#miles just talks at them fancily

[fraeuleintaka]

Are you implying that's Miles' go-to for deceiving people? That he just talks in such a sophisticated way that people believe anything he's saying? Or, to anticipate I2, is that what Mind Chess looks like from the outside? Miles just talking at people in a fancy way until they give in?

...Why does that sound like something she has personal experience with?

[auroralwriting]

hi! here’s a little fic idea or something to maybe toy around with: spencer with a blair waldorf-esque partner (maybe just a similar upbringing?? idk) but yeah, maybe like the insecurity that comes from growing up like that. or like the softness in finally opening yourself up to love where you had to make yourself cold before. idk.

fashion!

spencer reid x fem!reader

an exposing gala finally reveals your hidden wealth to your team, and to spencer

word count: 2.4k / warnings: pure fluff, negative self thoughts, spencer is a sweetie and rossi is supportive dad, no use of y/n, bombshell/rich girl reader

The luxurious life you lived was one you kept hush-hush, private, and behind closed doors for all who wanted to peek in. You knew it was obvious that you came from some money. You went to Yale and got your masters from Harvard. Sometimes, you wore more expensive clothing, like classic Louboutin heels or Dior sweaters.

You kept all of your money and lifestyle private for the simple fact that you didn't want to be treated differently at work. Your teammates, friends, were your favorite people. They were all very humble, sometimes minus Rossi, and so incredibly kind. You didn't want them to assume that Mommy and Daddy bought you this job. That you didn't deserve your position in the FBI.

However, when Rossi invited the team to an expensive gala where you knew people would recognize you, you realized you were absolutely doomed.

"I have no clue what to wear to things like these!" Penelope cried out in faux agony. You and the rest of the girls were shopping in the mall, not a fashion mall, but a regular one, for clothes to wear to the gala. "I don't dress up fancily ever!"

JJ smiled calmingly, "Pen, you'll look gorgeous in anything you wear."

Your brain began to work overtime, fashion knowledge bustling in your brain at a million miles an hour. "Pink," You said. Your voice was always on the cool side, your demeanor stoic like Hotch. You were the fun one, though, and knew how and when to let loose. You liked to think of yourself as highly mature and collected. "A blush pink, not rose. Rose will wash you out."

Penelope blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Absolutely." You nodded in confirmation.

"Ooh," Emily clasped her hands together, "Do me!"

It took you no less than a second to reply. "Dark red, burgundy, maroon. You suit a darker feminine look." You turned to JJ, raising an eyebrow. "Have you ever considered emerald green?"

JJ paused for a moment, "No, I haven't."

"You should. It would bring out your eyes." You replied with the smallest hint of a smile.

"How do you know all this?" Penelope asked, highly intrigued. "Are you some fashion goddess?"

You felt yourself fully smile, a small chuckle escaping your lips. "I've just always been really good with color-analysis, I guess." It wasn't a lie, color analysis went into profiling, and it came with growing up rich as fu-

"What are you going to wear?" Emily curiously asked, setting her hand in her head.

"I have a few ideas." You nonchalantly replied. "I think I have some dresses at home that will work."

Leading up to the gala, you found yourself feeling anxious anytime someone brought it up, which was all the time. Yes, you knew it was excitement, but it made you nervous to rationalize whether your friends would hate your or not after this. You tried to play it cool, nodding along to the conversations, but one comment really bothered you.

"God, I cannot wait to eye all those rich girls," Derek dreamily sighed, thinking about how much flirting he was going to participate in. "I hear the aristocrat-girls know how to push your buttons."

You knew Derek didn't mean it to be insulting, he was just joking, but it caused you feel a pang in your heart.

As the others continued to talk, you felt eyes boring holes into your body. It was Spencer, probably your closest friend on the team, and the guy you were hopelessly in love with. You'd never admitted it to anyone, the fear of rejection buried deep in your bones. You didn't want to lose him as a friend above anything else.

"Hey," Spencer softly whispered, taking in the look that had settled on your face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Spence." You nodded, allowing yourself to give him a sweet smile, the one that he knew was reserved for him and him only.

Spencer gave you a suspicious look. "You know Derek didn't mean it like that," He offered, reaching out to squeeze your arm.

"I know," you nodded. "Really, Spence. I'm okay."

The loss of your usual glimmer in your eyes had vanished before Spencer's eyes. He knew you better than that. Something was definitely up.

Even if he was your best friend, he found it hard to gather a good read on you sometimes. No one had ever been to your apartment, knew where you lived, met any of your family, absolutely nothing personal. You went to everyone else's places, met their families, it made Spencer's brain wrap around itself trying to figure you out. You were so open with him, yet so closed off at the same time. It was like you were hiding some deep, dark secret that you didn't want to hurt him. Nonetheless, he trusted your judgement, never prying too hard. He was too in love with you to even consider hurting you.

The night of the gala finally approached. You sat in front of your vanity, finishing up your hair and makeup. Reluctantly, you gave Rossi your address to come get you. He had hired out a limo to take the team to the gala.

As you walked outside, the cool chill of the air was a huge contrast to the heat inside, reminding you of how brutal Virginia autumn's could be. As you opened the door, you let out a sigh of relief when you saw it was just Rossi.

"I had a feeling you didn't want anyone to know where you lived," He remarked, a knowing look on his face. "From one to another, I know when someone has expensive taste. You, my dear, struck me as an aristocrat from day one."

"Does anyone else know?" You asked softly, biting your lip.

Rossi let out a huff of air, "Of course not. But you should tell them, preferably tonight."

"What if they think differently of me?" Your voice felt small, and you noticed the way Rossi looked at you with comfort. It was obvious that this was an unusual way to see you, but deep down, you were a sensitive, caring soul who played the part of the cold, badass agent too well.

"I can assure you, they won't." Rossi squeezed your hand for a moment, allowing you to buckle yourself in.

One by one, the team began arriving. They all looked amazing, of course, but the one that stuck out to you was Spencer in his classic black and white tux. Of course, his eyes couldn’t leave you, either. Mentally, you made a note of this eye-checking out, or eye-fucking, as Derek so gracefully called it.

Penelope was the last to arrive, and she gasped when she saw you. “That’s Prada!” She pointed, her mouth agape.

“My mom gifted it to me on my twenty-first birthday,” You explained, feeling relief when the team played it off as a very generous gift.

The gala was gorgeous, white, gold, and black filling your eyes. Of course, you’d definitely seen better, but it was your first gala in a few years. It was refreshing to see. The team, on the other hand, looked amazed at it all.

“This is the most amazingly spectacular thing I’ll ever witness in my life.” Penelope gaped.

“It really is gorgeous,” JJ nodded in agreement.

Even Hotch was staring wide eyed at the hall. “Hey,” Derek asked. “Why do you not look at all surprised or even any other feeling besides neutral at this? That cold?” Derek teased, unknowing of your true feelings.

Before you could answer, you heard a gasp from behind you. Your name was emphasized. You turned around to see a woman, her early forties, and the worst fucking haircut— Maggie Lowdry.

“My dear! It’s been far too long since you’ve been to a gala. Had us all worried sick you’d vanished, or far worse.” Maggie gave you an elegant hug that you reciprocated.

“I’ve been very busy with work,” You replied with a wide smile. “Maggie, this is my team. My team also includes Agent David Rossi.”

Maggie went wide eyed, “David Rossi! What are the odds Miss Heiress and my favorite author know each other, let alone are co-workers!”

You cringed at her words, sucking in a breath. Rossi chuckled, responding for you. “Not that low, for the area. Please, let me grab you a refreshment.”

Rossi gave you a knowing look, guiding Maggie away. Closing your eyes, you slowly turned around. “Look-”

“You’re rich?” Emily asked, interrupting you.

“Yes, but-”

“For how long?” Derek interjected.

“My whole life, I guess. It’s-”

“What do your parents do?” JJ inquired.

“They both own their own finance companies. This isn’t-”

Spencer’s words cut the deepest, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Covering your mouth, you shook your head, refusing to let tears well to the surface. The look on your face surprised the team. They hadn’t expected you to be so touchy about this.

“I’m sorry, I need air.” You quickly walked away and back outside to catch your breath.

“She’s sensitive,” Hotch began to profile you meticulously. “She puts on a cold front to trick us into thinking she’s someone completely different. In reality, we know she isn’t cold from how often she jokes or laughs and smiles. We know she’s hiding something, maybe a bad past. If we looked closer, we would have realized that this is why she never let us come over, or hardly went shopping with the girls.” Hotch paused for a moment, “She’s scared we’ll treat her differently.”

Emily frowns at his words, "We would never treat her differently because of her background."

"Or because she's rich," JJ added.

Hotch shook his head, "We're all lower-to-middle class. Maybe she thought we would resent her, or potentially believe we assume her parents bought her everything."

"A common stereotype for children of aristocrats is imposter syndrome," Spencer began. "Is that what.. is.."

"Reid, maybe you should go check on her." Derek insisted. "You're her favorite, anyway."

Biting his tongue at Derek's words, Spencer silently agreed as he followed in your previous footsteps. When he exited the building, he saw you sitting on the stone steps, staring into the city.

Spencer softly spoke your name, causing you to look up at him. No matter how hard you tried, Spencer noticed the redness in your eyes. "Can I sit?" Spencer softly asked, gesturing beside you. When you didn't respond, Spencer took that as an opening. He slowly sat next to you, his eyes never once leaving you. "We aren't mad at you."

"Do you think any differently of me?" Your voice was softer than Spencer ever thought he'd heard it before. You'd been with the buero for eight months, twenty six days, and thirteen hours. Even if he knew you well enough, he knew you'd done a damn good job of keeping your own secret.

"Yes," Spencer honestly answered, causing you to look at him wide-eyed as he continued. "I think you're much more sensitive and sweet than you let on to be. Sometimes, we could see the real you if we looked hard enough." You felt your heart beat die down at his words. "I think you're scared that we won't like you anymore because, what, you're rich?"

Your brows furrowed, "Is that not it?"

"Of course not," Spencer chuckled, grabbing your soft, manicured hands. "It doesn't matter if you're the President or anything less than,"

"I thought you guys would hate me," You chuckled at yourself, taking in Spencer's words. You'd been silly this whole time.

Spencer gave you a sympathetic look, "How could we ever hate you?" His thumbs rubbed the top of your hands, just in front of your knuckles. "Plus, I think we all already thought you came from a little money, that or you had incredible debt."

You laughed at his words, causing Spencer to smile brightly. "Maybe some things gave it away."

"Maybe," Spencer warmly agreed, the smile on your face making his heart soar. "Honestly, I know I only feel much better about you,"

"Yeah?" You breathed out.

"Yeah," Spencer confirmed with a nod. "I feel like I'm really starting to understand you. I really think I'm gonna love this you." He paused, taking a deep, supporting breath in. "But, I already do, so maybe that means it'll only get stronger."

Your breath hitched in your throat as your lips slightly parted in surprise. "You- You love me?"

Spencer awkwardly smiled, "Yeah, I love you."

"I love you, too." You admitted, a warmth spreading across your cheeks. "I have since, like, they day I met you."

"I fell in love with you two months and three days after I met you." Spencer replied. He took note of your confused face and decided to help clear up what he meant. "Remember that case where you nearly got set on fire to grab one of the Hutchenson kids from their house fire?"

The memory came back to you in an instant, "That's when you fell in love with me? When I was coughing and covered in ash?"

"When you risked your life to save a child, even after the fact sending her to the first ambulance that arrived despite the fact that you couldn't breathe." Spencer corrected as you shook your head.

"I cannot believe that's when you fell in love with me." You admitted with a small laugh.

Spencer gave you his dorky half-smile, "If it helps, I'm falling in love with you all over again right now." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ears, "So you get a do-over."

After a moment of the two of you just simply existing together, relishing in the presence of your love, you decided it was time to go back inside. "We need to go back inside soon. Or, I do. My presence is expected."

"Of course, I can't hog you all to myself, can I?" Spencer teased as he helped you stand up.

"You can have me all to yourself anytime there isn't a gala," Spencer's cheeks grew red at your words as you internally cheered. "Plus, now I have a boyfriend to introduce?"

Spencer nodded quickly, "Yes, you do."

"Good," You smiled, slowly turning around to walk back inside. "I hope you know how to dance too, by the way. The waltz is common at these types of galas."

"Wait, what? No, no, I can't dance- hey, wait up!"

[catsafarithewriter]

Hey, I think I sent that last prompt incorrectly. Sorry. If you’re still up for one, what about 2, with Baron and Haru?

Yesssiree, I am still up for prompts - sorry about the delay, I think tumblr ate a few posts (or I leant on a button… both are possible).

Number 2 was: “I look away for five minutes! Five! And apparently, you’ve managed to propose to someone whose name you don’t even know? This has to be a new record.”

(Also @tcrmommabear I know you asked for the same prompt, but someone else beat you to the punch.)

x

Propose was a strong word, Baron felt. Unnecessarily strong, really. After all, it wasn’t his fault that other worlds had their frustratingly casual methods of arranging romantic partnerships, and that he’d accidentally engaged in courtship. 

Again. 

“Haru, I assure you, it was nothing more than a dance–”

“It was not nothing more than a dance,” Haru retorted, her voice a low hiss as she motioned sharply to the doorway, beyond which the entire Stella Kingdom lay waiting for the royal announcement. “Not as far as they’re concerned!”

“Everything is under control–”

Haru drew back the curtain to reveal the royal balcony where the two monarchs were proclaiming the wonderful engagement of the crown prince. “Really?” she deadpanned. “Totally under control? And when are we getting you fitted for the wedding, Your Highness?”

Baron had the decency to look suitably sheepish at that point. “All I was trying to do was supply a necessary distraction while the rest of you located the stolen babylon candle–”

“Consider them distracted.”

“–talking of which,” Baron continued, “have you found it yet?”

“I don’t know - I left that to Toto and Muta while I hauled your ass out of an unwanted marriage. Tell me you have a plan to get yourself out of this mess.”

“Most certainly.”

Haru waited. “And?”

“Well, most of a plan. Part of a plan.” Baron hesitated. “It’s a work in progress.”

“What do you have so far?”

“Don’t get married.”

Haru groaned. “Have you tried explaining that it was a mistake?”

“Several times. Apparently the Stella Kingdom takes marriage proposals very seriously.”

“How seriously?”

“Till death do us part seriously.” 

Haru groaned again. “This wouldn’t happen if you weren’t such a flirt.”

Baron made an indignant sound. “I do not flirt.”

“Not intentionally! But why, in the name of sanity, did you think asking the crown prince for a dance would be the best way to distract the royal family?”

“Would you rather we had gone with Muta’s smoke bomb suggestion?”

“At this point in time, I’m seriously considering it.” 

Baron didn’t reply immediately, and Haru wondered if he was also considering it when, “Do you really think of me as a flirt?”

Okay, so not considering her point. Sulking. How very mature. Haru raised an eyebrow. “We need to distract the royal family, and your immediate response is to dress up and slow dance with the prince? Yeah, some people might call that flirting.” 

“I happen to like disguises.”

“You don’t need a disguise here, nobody even knows who you are,” Haru said. “What about the slow dancing? Where does that factor in, if not for the romance points?”

“Waltzing is one of my many talents.”

Haru rubbed her temples. “Why couldn’t magic tricks have been it instead?” she muttered. “Look, Baron, you flirt. You might not mean to, and it might not be intentional, but given your tendency for dramatically romantic responses, is it really that surprising that people misunderstand you? And I’m not judging and I’m not telling you to change, but you should at least be aware of it.” 

Baron was quiet again, and Haru could almost see the interior gears at work. “Did... Did I come across as such when I rescued you from the Cat Kingdom?” he asked eventually. 

“A little bit?” Haru hesitated. “Okay, a fair bit. A lot. Like, a lot a lot for a teenager who’s never been swept off her feet before. Yeah.”

Baron took another moment. And then the penny dropped. 

“So your admission of a crush was not a platonic statement?”

Now it was Haru’s turn for silence. “Did you...? Is that...?” Her mouth snapped shut and she rearranged her thoughts before trying again. “What did you think I meant?”

“I wasn’t sure!” Baron remembered the announcement happening on the balcony beyond, and hastily lowered his voice. “I thought it might be a friendship thing.”

“A... friendship... thing...” Haru echoed hollowly. 

“Or,” Baron continued, and he definitely looked sheepish now, “some modern expression for being... in awe?”

“In...” Haru couldn’t even finish that sentence. She leant her mouth against her hands as she fought for something, anything, to say back to that. “"Really?” she whispered. 

“I had just saved you from the Cat Kingdom,” Baron reminded her. “I thought it could be the contemporary way to express... gratitude, or...”

“Or hero worship?” Haru supplied. “You thought I was admitting to being your fan?”

“I’m not quite sure what that term means--”

“Fanatic,” Haru said. “Groupie. Admirer. Follower.”

“I don’t understand what half those words mean. Do you see how I could have mistaken your admission for something... else, now?”

“Oh my god, it all makes so much sense. Your behaviour since my return, your obliviousness to all the hints I’ve been dropping, you thought I was just looking up to you...”

“So if it wasn’t... admiration, then what exactly does a crush--”

“It means I like you, okay?” 

“As do I, Haru. You are a good friend--”

“Romantically.” 

Baron’s mouth snapped shut with an audible clack. “Oh,” he managed eventually. He tried to add something else, and ended up with “oh” again, his eyes gradually growing larger as he rapidly reevaluated the last few years they’d spent together. When he spoke again, there was a noticeable crack in his voice. “How... How long have you...?”

“Okay, so the highschool crush wore off pretty quickly, but since returning to the Bureau to help with cases...?” Haru pursed her lips as she counted back the months. “It probably seriously started after the Shadow Kingdom case. And building up the few weeks before.” She met his gaze quickly, and then looked away, her cheeks rapidly reddening. “I thought you knew, but you were just being too polite to...” 

“To...?” Baron prompted. 

“You know. Actually turn me down. Which was... I mean, I didn’t know exactly what to do with that, but I like being part of the Bureau, and I like solving cases and helping you and Toto and Muta, so I was happy to stick around for that and not let my... feelings get in the way. And even though you don’t like me in that way, I still want your friendship, so--”

“When did I say I didn’t return the feelings?”

Haru stared. She ran the conversation over in her head to see if she had radically misunderstood any of their exchange thus far. No. No, this still didn’t make sense. She tried a smile. It came out wan. “If this is a joke, it’s in really poor taste, Baron.”

“I would never joke about something like this.”

“But I’ve been dropping hints and you never even noticed! You can’t... This doesn’t...” She exhaled sharply and sat heavily down. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I did! I was - I was hinting!”

“Hinting. But never said outright. I assumed, because you never spoke forthright, that your feelings towards me were strictly platonic and I didn’t want to risk our friendship,” Baron said. He took a seat across the table from her, looking far less ruffled than Haru felt. “As you have recently made abundantly clear, I am not the most... observant when it comes to recognising romantic cues. Given or taken. But that doesn’t change the fact that I hold a great deal of affection for you.”

Haru’s lips twitched into a smile. “Why do you have to put it so fancily? A great deal of affection? No wonder our wires got crossed.”

“Haru, I’m being sincere.”

“As am I.” She leant across and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Clear enough for you? Because, just for the record, I also hold a great deal of affection for you, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen.” She watched Baron’s expression, her own heart beating at a million miles an hour. “Okay, and this is the point where you say something back.”

Baron gently brushed his kissed cheek.

“Baron?”

He smiled. “Miss Haru, just for the record, I think I may have a little crush on you.”

Haru snorted. “That’ll do.” Her heart was still racing, but it no longer felt like it was about to expire from mortification. Just shock. She exhaled slowly and tried to get her mind back onto their current predicament. “Typical. We’re having this conversation just as you’re about to get married.” 

Baron smiled. “Don’t be so sure.”

“Do you finally have a plan?”

“Did you ever doubt me?”

“Do you want an honest answer to that?”

Baron rose to his feet, bringing his top hat to his head with his typical flair. “Miss Haru, plans are my forte. Improvised ones, doubly so. Now, do you still have those smoke bombs on you?”

[takemedancingmaine]

It Was Self-Defense

“I.D.?”

I froze. My cards, including my I.D. had been in my bag that was stolen. I could feel Liam and Cleo beside me as they started to pull out their wallets to produce their cards.

I'd been hoping to avoid this. The guy at the door has definitely seen us at least five times before, and pretty recently, too. He knew we were all of age.

I slipped my hand into my back pocket where I had my paper I.D. that just came in the mail from the Missouri DMV today. It was in my pocket along with my temporary replacement debit card and my phone. No more purses for this girl.

I took out the piece of paper and definitely felt foolish when it was my turn, Liam and Cleo having already been cleared.

“Why is it paper?” The bouncer asked the question I knew my friends were also wanting to ask.

“I lost my wallet and I have to wait for Missouri to process a new license for me. This is what I've got until they send me an actual card,” I explained, my cheeks feeling warm with embarrassment.

He looked over the paper and then back at me, and although he was clearly hesitant, he let us all in any way.

I folded and slipped the paper into my back pocket as quickly as I could while Liam held the door open for me and Cleo.

“You lost your wallet?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think I left it on the train and when I checked with the CTA they said they never found anything or got anything turned in, so…” I trailed off my lie and ducked my head to get under the arm of someone who was cheering over a Cubs RBI.

The Cubs were in the postseason and not only was all of Chicago alive with the excitement but my neighbourhood, being right near the stadium, was ecstatic.

“Wow,” Cleo sucked in a breath as we stepped up to the bar. “That sucks. Did you have to cancel all your cards, too? Did any of them have any charges?”

I nodded, “I did, but thankfully no charges. I froze them immediately from my phone once I'd realized what I'd done. I also had to report my Ventra card as stolen and have them transfer my pass to a new one. It was a hassle.”

“Thankfully you always keep your phone in your pocket,” Liam nodded at me before he turned to the bartender who’d just shown up, and ordered himself an IPA.

It had been four days since I was mugged.

After getting some oxygen back and peeling myself up off the porch, I had stumbled inside through the back door. Once both doors were locked and I was upstairs, I called the police.

While I waited for them to arrive I proceeded to cry as I cancelled my bank cards from my bank app on my phone and made a note to call the DMV as soon as they opened.

Then I made a note to call my landlord about the front lock. I'd be using the back door until he came by to fix it or put in a new lock.

I gave my account of what happened to the officers, tried to give a description as best I could, but it had been dark and I was attacked from behind by a man with a hood. I kept my tears at bay as best I could while I scratched out what had happened through a damaged throat.

One of the officers had given me a notepad of paper and a pen to use when I started coughing up blood from all the talking I'd done. Another handed me a handkerchief before he got me a glass of water from the filter in my fridge.

I had serious doubts that the police would find the man, not that I doubted their abilities, but I'd given them practically nothing to go on. Still, I felt marginally better after having them come to my home and make sure I was okay.

They assured me that attackers rarely come back to the same area for fear of the area being on alert after such an attack. It shouldn't really have given me peace of mind that my attacker had probably fled to another part of the city but, in a way, it did.

The officers recommended I go to the hospital, even tried to call the paramedics, to have my trachea checked out and make sure there was no real, lasting damage. I refused, figuring my wheezy voice would get better and that if I iced the bruises and used a salve the skin would return to normal colour soon enough.

I also wasn't going to tell anyone else what had happened.

I was going to be fine, just fine.

My friends and parents did not need to worry needlessly. My mom would only tell me to come home and leave Chicago forever and my friends would hover unnecessarily and neither option seemed the least bit appealing to me.

By Monday the wheeze had diminished from my voice so that it was almost unnoticeable. I told Louis I'd strained it while singing as I cleaned all day the day before and he shrugged it off.

The bruises were still a dark, deep purple and blue colour when I got ready for work on Monday though, so I'd settled for concealer and a turtleneck. The same went for Tuesday and now Wednesday. It was all turtlenecks and scarves for me and I'm sure it would be for a few more days.

Luckily, I was quite prone to wearing scarves tied fancily around my neck, so although it was abnormal for me to have my neck covered every day it wasn't enough to raise suspicion.

Today’s red fashion scarf was paired with a black T-shirt with a collar that had always been a little tight. I never wore it anymore because of that, but it meant that my neck was covered from top to bottom today and I didn't look too out of place when it ended up being warmer. A long sleeve turtleneck sweater might be a red flag in today's weather.

Cleo has even complimented me on the scarf.

After work Monday I had signed up for the early morning kickboxing classes at my gym and also found out they have a new self-defence class that's running. I missed the first two sessions, but I’d joined and would show up to class number three tomorrow.

I was fast and had some strength, but I don't know how to use either of those traits to my advantage, especially not when I'm attacked from behind or when I freeze up with fear. I couldn't feel weak like that again.

I couldn't.

I also hadn't been able to work out since it happened. I tried, too. Turns out a damaged trachea and heavy breathing do not mix. Sunday morning I had coughed up blood again less than a quarter of a mile into my run and ended up walking back to my apartment at a leisurely pace.

I think that was one of the things that upset me most. Not that I was keeping a secret from my friends, not that I had been made to feel so inexcusably weak, or that I was feeling kicked for thinking that my uncoordinated strength would help me in such a situation.

It was that my normal routine, my everyday life had been disrupted just enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I usually run to calm down and relax and just use the time to sort through the thoughts in my head that all seem to untangle when I'm running through parks and past storefronts. Now I can't even do that with my injured throat.

One of my coping mechanisms was stripped from me in the process of my mugging and that was hard for me to come to terms with.

I was looking forward to just spending time with my friends tonight, trying to return to a somewhat normal pattern of life outside of my typical go to the gym and then work and come home.

A sense of normalcy was what I strived for and as I ordered sparkling water and Liam rolled his eyes at Cleo, I felt a puzzle piece fall back into place. One out of thousands, but still, it was a start. My friends would always make fun of me for my choices at a bar.

I just stared at him for a moment as he and Cleo made faces to tease me, and instead of saying anything like they probably expected I would, I shrugged and took the gentle ribbing.

Once we had each been given our drinks we made our way over to a table against a wall. Liam and I sat beside each with Cleo sitting across from Liam and against the wall.

They both taught second grade and it was science project week for their kids and the two of them were so over it. I knew that they both secretly enjoyed their kids and the messes but they also definitely got stressed about their kids and the messes.

Liam was calm and level headed whenever he was out with us, but turned on a charismatic charm around children that had them listening to his every word, doing whatever lesson he'd asked for them to complete without complaint.

Cleo was almost Liam’s opposite, the yang to his yin if you will. While Cleo was chatty and charming with us and with her many suitors, she was a calming presence with her students. She never got riled up with them--near them when they couldn't see her, sure. (She'd often make faces and rub her temples and even let out a silent curse when she was alone in her classroom or walking in an empty hallway).

Cleo was so unyieldingly patient and easy going around her students that I often had trouble wrapping my head around it. How Liam and Cleo could alter their personalities back and forth in rapid succession with such success was a little admirable if not very unusual to me.

I think that's why they became such quick friends when Cleo started at the school. She and Liam are inverses of each other in varying situations and that has resulted in a deep understanding between each of them. Their friendship was absolutely adorable. I would be jealous of it if I didn't already get to be a friend to each of them.

“You look really tired, Ruby,” Cleo eyed me up before taking a sip of her red wine. I narrowed my eyes at her but shrugged a moment later.

“Oh cheers,” I told her and Liam, who had nodded in agreement that I looked tired. “You could just say haggard or some other variation of the word shit.”

“Just saying,” she smiled, undeterred by my comments.

“Has Louis been putting you through the ropes again this week?” Liam asked now as he sipped his drink. He had gotten a little bit of froth on his upper lip but he saw my eyes go to his mouth and immediately wiped it away with the back of his hand before I could say something.

“No,” I shook my head.

Really, work had been wonderfully normal all week. No projects, no weird discrepancies or anything. I still needed to talk to Louis about his stress levels and not opening a fourth location, but he'd not mentioned it all week, so I was giving it some time before I brought it up. Mostly I was still trying to figure out how to bring it up.

“I just haven't been sleeping well,” I said.

A half-truth.

I was sleeping fine. I'd only had one nightmare all week. It was really that I couldn't fall asleep. I didn't feel secure enough to fall asleep and drift off to unconsciousness. I tossed and turned, not actually asleep until I eventually was overtaken by exhaustion in the early hours of the morning.

It helped a bit that I couldn't wake up early to exercise and therefore got to sleep in an extra hour and a half, but it really wasn't that much of a help in the grand scheme of it all.

Oddly enough I didn't feel all that scared as I walked my street or walked in the city. I wasn't afraid to come out with friends tonight. I knew the statistical likelihood of it happening again was so low that I was just my normal state of nervous when I went anywhere.

I had downloaded one of those safe walk apps that you hold and when you let go for a few seconds it calls the cops automatically. It wouldn't stop anything, but I felt minutely better for having it anyway.

It wasn't that I was afraid to leave my house for fear of scary people in the world. I was still considerably bright-eyed about Chicago and the great big world in general.

I was just unsettled. It had become my constant. I was constantly checking over my shoulder, even in broad daylight. It had become my constant companion, the gnawing feeling in my stomach that kept me up at night.

I was in a heightened state at all times, my nerves not really calming down since last Saturday night. I hadn't been able to properly relax, not even in the shower with warm water willing my muscles to loosen and the steam surrounding me begging me to let go of the tension.

I had moments, when Louis would make me laugh or when I was on the train in the morning just seeing the orange sunrise through the dingy windows before it went underground that I'd take a breath and feel normal.

The feeling would be gone before the breath was even released, but that faint glimmer would live in my mind all day even if I couldn't hold onto it like I wanted. I knew my normal was out there. I just couldn't find it in a quantity that I could hold onto.

I was pulled back into the present by Cleo as she laughed at Liam.

“I can't believe I forgot about that!” Cleo said through her laughter.

I'd completely missed whatever story Liam had told, and he was giving me a strange look. He could tell I had been somewhere else in my head. He wasn't upset by it, rather he was just curious.

“One of my students managed to get herself stuck in the broom closet next to my classroom when she got the doors mixed up,” he filled me in. “She didn't even seem to mind that she was stuck. Instead, she just started tidying up the closet. When we realised where she was and got her unstuck, we found her sweeping the tiny space with one of the brooms.”

I laughed at the story once I'd been filled in. I vaguely remember being told about it when it happened. It was not long after Cleo started working there and the whole school went on lockdown when they couldn't place the girl. Cleo has been so nervous, terrified that she would somehow be blamed and get fired.

I forced myself to focus on my friends now, gave myself orders to engage in the conversation and just let my heightened state slip to the back of my mind while I engaged with them. It was as close to normal as I could manage.

I smiled when Liam began talking about a new band he’d found. Liam was one of those people to listen to a song or a CD over and over again until he remembered there was other music out there and then he would feel guilty for being so one-track minded--in some cases literally. He never stopped listening because he was bored though, it was simply because he had remembered something else wonderful or found something new.

The band is from Vancouver and he found them through a friend who'd seen them as an opener for a bigger band. Liam was now very invested in this band--a pop-punk band supposedly. He did promise to send us each the band info later tonight though so that we could listen as well. Cleo and I had each had a pop-punk phase.

“Have you been training for the Chicago Marathon?” Liam asked now. They're each on their second drink while I continued to sip my bubbly water. “I know you ran it last year,” he added.

I shrugged. “It's only a month away and I run around 20 miles daily, but I haven't been marathon training per-say. I haven't quite decided if I should do the race yet or not.”

“Isn't it expensive to sign up so late?” Cleo asked.

“It is,” I nodded. “Marathons are expensive anyway though, so I have enough set aside for it just in case. I just have to make up my mind.”

Liam and Cleo each took that for their answers and nodded. I didn't mention that I was going to sign up this past Sunday but after my attack, I needed to wait to train and then wait to see if I'd been set back at all by the week off.

Now though, with having signed up for morning kickboxing classes I doubted I'd be running the marathon. I wanted to push myself, but maybe it was time to push myself in a different direction, to try something new and challenging in a different right.

“Let me know if you decide to do it,” Liam said. “I'll definitely come down to cheer you on and to make fun of you afterwards when you're feeling too exhausted to do anything.”

“I appreciate that support, Liam,” I nudged him with my arm before he and Cleo start in on what they're going to do with their kids on their field trip to the Field Museum next week.

By the time I was walking home and Cleo texted me saying she’d made it home alright, I could feel myself shedding the normalcy I had pretended to dwell within while I was out with my friends.

I had donned the cloak of fine, just fine Ruby for a few hours tonight and it seemed to work wonders. I was worried that Louis might notice my heightened state after a few days and that Liam and Cleo would catch on as well, but it seemed I was a better actor that I gave myself credit for.

Before I got into my bed that night I checked both front doors and both back doors to make sure they were each locked and even then once I slipped under the covers I felt jittery and unsure of my security.

Eventually, the exhaustion pulled me under and I fell asleep with worried thoughts and a tension still pulling tightly on my shoulders.

“Honestly I don't feel all that great about you participating today while you're injured,” he said. “I recommend you sit out this week's session, you can watch and ask questions, but I'm hesitant to let you work out.”

I made a face and felt my heart start to beat faster at the thought of sitting out another activity because of my attack.

“It's really not that bad,” I appealed, feeling my desperation and trying not to let it sink out into my tone. “The bruising is almost a week old. I've been resting since Saturday. I'm kind of restless to do something at this point.”

“The fact that that green and yellow colouring is from what is almost a week old bruise does not make me feel better,” Brian commented. Even with my darker skin tone, the yellow and green were pretty distinguishable and considerably garish.

“But if you think you're up for it…” he trailed off now, giving me a look. “If anything is even a bit uncomfortable--or if you start coughing--you're done, you're sitting and watching until next week. You got it?”

I nodded.

“Absolutely,” I assured him.

“Okay then,” he gave me a once-over and shook his head, almost as if he was shaking his head in disbelief at himself for allowing me to participate. I knew he was right to be worried, right to be hesitant, the bruising was pretty awful. I just couldn't keep sitting when my mind and body needed me to be moving and working and learning.

“Now you don't have to tell me what happened, but I have a feeling it's why you're here,” Brian said softly, his eyes going from my neck back to my eyes with both scepticism and understanding.

I didn't say anything, I just bit my lip and looked down at my shoes before I met his knowing gaze and nodded.

“You’re not going to be upset once we start pairing up to do demos, are you? Because if you are, that's fine,” he gave me a small smile. “And don't worry that you missed the first two classes. The first was mainly cardio to start getting us into shape to do these moves and the second was half questions half cardio. This is our first demo class.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “I think I'll be okay. I'm mad at myself for not doing anything to stop it more than anything else.”

“That's normal,” Brian gave me a knowing look. “We’ll break up the class with cardio in the middle, so seriously let me know if your throat starts hurting again. I won't stand for letting you get worse on my watch,” he narrowed his eyes for a moment before he gave me another small smile.

I took a deep breath and matched his gaze. “I'll be careful.”

“It's nice to meet you, Ruby. We’re glad you're here,” he said after a moment before giving me a pat on the shoulder as he walked past me and back toward the front of the studio to start the class.

It was the first time all week I had left my house without something covering my neck, or more accurately, covering the bruises on my neck. They had faded substantially but were still not healed.

My voice had been normal since sometime around midday on Tuesday after Louis forced cup after cup of warm tea on me. I could breathe normally, too. The light bruising around my ribs had healed enough that when I took a deep breath it didn't stretch my midsection uncomfortably.

It wasn’t until I brushed my hands against my neck the wrong way or laid awkwardly against my pillow that I would notice the twinge, the soreness.

I was pretty sure I could handle light exercise in the self-defence class. I hoped I could, anyway.

I had spent all day anxious to get here--the good kind of anxious. I wanted to learn and to get better, to learn how to use my body in a way I never had before.

I had expected the class to be packed, but it wasn't. There were only ten of us, including myself and Brian, the instructor. There were women ranging from a few years younger than me to maybe mid-forties.

Brian himself was probably just about my age. He was wearing a blue and yellow Michigan t-shirt which made me smile to myself a bit. The concentration of Michigan alumni in Chicago was pretty large. It made sense, it was a big city and closer than New York. For anyone who wanted to get out and be in the world, this was the place to go.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as Brian changed the music slightly and then started talking us through our warm up.

The warm-up left me feeling considerably better. I knew the feeling was my endorphins and that I would fall back down after the class. After a few jumping jacks and dynamic stretches, I was fighting the urge to cough, but the rest of me felt so good.

I took a few sips of water after we finished and avoided Brian’s gaze in my direction as I did so. His eyes kept glancing back at me throughout the exercises. I knew he was worried about me, and I knew my throat was hurting a bit, but I soldiered on anyway.

We talked about a few things, like what scared one of the older women about walking to her car at night and that one of the girls who went to college nearby and was terrified to go out at night because she was afraid of sexual assault.

Brian took his time answering questions as he paired each of us off with another member of the class. He paired himself off with me.

“Because I’m the only one I trust to work through some of this with those bruises on your neck,” he whispered in between explaining to Lucy, the college girl, the statistics of sexual assault.

“Not that numbers will make you feel better,” he shrugged. “But sometimes knowledge is power, so before we start the actual self-defence moves, knowing is the first step.”

“We’re going to start today with what to do when you're attacked from behind,” Brian said to the group as he came up beside me. “I’m going to talk Ruby through a move and then the rest of us are going to try it, so watch closely, okay?”

Everyone nodded at him in understanding as he turned to me, and his eyes met mine. I nodded in understanding as well.

“If I'm coming up behind Ruby and I put my hand over her mouth to stifle her cries for help, she's going to grab my wrist and pull it down,” he explained.

He gently placed his hand over my mouth and continued to explain as I wrapped my hand around his wrist. I thought back to that night and how I’d done nothing to really help myself and my resolve to do this outweighed any fear or any sour memory of the event and I zoned into what Brian was saying.

“Now, when Ruby yanks my wrist down she’s also going to bend forward from the hips, right? This will force me to bend with her and it will make me weaker,” he kept on. He gave me a nudge to go ahead and do as he said. So I did.

I pulled his arm down and bent us forward so that he was in a weaker position. I could tell he was giving in a bit for the demonstration, but the move was more than I'd done in real life and I was feeling powerful. One manoeuvre in and I was feeling empowered.

“From here, Ruby can bring her elbow into the side I've left exposed to hold her. She can also bring one of her legs up if she's feeling balanced enough, and if she acts like she's going to kick her own butt she'll end up kicking me in the groin in the process.”

Again he nudged me to go ahead and keep going with the demo. I brought my elbow into his side, not hard, just enough to apply a bit of pressure to his side and show what he was talking about before I balanced myself, took a breath, and brought my leg up, low so that I wouldn't actually hit him, but again, just enough to keep with the demonstration.

“Very good, Ruby. Thank you,” he nodded, I'm sure appreciative that I'd been mindful not to hurt him. He moved back away from me and looked out at the other four pairs.

He let each of them start in on the technique watching each pairing carefully and occasionally amending or critiquing.

“Because this is one of our more basic moves, we’re going to just keep coming back to it until it becomes second nature,” he explained while still at my side. “I don't want any of you to freeze up in fear if anything ever does happen. I want these moves to be instinct, I want you to know that you know what you're doing,” he said.

The rest of the class continued on much like this. Throughout demos, Brian would constantly pause to answer questions and make sure everyone understood.

It was when we hit the cardio section and we're going through burpees and plank jacks and more jumping jacks than I cared to count that my throat felt like it was on fire. I had to pause in the middle of a timed set of high knees to try and quell the feeling as best I could with water.

Brian cut his glance to me, but I hid my pain well enough that he didn't say anything. I'm sure he knew though.

Just before the hour mark and the end of class he had us all go through the basic move again, making sure we still remembered, still could follow through with it before we stretched a bit and he dismissed us until next week.

“You did really well tonight, Ruby,” Brian said as he gathered his things. “And thanks for not kicking me in the groin,” he smirked.

I laughed and picked up my own bag, slinging it over my shoulder. “No problem.”

“How's the throat?” He asked as we headed out of the studio together. He locked it behind him.

“It feels fine.”

“Lying doesn't make it better.”

“It was nothing I couldn't handle,” I assured him as I shrugged on my jacket, knowing that while the sweat was drying on me I would be getting colder. I also knew what September was like here, and I wasn’t about pretending it wasn’t getting colder.

“Take care of yourself, Ruby,” he said as we trekked down the stairs of the gym. “I can tell your athletic, and that you're struggling with what happened in some way. I was glad to see you feel empowered today.”

I made a face at him as we exited the building.

“Yeah, I could tell… You just have to take what happened and learn from it. You can't keep thinking over what didn't happen or what you should've done.”

“Did something happen to you?” I asked and then covered my mouth with my hand in shock that I'd asked that. My eyes went wide and I moved my hand to start apologizing to him. “I'm so sorry,” I backtracked. “That was… you didn't ask me and now I've just… you don't have to-”

He laughed at my babbling, looking down at his shoes, before looking back up at me.

“It's okay,” he told me. “It was my sister, and I was only a few blocks away, too, and never have I felt more powerless.”

“And she's…?”

“She's fine,” he assured me. “But I started teaching the classes back on campus in Ann Arbor because of it. When I moved here I kept the classes going once I found a gym. I just felt like if I could help others what happened to her wouldn't happen to other people.”

“Guilt?” I could see that along with the other emotions quite clearly on his face.

“At first, yeah,” he shrugged. “Now it's now about empowerment. I want you and everyone I teach to feel safe in whatever way they can.”

When he said that I really felt he meant it. Brian seemed like a genuinely decent person. He seemed like he was a straight shooter, as well. He didn’t let me get away with any of the bullshit I was pulling and he also didn’t make me feel like an idiot for trying to pull it in the first place.

I didn’t know if Brian and I would become friends over the course of his class, but I was grateful that I had found his class, that it was him in charge of helping me. I genuinely felt like even if we didn’t become friends that I could trust him. I felt good about my choice to take the classes.

“And to think, I was probably on campus when you were teaching those classes,” I smiled, almost ironically. “I probably could've been better prepared if I'd paid more attention to my safety before now.”

“You went to Michigan?” He asked as we swiped our cards and climbed the stairs for the train.

“Graduated in 2014.”

“2013,” He smiled. “You were there when I taught. Sorry I couldn't have prevented this.”

“It's not your fault,” I assured him, even though I felt like he was more apologizing that it had happened and all and not necessarily taking the blame for it. “But I'm glad I found your class.”

The Northbound Red Line train was pulling up and I made to get on it, noticing that Brian hung back. “I'm heading South, but I'll see you next week, Ruby.”

“See ya, Brian,” I waved over my shoulder as I stepped on the train and headed toward the pharmacy.

I could've walked home from the gym, but I noticed that I was running low on my salve for my bruises and it wouldn't hurt to pick up some lotion while I was out. It was starting to get colder, after all, and my skin was starting to show it, too.

That night when I got home I felt marginally better about myself, but I still checked the locks twice before lying restlessly in bed until the early morning when exhaustion ruled overall and I was pulled into sleep.

[moonraccoon-exe]

Consider this: FFXV x Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney. Noctis inheriting Caelum and Co. from Regis, advised by long-time family friend Cor. Cor being adoptive dad to Prompto, and the whole first case where you meet Maya. Ignis and Gladiolus being Edgeworth and Gumshoe. Caligo as Prosecutor Payne. Weskham as Godot. Umbra as Missile. Just imagine that~

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

YES

YES SO HARD OHMYGO DSAIJDJFKGDFSDKF SDOKFJ

YES OHMYGOD DEAR LORDS ABOVE THIS IS THE AU I DIDN’T KNOW I DESPERATELY NEEDED AND NOW I’M IN A…MIGHTY  N E C E S S I T Y HHGNHNFGH

*THROWS TANTRUM*

I    WANT   THIS    A     U     AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Dude, yes so hard!!

Defense attorney Noctis! I mean, he already has the black spiky-on-the-back hair and the blue thematic! Besides the non-impressed sort of attitude at times, where the bouncy sidekick is all “HEY HEY LOOK AT THIS FUNNY THING :D” and he’s just “…eh.” BUT without being a too-serious too-dead-inside person. It fits so ridiculously good, dammit!

Veteran defense attorney Cor, I just- *fangasms* HNNNNNNNGGGGGG, YES! Dear Cor being a mentor to dear Noct, aah. Imagine that; the two standing at the defense’s side, Cor being quiet and just going with hinting Noct at what to do. “Did you hear that, Noct? The witness thinks he’s so smart that he didn’t notice he just let out some vital bit of info. You should press him, but be careful with how you word it.”

Hnghngh

Maya!Prompto. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

BUT IT FITS SO GOOD!? The happy cinnamon roll that’s too pure for this world and is always such a happy presence. Always smiling, being a hyperactive little ball of adorableness, enjoying of kids’ TV shows, and being the most loyal of companions to Noct. :’) The very loyal and happy sidekick, that remains badass in his own way. THIS IS A MIGHTY NECESSITY THAT I HAVE FOR THIS AU WITH THESE ROLES GODDAMMIT *punches through wall*

Everything fits so nicely, but Maya!Prompto is definitely the most accurate. Even when they’re sad it fits! You can just imagine the one frame where Maya has the head slightly down, eyes on Phoenix, and tears on the corner of her eyes, and see Prompto like that instead almost like he was made to take the role aaaaaah!

Ignis as Edgeworth and Gladio as Gumshoe COULDN’T HAVE EVER GOTTEN ANY BETTER.

Prosecutor Ignis, though, CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT. UNGH. To start with, Ignis in fancy suits is already fantastic enough and I need it. Now imagine him going “Objection!” and being all smug and confident about his stuff. I just…love this.

And it also fits really nicely, considering the entire “childhood friends” with Noct! :O   AAAAAH

Gumshoe reminded me of Gladio in some ways, but there were two or three parts where I was like “this is ABSOLUTELY some sort of Gladio”. I mean, Gumshoe likes puppies (he’s super fond of Missile, it seems!), he’s this big and tough looking guy but he’s really just a giant teddy bear, always laughing, and even a little naïve at times, he likes flirting with girls at times, but he’s not rude or bad with them, he has this absolute devotion to Ignis/Edgeworth…and not to forget about that time when Gumshoe arrived to Phoenix’s office asking for a job, saying he could be useful and cook, and said his speciality is “Instant noodles”. Hahahahaha!! And later on he says something about his salary being so poor that he’s been living on instant noodles for who knows how long. ABSOLUTELY GLADIO!

Caligo would work great as Payne just for the fact that they’re both annoying AND I HATE BOTH OF THEM.

B   U   T

I HAVE A BETTER ROLE FOR CALIGO.

Just imagine….it’s Caligo but he takes the role of one..

Prosecutor Manfred Von Karma.

*EXPLODES*

I mean, it would be SOOOOOOOO cool considering Edgeworth Ignis! Manfred and Caligo both are men older than Miles/Ignis, both killed a figure that was senior to Miles/Ignis, both hold a huge grudge against Miles/Ignis because Miles/Ignis did something better than them or ruined them in some way and both Miles and Ignis actually physically INJURED them, which is the reason both want revenge on the younger ones and want to ruin their lives, and both are always all “lmao I am so perfect”.

Imagine Caligo taking Ignis under his wing pretending to be an ally but really he’s just waiting for the moment to ruin him…D:

*CHIMES IN THROUGH THE WALL*

ARANEA IS FRANZISKA, RIGHT?

I mean, grey-haired dominatrix with a whip that goes around smacking Noctis and everyone but who’s just doing her job and is actually amazing at it B|

(Omg, Gladio being scared of Aranea, ahahaha)

Weskham as Godot.

OhmygOD….Weskahm as Godot….hnHNGHNGNFGNH-

*SHORT CIRCUITS*

*SHARP INHALE*

I LOVED WESKHAM AS HE IS. I LOVED GODOT AS HE IS.

AND YOU JUST MADE A MIXTURE OF THE TWO!?!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

DUDE, YES!! IT FITS SO AMAZINGLY WELL AAAAAAAAAAAH

The fancy guy in a fancy vest who talks fancily. I NEED THAT.

Imagine Weskham at the prosecutor’s side. He already has the clothes. And now he has a mug of coffee (or perhaps a cup of Altissian wine), and he has that smug smile and shakes the head.

Oh boi, did you see what you just did with Godot!Weskham?

You just shipped Weskham/Cor and made it very much canon, oh my~ ewe

speAKING OF cOr thOUGH

CAN WE PLEASE….NOT KILL HIM, THOUGH? ;A;

Hnhfgnhnfgmhfg, I know in some way Mia lives even if just through Maya and Pearly and in random flashes Phoenix has, but…it’s…not…the same hgnhgfngf

I mean, it would make quite a story! Your second case as an attorney, where they killed one of your dad’s best friends and who was a dear friend to you, and your mentor, and the defendant is no other but COR’S SON HIMSELF what the fahk ohmyfgidkjgfmfd, THE SCANDAL! AAAAH!

…I just- *deep breath* I don’t have the heart to kill Cor… ;w;   Even less to make Prommy walk into his corpse…. ;w;    and be BLAMED for it… ;w;

I DON’T HAVE THE HEART TO DO ANY OF THAT, CAN WE KILL SOMEONE ELSE AND CAN COR LIVE PWEASE

When I first read “Umbra as Missile”, and partly because I was waking up and half asleep as I read it, I was like “Missile, who the hell is Missile. OhnO, surely Missile is a dog that appears later on in Apollo Justice or DD or SoJ and I haVEN’T PLAYED ANY OF THEM, YOU’RE SPOILING MEEEEEEEEEEEE oh wait no Missi- *gaASPS* MISSILE IS THE- AHAHAHA of coooooourse! HOW CUTE! C:”

Goddamit, this is the AU that’s ENDING ME and I happilly accept this end. BOTH GAMES ARE TOO GOOD UNGH MIXING THEM IS LIKE MIXING EPIC WITH EPIC, YOU GET EPIC SQUARE.

Just- imagine that. B|

It’s Final Gyakuten Saiban Fantasy XV. Also known as Final Ace Attorney Fantasy XV. It sounds- weird now that I read it, BUT IT’S THE MOST EPIC GAME/STORY YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER.

Noctis Wright Caelum, rookie defense attorney in the job. He likes blue and black suits and has a spiky black hair, and usually comes up with ideas as he’s on the go. He’s usually “wright” ;D

Meet his mentor! Cor Leonis, a more experienced defense attorney and friend to Noctis’ dad, an attorney retired due to health problems (now worries, he’s fine now that he gets to rest). Cor Leonis, usually coming off as rather serious and cold, but is actually a very caring and friendly ally during trial.

His son, Prompto, a rather bouncy and slightly hyperactive young boy, Noctis’ age, passionate for photography, and with rather poor comprehension of the law, BUT incredibly useful when it comes to seeing people’s lies and contradictions.

And on the prosecution’s side, we have one Ignis Scientia! With a mysterious background, Ignis is smart, calculating, sly, dark, and he’s tagged as a genius, having started at age 19/20 and not having lost one single case up until now. And his mentor, oh, yes, the man that took him under his wing when Ignis lost his father under mysterious circumstances…

Caligo von Uldor, a FUCKING PIECE OF GARBAGE.

And he grows up next to one grey haired and slightly aggressive, super sassy Aranea, who started prosecution at age THIRTEEN because she’s a bloody genius. And cheats sometimes. Because she’s still a mercenary as a lawyer but HEY I DIDN’T MAKE THE RULES.

And let’s not forget the friendly and adorable detective Gladiolus Amicitia, a guy that may come off as tough looking at first, but is really just a noodle-obsessed pet-lover flirty adorable precious angel that just wants justice and for everyone to be happy and for those he cares about to be safe. He has absolute devotion to and admires prosecutor Ignis Scientia a lot and would do ANYTHING for him… :’3

Detective Gladio likes to hang with the dog-in-training at the police department Umbra! A NICE FLUFFEEH ADORABLE LITTLE BOY THAT WILL EAT ALL THE SAMURAI HOT DOGS IN ONE GO!

And I would talk about the mysterious prosecutor Armaugh, and maybe also about Cor’s former and apparently now dead boyfriend defense attorney Weskham, but that’s- quite a long story and I’m not sure I should write it all XD

GASPS.

Bro.

Bro…

Twins Stella & Lunafreya…

YOU KNOW FOR WHICH ROLES.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*HEAD EXPLODES DUE TO MINDBLOW*

CAN TALCOTT BE PEARLY PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Yes. Simply…simply YES to this AU… ;A;

[[There’s no more under the cut other than my own thoughts. It’s not a long answer but I’ll add a keep reading here, buddy c:]]

I recently beat the Ace Attorney trilogy for the first time just a few weeks ago and I’m still absolutely enamored and in love with it. I didn’t think it would be more than just funny criminal cases, didn’t know there was an entire plot and character building and development in there, and I had of course close to not a single idea I would fall for this series SO DEEP AND SO HARD.

And now, thinking about it mixed with the GLORIOUS FFXV that is sorta special to me…

*SOBS*I CAN’T.

THIS IS THE PERFECT CROSSOVER/AU AND I’M STILL IN THAT NECESSITY FOR IT ADH AHSDAS DHA *BAWLS*

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH.

Thank you so much for sharing this with me. As I was playing I was trying to think of some way to mix it with FFXV but didn’t put much brain in it. But YOU, my friend, you landed it PERFECTLY and so exquisitely. URGH. Your ask was so glorious to receive and to read through because YES to everything!!!

I’M ALL THE WAY INTO IT FOR ACE ATTORNEY AND FFXV /AND/ FOR ACE ATTORNEY X FFXV ASDKJFKSDJFDS ;A;

I was so happy to receive something AA too, ahaha. I don’t talk much about it because 99% of the people follow me due to FFXV but I’d do it gladly anytime, so I’m SUPER HAPPY that you talked about it with me. BOTH GAMES FILL ME SO MUCH OF SO MANY AND SO INTENSE FEELS HFNJGNF

Now I desperately need art for this. Godot!Weskham, Prosecutor!Ignis, Detective!Gladio…URGH. IT’S ALL TOO GOOD AND THE MENTAL IMAGES IN MY HEAD ARE BRILLIANT (ﾉД`)

GODS, thank you so much for reacing out to me with this LOVELY and wonderful ask. I’M SO INTO THIS HELL AND AU AND I’D GLADLY TALK ABOUT IT ANY DAMN TIME AGAIN KALSDJKLDSFJD

Thank you so, so, so much for dropping this INCREDIBLY LOVELY ask in! I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW EPIC IT TRULY IS, AT LEAST TO ME, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Now I’m gonna be thinking about this FOREVER

(; ω ; )

I hope you’re having a WONDERFUL day or night, buddy! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ