#rayfa the girl that you are....

[cornertheculprit]

i think a lot about rayfa immediately post-soj....girl who suddenly has to deal with the fact that the parents she knew were never really her parents at all. and ga'ran may have sucked but inga loved her so much and nayna was her real mother all along and prosecutor sahdmadhi was her BROTHER all along and also there's this weird red horned guy who is. also dhurke's son. who's sticking around too. and it's gotta be so overwhelming because she doesn't truly know any of them at all (with the exception of amara, maybe, but amara could never be fully honest with her up until now) but they all want to look after her—if nahyuta and amara's Entire Thing wasn't enough, apollo took one look at her during the goddamn trial and started saying shit like "I'd be happy to lend an ear if you'd ever like to talk" and "How about we all go on a picnic together or something?!" and she has to deal with this while also contending with the fact that the people she called mother and father her whole life were the same people that ruined all of THEIR lives. she said that she would've liked to talk to dhurke and given that amara can channel spirits she theoretically COULD but. she can't even call nahyuta her brother yet. so i like to think that maybe she pokes around at the three of them for stories instead. like she asks amara for stories about how she and dhurke got together and she asks apollo for stories from his and nahyuta's childhood (because his constant reminiscing during his investigation segments clearly show that he didn't forget as much as he probably hoped he did, growing up) and she asks nahyuta for stories from when he was a teenager and. slowly. she comes to terms with all of it. somehow

[satsuha]

almost christmas means....!!! 🎂🎉🥳🥳🎁

[kakusu-shipping]

As 2025 gets ever closer, how about a quick 2024 F/O Round Up!

Honestly, only like 5 of the characters this year are Full Romantics, 2 are Queerplatonics, and the rest are Crushes I felt very strongly about even if they didn't make the main list this year, which is fine just. Very different from last years round up.

[box-dwelling]

Yeah because those cases were actually fun.

You don't get to mock turn about goodbyes and reclaimed if the case your giving me is dull as shit and drawn out to hell.

I literally stopped this case half way through to replay goodbyes because I needed to remember that this series isn't actually bad and boring and it's just this case. Keep her name out of your dirty fucking mouth

[ritzcuit]

funniest thing i found was a fic that was just. Rayfa being homophobic. to dhurke and datz and yuty even though yuty wasnt even in the fic. and it was like 400 words long.AND SHE DIDNT EVEN LIKE. CHANGE HER MIND. BC IT WAS 400 WORDS LONG. IT WAS JUST LIKE. WHAT IF RAYFA HATED GAY PPL WOHLD THAT BE FUCKED UP OR WHAT

[frost-faerie]

I love Almost Christmas as much as the next guy, but December 24th is ALSO rayfa's birthday! You will say happy birthday to the girl ever

[inbarfink]

Ace Attorney Fandom Survey!

You are given the option to Rewrite the History of the Ace Attorney series… by replacing one character with a Concept Art variation. That character’s characterization would shift in accordance with the design, but otherwise events in the AA series would unfold pretty much the same.

[forourtomorrows]

Hello people, let me introduce you to one AU I've been working on these past few months... Trucy Wright: Investigations

What if Trucy had her own Investigations spin-off ? Well, that was the thing I thought about, by making my own story !!

Summary: Trucy Wright, magician extraordinaire comes back home after multiple years on tour, but as she enters the office of the Wright Anything Agency, she discovers a note saying her father was abducted and a clue to find him ! Determined to uncover the truth behind what really happened to him, Trucy embarks on an adventure, and multiple investigations with familiar figures to bring her father back home !

The (made-up) game is set two years after aa6 and would be consisting of 4 cases, but first, here are the characters !

Profiles:

Story

Case 1: Welcome Home, My Turnabout

Trucy comes back from touring and Athena picks her up from the airport. As they go to the WAA, they find that a murder happened right outside the office while they were away !! With the help of Athena, they investigate the scene of the crime.

After they discovered who was behind this, they go inside the office to find out Phoenix disappeared with a note and a piece of cloth which appears to have khura'inese patterns. Trucy, with her emergency money, decides to book a plane for Khura'in.

Case 2: Turnabout Nostalgia (i had no better names)

Back to Khura'in ! Trucy meets up with Apollo who is busy with a case, so, for old time's sake, they investigate together ! The duo is also supported by the lovely comments of Rayfa who somehow is there.

After solving yet another case, Apollo with the help of Nahyuta find out that the pattern comes from a little community in London, so off to London we go ! Thanks to Apollo's money, Trucy books another plane for the UK !

Case 3: My Flying Turnabout

Quite a bad luck Trucy has ! Indeed as she enjoys her plane ride, a murder suddenly happens (three rows behind her to be exact). So, with the help of Aries, a french prosecutor, they investigate to figure out who decided to kill someone in the air ! As they investigate, Trucy finds a photograph with Aries on it, but decides to keep it with her..

After they land, Trucy meets up with Edgeworth (who was at a conference in London) who takes care of the murderer (having connections with Interpol does help), and they decide to take a rest as Trucy explains the situation.

Case 4: Turnabout Revelations

The day after arriving to London, Trucy receives a text from an unknown number with an address, telling her to go there, Edgeworth comes with her. The place is an abandonned storage area in which a recreation of a crime scene (ala Little Thief) is there for them to solve it. The murder is one of a young girl, who was harassed by a man who, at some point, decides to threaten her with a gun while she was with her brother. He harms her and her brother but during the fight, he drops his weapon and the brother catch it, and fires two time; only hitting the young girl. Trucy and Edgeworth both come to the conclusion that the culprit is the brother, but they are interrupted as someone comes in, telling them they're wrong ! And that person is Aries (please pretend to be shocked)

Aries was actually the one who ordered to abduct Phoenix, and was following Trucy from the moment she came home to here as a way to ensure she was looking for her father. Why ?

For Aries to take her as a hostage, so Phoenix could make a re-trial and catch the guy that, according to him killed the girl. As Edgeworth is kind of helpless in this situation, Aries calls Trucy a bunch of names, telling her she's nothing, etc (think of the meanest thing you could say to someone). But as his monologue goes on, he makes a slip-up that causes Trucy to react. By remembering all the details, evidence (the photo from the case 3 makes a comback !) and others she realise : Aries was the one who unintentionally killed his sister, her only family, before running off to France. Aries has a breakdown and Trucy, with the help of Edgeworth, manages to free herself from Aries' grip and also magically handcuffs him (don't ask. it's magic.). After some time, the police finds Phoenix and the family is reunited !! Happy end for everyone yay !!

Gameplay

For the gameplay, I thought about having the Perceive ability being brought back because she is a Gramarye, and also keep the Rebuttals because during her investigations, she is always with either a defense attorney or a prosecutor.

But I also wanted to add another gimmick, that I called Showtime: Trucy is a performer, thus, she knows how to handle misdirections, she knows how to make a crowd believe in something that isn't completely real. So, in her head, she considers the crime scenes as magic stages.

(here is an example of how it would look like)

So basically, Showtime allows her to put her inside the murderer's mind to discover things they might've hidden or illusions they might've created thanks to evidence she gathered.

Aaaaand that's all !! Thank you if you read all of that: this AU is really dear to me and I loved designing the characters and making up a story ! I might post some drafts of designs and stuff that didn't make it; but if you have any questions or suggestions I'd gladly answer them !

[holy-mothers-servant]

(“Okay come on old girl, try and calm your emotions, you’ll only make people a lot more suspicious if you let your heart lead the way”)

*Nayna, Rayfas companion looked rather lost in thought and anxious*

"...Ahem, ahem. Pardon me, you look lost and in need of guidance from the Holy Mother. Is everything alright?"

[oodlyenough]

6-3 turnabout... whatever

i finished this case a couple weeks ago but i've been super busy and now also have covid so i haven't gotten around to it. but for posterity. i must document.

this one really tested my patience lol. WHAT a mixed bag.

the good:

maya... i missed u so much .... it's so unbelievably stupid they wrote you out for so long. welcome back babe

the investigation days were genuinely pretty fun. i loved having rayfa as an "assistant" lmao, reminded me of nick investigating with franziska in 3-5 which was PEAK, and i find rayfa herself is perhaps the most compelling new character aa5/6 have thrown at me. phoenix works really well with a horrible little girl having an existential crisis. she is actually imo quite a well-characterized character having a coherent emotional journey that i am interested in. groundbreaking

the lore around khurain and spirit channelling and how the feys are apparently superior to everyone here lol, like, it's all very silly but... i guess.jpeg. there certainly Is a plot at least. the bar is on the ground courtesy of dual destinies

i think the twist at the end here was ... interesting at least. i don't recall having "actually it was a suicide" as a plot resolution before, so kudos for breaking new ground, lol. the puzzles were mostly a decent level of challenge. that there is gameplay and puzzle solving at all is, again, a huge victory over dual destinies.

i don't know what's going on with ema and nahyuta but honestly it's cracking me up. i keep imagining ema consulting the lesbian masterdoc trying to decipher her feelings

however

the bad:

i made a post about it while playing but phoenix is so fucking dumb now!!!!! it used to make me so irritated that fanon treats him like a dumbass but now it's literally canon. grown ass man needs a 14 year old to tell him what moss is. it's SO goddamn annoying to see a plot resolution / twist / answer / whatever four hours ahead of the playable character, who most of the time now never even gets there himself, bc his 1 personality trait now is "bluff". christ. phoenix baby i'm sorry all your traumatic brain injuries are catching up to you it's not your fault this isn't the real you

what is WRONG with the pacing in these cases. honest question. why is it i can go from being like "this is pretty fun" while investigating to "actually i think we should just take the death penalty, nick" in trial. something so so so tedious about how this new guy handles testimony and i can't pinpoint what it is. there were certainly times in the og trilogy i found cases tedious and trying, especially the third cases lol. but this feels... worse? it was that way in AAI1 and DD too so i think it's this particular writer.

speaking of whack pacing: it's insane that after this obviously arc-heavy case, which leaves khurain in disarray and should have given rayfa and nahyuta existential crises, we're going to do a pointless tutorial-style case with athena and blackquill in japanifornia. why the hell. i like athena, but capcom clearly doesn't, and it just makes everything with her kind of excruciating.

[shadowgeist-stars]

There's something I wish we talked more about...

Everyone likes wondering about how the big "Lamiroir is actually Thalassa Gramarye and Trucy and Apollo are her kids" reveal would affect our oblivious pair of half-siblings. But I noticed that a grand total of NO ONE thinks about how certain other characters would also take the news. Mainly in Apollo's Khura'in family. (There will be SoJ spoilers below)

Let's start with an easy one. Datz.

He already knows Apollo (as "AJ"), and it looks like he meets Trucy when saving Apollo and Dhurke from the undersea cavern. Obviously a generally fun-loving fellow who I bet would happily call Trucy an honorary Defiant Dragon if he caught wind of her being Apollo's sister. Doubly so when remembering she managed to stow away in Edgeworth's luggage to reach Khura'in. (Rule-breakers need to stick together!) He'd probably also assign her some kind of nickname like TW or something, and consider himself her new uncle. He also seems like the only one crazy enough to willfully be Trucy's magic assistant/guinea pig, which would spare Apollo and Athena.

Then comes Rayfa, our dear crown princess.

While not as emotionally invested as her brother (and we'll get to him), it would be a surprise to learn that "Horn Head" has a little sister. And it just so happens to be the girl with the strange blue hat who was watching from the gallery during the trial that got Ga'ran deposed. While a bit upset that she never really got to talk to her back then, Rayfa would be fairly alright with seeing Trucy as a sister of some kind... and discuss with her the ways of pestering both of their brothers all in good fun.

Of course, Trucy would be over the moon to the mere idea of calling Rayfa her little sister, especially when she's a literal princess on the road to being queen. Their personalities could bounce off of each other surprisingly well, and maybe Trucy can help Rayfa swallow enough of her pride to actually call either of the boys "brother." And thanks to Phoenix's connections to Maya and Pearl, Trucy knows other spirit mediums who might be able to help Rayfa in her training.

And now we get to someone with a bit more... complicated stake in the matter, and honestly the meat and potatoes for this whole post: Nahyuta.

Being completely honest here, I think our dear Last Rites Prosecutor would take this news as a complete slap in the face. "Let it go and move on" mantra be damned, he'd basically be told "Hey, remember your first case against Apollo? With that magician girl you tried to get convicted for murder who turned out to have been framed? Yeah, she's actually your brother's sister, which also kinda makes her your sister by proxy. You unknowingly tried to get your own sister condemned for murder and quite possibly put on death row." (Since, y'know, capital punishment's still a thing in Ace Attorney L.A.)

Even if we almost never see our Not Guilty defendants hold a grudge against the prosecutors, Nahyuta's entire deal in Spirit of Justice was doing everything he possibly could to protect his baby sister and his mom, being unnecessarily harsh with the defense and the accused in the process. So finding out that he tried to condemn someone who could be considered part of his family on a false charge wouldn't be without consequence. (Turnabout Revolution only proved that because of his parents' direct involvement.)

Undoubtedly, he'd see fit to apologize to Trucy personally upon learning about her being Apollo's little sister, and would do so at his earliest convenience. But we can all be certain that she'd gladly accept him as another big brother regardless of any perceived "past transgressions." There would be hugs involved, I'm sure, and Nahyuta would be able to... possibly bring out the protective and caring big brother he was supposed to be from the very beginning.

Side note: Y'know this here lightning thing you see with Amara when she gets mad? And also Dhurke's dragon glare when he goes Mad Dad on Paul Atishon?

I get the feeling Nahyuta would inherit either or both of their little tricks to some extent when his big brother instinct REALLY kicks into high gear.

[mostlyihyperfixate]

As per usual, """"quick"""" discussion of Spirit of Justice as I head into (??? I think ???) the final case.

There must be a bonus case, too, because I know there's one about time traveling and weddings and stuff?

Anyway, I really will try to be quick this time.

I love this game.

I'm really surprised, because going into it, I was really "meh" about the concept of Phoenix going to a fantasy country and aiding the legal system there. And I still am to an extent--the worldbuilding and the extremely literal pun names (which I realize were also there in the Japanese version) really do nothing for me as a whole.

But this is the best the writing has been since the original trilogy, in my opinion. Objectively, the trial segments are more difficult than Dual Destinies and subjectively (because I know a lot of people really enjoy it), I find the story to be less...I don't even know. I personally find it more interesting than Apollo Justice, but, again, that's an entirely subjective opinion.

The not subjective part is that Spirit of Justice doesn't have Turnabout Serenade.

I think the thing for me is that every single case so far has had some aspect to it that was memorable to me: The musical bits in the first case; the incredible asshole-ry of the culprit in the second case; the twists and turns--and Phoenix finally using spirit summoning to summon something other than a better lawyer--in the third case; Simon and Athena working together on the fourth case; Apollo and Phoenix going up against each other in the beginning of Case 5.

I read that people don't like Case 4 because of how condescending Simon and Nahyuta are to Athena. I just read it as Simon being a typical big brother. He stepped in because he didn't like the way Nahyuta was treating Athena, but as a big brother, he couldn't just say that; he had to act like it was because he didn't trust her. Additionally, he just wanted to be involved because he's a gatekeeping weeb. But just because that's how I read something doesn't make it true, so I'm not gonna, like, go after anyone that didn't like that case.

And I cannot emphasize enough how cathartic it was to see Apollo win a court battle against Phoenix. I know the narrative says that he'd never be able to if Phoenix was at his best, but whatever.

I love Rayfa. I understand she also isn't for everyone. I'm not actually crazy about tsundere-types myself. But a huge part of Phoenix's appeal to me is his weird-girl-dad energy, and her investigation segments gave me a lot of that. I'm looking forward to seeing what the last bit of the game does for her.

I'm also surprised by how much I love Dhurke (at least at this juncture). The games really don't have any good boy-dad representation, and his open love for Apollo is very endearing. Like, obviously he's flawed. He abandoned Apollo in America for reasons yet to be revealed, and that might sour me on him. But for now, just having someone around to encourage Apollo and give him fancy sushi and call him "son" just makes me very, very happy. I just want good things for Apollo.

Nahyuta is the weakest link for me here. I'm not going to say that he's scum or anything. I just...don't find him very interesting. I assume he's going to play a pretty big role in this last bit, so I'm willing to change my mind! But right now, he doesn't do anything for me. I know he's not a complete jerk. He's a reasonable authority figure to Ema. But I sure would have liked to see him branch out from just calling the defense "putrid brained" or whatever. His made-up hells were funny at first, but now they've just kind of devolved into nonsense, and calling everyone "putrid" is all he has. And I know. Godot only had coffee, and I liked him. But he just went up against Phoenix. Nahyuta goes up against Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena. I'd just have liked to see some variety beyond, "oh, you wear yellow, so you're a putrid egg." Wow, calling them names based on food based on their outfit colors. How original. No one's ever done that before.

But yeah! Overall, I've had a really good time with Spirit of Justice! I've had to look up solutions for the first time since Apollo Justice; I've talked myself through answers for the first time since Trials and Tribulations; and I've actually been excited to put the fanfiction down and play since that game as well.

I've heard this last bit in Khura'in lasts just short of forever, so I suppose all of my opinions could change. But as of right now, I'm pleased with this one!

[1960z]

SOJ: Final Thoughts

So when I first played spirit of justice at 14 I remember really loving it, the new characters, the cases, just the whole vibe of the thing. however, that was towards the end of my ace attorney hyperfixation and because of that I had never revisited it. when I returned to the fandom recently, I began to realise that quite a good amount of people hold this game in relatively low regard; and while the positive feelings I had from my initial playthrough still lingered, I had to admit I didn't actually remember the game very well, and maybe there would be things about it that would bother me now that wouldn't have back then. and because of that, this was the game I was most excited to return to. and now that I have re-played it and been able to experience it with fresh eyes I can say that while I definitely have more nuanced thoughts surrounding the game, I'm happy to say most of the stuff I enjoyed about it still really holds up

one of my biggest criticisms surrounding dual destinies is that while I did enjoy almost every individual case on some level, it never really coalesced beyond the sum of its parts, leaving the overarching story unsatisfying and disjointed, not to mention uninteresting thematically. I did not have that same problem here! my theory for what happened with DD is that takeshi yamazaki attempted to mimic the style of pacing shu takumi employs more closely in a way that just didn’t really work, meanwhile in soj, I think the pacing is much more in line with what we see in the investigations games where everything takes place over a few days (or in soj, the better half of a month) and connects unlike other main series games that often have months long gaps between cases. characters and scenarios set up in the first case are deeply connected to the fifth and each case barring perhaps case 4 is quite focused on setting up everything that’s about to happen in turnabout revolution.

and turnabout revolution is an absolute monster of a case. its scope is extreme and its twists are insane and honestly I doubt it would have worked if the rest of the game didn’t dedicate as much time as it did to building up to it, but because it did, the payoff felt amazing. I understand that if you zoom out and look from the perspective of the whole series a lot of it may feel like a lot and out of left field and I get why that’s off putting to some people - but taking the game in its own singular context I actually think it does an amazing job of making each twist feel earned. like for example are they basically rebuilding apollo’s backstory from the ground up? yes. does it work well with what was previously established in aa4? no not at all lol. does it work within the confines of spirit of justice? I actually think in that context it works extremely well.

my love for nahyuta is pretty obvious but honestly I think the character that captures the true heart of this game is rayfa. seeing this naïve, sheltered kid go through the process of realising that basically everything she took for granted about her world, even who her parents were, was a lie, and having to deal with that was truly captivating to watch. her entire world being shattered and then still doing everything in her power to make sure the truth came to light, no matter how much it hurt her I think exemplifies a lot of ace attorney’s themes and ideals and I think having a young girl be the centre of that is really cool. my favourite character in aa is franziska and while you will NEVER catch me calling her underdeveloped, because the series does actually give you a lot of insight into her if you want to engage with it, what I WILL admit is that I don’t think she ever got as much narrative focus as the other characters. and to me, rayfa feels very much like what we could have gotten if the narrative had chosen to focus on franziska more.

as I’ve said before also I really theoretically love khura’in. I found myself getting genuinely quite invested in the people and culture and politics of this world that the writers had created. especially since spirit channelling has been a huge part of the aa world since the first game, it was cool to inhabit a legal system that just accepted it unconditionally. it feels like the opinion of the japanifornia courts’ opinion on channelling is that there is something to it but the logic of arguments can’t rely on it definitely existing too heavily and if it does, proving channelling can happen is part of said argument. and god forbid testimony of someone being channelled is used as evidence because of what happened in DL-6. none of these factors exist in khura’in. in case 3 for the first time we get testimony from a victim through channelling and it’s a huge part of the case and case 5 of course relies on channelling massively to explain its events as well and getting to explore these possibilities without having to worry about narrative justification as to why a court of law would accept this was a treat.

I think aa’s format also just lends itself to… for a lack of a better word isekai stories?? like learning about the rules of a world through how said rules can be manipulated for crime is an extremely interesting way to learn about and engage in a fictional world. you see this with plvspw and even fan made projects like that mlp-aa crossover from years ago. and while khura’in does exist in “our” world, obviously there are still a lot of supernatural elements that khura’in takes for granted that wouldn’t be in other places.

but this is were we have to address the elephant in the room and soj’s huge glaring flaw. the thing that went completely over my little 14 year-old-head but looking back now I go "holy shit, that is bad." and that is how soj treats khura’in as a country and the irl political implications of said treatment. from the get-go, khura’in is shown in a very othered and orientalist lens. their way of doing things is depicted as being “spiritual” and “folksy” at the best of times and “backwards” at the worst; and the plot centres around our leads, most of who are not from khura’in, showing the khura’inese people the “right” and “just” way of doing things. in the version of the story I assume most of us are familiar with the characters are american, in the original version they’re japanese, neither country has a good track record with imperialism. this is a colonialist narrative. and while it’s tempting to say that because khura’in is fictional, the implications while problematic still exist more in a vacuum, I think it is important to point out that khura'in borrows a lot of aesthetics from real life cultures such as tibet and india, and when you create a fictional country that is like khurai'n, one that is portrayed as spiritual but unenlightened, one that has a lot of distinctly asian but not distinctly japanese (sans the magatama) aesthetics, you are in fact reinforcing negative, orientalist stereotypes surrounding the real cultures said aesthetics come from which deserves to be called out.

and while yes, there are khura'inese characters who still very much engage in their culture while also fighting for revolution... when combined with the context of dd's overarching narrative that, imo was basically "there are no systemic problems with the legal system, the dark age of the law is simply a result of bad actors" it very much feels like there's this attitude of "revolution for thee but not for me." as if they're only comfortable with telling this story about revolutionaries that are often framed by their own government as terrorists if it takes place within a fictional country that players can paternalistically look down upon. I think this definitely undercuts the rest of the story and I can totally understand why this could all really fuck with a person's ability to engage with and enjoy the game.

in closing, I genuinely think there's a lot to love within soj, it fixed a lot of problems I had with dd. I love each case, I adore the characters, I was thrilled by a lot of the mystery and political intrigue it created. with that being said I absolutely believe reinforcement of colonialist ideas in the text needs to be called out. it didn't ruin the game for me but if it did for someone else, I couldn't blame them. despite all its flaws, I found the closure it provided for these characters both old and new very satisfying. it will always have a place in my heart.

[the-bar-sinister]

Chains of the Dragon (52775 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth

catch up here

-

October 4, 2028– 10:45 am 

Trucy had been poring over the translated legal tomes for so many hours she felt like her eyes were about to cross. Even considering the judge– who was very nice– had come in to tutor her for a little while before. But he had gone to take care of legal matters even with the court closed for the day, and for now, Trucy was alone in the quiet little room with only her thoughts.

It wasn’t like she was a complete novice…she had cases upon cases under her belt by Apollo and her father’s side…she’d read his old law books when her tomes on magic and showmanship ran dry…

But this was a whole new country’s whole new legal structure.

It felt like she was trying to cram a whole year’s worth of school into her head at once. 

Am I really going to be able to do this? She wondered, flipping to the next page. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to pep talk herself.

Apollo seemed about ready to flip his lid when we brought it up…he studied for years to pass the bar back home, right? She sighed and forced herself to read the dry text on the next page. But if he could do it…if Daddy could do it, why can’t I? It’s not like I’m going to be trying any murder cases.

Yeah. Yeah it's basically just going to be paperwork. I'll be fine. I'm a genius at magic, I can pick this up easy.

Easy… She sat back and took her hat off, rubbing her forehead. She could feel the tension gathering there. She was going to get a headache if she kept studying much longer.

Daddy was an art student, wasn’t he? And he’s famous now…She took a deep breath, and dropped her head into her hands to massage her temples I wish I could pull some aspirin out of my magic panties right about now, though. 

As she worked at tense muscles around her eyes, she heard a soft gasp from near the door “oh!”

Trucy turned at the little noise, grateful for any distraction. "Hello?"

A girl, only a handful of years younger than her, stood in the door…one Trucy realized after a moment she recognized from the trial months ago.

Rayfa, the princess that did the dance of devotion. She looked like she’d been crying, dark circles set under her deep green eyes.

“Hello…I was no’t aware anyone was using this room at the moment.” 

"Oh, well, don't worry, I'm not really here at all!" Trucy put her finger to her lips. "So if you're looking to pull a vanishing act you don't have to worry. C'mon, close the door."

The girl gave her a dubious look as she sidled in and shut the door with a quickness that spoke to just how well Trucy hit the nail on the head.

She was trying to vanish.

“You’re not really here, yet I see a number of legal texts opening themselves. How curious.” She sniffed softly and crossed her arms under her chest with the muffled ringing of the bells around her wrists.

"It's a magic trick," Trucy said with a wide smile. "I think if someone were in this room, they'd be a magician, you see. In addition to the princess who isn't here either, right?"

Rayfa’s smile started small, before it grew into a wide grin as she nodded her head once. 

“I think it’s rather like that indeed! A magic trick and a spirit.” She looked from side to side before she settled herself down at the table, staring at Trucy with wide and curious eyes. “You’re a magician? I’ve never seen one up close…” 

"Look as close as you want. It won't spoil the trick," Trucy said proudly. It was nice to see the girl smile a little, when it was so clear she'd been crying.

Trucy pulled off her hat and reached into it, in the exaggerated way that seemed to make her whole arm disappear, before she pulled out– Rayfa's little tiara! And presented it to her with a flourish.

Rayfa’s eyes widened further, and her hand snapped up to her hair, and then down to Trucy’s hands

“How?? You..I…” she scooped the Tiara up and turned it over in her hands. “I didn’t even feel you take it!” 

She popped her hat back up on her head and put her hands up apologetically. "A magician never reveals her secrets, your highness! It spoils the fun a bit. But I promise I only use my powers for good."

Rayfa , despite her clear surprise…actually looked really delighted as she re-settled the tiara on her head with a grin. She still looked curious, however, seeming to look Trucy over for any sort of sign to the trick

“Only for good, hm? Good! I wouldn’t tolerate any evil magicians in my court…oh! I haven’t introduced myself! You just seemed a little familiar and it slipped my mind!” She bowed her head “I am Rayfa Padma Khura’in, heir apparent to the Kingdom of Khura’in. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Trucy performed a flourishing magician's bow in return. "The pleasure's mine, Princess. I'm–"

Somehow she stumbled over her introduction. Trucy Gramarye, legendary magician? Trucy Wright, rookie lawyer? 

She’d always been ‘Trucy Gramarye, Legendary Magician’. Even with her daddy’s last name, that’s what everyone knew. Trucy in Gramaryeland. Trucy, holder of Magnifi’s inheritance. ‘Legendary magician’ was who she was…right? But when she tried to get it out, her eyes flicked down to the legal texts below her and memories came flooding back to stop her. Her uncle…her father…her grandfather and her mother. The history of secrets, lies and inheritance that left too many bodies in its wake. The fact that she’d only ever been what she was raised to be, from holding bombastic shows to handing forged evidence to her own brother in court. 

"Trucy Wright," she said, after a heartbeat's pause, and the age of the universe.

Rayfa said slowly as she curled her finger rather cutely under her chin, her head tilted to the side

“Trucy…” “w…w…w..” She pointed suddenly “WRIGHT!!! LIKE BARBED HEAD!!” 

Trucy jumped, holding her hands up. "Barbed head? Oh! That's my daddy!"

“Daddy!?” she squeaked “oh…oh my…”She looked down at the legal texts before her “...so you’re one of the dev—--defense attorneys too? Like he is?” 

She sounded… excited, maybe. And Trucy Wright couldn't resist.

"That's right! I'm studying up on your laws to help with Polly– Apollo's case load!" she declared it boldly. Naturally.

“Wow…” Rayfa’s fingers covered her lips, splayed so they still showed her smiling lips. “Horn head– Apollo, he really needs the help.”

She did sound excited; even more so when Trucy confirmed. Despite her near slip of calling them devils, she seemed to have quite the respect for her daddy, and even for the profession since Trucy had seen her last from afar “are you finding our laws difficult to acclimatize to? Perhaps I can help? Mother says I’m not…that…well.”

She puffed her cheeks “I can help.” 

"If you'd like to help, I'd love some help," she nodded. "There's a lot of local terms I'm not too familiar with…"

Mother says she's not… what? Trucy wondered.

Rayfa hopped up, and scampered rather unprincess-like over to her side of the table to plop herself down where she could look over Trucy’s shoulder.

“Well if it is local terms…I know most of them!” she declared proudly “..an…and I wish to help. You’re Barbed Head’s daughter…a lawyer and a good magician. It’s my royal duty to help.”

Even so, Trucy could see the nervous way she glanced at the door when she spoke. 

"I won't say no to royal duty," Trucy said. She tried not to think about how exciting being seen as a lawyer was. It suddenly reminded her of all her old excitement at being a magician. "But maybe you could help me out as a friend, too?"

She gave the princess a timid but hopeful look.

Rayfa looked up at her with a surprised expression, her fingers over her o-shaped gasp. 

“A friend, Miss Wright?” She ducked her head almost shyly “I do not have many of those. I’ll do my best.” 

"I've got a good feeling about you, miss princess!" Trucy smiled. "Now let's see…"

Rayfa, she seems like she could use a friend as much as I could… she turned the page of the text with a smile that felt more genuinely excited than she’d felt for ages.

Attorney Trucy Wright…learning the ways of Khura’inese law to save the lives of people trapped by an unjust system…she couldn’t deny the feeling welling up inside her. Joy.

But that…and all the complicated little feelings that came along with it…would need to be unpacked later.

October 4, 2028– 10:50 am 

After a couple of hours of paperwork, touring the courtroom, and interviewing with Nahyuta over prosecutorial duties, Klavier brushed his hair out of his face and smiled a dazzling smile at him.

"So, do I have the job?" he asked teasingly, lounging against the frame of the high judge's podium in the empty room.

Nahyuta looked down at the stack of finished paperwork in his hand with a subtle smile and an almost teasing amount of amusement. 

“Let's see…your qualifications are impressive, Klavier. Though you’re a little theatrical for the Khura’in courtroom.” He glanced up at his smile with an amused huff of breath “perhaps it’s the winning smile that tips the balance. You’re hired. Welcome to the court of Khura’in– your honorary prayer beads will be waiting for you in the prosecutorial office.” 

"Perks of the job, ja?" he chuckled, "I won't say no. Thank you for the opportunity, prosecutor Sadmadhi."

“Perks of the job.” Nahyuta placed the papers down by the judge’s desk and looked Klavier over with a smile. “Of course…honestly, I should be thanking you. You came flying in when Apollo…and I…really were really in a bind.” 

"Well, every now and then I'm a useful man to have around," he offered with a smile. He liked it when it was the case, really. He wanted to make some kind of difference here– to make up for the time he'd let pass when he shouldn't have.

Nahyuta paced forward, his arms folding delicately behind his back as he continued in a loose half circle to stand face to face, a little closer to the other man.

“I’ll be hoping to keep you around then, for at least a little while. I know Khura’in is quite different from LA…you must feel a little out of your element.” 

"I have been all the way around the world on tour mein freund, and I know a thing or two about being a fish out of water. But I'll admit, that I am a stranger in your strange land. I commit myself to your hands for guidance." he smiled, leaning a little closer to Nahyuta. He knew a flirtation when he saw one.

The prosecutor prince smiled thinly. “Poor thing,” he mused playfully “I could treat you to a personal tour– as thanks for your kindness in prosecuting for the crown. I could buy you a magatah'man.”

"Oh? Those pretty things I've seen you all wearing?" Klavier slipped his fingers under Nahyuta's necklace playfully in return.

Nahyuta chuckled “actually it’s a bun. A pastry…but I would be delighted to buy you a magatama as well.”

He leaned a little forward, the stone was smooth as it shifted against Klavier’s fingers. 

“They’re good for centering the spirit, of course…but I also think it’d look quite nice on you, Klavier Gavin. I haven’t been able to convince Apollo to wear one yet, much to my chagrin.”

Klavier frowned, for a moment– trying to listen to the difference between words– and then he laughed.

"Ah, whoops. They sound so close I misunderstood," he chuckled, pushing back his hair. He tried not to be embarrassed by the mistake. "I have a weakness for jewelry I'll admit– but I have a more secret weakness for pastry as well."

Nahyuta laughed musically. 

“admittedly, my friend…the pastry is named after the magatama. They shape it to look like it, and named it after it in turn…easy mistake to make, really.” He offered his arm “allow me then. I’ll indulge your weakness for jewelry and pastry. Out of the kindness of my heart.” 

Klavier slipped his arm in to link with Nahyuta's and smiled.

"It seems like you have a kind heart as well as a beautiful face, mein prinz. A powerful and rare combination indeed."

Nahyuta led him back out into the beautiful hall of justice within the great Temple, making his way past old murals of the Holy Mother and her sister in various tableaus of Khura’in’s distant past.

He seemed to flush, just a little as he ducked his head with a laugh. “You flatter me. Not too long ago, few would have believed my heart held any kindness at all.” 

"Ema has said a little about your reputation," Klavier said, walking closely with him. The murals were beautiful, and eye catching. but a little unsettling all the same. "But only a little. Were you really so cold?"

The faceless woman looming above the people, arms outstretched as dramas played out beneath her…her sister with the dagger in hand mid leap in another mural.

They framed Nahyuta as he passed them, glancing over at him with a small smile.

“People could read my determination to do whatever I needed to as a kind of coldness. I had to be cold…or the blood Ga’ran demanded spilled on my hands would have destroyed me.”

Once more, the image of Lana Skye was brought to mind. Ema’s stories of her sister sacrificing everything down to her emotions to do what ‘had to be done’. 

"It seems you've had much weight put on your shoulders, for quite some time, mein prinz," Klavier said. "It made you strong– but hard, too."

Nahyuta’s arm tightened around his as he nodded. 

“and so very few saw any measure of kindness in me. Ema did, though I know she had her reasons.” He glanced sidelong at Klavier “it made me into something I didn’t like. Strong, a bulwark for Rayfa…but cold as a sheet of ice. It’s my hope that perhaps now I can change it. Hearing someone dear to Apollo notice that I’m trying helps.”

"I hope for your sake it can change too," Klavier nodded. "I can imagine what Ema sees in you, Nahyuta. Tell me, does she ever talk about her sister?"

Nahyuta lead him down the long hall, past a chamber where music drifted from the closed doors, and out into the bright sunlight and crisp, slightly thin air.

“Sometimes,” he mused “but not nearly as much as I’d hope. She’s murmured here and there about her, and her circumstances. I heard enough to know the woman was incarcerated for a crime that stemmed from a need to protect Ema.”

"Ja, that's right." he leaned closer to him, his fingers brushing Nahyuta's as they walked arm in arm. "She made herself cold for her sister's sake too. So I think Ema sees some of her affection for her sister in you, ja?"

Nahyuta’s fingers brushed his, slowly winding their way into a loose grip as he smiled up at the sky. His narrow shoulder brushed against Klavier’s as he stepped closer.

“I suppose she must,” he chuckled, “how funny. I suppose I must have gotten lucky! I’d ask if I reminded Apollo of anyone, but…well. We have history.”

He glanced at Klavier “maybe I’ll continue to get lucky, however. Should the Holy Mother will it.” 

Klavier chuckled. "Ja, mein prinz, perhaps you will. Do you know the alternate meaning of that phrase in english, or do I have the opportunity to tease you?"

He batted his eyelashes coyly at the other man. In fact there was someone he suspected Apollo reminded him of. And he reminded Klavier of him too. But he put it out of his mind.

Nahyuta held his free hand towards him with a wry smirk. “Enlighten me, Klavier. I am ever interested in new knowledge. Tease away.” 

Klavier smiled and put his finger to his lips. "Ah well you see 'get lucky' colloquially means to have sex with someone."

Nahyuta’s dark cheeks turned a touch red as he cleared his throat. His pace quickened…maybe just to put a little more space between the raunchy Klavier and the holy Temple, center of faith for those who practiced Khura’inism.

Or maybe he was just really excited to buy Klavier that bun he’d promised.

“I can understand where it sprung from.” he said after a moment, a wry smile gracing his face. “Tell me. Were you hoping to be graced by luck…so to speak?” 

"Mein prinz, I am a man who rarely turns down a stroke of good fortune." Klavier walked quickly with him, happy enough to be out of the holy temple as well. He was no vampire… but just the same. "Besides, you come highly recommended– so to speak."

“My, my.” Nahyuta mused as the breeze blew the strands of his hair against his cheek “is that so?”

His fingers brushed against the back of his hand, fingertips trailing his perfect nails against the skin just under his knuckles.

“I’d ask who’d be improper enough to gossip, but I know the answer well as you do.” he closed his eyes “the impropriety is part of the charm.”

Just ahead, a rather tasty, sweet smell was wafting through the air from a bustling market area. 

"Oh I'm glad you see the appeal, mein prinz," Klavier chuckled. "I've been told I'm very improper. Overly bold even."

He wondered just how much he could get away with…

Nahyuta tugged him through the crowd of people, weaving between them until he oriented on a stall.

Even as he walked, he gave a sly glance back at Klavier. For a reserved monk…there was something almost playfully coy in his glance.

“Overly bold, hm? I’ll be sure to prepare myself in the case I have to slap your hand a few times.” 

"A slap on the wrist hmm? Well, I'm a man who knows how to take my punishment. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time I always say."

Klavier tested his luck, pulling Nahyuta sharply toward him– into the edge of an alleyway– so that their faces were close together.

He was reward by an overt flush on the man’s face and an absolutely delightful look of surprise as his chest bumped against Klavier’s “Oh!!”

"Do you have those slapping fingers ready, mein prinz? You may need them." 

Boldly, he pinned Nahyuta against the wall below him, and leaned in to steal a kiss.

The prosecutor’s lips were soft, and tacky with what must have been a subtle touch of lipstick, and his breath came warm and surprised on his lips as he pressed back against the wall…and against him.

His hand reached out, touching Klavier’s stomach…but they didn’t slap just yet. Instead, his lips parted slightly for Klavier. 

Klavier scooped his arms around Nahyuta's shoulders, encouraged by the lack of a rejection. he pressed his luck, and his tongue into the other prosecutor's mouth. 

So this was the mouth that had been kissing Ema. Had been kissing Apollo. It was sweet, and soft, and tasted good on his mouth. He kissed him eagerly.

What a beautiful man– and softer than he'd give himself credit for.

He felt Nahyuta’s fingers curl around his necklace, pulling it taut against the back of his neck as he leaned in suddenly to deepen the kiss. His tongue brushed against his, tasting of the tea he’d had brewing through the paperwork session…sweet and fragrant…

He was downright eager under the buttoned up uniform. 

Klavier wasn't quite satisfied just to kiss him– he trailed his hands down over his chest and to his hips, searching the hems of his clothing in an obvious manner. He let his lips linger on Nahyuta's as he slowly let him go.

Klavier gave him a teasing, coy look under his long eyelashes.

Nahyuta was flushed, his long lashed eyes heavily lidded and staring right into his as he caught his breath in heavy ,controlled breaths.

His fingers tightened around Klavier’s necklace as he gave it a tug. 

“Clever opening move, Klavier,” he murmured. “..bold. Decisive.” His other hand trailed against his side “you seem to have designs beyond the sort of kiss a slap on the wrist could forgive.” 

"I'm not unfamiliar with the occasional slap across the face either, mein engel," he purred. It was true– every now and again. Not always for being too bold. Sometimes because he'd invited it.

Nahyuta’s slender hand raised from his side…and there was a sudden slap, teasing and light for the moment, against his cheek as Nahyuta’s wry and subtle smile grew.

“For shame. Working your hands under the shirt of a monk in broad daylight. Would a few slaps straighten you out? Or dare I suggest drastic measures?” 

"Drastic measures?" Klavier grinned. "A good whipping, perhaps? A night in the dungeon, ja?"

Nahyuta’s lidded eyes watched him with a trace of amusement…and perhaps something else. “I have a number of ways to elicit penance. I’ll consider that an admission, then.” 

"Ja, consider it my confession," he teased. That was, unfortunately, when Klavier's cell phone started to ring. He cursed the interruption to his flirtation as he fumbled to answer it. "Who– Ema?"

“Hmm?” Nahyuta leaned over to look with a raise of his eyebrow. “I wonder if she’s found a lead…” 

Klavier answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "Ja, fraulein?"

“You’re not gonna believe this, Klavier! It’s a fucking shitshow!” Ema’s voice was tense, loud and marked with the telltale sharpness of barely restrained anger. In the back, shouts and screams played as accompaniment to her as she continued.

They could almost hear them in echo on their end.

“There’s a fight. A full on fistfight in the middle of the market…by the old entrance to the Defiant Dragons base, the …gah, okay, you know where the big goddamn bird was while we were walking? There. Multiple parties….Apollo’s gotten involved too. Just threw himself right into it when communication broke down.” 

Klavier grimaced as panic shot through his system. "Ja, fraulein, we'll be right there! Not to worry!"

Without a second thought– and without hanging up– he shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed Nahyuta's wrist.

Nahyuta’s eyes flashed with something dark as he began to run. Out of the alleyway they burst , and in only a moment Nahyuta was the one tugging him through the crowded street.

“Dammit, a fight in the market? It couldn’t be–Apollo, we have to help him.” 

"On it, mein prinz!" Klavier agreed, heart beating in his chest as they pushed their way through the maket. The sounds of the crowd getting louder– and more urgent.

If Klavier had been paying attention– if he hadn't have been screwing around– they might have been there when the fight started. Hell, they might have kept it from happening. Kept Apollo out of it.

Hopefully they wouldn't be too late.

Nahyuta’s muscles were tensed…he could feel it even through his wrist, and the man’s eyes were narrowed dangerously as he waved between members of the crowd before they noticed and began to part with whispers of ‘the Lord Regent’ and ‘Prosecutor’

The scene opened before them, a flurry of bodies slamming together and punches thrown in the dust of the market street. 

Klavier barely waited to catch a glimpse of Apollo before he waded into the brawl himself. It was chaos. At least 10 people were already involved not including bystanders, and the shouting had devolved to a point that Klavier had no idea what was going on.

Frankly, he didn't care.

He threw himself in front of a blow meant for Apollo, who yelled out his name as he saw him.

“Dammit, Klavier!” Ema Skye called out as she lowered her phone. Nahyuta passed her, patting her on the shoulder with a serious frown.

“Let him get Apollo out…I’ll put a stop to this madness.”

For Klavier, the voice soon faded into the chaos of the brawl, as a man’s fist nearly collided with his face, and a set of nails swiped for his arm. 

Klavier was by no means an experienced brawler– but he'd been in enough fights and mosh pits in his time. He grabbed for the man's wrists and tried to grapple him, acting purely on instinct and rage on Apollo's behalf.

He came face to face with a dark haired man with a sharp grimace of fury on his face, a distinctive smattering of sun-bourne freckles across his cheeks that Klavier soon got an up close and personal view of as he attempted to headbutt him at the same time

Klavier reeled at the sick crack and sharp pain in his own nose, but it elicited an angry snarl from him rather than a yell of pain. From somewhere inside of him there was a reserve of ferocity as he struggled with the man, slamming him backwards in return into a stall with a great heave.

He turned to see if Apollo was alright.

Apollo stood, eyes wide, and yelled, "Behind you!"

Klavier started to turn, but Apollo grabbed him and pulled him out of the way as an iron bar passed through the air where his head had been only a moment before.t

It was as the pipe swung that he heard Nahyuta’s voice again. 

“Cease this, in the name of the Holy Mother and the Kingdom of Khura’in!” It boomed loud and commanding over the ensemble as he stepped into view at the edge of the crowd. “....You will all be allowed the chance to air your grievances in the appropriate forum. The guards have been called, and I ask you all again to stand down!” 

Klavier didn't know what pacified the crowd– the threat of the guard, the command in the regent's voice, or something else. But he did know that the shouting, brawling mob came to a standstill for a moment.

And then some of them grabbed one another and started to run off.

Nahyuta ran in…but instead of giving chase he bent down to Klavier and Apollo with his hands outstretched “damn it all…”

He looked up “Miss Skye!”

Ema saluted before she took off running after the fleeing individuals, already writing something in her notepad…possibly identifying markings. 

Klavier was panting– and he was suddenly aware of the sensation of wetness on his face. He let Ema give chase as he touched the spot over his mouth.

"Klavier– you're bleeding." Apollo stared at him, and at the same time, he saw that it was true. Blood came away staining his fingers.

"Oh. Oops." He smiled dizzily. "Guess you won't want to kiss me until I clean up, ja?"

Apollo grabbed his shoulders. "You idiot!"

He kissed Klavier anyway. It didn't do anything to help how dizzy Klavier was feeling– but it was nice. Their first kiss in months, even.

October 4, 2028– 11:40 am 

Ema came back to the spot where the brawl had happened, with a notebook full of details– as full as she could make it– on the fleeing suspects.It was still difficult to believe it had happened. They'd run into a few dragons at the market, and Apollo had asked if they knew anything about the graffiti. 

Before they knew it one of them had tried to clock her in the damned face. It was only a few words exchanged, and the man’s growing anger in his voice as she leaned in to ask if he knew anything about who might have bought the paint at the shop they’d zeroed in on.

It was a simple question, and a simple answer… though one told in violence rather than words. It was only her surprise in darting back that saved her from being struck down, and Apollo’s sudden and furious interference when they made it clear they weren’t happy with either of them. 

The knot of dragons had split into those defending them, and those clearly incensed. When Ema returned to the scene, she saw Nahyuta, Apollo, and a bloody faced Klavier talking to one of the Dragons who'd remained.

Ema leaned against a post holding up an awning, taking a number of deep and shaky breaths. When she noticed the blood on Klavier’s face, she was struck.

“Dammit!” She stomped forward , ripping her handkerchief out of her pocket and grabbing his shoulder. “Klavier…is it fucking broken?” 

"No idea, fraulein," he said with typical good humor. "I've never broken my nose before, ja?"

Apollo turned to Ema, rubbing his face. She could see bruises already forming. "I can't tell if he broke it or if it's just messed up. There's not that much blood is there? Are YOU okay?"

Apollo had a little blood on his face too, but Ema could tell it wasn't his.

Ema began wiping under Klavier's nose with her handkerchief, cursing under her breath

“dammit… She looked at Apollo with a mix of deep, affectionate respect and quiet fury…but most assuredly not at him, as she watched the bruises form. “I’m fine…they never touched me thanks to you. I managed to get a pretty decent view of ‘em too.” 

"That's good at least. That you're alright, for sure," Apollo nodded. "I didn't– I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start a fight just by talking."

Klavier let Ema have her way with his nose obediently standing there while she inspected him. "Herr forehead, what do you mean? I can't imagine this was your fault."

“I’m the one that started asking them about the graffiti.” Ema countered with a sharp sigh. “...Apollo, this isn’t your fault.”

She brushed the cloth under Klavier’s nose before she grabbed it lightly to feel for a break. 

"Oogh…" Klavier winced as she touched his nose. It didn't feel broken at least, but it was going to be sore for a while.

"Well– it's not your fault either then, alright, Ema?" Apollo insisted. "I just… I wish I could say I can't believe it happened, but I guess Datz already warned us."

“He did…” Nahyuta frowned. “Now I suppose we have solid proof of the schism appearing before us. With Dhurke gone…there’s a contingent of the dragons who are tired of letting the monarchy continue its reign and are willing to use methods he’d never approve of.” 

The dragon who'd been talking with Nahyuta gave a salute. He was a rough, young looking man with a dense beard and fierce eyes, under one of which was a pale scar. "It's hard to believe it's happening. But Hatir's got half the dragons spewing this communist propaganda, your highness."

“Communist propaganda, huh?” Ema murmured. “so that’s what it’s about…”

Her brow furrowed. It was a growing political struggle…one where some of the people wanted to rise against the monarchy and take power for themselves.

Part of her couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t like she was a monarchist, typically, and Ga’ran’s regime had utterly destroyed the country’s infrastructure, legal system…hope.

Why wouldn’t they be wary of it?

But part of her couldn’t forgive the growing violence– not against people she cared about. Part of her wanted desperately to miraculously convince Rayfa and Nahyuta to abdicate…to run, just like she’d talked about with Klavier. 

"Communist," Apollo frowned. "Well. Great. Well, can you tell us who's involved?"

"Aside from those you saw?" Hatir shrugged and spread his arms. "I think I can give you some names. I hate to turn against my brothers, but it was they who cast the first stone."

“Yeah…” Ema pinched the bridge of her nose “thanks. If nothing else we’re gonna have to interrogate them.”

“Hatir’s the one, then?” Nahyuta spoke up from over her shoulder. 

The dragon nodded. "That's him. I heard a rumor he's been calling meetings in secret, but I was never invited to any of them."

"And you are?" Klavier asked, around the handkerchief over his nose.

"Radik," the fierce eyed nodded. "Radik Al Yenceh. The prince regent knows me– I believe our brave friend here may as well."

He gestured to Apollo who smiled abashedly.

"Your dad was in the Dragons when I was here as a kid, I think?" he offered. "Ah… I''m sorry, I don't remember his name."

"Fers. Fers Al Yenceh," Radik said. 

Apollo snapped his fingers. "That's right. Fers. He was one of Dhurke's oldest supporters. A famous defense attorney from before the DC act."

“Ah yes…” Nahyuta nodded with a smile “I remember your father well, Radik…and you of course. Thank you very much, old friend. This information should prove helpful.”

Ema watched with her hand still on her face, leaning against Klavier with a pensive frown.

He put his arm around her and whispered into her ear. "We are really in the political shit, aren't we, liebchen?"

Ema nodded against him with a shaky smile. “Yeah I’d say” she whispered back. “way deeper than I ever wanted to tread, I’ll be honest.” 

"Any clever ideas, fraulein?"

Ema watched him as his gaze followed Apollo who was talking with Nahyuta and Radik.

“Aside from just pack up and drag them outta here while we ask someone with a little more experience in international goddamn politics to sort this shit out?” she watched Nahyuta herself, her brow creasing with worry.

She knew how badly the title of Regent weighed on him. It showed in the subtle slump of his shoulders and the forced tranquility. 

"We might be in luck there," he murmured back. "I think I may have softened herr prinz up a little."

“You did, huh?” She turned against him, looping an arm around his waist as she whispered excitedly. “You’re kidding…how?” 

"Just talking. Well, and then some making out. But that came later. I think he wants to be convinced. But we shouldn't talk about it here."

Ema flushed brightly, and coughed as he mentioned making out. 

“I think so too. Let’s…let’s talk in private.” She glanced back as she saw Nahyuta give a warm smile and pat the dragons on the shoulder with another thanks. 

[ritzcuit]

i want.. a fic.. where datz.. and amara talk....sooooooo bad. i know i should write it myself but writing is hard and i cant even decide what theyd talk abt. i just want it. i want them to talk abt Everything.

to me.. their relationship......... entirely unfounded by canon, but i believe it's such a complicated one. and i love to think about it. ofc, my angles are "datz is a gay man who had no romantic feelings for amara, very much had romantic feelings for dhurke, and is not exactly fond of Any sort of royalty at all"

i think her, dhurke, and datz, were all pretty good friends pre-revolution. i think dhurke invited datz to meet amara and datz was like oh boy this woman whos got dhurke all in a tizzy it'd be cool to seeAMARA SIGATAR KHURA'IN???? .....REAL???????but she's like, Cool, and has a sense of humor, and they all get along well. datz is like woah i didn't know someone of the royal family could be this cool. and smart and funny and normal :) and amara's like, it's nice that my boyfriend's freak isn't treating me differently because of my family, it's nice to feel like my age :) yay. he's invited to their wedding it rules.

and then like. um. it all goes wrong. So i rly do think datz was mourning amara too. not nearly as deeply as dhurke, of course, but he was like nooo she was so cool fuckkkkNDSKLNSFG but it goes wrong in several ways, bc now datz is helping raise her kid (!) and now he's living with dhurke (!!) and getting closer (!!!) and oh no

so, requited or not, confessed or not, forever, his love for dhurke is always going to be with an asterisk that says *dhurke is a married man, albeit a widow, and i am A Monster for loving him romantically

and then Um Well amara is Alive. on the surface, datz is celebrating, because this is awesome, until dhurke hits him with the "actually she still thinks i tried to murder her, but i'm gonna get her to trust me--" and datz is already sore because, with apollo gone, things are already dismal, and wtf do you mean she still thinks youre guilty?! whereas datz never doubted dhurke's innocence, so he's offended on dhurke's behalf and hurt because this little niche he's built in dhurke's life is getting shaken up again and3$%^#$^$

BUT THE THING IS, DATZ IS A NICE GUY. AND LIKE. HE LIKES AMARA. or wants to like her, really fucking badly, bc dhurke is so happy that amara is here, right!! so datz wants to be happy for them! amara is not stupid. she's cautious about all of this, and can tell that datz isn't as warm to her as he used to be. she learns all that dhurke has to share and what the two of them have been doing for the past like-eightish-years... she's merciful. amara is a Nice Girl. and she trusts them, but i think datz never really. gets over this.

i think rayfa being born is such a nail in the coffin that datz never gets over that either. esp after sending apollo away... soj implies datz doesnt know abt rayfa but idgaf he knows. i cannot decide as to if datz is good at hiding his displeasure. i think, for the most part, he is, because he tries SO FUCKING HARD to be happy when he's supposed to be happy... but at the same time, i think datz argues about sending apollo away, i think he argues about trying to win amara over, and i think he's very very clearly biting his tongue when he finds out about rayfa.

bc. he's not. like. he has no authority. and he hates scolding, and he hates pretending like he has authority... he hates hates hatessss being against all of this. more than anything, he just wishes he was a better friend who could be happy about all of this, but he's nursing a broken heart that he refuses to admit...

they lose rayfa and amara again... i think datz could take this insanely hard. i think datz can have a streak of blaming himself for things beyond his control, like every ace attorney character (he takes tahrust's death hard, and somewhat implies that he blames himself,) so i think he'll feel like if he wasn't bitter towards amara, he could have protected her. talking about this means he'd have to admit his bitterness, and explaining where it comes from, and admitting his love for dhurke, so he'll never do this...

by the time he and amara can meet again, post-canon, it's just. there's like. there's too fucking much. there's SO MUCH. datz's avoidance is in high gear now that he could, possibly, go visit amara.... i think it's obvious to anyone that he's avoiding that for any number of reasons. like nope. he simply Will Not. and amara knows it, because she's not stupid, and everyone who ever knew she and dhurke has given their condolences and datz barely steps foot in the palace- even to talk to nahyuta- but like,

he raised nahyuta up until he became a prosecutor, right? she's been talking to him and getting to know him, but who does she have to fondly reminisce with now that dhurke is gone? and who will treat her like a person and not some reverent figure? maybe she's lonely, right? maybe she misses an old friend.

and datz could ignore her invitation to a small private lunch, and more than anything, he wants to, which is why he goes. it's confronting that grief and broken hearted bitterness and remnants of anger and frustration from over a decade ago, and all that sadness, and guilt, and shame that he couldn't Be Better... or maybe, above all else, he just doesn't want to look at a widow (for real, this time) and tell her that he's been selfishly in love with her husband for as long as she's been gone.

which, for the record, amara would be like. i know. 😭LMFAO SHE'S LIKE DATZ DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID?

IDK. THERE'S SOOOOO MUCH. but i don't want the fic to just be datz yelling at a traumatized woman, no matter where you set it in the timeline, so it's likeelngfdlnfg Cause i don't think he even COULD yell at her, again, bc behind it all he knows amara was a victim as well.. i don't want the fic to just be amara doing emotional labor trying to coax something out of datz...

i dont know. im crazy. the two of them have a history that no one else would be around for, they're the only peers the two of them have, so it's crazy. bitterness and discomfort and everything. i cant... Exploads