesayfuck]

6, 9, 12, 13, 14

6. Show us a bit of a WIP!

okay soooo this is part of a final chapter to something I should have had done. a long time ago. but hopefully soon!! i just need to stop forgetting it exists...

He thinks back to earlier that afternoon, in the doorway, Klavier’s eyes on his skin and his towel suddenly seeming scandalously skimpy. To later, Klavier’s hair curling around his ears and Apollo burying the impulse to twine it around his finger. To the way Klavier got him a drink and ferried him through the airport and dropped his guard around him and let himself be imperfect the way he never does with the public’s eyes on him— Apollo allows himself to imagine, for one second, what it would be like to thread his fingers through the hair at the nape of Klavier’s neck and pull him down for a kiss.

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

So this is going kind of far back, but I'm Not So Good With In-Between by SocialDegenerate was one of the first Klapollo fics I ever read, and it has all my favorite things: Apollo secretly enjoying something Klavier's doing but not admitting to it, Klavier finding his own way to move forward in his career post-Gavinners, social media sleuthing, Trucy Wright...

A more proper summary is: Post-AA6, Klavier launches a radio show and answers listeners' questions/gives advice. Apollo winds up listening to the show and realizing he misses Klavier more than he thought, so reaches out via text and they become closer than they had been when in the same country. Cue pining like you wouldn't believe, the radio equivalent of vagueposting, and some minor meddling...and perhaps, things all work out in the end.

12. What's the funniest or craziest AU idea you've ever come up with?

I was about to say "this one is hard because I probably don't remember them all" but then I remembered the Emperor's New Groove Klapollo AU and. that's it. that's the one.

13. What's a character or ship you haven't written/drawn yet but would like to some day?

ohhhh one of these days I will be brave enough to write kazuma/ryuunosuke fic. but I probably have to replay all of TGAA first

14. Is there a character or ship you were so sure you would never write/draw but now you've changed your mind?

I never thought I would end up having a motivating enough idea to write anything Franmaya related, but I ended up coming up with an entire detailed boarding-school rivals-to-lovers plot...that technically I'm way overdue on posting. Next time I have a day off work I'll finish that one off and get it out there, I promise!!

THANKS FOR THE ASK SPARROW!! <3 <3

[sunset-peril]

Ashes Remain - Chapter Thirteen - More Than Face Value

~~~~

December 15th, 2027

3:15pm

Detention Center - Visiting Chamber #4

~~~~

Apollo Justice was trying his very best not to storm through the Detention Center. Apollo Justice was trying his very best not to tremble as he awaited the inmate he was visiting. Apollo Justice was trying his very best not to blurt everything out as said inmate came strolling into the opposite side of the chamber.

Apollo Justice was trying his very best to be fine, because he suspected his girlfriend of murdering his best friend.

“Ah, Mr. Justice. I was not expecting you to come by.” He felt his old mentor scan him over and suddenly became a little more aware of the small mark Athena had left on his neck earlier. Sure, she was most definitely unconscious when it happened, but she also wasn’t kind enough to make it more accident-like and less… suggestive. He should probably stop thinking about it before he starts drawing more attention. “What happened? Your eye, and isn’t that Mr. Terran’s work jacket?” 

“It’s just a sty. Nothing much, just hurts.” He needn’t be dramatic now, because Kristoph didn’t need theatrics for the story to sell. In all honesty, Apollo felt badly for initiating the ruse so dramatically. However, he needed Athena to be fooled; he couldn’t let her know he suspected her. He kept his eye covered, wouldn’t let her look, as he enthused her about why he’d been hiding it thus far from her; that he believed it appeared due to his stress of losing her the night before. He was pretty sure she wasn’t going to fall for it, but then her face fell softly with concern, and she wrapped him up herself and muttered of techniques she’d heard in graduate school of treating such ailments. Her hands were so gentle on his head, even though calluses new and old scratched his skin. The kiss she blessed the bandages with as she secured them in back instantly made him feel guilty, but not enough to confess. 

If he was to confess his guilt to that one incident, it would come at a later date. He wanted to beg and plead, that he’d be blessed with the demand to confess he’d been wrong in suspecting her, that she was a spotless angel who just was a bit down on her luck. 

But the hammering feeling he could be completely wrong struck through him. “Something terrible’s happened… and I suspect someone important to me is to blame.”

“Oh? And why does this bother you so? You were willing to turn on me so easily.”

“I know, it’s just… this person is… very important to me. One of the most important people to me. I want to believe in them… but I know they’re lying… if what I suspect actually happened…”

“What is it you really seek, Justice? Are you looking to absolve this ‘special someone’ of yours? Are you looking for some sort of vengeance? Validation? Or are you looking for truth, no matter the cost? Each one of us has our own ulterior motive. You must choose yours. In order to find any answers, you must decide. The answers will come to you in time, and if you want truth, you must be unrelenting in pursuit. Remember what I taught you? Evidence-”

“...Is everything… I remember. How could I forget?” He clenched his teeth to bite back the tears. “I trusted you… I trusted you, and you betrayed me!”

“None of it was about you, Justice… I never meant for you to get involved.” 

He quivered and before long a healthy stream of tears came leaking through both eye and bandage. “W-why did you… why did he… why did she…?” His voice became curled up into a miniscule fraction of himself as he scraped his one good eye dry. “Why can’t I…?”

“You are a much better person than I, Justice. I’m sure you’ll find whatever you decide to search for.”

~~~~

December 15th, 2027

Wright Anything Agency

3:25pm

~~~~

“Thena! You’re safe!” Within seconds of her arrival, Trucy had latched herself to Athena’s leg. Her bad leg. How do children always know which leg is the bad one?

“Trucy, that leg hurts. Could you let go?”

She pouted before she let go. “Are you not happy to see me?”

“Of course I am, but I needed you off my leg.”

“Hurt yourself already, Athena?” Her boss tapped papers on his desk. She could hear the screeching of his filing cabinet beneath. He needed to oil it.

“I probably just fell on it weird last night. I don’t remember much.”  

“Where’s Polly? Did he not come back with you?”

“Said he had an errand, that he’d be back before the hour was up.”

“He just found you. Wouldn’t he want you with him?”

“He’s a bit out of it right now, Trucy. He seems… in denial. I guess that’s fair, with how sudden and nightmarish this day has been. Probably is begging ‘it’s all a dream’, that he’ll wake up and Clay will still be on this earth.”

“Aw, Polly…” Trucy’s pout turned somber as she began a begging of her own. “You’ll take care of him, right, Athena?”

She slid herself over to the couch, putting up her bad leg. “Of course, Trucy! I’ve got Pollo covered! Although it’s healthy for him to grieve, I’ll help make sure he doesn’t drown.” She nearly drowned. It was a year ago come January. It was a year ago come February. It was the one thing she’d yet to leave behind. Maybe it was the one thing that he needed, even if it threatened to destroy her. 

Athena rested her still aching body, likely exhausted despite her young mind’s energy, until Apollo arrived. Though she did not have the strength to race to the door, she greeted him and offered him the place beside her. 

He’d been crying. She didn’t question it, but curled him against her shoulder. His sadness echoed through her like the bass on that young punk’s corvette from her and Apollo’s apartment complex. If she was a street urchin, that punk would’ve already gotten his.

Nope, nope. Bad Athena. No revenge plotting on aggravating seventeen-year-olds. Apollo was more important. His heart felt chilly, and her first instinct was to cuddle him closer. No words were appropriate for this moment, just silent reassurance that these feelings were valid. 

He didn’t curl back into her, but just laid stiff across her chest. She understood. 

She understood, but could not say. The last thing he needed was for everything to come back to her.

Of course, it always came back to her. It could save him, but she also questioned whether she loved him enough to die. 

Athena doubted she loved Apollo enough to offer her life for his comfort. She doubted that she even loved herself that much. Did she love Simon that much? Maybe? She had her reasons; reasons to be so withholding with love and life. What was true commitment in this country anyway? A piece of paper? A new life? The slashed throat of one’s partner’s enemy laid at their feet like an offering? She’d seen all of these. The world has so many ulterior motives, screaming at her from every which way. Was it so dastardly that she had her own? She had so much weakness, weakness she’d shown and weakness she couldn’t seal away. 

It was simple for the boss to fire a snide remark, such remarks flowed through Apollo’s veins. She had a talent for finding these people. Of course, those who run back and forth to the line of life and death lose their innocent vigor. Simple knowledge for someone who walked that line.

That line was lonely. Even the most vicious of tongues realize it and use such loneliness to their advantage. Such was the reason she never left herself alone. She definitely was prone to distraction and to wander, when her mind betrayed her more often than not, but her motivation was usually security and nothing more. Her greatest fear wasn’t death, she’d already had time to grapple with the fact her life was short. No, she feared the violence, the blood more. When she leaves this earth, it will be because her body failed her. 

Athena Cykes is no one's martyr. 

Yet her freedom is tied to the man stiff in her arms. She loves him. She loves him dearly. 

Apollo is worthy of more than she can give, and such is why her mouth remains sealed. 

She has the rowboat she needs, but it's questionable whether two people will compromise the vessel’s seaworthiness. She’s too afraid of risking the water to pull him to safety. She’ll hold his hand through the water, but she can’t risk what it takes to save him. 

But, of course, it always comes back to her. 

And, of course, even silence wasn’t enough to stop this grand turnabout that rattled through her soul. 

“I want to talk to you about something, Athena.” His voice was broken, like his heart, and she couldn’t resist the instinct to pull him into a perma-hug as she answered. “Of course, Pollo. What is it?”

“I want to talk to you about last night, and this morning.” He was frank, like always, but the usual gentleness was all but there. Under the shattered pieces of his voice, she heard his heart. Overwhelmed by sadness, fear and anger. These three hardened his heart and staled his voice.

“I’ll answer what I can. I really don’t remember much.”

“Let’s start with what you remember then.”

“Well, I remember leaving Pavillion, I remember that clearly. The nurse that was with me yesterday dosed me with that anti-flashback like usual, just in a higher dose due to how often the flashbacks have been happening these last few weeks. She warned me against driving, even though my papers say I’m not allowed to drive, and asked me to go home within thirty minutes just in case it caused me to forget where I was. She wanted to make sure I’d be back with you in case something happened. I started towards home and decided to grab you something, but I don’t remember what… I’m sorry, but I don’t have any memories of what happened between them and when I heard you screaming my name out in those bushes.” 

His expression didn’t lighten, but tightened further. Eventually, he turned away from her and began to laugh. “You really want me to believe that? You really do?” Why did he sound so amused, so- so- unlike the man she fell in love with? “I’m supposed to believe you, aren’t I? Because love is blind? You just happened to be drugged more than normal and happened to have wandered on your way home only to end up at GYAXA after a double bombing. It’s quite convenient, don’t you think?” 

“Pollo, please, why would I lie?” Something was wrong, she could hear his heart screeching in agony, just above her own. His voice didn’t flow like Apollo’s did, it had some sinister rhythm, something not his. His voice was so flat under his heart’s screaming, she could see all four walls behind such a fake façade. 

“Then where’s your evidence?!” 

She startled to the other end of the couch.

“Polly! What’s gotten into you?! You love Athena!” The young magician charged up between them. 

“Trucy. This is between me and Athena. Please.” 

Athena could see the tears he was biting back. This was stabbing him from the inside, some other force must be playing on him. “Pollo, I was half-conscious out in the middle of nowhere… Why would I do that to myself?”

“That’s not good enough, Athena. I’m sorry. You can’t use emotions as evidence here.”

“Apollo,” she tried a little more firmly. “I don’t remember anything but what I told you.”

He pounded the desk with one of the most furious slams she'd ever heard. “I need more than that! You think I have any idea what goes on in that stupid mind of yours?!”

Her jaw dropped to the floor, as the tears she’d held back for so long. That final remark of Apollo’s, and Trucy’s instant scolding, startled the boss from his paper with the late realization that his subordinates were arguing. But he didn’t respond in time, Apollo stormed out of the office before he could rise from his chair. “Athena…”

She was used to painful words. She experienced them enough just by being a surprisingly young lawyer. But those words from someone she trusted, had considered opening the darkest parts of her heart and soul up to, and for them to be overflowing with such vicious malice… she found herself collapsed in tears in front of her boss and his daughter. 

“Thena… I’m sure Polly didn’t mean it…” 

Trucy didn’t hear him the way she did. Trucy didn’t hear the soul-shattering rage bellowing out of the height-challenged attorney into her bare skin. Whether it was only at that moment or much longer, it didn’t matter.

Apollo meant it. He meant it with every fiber he had.

And he showed no effort to return home that night.

It was nearing seven in the evening, and the number of hours Phoenix had been on the phone with her dared to defeat the time of day. She was trembling, anxious, and in no state to care for herself. But the phone wouldn’t suffice for much longer. She couldn’t live alone. It was the number one rule in the agreement that released her from Pavilion originally. After Apollo didn’t answer his phone, Phoenix took matters into his own hands, and took her to his home till the morning.

Athena was immensely grateful for the Wright family’s generosity, to open their home up to her after her guardian failed to return. She was even more grateful they understood her stress, that she didn’t have to enthuse about such gratefulness before straight-lining to the furthest restroom for a shower. The near burning sensation of the water she brought upon her skin was a welcome distraction from raging thoughts, thoughts that burned up in the heat she forced onto herself. She still remained silent, with thoughts and truths sealed away even to the ones who had yet to turn their backs. She wanted to remain in the boat, she needed to stay in the boat. Even if Apollo had to stay in the water, even though he had drowned, she had to be in that boat. 

But, of course, everything always comes back to her. And as she gazed upon herself newborn bare in the Wright family mirror in the Wright family bathroom, she slashed at the beast mark engraved on her breast and dug desperate fingers through slivers of silver peeking out from under the orange, snarling as the marks on her stomach strengthened old memories rushing back, and she realized she’d long fallen into those deep, cold waters. “What the hell are you doing here, Venus?”

[digitalstowaway]

Aristocats au

They finally arrive at Miles' home. The horses trot down their long pathway. Kay and Sebastian are ready to jump, and Miles is telling them to stay put until the buggy stops.

They bounce out once Phoenix pulls up to the front of the house. Phoenix helps Trucy out. Miles stands looking up at this house, feeling very at peace for the first time in over a week.

"I insist you stay a night with us," he tells Phoenix. "Or multiple nights. You should rest. I'll have a servant take care of your horses and ready a room for you."

And Phoenix can't say no to that. Mostly because the kids are shouting at him to stay.

"When we get inside, we're all going to need baths," Miles says. "All of you need to stay in the bath until you've scrubbed away all of the grime and all of the fleas we've acquired."

"Hey, I like my fleas," Phoenix says.

Miles must be exhausted because he laughs. Trucy quietly asks Sebastian if they really have fleas.

Miles throws open the door. Franziska stumbles in front of him as if she had been running to greet them but caught herself. She collects herself and glares.

"Where have you have been, Miles Edgeworth? If you were going to run away for two weeks, you could have done it without the children. I was worried sick about them. And look at them!"

"It's nice to see you, too, Franziska. We did get home safe and sound, thank you."

"Who's this vagabond you've let inside?"

Trucy grabs Phoenix's hand. "His name is Mr. Phoenix!"

Franziska looks like she wants to say more. But she lowers her head.

"Father would like to speak to you," she says. "I recommend you tidy yourself up before meeting him in your study."

Miles' heart tightens again. "Could you see the children upstairs? And find someone to ready a room and bath for Mr. Wright."

Franziska leads the children upstairs. Kay proudly tells her she didn't brush her hair for a whole week. Franziska says she can tell.

Before Phoenix follows a servant up the stairs, he gives Miles a concerned look.

"This father--is it the guy?"

"The man who has provided for me and my children? Yes."

"Edgeworth--"

"Please, Mr. Wright. Helen here will draw you a bath and find you clean clothes. Dinner will be ready once everyone has bathed."

"Edgeworth, should I--"

"You should go upstairs and bathe. I can handle Mr. von Karma."

[waterlemon-melon]

wright siblings au thoughts i stowed away for a while

aka if thalassa actually came back for 1yo apollo in kurain and brought him back to the us

wanted to draw a few of these but lost steam :’)

*after jove's death - before thalassa's death

-unable to hide babypollo from the troupe -> only the troupe knew abt thalassa misadventure with jove in kurain

-note: would thalassa have a picture of jove? if not then soj would end terribly (i think, if thalassa doesn't show herself as trucy and apollo's mother)

-note 2: altho in aj, polly might vaguely recognize lamiroir,, or does he pull a kazuma asogi v ryunosuke naruhodo dgs2 and remembers her but doesn't say anything. then maybe at the end of aj phoenix, after persuading lamiroir to get eye surgery, introduce again polly and truce to their mother

-note 3: would thalassa at least tell apollo abt jove? research (if she does then there will be consequences down the line)

-polly would be an infant when he met zak/troupe -> maybe no resentment but not that close (knew little magician tricks here and there because maybe he's a little assistant)

-polly prob super attached to thalassa? because the singing part? and idk he got a few months listening to jove and thalassa music so infant polly kinda like that?

-def not fond of magnifi growing up bc magnifi prob push polly super hard to be the one that inherit the troupe and polly doesn't like that (prob thalassa had to deal with the verbal abuse abt not able to produce an offspring that can inherit the troupe from magnifi) (need research on who magnifi was as a person)

-maybe polly goes the musician route instead of law? or maybe bc thalassa's death was so traumatic that he didn't want to touch that bc it stirred up the traumatic event? (if 2nd phrase, then polly still went to law after inspired by the turnabout terror on tv)

-thalassa teaches polly about his perceive ability

-trucy baby was born!! she prob more attached to magic (and zak) (and the troupe) since all she knew was magic and the troupe (to be fair, apollo prob did too but he got the few months listening to jove and thalassa music) (does those months mean anything to infants?)

-thalassa still sings to trucy too -> both sibs grew attached to the melody thalassa sang often

-magnifi def put less pressure on polly after seeing truce's talent, and thalassa verbal abuse lessens

-baby magic shows uwu

-polly prob was indifferent to truce going into magic during this time since he supports truce and her endeavors

*thalassa's supposed death:

-abt 2/3 - 9-10 respectively

-note: apollo def more traumatized -> maybe resent zak? -> distance himself from the troupe -> prob thought to run away but decided to stay for truce (maybe)

-did polly and truce witness? maybe not. but zak did tell them abt her death prob

*after thalassa's death

-polly secretly trying to study law while practicing magic i guess

-truce and polly closer together since oh idk their fucking mother died and they need comfort???

-polly seeing how the troupe acted like thalassa's death meant nothing to them (especially magnifi and zak) (although i guess zak did grieve and had feelings for thalassa) and resent them more and more

-trucy doesn't know much

*phoenix disbarment:

-truce: 8

-polly: 15

-note: polly prob at school so no involvement but still feel guilty as he thought he could have stopped truce from going with zak's plan? and thus not condemning his legal hero to disbarment? (does polly know abt the plan? maybe not. if so then guilt is felt after state v misham)

-note 2: truce still guilty for causing the disbarment

-note 3: phoenix adopted both

-note 4: phoenix thought truce was the only child but after trial truce begged phoenix to pick up polly (happens if apollo decided to stay with truce) (is this emotional? who knows) (also only if pollo have no involvement, if he does, then phoenix knew and saw both of them)

-note 5: oooo maybe polly and truce teamed up during zak's escape? gotta think hard abt how tho,, (need research on how the plan actually went into action) -> Polly's reluctant to do so but truce loved her dad and he put her happiness before his own feeling? (does this track with his personality? research)

-note 6: polly more aware than truce but they prob both have abandonment issues bc of their father put his own safety before them (but to be fair, trucy is observant, she might be aware, she's smart)

*after disbarment:

+immediately:

-trucy's the same i guess as she was in the og aa4, with the added pollo in tow (did trucy tell phoenix about the plan? did he just figured it out on his own then? or later? research goddamnit)

-if polly didn't know, trucy won't tell apollo about what she and zak did to do that disappearing act bc they're both hurt that zak left them and she prob doesn't want to add fuel to fire by telling him that she was involved

-if he did and took part, would they both tell phoenix? research how trucy act on her own in the og timeline

-if he didn't participate in the plan: shocked that 1. phoenix was disbarred 2. he decided to adopt both of them 3. his step father disappeared 4. his new dad is now the turnabout terror

-if he did tho: guilty af about his role in the disbarment but won't tell phoenix

-if they are both in on it: both polly and truce will express their hurt but won't express their guilt to phoenix

-if apollo doesn't know, he might be able to see trucy's tick when she doesn't tell phoenix about her role in the disbarment -> him putting two and two together -> cover for her/not tell phoenix about her role

+during 7yg:

-apollo: 15-22

-trucy: 8-15

-apollo only have abt 4 yrs w the wright family (unless he lives with them during college/law school/work) to save money

-if he doesn't live with the wright family then he attends little family outings/dinner (because he loves trucy very much goddamnit)

-polly def wary of phoenix but grows closer as time went on (because abandonment issues)

-(and also he first blame phoenix for assisting in his dad's escape once he's been caught presenting forged evidence (if he doesn't know)) but seeing phoenix breaks down and all sad (and him not picking up on any ticks) makes him trust his future dad

-trucy the same as og aa4, just more siblings shenanigans and is also phoenix's light

-phoenix does genuinely care about polly but also kinda uses him to get close to kristoph once he figured out his (kris) role in his disbarment, especially after learning that polly wants to become a lawyer

- :0 wright siblings!!!

-apollo wright sounds weird

-polly still meets clay (prob later than canon since the troupe travels a lot) -> clay now knows trucy and phoenix :D -> makes his stabbing in aa5 more devastating for the wright family :) (mostly impacting apollo and trucy)

-polly also meets edgeworth early?? and reluctantly try to get narumitsu happen with trucy (and clay maybe)

-phoenix brings polly and/or trucy to the borscht bowl club to help him with poker once he realizes that they both have the perceive ability

-more apollo being trucy's assistant :D, prob official at the wonder bar

-phoenix pushes apollo to work with gavin, pretending that he's a real good friend and lawyer but it's also just to get close

-trucy confines in apollo a lot and vice versa

-polly bringing truce to school 🥺

-polly unknowingly helps a bit in mason when it comes to gramarye magic that takes place in the disbarment trial (but still following the magician code)

-"i know trucy like i know myself, but you?" "you are a mystery, apollo" (phoenix)

-polly maybe makes an offhand remark about how he and trucy are only half siblings through their mother -> phoenix gets curious and starts research on polly's biological father on the side (but mostly the mason thing) -> not until succession will he know about jove through lamiroir and start on a quest to find some memento from jove (revealed in soj) (maybe, if we’re still considering soj as canon, if not he doesn’t do shit because apollo doesn’t matter much)

-kristoph pov:

•does he recognize trucy and apollo from the gramarye case? prob but keeps to himself

•wary of taking apollo as his employee because of his (new) surname: wright (and polly might leak some of his nefarious intentions to phoenix)

•but because of kristoph and phoenix weird power struggle/toxic relationship, he's forced to take apollo in

•prob see this also as an opportunity to influence apollo and get close to phoenix (by asking too many personal questions about family life and bringing suspicious gifts for apollo to pass on to phoenix)

•is very proud of apollo being kinda like him through working with him (because apollo also looks up to kris as the coolest defense in the west?)

*aa4:

+turnabout trump:

-holy shit seeing your (very loving and good) dad being arrested and detained and go on trial must be traumatizing for apollo lol

-why is phoenix so calm about all of this (apollo thinking)

-before trial: phoenix confines in trucy to forge evidence and tells her to give it to apollo at the right time (the time being the same as og aa4) (if polly doesn't know,, holy shit parallel)

-does apollo ask kris to let him take the case? prob but prob kris doesn't let him but phoenix specifically ask for apollo (he now has a reason) so kris has to oblige as his defense attorney

-the trial prob goes the same way as og aa4, except for the perceive ability time when apollo knows tf he's doing and know wtf is happening to him

-recess with trucy: apollo thinks his sister is acting kinda weird (being all mysterious like in aa4 at first) before being her usual self and maybe he makes an offhand question like "where did you find this? are you sure this is legit?" and trucy kinda sidesteps the question like "daddy just told me to give it to you so i'm sure it is" and apollo's bracelet reacts slightly (maybe, might not happen like this)

-after trial: apollo reacts the same as og aa4, with the additional layer of 'oh god my dad helped me get a job working for a murderer did he actually know it seems like he knew'

-conversation with phoenix (i like to think that trucy is also here because then she’ll also have to think about her daddy using her through the ace and doubting whether his intentions are good or not): apollo now opens with 'wtf did you push me to kristoph?? did you endanger me by making me work for a fucking murderer' and phoenix is avoiding the question by just saying that 'you'll know in time' and apollo is fucking pissed but then phoenix also discloses about the forgery and oh boy apollo is now so mad that he punches phoenix super hard and storms out, not after saying 'don't know why i even trust you to begin with, phoenix' (trucy kinda looks at phoenix a bit differently too)

-apollo either moves out or doesn't attend family stuffs for 2 months? but still talks to trucy (avoiding the whole forging thing), just not phoenix

-phoenix texts apollo a few days after to help him re-establish wright co law offices and he ignores it until he gets a text to trucy about joining her talent agency

+turnabout corner:

-apollo returns after trucy’s text of helping/joining the wright talent agency and apollo freaks out like ‘wtf where did this come from? why are you establishing an agency? do you even know how to do paperwork and pay taxes?’ and trucy’s just ‘oh daddy was going to open the wright and co law office again but you couldn’t help out so i pitched in a few ideas and decided to turn it into the wright talent agency, and since i came up with the idea, i’m now the ceo! you’re welcome to join us (daddy’s our pianist and i’m obviously the magician) but then we’ll have to change it into the wright anything agency’

-apollo: uh trucy? where’s dad?

-trucy (is she chipper about this in og? if so then same but apollo knows she’s not fine): oh he’s in the hospital because he was hit by a car and was sent flying and hit a streetlight but he only got a scratch

-apollo: wtf???

-scene with phoenix in hospital + trucy asking to find her panties (in this case apollo knows wtf it is) + eldoon noodles (apollo recognizes him as he also ate there with trucy and phoenix during 7yg) i believe is the same as aa4 with the added apollo absolutely despising phoenix inner monologue

-ema meeting is the same since phoenix doesn’t discuss his past cases with them

-klavier meeting though,,, if apollo wasn’t there during the disbarment case then the same as aa4, if he was then he prob vaguely remembers klavier but still the same as aa4 (klavier doesn’t notice shit)

-case goes the same way as aa4?

-if there’s any overall plot dev will add later (research)

+turnabout serenade:

-(should add more since it’s a bit vague aka play again)

-the case (excluding interactions with lamiroir) goes about the same as aa4

-apollo gets a familiar feeling about the lyrics to the guitar serenade (? on this, find the lyrics to be more specific)

-lamiroir interaction: polly might vaguely recognize lamiroir,, he pulls a kazuma asogi v ryunosuke naruhodo dgs 2 and remembers her but doesn't say anything or he might pull a susato and frantically yells after her (situation unfolds the same way as in dgs 2)

-is the guitar serenade similar to the lullaby song/song jove and thalassa sung? if so then apollo def recognizes it

-klavier is def surprised by that (like wtf apollo lamiroir and i wrote that together???)

+turnabout succession:

-(i don’t remember much of this case so uhhh might be vague here)

-the case minus the mason basically goes the same way as aa4?

-mason:

•change the trucy’s role in the disbarment according to above

•the talk with zak: the same? although apollo does get talked about more, because phoenix did adopt both, albeit they didn’t talk about being proud/happy that he’s ok, just oh he’s still alive. cool

-here’s the sticky part: does phoenix introduce apollo and trucy to lamiroir as their mother aka thalassa? if not then continues as aa4 (which might result in phoenix getting punched again by apollo and distanced from trucy for keeping them from the knowledge that their mother is still alive, which i love more). if yes though, then they’re also pissed since phoenix prob knew since serenade and chose not to tell them but in later games they just know and maybe slowly reunite with thalassa (they need time considering how long they thought their mother was dead, especially apollo since he was even traumatized by her death)

*aa5:

-(i don’t remember much so just the highlights that affects the character arc)

-clay plot dev:

•immediately: trucy and apollo are both shocked and sadden since they are close, but apollo is in mourning since he was his best friend. phoenix is just serious but doesn’t seem sad (probably piecing together with miles for the blackquill case)

•apollo distances himself from the waa because of athena and his ability causing him too much pain (trucy prob gets little headaches whenever she’s with athena because goddamnit she also has the ability, it’s just not amplified by the bracelet)

•when trucy encounters apollo investigating alone, she senses that he’s lying every time because he keeps dodging questions/lying about his intentions

•when apollo shows up as a witness to accuse athena, he apologizes to trucy (and athena? basically if he said sorry then it’s to who it was in aa5 + trucy) but his doubts are too big to ignore (and his pursuit of the truth is undying) and this is the only way to clear his doubts and bring justice to clay

-apollo attacked: trucy freaks out and traumatized when apollo got hurt trying to protect juniper and freaks out more when he got attacked for going back to the scene because holy shit her brother is badly hurt and might die and he’s her only family besides phoenix and he’s been by her side since forever and she can’t afford to loose him holy fuck. phoenix is pretty concerned since uhh apollo is his son??

•trucy def felt more abandoned because of apollo’s action afterwards (if he actually does take a leave of absence) and concerned about him

-everything else is the same as aa5??

-(can’t comment on the dlc case since i haven’t seen/played it)

*overall notes/stuffs to think about later:

-trucy calls apollo ‘apollo’ more often as she gets more close and affectionate and ‘polly’ when she’s being manipulative (according to the localization) (evident when she along with phoenix try to convince apollo to take up the case in 4-2)

-does apollo go by his full name of apollo gramarye/apollo wright later on? or does he just go by apollo until he knows his birth father’s last name? since it’s a blank slate devoid of scandals?

-apollo’s distrust of phoenix carries through the rest of the series

-did trucy forge the evidence (way more complicated feelings/motive that might not fit)? or phoenix (easier to figure out but might not have the same angst oomph)

-phoenix is a good and loving dad to both trucy and apollo. just in terms of roles in his plan to get undisbarred, apollo is severely ignored and used (trucy also but she has a bigger role)

[milesdadworth]

a quick dad-dotter sketch to wind down tonight

[palant1r]

we just finished the first turnabout serenade trial and klavier is being a bitch: an analysis

I don't think Klavier has a crush on Apollo. I don't think Klavier likes Apollo at all. I think Klavier is trying to get Apollo disbarred, and I think this is the interpretation that makes the most sense with how Klavier acts.

-Klavier has absolutely no reason to believe his brother is guilty. Kristoph was convicted on extremely convenient evidence that could easily have been concocted by the defendant, a man Klavier knows is a forger.

-See his wording when he calls Apollo "the boy who bested my brother." Not "caught." "Bested." As if that trial was a battle of evidence rather than actual truth

-At first, Klavier comes off as very kind and cooperative. But then, when he's no longer in control of the trial and he doesn't believe the defendant could be innocent, he quickly turns cruel and condescending. He constantly says that Apollo doesn't have what it takes, yet is also goading him at all times into presenting evidence.

-He is a lot like his brother. At first, we don't see this because their body language and behavior is so different. But in Turnabout Serenade we see that, just like Kristoph, Klavier is a paranoid control freak who uses his charisma to make everyone else follow his cue in conversation, and we first see his breakdown sprite when Lamiroir says something he wasn't expecting and couldn't control

-I think Klavier thinks Kristoph is innocent, and Apollo is a weak-minded foolish young attorney who was manipulated by Phoenix into presenting false evidence. That's why he goads Apollo saying he should learn to think for himself. Klavier does not know how complicit or knowing Apollo was, but he intends to find out.

-Klavier is more cognizant of the penalty system than any prosecutor we've seen, and actually interacts with it. He seems to have a vested interest in raising the stakes for Apollo, in making the punishments harsher for presenting the wrong evidence

-Unlike past prosecutors who would draw the trial out and force Phoenix to present evidence they already had access to that was favorable to the defense, Klavier seems to want Apollo to present even evidence favorable to the prosecution that Klavier could have led with. He's giving Apollo every opportunity possible to present evidence, and trying to make him desperate enough to fudge or forge it

-Klavier needs to have control of all the information and what everyone knows. He doesn't let Apollo and Trucy onto crime scenes to be nice. He does it so he can know exactly what they know, what evidence they could have found, and what evidence he should keep an eye out for that they couldn't have found.

-Klavier's paranoia about the keys and the guitar makes a lot of sense with this interpretation. If you're trying to catch a man who forges evidence and frames the innocent, of course you're gonna panic when stuff of yours goes missing and turns up at crime scenes, or little incidents happen around you with no explanation. And that's why he asks Apollo if he torched his guitar, even though from our perspective he has no reason to think that

-"But Andy," you may ask, "Klavier makes an effort to be close to Apollo and hang around him, like how he invited him to the concert? Why would he do that if he didn't trust Apollo?"

-Good question. What kind of person would keep his enemy close like that?

-The kind of person with an obsessive need to keep an eye on every situation. The kind of person convinced that anyone they let out of their sight will act against them

-The same kind of person who has regular dinners at the Borscht Bowl Club with a man they framed for forging evidence seven years ago, say

-compare "I knew you didn't have what it takes" to kristoph telling apollo to "not embarrass me"

-the worst part of this theory? Klavier is totally justified. Phoenix is a forger, Apollo presented forged evidence, and Kristoph was convicted using it. He just happened to be guilty. Klavier is perceptive, smart and principled.

-re: klapollo, I think Apollo was genuinely charmed by Klavier in turnabout corner. He thought Klavier was cool and pretty. Like, that's in his internal dialogue. But we're not getting any of that favorable towards klavier internal dialogue in Turnabout Serenade, because he's starting to see beyond klav's carefully constructed mask

-edit: I'm seeing a lot of people say this is negative towards klapollo and...I honestly don't see it that way? like ymmv so I'll remove the klapollo tag to be polite but this isn't negative to klapollo in the same way that pointing out edgeworth's flaws isn't negative to wrightworth. where we're at now, I think the story is definitely setting up the seeds of a relationship between klavier and apollo that is FAR more interesting than just "haha the prosecutor had a crush from the first time they met." and again, while the popular fandom interpretation is that klavier fell first, i firmly believe that apollo had a lil crush in turnabout corner that's evaporating in turnabout serenade, but will turn into a far stronger emotional connection than the superficial attraction klavier was trying to elicit

-anyway i'll probably add onto this but i will die on this hill

[napstabl00k]

Other misc thoughts about Simon Blackquill:

He has a chewing stim, and used to bite his nails. He was playing with one of Taka’s shed feathers and then was chewing on the end and went “oh. dude thats awesome im gonna keep doing this”

Leans hard into the whole “I’m awful im in prison im evil and literally on death row” thing but also has a habit of accidentally therapisting himself. pros and cons of a degree in psychology

He knows how to tinker with robots, but not like. well, per say. he knows that this goes here to make it do this, and if someone needed their car running, he could do that. He did it for Klavier like. once. and he was so stupidly shocked, it was funny

Simon has a habit of drawing on himself with marker. One thing or another about tattoos and reminders and other such things. He also has a few scars (even from before he went to prison. Learning how to use a sword had a couple mishaps) and draws over them

Trusted friends - and Aura because he cant stop her - are allowed to also use marker to draw on him. Phoenix Wright is one of those trusted people (though Simon can’t place exactly why) and Simon has to say. The painting he got on his back both felt nice and was almost too pretty to wash off

Good at cooking!!! hes good at cooking. Athena likes his cooking a lot and has a habit of bringing recipes over and telling him he should try it. he does. its good. over time he gains a BUNCH of different kitchen supplies. i’d list them out but i dont know the names of kitchen stuff

He cant make sweets. he goes off about some. hands stained with something something makes them all come out sour, sounds poetic and all and athena kinda pipes up from the back “hes just really bad at it” and widget rolls around in a nod.

Sweet tooth. huge sweet tooth

Simon sometimes kinda wants a widget himself. but also he doesn’t? Like- he has Taka. For his birthday he got together with Aura and Athena and they all built a cute bird robot (for the most part anatomically correct) but before they coded in the ai Simon was like “ok wait but i dont WANT a lil robot pal. i have taka already. this one is metal it cant even fly” and aura took that on as a challenge and made it so the robot could fly and simon started teaching her about how to care for a bird and she doesnt hit her robots anymore its great. ah yes she got the bird robot. to be clear

Back to the sweet tooth thing, he likes having something in his mouth. if its not a feather then well. hello lollypops. Athena mistook it for a cigarette, Tyrell Badd style. She was quiet about it for a while, and then was like “you shouldnt smoke its bad for ur lungs” and hes like “yes? im aware. where did this come from” and she points to his mouth and widget goes “UR SMOKING” and then he pulls the lollypop out of his mouth and theyre like. “oh.”

Simon is friends with everyone except not really? Like he’s gotten to the point where he can be friendly mean to most of them and they’ll be friendly mean back. But also he doesn’t spend time with them? Like there’s Athena who’s his sister and she kinda just. is in his house and took his spare key. and aura who’s also his sister who took the spare key athena had and made one of her own. but everyone else is just. has the capability to be considered friends because of how they act but is also really just acquaintances?

Others who dont fall into that category that arent Athena and Aura:

Apollo (he kinda just. is too scared of simon to be friends)

Kay (she like. immediately mistook him for her uncle and he was like. MAN okay i gotta meet this guy and they became friends)

Sebastian. theyre actual friends its so funny, neither of them know how it happened but they infodump to each other and sebastian chirps back at taka as a stim

phoenix. Simon looks up to him a lot and kinda just. yes i will be normal with this guy. i will not be evil and scary and stuff.

trucy. looks down at her a lot. shes short. yes i will be evil and scary and stuff. she finds it funny. i will keep doing it. he is a HUGE source of her amusement

Simon is having SOOO much trouble undoing all his self depreciating humor. he started using it to cope with the fact that hes on death row and then boom now hes NOT and well. whats he gonna do with that awful humor now. get rid of it apparently.

okay okay im done

[tfwlawyers]

Not me singlehandedly going through your entire parent trap au I’m so invested even though like half of the posts are from 2015 💀

THESE THINGS HAPPEN I get such a kick out of knowing this au is still making its rounds though 😭😭

and yk what just because I know I’m never going to do anything else with this, have a 3.5k attempted scramble of fic for this au I tried writing back also in 2015. i was even less of a writer back then than I am now so it’s absolutely terrible but have at thee

“Oh, wait...” Trucy winced and tapped her earring. Apollo’s eyes widened in realization. “Looks like we have one more thing to do tonight - it’ll be super quick, I promise.”

“Oh no,” Apollo said, visibly paling, “there’s no way you’re doing that to me-”

“Then cutting my hair was a total waste,” Trucy huffed, tugging at a newly shorn lock, “because there’s no way I can go to camp with pierced ears and come home without. Come on, Polly, where’s your sense of adventure? It’s just one little pinch!”

“Just one?” he asked hesitantly, eyes now trained on the sharp needle laying on the table.

Trucy paused. “Well... I guess it’s technically two. I really only wear the one earring, but both my ears are pierced.”

Apollo sighed. “Great.”

“Nah, I got this,” Trucy said, grinning toothily. “I went with Aunt Maya when she wanted to get hers pierced, even though she chickened out at the last second.” She picked up the needle and a book of matches from the table, eyes glinting. “I had to get mine repierced because of infection the first time too. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

-

“Put that apple slice back,” Apollo said, narrowing his eyes at the piece of fruit in Trucy’s hands. “They’re acidic, I don’t need that anywhere near me and oh God you’re really going to shove a piece of metal into my ear, aren’t you-”

-

“You sure I look okay?” he asked, patting down the skirt. He squinted down at the stark white boots he’d thankfully fit into. “I’m terrified to walk in these, they look like death traps -”

“Which is why we’re practicing,” Trucy said primly, wiping her hands on a gel-stained rag. She still didn’t quite have a grasp on the correct ratio of product to actual hair, but she was much better than when they had started five weeks ago. “Now, walk towards me.”

-

“One last thing, I guess,” Apollo said, removing his bracelet and handing it to Trucy, watching as she carefully slid it on. He rubbed his now bare wrist absentmindedly, feeling strangely naked without it.

“So... this is really it. We’re really doing this.”

“We’re really doing this,” Trucy confirmed, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. For all her apparent enthusiasm, she looked as nervous as he felt. The studs in her ears reflected the morning light.

“Give papa a hug for me,” he said, smiling weakly.

“Give daddy one for me too,” she said.

They hesitated a moment more before Trucy threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders. Apollo’s arms immediately snaked around her waist, drawing her in tight. They clung to each other, silently willing and praying this was somehow going to all work out - that they wouldn’t just to get to meet their other parent, that they wouldn’t only get a few short weeks with the other father they hadn’t even known had existed, but that they could find some way to reconcile the two, that they wouldn’t have to lose anyone across the wide expanse of the Atlantic ever again.

-

“You’ve had your ears pierced,” he said almost absently, cradling her head between his hands and gently turning her neck back and forth to better view the studs. He clicked his tongue. Trucy felt her heart sink.

“Do you... hate them?” she asked tentatively.

Edgeworth’s eyes snapped to hers. They were the same soft gray color as the paint Daddy always kept too much of around the house. “On the contrary - I find they suit you incredibly well. Please tell me you didn’t get an infection.”

Her face split into a wide smile.

-

Apollo thumbed through a stack of canvases that had been shoved into a corner. There was a thin layer of dust of them; if he had to guess, he’d say they hadn’t been disturbed for at least three months - not a particularly long stretch of time, all things considered. They were clearly less polished works, lacking the technical skill and attention to detail that made Phoenix Wright a name to be reckoned with in the art community, but they were still beautiful in their own way. Paintings of vineyards and what looked like London, towering skyscrapers and calm seas and -

His father.

Apollo blinked.

The portrait of Miles Edgeworth drawn in rich oils did not blink back. Nor did the three that followed.

-

“There were a lot of paintings of the same person in daddy’s works. Some guy with grey hair,” Apollo said, struggling for nonchalance.

Maya’s grip on the mixing bowl faltered. “Is that so,” she said carefully.

“Was he one of daddy’s favorite models or something he just never told me about?”

Maya pursed her lips and continued stirring with a newfound vigor. “You could say that.”

-

“You’re not Apollo?” he asked, voice thick. “You’re Trucy?”

She smiled weakly. “That would be correct.” One strand of hair fell lank across her forehead - how did I not notice, Apollo hasn’t used nearly that much gel in years - and he absentmindedly tucked it behind her ear. He felt her press into the warmth of his hand, as if she were afraid he might suddenly vanish across the Atlantic again.

“I hope you don’t - I hope you don’t hate me,” she said, voice beginning to waver, “it’s just that Polly and I met at the camp and the whole thing sort of just spilled out. I’ve wanted to see you for so long, and Polly felt exactly the same way about Daddy, so we sort of just - just switched lives and hoped it wouldn’t take you so soon to notice. I really hope you don’t hate me, because I’ve wanted to meet you basically my whole life and I hope that maybe one day you can love me for me and not Polly and -” (this is ALL from movie tho so mix this up)

Edgeworth’s left hand came to cradle the rest of Trucy’s face, cutting her off mid-sentence. “Oh, my dear,” he said, cautiously tugging her forward. She came willingly, all but sprawling across his chest, tucking her head underneath his chin and wrapping her arms around his middle. “I’ve loved you since the day you came to me,” he whispered into her hair, blinking away the beginnings of tears he felt gathering at the corner of his eyes. He felt her tighten her hold and he did the same.

-

He poured himself a thumbnail of scotch, perfectly content to pretend he didn’t have tickets to a plane back to a state he had vowed never to set foot in again departing in less than four hours. “He was rather handsome,” he found himself admitting, absentmindedly swirling the glass and taking a sip. He paused, staring at nothing and mumbling to himself, “...had the most crooked smile. Always made me weak at the knees.”

“What was that, sir?”

Edgeworth snapped his attention back to the other man; he’d nearly forgotten Gumshoe was even in the room. “Nothing, nothing, never mind, have you seen the tickets?”

Gumshoe shrugged. That was Trucy’s cue.

“Almost ready, papa?” she asked, stepping smoothly into the room from her hiding place behind the thick wooden door. Edgeworth looked just as wild-eyed as she’d been hoping.

“Yes, of course, I’m almost finished packing -”

She didn’t even have to look at his still mostly bare suitcase to know he was lying.

“ -and you did tell your father we were coming, didn’t you?” he finished, placing his drink on a nearby dresser and running his fingers shakily through his hair.

“Absolutely,” Trucy promised.

“Ah,” Edgeworth said, fiddling with his waistcoat buttons. They looked like they’d been polished recently.

“Liar,” Gumshoe leaned down to whisper. She shushed him.

-

“Might I suggest we continue this little gathering inside,” Maya said, already beginning to shepherd the twins - the twins, she was going to need another vacation just to process the fact that they were together again - into the room. She twisted back around to look at Edgeworth, still shoving Apollo (that was Apollo, right?) forward. “Hi,” she began again, offering a free hand, “you probably don’t remember me -”

“Maya!” he interrupted, smiling warmly and bending to kiss her chastely on the cheek. His breath was sour with vodka and his glasses clunked awkwardly against her face. As he turned and stepped fully into the room, Maya’s cheeks(rp) began to hurt from smiling so fiercely.

“I knew I always liked him,” she said to no one as she closed the door.

-

This was ridiculous. This resort was full of entirely too many people who favored the same sort of eccentric clothing that man had even fourteen years ago, a disproportionate amount of them with the same slate grey hair. He almost would have written that (awkward*) expression seen from across Dahlia’s shoulder/a hotel lobby as a figment of his overtaxed imagination had it not been so much realer than the stacks of canvases in his studio. Which meant Miles was here, but he’d swept the first level of the hotel twice already after begging Dahlia to take to her room for a bit, the pool area was as depressingly empty as the inside was, and -

There he was.

Across the pool, descending the steps carefully from the inside lounge area and walking on the balls of his feet like he always did when he’d had a bit too much to drink (and why did he still remember that) was, without a doubt, Miles Edgeworth.

Phoenix suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

Edgeworth was halfway down the opposite path before Phoenix realized he should probably do something.

“Excuse me,” he said, shouldering his way through the crowd. It would be rude and more than a little intrusive to just call out his ex-husband’s name in the middle of a resort, right? Perhaps not as rude as nearly shoving the poor bellboy into the shrubbery, but, well, desperate times called for desperate measures.

He didn’t immediately notice the odd assortment of friends and family and a lumbering man in striped green swimming trunks perched on pool chairs as he stepped past, but they certainly noticed him.

“Daddy, are you okay?” Trucy asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said vaguely, refusing to take his eyes off Edgeworth. He was abruptly terrified he might vanish again if he did.

He

“Nick, watch out -”

“Hey, pal -”

“Daddy -”

With that, Phoenix collided into a passing service boy, arms pinwheeling wildly as he fell directly into the pool behind him.

-

“Hello Miles,” he said, smiling sheepishly and wringing out his tie. He fought the urge to rub the back of his neck and settled for clenching his hands into tight fists instead. “Or do you people call you Edgeworth now?”

“Miles is - Miles is fine,” Edgeworth said weakly, trying to look anywhere but Phoenix, as if this was a perfectly normal conversation they should be having for the first time after fifteen years. “My father still calls me Miles.”

-

Something warm coiled in his chest. It felt infinitely more dangerous than it had fifteen years ago.

“You always had a smart mouth,” he murmured, rubbing a swathe of cleaning ointment along the cut on Phoenix’s forehead. Phoenix hissed.

“So glad you remembered,” he bit through gritted teeth.

“Hush.”

Phoenix hmmed but stayed silent for a few more seconds, staring at Edgeworth as he dug back into the first aid kit. Edgeworth tried not to flush under the scrutiny.

-

Phoenix held his wrist in a loose grip. He should have felt clammy from the pool and the rapidly descending night, but he blazed oddly hot against Edgeworth’s skin.

“Miles, I-”

“Feenie? Who is this?”

“Dollie!” Phoenix said, shooting upright and wincing at the sudden dizziness.

-

Edgeworth’s burgundy coat was hung carefully over his arm, too thick for the warm California night. The buttons on his waistcoat glinted from a nearby streetlamp’s glow.

Phoenix swallowed.

-

“Do you have any idea where they’re taking us?” Edgeworth asked, leaning in slightly. Phoenix’s (nose twitched? something about scent memory?) and he refused to let himself acknowledge that Miles’s choice of aftershave hadn’t changed since the day they’d met. He abruptly remembered the taste of cheap wine and overly sweet cake on his tongue, felt the ghost weight of a ring fifteen years gone.

He hastily turned away.

“No idea.”

-

“Grandfather chipped in a bit -”

“Apollo,” Edgeworth warned.

“Alright, so Grandfather chipped in a lot, whatever, we’re poor teenagers, the point is,” he said, emphasizing the final word by pulling the ship’s impressive doors open with a firm tug, “it’s ours for the night.”

Phoenix whistled shrilly in appreciation, instinctively reaching out to ruffle Apollo’s hair. It was a testament to how important the night was that Apollo merely batted Phoenix’s hand away. “Seriously, dad,” he mumbled. His scowl was clearly forced, however; he felt oddly warm that he was able to finally use that word at all.

-

“Subtle,” Phoenix remarked.

“Mm,” Edgeworth agreed. “I don’t suppose we should let their efforts, however misguided they may be, go to waste, should we?”

“You just want to know who else they roped into this ridiculous scheme of theirs.”

“Oh, because you don’t.”

“I,” Phoenix said, moving to the chilled champagne propped by the windowsill and popping its cork, “have a perfectly healthy level of curiosity. It does not involve wondering what’s going on in my kid’s head. Trucy is a teenager. That’s terrifying.” He carefully poured the sparkling drink into two glasses and offered one to Edgeworth.

“I find that somewhat difficult to believe,” Edgeworth said, striding forward and taking the  proffered glass. He made certain their fingers did not brush. “Thank you.”

-

They waited until she had hastily bowed out of the room before turning their focus back to each other. “Miles, that’s why we came up with this arrangement in the first place,” Phoenix continued, nonplussed.

“Really?” Edgeworth carefully picked up his glass flute, trying to ignore the tremor he felt running through his hands. “I thought it was because we’d agreed to never see each other again.”

Phoenix’s heart clenched. “Not ‘we’, Miles,” he said slowly, spreading his hands on the tablecloth and feeling like if he missed a step here, he would risk something he couldn’t afford to lose again.

Edgeworth took a shaky draw of wine. “You know,” he said slowly, seemingly forcing himself to meet Phoenix’s eyes, “that part is unclear to me as well.”

“Oh, you don’t remember the day you packed?” Phoenix asked.

“No, I remember that day perfectly. Did I hurt you when I threw that - oh God, what was it -”

“It was Kamisar’s Modern Criminal Procedure. It left a dent in the wall from where it rebounded off my head.”

“Oh,” Edgeworth said, at least having the grace to look properly abashed. “Right. Sorry.”

Phoenix shrugged. “It’s not like I was making it that easy on you.

-

And....” Edgeworth trailed off, twisting a napkin between his fingers. “You didn’t chase after me.”

Phoenix felt (something) shift. “I didn’t know that you wanted me to.”

-

“A toast to -”

“Our children,” Edgeworth cut in. He ignored the tightening in his chest at the our.

“Our children,” Phoenix repeated slowly, as if the words didn’t quite match with what his mouth had wanted to say.

“We both got where we actually wanted to go.”

Phoenix’s eyes never wavered from his. “We did,” he said, voice strange.

They toasted again and finished their meal in silence.

-

“Apollo, what are you doing in those clothes? We’ve got a plane to catch.”

“We’re getting totally ripped off,” maybe-Trucy said. “Daddy said we’d get our camping trip and we want to go.”

“Wait, hang on,” Phoenix interrupted, “what camping trip?”

“The one Aunt Maya and I make you take us on every year before school starts,” almost-definitely-Trucy said. Phoenix began to lift his finger in triumph, sure he’d found his kid -

“ -the one behind the house that runs all the way up to Gourd Lake, remember when you fell in that one year,” I’m-not-too-sure-if-this-one-is-still-in-fact-Apollo finished.

Phoenix’s arm fell listlessly to his side. Edgeworth snorted.

Phoenix shot Edgeworth a look. Thanks for helping, one of these is yours. “This is entirely unfunny, you’re going to make your father miss his flight,” he said, shifting his attention back to the twins. Honestly, he was an Ivy University graduate and Miles was a world renowned defense attorney, how were they being duped by their own kids -

“Apollo -” Edgeworth began.

“Yes?” they both said in unison.

Edgeworth groaned. “They get this from you, I’m sure,” he said.

“It’s not my fault you’ve apparently been raising a devilishly deceptive teenager,” Phoenix quipped back, never taking his eyes off the twins. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine pound at the base of his neck. “He’s probably rubbed off on Trucy.”

The twins grinned.

Phoenix rubbed a hand over his eyes before stooping to their height once again. He stared hard at each of them, looking back and forth between their faces. “This one’s Trucy,” he said slowly, pointing a finger to the sibling in orange. “I’m positive.”

“You know, I hope you’re right, Daddy. You wouldn’t want to send the wrong kid all the way back to Germany - ”

“ - would you?”

How was any of this fair?

“Here’s our proposition. We go back to Daddy’s house, pack our stuff, and the four of us leave on the camping trip.”

“The four of us?” Edgeworth interjected. They ignored him.

“And when you bring us back,” maybe-Trucy-maybe-Apollo continued, “we’ll tell you who’s Trucy and who’s Apollo.”

“Or,” Edgeworth said, carefully stepping around and in front of Phoenix and crossing his arms firmly across his chest, tapping his finger rhythmically against his arm, “new plan. I take one of you back to Germany with me whether you like it or not.”

Two identical sets of eyes twinkled back at him.

(He felt a migraine beginning to pound in his left temple.)

-

“You can cook now?” Edgeworth asked.

“Oh yeah,” Phoenix said. “I can make pasta. And pasta. Probably more pasta, if you ask really nicely.”

“Hm,” Edgeworth said, eyebrows scrunched in mock thought, “pasta sounds good.”

Phoenix grinned, bumping Edgeworth’s shoulder. He was warm through the cotton. “Pasta it is.”

-

Edgeworth looked across the seat at Apollo. His glassy eyes reflected the flickering street lamps as the taxi sped down the empty street.

“Apollo, I -” he began, deflating as Apollo turned further away. It’s entirely justified, he thought despondently. I’d hate myself as well.

-

“Grandfather?” Apollo called, shrugging out of his heavy jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. The house was silent.

“I’ll check the study,” Edgeworth said, tugging his jabot loose. Apollo nodded and headed towards the direction of the kitchen, toeing off his shoes on the way. Pushing open the wide doors that led to the study, Edgeworth saw someone reading a paper at the desk. He cocked his hip against the door and crossed his arms. “Hello, father. We’re back.”

The newspaper lowered. It wasn’t Gregory.

“Hiya, papa,” Trucy said. The corners of her mouth were quirked despite her obvious attempts to reign in her expression. “Did you know the Concord gets you here in half the time?”

Edgeworth slipped against the doorframe. He felt the knob dig into his hip. “I - yes, I’ve heard that.”

(Edgeworth was acutely aware of the doorknob digging into his hip from when he pressed against it. “I - yes, I’ve heard that.”)

Apollo walked into the room, drawn to the sound of voices. When he saw Trucy his face split into a blinding grin. “What are you doing here?”

Trucy neatly folded the newspaper on the desk and clasped her hands in front of her. “It took us about thirty seconds after you left that we decided we didn’t want to lose you two again,” she said, eyes crinkling.

Edgeworth swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. “We?” he said, voice cracking.

“We,” a new voice agreed.

From the corner of his eye, Edgeworth noted Trucy moving to stand by the far wall of the study, giving the vaguest attempt of privacy. It didn’t matter. His eyes were trained on Phoenix, tracking his movement as he crossed the room.

-

Phoenix peppered his face in light kisses, smiling into the curve of his throat and pressing his lips to the thrumming heartbeat beneath his skin.

They eventually pulled back, desperate for air. Phoenix’s eyes crinkled - crow’s feet, Edgeworth thought wildly through his haze, he’s got crow’s feet now, I haven’t seen him this close up since - and he rested his forehead against Edgeworth’s.

“God, I’m never letting you go again,” he whispered, hands snaking around the other man’s back to pull him even closer.

-

“You want to toast with this? I’d have thought you might want to upgrade to something with a little more class.”

Phoenix smiled sloppily, pressing a chaste kiss to his temple. “You’re the only one I said I’d drink it with, remember?”

Edgeworth smiled back. He took the proffered bottle warmed by the weather and tugged his husband into a proper kiss, matching rings glinting in the dying sunlight.

[4ragon]

do you have any thoughts on the dynamic between iris and dahlia??

Ooo that’s an interesting one.

There is a wide spectrum of sibling dynamics in this game. We’ve got the Mia & Maya dynamics, the Apollo & Trucy dynamics, the Miles & Franziska dynamics, but then on the other side of that spectrum we have the Gavins or, case in point, Iris and Dahlia.

Listen. Dahlia on her own is fascinating. Iris on her own is also pretty fascinating. But when viewed as a pair? Good lord. Horrible and awful and deeply interesting all at the same time.

I mean, right off the bat, Dahlia at the age of maybe eight?????? don’t fact check me on that one convinced her father to just Get Rid Of Her? Because they had too many children?? Like. That’s fucked up. That’s horrible. That’s wild. That’s gotta be traumatizing for any child. And it’s gotta at least affect both of them deeply, like. Iris is abandoned for being “An Extra Dahlia” which, you know, I think clearly fucks up her own values, self perception, and self worth for years to come. And then Dahlia knows that she can do this kind of shit and get away scot free, and learns that anyone, even family, can be used and tossed out, that’s not healthy for any child’s development either.

God. Like. Can you even imagine? Your father (a wealthy jeweler by the way, so he has the MEANS to take care of all the children) just deciding he only needed to keep around one twin and basically gives the other one to a convent? What the fuck is wrong with Mr. Hawthorne??? Then of course there’s the fact that Morgan’s constant 4D chess meant she didn’t give a shit about them either, so it’s clearly coming from all sides in this family.

Honestly, I think Iris being given up by the Hawthornes was probably the most formative moment of her life. Like, on the one hand, she gets Bikini, who is this kind, motherly woman who actually cares about her. On the other, I think it really cemented in Iris’s mind that she is the Extra Dahlia, the extraneous twin who doesn’t have any value in herself. Dahlia, too, I think internalized that. Iris is the extraneous twin, the less important twin. She’s the shier twin, the weaker twin. Of course, Dahlia also sees the rest of the world like a tool to be used, but I think that goes double for Iris because she’s where Dahlia learned to think that way.

Then, of course, there’s Iris’s various ‘betrayals’ of Dahlia. Like, Iris does some pretty heinous shit for Dahlia, so it’s interesting to see what she draws the line at. She agreed to help steal the diamond and frame a man for it, but chickened out at the last second. Dahlia almost died, and Iris felt horrible about it, even if Dahlia is the one who put herself in that situation. Iris later agrees to date Phoenix under a different name to get the necklace back, and comes to realize that she would be willing to betray Dahlia again to save Phoenix, I assume both out of guilt and love. Like, that’s a lot of extreme stuff she was doing for Dahlia, and a lot of people she was betraying for her.

And again, I feel like her becoming “Dollie” is just another part of her being unable to become her own person, her being the “extraneous twin”. She gives up her identity for Dahlia, to ‘protect’ Dahlia in her own way. She didn’t care about Phoenix initially, she only cared about Dahlia having to dirty her hands, having to stain her soul.

Really Iris is always perfectly willing to sacrifice herself in all her interactions. She goes with Godot’s plan, willing to sacrifice herself for Maya. She sacrifices her own autonomy and identity to date Phoenix for months. I don’t think she really knows how to live for herself after everything she’s been through with Dahlia.

On the flip side, it’s very interesting to pick apart “Iris’s” dialogue after the switch. The first time through it’s hard to catch it, but once you know where the switch takes place (namely when they put up more trick locks in the inner temple), you can really see a lot about how Dahlia views Iris. 

I already talked about Iris’s guilt toward her sister, but a lot of the dialogue about her guilt are actually Dahlia pretending to be Iris. (Not all, just most.) Iris was scared and ran away during the heist. She betrayed her sister, and that’s why she deserved any and all punishment she received. It’s a little hard to parse out which parts are Dahlia playing the role of Iris and which parts she truly believed, but at the end of the day, her focus on guilt and betrayal was what she went with when pressed about ‘her sister’ while in her disguise.

Like. There’s absolutely some anger there. Iris was the one who betrayed Dahlia, after all. Iris was at fault. Iris was weak. I really wonder which parts of her Iris imitation were accurate? If Iris had expressed any of that to Dahlia?

I do think it’s interesting how outwardly similar they present themselves. Dahlia takes so much, she even takes Iris’s personality and wears it like a mask. She knows how to play the victim, how to be sweet. Actually, how much of Dahlia’s presentation is her imitating Iris, and how much of Iris is her taking from her sister?

Anyway, there you have it. A rather parasitic relationship if you ask me. One sister who makes sacrifice after sacrifice, and one sister who does nothing but take and take. 

Man. What a fun game.