#or kay on Edgeworth's side

[paeinovis]

I think prosecutors should get co-councils more often in aa...

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

bring iris back rn.

[loz-the-noob]

what are you talking about. she wasthere the whole. Time

[phoenxart]

[demon-prosecuted]

The worried expression the other wears isn't a good sign, but Edgeworth is also good at getting that response. His coping mechanisms have never been good, his sleep always poor in quality. And it's painfully difficult to admit that he likes or finds enjoyment in anything.

❝ It's exactly what the name says - it's a battle facility crossed with a subway station. Its central hub is in Nimbasa, but it connects to the entire region, and its gimmick is that you can partake in battles while riding. ❞

Though, the shift into a different topic cannot last forever. It circles back with the reminder that, yes, he had spent an hour working on paperwork.

❝ ..This is hardly anything. ❞ He blurts out. It's right - he oftentimes will go longer, only pausing to refill his tea. (The mistake is easy enough to make, he supposes. The correction can be made later.) ❝ But.. I doubt I will be winning this argument, so.. Fine. A walk should suffice. ❞

Not to mention that he doesn't want to start an argument over such a thing - his own needs and health. He might argue for a living, but the evidence all points in Altra's favor.

❝ Although, I'm not sure where to. Did you have anything in mind? ❞ Or are you just winging it? Oh, but he's standing up now, mindful to straighten his tailcoat as he does. Maybe he doesn't mind that much, in this case.

Altra was quiet as he listened. He was.. really good at doing that at least. But as Miles listed off his things to do for 'fun', Altra looked.. a bit worried. That all hardly sounded fun, it sounded like something just 'to do because he had the time'. Not something enjoyable.

"What's.. a 'Battle Subway'?" He looked confused. A lot of things to do with Pokémon battling were rather beyond him.

But the worry only compounded when Miles revealed he hadn't slept well. And while.. Altra wasn't 'happy' about the answer, he didn't want to pressure more out of Miles as a result.

"Well.. Maybe.. a bit of fresh air would do you good? You've been hunched over that paper for like.. an hour now." Had it been a straight hour? Looks like it according to the clock. All the while Altra had just watched Miles work.

Sure, he could easily complain about being bored, but instead he remained silent. Watched, waited, and simply took a chance to ask about his friends well being over all else.

"A little bit of a walk? And maybe something other than coffee.. you know?"

[rivalsforlife]

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Announced

At the Nintendo Direct today, news I have been tirelessly waiting six years for arrived: The Ace Attorney Investigations games are coming to all modern consoles! This includes Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (now officially known as Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Gambit), after THIRTEEN YEARS of being a Japan-exclusive game!

Now everyone gets to experience Debeste Ace Attorney games! ... The Winner Ace Attorney Games!

Key Information

The collection is coming out on September 6, 2024 to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, XBOX One, Windows, and Steam. It will be available in Japanese, English, French, German, Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese, with new voice dubs. Most of the information in this post will be coming from the official website, which you can check out for more details.

The reveal trailer is as follows:

There's lots of information here, so let's break it down:

New Features

Since these were originally Nintendo DS games, there's a massive jump in graphic quality to HD! This includes a new interface for Logic, the court record, and redone full-body sprites. But if you prefer the classic look, the AAI collection will let you swap between the sprite styles:

Similarly to the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and 456 Collection, the AAI Collection includes story mode, dialogue history, a gallery containing concept and special art, and music including orchestral arrangements of the soundtrack.

You can also change the in-game soundtrack to rearranged tracks! This applies to Confrontation - Allegro, Confrontation - Presto, Objection 2009, and Pursuit - Chase Down The Truth (commonly known as Lying Coldly) with and without the intro.

Pre-Order Bonuses

Much like the AAI tracks, AAI2 arranged tracks can play in game, but these are currently restricted to pre-order bonuses (though this might change in the future). This includes Confrontation - Allegro 2011, Confrontation - Presto 2011, Objection 2011, and the intro and non-intro versions of Pursuit - Uncover The Truth (commonly known as Wanting To Find The Truth).

That's all on the English side, but much like the 456 collection, Japan has a physical collector's edition called the Mitsurugi (Edgeworth) Checkmate Set. This includes an arranged mini-album of songs by other composers, and new album art by Tatsuro Iwamoto.

The new songs include "Objections of Different Eras" (seemingly a remix of Objections 2009 and 2011), "Raven that Pursues The Truth" (remix of Kay's theme), "It's Time for Action!" (remix of Gumshoe's theme), "Howling Echoes" (remix of Lang's theme), and "Unveiling the Truth" (remix of the Pursuit songs).

This collection also includes a diorama set:

The set has two backgrounds (the rooftop of the Grand Tower and Edgeworth's office), and has standees of Edgeworth, Kay, Gumshoe, Franziska, Lang, Gregory, and... Verity and Eustace.

Which is a good segue into:

Localization Differences

Since most AA fans will be familiar with the fantastic AAI2 fan translation, the new names will likely be an adjustment for all of us. Characters in AAI (like Kay and Lang) will not have their names changed, just characters that were previously exclusive to AAI2.

Known name changes include:

Yumihiko Ichiyanagi / Sebastian Debeste -> Eustace Winner

Hakari Mikagami / Justine Courtney -> Verity Gavèlle

Tateyuki Shigaraki / Raymond Shields -> Eddie Fender

We also know that Manosuke Naito / Horace Knightley's new last name is Knight, and Gai Tojiro / Ethan Rooke's last name is Rook, which isn't much of a departure from fan translation names. We also know that Mikiko Hayami / Nicole Swift's new last name is Lloyd. I will provide updates on more names when they become available!

Regardless of your feelings on the new names - it's going to be an adjustment for everyone used to the fan translation that has been around ten years now - let's all keep in mind that despite the new names, the characters behind the names will be the same. And personally, as a massive fan of AAI2, I think the adjustment will be worth it if it means that more people get to experience my favorite ace attorney game for themselves.

With this announcement, all canonical ace attorney games have been ported to modern consoles and given an English translation. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this announcement is thirteen years in the making for AAI2! This is an unprecedented time for the popularity and accessibility of Ace Attorney.

(All we need now is the Layton crossover...)

Thank you all for joining me in this excitement and I look forward to collecting and sharing more updates as they arrive!

[archivebottles]

My piece for the @eurekazine was such a fun project to be a part of and leftover sales are open until 3/1!

[IMG ID: drawing of Edgeworth, Kay Faraday, and Ema Skye from Ace Attorney. They are standing side by side with kay punching information in on Little Thief. The background is Little Thief's window modeled after Windows 95's OS with windows of various clues from the case and games cluttering up the space. / END ID]

[wildfey]

Thoughts on the new investigations official art as I suddenly realised I had some (also I really like it! I actually think it's one of the best of the big AA group portraits and clearly a lot of thought went into where each character is in relation to their role in the plot and to each other.)

Images are all terrible phone screenshots sorry but I'm on my lunch break at work

1.

This is one of my fave official gumshoe images of all time. Up there with giving pearl a piggyback and fishing with Maggey. Look at them. I love them. Gumshoe and his lil puppy. Also a real cute missile. But also this is Edgeworth's game and Gumshoe is Edgeworth's friend (one of Edgeworth's closest friends - and we get to see the origins of that in aai) so it fits that we get to see the loveable gumshoe that Edgeworth sees here, right behind him, with his dog. It's adorable.

2)

AHH my faves. First of all I just love seeing Shih-na looking very cool and mysterious whereas Lang looks cool at first glance and then you look closer and realise that his pose is actually really stupid. It's very them. And they are obviously next to each other as always - Lang in front but pushed out to the side, whereas Shih-na is behind him and slightly hidden but she's actually closer to the centre which is a nice little metaphor for their positions in the plot. She's also next to Kay which is a clever nod to what we learn in aai.

(Also maggey and lotta in the background are cute too).

No notes really just nice to see new art of team Interpol.

3)

Okay so this is the bit I really do have thoughts on because positioning! Obviously Miles in the middle, it's his game after all. But having Gregworth and MVK in the background is just a fun choice - after all, they are literally his background! They are facing away from each other, going in opposite ways and Miles is in-between them! Just a nice bit of visual metaphor considering how much a theme of the games is his background and upbringing, and how Miles has to choose between these two opposing influences in his life and find a path between them (and both appear more in the investigations games then they do anywhere else so their size and influence is really significant here).

4)

And finally, Fran! Only her 13 year old design is on this poster, despite the fact that she actually appears as an adult in the game more but that makes sense, this is advertising and this is a unique design for aai. But I like how she's also in the background, she's a figure from Edgeworth's past, but in a much more active pose than MVK or Gregworth are - she remains an active player in his story, unlike them. Also she's placed next to Edgeworth and MVK, which makes sense considering their relationship.

Also I genuinely do just like this design for Fran - I think one place where aai really works is its character designs which are almost universally really well done and nice to look at visually. I like that she's a horse girl and you can tell. I like that it references her trilogy outfit but with a far less adult silhouette. It's just good.

[aceof-stars]

Miles Edgeworth is both extremely perceptive about other people’s intentions and motivations, but also terrible at understanding how his own actions affect others. It’s quite an interesting nuance that I think is often overlooked.

When Edgeworth returns in 2-4, he is already aware of what Phoenix is lacking as an attorney before he even knows the full extent of Phoenix's crisis (Maya being kidnapped). In their first conversation, Edgeworth says: "In order to understand this case, you have to understand a certain "truth"". He knows that Phoenix's current motivation for being a defense attorney is flawed (cue his "we are not heroes" line). However, at the same time Edgeworth doesn’t fully understand how his actions of disappearing have affected both Phoenix and Franziska.

Another very obvious example of this is in AAI (I think?). In response to Kay asking: “Have you guys not decided if you are going out, or is it just one sided?” Edgeworth says: “‘Decided’…? Shouldn’t the parties involved naturally just know…?” Edgeworth thinks people in a relationship should instinctively perceive the feelings of the other person without communicating. He doesn’t consider the possibilities of misinterpretation or misunderstanding.

So in the context of Wrightworth, essentially what I'm saying is that unless something like fear is holding him back, Miles definitely knows about Phoenix's feelings. It's Phoenix who's off somewhere deluding himself.

[hyperfixatinator]

Every now and then I like to picture how a Batman x Ace Attorney crossover would go.

Bruce Wayne and Phoenix Wright talking about the numerous kids they've each adopted over the years (honorary and literally).

Jason (in civvies) getting framed for murder (again, but this time the whole fam knows he didn't do it).

Batfam meets the Yatagarasu! I can see Kay and Steph getting along dangerously well.

Cass immediately clocking Trucy and Apollo as people who can read body language unnaturally well.

I wanna see the magatama being used on Bruce, but from Bruce's perspective. Would he suspect something supernatural's going on? Would there be signs? What would it feel like to have one's own psyche-locks broken? What if another batkid watched the interaction from an outside perspective?

Athena getting constant headaches from the emotional discord going on in the Wayne family.

Edgeworth hating Bruce Wayne, but getting along swimmingly with Batman (which is kinda surreal for Bruce since it's usually the other way around).

Khura'in being a neighboring country to Nanda Parbat.

Japanifornia being a heavily Americanized region of Japan with its own laws (If we're going with the English translated games).

Damian and Simon Blackquill bonding over swords and hawks. This terrifies everyone around them.

Franziska Von Karma assisting Interpol in the search for Alvin Draper, the international art thief. Tim knows Bruce is gonna have questions about that later.

Edgeworth and Bruce having a little more in common than either of them are comfortable with.

Trucy and Apollo's perceiving abilities, along with Athena's empathetic hearing, could be meta abilities. However, the existence of metas in Japanifornia have barely begun to be documented, and the Meta Protection Acts hadn't been proposed there yet. The Fey and Khurain families' channeling techniques could fall into this category too (in that it is genetic, but the Khurainism religious connection can't be ignored).

Gotham rogues Vs. Phoenix's uncanny ability to get out of anything virtually unscathed.

The WAA lawyers often have to either use underhanded methods and connections to get info from detectives, or do the detective work themselves. They wouldn't be used to a detective they just met willingly helping out the defense's side.

If we extend this crossover to the rest of the DC universe, then John Constantine meeting a lawyer with connections to the supernatural could be hilarious.

Dick absolutely THRIVING with all the name puns!

Courtroom shenanigans. Need I say more?

[just-a-gamer-daydeamer-girl]

Ace attorney headcanons I have cuz I can’t focus on just one thing

Phoenix/Ryuichi hated his name when he was younger but he has grown to love it in his adulthood

Miles finds Kay’s rants interesting

Phoenix is a Japanese American hybrid and is proud of his heritage on both sides.

Trucy actually knows quite a bit of law

Phoenix is great at Japanese but not perfect

Ryuichi is great at English but not perfect

Edgeworth has ‘girls nights’ with franzica where they gossip

Larry was messing with Phoenix in the beginning of turnabout time traveler.

Apollo naturally attracts ladies (juniper was not a solo incident), but he is too focused on other things to notice or care.

Phoenix doesn’t have a law degree, he has a degree in art though. (Look it up it’s not required to have a law degree to take the bar in some places)

Athena wears her special headphones somedays when everything is too much.

Maya is acesexual and maybe Aromantic as well.

Trucy has an inkling of her and Apollo’s biological relationship.

The ‘little big brother’ is a running gag of sorts between the group.

Phoenix is actually a genius and would be absolutely terrifying if he ever got serious or learned how to properly use his smarts. But his brain sometimes makes connections before he even realizes it, and ‘bluffs’ as a result.

Kristoph did his best to isolate Phoenix from his friends. It got to the point where Phoenix had to be careful who he meet up with or what he wrote or spoke, thankfully he managed to keep some friendships.

Phoenix has a bit of a rough relationship with his parents as an adult, he loves them and they love him but there are just some things they can’t agree on.

Apollo has a great singing voice, but gets super nervous when others are watching him so it causes him to mess up with his cords of steel.

All the Lawyers in the wright anything agency are strong. Phoenix can kick and knock down doors, Apollo helped Clay with astronauts training, and I don’t need to tell you about Athena do I?

Phoenix is actually pretty well off (royalty checks from Britain for some reason) but he was taught that money earned himself is better. He was also taught to be frugal. But he is often a little TOO frugal when he doesn’t need to be and that offen leads to greater trouble. (This might as well be cannon, the reason why his back was so bad in SoJ was because he skipped out on a proper hotel, yet he had money to blow for Trucy’s allowance in aa4 and on a plane ticket)

Kay is super athletic and is a master at parkour

Maya is kinda bitter about Mia leaving the Fey clan and becoming a Lawyer

Pearl needs glasses

[raptorian]

Day 8??

Nothing much to say besides here’s Kay! I adore her and I think she deserves some more love, which hopefully she’ll get when the collection releases. As a side note, I’m planning on joining artfight this year so I’ll be making a post/linking to my account sometime soon so look out for that.

Side by side image of her beside Sebastian and Edgeworth under the cut!

[folkdances]

my opinions on the sexualities of (nearly) every single main aa character and some side characters also

mia fey: bi

phoenix wright: bi

larry butz: straight. he tried to go gay it just didn't work 😢

winston and gaspen payne: straight

maya fey: in my heart she's a lesbian. textually? idk. i will say dubiously lesbian because she said regina berry was cute but most likely i think she is aro

dick gumshoe: straight but he has fooled around with men before, he just doesn't take it seriously. like he doesn't mind banging boots with men but when he pictures a future he has a wife

miles edgeworth: do i even have to say it. gay

will powers: straight and transfem.

dee vasquez: gumshoe situation where she's straight but i know she has gone down on a girl at least once in her life

lotta hart: straight

gregory edgeworth: he's like a spore to me. asexual reproduction. he cut his fingernails one day and the next a baby had spawned into being. but like straight i guess

manfred von karma: straight. his earring doesn't fool ME!

ema skye: lesbian and ace she will have sex every now and again but mostly out of curiosity whenever she forgets what it feels like

lana skye: lesbian.

angel starr: bi

jake marshall: straight

damon gant: gay

maggey byrde: straight but in a larry way. she tried going gay and it didn't work. her and gumshoe are like schrodinger's bi couple

morgan fey: straight but perhaps a lesbian in another life

mimi miney: lesbian but in a tiktok astrology sapphic way

franziska von karma: she thinks she's straight for a while but she is a butch lesbian (butch in the gender identity sense as well)

matt engarde: gay

adrian andrews: straight. sorry.

dahlia hawthorne: EXTREMELY loaded opinion here. i will say straight but in a very complicated 'there's more important and weird stuff going on' kind of way so no way to really know

ron and desiree delite: straight

diego armando: straight but i do think he thinks about it in prison

viola cadaverini: lesbian idgaf

iris hawthorne: straight but she fools around a little after prison at phoenix's insistence (they are friends don't test me)

kristoph gavin: gay

olga orly: lesbian. what else was i supposed to make of the nickname 'quick-fingers'.

apollo justice: gay and transmasc (the voice training? hello.)

trucy wright: another loaded bomb. i will say aroace but with a lot of weird pseudo comphet stuff happening where she knows she doesn't like boys but she's been acting for long enough that she's semi-convinced herself. she'll figure it out one day

wocky kitaki: straight and he gets really offended if you suggest he's gay but he has thought about it at night

klavier gavin: bi and cis but he goes by she/him pronouns

juniper woods: beat me and take my blood but straight

athena cykes: lesbian and ace. she did have a crush on juniper

simon blackquill: straight until he gets out of prison and edgeworth is his gay awakening. he doesn't really care that much though. probably aro as well

aura blackquill: lesbian. like textually

pearl fey: straight

nahyuta sahdmadhi: straight and cis

dhurke sahdmadhi: bi.

rhoda teneiro: straight

kay faraday: lesbian and nonbinary also

shi-long lang: he doesn't care that much probably bi though

tyrell badd: straight but one day he gets asked if he's gay and he sticks his lollipop in his mouth for a long time before saying "... who hasn't had ... gay thoughts?" and it's never brought up again.

raymond shields: straight

justine courtney: straight

sebastian debeste: straight and transfem but she only figures that out a few years after aai2

abstaining from commenting on bronco knight and simeon saint. for now

[sunstone-smiles]

Use Your Imagination!

Original request: "For Day 12, I wanna see Kay up to mischief since the Investigations Collection came out recently! Maybe some Lee Edgeworth and Gummy too?"

Author’s note: Wooo, time to (finally) celebrate the release of the Investigation Collection with a fic! Here’s Day 12 of Tickletober: “Mischief,” “Ancient,” and “Wall” from August’s Tickletober List, Crow’s Tickletober List, and Nim’s Tickletober List! I hope you enjoy!

Series: Ace Attorney Investigations

Characters: Miles Edgeworth, Detective Gumshoe, Kay Faraday

Word count: 1,576

Summary: Kay is playing an imaginative adventure game to obtain a ‘treasure,’ but Edgeworth’s lack of imagination disrupts her game; that is, until she gets a mischievous idea to rope him into her adventure. (Side note: There are no spoilers that are mentioned so please enjoy!)

---

Imagine a tense sequence of an adventure movie, where the hero is in the depths of an underground cave, slowly approaching a room with ancient treasure that’s perched on top of a pedestal. That’s exactly the image that’s playing out in Kay’s brain currently. 

She tiptoes towards a rounded table near the entrance of Edgeworth’s prosecutor office, keeping her eyes locked on the ‘treasure’ she wants to obtain—the legendary, convenient stapler (that she took from Edgeworth’s desk).

“The adventure approaches the pedestal, careful not to set off any traps,” Kay narrates for herself in a quiet whisper. “And then…she makes a run for it!” Kay picks up speed towards the stapler. As she closes in on the treasure, her vision of the prize becomes obstructed. She stops on her heels as Gumshoe steps in front of the table with his arms thrown out like a goalie and in prime position to block any adventurer from passing through.

“Nice try, pal! But you’ll have to get through me first!” Gumshoe smiles as he plays along with Kay’s game.

“Drats! A wall!” Kay exaggerates her words. “Not a problem! I can just go around it!” She attempts to run around to both sides to find an opening at a different angle, but Gumshoe mimics her movements to block her path.

“Or how about going through it!” Kay exclaims right as she charges at Gumshoe. She tries to duck under his arms, but Gumshoe catches her. She stretches her arms as far as she can and flails them towards the stapler like she was swimming to it, although she’s just out of reach, even when trying to push her way through Gumshoe’s barricade.

Kay wiggles herself backwards out of Gumshoe’s hold and stares up at her ‘obstacle.’

“Sorry, pal, but you’re not getting past me that easily!” Gumshoe says.

“Well then! If I can’t go around or through the wall, then I guess the only option left is to make the wall crumble!” Kay balls up her fist in determination. However, under the guise of her determination, there’s a glint in her eye that’s practically brimming with mischief.

“Good luck with that. Because whatever you do, this wall will not brea–hehehehey!” Gumshoe’s last word morphs into giggles when Kay lunges her hands at the detective and starts tickling him. The strength to keep his arms up falters and he quickly squeezes them to his sides for protection, then twists to his right from her attack.

“Demolition by ticking!” Kay grins as she follows the detective's movements and scribbles into one of his sides.

“Nohohoho! My one weheheheakness!” Gumshoe continues to play along with the game. A giggly yelp comes from Gumshoe when Kay’s hand’s scribble at his belly, causing the detective to nearly fold in half.

“Kahahahahay, whahahait!” Gumshoe breaks character through his giggles. He leans forward even more, “Thahahat reheheheally tickles!” He loses his balance and collapses to his knees. His hands wrap around himself as Kay and her hands still follow him down.

“Ah ha!” Kay exclaims victoriously. She pulls her hands from Gumshoe, then races to claim her prize. 

“Now to just grab the treasure!” She reaches out for it, and just as she’s about to grab it, the stapler is snatched up by another hand right in front of her.

“Hey!” Kay looks up at the stapler now in the hands of Edgeworth. The prosecutor has loose papers in his hand and seemingly needs the stapler for its intended function. “Mr. Edgeworth!” Kay places her hands on her hips. “That’s my ancient treasure!”

“It is not treasure, Kay. It is my stapler and I need to use it,” Edgeworth says while looking at his paperwork instead of her. He begins to trot back to his desk.

“Aww, come on, Mr. Edgeworth!” Kay follows his footsteps. “Where’s your imagination?”

The prosecutor straightens his stack of papers and taps them on his desk.

“It’s on vacation,” he says bluntly. He clicks the stapler to the corner of the pages.

“Boooo! You’re no fun,” Kay jokingly insults him. “It’s like talking to a brick wall.” Just then, Kay blinks as if her vision needs clarity. She straightens her posture as an idea clicks in that playfully devious mind of hers. 

She points her index finger in the air as her classic, mischievous smile makes its second appearance. “But walls are meant to be broken!”

Edgeworth still has his eyes on his paperwork as he places it down, “Kay, what are you talking abo–hohout!” Edgeworth yelps mid sentence as Kay lunges her hands at him, pushing his back to the desk. She wastes no time as she scribbles into his sides, causing Edgworth to lean back and brace his free hand on the surface of the desk. His other hand still holds the stapler as airy snickers begin to release from the prosecutor.

“Demolition by tickling part two!” Kay smiles.

“Kahahahay! Get ohohoff mehehe!” giggles start to pour from Edgeworth as he’s momentarily pinned between Kay and his desk.

“Then give me the stapler back, Mr. Edgeworth!” Kay attempts to reach for the stapler, but Edgeworth holds it above his head. The pause in Kay’s tickling allows Edgworth to sidestep out of his pinned position and reach the corner of his desk.

“I will not!” Edgeworth backs away as Kay steps closer. 

“Then if you don’t give it back, you’re a thief!” she points at him. “And there’s only room for one Great Thief around here!” Kay smiles as she approaches Edgeworth. Edgworth backs up further and rounds the corner of his desk to his chair.

“How can I be a thief if it’s my stapler?!”

“Use your imagination! Remember, Mr. Edgeworth?” Kay says before running towards him.

“Kay, no!” Edgeworth runs in the other direction and around the rest of his desk with Kay chasing after him. The prosecutor rushes towards the front of the room, where Gumshoe is now standing.

“Get him, Gummy!” Kay shouts with a grin. As Edgeworth attempts to run past him, the detective wraps his arms around the prosecutor and spins around with him to halt his momentum.

“Gotcha!” Gumshoe says.

“Detective, don’t you dare!” Egdeworth frantically tries to wiggle himself out of Gumshoes' hold. He manages to get his arms free; however, Gumshoe throws his own arm across the prosecutor’s chest and pulls him back, then he puts Edgeworth’s stapler-holding arm in a headlock with his free arm to trap it. Gumshoe’s hand that’s wrapped across the prosecutor's chest immediately goes to work by tickling his underarm. Another yelp is followed by deep giggles that encase the prosecutor’s form.

Kay approaches with her hands on her hips again. “Ha ha! Looks like you set off a tickly trap while you were escaping! That’s why you gotta be a skilled adventurer like me,” she grins before winking at Gumshoe. “Thanks for the help, Gummy.”

“No problem, Kay,” Gumshoe smiles. 

Kay moves forward and assists Gumshoe, using her fingers to wiggle into Edgeworth’s belly. “Now, hand over the treasure!”

“Whahahat if I rehehefuse? Hahaha!” Edgeworth attempts to stand his ground as he wheezes through his words. A shriek suddenly comes from the prosecutor when Kay’s fingers crawl their way up to his ribs. 

“Then you get your ribs tickled, that’s what,” Kay grins, knowing that Edgeworth’s ribs are his weak point.

“Ahahalright! I gihihive! Juhuhuhust tahahake the stapler!”

“What stapler? I only see treasure,” Kay teases him one more time.

“The treasure, ohohokay?! Tahahake it!” 

Kay jumps up and immediately snatches her prize from his hand. Gumshoe releases Edgeworth from his trap, causing the prosecutor to squeeze his arms to his sides as he recovers breaths of air.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Kay takes a bow to celebrate her win.

“Glad you’re happy now,” Edgeworth uses one hand to rub his previously attacked ribs. “I’ll just use a paperclip or something as a temporary solution,” he begins to turn towards his desk.

“Nah, you can have it,” Kay holds out the stapler.

“Wh-What?!” Edgeworth stutters. “Kay, why did we just go through all of that if you didn’t even want the stapler?!” he questions.

“Yeah, Kay. I thought you said earlier that the stapler couldn’t be replaced with anything else as the treasure,” Gumshoe adds.

“I did it to have fun, of course,” Kay answers Edgeworth's question. “You need to have fun around the office more often. You’re lucky that Gummy and I are here to help with that.”

Edgeworth opens his mouth to begin a counter argument, but Kay speaks first. 

“Come on, Gummy! Let’s imagine a new scene! This time, we can be on a train heist!” 

“Sounds good to me, Kay!” Gumshoe replies and the two go back to their spot near the front of the office, after Kay runs over to return the stapler to Edgeworth’s desk.

Edgeworth rolls his eyes and disregards what he was going to say. He walks over to his desk, takes a seat, and grabs the paperwork he was working on. He straightens out another stack, then glances at the stapler now on his desk. Kay and Gumshoe’s new game can be heard in the background of his work. It doesn’t distract him, nor does it bother him. Truthfully, it makes the office a bit more lively; it makes it feel a bit less lonely.

Perhaps Kay, as mischievous as she can be, is right. The office just wouldn’t be the same without them.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Ace Attorney: IF (... Part 10)

Let's flash forward seven years. (人◕ω◕) 2026. Society distrusts the courts by a wide margin, but they still gotta do their job even with rumors and investigations into scandals with their professions.

Edgeworth and Fey Law Offices are still doing pretty well for themselves, but they've got a rival in Gavin Law Offices. Kristoph is especially determined to outshine Miles, and thus takes on a new promising assistant to elevate his reputation. Apollo Justice. Kristoph doesn't understand "why" the boy is special - just that the potential is there, and he'll be damned if he allows Edgeworth or the Fey's to get their claws in the boy.

It comes time for Apollo's debut... and he's up against the Phoenix Wright. With a decade of experience under his belt, Phoenix is a rather formidable opponent for a first outing in the courtroom. But it's not even just him; the detective Calisto Yew, and the judge Justine Courtney... Just about everyone seems a legend in some way, and Apollo's a cub in the big, scary lion's den. Even with his mentor at his side, Apollo feels under-prepared and like he's barely contributing (Kristoph cuts in a lot).

... But Phoenix strangely doesn't seem like an enemy, not in Apollo's eyes. The man has his job as a prosecutor, yet he fights for Apollo's right to cross-examinations and chances to present evidence. Of course this often brings him to clash with Kristoph, who desires control over Apollo's performance... Yet Apollo's the attorney, so Judge Courtney listens to his opinions over Kristoph's. It's strange seeing his mentor pushed around and almost... treated like an inconvenience...

Yet Apollo gets through his first trial with a Not Guilty verdict. Much to his shock and wonder. Kristoph is quick to "remind" his ward that despite the success, he is still the boss, and to not get a swelled head. Apollo respects and idolizes Mister Gavin, so that's not so much of a problem... But he can't quite get out of his head how helpful and understanding everyone else in the court was towards him. It feels different from the guidance Mister Gavin offers, but he's not averse to the support they gave to him. He... wants to see more of the legal world. Make a name for himself.

But it's not so simple for Apollo. Though Kristoph refuses to sit with him on every case and hold his hand, he does wish to mold Apollo into his liking. So Kristoph decides which cases Apollo can take, and he is otherwise tasked with duties around the office and expected to handle them in an efficient, timely manner. Yet because Kristoph doesn't keep an eye on Apollo 24/7, the young greenhorn is exposed to a variety of colorful individuals soon enough.

A reporter visits Gavin Law Offices, Nicole Swift. She keeps trying to net an interview with Kristoph for reasons she won't explain to the rookie, and Kristoph gives him explicit instructions to keep all reporters out… But because Nicole makes zero progress getting that interview, Kay Faraday attempts to sneak in and acquire some documents…as a favor to a friend. But of course it's never that easy; everything sensitive Kristoph keeps locked away or not even at the office. And Apollo won't just let the lady (who's just two years older than him!) waltz on out of there with Mister Gavin's property. Taking pity on the fledgling attorney for getting mixed up with Gavin, Kay "kidnaps" the poor guy and introduces him to Simon, who's by now a pretty famous star known for his villainous roles and doing his own stunts, as well as Horace who's working as a security/bodyguard for the studio Simon is mainly contracted to. Kay explains the situation to them, and Simon huffs at the idea of Klavier's older brother getting a new pawn. They might be in mildly difficult professions, but he respects Klavier for making it as a musician despite the humiliation he suffered seven years ago.

Apollo's baffled at getting dragged around willy-nilly, though it's unanimously decided by his trio of "captors" to take him out for noodles and get him to lighten up. To not worry so much about being Kristoph's lapdog. That's how he's introduced to Guy Eldoon, whose stand went missing the previous night. Simon and Horace split off to inquire with Byrne about any incidents in the area, and Apollo is left with Kay to snoop around on-foot. This inevitably leads them to the People Park and Kitaki Mansion areas, where they meet Ema Skye and Trucy Enigmar. They learn about the incident that happened there last night; nobody was murdered, but it was a big tangled mess of suspicious people that needed to be hauled in to verify the circumstances. Wocky Kitaki who was threatening Doctor Pal Meraktis with a knife, who in turn was hauling a noodle stand with an unconscious woman inside, Alita Tiala… And the doctor had a Kitaki family gun on him. And a college student, Wesley Stickler, who was being chased by Trucy here, suspecting of a serial theft of…panties…in the area. It sure seemed like all of them were guilty of something or another… Except for Trucy, naturally. Even questioning Alita was slow-going, the woman insisting she was just a victim.

Yet Apollo is roped into the case by Wocky's father, to get to the bottom of things and keep his son from facing jail time. … Naturally Kristoph is just thrilled to learn about that. (人◕ω◕) Alas, the damage is already done. Kristoph is too busy with another big case, and this leaves Apollo to investigate purely on his own… Albeit with Kay's help, as she has a second.version of Little Thief that her dad made for her. This never turns into a proper court case, not against Wocky. Knowing that there was no use hiding the truth with the police involved, the doctor came clean with everything, how he was unable to remove the bullet from Wocky, and how he attempted to kill Alita in self-defense when she came to collect that old chart and protect herself. That case would need to be resolved in court, but Apollo wouldn't have to represent either of them. Through Kay recreating the crime scene and Ema's scientific investigation, and Apollo putting the pieces together they clear Wocky of suspicion beyond attempted assault. Wocky's dad is trying to get out of a life of crime to raise a lot of clean money to pay a doctor that can save his son's life; Apollo was happy to help, even if it was minor.

More importantly, Apollo becomes acquainted with Ema, who's a new member of forensics like she always wanted. She knows Mister Wright, and her sister Lana is a high prosecutor in the district. And he learns Kay and Simon's shared father is the Chief Prosecutor, so he's floored at meeting such influential people. Kristoph doesn't seem as…excited, but he does encourage Apollo to make such connections. On the surface he says it's the expand Apollo's rep, but truly it's to keep Kristoph's enemies closer - he knows Faraday especially is a troublesome brat that he wants an eye on at all times. The Skye sister is nothing to him.

… The most troublesome development for Kristoph is that Zak's daughter has made contact with Apollo. If Zak makes any moves to sabotage his control over the boy… The magician will just have to disappear forever. But for now Kristoph does nothing except keep a vigilant eye out from now on.

Trucy meanwhile regales her dad with the day's events, and he is curious about this new friend of Trucy's. How he seems to have "good eyes". Coming from one of Trucy's line… That's very high praise. He'd like to meet this boy… But it's only a first meeting. Who knows what the future might bring?

Time passes, and Apollo can feel himself tugged in two vague directions. There's Mister Gavin, who he's indebted to and obligated to work for… And then there's everyone else that's buzzing around him. Who don't have high expectations of him, who just want him to enjoy…life. Mister Gavin wants him to be no-nonsense, to take some pretty serious cases and get on a fast track of experience and elevate his reputation as a "natural genius". … Even if Apollo feels like he's anything but. It also doesn't help that sometimes Mister Gavin pulls some strings to get him access to witnesses or evidence that he otherwise wouldn't have; it's like riding on Kristoph's coattails, but Apollo also knows that information is informative. He shouldn't fuss too much about Mister Gavin looking out for him.

… But hanging out with Kay, Simon, and Horace… Or bumping into Ema, or Trucy, or Mister Wright… Apollo likes being less stiff. Sure, it can be overwhelming to be around such eccentric people, but it feels like more of a proper life. He isn't just going through the motions with them, even though he knows that his job with Gavin shouldn't be described that way either. The clients he gets through Gavin pay very well and help his rep… But Kristoph is very exacting, and it's difficult to truly impress the man.

So when he agrees to take a day off - scheduled well in advance as Mister Gavin likes it - Apollo sees no harm in attending a concert with Kay and Trucy. He didn't know it'd be a Gavin concert, the brother that Kristoph has warned him to steer clear of. Well, it's a combined concert with Klavier and Lamiroir, Still, Apollo would rather avoid the backstage experience that Kay and Trucy have with their tickets; not that they give him much of a choice. Always dragged around…

Klavier is pleasant enough on first impressions. His eyes are mostly on the girls, and Apollo prefers it that way… But sadly, his nervous energy proves to be his undoing. Klavier gets a closer look and sees the attorney's badge, which surprises him. Not good at being put on the spot, Apollo exposes himself as Kristoph's employee… And promptly gets evicted from the concert venue on Klavier's orders. The girls try making a case for him, but… Klavier simply refuses. In his eyes, anyone "sent" from his brother is likely an informant, and he's just not risking it.

However, Klavier winds up as a murder suspect not even an hour later. Suspected of killing his bandmate and longtime friend, Daryan. The concert venue is locked down as a crime scene, and it doesn't take Apollo long to hear some of the details from Kay and Trucy. Kristoph learns about the incident almost immediately after the reports first leaked to the public, and went to "talk" with his estranged brother in detention. Apollo showing up with the girls… It unnerves Kristoph that Apollo even remotely disobeyed him in making contact with Klavier, though the silver lining is Klavier's distrust of the fledgling attorney… As it should be. Kristoph barbs his brother with offers of taking his case, whether him or Apollo, and that has the desired effect of Klavier dismissing them all.

… Not that the case ends there. Against Mister Gavin's wishes, Apollo tries talking to Klavier again and again to represent him in court… But Klavier just refuses to leave his fate in his brother's hands. In a twist of fate, Sebastian approaches the disbarred prosecutor to offer his services, which Klavier has mixed feelings about given how he messes up their mutual debut by falling for Kristoph's machinations. Yet Sebastian holds no ill will, and offers to take on Apollo as an assistant to prove they're all on the same side here.

Klavier doesn't like it. But his trial will be the next day, so it's either accept their help or risk a state-appointed attorney. So he allows it, however grudgingly. He's scared of this being the final nail in his coffin… But with Lana Skye prosecuting him, she only lays out the facts and doesn't make it personal against Klavier. And Sebastian and Apollo prove his innocence after a few days of deliberation in court. It's proven Daryan was working with a contact of the Chief Justice, snuggling a Borginian cocoon into the country to cure the Chief Justice's son's illness. He was killed over a disagreement on the price for the cocoon… And Klavier was meant to be a scapegoat to keep the Chief Justice free of scandal.

Over the course of the case, Apollo met with Valant, who would pass on a description of the fledgling attorney to Zak, even snapping a secret picture of that familiar bracelet… Lamiroir still had amnesia, but has hopes of getting an operation for her eyes to see again. Machi is still a smuggler, and is arrested as a co-conspirator, but only on the smuggling. Mister LeTouse remains a member of Interpol, but will stay Lamiroir's manager until she gets that operation. It's the least he can do, as he does care for Lamiroir's health and future.

Klavier is baffled someone like Apollo works for Kristoph, after seeing how hard he fought for the truth. Apollo still looks up to Kristoph, but after seeing his mentor so frosty to his brother, it makes him wonder the sort of man Kristoph truly is. Klavier can't honestly say anything good about him… Not anymore. Sebastian muses they're still keeping an eye out for anything shady, but Kristoph is a shrewd, meticulous man. Mia and Diego still haven't been able to uncover any groundbreaking evidence to prove Klavier had nothing to do with the forgery seven years ago, and their friends in the police and prosecutor's office have been looking as well… It's just been slow-going with all the new cases piling up every day. Klavier's all but given up hope by this point, but now that Apollos hearing about these investigations for the first time… It makes him wonder if there's anything he can do to help Klavier.

But can Apollo really find some dirt on his mentor…? Is there even anything left? Could he even hide his suspicions from Kristoph…?

Doubtful. Very doubtful…

[callmertgamecrowd]

The parallels in aai2 case 3 are insane

Gumshoe and Badd, the eay they acted through out, going out of their way to help the side they believed in (even willing to risk a little to give Samson those chocolates). Even Samson sees it and Gumshoe admits he looks up to him (despite everything that happened with the yatagurasu or maybe even he looks up to that bit too)

Miles being both Edgeworth and Von Karma - Gregory's side always coming through in thr end but some of the hints and tricks never quite left (although, maybe those tricks were Gregory's attempts to fight in a broken system twisted after all)

Verity and Eustance between them have a von Karma role, although for Eustance it comes from nativity and we learn that both are not doing it completely on their own - and the end only occurs because they're willing to give up the fight to win.

Two fathers with kids that were abandoned- by choice or by being taken. Gregory shows time and again that he cares for Miles so much, thinking about him throughout the investigation, taking the time to show him the baking show, worrying he wont make friends, wanting him to take his own path. Gusto abandons his son completely the first time he isn't useful to him, when he gets everything he wanted.

Even Kay and Eddie - Eddie must watch Kay and Miles Investigating together and get a blast from the past of him and Gregory.

Just.... so many themes and parallels throughout