the-defense-rises

[the-defense-rises]

Wait. Edgeworth had no idea he was trying to ask him out on a date?? The man really is that obtuse when it comes to social situations. No wonder it took us so long to sort out getting our friendship back on track. Nevertheless, Phoenix tried not to look uncomfortable at the idea - and remained the perfect picture of neutrality and friendly conversation. He watched what appeared to be a complicated mixture of emotions play across his old friend’s face, though he had no idea why Miles would want to avoid his face. There wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about, being asked out on a date by a nice and nice-looking person.  What was embarrassing was the rush of relief that washed over Phoenix when Edgeworth awkwardly declared that he was not, in fact, considering accepting the offer. Of course, that relief was mingled with some dread yet - he was fairly certain that his old friend was not only ace, but aromantic as well, as it happened, and so nothing was going to happen between them either.  “Oh? Any reason why? He seemed nice enough. Intelligent - and I can’t imagine you wanting to be with anyone who was less intelligent than you are.” Which really...in Phoenix’s opinion, cut him out of the deal. He’d never consider himself as intelligent as Edgeworth, though he was perfectly capable and smart. To him, Edgeworth seemed on a completely different level than most, though he could admit that perhaps that was still some of that childhood hero warship still clinging to the inside of his brain. “Oh - well, unless you aren’t interested in guys, which that’s fair. Or anyone at all...Sorry. I guess it’s really not my business. Not like I’m some expert in romance either.”  He hadn’t touched the stuff since he was 19, as it happened. Too much trauma, too many scars - it took therapy for him to realize and identify the nature of his affection for his old friend, and he’d let it lie ever since. It was important, to him, but maintaining this friendship was even more so. He didn’t want to risk it all on unrequited feelings.

Starter for @turnaboutprosecutor - Seven Year Gap Era It had been a generally normal day, otherwise. They’d gone to their studies, discussed at length the differences in the German legal system compared to their own, and others they’d studied - what was good, what could be improved, what they could utilize if they ever wanted to make changes back home - and then he and his old friend Miles Edgeworth had gone to a little seminar after. It was woefully in German, which Phoenix knew only a smattering of, but he was grateful that Miles had at least been polite enough to translate the highlights for him so he didn’t feel like a total imbecile.

Even despite all that, it had been perfectly fine. He’d figured that they’d mingle a little, while he stood awkwardly to one side and hoped someone spoke English to him, and then they’d go eat dinner and head back to the flat they’d been sharing for the past month or so. In truth, it had been nice to get out of Los Angeles - the media still liked to pick up on his disgrace even four years after the fact, and while he weathered it easily enough, it still wasn’t fun. At least here, he was less well known.  Things would have been fine, at least, until a striking gentleman named Lukas Jager had approached them, and struck up a genial, polite conversation with Miles. At first, the conversation had been in German, until he had noticed Phoenix, and then he had politely switched to accented but fluent English for his sake. There was nothing at all untoward about him - he clearly had known Miles from the past, perhaps past studies, and seemed to be closer to a friend to an acquaintance - but that wasn’t what had bothered Phoenix. He wanted Edgeworth to have friends other than him, he wanted him to be happy and free to be himself after all this time. No, it was…Jager’s body language. The way he leaned in just a touch when he spoke to Miles, the way his eyes softened just a little when he turned back to their mutual friend - that subtle invitation to dinner for only two, not three -  Oh no. He’s into Edgeworth. But Edgeworth isn’t into him, he’s not into anyone! He’s as Ace as they come…isn’t he?  Something akin to queer panic began to rise in his lovelorn little heart - Of course, he wanted Edgeworth to be happy, but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t…well, it was complicated. Phoenix had been made to come around to the fact that he’d harbored beyond platonic feelings for his old friend a number of years ago, during the course of his therapy and his efforts to overcome the trauma put upon him by Dahlia and poor Iris. He’d accepted it, settled on it, pined a little, and then done nothing about it for the past three years. It had been easy when Miles had been abroad, absent from his life aside from phone calls and text messages. But now they were here, together, living together, and there was this man trying politely to express his interest… In short, Phoenix had been stewing on this ever since they’d left the seminar. He found himself sitting on the sofa, a thick book in his hands, with the pretense of reading it and cross referencing the notes he’d taken that day. In reality, he’d spent the better half of the past half hour staring at the same sentence, his mind elsewhere. For all that he and Edgeworth had forged a close friendship, and for all that they were able to talk openly and freely about work and most regular life occurrences, talking about something as private as sexuality and the like had never come up. Honestly, Phoenix had been afraid to bring it up for some time, if only because he had been afraid of what the response might be. Perhaps…it was just best to at least gauge the situation - and if anything, let Miles know that he was a safe person to talk about such things with, even if his interests were not in him.  “So, that Lukas Jager fellow was nice,” he said over the edge of the book. “You guys know each other from back when you still lived here?” He glanced up and offered his old friend a bit of a smile - if anything, he was at least glad that Edgeworth appeared to have made friends in those long years that he struggled. “Are you going to go on that date with him?”

[the-defense-rises]

[the-defense-rises]

“Wait.” Phoenix didn’t think of himself as especially brilliant - an unfortunate thing, because he truly was. But the way his mind mulled over things in the background even while they were talking...it made him wonder. He sat up, his eyes immediately taking on that determined, thoughtful edge that they might have when faced with a particularly damning situation in court. Those days might have been over (for now), but one didn’t set it aside so easily.  “What if...the evidence wasn’t forged originally to frame me?” He turned and looked over at Mia, an intense look in his eye. “I’m still forming this theory, on the fly, give me a second. But I *wasn’t* Zak’s original attorney, and the evidence against him in the case was pretty tough, I’ll give you that. The charge was that he’d murdered the head of the magician troupe in his hospital room with a gun, though he claimed his innocence. The journal page that was forged would have been key in proving his innocence - and Gavin was the original defense attorney. I hate to say it, but...what if he had arranged for the evidence to be crafted to help his case, but when Zak changed attorneys, he got angry and decided to use it against me, and told his brother about it?” He didn’t like the implication - mostly because even though Kristoph gave him a somewhat uncomfortable vibe now and again, he’d never disliked the man. He’d seemed quiet and amiable, a decent fellow - but was that not wrong? He sighed and ran his hand back through his hair.  “That’s not entirely fair, though. I don’t have proof of that, and I don’t want to drag a guy’s name through the mud without proof. He *was* the only one who vouched for me in my hearing - which he could have been doing just to establish an alibi of sorts. He vouched for me so why would he have reason to ruin my career. But still. Without evidence, I can’t prove it was him, and I won’t falsely accuse someone.” The fire in his eyes faded just a little - he was tired, so tired, after several days of dealing with this. Still, he smiled when she mentioned the offices, and being there for him, and sort of leaned against her just a little.  “It really is...wonderful, having you back,” he said quietly. “I’ll be okay, I’ve already been putting out resumes trying to find work. What about you? Have you talked to Maya? Do you need anything? Oh...” He went quiet. “Have you visited Mr. Armando yet?” A painful point, but it needed addressing. “I’ve got all the time...if you want someone to come along with you.”

phoenix / the-defense-rises​

Never alone. He had been alone once, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, when Mia Fey had stepped into his life. Ever since that fateful first meeting, he had gained so many friends - a sort of found family, people who would do almost anything to help him. He’d even regained friends that he hadn’t expected to see again - in Edgeworth especially. Mia, Maya, Miles, Pearls. Gumshoe, Larry - he had a feeling even Franziska herself would come to his aid, even if she put on a front that she was being forced to be there.  “My first step is to try and figure out what sorts of people might be able to make such an excellent forgery. It was so perfect that someone, no doubt, had to have told Prosecutor Gavin about it - but my gut says that he himself was not responsible. He’s a rookie, but I know his brother. Actually, his brother was supposed to originally be the defense attorney in this case, Kristoph Gavin.”  Now that was odd. He wondered then if the two were linked to the forgery in some way. It made sense, but he had no proof. He rubbed his temple with a sigh.  “Someone had to make it. It was…art, really, Mia, how good it was. Someone gave it to Trucy Enigmarr to give to me, but I haven’t had a chance to ask her about that yet. And as for my living situation…” He sat back on the sofa, slumping a little.  “I have enough in my savings to last me about a year assuming I don’t find employment within twelve months. That’s sort of unlikely - I have a resume and an arts degree, so I can probably find something just to keep incoming going. The lease on the office is paid through the next ten years - I just kept the same contract you had drawn up with the building owner and kept funneling money into it, so we don’t have to worry about that. So…I just need to find a job then I can keep focusing on this investigation. Edgeworth has already offered his assistance when he is in town, and now I have you…” He smiled a little at his former boss, looking a little less depressed now and a bit more hopeful.  “…It will take time. But we’ll figure it out.”

     Kristopher Gavin? Now, that was a name Mia knew if only in passing. A few years younger than her, but no doubt any less famous. He even had his own law firm if she remembered correctly. However… what sort of connection would a lawyer like him have with this sort of fiasco? His brother, a prosecutor apparently, would be on the opposing side, but… that wasn’t enough to tie him into it all, was it? If Phoenix’s comments were true, there certainly would be no way for a rookie to recognize forged evidence so quickly, especially if it was as realistic as he described. It left the question, then, of just who it was that tipped the prosecutor off. Why? If they knew the evidence was falsified, why would they not warn the defense as well? Unless…       Hm. Thoughts for another time. They had no real leads as it stood, none save for the fact that someone wanted forged evidence thrown into the trial and someone had informed the prosecutor of this fact. Most likely they would be the same person, but that still left so many unanswered questions. They’d be tended to in time, she figured. Phoenix was on a mission for the truth and she had seen him in action far too many times to believe he wouldn’t stop until he found it. She returns the smile, “ Well, it’s nice to hear the office is going to be taken care of. I can’t say I wasn’t a little worried about having to just dump it on you like I did, ” A small tease, though it wasn’t a total lie. To just… up and drop everything onto the shoulders of her protégé, her protégé even she didn’t believe was just yet ready to take on cases alone? It was… concerning, to say the least. She’d… have to formally thank him at a later date for all he’d done for her. “ I don’t doubt it, Phoenix. You’ll find the truth of this, you always have, ” One last bit of encouragement before getting down to business, “ You know more about what happened than me, so… I think once again I’ll be following your lead, ” Picking up almost where they left off, it seemed. She’d follow her own leads and tend to her own issues in the meantime, but the ‘lead’ in this ‘investigation’ would fall to Phoenix. “ Once you get yourself settled again… I’ll be ready. Just say the word and I’ll do whatever I can. In the mean time… I can look back over what I can over the trial. Like you said, someone told the prosecution about that forged evidence and I think it’s a safe bet to say it’s whoever might’ve asked for the evidence in the first place or, at least, had some connection to it. ”

[the-defense-rises]

Starter for @turnaboutprosecutor - Seven Year Gap Era It had been a generally normal day, otherwise. They’d gone to their studies, discussed at length the differences in the German legal system compared to their own, and others they’d studied - what was good, what could be improved, what they could utilize if they ever wanted to make changes back home - and then he and his old friend Miles Edgeworth had gone to a little seminar after. It was woefully in German, which Phoenix knew only a smattering of, but he was grateful that Miles had at least been polite enough to translate the highlights for him so he didn’t feel like a total imbecile.

Even despite all that, it had been perfectly fine. He’d figured that they’d mingle a little, while he stood awkwardly to one side and hoped someone spoke English to him, and then they’d go eat dinner and head back to the flat they’d been sharing for the past month or so. In truth, it had been nice to get out of Los Angeles - the media still liked to pick up on his disgrace even four years after the fact, and while he weathered it easily enough, it still wasn’t fun. At least here, he was less well known.  Things would have been fine, at least, until a striking gentleman named Lukas Jager had approached them, and struck up a genial, polite conversation with Miles. At first, the conversation had been in German, until he had noticed Phoenix, and then he had politely switched to accented but fluent English for his sake. There was nothing at all untoward about him - he clearly had known Miles from the past, perhaps past studies, and seemed to be closer to a friend to an acquaintance - but that wasn’t what had bothered Phoenix. He wanted Edgeworth to have friends other than him, he wanted him to be happy and free to be himself after all this time. No, it was...Jager’s body language. The way he leaned in just a touch when he spoke to Miles, the way his eyes softened just a little when he turned back to their mutual friend - that subtle invitation to dinner for only two, not three -  Oh no. He’s into Edgeworth. But Edgeworth isn’t into him, he’s not into anyone! He’s as Ace as they come...isn’t he?  Something akin to queer panic began to rise in his lovelorn little heart - Of course, he wanted Edgeworth to be happy, but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t...well, it was complicated. Phoenix had been made to come around to the fact that he’d harbored beyond platonic feelings for his old friend a number of years ago, during the course of his therapy and his efforts to overcome the trauma put upon him by Dahlia and poor Iris. He’d accepted it, settled on it, pined a little, and then done nothing about it for the past three years. It had been easy when Miles had been abroad, absent from his life aside from phone calls and text messages. But now they were here, together, living together, and there was this man trying politely to express his interest... In short, Phoenix had been stewing on this ever since they’d left the seminar. He found himself sitting on the sofa, a thick book in his hands, with the pretense of reading it and cross referencing the notes he’d taken that day. In reality, he’d spent the better half of the past half hour staring at the same sentence, his mind elsewhere. For all that he and Edgeworth had forged a close friendship, and for all that they were able to talk openly and freely about work and most regular life occurrences, talking about something as private as sexuality and the like had never come up. Honestly, Phoenix had been afraid to bring it up for some time, if only because he had been afraid of what the response might be. Perhaps...it was just best to at least gauge the situation - and if anything, let Miles know that he was a safe person to talk about such things with, even if his interests were not in him.  “So, that Lukas Jager fellow was nice,” he said over the edge of the book. “You guys know each other from back when you still lived here?” He glanced up and offered his old friend a bit of a smile - if anything, he was at least glad that Edgeworth appeared to have made friends in those long years that he struggled. “Are you going to go on that date with him?”

[the-defense-rises]

Happy Mun-Day all. I’m starting to feel better and better so have a Munday Pic. ;)

[the-defense-rises]

[the-defense-rises]

//I am still around. My second surgery went well. I’ll try to get some writing done in the next few days. I would have written this week, but I live in Texas! As such - I didn’t have power or water for a number of days due to the massive winter storm we had come through here. Soon!

Thank you for sticking around. If you are new to my blog, message me and we can plot!!

[the-defense-rises]

//1 and 2, because I used to live there.

Fun fact - the Hall of Justicr, the police department, everything for the legal system in Downtown Los Angeles? It’s in the Little Tokyo district.

question for all you ace attorney writers out there:

when updating the setting for the localization, which of the following do you do?

Make it LA and try to keep it as realistic to the cityscape and atmosphere as possible?

Make it LA but do whatever the heck I feel like because why not? Who’s fact checking anyway?

Name it Japanifornia and call it a day.

Don’t update it, keep it Japan.

No thoughts, head empty, just gay lawyers.

[the-defense-rises]

It didn’t rain very often in Los Angeles - except in the winter, which was admittedly still a fairly mild time of the year. Having grown up here and gotten used to the oddities of living in an artificially green part of a desert, Phoenix had recognized the signs and taken an umbrella with him to the club. His walk from one bus stop to the other always took him right past the Hall of Justice, which always produced a weird mixture of feelings. Just because he’d gotten closer to getting to the bottom of the whole mess didn’t make it any less, well, weird. Strange, how his life was endlessly entangled in the legal system. A part of him really wouldn’t have had it any other way. What was different about tonight was the figure he saw emerging from the halls - someone who had not grown up in Los Angeles due to unpleasant circumstances, and someone who had apparently not prepared for the rainstorm currently inundating the city. He guessed that the sleek red sports car Edgeworth drove was still parked at the DA’s offices and that he had walked over here - since it was just across the street and all. Hand in his pocket, Phoenix smiled a bit more and approached him.  “Hey Edgeworth.” He put the umbrella immediately over the both of them, shielding his old friend from the rain. “Not a good night to be out without an umbrella.” A rare grin found its way to his lips - an expression a rare few were privy to these days. It made him look much more like the man he was under the indifferent facade - hence its rarity. “Let me walk you to your car? I don’t mind.”

a rainy night in neo olde tokyo

starter for @the-defense-rises​ !

    It was pouring. Thick rain fell hard and fast, hissing under the orange glow of street lamps and turning the roads into rivers. Beneath the wide courthouse awning, Miles Edgeworth stood anxiously checking his watch – sans umbrella.

    He’d worked late, lost his case (to no great loss of justice - the defendant had been innocent), uncovered a truth, and now, not only was the man dog-tired, he was also missing the latest episode of Steel Samurai. Smooth hair curling slightly in the humidity of the night, he pushed at his temples and muttered a solid “dammit” into the pattering rain.

    Any rational observer would’ve thought from his demeanor that he was in the midst of suffering a loss far greater than running late for his favorite TV serial… But luckily, no such observer was around.

    …Or so he thought. Until the scrape of shoes against concrete made him peer hastily over his shoulder.

[the-defense-rises]

//LOOK AT ME GO. I slept for nine hours last night. 

[the-defense-rises]

Phoenix’s heart sank, and he slowly sat down in a chair. He was exhausted and terribly sore - but that was nothing compared to the discomfort that Edgeworth undoubtedly was feeling. Surely, they had him full of painkillers to help with that, but even so - painkillers wouldn’t have necessarily numbed everything. He rubbed his hand over his face and let out a tense sigh.  “...But the surgeon, he’s on his way, right? Or she. Whatever. They’ll be here within a day or two?” That wasn’t so bad - not ideal, but not earth shattering. He sighed - he did not feel safe leaving the hospital, not if there were assassins after him - but there was nothing saying an assassin couldn’t get him here either. He’d seen Kill Bill - Elle Driver had disguised herself as a nurse to kill the Bride, so there was no reason why someone couldn’t do the same. But he also didn’t want to be trapped here. He needed to help solve this matter so that they could all be safe.  “...Geez,” he breathed, and leaned his head against the wall tiredly. “...I want to help, Franziska, but if there are people after both of us, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, or how safe it will be. They could be lying in wait at my apartment or my offices right now. Or coming here for one or both of us.” Sitting ducks, that’s what they were. “Miles...I don’t want to leave you here all by yourself either. Not while you’re hurting like this...”  You saved my life. You took a literal bullet for me. How could I ever abandon you??

the-defense-rises​:

Phoenix caught that hard stare that Ms. von Karma fixed Miles with the moment he asked about the ballistics on the bullet. It was intense, and telling - and any concern for the soreness in his own muscles and the fuzziness in his own brain were washed away with the new, sudden, gnawing horror dawning on him.  If there aren’t any ballistics testing, there’s only one reason for that…no. No. No. “…She would have mentioned them right off the bat if she had them,” he said softly, straightening. “Franziska. Er. Ms. von Karma, sorry. Edgeworth has only just woken up, and they won’t tell me anything about his condition because I’m not his next of kin. We…we don’t know anything about…anything that happened here yet.” Detective Gumshoe’s expression fell, but he also looked rather upset. The idea that no one had informed them?! But also - he needed to call in some police to protect them while they were here. Just because they were in a hospital did not mean that they were safe.  “Ms. von Karma, I’m going to call in backup for guard duty while we investigate,” he said, seeing it as a quick means of getting out of a private conversation. “Mr. Edgeworth, you can call me if you have any questions. I’m not going to rest until we find the people responsible for this, sir!” He fired off a smart salute, then quickly ushered himself out to make several phone calls - and pull any reports about the injury from the medical staff that he could.

The enraged glare Franziska shot at Scruffy was nothing short of frightening. Yet, she understood her actions, thus he was spared from her whip…this time. She took a moment to gather her words, not expecting to have to be the one to break this news to her little brother.

Edgeworth wasn’t exactly the fool his sister claimed him to be. He suspected something was awry the moment she froze up, and while in the back of his mind had an inkling, he wanted to deny the cruel twist of irony of that possibility. Surely, there was another answer. Yet nothing that would warrant such a reaction. Not from her. “Franziska?” 

The woman swallowed. She couldn’t leave him in the dark like this, yet she knew how he’d take it.  “They…couldn’t remove the bullet just yet. It’s still in your abdomen…”

The remaining color that was left in Miles’ face drained in an instant. He couldn’t say he hadn’t expected such news, but that hadn’t meant he wanted to hear it. His eyes widened and his panic rose, seemingly pressing the growing pit further down his stomach. “To my understanding, it’s lodged too closely to an artery. They’d only have about seven minutes once the process is started, so they wanted to get the best surgeon they have.” She further explained, watching his reactions. “Unfortunately, he was on vacation, so he’s being flown back here now as we speak…”

It was another moment before Miles found the will to speak up again. “I…see…” He was at a loss. He didn’t know what to think. On one hand, he was lucky to be alive, on the other, it was a sickeningly ironic, in his mind. 

He left Manfred von Karma with a bullet in him for fifteen years, after all…

[the-defense-rises]

It was strange. Surreal, really, more than anything. Phoenix had left behind his fear of the actual person, Dahlia Hawthorne, a long time ago. She was, after all, simply a woman, and a deceased one - no superhuman power, no superhuman strength, merely a woman who preferred lies and poisons to achieve her means. But Phoenix knew better than most people that death was hardly the end of existence - someone must have foolishly channeled her, or been tricked to do so - he’d seen it before. Straightening a little at his desk, he looked over her - for knives, weapons of any sort, poison - if his assumption was correct, then he did not want to harm a presumably innocent spirit medium, but he did not have a Magatama of Parting on hand either - something he’d only seen actively used in recent memory, but nothing he had on hand.  Dahlia was shrewd, so he didn’t know how long bluffing and talking to her really would work - but he was thinking quickly, despite the cold chill down his spine.  “History. I have more history with your sister than I did with you, apparently. Not sure that I buy that we only met twice - funny how I started getting more sick once Iris and I started dating. You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?” The threat was real - it didn’t matter if she was a spirit, she was in a real body, with real intent - but he also refused to back down. He was not the simpering, crying youth he’d been when they’d last faced down - at Iris’ trial, Dahlia had been more preoccupied with Mia than with him.  “I would say that you should get a life and find someone else to haunt, but I guess that ship has sailed.”

                                                     ✿✿✿✿ 

          Dahlia was no fool, she knew she was the subject of Phoenix’s worst nightmares, able to haunt him even well after her death. Her power over him was unmistakable and considerably sinister. It amused her like nothing else, to see the fear in those eyes of his. Even though she had failed with multiple of her plots in the past the greatest revenge still belonged to her and that was her never ending torment over him and many other people who had the misfortune of crossing paths with her. A force to be reckoned with even in death. Forever and ever. 

          ❛   Who else’s doorstep would I be at, dear Feenie   ?   You and me have a history, after all. One that cannot be denied.  ❜   A sweet honey filled smile graced her visage as she approached his desk, elbows coming to rest upon its surface.   ❛   Did you miss me   ?    ❜

                                                    ✿✿✿✿

@the-defense-rises​ // continued from here

[the-defense-rises]

Phoenix stopped dead in his tracks when he walked through the door, his hand still on the door knob. It had been a long day - he’d almost forgotten just how ragged investigation could be with the caliber of clients he tended to get. His eyebrows raised a little as he looked first at his brilliant and beloved daughter, grinning so brightly at him, and then at the papers scattered all about the floor -  “...So, is this something I should try to pawn off on Apollo or Athena, or is it specifically me you need?” he asked with a bit of a cheeky grin as he closed the door behind him. He tossed his stuff unceremoniously on the sofa and loosened his tie a little, stepping over to Trucy. “Alright, I’m here. What do you need me to do? Everything okay with your big sequel?”

A Much Needed Discussion

@the-defense-rises / @wrightandcoanythingagency / @future-justice / @khurain-princess / @thegrapesdepression / @prosecutor-in-chief / @judgementalprosecution / @snackoosandscience / @guiltyguiltylove / @threedorksnearabench

Trucy was frantically working with the papers scattered before her. She was in deep thought on what to do for the exciting sequel to her big hit, “Trucy in Gramaryeland” but was coming across a few bumps.

She knew the best way to get some help was to rely on others, having learnt she could do that now, but even so part of her wondered if they would even want to be involved.

But in the end she wouldn’t know without asking.

As if on cue, the door opened and Trucy grinned. “Ah! Just who I wanted to see!!”

[the-defense-rises]

🍇 - Have you even encountered any partners that threw a tantrum at you?

//Hm. Not *tantrums* per se. I’ve had RP partners who ended up calling me annoying, which sort of sadly ended our friendship because I assumed it meant they didn’t want to talk to me at all anymore. I’ve had clingy RP partners who got upset if I was slow in the past. But I can’t say I’ve had an RP partner who pitched a full blown fit. Mostly because if they did, I’d be like “okay yeah this is done. I’m too old for this shit.”

[the-defense-rises]

🍓 - What’s your sweetest rp experience so far?

//Y’all are going to be like “omg what cheese” but I met my current significant other because I was looking for an RP partner. We hit it off spectacularly, though it took us a while to get around to getting together.

[the-defense-rises]

MUNDAY MEME

Send one of the following to ask the mun:

🍐 - How many ships have you considered but rejected for your muse? 🍊 - What are your favourite genres of threads? Fluff? Angst? Etc 🍎 - If you had to chose a new faceclaim for your muse, who would you pick? 🍋 - Does your muse complain about things to you? If so, what? 🍌 - What drew you into the fandom in the first place? 🍉 - If you considered a time travel thread, when would your muse go? 🍓 - What’s your sweetest rp experience so far? 🍇 - Have you even encountered any partners that threw a tantrum at you? 🍒 - How many friends do you have on here? 🍍 - How many drafts are you stalling with this meme? 🥝 - If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 🍅 - Have you ever had a case of mistaken identity for your muse or another? 🍆 - How much sin appears on your dash every day? 🥒 - Are you thinking about reviving old muses? Who? 🥕 - What do you think about the current theme trends? 🌽 - Is there a fandom you’re too intimidated to join? 🌶 - Do you find your muse attractive? 🥔 - What’s the dumbest mistake you’ve made in rp? 🥜 - What’s the nuttiest thread you’ve ever had?

[the-defense-rises]

Never alone. He had been alone once, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, when Mia Fey had stepped into his life. Ever since that fateful first meeting, he had gained so many friends - a sort of found family, people who would do almost anything to help him. He’d even regained friends that he hadn’t expected to see again - in Edgeworth especially. Mia, Maya, Miles, Pearls. Gumshoe, Larry - he had a feeling even Franziska herself would come to his aid, even if she put on a front that she was being forced to be there.  “My first step is to try and figure out what sorts of people might be able to make such an excellent forgery. It was so perfect that someone, no doubt, had to have told Prosecutor Gavin about it - but my gut says that he himself was not responsible. He’s a rookie, but I know his brother. Actually, his brother was supposed to originally be the defense attorney in this case, Kristoph Gavin.”  Now that was odd. He wondered then if the two were linked to the forgery in some way. It made sense, but he had no proof. He rubbed his temple with a sigh.  “Someone had to make it. It was...art, really, Mia, how good it was. Someone gave it to Trucy Enigmarr to give to me, but I haven’t had a chance to ask her about that yet. And as for my living situation...” He sat back on the sofa, slumping a little.  “I have enough in my savings to last me about a year assuming I don’t find employment within twelve months. That’s sort of unlikely - I have a resume and an arts degree, so I can probably find something just to keep incoming going. The lease on the office is paid through the next ten years - I just kept the same contract you had drawn up with the building owner and kept funneling money into it, so we don’t have to worry about that. So...I just need to find a job then I can keep focusing on this investigation. Edgeworth has already offered his assistance when he is in town, and now I have you...” He smiled a little at his former boss, looking a little less depressed now and a bit more hopeful.  “...It will take time. But we’ll figure it out.”

phoenix / the-defense-rises​

I’m not a lawyer. They took that from me. Someone took that from me.  Phoenix stared at her for a moment, eyes burning a bit, throat aching with the tightness of holding back so much emotion. He’d spent the last however many days running himself ragged, trying to sort out how he was going to live, much less try and sort out what had happened to him. Depression and stress, a lack of sleep, trying desperately to hunt down the living relatives of little Trucy Enigmarr - he’d had no time to rest, to recoup, to try and refocus his thoughts or his energy. Edgeworth had been the first to offer him a reprieve - he’d been there for him, that entire terrible day that he had been disbarred and into the night after - and he had kept checking on him - it had meant so much to him that he didn’t know how to begin to repay him.  And now Mia - alive and well, smiling at him, recentering his focus the way she had always been able to. Reminding him of his strengths, reframing the entire narrative. He had never given up for any of his clients, not once. He had never given up on any of his friends, people he loved - why now, did he find it so easy to give up on himself? Had his sense of worth been so mangled and beaten down that he couldn’t muster that same courage to fight? No, he knew that wasn’t true. Was this not another trial, with him as defendant and defense - he could find out the truth. He wasn’t alone; they could find the truth together. Fight for an acquittal, no matter how long it took. Have faith. You know you’re innocent. “…No,” he finally said, sniffling a little. He wiped his eyes a bit messily with his sleeve and took a breath, steadying himself. “No, I’m not ready for it to be the end. I know I didn’t forge that evidence. I know someone set me up to use it, and set me up to fall. I don’t know who, and I don’t know why, but…I can’t let that truth be buried. If it could happen to me, it could happen to someone else. I can’t let that happen. Then we won’t have any fair, decent defense attorneys left in this city.” There were so few of them, and so few fair and honest prosecutors as well. He was still too close, too bitter about Prosecutor Gavin’s role in his disbarment to think better of him - in time, he would, and he would come to understand that he’d also been used. But for now… He took another breath and straightened, his tears drying. The embrace felt so nice - comforting, welcoming - and it wasn’t the first time that Mia had been there to help him pick up those pieces. She’d seen him at almost his lowest before… “Thanks,” he said, and finally smiled, though tiredly. “…I. Thank you, Chief.” He winked a bit. “You’ll always be the Chief. I needed that…you and Edgeworth both, have been…really. Ever since this happened…I don’t think I’ve slept well since then, and…I know I’m not alone. That gives me courage, even though my back is against the wall.” A determined look came to his face, his eyes brightening a little. “They took away my right to practice law, but not to pursue justice.”

     There is a sense of relief that washes over her as Phoenix settles, as he smiles. It was tired, understandably so, but it was a smile nonetheless. A small show of strength - that is all she ever wanted. She never had any doubts that he was strong, dependable, but she worried about how long it might have taken Phoenix to realize the same, especially after such a tragedy. Ever since Mia had accepted him to be her protégé, she had only ever thought highly of him. She would never deny how proud she was of the lawyer he became, of the man he eventually grew into. It would be a terrible shame if he had forgotten just how amazing he had become. Almost as good as her, she might even say. “ You’re never alone, Phoenix, ” A statement with plenty of evidence behind it - How many people did Phoenix now have in his life? How many friends that would stand by him until the end? Maya, of course, and Pearl and Edgeworth now, too. She only ever saw fractions at a time when she stood across the courtroom, but even she could see how much the prosecutor had changed. So much had happened in such a short few years. She had left them all so suddenly and she worried for them in her ‘ final ’ moments, until her eyesight had finally faded. She would only ever be grateful for the support they all had given one another in her absence. “ I’ve always been here for you, ” Even when she could never physically be here, “ And I always will be. The fight’s not over yet, Phoenix, and I’ll be there, right beside you, ” She always had been, hadn’t she? When he was accused of murder up until his first case and then even past that. Mia had never been far from his side, “That forged evidence had to come from somewhere - Someone out there wanted you to get it and it seems like someone wanted you to take the fall.” Mia knew only so little, only what Phoenix had mentioned to her, but the sheer fact the prosecution immediately called out a forgery? It was… suspicious, to say the least. She might have spent a few years sleeping, but it seemed that her instincts were as sharp as ever. The biggest question, however, was still yet to be answered - why ? “ When you’re ready to take those first steps, Phoenix, I’ll be right besides. We’ll find the truth. Together. ”