#if i could write a fic? it would be about the 7yg

[rendevok]

Do you have headcanons for nrmt in 7yg? Like how would they communicate right after disbarment and during it?

7yg nrmt headcanons you say?

You have no idea the can of worms you just cracked open. 7yg is pretty much my favorite phase for them, and my hcs for that era feel endless. I’ll try to reel it in, but i’m extremely not normal about this topic.

Pertaining to whether or not they’re even talking: at the start of it, I definitely envision the scenario as Edgeworth being abroad for his legal studies, and Phoenix not really having the time, energy, or interest to make a call to deliver the news. Phoenix has to somehow secure meals for himself and a young girl, so telling people is probably low on his list of priorities. Still, I’m sure visits from friends would trickle in. He wouldn’t be opposed to seeing friends at first, but with each subsequent response to the news of his disbarment, he’d dread the inevitable (Edgeworth). I don’t think he would avoid Edgeworth entirely; he’d accept phone calls and maybe entertain a vague life update, partly to maintain a sense of normalcy for himself, but mostly because he wants to avoid whatever the hell Edgeworth would have to say about it all. However, he can only skirt around the truth for so long, and Edgeworth isn’t completely out of touch with social cues from a close friend like Phoenix to not realize he’s withholding something. Edgeworth being himself and this being about Phoenix… I don’t think he’d be in the dark for much longer after that.

After Edgeworth pays him his own in-person visit, things are tense between them. Phoenix is jaded, and Edgeworth is determined to uncover the truth (as well as help Phoenix in any way possible). They’d be at odds, and that tension would be drawn out until Phoenix himself starts to get a whiff of the foul play at hand. Only then would he begin to re-open that line of trust between him and Edgeworth again, and begin accepting Edgeworth’s offers to help. I don’t think Phoenix would handle years of knowing someone was out to get him very well without knowing he had someone he could trust.

I also like to imagine them (privately) leading a deeper investigation into the ever-evolving mystery surrounding Phoenix’s disbarment together, so in terms of literal choice of communication, they’d restrict sensitive conversations to being in-person only—a great excuse to visit Edgeworth many times overseas. :^))) Still, it’s a long form game and they couldn’t afford to do that all the time, so they settle for an annual visit at least (gay gay homosexual gay). Aside from that, it’s likely many long catch-up phone calls and godawful amounts of yearning for them, because they somehow manage to not act on their feelings despite outwardly looking like a couple to everyone around them.

TL;DR: at first they suck at communicating because of the circumstances and a semi-friendly disagreement on what to do about things, but in time their goals align and they figure out how to communicate homosexually (complex song and dance which results in not getting any*), and work together from a distance.

I hope this made some sense because tbqh I had to stop myself from just straight up attempting to write out the development of their relationship over the course of seven fucking years. They are corroding the hinges on my brain. ♡

[lesbianboyfriend]

saw ur post about seven yr gap nrmts so now im curious to hear ur thoughts about it

hi of courseee thank you for asking hehe ^_^ must be said however i’ve only played aa1-4, haven’t done 5/6 or especially aai yet (EDIT: i’m actually about halfway through 5 now as i’m finishing this up but point still stands). so i don’t entirely know what edgeworth was up to during the gap (though i do know it’s mentioned in aa5 that he flew phoenix out a couple times to help with cases). that being said honestly most of my reasoning is based off of what we know about phoenix and what he was up to. also for anyone who’s not aware anon is talking about me saying that i don’t think narumitsu would be in a secret relationship during the seven year gap (which is a fic trope i’ve seen a lot of)

okayyy so basically like i think phoenix is not a very open person. he is very caring and compassionate, but he doesn’t actually reveal a lot about himself. this is not as obvious in the first three games bc you ARE phoenix, but it really comes out when looking at phoenix from apollo’s perspective. and like some of that has been prompted BY the events of the 7yg, but if you look back at the other games, there’s a lot phoenix kept to himself. so i think the 7yg probably really exacerbated that part of him. i think it’s especially important to consider that his last relationship he was super open about his feelings telling everyone how much he loved dahlia and showing of her necklace, only to find out that she hated him, hated his earnestness, and literally tried to poison him and frame him for murder. so like, edgeworth is not the only one with baggage in this relationship. and like, he’s just been framed again!!! it’s the same thing all over again…he got to a happy, comfortable place in his life only to have the rug pulled out from under him.

i don’t think that 7yg phoenix doesn’t trust edgeworth per se. but at the beginning, i don’t think he trusts anyone. even himself. i don’t think he would even tell any of his friends what happened right away, yet alone lean on them for support. he even says “it was a pretty dark time in my life” and that the only thing that kept him going was trucy—not any of his other loved ones. he was in a severe depressive state and struggling with alcoholism—i truly believe the only things that mattered to him, especially at the beginning, were taking care of/protecting trucy and eventually starting to gather evidence. i also think that like, he would’ve been very wary of introducing other people to trucy, ESPECIALLY edgeworth with his. proclivity for leaving.

i think that like. the “narumitsu had a secret relationship” really downplays how severely phoenix struggled during the seven year gap and also the impact of kristoph. many people when writing nrmts secret relationship portray it as if phoenix hates kristoph, completely distrusts him, and is just playing along with him. i think the reality was actually much more complex than that. think about phoenix saying “i don’t know what i think” when kristoph asks if he suspects him. and that’s at the VERY END, where kristoph has already been convicted of murder and all the evidence points towards him.

kristoph and phoenix were friends for seven years. i do believe phoenix suspected him somewhat for most of the seven years. i believe phoenix definitely did not want him around trucy. but i don’t think he didn’t feel genuine affection and care for kristoph ever. kristoph was the only consistent thing for him in the 7yg other than trucy, who while he obviously loves dearly, a father-daughter relationship is much different from a friendship. he was pushing people away, but he was also lonely. and i think kristoph was also a safe option for him. he didn’t have to let the people he truly cared about see him in this state. he could justify not letting kristoph too close to “truly” hurt him because of his suspicions, but he could also rely on him for company and comfort etc…

i also think phoenix was like. super ashamed of what had happened and what he had become. a lot of people present his appearance/demeanor as a way to “trick” kristoph into not viewing him as a threat. it’s possible that later into the 7yg he played it up for that reason, but like i truly think that’s indicative of where he was really at in the beginning. i don’t think he would’ve wanted edgeworth to see him like that. and i don’t think he would’ve thought that he deserved edgeworth in that state. as a proud believer in toxic krisnix yaoi, i think he convinced himself that like, his relationship with kristoph was all that he deserved. i also think it’s important to point out that like, when phoenix at his BEST tried to help edgeworth, he tried to kill himself and faked his death. they may have worked it out and gotten to a better place but like. i think phoenix at his lowest would remember that and think what could he possibly offer edgeworth NOW if that’s what happened then.

to be clear, i don’t think phoenix completely isolated himself for the entire seven years. i think eventually he did start to open up to his friends and edgeworth a bit more. we know that he helped edgeworth with his cases. i think he eventually even told edgeworth about kristoph, the jurist system, etc. and i think edgeworth helped him build his case and do that work. but i firmly believe the shadow of gavin and his disbarment would prevent him from ever pursuing a relationship like that with edgeworth until after everything was over, both for practical reasons and out of insecurity and low self-worth. i think he’d view it as almost needing to clear his name to prove he was “worthy” of having love like that, esp. with edgeworth. and like, i don’t think they’d get together right after the gap cause i think there’s like a lot of healing to be done, but i think edgeworth would be a huge part of that process for phoenix. and isn’t that cuties ^_^ so basically i find that to be a much more compelling narrative than “actually they were together and basically fine the whole time.” make those boys suffer. and then get better :)

[japanifornication]

9, 22, 26 for the fic writer asks!

hi rylan, tysm for the ask!!! 🥰

9. what fic meant the most to you to write?

this is a pretty tough question! looking back i wrote a lot more than i thought this year (2023 has been so long jfc) but i guess i would have to give this to status. mostly just because it finished off the series that really kicked me into gear in this fandom 💕

22. share an excerpt from your favorite scene.

it was an open secret they were frustrated with each other, phoenix with edgeworth for running away again, edgeworth with him for “giving up.” things were made worse by the distance, made worse by the constant friction in the ways they’d both always done little things that drove each other crazy and now amplified into disaster by everything else.

so the notion of edgeworth being a “friend” instead of someone he just miserably wanted to hatefuck just to get over him was laughable, but he couldn’t tell his daughter that.

he’s been thinking about it too long and he knows she knows that. he pulls away from the half-hug she’s got him in and picks up her crooked hat from atop her head, ruffling her hair softly then setting it back down straighter and pulling her back in for a tighter hug. “yeah. everything’s fine, kiddo. sometimes he’s just annoying, you know? seems like he knows everything, doesn’t it?”

that earns a laugh, which always makes him feel a little lighter. “i think he does, daddy. he’s so smart. but you’re smart too, just in a different way.” she leans her head against his shoulder and it tips her hat again.

“mm. you think so?” he asks with a low chuckle, scratching at his stubble.

“mhmm! he reads like a lot of books, i bet. and probably wikipedia, for fun. i like to do that too sometimes. like i bet if i asked him… the national flower of austria, he could tell me in a second. but you’re better at people. like, you could tell that snake guy was a good man who wasn’t just selling us a sick snake for more than it was worth, right? d’you think miles would be able to tell that?” she asks. her eyes are closed as she talks, and phoenix wonders what she’s picturing in that endless imagination of hers.

“i think he could have gone online and done the research to find out, but i don’t think he would have agreed to this in the first place,” phoenix snorts.

“because he’s too proper for a pet like a snake,” trucy sniffs with a faux air of decorum, and phoenix lets out a loud laugh. he’s needed that; she always knows what he needs.

“yeah, he is. but it’s not his decision. he’s helping but ultimately it’s still my decision, and i know you’ll take good care of ant.”

my favorite parts of writing decadence are actually the scenes between trucy and phoenix. i think during 7yg he really does need her just as much as she needs him, and i wanted their relationship to be more than just set dressing to the nrmt, even though that is the focus. i hope i pulled that off and keep pulling it off. more soon! i know i keep saying that but... more soon (croaks and dies).

26. if you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

also a hard question. if we're talking about specifically writing, and not like, anything related to posting the writing, it has to be writing decadence. i just find a lot of catharsis in writing arguments, especially of characters in very unhealthy (manic, anxious, etc.) mindsets. it's a place i know very intimately from my own life but with Help have come a long place from, and don't want to return to obviously, because it's not fun in real life. but it makes for compelling writing/reading imo, i can't really explain why misunderstandings and arguments are some of my favorite things to dig into. i guess there's still some part of me, even now that i am medicated and doing okay, that loves the satisfaction of being the architect of fights and deciding who gets the last word and when it's over, something that very much is not how it works when you are the one having a manic episode or anxiety attack.

[oracleofsecrets]

for the directors cut ask game, i’d love to hear more of your thoughts/commentary on “just here, yet lightyears away”! :)

WAOWWW thank you so much for asking! I’m always on mobile so I don’t really check my inbox at all, hence the delay

I tried organizing my thoughts as best I could. It’s long so I’m gonna slap it under a read more

For starters, this fic is actually a polished up excerpt from my first ever fic! It was a fusion of Sayonara Wild Hearts with Ace Attorney. I have been so brave about resisting the urge to delete or rehaul that fic entirely out of Cringe (writing self conscious moments)

In that fic, this chapter is an interlude taking place irl before the big confrontation. But as u can see it can stand alone with no knowledge of that bigger fic, so I’d wanted to show this bit off hehehe. The title of this fic is from the game’s prologue scene also

The main theme is that Phoenix is not doing so great! Bc I think so often about “Looking back, it was a pretty dark time in my life” as well as all the possible ways other characters Find Out about the disbarment

The theme is also tied to loneliness and loss bc it’s inspired by the titular song Sayonara Wild Heart (boppin song by itself, highly recommend) and boy does Phoenix have a lot of that going on in 7yg

As adults, it’s kinda common that some friendships can drift apart just bc of the busy-ness of Being an Adult with Bills and Responsibilities. Not that it necessarily means the End of that relationship; it can be easy with certain people to pick things up as if the time had never passed. But that requires effort that I think a depressed Phoenix cannot often muster

Like I said to your comment on the fic, I wanted to touch on what it’s like for Edgeworth to be getting this information and not being able to do anything about it. Sometimes you can’t just drop everything, unfortunately, or more frequently it’s a struggle trying to figure out what to even Say to someone dealing with something so Specific and complicated

Kinda related to that, I feel like I don’t see a lot of Delayed emotional reactions in fics. Which is fair, since these games are cartoony and almost a little campy hehe. It’s easy and expedient to show a character immediately reacting intensely to a big shock or something. But, maybe I’m an outlier here lol, in my personal life when I’ve gotten sudden Bad News it kinda takes a while (about an hour or so) before it like Really hits and a much Stronger emotional reaction happens

I think Edgeworth would be similar. It’s p commonly accepted that he’s buried himself into work to avoid Emotions and such, but it only lasts for so long

At the same time, looking back I feel like I overplayed phoenix’s emotional breakdown in the beginning of the fic >.> rookie characterization mistake… and I kind of wonder if I made Edgeworth a little Too well adjusted in the second part lol. Characterization is big to me (Would he say that? 🤔), so it’s something I’m pretty critical about in my own writing, for better or worse ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But I like what I did for Phoenix’s POV section. I think an overlooked aspect from the games is Phoenix’s bitterness and rudeness lol, so I figure those are prominent during a depressive episode

A couple miscellaneous details to close this out: I specifically chose the dates—the Edgeworth-POV scene taking place the Monday after the Gramarye trial (which happened on a Friday), presumably when the Bar Association hearing takes place and he loses his badge. Then the second part is the anniversary of the day Mia was murdered, so it’s a little something extra for Phoenix to be sad about (-:

Thanks again :D

[mutxnts]

okay i need some help/opinions for a fic i’m writing, what are your guys’ thoughts on how phoenix feels about klavier during 7yg? specifically early on during 7yg? idk why i’m struggling with this lol but if you guys could send me your opinions that would be a big help in helping me figure out how to write this scene!!

[rendevok]

fandom ask!!! 6 9 and 17 w/whatever character ((: also just wanted to let u know how much i've grown with ur art lol, i was a big caejose enjoyer and when i started getting into my aa phase i looked back at ur art and saw all the narumitsu stuff and was like hell yeah!!

Omg how fun! I love being able to see works from familiar creators when i explore new fandoms, I’m glad i could be that for you hehe ^^

6. Show us a bit of a WIP!

Since you got me feeling nostalgic, have this caejose wip that i love even if i may never finish it! (Werewolf/vampire au!)

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

(tgcf incoming…)

tremble (for my beloved) by yilingcatriarch - there are no words better to describe this than “The Eming Fic”, and the reason it’s what i want to recommend out of the many many fics i’ve loved is because i read it like a week ago and i genuinely cannot stop thinking about it. Such a fun, sweet, and original concept & execution. I really enjoyed it! So- easy to read and easy to love! I really hope the author might consider writing a sequel someday, but truthfully it’s perfect as is!

17. What’s a book, movie, or show you think [character] would like?

OHOHOHOHOO OK SO!! (7yg narumitsu + trucy, no one is surprised atp)

I have a bit of a headcanon surrounding it, but i think that Phoenix, Trucy, and Miles would enjoy watching Perry Mason together to try and see who can figure out the truth/true criminal first! (Bonus points bc! MASON + 7YG!!) The hc is that they would habitually watch an episode or two at the end of the day, and compete see who ends up with the highest accuracy rate. This show has just enough niche/antiquated culture knowledge (Miles), random character motive bs (Phoenix), and “guy who was on screen but nobody noticed” (Trucy) for it to be a relatively fair competition between the three of them. Trucy definitely wins out in the end though, by a small but reasonable margin.