#phoenix is so strong because if miles looked at me like that i’d be going crazy and im like a known enemy of edgeworth

[rendevok]

“Take my hand” pages 5-11

1 - day 2 - truth - 3

#nmweek23 #narumitsu #wrightworth #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #i spent all yesterday shading and lettering these your boy is so tired BUT IT WAS WORTH IT #in which i cram way too much into way too little and yet way too many pages for a single day #my sincerest apologies to them on their day but i will make it up to them i PROMISE #‘prove it’ you’ll NEVER GUESS what happens next :^))))) (<-guy who is extremely predictable) #phoenix is so strong because if miles looked at me like that i’d be going crazy and im like a known enemy of edgeworth #see you guys in like 5-7 business days on part 3 o7 #fan art #aa #fan comic #rendevok #OH OH ALSO there’s like a whole fucking essay i could write about these pages esp wrt light and also The Hands but youll have to ask for it #just know that if you see something… there was probably a reason for it! #ok thats it fr this time

[shakespeareanwannabe]

As You Wish, Chapter 7

Summary: When arriving at Camp Silver Star, Abby Floyd was anticipating a summer of adventure with an ocean separating her from the three people she loved most: her mom, her Uncle Bob and her Aunt Natasha. But after a run in with Charlie Seresin, an extremely familiar looking and irritating camper in a different cabin, her summer plans take a turn that neither girl ever could have expected.

Potential Trigger Warnings: reader's children are described as being blond with green eyes because genetics are wild and Jake's genes are strong, reader is canonically Bob's sister (but biological relation is never discussed), reader goes by Buttercup and is tattooed, angst, panic attack, drinking, sadness, reference to divorce, kids doing sneaky things, references to babies, swearing, references to the hospital

Top Gun, almost 12 years ago

When Payback was standing on the tarmac of the training field as they landed, Bob knew it was go time.

It had been odd enough flying without Bagman the past few days; the blond lieutenant opting to take a few days leave as his new wife approached and passed her due date, and Bob found himself almost missing the sarcastic comments shared over comms and the easy way that his new brother-in-law was able to push the other members of their team to their limits. It wasn’t always great for morale, but there was a reason they were the best team the Navy had to offer.

Bob hopped down from his seat behind Natasha and took off running towards Reuben, who he had handed his phone to before takeoff. The older pilot knew a thing or two about impending parenthood and had suggested holding onto the uncle-to-be’s phone, just in case any news broke about the delivery of the twins.

Twins. His sister was having twins. With Hangman. As much as Bob had fought her on her relationship with the cocky aviator, there was no denying how happy the couple had been over the course of the past year. Sure, they had moved fast (too fast, in Bob’s opinion), but that’s the way Hangman operated. His mind moved a million miles an hour in his cockpit, and he saw no reason to slow it down when he was on land.

“Text just came in about ten minutes ago,” Reuben called when Bob was in earshot. “She labored all day and all night, and the girls were born around 2 this morning. Mom and girls are doing fine.”

Bob felt his smile stretch so wide he was surprised his face didn’t break.

“But it’s almost 6 now,” Natasha griped, standing over his left shoulder. “What’s with the hold up?”

Reuben chuckled. “Would you want people all up in your face after over a day of labour and delivery, Phoenix? Or would you want some time to soak up all the lovin’ of those two little angels before you had to share them?”

“I’d want to soak up all the love, that’s the point.”

While Bob tended to agree with her, he knew that this was all part of his sister’s plan. She was a private person at heart and hated being the center of attention. She especially hated feeling like people were waiting on her. So, it made sense that she would’ve held off on announcing the birth of his nieces until she’d had time to adjust.

“Bob, you okay?” Reuben asked, realizing that the WSO hadn’t said a single word since landing. “You with me?”

Bob nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Thanks, Payback.” He reached out and took his phone back from the older member of their team.

He grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “You wish the new parents congratulations from me and Lori, alright? We’ll be by to visit when we’re allowed. But it sounds like you’ve got permission already, Bob.”

Bob glanced down at the message from Hangman, which did indeed invite him to the hospital to meet the newest members of his family.

“C’mon,” Natasha held up her car keys. “I’m driving.”

“You—”

“Probably wasn’t invited, was I?” his partner smirked. “But you’re shaking like a leaf, so I’m doing the team a favour and driving you. And, if I get to meet the babies before Javy and Rooster, that’s even better.”

London, England, 24 hours ago

Charlie sat at the high round kitchen table, poking at the cheese and crackers she had assembled for her midday meal as Auntie Nat raced around the kitchen, half a bagel stuffed in her mouth as she prepped her coffee.

When she’d woken up that morning, Uncle Bob had been halfway out the door for work. A schedule that consisted of bouncing from London to Frankfurt to Barcelona and, finally, home ensured that he would be home in time for Jeopardy and dinner but had left her with her surly aunt and her mom, who had been locked into Zoom meetings all morning in her office. Not that she was complaining. While the first few days had been a difficult adjustment, dealing with the time change and the customs of her new home, she absolutely adored her life in London. Her Uncle Bob was just as awkward and funny as she had been told, Auntie Nat was everything she had ever wanted in an aunt, and her mom? Her mom was better than she had ever dreamed. They had spent hours together, reading together and tossing ideas around about Mum’s latest book, going out to eat, watching trashy reality shows while eating ice cream. Mum kept reminding her that things would go back to normal when she went back to school but wanted to keep things loose for the last few weeks of summer because she had missed her so much. It was kind of nice to have a relaxing morning at home with her aunt while waiting for her mom to be freed from work.

“Alright, kid, I’m off,” Auntie Nat announced, breezing past her with her arms loaded down with gym equipment and water bottles. “Have fun with your mom tonight, and remind her to eat something before her book signing, okay? You don’t want to deal with a hangry Buttercup, believe me.”

Charlie grinned at her as Nat paused in front of the large mirror next to the door, putting down a water bottle to touch up the makeup that concealed the angry red edges of the scar that bisected her left eye, a remnant from the battle that had taken Maverick’s life and Natasha’s clearance to fly. Abby had told her that Nat still got self-conscious about the scar and warned her not to stare too much at it, but that hadn’t been a problem. She’d seen worse scars on the cowboys and cowgirls who worked on the ranch. Hell, one of their best breeding experts was a man with four fingers on one hand and only one ear. Scars didn’t exactly scare her.

“I will. Have fun at work!” Nat winked at her through the mirror before gathering her belongings and jetting through the door, allowing it to fall closed with a thud.

Feeling a short, staccato vibration in her pocket, Charlie tugged out her phone and checked for any new message from Abby. Her sister (it still thrilled her to be able to say those words) had been keeping her up to date on the ranch and the lives of the men who lived there. Last they had spoken, Abby had been excited about going on a trail ride with dad, and Charlie had shared a few tips on how to navigate Jake’s favourite trail. They both hoped that the trail ride would be a good opportunity for Abby to start digging into what went wrong with their parent’s marriage, while Charlie was angling for an opening to bring up the same topic with their mother. Thus far, all attempts had been foiled on both their parts, but neither of them was willing to give up without a fight.

Charlie clicked onto the messaging app and read the most recent message.

A: Does dad have a girlfriend?

Charlie snorted. Sure, she’d heard rumors about her dad from Rooster and Javy, how he had all the ladies drooling when he was in the Navy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth now. Besides, there was no way her father could hide a whole girlfriend from her.

C: LOL no he’s got no game

But…those rumors had to have started somewhere. And her father, as dorky as he was, had managed to date and marry her mom, who was the coolest woman Charlie had ever met. And she’d been gone for six weeks at camp. If so much had changed for her in those six weeks, there was no telling what could have changed at her home in Texas.

C: Why??? 👀

Abby’s response was sent almost immediately, as though Abby had had the message waiting to send.

A: Because there’s a random blond lady hanging out in the kitchen and he’s calling her baby

Charlie bit her lip. It didn’t sound like her dad…then again, her dad hadn’t done much dating because he’d been busy with her and the ranch. Still, he wouldn’t just hide a girlfriend from her, would he? Feeling a dark cloud begin to drift over her head, she replied.

C: You sure it’s him and not Rooster?

C: Uncle Roo has lots of hookups 🤢

A: Pretty sure I know what he looks like, thanks 🙄

Charlie tamped down a bolt of anger. It wasn’t Abby’s fault. She was just looking for information and they’d both inherited their mother’s penchant for sarcasm with their father’s ego. Abby didn’t deserve to have her head chewed off just because Charlie was asking stupid questions.

C: You didn’t until a couple of weeks ago, smartypants

“Hey babe, sorry about that!”

Charlie nearly threw her phone across the room as her mom came into the kitchen, dressed in a stylish pair of black palazzo pants and a pretty cream coloured sleeveless top.

“H-hi mum!” Charlie chirped, flipping her phone face down and grinning.

“You okay?” Buttercup’s brow furrowed.

“Fine! I was just looking up restaurants around the bookstore. Auntie Nat wanted me to remind you to eat before the book signing.” Charlie flipped the little switch on her phone to shut off notifications as Abby’s replies started buzzing in.

Buttercup rolled her eyes fondly. “Listen, a girl gets hangry one time, after 27 hours of labor and not being allowed to eat due to archaic hospital policies, and she’s never allowed to live it down.”

Charlie grinned. “But would you really want to get hangry a second time in front of your adoring public?”

Buttercup grinned. “I suppose not. But it would make for one heck of a story, wouldn’t it?” Despite her words, Buttercup dug into the fridge and pulled out a slice of leftover pizza, taking a large bite as she leant against the marble countertop next to the sink. “You know, you don’t have to come with me to the book signing, love. It’ll be super boring, and I could just have a driver pick you up and bring you to the restaurant by the theatre for dinner. I’d come get you myself but you know me. Once I walk back in the door tonight, it’s yoga pants and ice cream for me.”

“No, mum. I want to come!”

Buttercup fixed her with a look as she took another bite of pizza. “You do? You want to sit and watch me talk about the book I can’t finish and sign my name a gazillion times instead of staying home and doing whatever the cool 12-year-old girls are doing?”

“Yep!” Buttercup’s suspicious look lingered as she polished off her pizza. “What? Can’t a girl want to hang out with her mum over summer holiday?”

“She can…but she also hasn’t seen her friends since she left for camp. Are you sure you don’t want to invite Madison or Brooklyn over while I’m at work?”

Charlie was already shaking her head. “I missed you, mum. I want to spend more time with you before I go back to school. Besides, I’m almost 12. I’m not going to want to hang out with you forever.”

“Oof, right for the guilt trip,” Buttercup grinned as she washed her hands. “Alright, lady, if you’re sure, you’d better go get dressed for a day out on the town.”

Charlie grinned and hopped up from her seat. “Give me ten minutes!”

Grabbing her phone, she raced up the stairs and started pulling on the outfit she had chosen for the day, checking her hair, and brushing her teeth. Satisfied with her appearance, she pulled her phone out and checked her messages from Abby.

A: Thanks for the reminder

A: Are you sure he doesn’t have a girlfriend?

A: He wants to talk to me about something

A: What if it’s her?

A: Charlie?

Charlie sighed, feeling only slightly guilty about leaving her sister in the lurch. But whatever issues Abby was facing, whatever conversation Jake wanted to have with her, Charlie was an ocean away and couldn’t really do anything to help. Besides, it couldn’t be a girlfriend. Dad wouldn’t have hidden something like that from her.

C: Sorry, gotta go! Mom’s taking me to one of her book signings, and then we’re going to dinner and a show! Good luck!

Before Abby could start to type back, Charlie shut off her phone and threw it into the purse she had chosen to take with her. Whatever was going on in Texas, Charlie was confident that her sister could handle it.

“…and that’s why I believe that, no matter how dark your content is, your story should always end with a glimmer of hope,” Buttercup smiled from her comfortable seat on the slightly raised stage at the back of the bookstore, and Charlie clapped along with the audience. It looked like hundreds of people had turned out for the event celebrating her mother’s works, each of them clamoring for a look at the notoriously private author who didn’t even have her picture in the backs of her books.

“Alright, it looks like we’ve got time for one more question,” the moderator said, peering out over the audience. “You, in the pink paisley shirt. What is your question?”

The young woman down the row from Charlie stood up and accepted the microphone. “Hi, my name’s Lisa. I was just wondering about the timeline of your books. You say that you’ve been writing since you were a kid, but your first book wasn’t published until 7 years ago. What was it that finally prompted you to publish your book?”

Charlie watched her mother stiffen slightly before turning an almost plastic smile to the audience. “That’s a great question, Lisa, thank you. Unfortunately, that’s just the way this industry goes sometimes. An author can spend years, decades even, revising and editing their work before a publisher will even agree to take a look at it. Besides that, I also had a lot going on in my life that…prevented me from writing as much as I wanted to. But just over a decade ago, I was faced with personal difficulties that forced me to sit and pour my thoughts out onto the page. It took some time after that to organize my thoughts into a comprehensible narrative, but that’s what ended up becoming my first book, The Things We Hold Onto.”

Lisa raised the microphone, probably to try to engage with Buttercup further, but the moderator quickly stepped in. “Thank you so much for your questions. We’ll be taking a five-minute break before the book signing begins. If you’d all like to queue up at the table, that would be wonderful. Thank you.”

The crowd quickly dispersed, and Charlie fought her way through them to stand at the bottom of the stage as her mom stepped down.

“Thanks, Diane,” she shook the moderator’s hand.

“Don’t mention it,” she replied with a wink. “I’m just doing my job. Now, I’m going to go set up the table for the signing, and I’ll see you in five minutes.”

She walked off and Buttercup turned to her with a sigh, hugging her close. “You sure you made the right call, coming to work with me? I’m bored and it’s my writing I’m talking about.”

Charlie giggled. “I’m sure.”

“You’re one weird kid,” Buttercup commented, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s hair. “But I’m so glad you’re mine. I love you.”

Charlie felt her heart beam in her chest. “I love you too.” Charlie watched as her mom guzzled a water bottle, chewing on her bottom lip as she considered her next words. “Mum…what was it that kept you from writing?” Water sputtered from Buttercup’s mouth as she coughed. “Was…was it me?”

Buttercup wiped her mouth, cleared her throat, and tugged her close again. “God, no, babe. Not you. Never you.”

“Then…was it dad?” Charle bit her lip so hard she could almost taste blood. She couldn’t imagine a world where Jake Seresin was anything but supportive of those around him, but she also couldn’t imagine a world where her father had lied to her for her entire life, so, clearly, she didn’t know everything.

Buttercup sighed heavily. “I promised you I would tell you about your dad, and I haven’t forgotten. At dinner, okay? I’ll answer all your questions at dinner.”

Charlie nodded slowly, not meeting her gaze. “Okay.”

“I’ve got to get over there,” Buttercup nodded to the queue. “Dinner. I promise.”

“Okay, mum.”

Buttercup took a few steps and turned back to her. “It wasn’t your father either, babe. Okay?”

Charlie felt the knot in her chest slacken slightly and she brightened. “Okay, mum. Go kill it!”

Buttercup winked and strode off, her head held high.

A few hours later, the queue had been cleared and Buttercup and Charlie sat in a comfortable booth at Café Murano in Covent Gardens. Their glasses of water had barely been placed on the table before Charlie leaned forward.

“Mum?”

Buttercup sighed and placed the menu to the side. “Alright, babe. I’ve made you wait long enough. What do you want to know?”

“If dad didn’t stop you from writing, what did?”

Buttercup traced a finger around the lip of her water glass. “A bunch of things, I suppose. My life with your father was…fast paced. We met, fell in love, and got pregnant with you in the span of what? Three months, give or take? I had been living in New York, getting my Masters in creative writing one minute, and the next I was moving into your dad’s apartment in San Diego. I got so swept up in the whirlwind that my writing kind of fell by the wayside. It’s okay. It happens.”

“So…what made you start writing again?”

Buttercup shrugged. “I moved here with you, and I had no other creative outlet. Bob and Nat were still in the Navy, so I didn’t have them to lean on. I had no friends here; I didn’t know any of my coworkers. It was just me and you, so I would write when you were napping. I just poured everything I was feeling into a word document and, eventually, a narrative started to take shape. It took a while, but I was eventually able to take it to the publishing company I worked for, and they agreed to publish it.”

“Why did you move here? I though you and Uncle Bob grew up in Minnesota?”

“We did,” Buttercup took a swig of water. “I got a job offer here not long after you were born, so I took it when your father and I split up.” Buttercup flagged down a passing waiter. “Could I get a glass of rosé, please? Thank you.”

“Did you split up because of the job offer?” Charlie felt her heart racing in her chest. Every question she’d ever asked (or wanted to ask) her father was battling in her mind, all of them racing to be the first to come out.

Buttercup smiled wryly. “Not exactly. Well…maybe. Kind of. I don’t know, babe. It’s complicated adult stuff.”

“But I’m almost an adult,” Charlie commented, leaning closer. “I turn 12 in a few months.”

Buttercup tilted her head. “You do indeed.” The waiter placed the tall glass of pink wine on the table and Buttercup took a long sip. “Abby, honey…I know why you feel curious about your father. It’s natural to wonder about a man you’ve never met. But…” Another sip disappeared down her throat. “There are just some things that are too complicated to explain. There was a lot going on at the time, and we had gotten together so quickly, and we were juggling parenthood with our jobs, and…” Charlie felt her face flush as her mother’s breathing stuttered, tears welling in her eyes. “Some things…just don’t work out. There are some things in life that you just can’t hold onto, no matter how badly you might want to. It made more sense for us to split up and for you to come with me than for us to keep fighting the way we were.”

Charlie sagged against her side of the booth. So much information, and nothing to do with it. Her mom was clearly just as messed up from the divorce as her dad was, but neither of them were willing to talk it out with their children or with each other. She felt a flash of disappointment in her gut, but she smothered it. She loved her mom and her dad, and she yearned for them to be able to fix things between them, but it was okay that they weren’t willing to do the leg work on their own. That’s what her and Abby were there for. Even if their plan didn’t end with their parents back together, at least they wouldn’t be able to hide their children from each other anymore. That would have to be the main goal.

“Abby?”

Charlie looked up into her mother’s wide eyes. “Yeah mum?”

“I said I’m sorry,” Buttercup bit her lip. “I’ll try to figure out a way to explain it all to you one day, I promise.”

“It’s okay, mum,” Charlie smiled lightly. “I know I sprung it on you. We can talk more when you’re ready.”

Buttercup sighed and squeezed her hand. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Abigail Juliet Floyd, but I’m so glad you’re my girl.”

“And I’m glad you’re my mum.”

Buttercup smiled tearily before picking up her menu. “You know what, babe? What do you say we break the rules and have dessert first?”

“I’d say that sounds awesome.”

Charlie yawned as she crawled into bed that night, ABBA songs still ringing in her ears. Dessert, dinner, and their performance of Mamma Mia had been an awesome time, but it was so late that she wished she could just fall asleep the second her head hit the pillow. But, in an effort to be a responsible sister, she dug her phone out of her purse and turned it on instead, searching for any new messages from her sister across the ocean.

When her search turned up empty, she opened Instagram and found her father’s profile, scanning through the photos of Abby, Jake, Javy and Rooster. She felt a pang of longing to be back in her familiar surroundings with the people she loved most, but the anger and hurt she still felt over her father’s betrayal pushed that pang back.

Still, she studied the most recent photo, a selfie of Abby, Jake and Javy at the high school football field, posted only the previous day. They all looked so happy together, her dad’s arm wrapped around Abby’s shoulders as Javy struck a ridiculous pose in the background. No matter what the outcome of their switch was, it was worth it. Abby was clearly enjoying getting to know their father, and Charlie loved her mother more now than she ever had before. Sure, they might get punished once they were found out, but getting to know their parents was completely worth the potential trouble they were in.

The staccato vibration of her phone pulled her from her musing, Abby’s face lighting up the screen. She mashed the green button with her thumb, holding the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Dad’s getting married!” She pulled the phone away from her ear quickly as Abby shouted down the receiver. “He got engaged to some blond woman who looks like she’s half his age!”

“Abby?” she couldn’t help the yawn that escaped her. “What are you talking about?” Dad? Engaged? Without introducing her (or Abby, in this case) to the woman? Impossible.

“I told you! The blond woman from this morning is wearing a rock the size of my head and hanging off of dad! She said that they’re getting married, and he confirmed it!”

Charlie’s stomach dropped and the cannoli and pizza she’d consumed earlier rose in her throat. “Wh…what? No! It…it’s not possible!”

“Except that it is! He told me it was happening whether I liked it or not!” Charlie’s throat worked to dislodge the tears that were silencing her, but, even if they went away, her mind could think of no words to make the situation better. “Would you say something, please?”

Say what, exactly? Her dad hadn’t been on a date in 12 years, always claiming to be too busy. Between the ranch and parenting his daughter, there weren’t enough hours in the day. Charlie had heard him explain that to Rooster and Javy more times than she could count, so what was this, exactly? He got engaged to someone and never thought that his daughter should be able to meet the woman who would be moving into their home?

Tear after tear traced delicate lines down her face, and she worked to keep her sobs silent, mindful of her aunt, uncle, and mother sleeping in the surrounding rooms.

“What do you want me to say, Abby?” she whispered. “Dad’s getting married, and he didn’t bother to even introduce her to me.”

Abby’s tinny sigh echoed through the receiver. “I know…”

Clutching Abby’s pink bunny close, she trembled as she groaned, “But he loves mom! I know he does! You don’t shut down that often about a person if you don’t care about them!”

“He shut down on me today too,” Abby agreed. “But it’s not like I can just tell him that he loves her. He would never go for that.”

“Can you find something to prove it?” For once, Charlie didn’t care that she sounded desperate. One of the best days of her life was somehow turning into a nightmare, and she needed it to stop. “Something to remind him?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno…a photo? Their marriage license? Anything that might remind him of her?”

“Where would I even find something like that?”

“In the office in the stable.”

Charlie heard Abby rustling around. “I’m there right now, I don’t see anything.”

“In the safe under his desk. Or in the filing cabinet. I don’t know the code to the safe or where he keeps the key to the cabinet though.”

Abby sighed again. “I’ll figure it out. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Thanks…” Charlie sighed, wiping her eyes on the pink bunny’s fur. Come to think of it, she had an identical bunny at home, just in purple. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that while I’m having fun with mum.”

“It’s okay. Do…do you think mum still loves dad?”

Charlie rolled her eyes through her tears. “Abby, all her adult books are about a military guy falling in love with the woman of his dreams and the obstacles that keep them apart. She either loves him or she doesn’t know what else to write about.”

That much she knew was true. The whole reason her mother’s latest book hadn’t been turned in for publishing yet was because her mom had no clue how to reunite the two main characters, who were separated by duty to family and country.

“What if you’re wrong?” Abby whispered to her.

“I…” Charlie swallowed hard. “I don’t want to think about that. Find proof. I’ll find proof too. Then we’ll tell them about the switch.”

“Okay.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

“You too.”

Charlie hit the red button and let her phone slip out of her trembling hand. Her dad was getting married. To a woman she had never met before. Did he not care about how she would feel? Did he not think of her at all when he made the decision to get down on one knee? Did he think of Abby? Or their mother? What if he never thought about them? What if this whole idea was just one terrible bomb waiting to go off in their faces? What if, every time he shut down her questions about her mother, he was actually angry? What if she had misread the situation so terribly that it would have untold consequences when he found out about the switch?

Charlie felt herself begin to tremble more and struggled to take a deep breath.

Water. She needed water. That’s what her dad brought her every time her emotions took over like this. He would bring her a cool glass of water and hold her tight until the panic subsided. She may not be able to have her dad’s strong arms around her, but water she could do.

Stumbling out of bed, she quietly made her way downstairs, willing her legs to stop shaking long enough for her to get that glass of water.

She made it as far as the kitchen island before her legs gave out and she sunk to the floor in the dim light, her tears now flooding her face, her throat unable to even sob against the pressure building up inside her.

“Shhh, Charlie…it’s okay, sweetheart,” a pair of strong arms scooped her up and cradled her against a firm chest. She nuzzled into that chest, allowing her tears to soak into the white cotton t-shirt. A large hand smoothed over her hair and she felt her rescuer sit down on the couch, rocking her slightly. “It’s okay, honey. Let it all out. You’re okay, Charlie. You’re safe.”

Minutes, or perhaps hours later, she hiccupped and wiped her eyes, cradled like an infant in those arms that…were not her father’s, as her destressed mind had thought. She froze, and her rescuer sighed, lifting her slightly to lean her against the back of the couch.

Uncle Bob’s hand never left her back as she settled into a less cramped position, his hair ruffled and his glasses slightly askew. “It’s okay, Charlie,” he whispered. “Whatever’s going on in your brain can’t hurt you. We’ll find a way to fix it and, if we can’t, we’ll find a way to help you cope with it.”

Charlie blinked. He…he was calling her Charlie. He was calling her by her actual name. But…how did he…

“H-how long have you known?” she whispered, her heart settling back into a normal rhythm despite her sudden terror that her uncle would out her and ruin this before they were able to come up with a solid plan.

Bob shrugged in response. “Since the airport.”

“Buffalo or Heathrow?”

He grinned slightly, shrugging again. “Buffalo.”

Charlie groaned. “Tell me we had at least gotten on the plane first?”

“If I did that, I’d be lying.”

Charlie blinked up at him as she shifted to face him, curling her legs beneath her. “B-but…but you haven’t told anyone.”

Bob adjusted his glasses. “No, I haven’t.”

“But…why?”

Bob stared at her, his green eyes gleaming. “Because I trusted you and Abby have a good reason for this. And because your mother deserves to hear it from you, not from me. She’s missed you every day for 12 years. Far be it for me to steal that reunion from her.”

“I’m going to tell her. I swear. I just…Dad’s getting married,” she sniffled. “I don’t know if I can go home and face that right now.”

Bob reached out and gently tilted her head back so he could meet her eyes. “What did I just say? Whatever is happening, we’ll fix it together. And, if we can’t, we’ll find a way to cope with it together. Okay? That’s how this family works.”

Charlie nodded, eyes welling up again. “Thanks, Uncle Bob.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Bob opened his arms and she leaned into the hug, feeling safe and warm for the first time since she’d gotten back from the theatre. “You have to tell her though, Charlie. Tomorrow.”

She found herself nodding. “Tomorrow.”

Tags List: @mamachasesmayhem @jessicab1991 @waltermis @buckysteveloki-me @allepaula @yuckosworld @seresinsbrat @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @kim-stark @cierra715 @high-speed-r @helpmepleasethanks @starsrfun @tomanyfandomstrash @averyhotchner @the-blueatlas @princessliz86 @dashes-dizzydisaster @a-girl-who-loves-disney @boiolay @djs8891 @torimcc @tgmreader @kmc1989 @landpiranha-blog @sydthekid1518 @lynnevanss @hello7442 @mackenzieblair @minejungwoo @starset21 @ssa-sadboi @tgmavericklover @dempy @rockbottomphilosophies-blog @lovemarvelousfics @starkleila @magical-spit @whatislovevavy @simplyreading96 @vivalas-vega @itsdesiree86 @inky-sun @books-are-escapes @abaker74 @devil-angel-winchester @mrs-perfectly-fine @ahh-chickens

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #as you wish fic #parent trap au #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman fic #glen powell #tgm #hangman seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake hangman x you

[forasecondtherewedwon]

Bullshit (You Can Be Mine) - chapter 2

Fandom: Top Gun: Maverick Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin/Natasha “Phoenix” Trace Rating: M (rating has increased) Chapter Count: 2/2

Chapter summary: Fanboy babbles about the laser malfunction while Payback pats him on the back and Phoenix keeps her ear tilted towards the radio, her thoughts hundreds of miles away, sealed beneath the canopy of an F-18 currently being pushed to its limit, riding towards danger with Jake “Hangman” Seresin.

Jake’s on the deck, as punctual and serious about mounting Dagger Spare as the aviators assigned to the primary roles. When Phoenix sees him, she doesn’t realize she’s stopped walking until Bob taps her arm, his helmet clenched in his other hand. He raises his eyebrows at her.

“Go ahead,” she says. She won’t be more than a minute or two behind him. She can’t be.

Bob heads off towards Dagger Three and Phoenix stands back as Jake and Rooster exchange words, looking solemn. There’s this bond between the three of them, something that makes the world feel small even when they’re stationed oceans apart, but she doesn’t intrude right now. Their relationship to one another is always simple, always complicated. Promotions and peacocking and being there for each other, then never mentioning it again so they can keep up this combative façade. The night she wrestled a drunken Rooster out of a bar in the midst of him trying to start a fight with a trio of strangers—rough with him, but terrified because she’d never seen him angry-drunk before—and found out it was the anniversary of his mom’s death. The afternoon she picked Jake up from his grandmother’s funeral after scouring the obituaries to find out where the service was being held and driving across state lines. Rooster crashing her brother’s wedding in one of his fucking Hawaiian shirts because, if she had to be there (guilted heavily by her father), then he would be too, knowing she hated her brother for his vocal, ongoing doubts about a woman’s ability to operate a naval aircraft. The time Jake posed as her long-term boyfriend when she was trying to secure an apartment in a building that didn’t like renting to singles. The time she and Jake helped Rooster move his piano. The time she talked Jake into a tattoo. The time she talked Rooster out of a piercing. The time she spent a week on Rooster’s couch and Jake kept coming by and, together, they ate all of Rooster’s strawberry Pop-Tarts.

Jake tells Rooster to give the enemy hell. Rooster marches off to Dagger Two and Jake turns to find Phoenix standing there.

“Thought I’d have other things to do while I was thinking about you,” he says. “I didn’t anticipate getting grounded here, waiting around with my fucking dick in my hand.”

She cocks her head and smiles, squinting slightly into the sun.

“Don’t pretend thinking about me while holding your dick isn’t something you’ve done before, Bagman,” she teases.

Jake grins. It’s awful—how he’s trying to look ok.

“I’m gonna be thinking about you so hard, you’ll feel it,” he says.

“Like a headache?”

“Why do you have to make it so difficult to be nice to you?”

Because we can’t get sappy, she doesn’t say. Because we can only be strong right now, and if I die out there, you have to understand why I wouldn’t let us say goodbye to each other.

“I have Bob now, and he’s always nice to me. I can take everyone else for granted,” Phoenix says.

“Fucking Bob,” Jake says, shaking his head, but it’s affectionate.

“We’ll have each other’s back up there.”

“Good.”

“Plus, there’s, you know, Payback and Fanboy and Rooster. And Mav, he’s a decent pilot.”

“Knows his nose from his tail, I’ll give him that.”

They smile at one another until the smiles drop away like the horizon.

“I have to go,” she says.

“Yeah.”

When Jake leaves her, it isn’t with some pithy pep talk like he gave Rooster; he moves forward as if to go by her and then grabs her shoulder and kisses her temple. She feels him breathe against her hairline, and then she’s standing there alone.

Phoenix climbs the ladder into Dagger Three.

“All good?” Bob asks, sparing her a probing look between performing his checks.

She settles into her seat and slides her visor into place.

“All good.”

—

There are minutes—maybe ten, maybe thirty—when both she and Jake are safely on the carrier. She’s bathed in sweat inside her flight suit and her hand is cramped from clutching the throttle. Her instinct is to run over to him, but he has to remain at the ready, a silhouette inside the cockpit of Dagger Spare as the sun slips higher in the sky and they all hope against hope for Rooster to make it back. She doesn’t want to rule out the possibility of Mav’s return, but she doesn’t share Rooster’s blind faith in him.

When the order comes down to deploy the reserve aircraft, those minutes feel as though they were just seconds. It wasn’t enough time to sit with the knowledge that she and Jake were both far from danger. Phoenix doesn’t want them out there, not both of them, not with her here. But this is what she and Jake made a promise to be ok with: before they knew they might both fly today, they accepted that it could be just one of them. They’d think about each other. It would keep them alive.

They should go below deck, but they’re heroes and they’re stubborn. With the ground crew’s thick headsets clamped over their ears, they keep back and keep watch. Fanboy grips Payback’s shoulder, Payback hugs Phoenix against him under his arm, Phoenix clasps Bob’s hand and squeezes. The four of them hold each other as the engines of Dagger Spare flare and Jake soars off the carrier. In his wake, she thinks her hearing’s cut out until Bob asks her again, “All good?”

“All good.”

His face says he knows she’s lying. In her defence, he knew she’d lie when he asked the question. She’s glad he asked it anyway.

They do a lot of talking—senseless, dead-end shit—while they hang around the radio. Jake hasn’t said much. He doesn’t have a back-seater he needs to confer with and right now his entire job description is speed. Under any other circumstances, he’d love this, she knows. Well, when the boys come home—when—Jake can brag about flying the fastest rescue mission on record. She won’t roll her eyes, not even when he repeats the story at breakfast. Not even when they get back to North Island and he tells the rest of the candidates, or when he tells them again, or when he tries to tell her for the fiftieth time even though she was right here when it all happened.

Because right here is not up there.

Fanboy babbles about the laser malfunction while Payback pats him on the back and Phoenix keeps her ear tilted towards the radio, her thoughts hundreds of miles away, sealed beneath the canopy of an F-18 currently being pushed to its limit, riding towards danger with Jake “Hangman” Seresin. Clinging to him like a headache.

When his voice crackles through to declare himself a saviour, Phoenix screams with elation and relief. They’re all screaming. She jumps up into Payback’s arms and Fanboy and Bob close in behind her in a TOPGUN sandwich. All three of those assholes are alive. She’s never going to hit Rooster with a pool cue again, no matter how sporadically he says in touch. She’s going to buy Mav as many rounds at the Hard Deck as it takes to inspire a performance of a song it’s rumoured he used to sing. She’s going to ask Jake whether he thinks this timing thing is something the two of them can figure out if they both just try.

They’re on-deck again when he lands, though they stay back because Mav and Rooster are following Jake in—reportedly in a fucking antique. Phoenix still can’t believe it when she sees the F-14 plough into the net and go skidding across the deck. It’s a wreck. It’s a miracle. People are rushing towards the returned pilots and, for the first time today, she leaves Bob and sprints forward on her own.

The swarm around the F-14 is so thick that Bob catches up with her anyway, standing at her back when she gets her arms around Rooster and squeezes him tight. He’s come so far and there’s still so much he’s not ready for; today it’s enough that he’s in one piece. He’s figuring shit out. She’ll be satisfied to be there for him as a friend. Looking over Rooster’s shoulder while they embrace, she catches Mav’s eye. He nods. The more people Rooster lets close, the less intensely she’ll worry about him, want to protect him, want him to love her in a different way than he does for her efforts.

Jake appears and Phoenix makes space for him, space for the boys to once again temporarily lay their cyclical animosity to rest with a handshake. These idiots. Jake doesn’t need validation the same way Rooster does, so she’s happy to put him in his place when he starts getting a swollen head about his kill count. All of them want to be Maverick. Thank god they still have him, because he pulled off the greatest stunt of all: doing all that shit and surviving.

They drop their hands and Jake turns to her. It’s the residual fear that has her heart beating so hard. It’s his stupid, perfectly smug face. They tug each other into a hug. He smells like metal and heat, his gear rough under her chin. How long has it been since she just held him against her? His grandmother’s funeral? Longer? She forgot it felt like this, that the Hangman persona is golden armour that closes around her and makes her untouchable. And they’re inside it, pressed together. She kept telling herself that falling for Jake would be a sign of weakness because what she really forgot is the way they’ve always made each other strong.

They draw apart and other people slap Jake on the back, grab his arms and try to turn him away, but he plants his feet and smiles at her, never breaking eye contact.

“How do you always manage to do the least work and get the most glory?” Phoenix demands.

“It’s all in the timing,” he tells her.

“Huh.” She’s grinning.

“Anyway,” Jake says, “I’m alive, and so are you.”

“That’s a good enough reason,” she says. To do this, she means. To let gratitude and adrenaline slingshot them from Pop-Tarts and drive-ins to maybe letting themselves fall in love.

He gives her a charming smirk, the look in his eyes too transparently sincere to match.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “So why aren’t we?”

—

It’s a little tougher than that.

In spite of the victory, duties onboard the carrier carry on around those directly involved with the mission. It’s busy, and though the party atmosphere does stretch out longer than it technically should (so easily, none of these aviators might’ve made it back), there’s no time to touch Jake’s hand and make a quiet escape. Phoenix drapes an arm over Bob’s shoulder while they boast about their part in the success, and has to pretend her face is flushed from the thrill of the retelling. Really, Jake keeps meeting her eye across the room and smiling beguilingly at her as he chews the lip of a plastic cup. They’re not alone. He needs to quit trying to trick her into believing they are before somebody catches her checking him out.

Eventually, everyone heads off to either complete a neglected piece of post-mission protocol or grab some rack time, like Mav suggests. Nobody here has flown as many missions as he has, but they’ve all done this enough times to know sleep is sound advice. Regardless, Jake starts the good-natured insults about Pops needing a nap after all that excitement. They’re shocked into laughter when Mav flips them a cheerful bird on his way out of the mess.

All of a sudden, Phoenix and Jake are alone. Bob said something about going to get food, but his whereabouts are a background detail to her now. He’s the only person she wouldn’t really have wanted to leave—they’ve just been through hell and back together, operating their aircraft like one person, and, honestly, she loves the guy—so it feels weirdly like permission. Permission to meet Jake’s eye as he wanders over and stands way too close to her. It forces her to look up at him, which is a fucking power trip for Lieutenant Ego here, so she bites her lip to get even; she sees the covetous look in his eyes as he watches her teeth sink into her lip.

He clears his throat.

“We should, uh, get some sleep.”

Phoenix raises her eyebrows.

“After you, Bagman.”

It’s her cabin they stop in front of, of course, and thank god the corridor is empty because his hand is on her waist before she’s even gotten the door open. As it swings inward, Jake’s hands take her hips and twist her towards him. Her arm hooks around the back of his neck and they’re kissing hungrily in the doorway. He backs her into the metal frame, hand slipping up to her lower back, groaning when she tugs his lip with her teeth.

They stumble into the cabin and the only thing on Phoenix’s mind is how fast she can get the bottom half of Jake naked when a crackling, cartoonish snore rips through the air. She and Jake separate so abruptly it’s lucky there isn’t bloodshed.

Whipping their heads around, they find Bob passed out on the bottom bunk she did not expect him to be occupying. What happened to food? What happened to the cute petty officer who made Bob blush with a comment on the power of his laser? Bob’s lying on his stomach, arm dangling off the side and knuckles skimming the floor, and, yeah, it’d be adorable if Phoenix wasn’t beyond ready to find out what Jake sounds like when he shoots his load. She has ambitious plans to make him call her the saviour.

“Unbelievable,” Jake says, so tightly that Phoenix has to hold in a laugh. “He has to know what he’s doing.”

“Drooling?” she checks lightly.

“Cockblocking me.”

Phoenix snorts. She’s suffering too, but… god, it’s Jake. He’s ridiculous.

“I thought we were bros,” he hisses in Bob’s direction, but Bob sleeps on undisturbed, clearly not faking.

“We could try your room?” she suggests.

Jake sighs and shakes his head.

“Nah. The guy I’m sharing with is still off-shift.”

He turns away from the unsatisfactory cabin situation and Phoenix rubs his arm consolingly.

“Can’t win ’em all,” she says, which makes him give her a look like, I’m goddamn Hangman—of course I win ’em all. She rolls her eyes.

“And he stuck you with the shelf,” Jake points out, gesturing to the empty upper bunk, like this ultimate act of passive-aggression on Bob’s part will make her shake her back-seater awake and throw him out on his ass.

“No, that was my call. I prefer being on top.”

Looking agonized, Jake punches his fist gently into the doorframe in frustration.

“Why’d you have to say that?”

“I can’t help it,” Phoenix says soothingly. “I love to see you suffer.”

“God, you’re special. We’re so alike.”

“I’m special because I’m like you?”

His expression slides from pained to seductive, eyes sparkling.

“Two of a kind, baby.”

“Ugh, stop flirting with me. I’m still getting used to the idea of making out with you.” She’s fully used to it, she’s wholeheartedly enjoying it, and she doesn’t actually hate the flirting, it’s just different now that they aren’t doing it to toy with each other and make their peers uncomfortable.

“Can’t,” Jake informs her. “I am never not flirting with you.”

“I’m exhausted just hearing that.” She taps his chest with a finger and signals for him to leave her to do like Bob and pass out for a while.

“Exhaustion isn’t something I experience. My stamina could be considered a medical miracle.”

Phoenix backs him out into the corridor with her whole palm on his chest now, smirking in fond tolerance.

“Goodnight, Bagman.”

“Night, Phoenix.” He grins, then his face goes solemn. Yeah, it’s been one of those days. “Hey…”

“I know,” she says. We almost died. I can’t believe we’re both still here. What’s the normal way to behave? How do we just stay on schedule when I kinda never want you out of my sight again?

“Yeah,” he sighs, and turns to go.

“Hey.” She reaches out to stroke his sleeve, stopping him. Jake looks at her. “I felt you thinking about me.”

Phoenix’s soft smile gets bigger when Jake steps towards her to kiss her one more time.

—

“…but I was thinking…” Rooster is saying, giving her these hangdog eyes. “…that maybe I made a mistake before.”

“Rooster…” Phoenix shakes her head and sighs.

They’ll be leaving within the hour, back to North Island, and she and Rooster have been spending some time talking quietly together. They patched things up between the Hard Deck and the mission, but only superficially—just enough so the other person wouldn’t feel so bad if they died (not that it would’ve worked). Today, they’ve mainly rehashed the mission itself, him giving her a firsthand account of everything she missed by not disobeying a direct order the way he did to go back and hunt for Mav. (She felt sick about it as soon as they learned Mav was alive. She tried to apologize to him yesterday and he wouldn’t accept.) Now, Rooster is redirecting the conversation on a dangerous course. It doesn’t look good, she wants to say. It’s no good.

“Seriously,” he insists, though he doesn’t look very serious because he’s smiling pleadingly in response to her grin of tired disbelief. “We could make it work, Nat. You and me.”

“You’re delusional. No,” she corrects with a laugh and a dismissive wave of her hand, “that’s too harsh. You just wanna get laid.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say no…”

His smile now is sweet. It’s the smile that always makes her forgive him, or stick to coke when she shows up at the bar to find him already halfway to plastered and without a ride home. She cares about him so much. That won’t ever change.

“We’re going home,” Phoenix says gently. “You can keep it in your pants until we’re back stateside. I believe in you.”

And that, plus the look in her eyes, is enough for Rooster to let that be it. He nods and accepts her lighthearted brushoff. Maybe he’ll go reflect. Maybe he’ll hit the Hard Deck as soon as they’re back and seduce some local with a glissando and a smirk. And this time, Phoenix won’t be jealous. She’ll have…

Jake.

When Rooster leaves the room, she sees him standing at the door.

“I was listening,” Jake says, coming in, before she can say anything.

“And?” Phoenix crosses her arms.

“I won’t lie to you, Trace. I really want to rub it in his face.”

She makes an exasperated noise as Jake grins; on the inside, she’s incredibly relieved that she won’t be getting over her own jealousy just to have to contend with Jake’s. Though it is amazing that he’s being (relatively) mature about something. She’ll savour that while it lasts.

Phoenix groans—she can’t look too grateful—and pushes her forehead into her hand.

“I swear to god…”

“Swear away,” Jake invites, beaming. “Your saviour is listening.” He lifts a hand to his ear demonstratively.

She walks up to him and brushes her lips across his lobe.

“You leave Rooster be and there’s a spot in my bed that you can use for anything other than catching up on sleep.”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

When she pulls back, there are goosebumps all over his neck.

Suddenly, Jake and Rooster are chummier than they’ve been in years.

—

What kind of home can you make in less than three weeks? How can a space be yours when you don’t have the time or permission to change the colour of the paint, to send mail from your new address, to hang your favourite snapshots in frames instead of sticky-tacking them to the wall? Phoenix is used to impermanence. The surprise is what Jake’s presence does to her room.

His face is in some of those pictures, and it’s him who finally makes her feel like she belongs here. He takes away the confusion she felt at being called back to TOPGUN as he pulls her shirt over her head, runs his fingers through her loose hair. He rewrites their pompous meeting at the Hard Deck when his lips meet her neck, her shoulder, the base of her throat as he lowers the straps of her bra. Linking her fingers through his, she brings him with her across the floor, up the bed, the two of them rumpling the sheets she tucked neatly into place every morning as an exertion of control during an assignment whose parameters were themselves so oppressive.

For every time she flew the simulated course wrong, Jake touches her right, his hands lifting her hips as he slips her underwear off. For every weapons-lock tone she heard when she lost a dogfighting exercise, she hears one of Jake’s soft groans as she grips his short hair and pushes his head down her body. For all the petty provocations and the name-calling and the missed opportunities to look at one another and just honestly say, I missed you, they listen to each other as Jake’s head moves between her thighs, as his hips do a little later. Phoenix braces her damp palms against his well-muscled back and the wall at the head of her bed as he sends the mattress colliding with it in slow, hard thumps. She calls him kinder things than “Bagman” and he murmurs, “Tasha,” right when she thinks he’s going to lose it but he flips them instead. You prefer being on top? His self-satisfied grins seem never-ending until she teases him closer and closer to the edge.

Though he does smile again when he gets there. She learns that.

If it were the only thing she’s learned since coming back here, it’d be worth the trip.

#my writing #Top Gun: Maverick #Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace #Jake 'Hangman' Seresin #Phoenix x Hangman #Natasha Trace #Jake Seresin #Phoenix Trace #Hangman Seresin #Top Gun: Maverick spoilers #Top Gun: Maverick fanfiction

[transguyedgeworth]

HALLO i hope all has gone well with bugs and such ur probably dealing w that as i type this but i have more headcanons >:) so! i hope these are helping deal with evil evil bugs

-maya still has a bunch of mias clothes she gave some to lana and some to pearl but sometimes she’ll wear a sweater or something that was mias

-phoenix doesn’t really like hospitals

- reminds him too much of bttt and falling

- yes i think capcom should have realized that falling off a damn bridge should give a man a good bit of upset and trauma capcom i am outside your door

- miles bottles up his feelings A LOT because there wasn’t any place for feelings in the von karma house. he’s trying to get better though

- he mostly bottles up his anger because he sees mvk in himself whenever he gets angry because mvk would be angry a lot

- fran also does the same but with any happiness or personal pride she may feel

- they both try to work on it, maya and phoenix are good influences on them

- miles has visited mvk in jail once. he won’t again

- franziska will never visit him

-miles likes to knit

-maya is sooo superstitious not like ohh if i break a mirror i’m dead but like Bigfoot Is Real and I Saw Him At Gourd Lake

-edgeworth and phoenix go often to a little coffee shop and always get a pot of tea

-sometimes phoenix brings flowers

-LMAO edgeworth asks what they are sometimes and unless they’re the two types of flowers phoenix knows he has No Idea

- the bathroom at wright and co is haunted

- maya attracts ghosts like nobodies business

-fran is afraid of spiders and maya is Violent towards spiders

- fran will shriek from the other room and maya will run in flip flop in hand, take one look around the room, and chuck her shoe at the spider. she never misses.

-maya LOVES that bakery they investigated in that one case i cannot remember the name of the one with the like. french dude? and tigre?

-pearls and maya make a scrap book for wright and co

-phoenix still draws (he was an art student and i am projecting onto him) sometimes but always drags edgeworth to art museums and talks about the art

-building on game night with the wrights they also have video game nights. phoenix is so bad and maya is still competitive but fran and edgeworth when paired against each other are Scary

-fran also sometimes lets her little brother win and gets dramatic about losing but it makes her happy to see edgeworth excited

- edgeworth has a journal bc someone once suggested it and he writes in it so often

- he also carries a certain picture of him larry and phoenix when they were kids and his signal samurai keychain in his inner pocket and fiddles with the keychain

-maya loves decorating the office for holidays

-the only thing phoenix can make well is soup and hot chocolate and he makes them at least twice a month when it’s cold

-edgeworth won’t admit it but he’d rather eat phoenixs almost burnt soup and melted bar hot chocolate than the stuff from the fanciest restaurants

- when edgeworth and phoenix propose they both propose at the same time and it’s so awkward but so so funny they both say yes of course but phoenix will tell that story to anyone who listens

ok that’s all for now! idk if i have any more (that’s a lie i have so many thoughts about them but idk how many of them are coherent) anyway i wish you best of luck with all the hubbub!!!

everything is going well thank you for the concern!! housing sent someone out to fix up the hole in my wall that they were coming through and the pest control guy just left and is now treating the outside of the building. these are absolutely helping me deal with the stress so thank you for sending them in! 

starting strong with the clothing thing, i love love LOVE your interpretation of the fey clan so much. it is canon in my brain now. capcom wishes they could think of this shit. also giving some to lana? precious, sentimental, amazing. lanamia nation rise up. thank you for my life. the detail about maya believing in cryptids and the bathroom being haunted? accurate and hilarious. and yes big agree that she still likes tres bien (i’m pretty sure that’s the name), she worked there briefly so of course she’d have a soft spot for it. i literally adore the idea of maya being hella Into Stuff, like cryptids and holiday decorations and winning at game night, and the scrapbook idea slayed me on sight. i am in tears.

LITERALLY WHY DOES CAPCOM IGNORE THAT PHOENIX HAS BEEN THROUGH SOME SHIT??? like what the hell. man almost died and then like two days later he’s like “lol i’m Completely Fine :)”. unrealistic. capcom let him be Affected by experiences please. 

kinda building off of that, AGAIN WITH THE WRIGHTWORTH STUFF MAKING ME TENDER??? i love them goin on little dates and being domestic... art museums and coffee shops and phoenix being Dumb about flower breeds and miles loving his cooking.... i am Soft i am Yearning. AND THE PROPOSAL THING!!!!! I HAD THIS SAME FUCKING IDEA GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!!!!! IT’S JUST SUCH A THEM THING TO DO...

and oooh edgeworth. good for you king, journaling and knitting and stimming and learning healthy ways to cope with your emotions. also the anger thing i totally get. like not to Overshare or anything but i used to have a lot of issues expressing my anger because when i did it reminded me too much of my dad so i feel that. 

the vk sibling stuff also spot-on tbh. good that they didn’t visit manfred except for miles’ one time. fuck that guy. let him rot. they are Learning and Growing together.... fran letting miles win at a game also perfect. she cares about her little brother even if she has trouble showing it sometimes. also love that her one weakness is spiders. that seems very fitting to me and i LOVE the image of maya just. chuckin a shoe across the room to defend her Wife from the eight-legged terror.

also you are free to send me incoherent thoughts if you want that’s the form most of my thoughts take anyway fjnfjsf i’d still love to hear them if you’re willing to share!

#i promise i will share some of my own headcanons at some point #i just. have like a whole lit project/paper to finish and i have finals next week so OOF #in the meantime thank you headcanon anon for my life #maya fey #mia fey #pearl fey #lana skye #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #manfred von karma #franziska von karma #larry butz #lanamia #von karma siblings #wrightworth #franmaya #t&t spoilers #miles answers #headcanon anon

[viridiave]

NARUMITSU <ATTEMPTING TO READ THE SUBTEXT PLATONICALLY>

*Wrote all this some time last month so I might be off- really really off- also full disclosure I too am a Narumitsu shipper- this is just me giving myself a bad time doing the impossible and having fun XD

-I am going to fail sooner or later. Looking at you, Bridge to the Turnabout.

FIRST GAME >Turnabout Samurai -Yep. We're jumping right in with 'unnecessary feelings'. I'm going to be put on a stake for this. -This is going to become the main argument with any and all homoerotic subtext present in the first game- that it was unintentional. They didn't actively start making it gay until the second game, and even before then the producer for the games had to warn the development team not to try and insert these themes for fear of getting it wrong and lose the fanbase they'd accidentally caught the eye of. I can still create arguments for why this specific, hilariously meme-able line could be read romantically of course- but as far as the game development team at the time was concerned this interaction was never meant to be read as romantic. -Unease and uncertainty are... very valid feelings for Edgeworth to feel at this very moment and as much as I'd like to joke that he was feeling uncertain about his sexuality after seeing his childhood friend as an adult, this line was really just likely meant to lead up to the conclusion of Turnabout Goodbyes and Edgeworth's character arc for this game. His perfect win streak had just been shattered in a case prior. In this case, he was meant to persecute the lead actor of his favorite show- and in some ways his helping the defense can be taken as his biases getting the better of him. His sense of justice and his entire worldview is about to be overhauled, and I can see how he would regard this budding doubt in himself as an unnecessary (heh) distraction from what he believes is his true purpose in life.

>Turnabout Goodbyes -Edgeworth wanting to keep him away from DL-6 has its own section mostly because of how stubborn he becomes when it comes to Phoenix's insistence in particular. It's clear that this stubbornness is a front, I will concede with that- but there are merits to his initial reluctance in accepting Phoenix's defense. It's evident that Phoenix himself has grown over the course of the game so far, but in both of the times that he faced off against Edgeworth in court, his victories were... a tad bit contrived. For instance in Turnabout Sisters, Phoenix really only wins because Mia was being channeled and blackmailed White as he was about to leave the stand. Turnabout Samurai is a little better- but had him rely on quite a lot of coincidences (proven later to be substantiated) that surfaced during the trial. This is nothing to say of the deeper reason Edgeworth has over dissuading Phoenix from taking his case ("You in particular I cannot ask to do this.")- where I can make an argument for his pride and/or concern over Phoenix's career as an attorney. The stakes are relatively high here as well- if Phoenix fails, Edgeworth is incarcerated, Manfred von Karma goes free, DL-6 goes cold once again with no hope of getting re-opened, and everything that Phoenix has been working towards as an attorney would have been in vain. DL-6 is a case that has ruined many lives- it'd make sense if Edgeworth himself felt as though it would be a waste of time and effort to take this case because of how convinced he was of murdering his own father prior to Gourd Lake. He'd grown up for the past 15 years with a nightmare and a death sentence over his head- I wouldn't be surprised if he simply gave up and accepted that he was going to die at the hands of his prosecuting mentor. Even if he were acquitted for the murder of Robert Hammond, his perceived involvement in DL-6 would have thrown a wrench in his freedom- any lesser attorney would have given up on that. And this is unloaded BEFORE Phoenix tells him about the true reason as to why he became an attorney. -Phoenix's insistence to defend Edgeworth in this case can easily just be read as platonic- his complete, unfettered faith in Edgeworth's innocence is heavily influenced by that class trial, for better or for worse. While I'm perfectly happy to imagine that Phoenix's attachment to his idealized version of Edgeworth grew into something deeper sometime in the fifteen years that he hasn't seen him, I do believe that Phoenix in particular really is just that much of a sentimental person. This is to say nothing of his nature as a defense attorney- and what little time he's managed to spend with Mia has taught him that unbridled trust in his client is what gets him through the day, and he's putting it to practice here. Edgeworth was what he has been working towards the moment he decided he would practice law- as Phoenix at this point in time still believes that he could do no wrong despite seeing what Edgeworth is truly like in court. -Cutting into the meat of Phoenix and Edgeworth's shared past, I made a point earlier to say that Phoenix's perception of Edgeworth as a person is idealized. Every memory that Phoenix has had of Edgeworth prior to the events of the first game were from their childhood- and they had 4-8 months (plus one year if we're generous with the retconning some of the official art gave us) MAX to develop a friendship so strong that Phoenix makes major life decisions just to meet with this man. The fact that this time spent together was ENOUGH for Phoenix in the first place is... really hard to skirt around. To quote Dan from GameGrumps "this is something that you would only do for someone you're trying to marry" and if one of them was a woman I guarantee this ship would be canon already. But then again- since this is Phoenix Wright in particular somehow I can believe that he really is just that sentimental- and that isn't always a bad thing. He'd managed to save Edgeworth twice with this conviction after all. When Phoenix sees Edgeworth, he doesn't see a demon prosecutor, he sees his childhood friend who aimed to become a shining example of justice following in his father's footsteps. They address how shaky his foundations for becoming an attorney were in the Phoenix Wright Files once actually- going through a mini-existential crisis because he'd become an attorney with the main goal of saving Edgeworth from what he'd become, and now that he's accomplished that he's just kind of... lost. Edgeworth himself manages to pull him out of this, though. -man that hurts my case a lot actually but to be fair I was banking on failing -I just didn't expect it to happen so early even with the first game -in fact ESPECIALLY with the first game -though I cannot for the life of me wonder how I can come up with a heterosexual explanation for why the buildup towards Edgeworth telling Phoenix and Maya about his nightmares reads so much like a stunted love confession. I'm serious- just read any high school shojo manga ever. You'll find that it hits a lot of the same beats.

>Rise From The Ashes -It's in this case that we observe some of the consequences that the intial upheaval of Edgeworth's worldview in Turnabout Goodbyes causes him; distrust in the enforcement of the law. Not exactly the time for him to be dabbling in another, meme-able brand of unnecessary feelings. Several things like the Prosecutor's Office's relationship with the Police Department starts to waver with the murder of Bruce Goodman, and this becomes the final nail in the coffin for Edgeworth's worldviews and values as a prosecutor. His and Phoenix's teamwork in this trial becomes prevalent- the story behind the King of Prosecutors award represents this best despite it's currently incomplete state. The backstory behind this award paints an ideal of justice in the courtroom wherein the truth comes out as a result of the efforts of contradictory forces. A broken halberd that can cut through any shield (the prosecution) and a broken, unbreakable shield (the defense). Read as representation the text becomes something of a metaphor for the ideal justice that manifests itself in the best parts of Edgeworth and Phoenix respectively- the duality of their opposing professions rather than something that is limited to their relationship. -The same argument that I've used for Phoenix's unwavering belief in Edgeworth's innocence in Turnabout Goodbyes can be used for this case as well. -Though Edgeworth still goes M.I.A for a year after this case, it does grant his disappearance a bit more context as to why exactly it is that he left- and I'll be taking a tiny liberty with this and apply the interpretation that the Miles Edgeworth Files grants us, and that he left in order to better himself and grow as a person, a prosecutor, and as a friend to Phoenix Wright. It's... difficult for me to want to read this as anything but romantically-charged because the narrative beats are NOT lost on me (the dialogue makes this especially hard. send help.)- there's a possibility that Edgeworth at this point in time realizes the value in having a better, more functional dynamic with the one defense attorney who he considers a true equal in court. This dynamic will allow for less chances to encounter missteps and errors in any verdicts handed down in court, and if Edgeworth is to pursue his ideal of justice- Phoenix Wright is undoubtedly essential to this endeavor. The aftermath of Rise From The Ashes is indicative of this newfound goal of his- the symbolism behind the old King of Prosecutors award and the two halves of the evidence list certainly helps this case. -<"It seems all you do is worry about me." -Miles Edgeworth, Rise From The Ashes> For good fucking reason Edgeworth. You were accused of murder and have implicated yourself on the stand for DL-6 just a few months ago- and if the Investigations games are anything to go by, you're more of a danger magnet than PHOENIX is. I had to say it. The first Investigations game takes place over the course of 2-3 days and the sheer amount of shit that Edgeworth had to deal with in between that interval truly makes me wonder how Phoenix Wright ended up with the title of danger magnet. And THIS time- Edgeworth's car becomes a crime scene because his corrupt superiors needed a convenient way of transporting a corpse. There's VERY good reasons to worry about the livelihood of Miles Edgeworth. -Okay I... can't believe I forgot about the chessboard. Here's the kicker- the one we see from his office isn't even the only one he owns. I... legitimately cannot give you ANY purely heterosexual, platonic explanation for why Miles Edgeworth has THREE (THREE. I CANNOT OVERSTATE THIS. HE HAS T H R E E OF THESE FUCKING THINGS. GOOD GOD. HE CAN'T BE ANY MORE EXTRA.)(there exists a similar, portable set in the Investigations games- and he has a new set by the time of Dual Destinies) sets of custom-made chessboards with personalized, highly-specific red and blue designs made purely to depict his rivalry with Phoenix Wright. I fold. I give up. I forgot about the chessboards I wAS NOT EXPECTING TO FAIL THIS E A R LY- -You know what the real kicker is with Rise From the Ashes? The main argument that I have introduced back in Turnabout Samurai does not apply here. Rise From the Ashes was made as a DS-exclusive case and did not exist in the original GameBoy version of the Trilogy. Which means if there is homoerotic tension written in for this case (and there happens to be a lot. the chessboard is proof enough.), then we can safely assume that the writers at this point were well-aware. So yeah- maybe don't feel TOO bad about the unnecessary feelings line- because ever since then the writers have been playing off of that and it SHOWS. -Is there really a point to this I'm just- everything is stacked against me tryna interpret this platonically -Like I know I make a point to say that a romantic relationship isn't the end-all of all relationships because this franchise LOVES pushing the Found Family dynamic and I'm an absolute sucker for that -good god by the time Dual Destinies rolls around I'll probably just give up and happily say they're happily married -that's literally what they act like don't even pretend

#narumitsu #wrightworth #ace attorney #gyakuten saiban #phoenix wright #naruhodou ryuuichi #miles edgeworth #mitsurugi reiji #i'll probably write more once school blows over #so have the first game for now #trust me i tried #maybe i'm just not an anti-shipper and that's why i failed #uh feel free to set the comments on fire #but like civilly #we're all here to have fun okay #even if fun means shipping

[moiloru]

About the so-called "Third-Case Syndrome"

I've been in the Ace Attorney fandom for a few years now, and there is a story I've heard more times than I can count: the story of the "Third-Case Syndrome." After joining the Danganronpa fandom, I realized - not without surprise - that a similar "Third-Chapter Syndrome" had admittedly cursed the series. However, I do believe that, in both cases, it would be wise to exert caution: things are never as simple as they seem. Now, even if this seems evident to me, I'll say it just to be sure: this is only my opinion. You might disagree, but please do not be toxic about it.

Before we proceed, I'd also like to warn you all: spoilers ahead for the entire Danganronpa and Ace Attorney series (even the Investigations and DGS games). Now, let's begin.

Ace Attorney:

AA1 - Turnabout Samurai:

To start off, we have 1-3. I agree with most of the fandom that it is slightly too long and the investigation segments drag out. Going from Studio One to Studio Two, to the Detention Center, etc. is quickly boring. However, its cast is solid (especially Powers and Oldbag), Dee Vasquez's motive (self-defense) is original, the Steel Samurai's theme slaps, and Edgeworth gets the first bit of his character development! I believe it outweights the negative aspects of the case and make it enjoyable. I believe it is far better than 1-1 and 1-2 (with its obvious twists and rushed ending), although it doesn't compare with 1-4 and 1-5, of course. But it's definitely not the case that people point the finger out when arguing about the "curse."

JfA - Turnabout Big Top:

I'll definitely be playing Devil's advocate on that one, but I like 2-3. Of course, the whole "love triangle" thing was shit, but the rest of the case was fine! Regina sucks, that I can agree with, but Moe was funny (in my opinion), Max got some quality character development in the end, Ben & Trilo were a nice duo, and Acro... Acro is one of the best culprits in the series, hands down. His theme is amazing and he is one of the most tragic characters in the series. Knowing that he unknowingly killed the person who had helped him is just sad, and his motive for trying to kill Regina, while not excusable, is understable. Losing the two people he was closest to, and him explaining that he couldn't "up and leave" (literally, too) before Bat had woken up was just sad. Also, while 2-3 isn't amazing like 2-4 (my favorite case) is, it's miles ahead of 2-1 (which objectively sucks) and 2-2 (which lasts for hours with an annoying and predictable culprit). Besides, the plot twist at the end with Edgeworth appearing sets the tone for the upcoming final case. In my opinion, Turnabout Big Top gets some undeserved hate.

T&T - Recipe for Turnabout:

3-3 is really good, no questions asked. The mere fact that it's better than 3-2 (predictable culprit, forgettable victim...) is obvious to me. But it also features the return of Maggey, and the first (and only) appearance of amazingly comical characters like Furio Tigre and Victor Kudo (who both have amazing theme songs). The victim might be a little forgettable, but he at least gets some development, unlike Bullard in The Stolen Turnabout. Of course, Tigre is obvious as the killer, but he's meant to be this way, and the way you corner him is amazing. The reveal that Godot can't see red on white matters in 3-5, and the case is hilarious. Special mention of Viola Cadaverini, who's underrated by the fandom, in my opinion. 3-3 is probably the strongest third case in the Trilogy, and it is definitely not the worst case in T&T.

AJ - Turnabout Serenade:

Okay, this case sucks. I dislike it very much and I can't find anything that would redeem it. The victim is boring, Daryan is obvious, Valant isn't good enough, the mini-game is tedious, and the "Phoenix saves the day" thing is repetitive. However, 4-3's biggest flaw is the defendant, Machi Tobaye. Lamiroir is an enjoyable character, and the plot twist surrounding her eyesight isn't bad, but it doesn't make Machi good enough not to ruin the case. This case is the weak point of a great game, but fortunately, 4-4 more than makes up for it.

DD - Turnabout Academy:

Dual Destinies is my least favorite game in the main series, but it has some solid cases, 5-3 being one of them. The trio of Juniper, Robin, and Hugh is amazing (even if the twist around Robin was pretty obvious), the WAA trio works very well, and we even get a chance to see Klavier again (his objection clip sucks, though)! It is definitely a strong case, even if Means was a bit obvious, and while it doesn't hold up to the great ending of DD, I do believe that 5-3 is better than 5-1, 5-2, and maybe even 5-4.

SoJ - The Rite of Turnabout:

Maya's comeback makes this case good, albeit not great. It is better than 6-1 for sure (drags on too much for a tutorial case) and probably 6-4 and 6-6, but it pales compared to 6-2 and 6-5, of course. Nayhuta is the weak point of 6-3, but everything else about this case is pretty good! The "new" Maya is a right balance of her former self with some more maturity, Datz is funny, Beh'leeb Inmee was a really emotional character, and while I don't like Tahrust too much, the plot twist around his death was pretty cool. Also, this case also makes it clear why Phoenix did what he did in 6-5 when Inga blackmailed him: he can't lose Maya. It could have been better, but this case is solid, and definitely not part of a "curse" of any kind.

AAI - The Kidnapped Turnabout:

Unfortunately, AAI kinda sucks. The first three cases aren't that good, and while I1-3 is probably better than I1-1, I'll admit it's terrible. It's long, the Amanos sucks, Lauren Paups isn't that great, and if it wasn't for Kay, the case would probably be the worst in the series.

AAI2 - The Inherited Turnabout:

Is there anything bad to say about I2-3? I mean, you play as Gregory freaking Edgeworth, so what more do you want? Ah, yes, it also has DL-6 development, the exceptional Katherine Hall and Jeffrey Masters, plot twists, flashbacks done right (!), and while the villain isn't great, he is satisfying to catch, and he matters in I2-5. Honestly, this case would probably be enough to prove my whole argument.

DGS1 - The Adventure of the Runaway Room:

After a somewhat disappointing second case (in my opinion), DGS1-3 is really good! Megundal (I'll use the names from the fan translation, since I'm used to them and like them better) is quite the interesting character, and the Engarde-like plot twist surrounding him is amazing. His death in the final cutscene is also good and ties in nicely with the final case. Ryunosuke's first trial in England gives him cool development, and damn it, Barok van Zieks! His legslam, glass throw, and objection clip suffice to make him an amazing character, and there's more to him that just that. This case is better than DGS1-2, DGS1-1, and maybe even DGS1-4 if you don't consider its link to DGS2.

DGS2 - The Return of the Great Departed Soul:

While not as good as the two following cases in my opinion, this case is definitely above-average. Gina's comeback is just great, and her new mentor-protégé relationship with Gregson is nothing short of wholesome. Enoch Drebbler is one of the best culprits in the duology, and Courtney Sithe's character is very good, too. She gives a confident vibe that really serves the case. Benjamin Dobinbough (because his canon English name is one I refuse to acknowledge) is a great clueless defendant, and his relationship to Barok is quite nice! It definitely makes the case trickier! Rozaic has a really mysterious and enjoyable atmosphere surrounding her, and finding Herlock standing like statue at the wax museum was amusing. Of course, the best thing about this case is Asogi's return. It is handled well by the game that doesn't try to cover the obvious plot twist.. The final cutscene is just *smooch*. I also can't forget the Joint Reasoning with Herlock when looking for Enoch. Again, this case is definitely not part of a "curse" of any kind.

Overall thoughts:

I don't think the Third-Case Syndrome holds for Ace Attorney. Some third cases weren't good (4-3 and I1-3) but most are either good (1-3, 3-3, 5-3, DGS1-3) or excellent (I2-3 and DGS2-3). I know Turnabout Big Top traumatized most of the fandom, but I don't think it's that bad, and definitely not bad enough to start a curse revolving around third cases.

Danganronpa:

Trigger Happy Havoc:

Chapter Three of THH is... good enough. The pointless argument between Taka and Hifumi is annoying, to be sure, and Celeste did us a favor by getting rid of them. And her plan wasn't bad, either! It could have worked if Makoto and Kyoko had not been there. However, I do believe that this chapter is too boring before the first murder. The motive is also... meh. The plot twist oh Hifumi waking up and remembering Celeste's true name was enjoyable, though. 1-3 isn't amazing by any means, but I think it's better than 1-5 and 1-6, but it stands no chance against 1-2 and 1-4.

Goodbye Despair:

Well, this one sucks. I think it's the only DR chapter that literally has a plot hole. The "Despair Syndrome" motive is probably the worse in the series and this case pretty much ruined Mikan's character. Her execution is lame, Ibuki shouldn't have been a victim (seriously, why?), the culprit is obvious, and the timeframe to execute her plot doesn't work if you aren't Sonic the Hedgehog. Also... that attempt at fanservice was cringe, and it almost killed Hajime. The only thing that redeems this chapter a bit is the name "Titty Typhoon" but that's it. This one definitely alimented the "curse," and rightfully so. In-between two great cases, 2-3 doesn't make a good impression.

Killing Harmony:

3-3 is a chapter I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, the atmosphere was excellent and fitting of the killer, and Kokichi's prank had us all freak out at first. I don't like neither Angie nor Kiyo (sorry, Kiyo fans), but somehow, it didn't make the chapter worse for me. On the other hand, the Necronomicon motive sucks almost as much as the motive in 2-3. It could have worked in DR2 considering the Killing Game happened virtually, but in V3, the motive was just an outright lie from Monokuma, so it doesn't work. Also, Kiyo was a bit too obvious: the music, the theme, his sudden importance in the plot, the séance... it was just a bit too much not to make him suspicious. Finally, this chapter's major flaw, which I can sum up in one word: sister. That, was traumatizing. Without even going in details, everything that happened after Kiyo's "sister" appeared during the Class Trial ruined it. I'm also curious to know if the writers at Spike Chunsoft are mentally stable, considering Kiyo's relationship with his sister and the fact that they ship Monotaro and his sister Monophanie in the next case. It's not a bad chapter at all, but it has its flaws, unfortunately.

Overall thoughts:

While I wouldn't call it a "curse," it's true that third cases in Danganronpa aren't amazing, especially in DR2. You'll also notice that I didn't mention UDG simply because it's too different a game to be compared to THH, DR2, and V3. If we ever get another Killing Game, I hope that the third chapter will be better, because we've yet to have an awesome Chapter Three so far.

Final thoughts:

I don't believe there are curses revolving around third cases/chapters, neither in Ace Attorney, nor in Danganronpa. However, it's true that in the case of Danganronpa, on average, third cases are the weakest, while Chapters Four and Five are almost always great. Third cases in Ace Attorney definitely get an unfair treatement, though.

Thanks for reading, and I'm open to discussing all of this if you disagree!

#ace attorney #danganronpa #headcanons #ace attorney spoilers #danganronpa spoilers #dai gyakuten saiban spoilers #the great ace attorney spoilers #ask if you want something tagged and I'll add it

[shnuggletea]

So...I completely forgot to post this one to AO3 yesterday. I had an argument with AO3 and this one got missed. And it’s one of my faves so I’m posting it now a day late.

Want a fluffy college AU with a side of body swap? I can’t tell you how much I love this kiss lol.

I really love this one. I wish I had more time to write it but I’m still really happy with it lol. It’s up on AO3 here. For the unedited version (some smoots in there) subscribe and read on my Patreon here.

You can read it below too if you like. I hope you drop me some love either here or on AO3. Or Patreon lol.

@underwater0phelia @lavendertwilight89 @mamabearcat @nartista @nopenname22 @echobows @superpixie42 @smmahamazing @redflamesofpassion @jme-chan @cstorm86 @cicleydark-light @ruddcatha @lavaffair @kirrtash @sistasecbhere @obsessandfangirl @britonell @lordofthechips @mcornilliac @faolenwolf @keichanz @phoenix-before-the-flame @artisticloveexpressitsall @lamuertadehambre @noyourenotreal @mitty-san @thenoammonster @little-deeluna @royaltrashpanda @sailorbabydoll92 @storyweaver2017 @malditamigs @adorabubblesblog @lilms-obsessed @petri808 @anniehcresta @fan-dumpp @itzatakahashi @utakuprincess @theschultinator @all-too-ale @little-inukag-obsessed @theseagullqueen @queenofthesquirps @jolinaaa00 @knowall7k @neutronstarchild @fawn-eyed-girl @eringobroke @sapphirestarxx @clearwillow @dangerouspompadour @misspepperpottss  @jayangel10 @master-ray5 @sailorsilverladybug @astraearose93 @egosolivagant @fandompromptsandfun @fandomartlover @holi-holy @kagometaishostory  @liz8080

She couldn’t take any more of this. Kagome had a huge test tomorrow (midterms) and the jerks next door were having  another  party. She got it. Some people finished up early and were just hanging around with nothing more to do during the break. But it was mostly those who were majoring in “Undecided” with a minor in “What the fuck am I doing with my life?”. 

 Kagome was double majoring. At least, that’s what they called it here but really it was like having two lives. One major was for show and the other a secret. Just like everyone at this university for those who were… different. 

 For example; her roommate, Sango, was majoring in sports medicine and demon-slaying. Kagome was majoring in Psychology and Healing (aka Miko Magic). 

 Her neighbor was majoring in failing. Or at least, that’s what she supposed since all he ever seemed to do was throw parties. And his roommate went along with it. A couple of slack asses with all the free time in the world to torture her with. All because the two of them were ‘the exception’. One a human with a cursed hand and the other half human half demon, they didn’t exactly fit into the school’s ideal student but had nowhere else to go. 

 Couldn’t have the world finding out about them now could they?

 As she spilled out into her hall, Kagome really wished she had the funds for an apartment as the entire dorm floor was out. It was an open door party. 

 It was surprising just how many of her floormates were involved. Kagome was pretty sure at least some of them still had exams to survive. Everyone seemed to be looking at her as she passed; as if they knew she was about to kill the party. 

 Pushing through to the inside of the ‘main room’, the one that was responsible for this mess of a party, Kagome choked on her gasp. Someone knocked on her back until she breathed on her own. “Professor Kaede?? What the hell are you doing here?!”

 Sitting at the table that had been moved into the small dorm room, Miroku sat with his hand in Kaede’s. It looked like she was doing palm readings but that was a parlor trick at best. “I’m determining the students’ futures. Would ye like a reading, Kagome?”

 Kaede went back to Miroku’s palm while Kagome stormed up to the table. “I already know my future. Because I’m going to  fail  my midterm thanks to this jerk!”

 “Come now, Kagome, you’re a very bright woman. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Now, Kaede-san, when will I meet the mother of my child?!”

 Kagome’s jaw dropped as Kaede searched Miroku’s palm with a serious look on her face. “Your palm looks very dark, I’m afraid.”

 “Oh haha, I know about my curse already old lady. What about my future?”

 Kagome smacked the back of Miroku’s head. “Show some respect!!”

 She was about to do more when Miroku shot her a wink but Kagome was pulled off the floor and into strong arms. She didn’t give up the fight, knowing full well who was brave enough to mess with her like this and it only angered her more. “Ignore her, Professor Kaede. She’s under a lot of stress.” Kagome clawed Inuyasha’s arm and got free while he held the scratched arm as if it actually hurt the half-demon. “GAH! What’s your problem now, Kagome!”

 “My problem?” Kagome ignored the complete lack of respect Inuyasha sent her way with her name and let it fuel her rage. “My problem is that I have a huge test tomorrow and…”

 “You always have a huge test or huge paper or huge pain in my ass something tomorrow! LIghten up, Kagome, this is college! You’re supposed to have fun!”

 “Why? Your slack ass is having enough fun for me and everyone else on campus. Damn lazy man whore!!”

 They were in each other’s faces but no one worried in the slightest. The pair always got like this. Inuyasha didn’t take his glare off of Kagome as he spoke to Kaede. “Professor, can you tell me Kagome’s past?”

 “Why would ye want that?”

 “I want to find the demon that put the massive  stick up her ass  and slay them before she ruins my entire college experience.”

 “Drop dead!”

 “You first!!!”

 “Guys! Stop it!” Sango yelled. 

 Kagome rolled her eyes at her roommate, currently chatting with some guy while sipping on a drink. Everyone was having fun besides her. Miroku jumped up from his seat and Inuyasha plopped down, wrapping an arm around Kagome’s shoulders. “Why don’t you have a drink? Take a break from studying for a bit and have your palm read?”

 Shaking him off, Kagome glared at the other man whore in residence. “I can’t take a break, I’m too busy dealing with you asshats. And I already know my future, it’s going to be me out on the street when I fail all my courses!!!”

 “Kagome spreading her legs for money? Well, I guess that’s the only way to get her to…” She leaned down to Inuyasha’s ear and blew into it. He flicked his ears and hands around to get her to stop but always missed her when she did that and she didn’t know if it was on purpose or if he had terrible aim. “Don’t do that! How many times have I told you not to blow in my ears, bitch?!”

 “How many times have I told you to keep the noise down, Bitch?” Kagome cooed in his face.

 She saw something flash in his eyes like a flicker from a flame. It used to scare her but Kagome had seen it enough times now to know it just meant she was really getting to Inuyasha. “Ye two should learn to get along. Ye would fare much better…”

 “Tell me about it.” “I would appreciate it!” They said at the same time.

 Kaede chortled, still holding Inuyasha’s hand. She grabbed Kagome’s as well and held them side by side. “Ye have more in common than ye think…”

 “I’m nothing like him.” “Yeah, if I’d boarded up my cock like she did her vag.” They talked over each other.

 Kagome used her free hand to flick Inuyasha’s ear. “Stop talking about my sex life! You have no clue!!”

 “Fair enough,” he conceded, but she knew better, “can’t talk about something that doesn’t exist, right?”

 “Both of you, quiet!” Kaede yelled suddenly. It made Kagome jump and Inuyasha put a hand on her back until he caught himself and retracted it like it never happened. “The two of ye need to see eye to eye or ye will never be happy.”

 “Agreed. Kagome, can’t you see that I’m only making people happy?”

 “Inuyasha, can’t  you  see that it’s not all about you?!”

 Kaede had Kagome’s hand on top of Inuyasha’s, pushing them together hard with her old and wrinkled hands. “Walk a mile in ye shoes and grow together as a team.”

 Kagome blinked but the image didn’t change. She was laying down but the ceiling didn’t look right. It was the fact that she could see the ceiling that was weird since she should see Sango’s bed above her. They had bunked their beds to make more space in their room. She slowly sat up and found that it was more than the ceiling that was wrong. All of her felt wrong.

 And she was in the wrong bed.

 Miroku was asleep across from her and Kagome had to cup her hands over her mouth to keep her freak out from waking him up. She was in Inuyasha’s bed!!! How the hell did she… the last thing she remembered was Professor Kaede’s weirdness and then… what happened after that?? 

 Oh god… she was drugged! 

 That was the only thing that explained her memory loss AND waking up in Inuyasha’s bed. There was NO WAY she would have slept with him otherwise! Sure, Inuyasha was hot as hell but they had nothing else in common and Kagome needed an emotional connection to be attracted to someone.

 This wasn’t the point, the point was… she needed to get the fuck out of here. She was alone in the bed. Which meant Inuyasha was up already and she hoped to GOD he wasn’t spreading the word around that he had nailed her. 

 Her legs felt weird when she got to them. So did her feet, the carpet not feeling the same as the stuff in her room. But hers was cleaner and she left it at that. Struggling with the door, she looked both ways before barreling out into the empty hall. It was still early so no one else was up yet. She prayed she could get a few more hours of studying in before her exam as she opened and closed her door behind her. 

 Resting against the door, she caught her breath. Her ears were ringing too or something. And the smells around her bugged her to no end. Great, she was getting a migraine. So much for studying, Kagome was going to try and sleep it off. 

 Kagome plopped to her bed only to have it screech back at her. “Fuck, Miroku, I’m not in the mood.”

 Everything stopped; her heart, lungs, eyes, and brain. The body that sat up on her bed was… her. It was her face, her blue eyes, her black hair (a mess), and her mouth that parted in shock as Kagome’s body looked back at her. 

 “What… the fuck….” Kagome’s body shot up and hit her head on the bottom of Sango’s bed. “Awe, fuck!”

 She only knew one person that swore THIS much. “Inuyasha??”

 That wasn’t her voice. That was… Inuyasha’s voice. But it came out of her mouth?! 

 Stumbling, Kagome ended up crawling across the floor to the mirror. When gold eyes met her in the reflection, white hair that was wild around white ears, she felt faint. She tried slapping herself but it was no use. The image in the mirror didn’t change save for the redding of the cheek she’d slapped. Inuyasha’s cheek. 

 She was in Inuyasha’s body.

  Kagome watched her body pace before her. It was so weird; like those ‘out of body’ experiences that she’d read about in her textbooks. The strangest part was that neither of them was in the clothes they were wearing last night. Kagome remembered the over-sized t-shirt and yoga pants from last night and the tight collar shirt and jeans Inuyasha had worn. But she was in sweats and a faded t-shirt now while her body was in….

 Kagome’s body suddenly stopped pacing and she realized to her horror that Inuyasha was staring at her body in the full-length mirror. “Damn, Kags, you’ve got a nice body.”

 Her hands were going up her belly when she shot to her feet and grabbed her hands. Blocking Inuyasha’s view of the mirror as well as stopping him from using her hands to feel herself up, she made Inuyasha’s face glare down at hers. “Don’t do that. Don’t do anything like touch yourself or look at yourself naked while in my body.”

 He huffed, a strange sound coming from her body. “You can touch yourself all you want in my body. And get a good look at... me naked if you want. I know you want to….”

 Pulling Inuyasha’s hands hard off hers, Kagome moved the body she was in away from hers. “That’s not important! What’s important is getting ourselves… right!”

 Inuyasha was twisting Kagome’s hands around and she saw the blood. “Dammit. You have to be careful! My claws are sharp!”

 “Oh my god, I’m sorry!”

 “Yeah? Tell it to yourself. It’ll be your scar.”

 Kagome moved Inuyasha’s body to the dresser and pulled out her first aid. “You’re right. It’ll be my problem and I did it to myself.” Inuyasha was silent while she cleaned and wrapped the slice to the top of her body’s hand. “But I’m sorry because you’re the one feeling the pain right now.. Aren’t you?”

 Inuyasha twisted Kagome’s face in confusion. This was all too weird for her and she had to look away as her brows creased together in the middle. “I feel the pain, yeah. But it’s fine. What are we going to do about this??”

 “Well, first, we should probably figure out how it happened. How did our bodies get switched??”

 “It was Kaede…” A voice mumbled from above. With everything going on, Kagome had forgotten about Sango who had been asleep above their heads. “She did it so go ask her and let me sleep!!”

 Kagome scoffed (which was far more effective when he was in Inuyasha’s body) and grabbed his arm. Something that was also more effective if he was in his body, nearly falling back on the ass he currently inhabited when Kagome didn’t budge in Inuyasha’s body. “Come on, let’s go.”

 She crossed the thick arms of Inuyasha’s across his equally yummy chest.  “You can’t think like that while in his body!!!” she scolded herself and refocused. “Change first.”

 Inuyasha dropped her head to look down at herself and it was just as bad as the mirror as he took in the sight of her body in nothing more than a tight tank top and panties. “You know, I wouldn’t kick you out of the bed if I woke up to this.”

 “God, just stop it and put on some clothes!”

 Racing to her dresser, she pulled out jeans and a sweater that Inuyasha pulled on. Kagome was never going to get used to this, it was too much to wrap her mind around as she watched herself get dressed. The last thing Inuyasha did was grab her strands and pull them around to her shoulder. Kagome was a little more than shocked when he braided her hair perfectly in a few seconds, holding out a hand for a hair tie. With the braid tied off, he gestured to his hair with one of her fingers. 

 “Could you at least do something about that?”

 She brushed Inuyasha’s fingers through his hair, snagging a few times on knots but otherwise finding it super soft. “Wow.”

 “Yeah, I take care of my shit. So don’t fuck it up while the cat is out of the house!”

 She rolled Inuaysha’s eyes and grabbed a brush. A few moments later, they were standing in front of Professor Kaede’s office door. Inuyasha had Kagome’s hands in the pockets of her jeans, standing just as he did when in his body. While Kagome had her backpack on Inuyasha’s shoulder. It felt oddly lighter even though it was filled the same as it always was.

 “What the fucking hell?” Kagome’s mouth spouted.

 Another student passed, giving Kagome a look from the foul mouth Inuyasha was giving her. But Kagome could care less at the moment. She looked with Inuyasha’s eyes at the door to see the note attached to it. “Family emergency. Be back after break??”

 “Great. Juuuuuust great!! What the hell are we supposed to do stuck in the bodies for the entire break?!”

 Inuyasha’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Inuyasha… my exam…”

 “What?” Kagome’s body spun and then flicked her head up, forgetting about his new height. 

 “My exam. I’ve been studying all week for it… it’s important and now I… I can’t even take it?! What… what I’m I gonna do?!”

 Kagome’s body tried to grab Inuyasha’s shoulders but failed from the height difference and held onto biceps instead. “Hey, I can’t be seen crying! Get your shit together Kagome!”

 It was really easy to stop what she had started, sobering quickly. “Whoa, that’s weird. Do you have no feelings at all??”

 “Yeah. I’m an unfeeling monster while you’re an emotional wreck. Who’s the one really suffering here?” Inuyasha fussed while a tear fell down Kagome’s cheek.

 Without a thought, Kagome gently used Inuyasha’s hand to brush the tear off her body’s cheek. “I can’t fail this test Inuyasha. Do you.. Remember anything?”

 She was hoping that their brains were the same. But that didn’t make sense (not that any of it did) since she didn’t have Inuyasha’s memories or anything. If Kagome thought back, it was all her and not Inuyasha inside her head. It was why she remembered her test and not him. 

 “No, I fucking don’t remember a thing.” He sighed ruefully while she worried Inuyasha’s lip. “Give me your notes.” She dug them out and handed them over. “How long until your exam?”

 “Hour and a half.”

 “Good. I need a quiet place.”

 Leading him to the place she liked to sit and read, she watched as Inuyasha read over all her notes. He didn’t take the full time either, shutting the notebook when he was done and getting to his feet… her feet. “What are you doing?”

 “I’m done. Where’s the exam?”

 “Brooke’s hall, room 329. Inuyasha… I don’t think you understand…”

 “Yeah, yeah, I got it, this exam is important. I’ll try and get you at least a C, alright.”

 Kagome’s body was already moving towards the exam spot while she followed behind in his body. Which was interesting since Inuyasha’s body had longer legs than hers; making it a lot easier to keep up and speed pass. Instead of struggling to keep up, she struggled not to leave her body behind. Inuyasha only stopped to ask for her ID before strutting her body into her exam. She watched from the door, slapping a hand to her forehead when Inuyasha asked the person next to him for a pencil. She was sure the strange look they passed her body was due to her never coming unprepared for class.

 The test was passed out and the heart in Inuyasha’s chest raced. Inuyasha didn’t know this, but her entire college career hinged on this test. This one and everything she was ever graded on. The scholarship she got was fat on funds and prestige. If her grades slipped past a 3.8 GPA, Kagome would be stripped of her funds and have no means for her education.

 It hadn’t been more than thirty minutes since the test landed in front of her body when Inuyasha folded up his test, passed the borrowed pencil back with a smile, and handed in the test. He continued to strut Kagome’s body around and past her as she waited. She was hoping he would spill but he said nothing. “Well?”

 “Like I said, at least a C.”

 “Inuyasha!!”

 “Relax. I got you an A.”

 “An A. You can’t possibly know that! This isn’t funny Inuyasha!!”

 He was chuckling. Making her body make an ugly sound especially from a woman. “It’s a little funny. I mean, how long did you study for this only to have me take it for you?”

 “Inuyasha!” She cried, pushing large fists that she wasn’t used to into the corners of her eyes.

 “Hey! I said no crying in my body!!!”

 “Kagome?”

 She turned at her name, instantly forgetting and even calling out, “Hojo?” Before Inuyasha used her body to slap a hand to Inuyasha’s mouth. But it was too late; Hojo was eyeing them both curiously. 

 “Do I know you?” Hojo asked Inuyasha’s body. 

 Kagome pulled back from the hand on her mouth and thrusted a hand to the back of her head; awkward and embarrassed. Neither emotion was ever displayed by the real Inuyasha that she’d ever seen. “No. I mean yes. Sort of?”

 “I’ve told her, I mean him, a lot about you, Hoji.”

 “Hojo,” she tried as a cough. 

 Inuyasha coughed too and hoped to cover up his mistake. “I mean Hojo.”

 “Are you sick, Kagome? You don’t seem like yourself?”

 Hojo was still looking them both over and Kagome didn’t get it. She also didn’t get the weird smell entering Inuyasha’s nose. It was putrid like old sweat. Was that how Inuyasha’s nose worked? He could smell things like sweat? Kagome watched as her body looked over at her and winked, then moved closer to Hojo.

 “I’m fine, thank you for asking.” She was happy with that response but not with how close Inuyasha was getting her body to Hojo, who just stood there and watched her body too intensely. “So… what are you up to?”

 “Um… I’m just… I was heading to an exam and wanted to stop by to see how you did?” That was Hojo for you, so sweet and caring. “I know you were nervous about this one. How did you do? You finished up early; is that good?”

 Inuyasha pushed a fake laugh out of her mouth and Kagome stared at him hard. “Oh, it was no big deal in the end. My friend Kag… I mean Inuyasha helped me out a lot.”

 “Oh? You’re Inuyasha?” Crap, she had spoken to Hojo often about Inuyasha and how he was the bain of her existence. Hojo leaned into her body’s ear but she could hear every word with Inuyasha’s ears. “I thought you said he was a selfish asshole? And you never mentioned he was a…  hanyou .”

 There was disgust in Hojo’s tone. That made both Kagome’s angry but the one in Inuyasha’s body was the one to react. “You have a problem with Hanyous?” She asked as darkly as she could while stepping up to Hojo. 

 “Oh uh... Nnnno, NO! I don’t have a problem…”

 Even if she hadn’t heard him a second ago, Kagome knew he was lying. His heart was racing and his scent had increased. He was sweating a lot right now. “Liar. You don’t like Hanyous? What did they ever do to you, huh? Inuya… I mean Kagome is half Miko, do you find her disgusting too?”

 “That’s different! She can control her powers. And she doesn’t…”

 “She doesn’t what?!” She screamed, hearing Inuyasha’s voice instead of her own.

 “She doesn’t look like a half-breed.”

 Hojo’s eyes flicked up to Inuyasha’s ears on top of Kagome’s head. And she saw red. “Stay away from Kagome.” She pointed a clawed finger in Hojo’s face for emphasis.

 He dared to look around her to her body behind. Kagome turned to her body and grabbed her arm to pull them away. Inuyasha was looking smug but it quickly turned to concern, putting a hand on her back and pushing her the rest of the way out of the building until they were alone in the cold afternoon air. The sun was hazy behind thin clouds and a breeze made it even colder but she still felt hot!

 “Kagome, breathe.”

 Buckled over, she had her big clawed hands on her knees; taking big gulps of air and still seeing red. “That… that jerk….”

 “I know, I know but you need to calm down.”

 She looked up to find her face frowning down at her, Inuyasha keeping a hand on his body’s back to try and calm her down. “I didn’t know he was like that!”

 “You’d be surprised… a lot of people are.”

 “I’m not!”

 Kagome’s lips twisted into a smile. “I noticed.”

 It took a while but she was finally starting to calm down and feel in control again. Standing back up at full, she looked down at her body in wonder. “You don’t feel anything except anger? What’s up with that?”

 He shrugged. “That’s the demon. Makes it hard to feel much of anything save for primal instincts. Like anger and lust.”

 “Oh, I see,” Kagome’s head whipped up to look back at her face, “so you’re blaming the demon for actions? That’s lame, Inuyasha.”

 A grimace graced her face as Inuyasha disapproved of her words fully. “Yeah? Everyone else blames 

the demon in me so why can’t I?”

 “Because they’re stupid. And you’re not.” They were silent for a few minutes after that until she had to change the subject. “Hey, do we all smell that bad?”

 Suddenly, Inuyasha had to get away from her; taking off in a fast walk away with her body. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 She could hear it. In his voice and his heart. Her voice and heart. He was lying. “You’re lying! I can hear it!!”

 Inuyasha jumped on her with Kagome’s body; her hand pressed as best as he could get it to his mouth. “Keep that shit to yourself!”

 After a second and some awkwardness, he let her go. “Why?”

 “I don’t want  anyone  knowing that.”

 “Okay… but why?”

 Inuyasha was moving again and she followed without question. “You think people knowing you’re a Hanyou is bad? What if they knew you could hear and smell their lies? Smell what they did an hour ago? Hear their conversations through a wall? Imagine if there were no secrets between you and others; how many people would want to be around you then?”

 She was silent. Because she got it. They were halfway back to the dorm when she spoke again; needing to ask before they were silenced by ‘others’ being around. “Wait… if your nose and ears are this strong, why do you like loud parties?” Inuyasha glanced back, giving her a look with her face. “You don’t like them… you hate them?? Why the heck do you have them then?!”

 They stopped and it was strange towering over her own body but she was pissed. Inuyasha wouldn’t look up at her though, staring off in the distance with her hands in her pockets. “Miroku is the one that wants them and I go along with it. He doesn’t know about my nose and ears and I want to keep it that way.”

 “Then tell him you don’t want to party! What’s the big deal?!”

 “He’s my first friend…”

 “Sango’s my first college friend too but if she wanted…”

 “Not my first college friend.  First friend ever .” Inuyasha used her toe to kick at that ground and keep his attention there instead. “He’s the first person to accept and like me for who I am. I’d do anything for him. Besides, the parties help me blend in, meet people, and have a good time.”

 “You can have a good time with less noise and destruction.” Now Inuyasha looked up at her with a roll of her eyes. “Next time you want quiet comfortable fun, you can come to my room and have it with me.”

 He fought the smile off his face but since it was Kagome’s face, he lost. “That sounds shitastic.”

 She shrugged his big shoulders. “Whatever.” They were moving again and she couldn’t help but sniff the air. “Oh man, you need to shower. You got Hojo’s nervous sweat on you.” She sniffed herself. “Ick. Me too.”

 “You sure know how to pick them, Kags.”

 “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 “Nothing,” lie and she was pretty sure she got what he was trying to say, “we’re lucky we don’t reek of Hoji’s urine too.”

 “He deserved it.” Kagome wanted to change the subject; she was starting to feel hot again. “How are we going to do this?”

 “Do what?”

 Out of habit, Inuyasha opened the door to their building’s lobby. Instead of pointing it out, she rushed through while a few people stopped and stared; laughing as they walked away. “Shower?”

 Kagome’s body huffed. “I may not be used to it, but I’m pretty sure I can clean your body, Kagome.”

 Even if she didn’t have Inuyasha’s hearing, she would know that leaving him alone with her body was a bad idea. “Oh no. No, no, no way! I’m not letting you do whatever you please to my body!!”

 In the elevator alone, she felt no worry of being overheard. Inuyasha leaned her body against the back wall of the small box. He looked just like himself with his body language. “You’d like it, trust me.”

 “I don’t!”

 “Guess we can take a shower together?”

 The elevator dinged and her long legs took her off and away from Inuyasha quicker than she was used to. “We can’t do that! It’s against the rules!”

 “People do it all the time.” She glared back at him and he flustered for some reason. “Miroku told me, nothing more!”

 Like she believed that. But he didn’t sound like he was lying. It made her feel a bit better but she still didn’t like the idea. But what other choice did they have? The floor was mostly empty at this point anyway. They went back to Kagome’s room first, running into Sango who was almost out the door; passing the two of them with her suitcase in hand.

 “Sango? Where are you going?!” Her body asked in a panic.

 Sango looked between them but quickly settled on Kagome’s face. “I have plane tickets and a little brother that would be pissed if I didn’t come home as promised. Sorry.”

 She got it but it still sucked. “Do you have anything that could help us?”

 Staring at her blankly, Sango looked at her wearing Inuyasha’s face for a moment before shaking herself free with a small laugh. “Sorry. That’s just so weird. Cause you both still talk like yourselves but with the other’s voice and body.”

 “Sango?”

 “Kaede said, ‘walk a mile in each other’s shoes and appreciate each other’ or something like that.”

 “We already walked a mile and more!” Inuyasha roared with Kagome’s voice.

 Sango shrugged. “Guess you still haven’t learned your lesson then?”

 She left and they flopped, helpless, in her room. After some silent pouting, Kagome got up and went to her dresser; pulling out clothes for her body to put on. Inuyasha left only to return with clothes for her to put on when she was done. 

 They double-checked the bathroom and when it was empty, they started to strip. Kagome stopped Inuyasha with a growl. “No peeking!”

 He rolled her eyes and pulled off all her clothes. She thought it would be awkward to take a shower with a man she barely knew. But she was wrong. It was weirder than anything she’d ever experienced, watching her own body wash itself. 

 She was in a daze when Inuyasha thrusted a bottle in her direction. “Use that on my hair please.”

 “Yeah… sure…”

 “Hey,” he knocked a gentle fist to her head, “what are you thinking about?”

 “I was just…” she froze, Inuyasha picking up her loofa and putting body wash on it, “whoa, I should do that.”

 She was okay with him washing her hair but rubbing all over her body? It was too… weird! 

 “Calm down, Kagome. I’ll be gentle.” She ripped the loofa from her own hand and started on her front. “I don’t think this is achieving what you think it is. Cause now, I’m still touching your body.”

 “Yes. But you can’t feel it!”

 “No, you’re right. I can just feel it on your body instead of my hand.” She washed her thighs and decided then and there she would just have to wash her nether regions when she was back in her body again. “I wonder if we’ll remember what our bodies did when we’re back in them?”

 “What do you mean?!” She shrieked a little too loudly.

 “I mean,” she stood up straight and looked down at her face, “will I remember what it feels like to wash your body when I’m back in mine?”

 She forced her body to turn around and started washing her back. “Stop it. Stop talking like that. It’s gross.”

 “Why is it gross?!” He said with some serious anger behind it.

 “Because it’s my voice and face saying it! It’s like I’m hitting on myself or something!”

 The tension in Kagome’s body’s shoulders disappeared instantly with her words. “Oh... I see.”

 Inuyasha didn’t refute her claim that he was hitting on her but she ignored it and focused on Inuyasha’s hair. There was a lot of it and it was thick. Not much different from her own hair but she also had his ears to worry about. “How do I wash these?”

 She was pointing to the triangles on top of her head and Inuyasha gestured for her to crouch down. “Here. Let me.”

 It felt pretty good; Inuyasha was rubbing his ears gently. She could tell from this that his ears were really sensitive and she didn’t mean just from sounds. The massage Inuyasha was giving them was nearly putting her to sleep.

 Clean and soggy, they sat in Inuyasha’s room and Kagome took in all the smells it held. There were a lot but mostly faint. She mostly smelled Inuyasha, knowing it was him from her own personal memory of his scent. 

 “So you never answered my question.”

 Inuyasha looked up from whatever he was doing on his phone while she spun in his desk’s chair.

 “Do I smell that bad too?”

 A grin twisted on Kagome’s face. “Smell yourself now and find out.”

 She had already. But they’d just showered now. “I smell good now.”

 “As you always do.”

 “I do?”

 He nodded and she felt a small flush on her cheeks for some reason. But she shook it away with other thoughts. “You also never told me how you did on my exam?”

 “Yes, I did. You got an A.”

 “You  can’t know that! You spent an hour studying!” She dropped Inuyasha’s head to the back of the chair and watched the ceiling spin. “I studied all semester for that class.”

 “Your notes showed that. I wouldn’t have done so well if you weren’t so… dedicated.”

 Inuyasha had revealed a lot about himself to her today. He didn’t have a choice in the matter but she still felt it was only fair to tell him some things too. A few secrets. “I’m only able to afford this school because of a scholarship that requires me to keep a 3.8 GPA. If it drops below that, I’m out on my ass.”

 “Your ass is too nice to be tossed on.” She looked up to glare at him but he was too busy grinning to be phased. “You have nothing to worry about, Kagome. I have a photographic memory.”

 Kagome nearly fell out of the chair; she sat up so fast. “You what?!”

 “How do you think I got into this college? And how I stayed in it?”

 “Sports scholarship?” Inuyasha frowned with Kagome’s face and she giggled. “I hadn’t thought about it really. I just thought you took easy courses or something? That’s really cool! I wish I had that!!”

 “No you don’t,” he groaned, “because once you see something, you can never forget it.”

 “There are some things, some of us, never want to forget.” She said nothing more. A secret she wasn’t ready to reveal. 

 “Looks like we’re stuck in these bodies for the night,” Inuyasha added, interrupting the silence. “You wanna sleep here or in your bed?”

 “Huh?”

 “You didn’t trust me alone in your body for a shower. I figured you wouldn’t trust me alone in it all night long?” He smirked. “And it’s been a stressful day on your body. I could use a release and some relaxation. Or rather, you could. I think I’ll just see what fingering feels like…”

 “Okay! Okay, you’re right! And don’t you dare masturbate my body!!!”

 It felt weird, sleeping in a small bed with her body. Mostly because she felt the urge to snuggle but that was a therapy session she could do without later in life.

  Without a clue of what else to do, Kagome was packing. She was expected at home today and with waking up, still in Inuyasha’s body, she wasn’t sure what to do. 

 Bag on her bed that was half-filled with her clothes (that wouldn’t fit Inuyasha’s body so she just felt stupid) Kagome’s body rushed into the room with Inuyasha’s phone in his hand. “Answer this.”

 She glanced at the screen and saw the name ‘Kikyo’ on it. “Kikyo? You know her?”

 “Just answer the damn phone already!”

 Doing as told, she sighed and accepted the call. “Hello, Kikyo.”

 Inuyasha glared at her but she just glared back and silently berated his anger with a ‘what?!’. “Hey, Inuyasha. I was hoping to catch you before you left for the break?”

 “Oh uh... Yeah, you caught me. What’s up?”

 Inuyasha rolled her eyes and Kagome decided to ignore him. “I was thinking it would be nice to get lunch? Are you free today?”

 Pressing a hand over the receiver, Kagome whispered to Inuyasha. “She wants to get lunch today.” He nodded while she shook her head ‘no’. “I have to go home!” Inuyasha pointed harshly at the phone. “Uh.. oh… sorry. I’m just checking my schedule.” She pressed her hand to the phone again. “I  have  to go home! We have to go together!”

 He took the phone from her and held it away from them, getting in her face. Which would have been more effective if he was in his body instead of hers. “I helped you with your exam. Help me with this.” He softened quickly. “Please, Kags.”

 She rolled her eyes and took the phone back. “Kikyo? Yeah, I can do it today. How about we meet somewhere?”

 “There’s this nice sushi place on campus?”

 Kagome was shaking Inuyasha’s head but remembered Kikyo couldn’t see her. “Ah.. no, I don’t like sushi.” She remembered very clearly how Inuyasha had reacted to sushi back when they all ate together at the beginning of the year. It had not gone well at all. Kagome blamed that night on why she and Inuyasha started being frenemies. “How about the ramen place on fifth?”

 Inuyasha was staring at her with Kagome’s blue eyes. Was she always that intimidating? No, Inuyasha had to be doing something different with her eyes or something. The way he had them locked on her wasn’t helping; turning from him to finish the phone call. “Sounds good,” even through the phone, it didn’t sound like Kikyo was happy, “see you in an hour.”

 She handed back the phone but Inuyasha grabbed her hand with it and held her still. “If you don’t screw this up, I’ll go and make nice with your family. But if you fuck things up with Kikyo, I’ll get a tattoo on your forehead.”

 Careful with his claws this time, Kagome got Inuyasha’s hand back from the death hold he had on it. “Okay, I get it. I’ll make you look really good, I promise. Geez, you really like Kikyo, huh?”

 It was funny how Inuyasha did the same things while in her body. Like crossing his arms over his chest when he wanted to protect himself. She could hear his heart and breath now though and it was picking up a little like he was uncomfortable or scared. “She’s the only person to show me interest like this so, yeah I like her I guess.”

 “Wow, calm down.” She said sarcastically. “I don’t want my body to stink again.”

 She laughed while Inuyasha bristled. “I’m not good with emotions and your body is a cluster fuck. I’ve never thought about my feelings like this before. No one has ever asked me either so cut me some fucking slack.”

 Kagome was still laughing, the sound strange because it wasn’t hers and she wasn’t used to hearing Inuyasha’s laugh. “Fine. But… a lunch?”

 “What’s wrong with that? She only had time for lunch but she wanted to see me!”

 “If you say so…”

 “You know what, I don’t trust you. You’re going to fuck this up. I’m coming with you.”

 Inuyasha was already starting to dress her body. “What? You can’t bring another girl on a date!”

 “Sure I can! It’ll make her jealous which will work in my favor! Kikyo probably thinks no one else wants me and she has no competition.”

 She placed a hand on her body’s shoulder but Inuyasha ignored her. “Do you hear yourself?”

 Inuyasha shrugged her off. “No, I hear you. Go get dressed!”

 She left him to do as told, not sure of this meeting at all.

  “Whoa.” 

 They stopped just inside the door of the restaurant and Inuyasha twisted Kagome’s head back to look at his. “What?”

 “I see why you like this place. It smells amazing!”

 He smirked but it dropped quickly, grabbing and pulling her the rest of the way inside. They quickly spotted Kikyo; who stood and waved him down, only to frown at the sight of Kagome with him. She had to put on her game face. No part of her liked this and Kagome told herself it was because of Inuyasha’s words about not being liked by others. The gnawing in her chest was about his obvious lack of self-confidence and settling for Kikyo. Nothing else. 

 “Hey, babe.” Kikyo greeted and Kagome took a beat to realize she was talking to her/Inuyasha. 

 “Hey… honey…” She passed a glance at Inuyasha who glared back at her for her slip up. “I mean… hello.” Inuyasha slid her body into the booth Kikyo picked, sitting between them which made Kikyo frown even more. “Oh uh… this is my neighbor, Kagome. She and I are… friends and she…. Wanted to meet you?”

 They really should have discussed a plan of some sort. She was not prepared for this. 

 Kikyo didn’t miss a beat, turning to Kagome with a plastic smile. Could Inuyasha see how fake it was or was that the demon sight she currently had? “Hello, Higurashi-san. We have a few classes together, don’t we?”

 They did? She didn’t remember Kikyo in any of her classes and the look on Kagome’s face told her Inuyasha was shocked. Then mad, like she should have mentioned it or something. Can’t mention what you don’t remember. “Oh, yeah, we did, didn’t we?”

 “Defense against the Darkness 111 and we were at that offense vs defense seminar last month. Your reiki is very impressive.”

 “Uuuuhhhh thanks.”

 She needed to redirect the conversation because Inuyasha knew nothing about Miko practices. “So, Kikyo, how were your exams? I’m sure you did well.”

 Kikyo looked shocked she asked. Maybe Inuyasha wasn’t this polite? He wasn’t polite to her for sure. “Yes, thank you. How about you?”

 “Ah, you know me.”

 Did she? Kikyo just kind of nodded and turned her attention back to Kagome. “Say how did you create that barrier? No one else could manage it and I must admit I still can’t.”

 Kikyo laughed and it made things more uncomfortable. Kagome’s eyes danced to Inuyasha but what could she do to help in this? “I uh… I practice and study a lot. It’s all I do actually.”

 “Oh? That sounds rough!” Kikyo said but the sympathy in it was faked.

 “Yeah. I don’t party or have fun. I’m pretty pathetic actually.” Inuyasha laughed with her body and Kikyo laughed with her.

 “Aren’t you being a little hard on yourself?” Kagome asked, grinding Inuyasha’s fangs together. 

 Kagome’s shoulder’s shrugged. “Am I? This is the first date I’ve been on all year and it’s not even mine!”

 They both laughed while she seethed. Inuyasha was right but she didn’t like that he knew that. How did he know that, anyway? Something to ask later, trying again to direct the conversation back to Inuyasha and Kikyo. “So… I was surprised you called. Are you not heading out of town for the break?”

 “I am. I just wanted to see you one more time before I left.”

 Kikyo placed a hand on his and rubbed the back of it. But there was something about her tone and heartbeat that bothered her. If it were her, Kagome’s heart would be skipping from touching the guy she liked. It skipped whenever Inuyasha touched her and she didn’t even like him! But Kikyo was calm.

 Kagome’s foot kicked hers under the table and she woke up. “Oh, uh, yeah I wanted to see you too. Thanks for calling and asking me out.”

 “Of course. Since you never call me.”

 “I’ll.. uh… fix that. I promise.”

 The waitress appeared. Kikyo ordered a salad while she ordered ramen. Inuyasha did too. They ate with gentle conversation and she did her best to flirt with Kikyo. Inuyasha passed her the other half of his bowl when he was full and she ate it without issue. They had already discovered (last night) that their appetites changed for the body they were in.

 Now lunch was over but there was a bigger issue. Kagome had been holding it in all morning but now she was about to pop and couldn’t any longer. Getting to Inuyasha’s feet suddenly, she grabbed onto Kagome as she pulled out of the booth. “I need a minute with Kagome. Be right back.”

 Inuyasha fought against her hold as soon as they were out of sight. “What the fuck?! This looks really bad, Kagome!!”

 “I know, I’m sorry but I have to…” she stopped and folded into Kagome’s ear, “I have to pee.”

 “So?”

 “I’ve never… I don’t know how to do it with your… equipment.”

 He chuckled and pushed Inuyasha’s body back. “It’s the same as yours, you just have to stand and aim.”

 “Oh god. I have to touch it?!”

 Inuyasha had ‘washed himself’ for her yesterday. And that had been all sorts of confusing. This was going to be worse. “Just don’t let the size freak you out.”

 That was all he gave her before sauntering back to their table. She took two deep breaths and pushed into the men’s room. Regardless, she couldn’t hold it any longer. Which made it easier in the end, staring at Inuyasha’s member in his hands and not focusing on anything else. She had thought he was just being a jerk but… he was kinda right about his size. Guess that was why it felt so heavy? And she thought it was just because she had something swinging between her legs for the first time? Kagome would never know; this was the only body other than hers she would ever inhabit. Hopefully.

 The heightened senses didn’t help either (the scent of the small room making her feel sick) and she was quick to get out of there.

 She didn’t know if leaving ‘Kagome’ alone with Kikyo for long was a good idea so she was as fast as she could move about it all. She focused on the table, finding she could focus her hearing too; which was cool. Until she heard the conversation being had in her absence. 

 “You already have strong Miko powers. You don’t need Inuyasha for your final. I do.”

 Kikyo was talking about finals? They all had a senior project due before graduation; a show of strength mixed with comprehension and skill. Kagome hadn’t come up with anything yet but Kikyo’s involved Inuyasha? She didn’t understand how and by the look Inuyasha had on ‘Kagome’s’ face, he didn’t know about it beforehand.

 He was pushing her body out of the booth in a hurry when he caught sight of her. Knocking into her as she passed, Inuyasha left her behind to figure out what the hell to do next. So she stomped up to the table and Kikyo gave her a look of pure innocence. “I think your friend is jealous of us.”

 “H… she is? We’re just friends.”

 “KA...INUYASHA LET’S GO!”

 Her voice sounded pained and no part of her wanted to argue. So she dug into the wallet Inuyasha made her put in his back pocket; throwing some money on the table. “I’ll… uh call you.”

 Inuyasha had ‘Kagome’s’ hands in her pockets and a pissed look on her face. “You got tickets to your house or something? Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Inuyasha hadn’t said a word since they left the restaurant. She sat across from her body as it silently rocked on the train. It was another hour until they reached home and a thirty-minute drive to her house. So there really wasn’t a lot of time. 

 “So…. I should probably go over who is who. They’ll expect you to know that.”

 “Why not just tell them the truth? Would save us a lot of grief.” He muttered to the window. 

 “NO!” Kagome’s head slowly turned from her outburst, Inuyasha had her eyes squinted in disapproval of her tone, volume, or general displeasure with her for some reason. It was hard to tell. “They can’t know. They can’t know any of this.”

 “Why the hell not,” he growled and this time, it was pretty scary. 

 “Because… if they knew my well being was at risk? My education? My body?! Add in that a faculty member did this to us and they will either force me to come back home or guilt me into it.”

 “Your family cares that much?”

 Confused, she tilted Inuyasha’s head at him. “Yeah. Yours doesn’t?” He said nothing, going back to his window and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Yash… what happened? Did Kikyo say something to you? I heard her talking about her senior project…”

 “Did you know?” She really didn’t have a clue and shook her head to show that. “Fuck I miss my body. Then I’d know if you were lying right now.”

 Thinking it over, she took her body’s hand and placed it on Inuyasha’s body’s wrist. “Here. Ask me anything.”

 The face he wore, even though it was her face she still didn’t know what it meant. Kagome didn’t think she had ever made that face but Inuyasha still squeezed her body’s fingers around his body’s wrist to feel her pulse. “What is your senior project on?”

 “Mine? I haven’t picked anything yet. Buuut this body switch thing would definitely work for it!” 

 She giggled (sounding super weird from Inuyasha’s body) and he smiled -briefly. “Did you know there’s a way to turn a half-demon into either a full human or demon?”

 Nodding, she still wore a frown on the subject. “There are theories but no one has actually done it.”

 “Why not?”

 She sighed. “Because it’s dangerous. Half-demons are rare so it’s hard to find willing subjects.”

 “What if I was willing?” She blinked in her body’s serious face for a few seconds, listening to the heart beating in her body’s chest. “Would you try it on me?”

 Kagome had to force herself to remain still so Inuyasha could feel her pulse. When she really wanted to rip free and smack him. “Are you nuts?! Why would you want to change who you are?!”

 “You’ve been in my body for less than twenty-four hours. You have no clue what it’s like being me!”

 “That may be true but you’re perfect the way you are!”

 “Perfect?!” He spat back. “I’m the very definition of imperfect! Don’t pretend you know what it’s like to be me!”

 “Don’t I?” Inuyasha still held the wrist between them while they stared into each other’s eyes. “You pretend the loud music and crowds don’t bother you all so you can make your best friend happy! You hide your ability to hear and smell falsehoods so no one feels uncomfortable around you. And you work so hard to control yourself so that you never hurt anyone; you’re a Saint Inuyasha. Yet, there are still people like Hojo that look down on you. It makes me sick.”

 Slowly, Inuyasha let go of his body’s wrist and sat back. She did the same; eyes still glued to one another. “And people like Kikyo. She wanted to use me for her senior project and turn me into a full human.”

 She was so disgusted that she felt sick. And hot. “That stupid bitch.”

 “Careful. I’m starting to rub off on you.” Kagome still felt warm all over and it was only getting worse. “Seriously though, you need to calm down.” She was struggling, imagining Kikyo asking Inuyasha to become human over and over. “Kagome…. breath.” Hands were on her knees and she took a deep breath. “Think about something else. Tell me about your family. Everything I need to know to be you.”

 “My mother…” she said releasing the breath she took and held, “stays home and helps my grandfather with the family shrine.”

 “Wait… you live in a shrine?”

 “Inuyasha now is not the time to push me.”

 “I just… I didn’t know that about you, that’s all. Must have been… tough.”

 “People made jokes and assumptions but I got over it.” She opened her eyes for the first time in several minutes. Her body was hunched over with her hands on Inuyasha’s body’s knees. It was oddly comforting to look into her own blue eyes. “My dad passed away when I was four.”

 “I’m sorry.”

 He was sincere. Maybe he had a close family member die too because she could see it in her eyes that he was currently using. All she could give him in return was a nod of understanding. “My younger brother Souta and his wife will be there.”

 “Ooooh, younger brother that’s already married? That’s rough.”

 “What are you talking about?”

 “He’s married while you're in school?” He said with a strange look on his face. 

 “He’s where he wants to be in life and so am I.”

 “Okay, but I’ll be prepared for some sibling rivalry.”

 She shook it off and kept going. “He has a little girl, Mei. She’s only seven months though. I hope you like kids because she’ll be all over me… I mean you as soon as we get there.”

 “Great.”

 “Um… I’m not really sure what else will come up. So I don’t know how to prepare you. What should we say about us?”

 Inuyasha sat back, taking Kagome’s hands off Inuyasha’s knees. “Just say we’re dating.”

 “Oh no.”

 “Would that be a problem for them? You dating a Hanyou?”

 Inuyasha was looking out the window again while she was trying not to get angry. “It’s not that. I’ve just… never brought someone home before. I’m not sure how they’ll take it. Especially when I have to tell them later that it was all a lie or that we broke up.”

 He was silent, Kagome’s blue eyes searching her borrowed face and making her feel weird all over again. “Worry about that later. For now, saying we’re dating makes it easier. If someone says something I don’t know about you can jump in and pretend I told you. You can cover me.”

 It all made such good sense that she felt no fear or worry when they arrived. Inuyasha’s heart was pounding though. It skipped every time someone pulled him in for a hug. She was sure it was weird hugging strangers like family but it didn’t seem like something that would be terrifying. Yet that would be how she described Inuyasha’s reaction. 

 He was scared. 

 It got worse when baby Mei was handed his way. She cooed in his arms for about four seconds then suddenly reached for her. Mei was reaching out to her like normal only she looked nothing like herself. Kagome’s body sat beside her on the couch while she sat inside Inuyasha’s. 

 He didn’t fight her, letting the seven-month-old come to her; a relative stranger was now holding her niece but she was never more excited. Her tiny heart beat wildly as she stretched up on her toes and grabbed Inuyasha’s body’s ears. 

 “So,” Souta sat down next to her body and wrapped a brotherly arm around her shoulders, “are you two dating or something?”

 “Uh yeah.” “Something like that.” They said on top of each other. 

 “Good. I never liked that Koga guy. What happened to him? You kept talking him up; saying you wanted us to meet him?” 

 This was something she really should have told Inuyasha about on the train but she had hoped it wouldn’t come up. “He uh,” Souta looked to her expectantly, “he isn’t a problem anymore.”

 “Good. Thank you, Inuyasha-san.”

 Their mother called for Souta from the kitchen and he rose quickly, leaving them alone with Mei (who was pulling on an ear now). “Why aren’t you being called to the kitchen right now?”

 She focused on getting the baby to not pull so hard while Inuyasha moved her body a little close to his. “Normally, she would but I guess with you here I’m on baby duty.”

 A quick beat of silence and the elephant in the room trumpeted. “So… who’s Koga?”

 “Uh… no one.” She glanced his way, her body tilted away so Inuyasha could look at her with disbelief. “I met him last year. We dated a little. But… then I found out he was dating five other girls at the same time. He even tried to use the fact that he’s a wolf demon as an excuse; saying he was the leader of the pack and had responsibilities….”

 “That’s true actually. You’re lucky he even dated out of his pack at all.” Inuyasha added but his voice didn’t sound like he was as okay with it as he would like to be.

 “I wouldn’t say I was lucky at all.”

 “Did you… really like him?”

 There was something to Inuyasha’s tone; she wondered if she would have heard it if she was in her body. Kagome forced herself not to listen to more; his heart and breath or even smell him as she shook the sound of his… her voice out of her borrowed head. “I… did… I think. It was nice to have someone. But I refuse to be used by anyone.”

 “AH, so cheating is a deal-breaker for you? Good to know.”

 She chuckled, Mei bouncing on her wide chest as Inuyasha’s body laughed. “Isn’t everyone?”

 “You’d be surprised.”

 He didn’t say more and she didn’t press. They were called for dinner and Mei didn’t release Inuyasha’s body until her mother held out her hands for the child. She had missed her family and even though it was like she was an outsider in her own family, Kagome still didn’t feel left out. Not that she ever expected her family to make anyone feel like that, but she expected to feel something like that. Being in someone else’s body was weird in many ways and she missed her life all the more being around her family. 

 Dinner was delicious as expected and the conversation was pretty light and happy. Until…. 

 “So Inuyasha, are you and Kagome going to visit your family during the break too?” Her mother asked, looking right at her.

 “Uh…”

 “Inuyasha doesn't have any family.” Kagome’s body answered for her.

 The room got quiet as all eyes landed on her; on Inuyasha. “Really?” Souta asked and she nodded.

 They didn’t press, of course, but now she was regretting not getting to know Inuyasha before they came here like she had forced him to get to know her. Why hadn't she even asked? It was weird that he agreed to come here so easily, that he was hanging around campus during the break wasn’t it? Miroku had left as soon as break started (she wasn’t even sure Miroku knew their bodies were switched) and yet, Inuyasha was around like it was any other day. But she never asked.

 Normally, she could say it was none of her business but this time; she couldn’t get away with such an excuse, could she?

  Her mom thought it was funny; putting her in the same room as her body. Inuyasha didn’t put up the appropriate amount of fuss for Kagome to be satisfied either, glaring as her body walked around her room and explored. “You could have demanded I sleep in the guest room or something.”

 “Why? You want to keep ‘watch’ on me in your body, don’t you?”

 That was true. Although, she was starting to care less and less about that. “It sends the wrong message if you just willingly sleep in here with me!”

 “Like what?” Inuyasha turned and the smile on Kagome’s lips told her, she wasn’t going to like what he said. “That the two of us are deeply in love and have slept together so many times now that doing it at your house is no big deal?”

 Nailed that on the head. “Yeah!”

 “I’ll make a fuzz at breakfast tomorrow. Happy?” He flopped to her bed, a twin, and sat back on her hands. “You have a nice family, Kags. And a happy life.”

 She sat next to him and watched his face. “And you? What about your family? I should have asked before we came here, sorry. I hope I’m not keeping you from them…”

 “You don’t need to worry. It’s like I told your family. I have no one.” That wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the truth either, she could hear and smell it no matter how hard she tried not to. And he knew that too, clearing ‘Kagome’s’ throat and shifting on the bed. “Geez, this is worse than some rom-com with a fake dating plot.” When she eyed him curiously, he caved quickly. “My mom made me watch them with her when I was a kid. She… died. When I was eight.”

 There was no thinking, she just grabbed him; wrapping long arms around a small body was so strange but she shoved that away for now and squeezed him tight. “Kagome… can’t breathe…”

 “Oh sorry,” she loosened but didn’t let go, “I’m so sorry.”

 ‘Kagome’ rubbed ‘Inuyasha’s’ arm and tried to get her to let go. “It’s fine. Would you quit turning me into a pansy? First, it’s crying and now it’s hugging?”

 “Being weak from time to time doesn’t make you a pansy.”

 “Yeah… well… I still don’t like it…” He pushed on her a bit but she didn’t move far. Because her body was starting to emit that strange smell again. “Seriously though, how do you live like this?”

 “Live like what?”

 “This… frustrated?!”

 She fell back to look at herself and Inuyasha pointed to her body. It took her a few seconds but she understood in time. Kagome felt hot under the collar and it had nothing to do with the angry demon in her body. “Oh god.”

 ‘Kagome’ flopped back to the bed completely, laying next to her while she tried not to melt from her embarrassment. “I wish you would at least let me ‘rub one’ out or something. This is just ridiculous. Is it like this all the time?”

 “I’m NOT going to tell you that!!!”

 “I would lose my mind if I was this turned on all the time. This is more than needing to masturbate, you need to get laid!”

 Forgetting her new strength, she slapped ‘Kagome’s’ thigh hard and Inuyasha shot up in pain. “It’s not like this all the time! You’re doing something weird to my body!!”

 He was rubbing the pain out of ‘Kagome’s’ leg and growling. “It’s not my fault….” Inuyasha paused and then looked over at her. She looked anywhere else. “Or is it?”

 “Wh… what are you talking about?”

 Inuyasha made ‘Kagome’s’ face smirk and he turned into her to stare her down. “You smell that?” She shrugged, hoping to play whatever he said next off. “You think I don’t know? That’s my body you’re in; I know you smell your body getting turned on. And I know exactly what it smells like.”

 “Are you trying to tell me that every girl you’ve ever turned on smells the same?” She said with a huff, trying to change the subject to something that would make her mad so she could stop the pounding her blood was doing.

 “No. I’m saying I’ve smelt you, Kagome’s, arousal before. A few times actually.”

 Her jaw dropped and she glared over at her body’s smirking face. “You have NOT!!”

 Inuyasha chuckled with her body and Kagome’s heart started to skip around. “I don’t need my senses; I know you’re lying. There’s no point really. I’ve turned you on before a few times. Took me a while to understand. But, Kagome, you smell... Really fucking sweet when you’re horny.” 

 She was doing everything she could to not look at her body while they talked about this. It was all too weird. How could Inuyasha talk like this to his own body? She was busy having her brain in a spin and stop the blood that was moving south when air hit one of the dog ears on her head. It sent a shock wave through her body so strong, she almost slipped off the bed and to the floor.

 “Wwwwhhat the hell?!” She grabbed the ear too late, her body was already sitting back down.

 To make matters worse, Inuyasha’s penis was now pressing against the inside of his jeans in a painful manner. And Kagome thought going to the bathroom was weird now she had a boner. “You know how I always get so pissed when you blow in my ear? This is why!”

 She was pressing on the appendage and it was only getting angry inside her pants. “Wh… this happens every time someone blows in your ear?”

 “No. It happens every time  you  blow in my ear! Couple it with your fucking scent…” ‘Kagome’s’ eyes had a look to them and a color that she had never seen before. It was crazy, looking at herself turned on like this. 

 It made her wonder what ‘Inuyasha’ looked like right now?

 Standing abruptly, she pushed Inuyasha’s body to leave the room. As it was, the demon wanted to devour ‘Kagome’. “I need the bathroom.”

 “You better not jack off. If I can’t get relief, neither can you!”

 Really, that was the last thing on her mind. This body didn’t want her to find relief with her hand.

 They didn’t speak when she came back, just got into bed and turned off the lights. But laying there, so close together, with ‘Inuyasha’ still hard and ‘Kagome’s’ scent still strongly present, it was impossible to fall asleep. 

 “What if…” ‘Inuyasha’s’ voice cut through the silence and she tried to focus on the sound instead of the origin, “what if we… helped each other.”

 “What do you mean?”

 The lift to ‘Kagome’s’ voice told her, Inuyasha already knew exactly what she meant. “I mean… if we… gave each other a release then it wouldn’t be so… wrong.”

 Inuyasha rolled her body onto its side and stared at the side of his own face. “Kags, I could get this body off myself and it would be far from ‘wrong’. If you want to touch each other then just say so.”

 “That’s not it,” she said in a rush of words, “I was just thinking that if I touch you and you touch me then it would be more like masturbating, right?”

 “It would be better than masturbating.”

 “Look I… I don’t need you to do anything to me. Male ejaculation is pretty straight forward. But I know what I like and I don’t want you fumbling around for an hour…”

 He huffed. “Oh please…”

 “Quick and efficient. We get in and get out.”

 Suddenly, her body was caging her in. Inuyasha had her body looming over her with a hand on either side of her head. “Why don’t we just have sex?”

 “What? No! That would be too weird for me, seriously.”

 “Having sex with me would be too weird for you?” He said with a growl.

 She shoved him back, an easy feat with the bodies they were in. “No, it would be  weird having sex with myself!!!” Inuyasha seemed to understand and didn’t press the issue. So she turned and leaned over her body instead. “So?”

 “Oh? You want my permission? It’s your body!”

 “Okay, okay…” she took deep breaths to try and steady herself, “take your pants off and get on your… my belly.” He didn’t ask; just did as she said quickly. She made Inuyasha put her body in pants and a t-shirt to sleep when normally she wore a lot less to bed. Kagome tried to ignore the awkwardness of it all as Inuyasha panted excitedly; ‘Kagome’s’ heart pounding in her chest as Inuyasha spread her body’s legs and waited. She closed her eyes and that helped a lot. “Shhhh… someone is going to hear you!”

 He growled back at her. “It’s not my fault you’ve been holding out for as long as you have! I’m not being that loud, it’s just your hearing!!”

 She wondered how much of that was true? She could hear the sounds all through the house and no one had stirred since they started this. A few pumps like that and her body shuddered with an orgasm. Laying on her back, Kagome considered going outside on her roof. At least there, she wouldn’t have to smell her body’s juices while Inuyasha’s penis danced in irritation from lack of use. When a hand slipped into her briefs, she closed her eyes and said nothing. The rubbing felt good. Inuyasha knew what he liked too, after all. But then Inuyasha started whispering in her ear.

 “Let’s just have sex.”

 “No.”

 “Come on Kags. Think about it.”

 “I did already. No.”

 The healing hand on her shaft left and she groaned. Even more when Inuyasha had her body straddling his. “You are missing the big point here. Think about the learning experience! No one has ever had this chance to learn about someone else’s body like this!”

 “With good reason, I’m sure.”

 “Come on. It could be how we get our bodies back!”

 She cracked open an eye but regretted it; feeling a bit nauseous at the sight of herself mounting herself. “How does that work in your head?!”

 “Kaede said we needed to get to know each other. What better way to know one another than by fucking?”

 “No way she expected us to have sex! That’s messed up!!”

 “Then push me off,” Kagome told Inuyasha’s body to do it but it wouldn’t move. “You could do it with ease. But you don’t want to. You want to have sex with me.”

 “I don’t want to have sex with myself…”

 “Stop thinking about the outer appearance. I haven’t thought of you as myself since the damn train ride.” He leaned over and she couldn’t take her eyes off his blue ones. “You’re still you and I’m still me. No matter what body you’re in. And I want to fuck you, Kagome.”

 “You… you do?”

 He nodded and then sat back; pulling her shirt off her body in a shift and sexy movement. Kagome closed her eyes again though. Inuyasha might be able to get over seeing himself getting laid by himself but she couldn’t. “I love your breasts.”

 She popped her eyes open to find herself fondling herself. “Hey!”

 “Chill!” He whispered harshly, reminding her to be quiet. “I’ll be gentle”

 ‘Kagome’ was smiling wickedly so she closed her eyes again. As weird as it was, she couldn’t stop Inuyasha. She didn’t want to. But she still tried to understand and maybe talk Inuyasha out of this while he pulled the angry penis out of her briefs. “Isn’t it going to be uncomfortable for you? You’re having sex with a man!”

 “Yeah but… if I’m going to have a dick inside me, at least it’s my own.”

 “That… doesn’t really make sense.”

 “I know, I just want to have sex! How the FUCK do you stand a dry spell like this?!”

 She had nothing to say to that. Because it had been a while and she didn’t want to give any more away to him. Oh god. She was about to have sex with Inuyasha! Of all people… and it was going to be so different from the occasional fantasy she had about him. She did her best to ignore the sounds coming from her body’s mouth; still too weird for her. When Inuyasha fell next to her, Kagome felt another wave of sadness rush over her that had her sniffling and Inuyasha perched over her quickly.

 “What is it now?!”

 “I… I want to… cuddle.”

 “So? We fucking cuddle!”

 She shook her head. “It’s not the same…”

 “Would you cut that shit out? It’s still you and me. Just turn around and let me fucking hold you!”

 Kagome did as commanded, rolling over and letting herself be spooned by her smaller body all night long.

  When she woke up to her sleeping face before her, Kagome was underwhelmed by it all. Sex had been weird but nice and at least they got it out of their system. Inuyasha got up before her as she laid lazily in the bed. He had her underwear back on but not much else, still touching her breasts as he pleased. But then he froze and groaned.

 “What’s wrong?”

 He shifted his hips a little and made a face. “Okay, what the hell is up with your vag? It feels… weird.”

 She laughed. “That’s how it always feels after sex. For every woman.”

 “It’s unpleasant.”

 “It’ll pass. While men think about how to get laid; women decide whether or not sex is worth unbalancing their PH.”

 He crossed arms over her chest. “It’s not that bad. I’d screw you again in a heartbeat.”

 “Really?”

 “Fuck yes.” He shifted again and blanched. “That’s disgusting. My shit just fell out into your panties.”

 “Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious!” She said, buckling over herself.

 “What the fuck? Are you trying to get knocked up by me? Why the fuck did you come inside, you’re not on BC!”

 She contained herself enough to speak but tears were leaking out of her. “Relax. I’m not ovulating. I know my body well enough to not worry. Actually, I should be getting my period soon…”

 “No… no… no, no, no, HELL NO, no, no, no, no, NO! I’m not having a fucking period for you! I’m calling that fucker Miroku and getting this fixed goddammit!!”

 She was on the floor while Inuyasha stepped over her and picked up his phone. It rang in his hands and he sighed ruefully before answering it. Kagome scrambled to her feet to take it from him since he clearly forgot, but he simply pushed her back as he spoke into the phone. 

 Listening, unintentionally, she heard a woman’s voice on the line. “Who is this? Why are you answering Inuyasha’s phone?”

 “He’s in the bathroom right now and left next to my bed.”

 “Who is this??!!”

 “Kagome Higurashi. And I thought about what you said, Kikyo. But after last night… well frankly I like Inuyasha’s massive demon dick too much to let you change it.” He winked at her while he exploited their sex life to her classmate. She was trying to be pissed but was oddly turned on again. As was ‘Kagome’. 

 “Then let me turn him into a full demon instead! The point is, he's mine, Higurashi!”

 She took the phone from him then, yelling into the phone using Inuyasha’s voice. “Kagome loves me the way I am, bitch. Don’t call me again!” Kagome was busy blocking the number and didn’t notice she was being watched intently until she heard the hurried knocks from someone’s chest. Inuyasha was staring at her with a loopy smile on his face. She didn’t get it, passing him back his phone as soon as she finished blocking Kikyo but then she realized; she probably should have asked. “Sorry, but she pissed me off. And I feel like her suggesting you change is harassment so blocking her number feels smart. Feels right. You can unblock it if you want…”

 He looked away and to his phone, messing with it and she thought he was unblocking Kikyo until he looked up at her with a grin. “I need Miroku to fix this quick so I can fuck you hard.”

 “Huh?”

 He leaned in, somehow making her feel small even while towering over him in his body. “I’m going to make you scream when we get our bodies back, Kagome. So. Fucking. Hard.”

 She swallowed something thick down her throat and sat back on the bed. What just happened?

  Kagome was surprised at the dedication; Miroku returning in a few hours thanks to Inuyasha’s call. The look on his face told her that he didn’t know about the body swap. She also didn’t know what Miroku could do for them since she had no clue what his powers or even his major were.

 He eyed them closely while they stood in the middle of Inuyasha’s and Miroku’s dorm room. With the hall completely empty, they had the door open to keep from feeling claustrophobic. But she still felt uneasy with Miroku’s probing eyes.

 “So… you’re Inuyasha?” He asked -again- while pointing at her.

 “For the thousandth fucking time, yes!” Inuyasha growled with ‘Kagome’s’ mouth. 

 Miroku looked at him now, eyeing him up and down. “If you’re in her body… then show me your tits?”

 Inuyasha punched Miroku in the arm but she was pretty sure he wanted to punch him in the face. But her body was weaker than his so he took it easy, clasping her hand instead and threading their fingers together. Miroku took note but she didn’t pull away. She was used to it now since Inuyasha had held her hand on and off since they left her room that morning and informed her family they were leaving earlier than planned. She would visit them again when she was back in her body.

 Miroku stood near the door and shook his head. “Kaede just wanted you two to get along. Which it looks like you’re doing so I’m not sure why you’re still switched like this. Maybe you two need to have sex or something?” She felt her cheeks heat up and smelled her body next to her do the same. “Ooooohhhhh hohoho. Well then. Maybe you two are stuck like this then?”

 “That’s the best you’ve got?!” Inuyasha roared next to her.

 Miroku shrugged. “Break ends in a few more days. Kaede will fix this when she returns.” He backed away more and grabbed the door to close as he left. “I'm going to go… for a few hours… so you two can have some privacy…”

 He shut the door but Inuyasha threw a book at it anyway. In a frustrated and angry huff, he sat on his bed and she slowly followed. Putting a hand on his thigh, she tried to comfort herself when she was in need of comforting herself. “I’m sorry, Yash. I know it’s… annoying being me...”

 “Not really. I kinda like it actually.”

 “What?”

 Inuyasha pulled ‘Kagome’s’ head from the hands he had it buried in and looked her dead in the eye. “Don’t get me wrong, I miss being myself. But I’m really glad I got to be you… to get to know you.”

 He leaned in to kiss her and she tried, she really did, but she just couldn’t; putting a hand on his mouth before he could touch her lips. “I’m sorry. I just can’t. It’s too weird.”

 Grabbing her, Inuyasha had her face cupped in ‘Kagome’s’ hands. “I told you to stop thinking like that.”

 “I guess I’m not like you. It’s hard to think about kissing myself…”

 “You’re not, you’re kissing me. Kagome, I’m nothing like you. You’re kind and strong. I thought you were just like everyone else, disgusted by me and half-demons like me. That you kept your distance from me out of fear or something. But no, you’re just hard-working and I admire the hell out of that.”

 “You… you do?”

 “Yeah. It’s sexy.” She rolled her eyes and he smiled. “Everyone is jealous of you and your skills. It’s not the first time Kikyo bitched about you to me. And you’re so beautiful, I never thought I had a chance with someone like you. But in the end… I love you, Kagome.”

 “Wh…” She couldn’t breathe. The gorgeously handsome Inuyasha was telling her he was in love with her. 

 “You didn’t even notice this morning that you told Kikyo that you loved me. Did you? Or was that just to mess with her?” 

 He was pulling back, his heart bouncing in fear. She grabbed him before he got far. “I meant it. I do love you.”

 “Then kiss me.”

 Her eyes drifted close on their own and she was drawn into him and his mouth. It didn’t even feel like she was kissing herself, it felt like she was kissing Inuyasha. Or what she imagined it would feel like, his thick lips pressing against hers. When she pulled back and opened her eyes, she was met with gold. 

 “There we go.” He whispered and before she could wrap her mind around it (being back in her body) Inuyasha pulled her back to him and smothered her lips with his mouth. 

 It didn’t seem to matter that they had been deep inside one another (literally) and knew one another’s bodies better than anyone. Not to Inuyasha as he discovered her body like it was the first time. But at the same time, it was clear he knew what she liked. It was sometime later, curled in Inuyasha’s arms, that Miroku returned. “Wow, you guys are into some freaky shit.”

 “Get the fuck out!” 

 Inuyasha proved they were back to normal by hurling his clock off his bedside table at Miroku’s head. There wasn’t any discussion of the events from that weekend between the three of them after that.

#inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha fandom #kiss list #modern AU #college AU #body swap #romcom #fluffy #vday love

[ask-ace-attorney-mpreg]

Can you do 2, with NaruMitsu? Preferably Miles because I dont see much of him and the tags don't work for me- maybe twinss?

(sure thing!! Sorry it took so long!! -Mod Gaia)

“We’re going to need more diapers than that” Miles frowned and crossed his arms over his belly. “You’re really underestimating how much we’ll need”

“What are you talking about Miles? It's two bags of 32 diapers! That's enough for 32 days max provided they only go once”

“32 da- WRIGHT!!” Miles scolded “do you think babies need two diapers a day?!”

“You mean they don't?”

“Babies diapers need to be changed every 3 hours at least!!! Even more so if they happen to use them! Your father is a midwife for crying out loud how could you not know this!?”

“First of all my dad is a nurse. He just helps out when midwifery is understaffed” Phoenix corrected “secondly what makes you think he taught me any of that?”

“I don't know maybe the fact you're having a baby of your own and he might have wanted to share information? And even then you should have been reading about this? Did you even look at the books I gave you?”

“I don't read Miles I thought you knew that by now! I do when I have to for cases but not on my downtime!”

“You really are the entire circus Wright!” Edgeworth scoffed “it's going to be hard enough raising twins, but at this rate, I feel like I will be doing this on my own!”

“Wh-... Wait... Twins?”

Edgeworth huffed and squeezed his arm “yes... Twins”

Phoenix dropped the bags of diapers and pulled Miles into a hug. “Oh Miles, why didn't you tell me!?”

Miles shied away from the hug “I didn't think you cared... You've seemed so disinterested in the baby-related conversations I thought...”

“Oh Miles I'm so sorry...” Phoenix sighed “it’s not that I’ve been disinterested it’s just... I’ve been so scared I’ve emotionally shut down... I’m just so scared I’ll be an awful parent I stress procrastinated...”

“Well stress procrastinating isn’t going to help you be a good parent. Quite the opposite” miles said coldly.

“Well there is another thing... instead of reading at night I’ve been working on something else...”

“What could be so important?”

“I’ve been learning how to crochet”

“What?”

Phoenix rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out the half finished baby hat and crochet hooks.

“I’ve been working non stop to make things for our baby... mom’s been so busy lately I decided to step up... besides it’s fun...”

Miles felt tears well up in his eyes as he gently moved his hands alone the crocheted wool. Phoenix’s work was so delicate... so intricate...

“The other reason I haven’t been getting engaged in baby talk was because I knew if I did I’d ruin the surprise.” Phoenix explained “I didn’t want my hard work to go to waste but it turns out I almost ruined my relationship with you... I’m so sorry Miles...”

“Phoenix this is lovely...”

“You think so? You should see the little booties I’ve hidden away”

Miles pulled Phoenix into a hug and buried his face in his chest. “I’m sorry... thank you for doing this”

“I’m sorry too...”

The couple soon flinched as they felt the twins give big strong kicks.

“Ah!... I think these two want to say thank you too” Miles chuckled.

Phoenix bent down and put her hands on his stomach, feeling them move around. “I’m doing this all for you little guys.”

Miles blushed but beamed with pride as Phoenix admired his works in progress, only to blush further when Phoenix kissed his belly.

“Right, well 64 is no where near going to be enough. What if we grabbed two boxes of 104?”

“I think we might need four boxes” miles chuckled

“Miles, that’s almost 100 dollars worth of diapers”

“I will spare no expense to ensure my babies are well cared for”

“Our babies Miles”

#mpreg #ace attorney #ace attorney mpreg #mitsunaru #miles edgeworth #phoenix wright #mod Gaia

[youngbounty]

Why Miles Edgeworth is my Favorite Rival Character

I consider Miles Edgeworth my favorite rival character I’ve seen thus far. Not to say there aren’t better rival characters in media or anime, but I’d say that he certainly stands out among them and perhaps would be considered a top 5 favorite. Though, what makes him stand out as a rival is something that I feel is a huge improvement from the usual rival character trope. To explain this, I will contrast what makes a rival character different from an enemy.

The biggest mistake done, in most animes especially, is making the rival character the enemy or villain. The only thing that rivals should have in common with enemies or villains are that their beliefs or opinions oppose the ones the protagonist or the character the rival opposes. It’s common knowledge that a rival will believe strongly in something that the protagonist strongly opposes. In Yu-Gi-Oh, the rival Seto Kaiba strongly believes that strength will achieve victory, while Yugi/Yami believes that a combination of skills their friends share will achieve victory. In Danganronpa, Byakuya Togami believes that everyone should play the killing game with the rules Monokuma set out as a means of survival, whereas Makoto Naegi believes that no one should participate or kill each other at all. In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta believes in fighting in order to achieve victory, whereas Goku believes in fighting for fun and to protect his loved ones. These rivals have strongly opposing beliefs, much like enemies and villains, except that these views do not make these rivals horrible people. Many times, rivals can be a strong and reliable ally, because of their opposing views, unlike with enemies whose views are meant for nothing more than to create chaos and destruction.

The biggest problem I have with rival characters in general is that they’re often placed as jerks or bullies. I’ve found that rivals are more often vilified than they should. They’re often considered arrogant, selfish, smug and unlikable people. Byakuya Togami comes out as the kind of person that doesn’t care for the life of others or framing someone for murder for just simply annoying him. The other rivals in the Danganronpa sequels follow this trend of being unlikable, but I’ll give Spike Chunsoft credit for making them more original than the rival architype – even though one is a sociopath and the other seems to have some sort of Antisocial Disorder. Seto Kaiba also comes out as an unlikable person and is much more unlikable in the manga, if you can believe it. This guy traumatizes his brother in the manga to the point he’d make Manfred Von Karma look sane by comparison and I wish I was exaggerating. Don’t get me wrong, I love Seto Kaiba, but I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t the most unlikable person in existence. He also was a villain at first, which goes with the rival architype. Even though he did change throughout the manga and anime, the amount of cares he has for other people’s lives and taking responsibility for his actions that caused so many people harm is enough to make any politician blush. Don’t get me started on Vegeta, but at least he was willing to take responsibility for his actions in the Majin Buu Arc. Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about Vegeta after that Arch or have watched Dragon Ball Super, but anything in Dragon Ball Z, you can already guess on your own.

What makes Miles Edgeworth stand out is that, despite his opposing views, he’s not a horrible or unlikable person. Now, he was setup to be unlikable during Turnabout Sisters, but then afterwards, he starts showing himself to being a very good, selfless and likable person. Miles Edgeworth is the kind of person that will give you the coat off his back, help an elderly lady cross the street or sit by you at the lunch table when there’s no one sitting with you. Even though Miles Edgeworth is dressed and can act smug at times, he constantly cares about other people’s feelings. He’d be willing to take the blame for something someone else did, because he will find some reason to feel responsible for something he didn’t do. Miles Edgeworth is the kind of person you’d want as your best friend.

Miles Edgeworth’s views still oppose to Phoenix Wright, the main character, because he believes that trust should be earned and logic will always find the truth. Phoenix Wright, on the other hand, believes that trust shouldn’t have to be earned, but accepted until evidence proves their guilt, and magic can be another way of finding the truth. These are very opposing views, but they do not make either Phoenix or Miles horrible or unlikable people. They’re human and humans will always hold opposing views that clash. Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth consider themselves friends and rivals because, while they hold strongly opposing views, they are also willing to talk or debate those views without thinking negatively about each other. Despite how much they oppose each other, they continually admire each other, because no matter how strongly they oppose each other, they still share the same goal in wanting to find the truth and deliver justice to the culprit.

It isn’t just Miles Edgeworth, the other rivals in the Ace Attorney games are also genuinely kind people that simply have opposing views or beliefs. Ironically, the characters that are considered unlikable or horrible people in Ace Attorney are the ones that are villains and those villains are the ones that try to force their own views into the judicial system or country. It’s like Ace Attorney is saying “your opposing views are not what make you horrible, but your actions from your viewpoints.” Even as the protagonist, you are never given any special treatment. If your friend betrayed and hurt you, it does not justify your actions in painting every prosecutor with a broad brush and the moment you present falsified evidence, even if you didn’t know it was false evidence, you will be the one to be judged the same way you judge everyone else. The only actions that cross the line to villainy is murder and betrayal. They’re actions that anyone with common sense will tell you and everyone universally will agree is wrong. Even actions such as breaking the law or falsifying evidence are questioned if those actions make someone a bad person. Are people like Lana Skye, the Yatagaratsu, Ron DeLite or Godot considered bad people, because one falsified evidence, two are thieves and the last killed someone?

It might seem I’m going on a rabbit trail, but the main point of this is that someone like Miles Edgeworth stands out as a rival, because he teaches us something that is hardly ever tackled in other media. Having an opposing opinion or belief does not make you a bad person. Miles Edgeworth holds strong opposing views that people these days would consider to be hateful and therefore a bad person, but he isn’t. He’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet and that’s a fact too many people find hard to swallow. Miles Edgeworth may be the kind of person that can’t trust everyone and wouldn’t be afraid to expose someone’s childhood trauma, but he is also the kind of person to take responsibility for his own actions. He doesn’t allow his trauma to justify his corrupt decisions he’s lived by for the past 15 years and five years of his career. The fact his PTSD is never brought up farther proves that Miles Edgeworth is not the kind of person to play victim or allow it to justify the number of innocents he’s placed behind bars or led to be executed. Not even being brainwashed under his corrupt mentor that murdered his father is ever used to justify his actions.

Miles Edgeworth teaches us how to be responsible individuals. If you’ve done something wrong, take responsibility and never use your tragedy or disability as an excuse. Apologizing is a good start, but you should strive to become a better person than you  once were. Never label someone as a bad person for having a different opinion than you. That person may become your best friend you strive to become one day. If there is someone that is treating you horribly, be an example of what they should be. Fight anger with love. If there is someone in trouble or danger, protect them, but never stoop to the same level as your adversary. If someone brings up something horrible you did in the past, never allow that to define you. Only you can decide what you will do in your life and people watch you, so make sure every action you make and words you say reflect the person you strive to be.

So many rival characters are very beloved by a majority of the fandom, but only a few are the kind of people everyone should strive to be. I consider Miles Edgeworth a rival that everyone should strive to be. The fact he is a beloved character in the Ace Attorney fandom makes me happy, because he is a character everyone should strive to be. I can’t say the same for Seto Kaiba, Byakuya Togami and especially Vegeta. All of them are horrible people that do horrible things and are treated as such. Having a rival that isn’t a horrible person, even treated as such, is a breath of fresh air. Now, I do consider Green, not Gary, from Pokémon another rival that only has opposing views and isn’t a horrible person, but most people often look to Gary when they think of Green and the mangas aren’t as popular as the anime. I’d like to see more rivals that aren’t horrible people with that “I am greater than thou” attitude.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about Seto Kaiba, Byakuya Togami or Vegeta. I do like their characters, but I also know they’re written as horrible people nobody likes. Vegeta was written as an alien that tried to destroy Earth and is now forced to live in it, because his planet was destroyed. Seto Kaiba isn’t written to be a good person either, unless being obsessed with revenge and taking it out on the protagonist, who had nothing to do with it, is considered a likable trait. Now, Byakuya Togami does strive to become a better person later on, but that’s mostly because he’s trying to survive an apocalyptic world and he often changes his strategy depending on the situation. If there’s one person that wants to kill everyone, he will trust no one but himself. If he sees that no one wants to murder anyone, he will lead them to victory. Unlike Seto Kaiba and Vegeta, Byakuya Togami was written to be a likable or unlikable person depending on where you stand with him. Spike Chunsoft did a really good job with his character and I like how, if you were to spend all your friendship links with him, you can go from being his antagonistic rival to being the best man he’ll hire as his secretary as a way to rebuild his company. So, don’t mistaken me using them as examples of the rival architype as my way of trashing their characters, because they are some of the best written characters and I consider Vegeta and Seto Kaiba legendary.

The point of this is to demonstrate what makes Miles Edgeworth one of the best rival characters. As characters, the rival architypes can be used very cleverly, but my issue is that they’re considered rivals that are vilified. In real life, not every person you fight or debate with are your enemies. Most of the time, your enemies are the kinds of people you don’t want to or should fight with. They’re the kinds you want to avoid approaching or else someone will get hurt. Rivals are those you want to fight with in order to become a stronger or better person. Byakuya Togami is debatable, but I’d never want Seto Kaiba or Vegeta to be my rivals or someone I’d want to fight with in a million years. They’d just make me a bitter person, because all they want to do is win against the one person they can’t defeat and seem to become better people once the person they are obsessed in defeating dies. I’m not kidding either. Vegeta and Seto Kaiba literally start becoming better and more responsible people once Goku and Yami bite the dust. How is someone a good rival when they only get better and stronger once their opponent dies exactly?

The idea of a rival is for them to be an opposition to the protagonist that makes the both of them better and stronger people. Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright help each other become better and stronger people through their oppositions. They only become weaker once they are apart from each other. This is the kind of relationship rivals should be. They’re the kind of people that will drag you out of bed after being beaten by a gang of thugs just so you both can beat them up together or send you to hell and back for giving up. That’s the kind of relationship Phoenix and Miles have. They’re not afraid to bite each other or show tough love when needed. They’re not the kind of people that bring toxicity and no one should ever consider anybody that’s obsessed with fighting or defeating them as rivals. Those people are toxic and should never be associated with. Luckily, Yu-Gi-Oh does create nontoxic rivals (like Jack Atlas, who isn’t toxic, tries to become a better person, helps Yusei become a better person and is actually a good person and not a selfish ass) and Vegeta does get his act together after the Majin Buu Arc, though I don’t know about Dragon Ball GT or Super. As for Byakuya Togami, he goes from being a rival to being Makoto’s boss and Makoto being Togami’s doormat, so I consider that an improvement overall.

You don’t have to agree with these, but I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

#ace attorney #miles edgeworth #aa rival #aa prosecutor #favorite rival character #aa favorite

[softliebgott]

HONEY DRIPPING OVER SUGARED TONGUES

PROMPT: You are a nurse at a regimental aid station in an abandoned cathedral some miles from the forest outside Bastogne, Belgium. You frequently interact with E Company’s medic, Eugene Roe, and have developed a strong bond with him. He has seen so much pain and death among his friends. It has only made him more kind, a little more haunted, and a little needy for affection.

TAGS + MASTERLIST: If you would like to be tagged in future requests, go here and add your username below! Link to the masterlist is here.

@general-taylor @mgdln97 @gottapenny @endorians @morgan108 @thegermansarebad @teenmagazines @snafus-peckuh @wexhappyxfew @scarecrowmax @ineffablewants @junojelli @inglourious-imagines @sunflowerchuck @adamantiumdragonfly @luz-lovebot @alienoresimagines @fandomscenariosforyou @ray--person @noneofurbusinez @tvserie-s-world @keoghans @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @mrseasycompany @vintagelavenderskies @mrsalwayswrite @meteora-fc @easy-company-tradition @order-of-river-phoenix

The muffled, drum beats of bombs outside of the cathedral walls kindled your anxiety like a sparkler. At first, your anxiety was a torturous, slow burn, but as the bombing dissipated, so did your worries. Momentarily. The cathedral could be hit at any time, and the last thing you and your patients would hear would be the shrill cry of a bomb.

You dipped your tweezers into the bloody rabbit hole the bullet had made for itself in your new patient’s shoulder. His face, cobweb white, had fresh tear trails slicing through the dirt on his skin, and his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.

The bullet had missed the subclavian artery, and with low medical supplies, the soldier requested the morphine be saved for someone who needed it more. As you pinched the tweezers on the bullet, he pursed his lips. 

“I need you to stay still,” you murmured. When you had first started treating soldiers, their agonized sounds and gnarled faces were often sprinkled into your dreams. There was one scream that held a tonality nature did not compare with any other that had been cemented into your brain. You had no idea a human could produce such an outlandish noise. It partially reminded you of a fox’s wail. Although it had happened two years prior, you could still remember it as the most prominent moment.

As you pulled out the bullet, your patient’s Adam’s apple stood out like an arrowhead buried in his throat, and he tried to stifle pained noises. Once the bullet was out, he sighed in relief and closed his eyes.

The bullet looked as if it had been dipped in red punch. You dropped it into a tin bowl, and then started to clean the wound. From the steady rise and fall of the soldier’s chest, you figured he had taken sleep’s hand. Good. He needed rest.

After you had stitched and patched the wound, you craved fresh air. Stepping outside, winter breathed on you, leaching your body heat as if to try to keep itself warm. Surrounding you was a white canvas smeared with smoke and congested with debris and rubble from demolished buildings. You settled down on a chair, nuzzling your face into the collar of your wool coat, and listened to the crackling of lone fires.

A small burst of color in the glum sight, a red cross embroidered on an armband, caught your eye. He had seen you first, your Eugene Roe, a man whose price of a tender heart was feeling the war’s pain. The cold had paled his skin like that of a corpse, and reddened his nose and ears. His expression, as soft and warm as the sunlight’s morning rays, swept away your anxieties and ignited a fever in your heart. Each beat fanned out the heat in your chest. You were always so happy to see him. He made the war a little more bearable.

He picked up a chair, set it next to you, and sat down, his arm touching yours. The wooden seat creaked in surprise against his weight. He removed his helmet and put it on the ground. His black hair reminded you of a cat you saw some days ago, and you noticed that stubble had started to grow along his jawline.

You felt in your pocket and remembered the chocolate ration. Hunger had evaded you most of the day, but the thought of a sweet treat beckoned it back. You pulled the ration out. “Hungry?” You asked Eugene.

He glanced to it. “Sure,” he said, his Louisiana Cajun accent heavy yet boyish. Tired.

You began to tear at the wrapper, your fingers trembling from the cold and the sudden onslaught of hunger.

He noticed this. “Your hands...are you not eating again?”

“It’s hard sometimes...” you said softly. “I want to do as much as I can for the wounded.” Which not only meant scarce moments to eat, but to sleep. Exhaustion weighed your limbs down like wet rags and tempted your eyes to close. You broke off half of the chocolate and offered it to Eugene.

“No, you take it. You need it more.”

You bit down on the candy, hardened by the cold, grateful to have something in your stomach. 

“How much sleep have you gotten?” Eugene asked.

“The past two days...a little over four hours.”

His eyebrows squished together, concerned. “Why don’t you take some time to sleep now?” He murmured, gently bumping your arm with his. “You need it just as much as they do. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Your body was already in agreement, growing heavier and more drowsy. You leaned against Eugene, resting your head on his shoulder, and lazily nibbled on your chocolate. He tangled his fingers with yours and squeezed. Both of you were unfazed by each other’s cold touch, because your hearts were warm. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Gene...” 

He was too shy to say it aloud, always so fearful of your response, but he thought, I may never find the words beautiful enough to describe all that you mean to me, but I will spend the rest of the war finding them...and finding the courage to tell you.

You were ripped from your sleep by the frantic calls of a soldier from a truck. “Nurse! Nurse, we need your help!”

You unraveled your fingers from Eugene’s, your hand immediately missing his warmth, and jogged toward the truck. Adrenaline gave new life to you, an energy you hadn’t felt for days. 

As you talked with the soldier, Eugene had gathered his helmet and walked over. 

You moved to the back of a truck where a man lay, still alive, with his torso riddled with bullet holes.

Eugene leaned to you and said, “I’ll see you when I can.”

Anxiety made its dreaded return. You grasped his arm, blood caking your hand like caramel over an apple. “Be safe,” you told him.

He nodded, his smile as soft as rose petals. He glanced to the wounded man and then left, your bloody hand print still grabbing his sleeve. 

Some days passed, all without the presence of Eugene. Your anxiety turned cruel, parasitic. It force fed you thoughts that made you tremble as if on low blood sugar, and your nose and eyes sting with the threat of tears. The anxiety robbed you of any potential sliver of an appetite, and ruthlessly burdened your bones with exhaustion. How terrible was it to love something that death could touch.

But.

Your friend, another nurse, approached you and said a medic was waiting for you in a room isolated from the patients.

Heart drumming, you hurried to the area, wiping your hands dry on your uniform. When you rounded the corner, Eugene was there, holding his helmet against his abdomen. Something felt different. His face looked more hardened, but as always his eyes were as soft as melted chocolate. Had he unintentionally welcomed more ghosts into his mind? Ghosts of comrades, and even the enemy? New memories to lash out at him in quiet moments and in sleep?

Yes, it was true. But it didn’t strip him of his softness. In fact, it had only made him more kind, and determined. In those few days, it made him come to reason with death and tragedy. It could happen at any time, and that he should not wait to say what he wanted to those he loved. Otherwise, he would lose them before he could.

He set down his helmet on the ground and approached you.

Befuddled, you whispered, “Gene...?”

Before you could begin to process, his cold hands were on either side of your face. His mouth swooped down to catch yours, and everything went oddly quiet, like the moment of silence between lightning and thunder. It stole your breath and gave it back. It let you know that every other kiss you’ve had in your life had been wrong, and that your anxiety was indeed love for him, too.

#eugene roe #eugene roe x reader #doc roe #band of brothers #easy company #hbo war #shane taylor #band of brothers fanfiction #eugene roe imagine #doc roe imagine #band of brothers imagine #bob imagine #shane taylor imagine #shane taylor x reader

[outside-the-mailstrom]

GENERAL BACKGROUND

I've always been a fan of Marvel comics (or, Marvel Comics' properties, at least) I've fragmentary early memories of Batman The Animated Series, and some associated Batman and Superman comics (aimed at younger readers, in a 'Timmverse' style of the TV shows then airing - gorgeous, simple, iconic Art Deco inspired designs), but for the most part my early conception of superheroes came from what was called "Marvel Hour", a Saturday morning television timeslot ft. back-to-back episodes of cartoons from between the 60s and 90s, starring basically the big names you'd expect. I was quite wee, and don't rightly remember who did and didn't have their own show; obviously the big titles are easy enough for you to guess but I also feel (nebulously) that Iron Man, Hulk, Daredevil, and even the Silver Surfer had their own programs; the line-up jostled, there wasn't an Avengers or Defenders team-up show as there would be these days. There was always Spiderman, of course, and there were generally The X-Men.

X-Men The Animated Series, which was written and produced around the same era as Batman The Animated Series, does not (it has been noted) hold up near so well as its famed compatriot; it has its charms, and is a fascinating window into history, but it's not... strong on revisits. It's a little hard to say how much all this galvanized my interest in the subject matter, and how much it merely looks like it as an artefact of looking back through years of other things layering up (notably the early 00's onward movies, the X-Men Evolution tie-in cartoon [of which I was still, as a viewer, at quite a formative young age], a steadily developing interest in the concept of transition and transformation in all things, and ways that my own self-reinforcing creative projects drew from my standing experience of X-Men as a source material in ways that deepened my interest in, and sympathy for, it as a set of signifiers). Substantial engagement with actual X-Comics, however, comes later; primarily as a fan of the podcast Jay & Miles X-Plane The X-Men (which is pretty much as it sounds; a two-hander deep-dive through X-History & continuity, which settles early in its own run into a charisma and humour driven analytical recap of the major story arcs of the history of the franchise, starting at the Bronze Age [70s onward] and working forward practically issue by issue), aboard which bandwagon I found myself early in its days as a snowballing project (less than a dozen episodes as I recall? Certainly some time before it began to resemble a leading voice in intersectional leftist queer focal fandom, although it was always stridently those things, as well as advocating for a pro-soap opera, pro-minor characters, pro-Cyclops revision to popular understanding of what makes X-Men great).

Of course, if you sit two X-Fans down to talk comics for an hour a week for any length of time, really, under no x-ternal supervision or hard guideline parameters for what subjects are, and are not, on topic (amongst many other things more broad ranging and personal) they're going to get to discussing contemporary releases as well as ancient history. So, at the same time as learning, by glitzy guided tour, the history of The Hellfire Club, how the Phoenix Force actually works, why Scott Summers is autistic and Kitty Pryde is queer, I also got the nod-here-reference-there back ally tour of the contemporary X-Line, as it was shaping up; the early days of the Brian Michael Bendis run, the stuff that came out of Schism and Battle Of The Atom.

Consequently this particular period has always seemed, to me, beguiling.

I spent a period intrigued by it (not least because it’s intriguing, and this is a creative, perhaps even visionary author with strong, distinctive, and original ideas for stories that could be done with this premise and set of characters, and [by the accounts that I was receiving] was executing said ideas, if not flawlessly, at least with panaché). The podcast soon became somewhat of a bonding point between myself and my sister, who (being close in age to me) has always been very immediate in my life, but in such a way as can mean a lot of treading on one another's toes (less risk of that now). Like me she was a long time X-Fan, like me mostly from growing up on related media and finding them abstractly cool (we both had tween crushes on Evolution Nightcrawler - I remember printing out pictures of him from the school library, she now has a tattoo). My sister's completionist tendencies led her to track alongside the podcast, reading originally trade paperbacks and eventually Marvel Unlimited (with a cursory reading of revisionist takes on the Silver Age [60s] - X-Men Season One by Dennis Hopeless and Jamie Mckelvie, then hard-in with the real Bronze Age [70s onward], starting at All New Giant Size X-Men #1, and just working forward). I don't know quite where she's up to now.

I gave this a go, I certainly appreciated things about it, but in general it didn't grab me as my starting point - and while there are many other jumping on points between 1975 and 2013 (already three years in the rear-view by the time I decided to get around to this) the more-or-less present day just seemed the more-or-less obvious point to jump on, so I jumped.

Actually I read the first volume of G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel, up to the 2015/2016 Secret Wars event, then I backed up and read Bendis' entire runs on Uncanny and All New X-Men (which notably, themselves, conclude at the start of Secret Wars), I also read, to my knowledge, all accompanying X-Titles coming out concurrently with the Bendis run, comprising what I'll generally refer to as the wider Bendis Era; Storm by Greg Pak, Cyclops by Greg Rucka, Magneto by Cullen Bunn, X-Force by Si Spurrier (all of which were really quite good, to my mind), and All New X-Factor by Peter David (which wasn't really for me - by which I seem to imply that it's probably for someone... in practice I think perhaps it is simply not really that good). I then read all of the X-Related crossover material that tied in to the aforementioned Secret Wars event (as well as a few non-X-related Secret Wars titles on general recommendation from Jay & Miles' Patreon stretch-goal video reviews of contemporary [primarily X] comic publications). My general process was to read an issue or two at a time then cross-reference with video reviews, as a lot of my engagement with media involves parsing it through the lens of critical voices who represent known quantities relative to my tastes (although it would be erroneous to suggest that by this point I'm not in some way attached to somewhat of a cult of personality around the public personas of the hosts, albeit what seems quite a calm and good natured one).

After finishing the Secret Wars titles I faced a relaunch of the line, and, eager as I was to find out what this experience (and the itemized content within) was like, I'd been a diehard Bendis fan through the process so far and wanted to let my recent reading mellow somewhat; to ruminate, and take a beat to work on other projects - breathe, mourn, let my first formative era of fandom settle before steam-rolling on with a new age.

It’s been… a few years, and while I really do have plenty else I ought be on with I've decided to throw myself back in and read some damn X-Men.

As follows are broadly my thoughts on what I will, somewhat snarkily be calling the 'Ordinary Era' (that is, post Secret Wars, through to the end of Jeff Lemire's Extraordinary X-Men, concluding with the Inhumans vs X-Men event), and beyond.

#X-Men #2016 X-Men #2016 comics #2016 #Comics #Extraordinary X-Men #Extraordinary Era #All New Era #Ordinary Era #Jeff Lemire #Post Secret Wars #Secret Wars #Reviews #Comics Reviews #Jay & Miles X-Plain The X-Men #Jay & Miles Review The X-Men #Jay & Miles #Marvel #Marvel Comics #Marvel Hour #X-Men The Animated Series #X-Men Evolution #Brian Michael Bendis #Bendis Run #General Background #My writing

[pocket-luv101]

Across Time || Chapter 23

Fandom: Servamp Ships: KuroMahi (main), LawLicht (side) Characters: Kuro, Mahiru, Hyde, Licht

Summary: Mahiru falls into a well and is taken to a new, fantasy world. He comes across a half-blooded cat demon trapped in a tree. After he frees Kuro, he helps him collect the shards of the sacred jewel. (KuroMahi, InuYasha AU)

Ch.1 || Ch.2 || Ch.3 || Ch.4 || Ch.5 || Ch.6 || Ch.7 || Ch.8 || Ch.9 || Ch.10 || Ch.11 || Ch.12 || Ch.13 || Ch.14 || Ch.15 || Ch.16 || Ch.17 || Ch.18 || Ch.19 || Ch.20 || Ch.21 || Ch.22 || (Ch.23) ||

“It was great to see you again, Uncle Toru. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to come back as often as I said I would. There were a lot more complication than I thought there would be. I have so much to tell you.” Mahiru sat with his uncle at the table with a cup of tea. He didn’t want to leave without speaking with him briefly. His uncle would likely be confused if he woke up to find his cupboard of instant ramen emptied. “Two people have joined us to help collect the jewel shards. They’re good people even if they’re unconventional.”

Mahiru told him about the demons they fought. He tried to keep the more dangerous battles vague so his uncle wouldn’t be overwhelmed and worry about him. “You said there was a version of me in the past. Are you able to speak with your mother too? She died when you were young. It must’ve been difficult for you to get closure since you weren’t able to say goodbye then. You must’ve had a lot of questions for her.”

“Mother has already passed away in that era. Even if she was alive, I wouldn’t be able to ask her the questions I had when I was a kid. Your appearances may be the same but you’re different people.” Mahiru tried to keep his disappointment from showing but he wore a tiny frown. When he saw the concern in his uncle’s eyes, he quickly added: “It’s doesn’t bother me. I’m an adult now.”

“You might think I’m being unreasonable. I know you’re strong and all grown up. I can’t help but worry about you running into fights with demons though.” He had adopted him after his mother’s death and raised him as if he was his own son. Toru took out a photo from his wallet and held it out to Mahiru. “I promised your mother I would take care of you.”

“You don’t have to worry, Uncle. I have Kuro with me and we’ve made a lot of friends on our journey. You’re there to help me in the edo period as well. I’d like to think I inherited my archery skills from you. One of these days, I need to show you how well I can shoot now.” Mahiru reassured him. He looked down at the photo of his mother holding a young toddler.

“It sounds like you’ve gotten a lot closer to Kuro.” Toru glanced to where Kuro was sitting on the couch and glaring at the roomba. His behaviour was like a cat and the sight caused Mahiru to chuckle softly. “I hope he’s more intimidating to other demons than he is with our roomba.”

“He saved me more times than I can count. Kuro is a pacifist but he’ll fight to defend the people he cares for. It’s a trait that I admire.” Mahiru took a sip of his tea. Kuro offered to wait in the living room so he could have time alone with his uncle. He was being considerate and his kindness made Mahiru smile. “We’ve started dating but we haven’t had a chance to go out on a proper date. Maybe after this is over.”

“What are you planning to do once you’ve completed your task?” He asked but Mahiru couldn’t answer him because he didn’t have an answer. Kuro had become important to him and Mahiru couldn’t simply go back to his old life without him. Then again, it would be complicated to go back and forth between their two eras. He hadn’t been able to give it much thought since he had to worry about other things.

“Well, it would be nice to take Kuro a movie theater. I want to see what kind of reaction he would have to it.” Mahiru looked down at the photo and thought over his uncle’s words. His eyes widened when he noticed a small detail in the picture. “This necklace! It’s the same as the one in Misono’s vision and the secret to defeating him. Uncle, do you know what this necklace is?”

His outburst caught Kuro’s attention and he walked into the kitchen. They were both a little confused when Toru fell silent. A furrow formed between his uncle’s brows when Mahiru pointed to the necklace. “That red pendent? But that’s…”

“Misono said that it could be the key to defeating the spider demon. I don’t know if it’s the same one but they’re remarkably similar. I was going to ask the Toru of the past about it but this might be it. Do you still have the necklace, Uncle?” Mahiru asked. He didn’t know why his father would be secretive about the necklace. “It might not be the same but I want to check.”

Toru let out a heavy sigh and walked to the living room. They followed him to the memorial they had built for his mother. He opened a drawer and pulled out the necklace. “Your father gave your mother this necklace. He said that it was a family heirloom. She never wore it when they dated but, after you were born, she wore it every day.”

“It’s beautiful.” Mahiru took the necklace into his palm. “The pendent is shaped like an arrowhead but it looks fragile. What is it made of?”

“I always thought that it was simple silver and gold like most jewellery.” He answered. Kuro leaned over Mahiru’s shoulder to study the pendent. He didn’t find anything strange or unique about it. He wasn’t the most knowledgeable about artifacts and sacred items. Hopefully, someone will recognize it when they take it back to the past with them.

“This belonged to my father before he gave it to Mom?” He stared into the red pendent. Mahiru rarely thought of his father but there were still questions he had. He met his uncle in the past and he knew his mother also lived in that time. Could he meet his father as well?

“This is a phoenix amber.” Licht told them when they returned and showed him the necklace. He held it up to the sun and the translucent stone refracted the rays. “There are small nicks on the stone so someone shaped it into a triangle rather than forming naturally. Phoenix amber holds magical properties but we rarely use it in weapons. Mahiru, can I see that arrow you made with the tree?”

Mahiru didn’t know what he intended to do but he passed him the arrow. He broke off the stone arrowhead and then tied the pendent to the tip. “I don’t know as much about making weapons as my friend but he told me a lot about sacred stones. Shot a demon with this phoenix amber and they’ll be consumed by flames.”

“The Thousand Years Old Tree can manipulate time. What will happen if those two abilities are combined?” Mahiru asked as he took the arrow back from him. He rolled the wooden shaft between his fingers. “This can be the weapon that Misono told us about but I don’t know. In the memory, she simply wore it as a necklace. Should we go back to the inn to speak with Misono about it?”

“I think it’s best if we avoid Touma and people connected to him until we’re strong enough to fight him. That means we can’t kick every demon we pass, Angel Cakes.” Hyde said pointedly to the demon slayer. For his comment, Licht shoved him off Kirara’s back and lightly nudged it forward. “Hey, don’t leave me behind!”

“I don’t know why Kirara let you ride her.” Licht glared at him. He had to question why he let the demon sit behind him. He told himself that the journey would be more difficult if Hyde had to walk. Kirira turned around and licked Hyde’s hair. He was surprised by how attached his pet had become to the oni since he had trained it to fight demons.

“Can we go a mile without you two fighting? We won’t buy snacks at the next stop if you two don’t behave.” Mahiru warned them and waved the arrow at them. He replaced the sacred arrow into his quiver and tucked it into a hidden pocket. He knew he had to use the arrow sparingly. “I sense a shard ahead of us. What’s in that direction, Kuro?”

He glanced over his shoulder to Kuro who had a map. Instead of reading the map, Kuro sniffed the air. “I smell salt water. We’re approaching the sea. I hope a sea demon doesn’t have the jewel since none of us can fight well in the water. Hyde, you said that there was an island we should visit. Is it nearby?”

“It’s close to the coast so we’ll be able to get a jewel shard and the ability to break a barrier at the same time. Our luck might be improving finally.” Hyde told them as he climbed back onto Kirara. “Misono said Touma has a barrier around his castle. I don’t know how much we can trust that mirror demon but Touma is the type of spider who keeps himself hidden behind a barrier while other does his work. During my travels, I heard of an island of bat demons who can create barriers.”

“They’re the guardians of a remote island. My family visited their nest once but we decided not to kill them. The bats are peaceful and they stay on their land.” Licht recalled. “They have the ability to create and manipulate barriers but I doubt they’ll teach us how to break them. None of us has the same powers as a bat demon.”

“The tessaiga does.” Hyde words confused Mahiru and Licht.

On the other hand, Kuro lowered his foot to the ground and forced the bike to a stop. “No.”

Tension thickened the air around them as Mahiru looked between the brothers. He didn’t know why Hyde’s suggestion was upsetting to Kuro. It was rare that Kuro became angry or argued with others. The brothers were mending the past rift between them and Mahiru didn’t want them to fight again. Kuro rarely used the sword after he used it to stop his father.

Mahiru tried to reason with Hyde. “I know the tessaiga is strong but it’s made from a nekomata’s fang. How can it use a technique only bat demons know?”

“The tessaiga has the ability to absorb its wielder power to become stronger. You have seen it, Mahiru. Kuro can use shadow and ash with the tessaiga but Tsubaki turns the blade red with blood. For me, the tesssaiga becomes gold and it can create spikes.” Hyde explained.

“So, the tessaiga will gain the ability to control barriers if a demon bat holds it. I don’t think we should give the sword to a stranger though. Kuro’s mother made it.” Mahiru understood why Kuro wouldn’t agree with Hyde’s plan. He stayed silent behind him and Mahiru placed a comforting hand on his back. He could feel how stiff he was beneath his palm.

“I wasn’t suggesting that.” Hyde corrected him. “As you know, the tessaiga will always revert back to a dull blade once we stop fighting. Our father found a way to permanently use a demon’s unique power. Tessaiga’s wielder must kill a demon and let the blade absorb their blood. I don’t like the thought of killing someone either but we’ll be able to save more lives by defeating Touma.”

“No.” Kuro repeated firmly. Before he met Mahiru, he never thought he would use the sword again and sealed it away. Then Mahiru showed him that he could use the power to protect others. He decided to only use the tessaiga for the sake of those he loved. The guilt and pain of killing his father still affected him and he never want to experience it again.

Silence fell between the brothers but Licht could see that Hyde wanted to say something else. He bit his tongue out of respect for his brother. He didn’t know if they had the time to search for another way to destroy the barrier. Each day Touma’s web grew and they would be caught soon. He looked down at the wind tunnel he was cursed with. He didn’t want something similar to happen to his family.

“Let’s focus on finding the jewel shards for now.” Mahiru broke the silence. He understood Hyde’s urgency to stop Touma but it wasn’t right to pressure Kuro to relive something painful. “We’ll deal with Touma’s shield later. There must be another way past it rather than brute force. Between a priest, a monk and a demon slayer, we have a lot of knowledge about barriers.”

Their attention was drawn away when they heard a group of people ahead of them. Mahiru stepped off his bike and walked it towards the noise. A parade of people was walking across the beach with a palanquin. He could see a faint glow through the curtain, a shard. The people appeared to be human and he hoped they wouldn’t have to fight anyone.

He overheard a few of the villagers nearby. “Do you think the child sacrifice will appease the sea demon? The storms have been worsening every night. At least this is our chance to be rid of that demon child.”

After he heard those words, Mahiru dropped his bike and ran down the hill to the beach. The person in the palanquin was most likely the child they said would be sacrificed. He couldn’t let the child be taken. He thought he could stop the villagers by offering to fight the demon for them. “Please stop! You can’t sacrifice a child.”

“What? Who are you?” The man leading the group paused at the sound of Mahiru’s voice. They stopped long enough for him to stand in front of them and block their path. A few of the men gave him a glare while others stared at him in confusion. Mahiru stood with his back straight and he ignored their distrust. “Get out of the way.”

“I heard you were planning to give a child to the sea demon but that’s barbaric! It’s wrong to abandon a child, let alone sacrifice them! You’re all adults so you should be protecting vulnerable children.” Mahiru knew that the feudal era was much different from his time and they had their own beliefs and traditions. He had to rescue the child though. “My friends and I will deal with that sea demon for you. Just let the child go.”

“One man cannot defeat the sea demon. We need to take the sacrifice to the temple before the sun sets or else there will be another attack. Get out of our way!” The man tried to strike Mahiru but Kuro grabbed the staff before he could be hurt. “A demon! He must be working with the sea spirit!”

The people started to panic and they dropped the palanquin in their haste to run away from Kuro. He sighed and ignored their reaction to walk to the carriage. Mahiru was already next to the palanquin and he parted the curtain. The child appeared unhurt by the fall but she didn’t try to leave the box. He spoke in a gentle voice, “It’s okay, Little One. We’re not going to hurt you.”

The girl held a red orb in her hands with a coral inside. He could see that a jewel shard was placed in a crack on the orb’s surface. Mahiru knew the jewel shard was important but he was more concerned with helping the child. He held out his hand to her. “The villagers are gone so you can come out. I won’t let them give you to the sea demon to be sacrificed.”

“Can you tell us more about the sea demon? With those villagers gone, there’s no one else to ask.” Kuro stood next to Mahiru. He could see that the child was half demon. “Where are your parents?”

“Papa!” She cheered the moment she saw him. Kuro and Mahiru were both confused as she jumped towards him. He caught her so she wouldn’t fall and she smiled up at him. “Shiro knew you would come back for her, Papa.”

“Papa? I don’t know who you confused me for but I’m not him. Your parents are probably worried so let’s go find them.” Kuro tried to place her on the ground but then she began to cry. She refused to let him go and clung to his leg. He awkwardly patted her head and hoped she would stop. He didn’t know what he should do and looked to Mahiru for help.

Mahiru knelt next to the girl and placed his hand on her shoulder. A barrier suddenly came between them and he was forced to step back. Due to the sand, he lost his balance and he fell backwards. Kuro started to go to Mahiru to help him but he was stopped by the barrier. He felt a light tug on his jacket and he groaned slightly. He looked back to the child. She had a right grip on this clothes. “Papa, don’t go again. The human will hurt you.”

“Mahiru won’t hurt me.” He said but she shook her head frantically. Since he was half demon as well, he could imagine why she was wary of humans. Kuro laid his hand on the barrier. He was surprised by the strength of the barrier and he knew he wouldn’t be able to break it easily. Mahiru placed his hand over Kuro’s on the barrier. He was searching for a way past the barrier as well.

“Are you trying to steal my Papa?” She stood between Mahiru and Kuro.

Kuro sighed and thought of what he should say to make her lower the barrier. He knelt in front of her and said: “If I’m your Papa, that man is your other dad. While I was away, I married that man. He makes the best food so you’ll like him.”

He waited to see her reaction and he hoped that the believed him. The barrier disappeared and she ran to Mahiru for a hug. “Papa number two!”

“Well, this is going to be troublesome.” Kuro said as he stood. “What are we going to do now?”

#servamp #kuromahi #lawlicht #sloth pair #greed pair #servamp kuro #mahiru shirota #servamp hyde #licht jekylland todoroki #fanfiction

[collabwithmyself]

(I couldn’t stop thinking about your and @bruxishs's Shrek AU, and the revelation that Gregory’s alive in this universe got me thinking about what the plot of Shrek 2 might look like in this universe, especially with Dahlia as the fairy godmother like in that one comment and, well… this is the result. Basic background for the scene: instead of worrying about his species, Phoenix is just nervous about accidentally setting Miles’s childhood home on fire (stone might not burn easily, but there’s a lot of tapestries and rugs and other flammable items), and he went looking for something to help prevent him doing that)

  “So, that potion,” Phoenix stared at the small bottle in Dahlia’s hand, “That’ll let me control my fire better?”

“Drink this, and you won’t have to worry about it at all,” the fairy woman assured him with a sweet smile, “And all I want is one of your pretty feathers in exchange. That- that’s not too much to ask, is it? Just one of the little ones? They’re so pretty…”

“Well…” Phoenix hesitated, then brought one wing forward and carefully chose a feather, wincing as it pulled free, then offering it to her, “I suppose if you think that’s fair…”

A bit to his surprise, she didn’t snatch, just politely handed him the tiny vial, then accepted the feather with a delighted coo, stroking it with a finger, then holding it up to see how it caught the sunlight.

For his part, Phoenix held up the vial a little dubiously, but, in for a penny… “Is it okay to drink it now, or should I wait until I’m back to Miles’s home?”

“Oh, I would absolutely drink it now,” Dahlia said brightly, “It will give you time to get used to it, potions can make you feel a little funny at first. Drink it fast, though – it doesn’t taste very good.”

“Okay then…” Phoenix uncorked it, hesitated a moment longer, then downed the whole thing in one go, coughing when he was finished, “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the taste, that was bit-”

He was cut off by his own cry as a sensation like ice erupted in his chest and the world went black.

  OoOoOoOoO

  Cold.

That was the first thing he registered as he slowly came to, aching, he was- he was cold, not in the vague sense he sometimes got in the snow, tickling along the edges of his skin, but on the inside as well. He tried to wrap his wings around himself, but they wouldn’t respond, no, they weren’t there-

He sat up with a cry, staring around wildly. It was- he was in the same woodland clearing he’d been in before, but it was… bigger? Why did it feel bigger? And the ground felt strange beneath his hands, against his legs, it- no, those, those weren’t his hands, those were human hands, but- they were his-

…

…welp, when in doubt, scream it out.

“Oh do shut up,” a voice interrupted him as he was doing just that, and he turned to see Dahlia, perched on a rock and fiddling with the feather he’d given her.

“I- what did you do to me, this isn’t what I wanted!” he tried to get to his feet, run over and- and shake her until she changed him back, but he couldn’t find his balance without his wings and his feet were the wrong shape and too squishy, how did humans walk on these things-?!

Dahlia simply sneered and rolled her eyes at him. “Oh Pheenie, who said any of this was about what you want? This is about what I want – and what you owe me.”

“I… owe you?” Phoenix frowned, managed to get to his knees, “But- I gave you a feather, like you asked! And I’ve never met you before!”

“Yes, you did give me a pretty, pretty feather,” Dahlia gave him a smile reminiscent of the sweet one she’d worn before, only… much, much crueler, “And because you did, I can do this!” she finished folding it up and slipped it inside a silver locket, then hung it around her own neck.

There was a flash of light and… Phoenix gaped. It was… himself. Himself as he was supposed to be, wings, talons, properly-shaped feet-

“Oof, these will take a little getting used to,” Dahlia-Phoenix muttered as she adjusted her stance on said feet, “But oooh, I like these,” she spread his wings, pausing to admire the effect, “Fairy wings are such a pain to fly with, these are so much nicer – not that you ever used them properly. Well, I’ll make up for that, Pheenie, you’re about to conquer your fear of heights so you can, hm, I think I’ll say you did it so you can help Prince Miles Edgeworth learn how to use his properly. That sounds like just the sort of stupid, lovey-dovey thing you’d do, doesn’t it?”

Phoenix hadn’t thought he could get any colder, but at his husband’s name he found he could. “How do you know Miles’s full name, I never told you – what do you want with us?!”

“I want what’s owed me, Pheenie,” Dahlia crouched down in front of him and, wow, Phoenix was pretty sure he’d never had such a mean look on his face before, “What you stole from me!”

“But this is my first time meeting you-?!”

“Maybe,” Dahlia shrugged, “But did you ever stop and think why King Manfred wanted Prince Edgeworth back all of a sudden, after leaving him to rot in that tower for over a decade?”

“He- no, wait, he told me that,” Phoenix straightened, “When he gave me the quest, he said- wait, no, that was a lie. I… no. I didn’t.”

Dahlia raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, “I have no idea how you ever managed to beat Manfred, but obviously I have nothing to worry about. And Manfred wanted his monstrous little prince back because he’d ‘found a way’ to ‘cure him’ of that nasty, nasty curse he was under – good job getting him stuck as a demon, by the way, he looks so much better like that, makes my life easier now.

“Anyway, that ‘cure’ was going to be me. And in exchange the little twit was going to be so grateful that I’d ‘saved him’ that he would agree to marry me. Out of gratitude, Manfred would name me his heir instead of that scaley little horror now sitting on the throne, and when he died I would inherit both kingdoms.”

“You mean Miles would,” Phoenix countered, finally making his shaky way to his feet, “I might not know much about politics, but I know that!”

“Maybe he would have in name,” Dahlia hummed, “But in reality it was going to be me running things. And before you start with some sickening ‘Oh no, Miles would never, he’s too strong for that,’ don’t think for a moment I wasn’t prepared for the event that all those years in the tower hadn’t broken his spirit! You think the potion I gave you was the only one I know how to make? Think again, I know all kinds of tinctures and potions and, if necessary, poisons.”

Phoenix blanched, took an unsteady step forward, “Don’t you dare-”

Dahlia casually slapped his face and he fell, clutching the sting and scratch marks that, for once, didn’t vanish after only a few moments, just kept aching and aching. “You don’t get a say in the matter, technically you still owe me a kingdom, I was supposed to get two out of all this. But don’t worry, I’m willing to call us even with one – I’m a smart fairy, I can make it work, the Edgeworth kingdom’s got a decent enough army, after all. But, time’s flying and I have to, too! After all,” and oof, that was an ugly smile, “My husband’s waiting for me. Bye-bye, Pheenie! Thanks for everything!”

And she spread his wings and flew off, leaving him staring helplessly after her…

  (And then after this probably Maya shows up because her ‘Phoenix did something dumb’ sense went off, and they set off to save the day! And also Miles gets suspicious almost immediately – after getting tricked like he did with Manfred, he’s not taking stuff at face value anymore. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this as much as I’ve been enjoying the primary AU it’s based on!)

---

BRO... HOLY SHIT... @bruxishs COME TAKE A FUCKING LOOK AT THIS OH MY GOD

@greentrickster I THINK I LOVE YOU HOLY FUCK THANK YOU???

#greentrickster #shrek au #dahlia hawthorne #phoenix wright #ace attorney #HHOLY SHITE #friend art #EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS RIGHT NOW #submission

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

After going the Ace Attorney games again, here are my rankings of the six main series prosecutors:

(Side note: Still haven’t played any of the Investigations games or the Great Ace Attorney series)

6) Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Poor Nahyuta. I hate to place him in the last place slot but after going through Spirit of Justice again, he still hasn’t grown on me. Let me just say, I don’t really like Spirit of Justice. There are a lot of aspects of that game I was not fond of, such as the final case being a repeat of Farewell, My Turnabout and the underwhelming Khura’in Civil War storyline. However, in Nahyuta’s defense, I don’t hate the character.

Nahyuta has a decent storyline and he has a unique gimmick. It’s just when compared to the other 5 prosecutors, he doesn’t really do anything for me. His storyline with Apollo feels like a rehash of the previous games (oh, the prosecutor was close friends with the defense attorney? Hmm, where have I heard that before *coughPhoenixandMilescough* *coughAthenaandSimoncough*). Also, he’s not as fun or as interesting as his counterparts. 

Basically, I don’t think Nahyuta’s a bad character, he’s just my least favorite of the prosecutors.  

5) Franziska von Karma

This one hurt me, mainly because I love Franziska. She seems like a fun character outside of the main Ace Attorney games based on her appearances in the Investigations series. However, if we’re going purely with her role as prosecutor in the main series, then I have to place her in the 5th place slot. But it’s not because I think she’s a bad character. She’s great! She’s a fun character to interact with and she has an interesting backstory. The problem is Justice for All.

In my opinion, Justice for All is the worst Ace Attorney game in the main series. It’s to the point that it affected my placement of Franziska on this list. First off, it’s already bad that one of the main cases she’s the prosecutor in is Turnabout Big Top aka the worst case in the entire franchise. But then there’s Farewell, My Turnabout, which absolutely screws over her character by making Miles Edgeworth the focus of the finale. 

Now let me back up. Before you Miles Edgeworth fans jump down my throat, I am aware that Miles is not the prosecutor for the final case in the first game. I am NOT saying that Franziska needed to be the prosecutor in Farewell, My Turnabout. I am NOT saying Miles ruined the story. The point I’m making is that even though Miles wasn’t the prosecutor in Turnabout Goodbyes, he was still the main focus. Everything in that episode revolved around Miles’ past and his relationship with Manfred von Karma. He still got a complete character arc even though he wasn’t the rival. 

In Farewell, My Turnabout, Capcom just went and said, “Go fuck yourself Franziska” and made everything about Miles again. Franziska was barely a presence in that final episode and by the time the game ended, her arc felt incomplete. Yes, the writers attempted to make her relevant to the story by having her be the one to deliver the evidence but just think about that for a second. She’s the main prosecutor of the 2nd game and the most significant thing she did in the finale was deliver items. I honestly feel her appearance in Trials and Tribulations was damage control for how shit she was treated in Justice for All.

Thankfully, it looks like the Investigations games treated Franziska better. But as for the main series, she deserved a whole lot better. I’d love to place her higher but with the storyline she got, I have to mark her down.  

4) Klavier Gavin

I don’t have much to say about Klavier. I think he’s a cool character and he has a kickass gimmick. However, he’s just a mid-tier kind of character for me. Like with Franziska, it’s mainly to do with Apollo Justice / Ace Attorney 4.

People have already pointed this out but the storyline in Apollo Justice feels more like set-up for something bigger. When I first went through Apollo Justice, it felt like there was going to be more to Kristoph Gavin, more to Klavier Gavin. Phoenix Wright was at the start of a different kind of character arc and the Gramaryes/Trucy Wright would be the main focus of the Apollo Justice trilogy, just like how Maya and the Feys were the focus of Phoenix’s trilogy.

In fact, just going off on a little tangent, I already made a post about this but I was thinking that the abandoned Apollo Justice trilogy would lead to Phoenix becoming a Godot-type character. He had the seeds of that character arc planted, with his darker behavior, willingness to bend the legal system to get what he wants (using forged evidence and trapping Kristoph with the jurist system) and a similar reason to become an anti-villain (Godot was poisoned by Dahlia, Phoenix was disbarred thanks to Kristoph). He would then show up in the final game as the main rival, leading to a Phoenix and Apollo showdown.

Sorry, this was supposed to be about Klavier. The point I’m trying to make is, Klavier is a cool character but he feels wasted. Since the 5th and 6th games didn’t follow-up on the 4th game’s story, it feels like Klavier was left behind as a result. That’s why he’s low on the list. 

3) Simon Blackquill

Ah yes, the twisted samurai. For the record, Dual Destinies is my favorite Apollo Justice-era game, so it’s not a huge surprise that Simon is my favorite Apollo Justice-era prosecutor. For me, what makes Simon stand out is that he’s the most “complete” of the three AJ-era prosecutors.

My issue with Klav was that his storyline feels incomplete while my issue with Yuty was that he wasn’t that interesting of a character. Simon doesn’t have those problems. For one, he has the best gimmick between the three of them. It’s an interesting concept to have a prosecutor be an actual death row inmate. What’s cool about that is that the death row inmate gimmick worked for Simon’s character arc.

Dual Destinies set Simon up as the embodiment of the dark age of the law. He was a death row inmate who constantly talked about killing his foes. That’s why the reveal that he’s actually an honorable man who never killed anyone works so well, it’s a strong contrast to how he’s set up. Also, it’s a twist that works with Simon’s character as he’s supposed to be a psychology expert. He plays up his image of a crazy killer to intimidate his enemies. 

Other than that, I also feel like Simon had the best storyline of the AJ-era prosecutors. Also, even though his appearance in Spirit of Justice was a bit silly, it was still fun to see this character in a more lighter tone. 

2) Miles Edgeworth

Yeah, of course Edgey is this high up on the list. Like I wrote, I can’t count the Investigations games as I haven’t played them but even then, Miles had a pretty good run in the main series. He had a strong character arc in the first game, a decent return in the 2nd game, and a strong return in the 3rd game. It was great that you actually got to play as Miles in T&T and that he was the acting defense attorney. For me, Trials and Tribulations felt like the end of Miles’ character arc as he finally became a defense attorney, just like his dad. 

And honestly, Capcom should’ve left him at that. I’m not saying this is why he’s only 2nd on the list but I just want to say, I don’t think he needed to be in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. Yes, I am aware that Miles’ appearances in those games were just fun guest appearances for people who want that AA original trilogy nostalgia. However, I felt that his appearances in 5 and 6 slightly ruined his character arc. 

Why? Because he was back to being a prosecutor. Last time I checked, wasn’t his entire character arc about him becoming a defense attorney? He wanted to be a DA like his dad, he developed a misguided hatred of defense attorneys due to the DL-6 Incident, he was misled into believing that the number one goal of an attorney is to win court cases by Manfred von Karma, he was rescued by his friend Phoenix which led to him reassessing his life goals, he goes on a trip around the world to find himself, and then in the final game, he becomes Iris’ defense attorney, overcoming his initial hatred of DAs and fulfilling his childhood goal.

Maybe it’s just me but having Miles come back as a prosecutor in the AJ-era games feels like a step back in character development. But once again, that’s not the reason why he’s 2nd on the list. I like Miles, but I like the next guy even more. It should be obvious who it is by now.     

1) Godot

Yes, I know, this is potentially a controversial choice. I just wanna say, I don’t care if you love, like, dislike, or hate Godot. Let me write the reasons why Godot is my number one prosecutor.

When I was writing this list out, I was measuring the prosecutors based on several factors. Story, character arc, design, strength as a rival, humor and so on. Just to be clear, I don’t think Godot is the best of all those categories. For example, when it comes to strength as a rival, I’d say Miles and Franziska were stronger opponents. Godot is definitely a mid-tier rival, which makes sense as he’s supposed to be a rookie / defense attorney out of his league. 

So, why Godot then if he’s not the best in every category? Honestly...I’d say it’s the character overall. Regardless of your feelings towards the character, I feel that we can all agree that Godot’s story is the most tragic. 

Let’s recap; Godot’s story is of a good man who was destroyed by a wicked monster. He was then abandoned by the people around him and lost the love of his life. With no one to help him, he let his grief consume him to the point that he became a bitter shell of his former self, obsessed with shaming the people he feels are responsible for the death of his lover. It’s only at the end when he realizes that all of his hatred and anger was just him projecting his own self-hatred onto someone else. That even though it wasn’t his fault, he still holds himself responsible for his lover’s death. However, it’s too late to make amends as he’s damned himself. In a moment of blind rage, he doomed himself by committing murder. 

That is some HEAVY material for a game series that features the main character cross examining a parrot and conveniently developing amnesia just to set up a tutorial sequence. 

Going on another tangent, you know who Godot’s storyline reminded me of? Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Both characters started out as honorable men who were deeply in love. Then, tragedy struck. They lost the love of their lives and, in their final character arc, they took their rage out on everyone. Sons of Anarchy season 7 is still some of the most devastating TV I’ve ever watched and part of the reason was because of how sad it was to watch Jax fall. He fell so deep into his rage and anger that by the time he got his revenge, he burned so many bridges that the only place his character could go was death.

Same with Godot. He’s a damn Shakespearean tragic protagonist in that he was ultimately undone by his own rage and anger. You can sympathize with him based on how he came to be but at the same time, he destroyed himself. It’s a devastating character arc and, as someone who loves Shakespeare and all things theater, I absolutely loved it. It’s the one character arc that has stuck with me after going through all six games over again, even more so than Miles and Simon’s arcs.

In addition to all of this, the fact that Godot’s character arc tied the entire trilogy together is definitely worth noting. From his storyline, the game tied together Mia Fey’s death, highlighted Mia’s importance to the main storyline, and even set up Trials and Tribulations’ main villain, Dahlia Hawthorne. I love it when stories do that, when the character arcs actually work hand-in-hand with the story that the writer is trying to tell. 

On some smaller notes, Godot definitely has the best character design in my opinion. Also, the best character theme (I still have the Fragrance of Dark Coffee playing in my head). Lastly, he has the best case in the original trilogy (Bridge to the Turnabout), as well as the best moment (the original pursuit theme plays when you expose the knife wound underneath his mask). 

So yeah. In my opinion, Godot is the best Ace Attorney prosecutor. Those are my reasons, feel free to disagree if you want.   

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #godot #diego armando #klavier gavin #simon blackquill #nahyuta sahdmadhi #apollo justice #athena cykes #aa #capcom

[mymindsmadness]

This is actually the second time I’ve had to write this since near the end, MW decided it was going to crash and not save it last time… I have the worst luck with docs.

Anyway, hope you guys like part 2! I’ve been in kind of a writing slump lately and feel like it’s all been blah, but you guys seem to enjoy it lol

PART ONE

___________________________________

He looked the same, Harry couldn’t help but think as Draco sat opposite him, his body tight and facing the door in case he had to make a run for it. A little more distinguished, and the hairs around his temples had started to lighten from a cornsilk blond to a wispy silver. The colors blended together so well, Harry was sure no one would really notice but him, and only because he couldn’t look away.

The last time Harry had seen Draco in person had been the day of Draco’s release, though it had been one-sided. The night that Harry had left, Malfoy had made it more than clear that he had no intention of running away. As upsetting as the news had been to Harry, there was something admirable about it too. Things for Draco, and certainly the Malfoy’s as a whole, couldn’t have been easy. Still, he remained. He fought his demons and held his head high. Harry had watched as someone shoved Draco aside that day, spitting vicious things under their breath. Instead of retaliating (as Harry so desperately wanted to do), Draco brushed off the pressed edges of his suit and continued on. Harry couldn’t go to him after that, not when he saw how well Malfoy was doing.

He asked about him when he could - when Hermione or Ron managed to pin him down for a floo call. Ron always wrinkled his nose and changed the topic, but Hermione would simply eye him for a moment before complying.

As for Harry... well, he kept running. He wasn’t sure what he had been running to or from. All he knew was that he had to keep moving. It felt like there was phoenix fire in his heart and felix felicis in his veins. Each day brought a new adventure that landed him in a foreign place. Every now and then he would settle in for a week or so to tune up Sirius’s bike, but he always itched to move again. His hair had grown without him realizing, and his beard soon matched it. Harry found it easier to throw it back in a hair tie rather than cut it. When it reached his shoulders, he begun to see Sirius in his features. He couldn’t bring himself to cut it after that. The tattoos had started as tributes to his parents and fallen friends, but they soon became tokens of the places he visited. Each one was like a passport stamp, telling a story that had yet to be finished.

And now... now he was back. Despite the adventure, despite the fun, despite the freedom... it always came back to him. Then again, it always had come down to Draco Malfoy, hadn’t it? He was always part of Harry’s life; the opposite side of his coin. Harry bedded exotic men and women, some bearing a resemblance to Draco, some not. He had touched, and kissed, and fucked his way through more countries than he cared to admit... but it was never enough. No matter how amazing or new each encounter had been... it was always that night with Draco that would lull him to sleep. The feeling of Malfoy’s frowning lips against his own as Harry snogged the tension away. The strength in Draco’s arms as he squeezed tighter against Harry’s back, Sirius’s bike miles above the clouds. It had been the first time in Harry’s life that he had felt... free. He had been chasing that freedom ever since.

“Typically, when one invites someone out for tea, they have some semblance of conversation prepared. Or did you just invite me to this muggle cafe to watch me squirm? I hate to break it to you, Potter, but I no longer hold an animosity towards muggles.” Harry smiled deeply as he pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket. He remained grinning around the filter as he watched Draco through the bright orange of his lighter’s flame.

“That’s good to know.” Harry offered simply, watching Malfoy squirm under his gaze. “You haven’t changed much otherwise. You’re still a spoiled prat.” Harry tossed out, mostly because he couldn’t help himself.

As predicted, Draco bristled, his spine straightening. “I’ll have you know that I am far from spoiled! I live in a very sensible flat and have given most of the Malfoy fortune to charity. Everything I own now is mine because I’ve earned it!”

“I know.” Harry cut him off calmly, the lines around his eyes deepening. “I’ve asked about you.” At this, Malfoy turned a flattering shade of pink, his spine relaxing.

“Well that’s... foolish, is what it is.” He fidgeted with the edge of his empty tea cup. “We haven’t spoken in a decade and one night of... youthful indiscretion does not make for any type of friendship.”  

“I told you, I’m not here for friendship. I came back for you, Draco.”

He wasn’t sure if it was the use of his given name, or the candidness of his words, but Draco’s whole body seemed to freeze, wide mercury eyes pinning Harry with something akin to fear and skepticism. Harry knew that he was coming on strong, but this had been ten years - no, twenty - in the making. He was tired of pretending, and dancing, and running.

“Bloody Gryffindors.” Malfoy’s slightly buttoned nose scrunched (something Harry found wholeheartedly endearing). “You don’t have to say everything that comes to mind! Some of us tend to think before the words make their way out into the world!” His voice was rising slightly, an edge of panic to them. “And what gives you the right - after all this - I could very well be involved! And you! You’re just here! All fit, and scruffy and calm! It used to be I couldn’t bloody well get you to shut up!”

“First of all, I told you, I’ve checked up on you. If you were involved I wouldn’t be here.” Harry offered, watching Malfoy through the smoke. “Secondly, I suppose I’ve learned over time to only say the things that I mean. And I do - mean it. Thirdly, you think I’m fit?”

“You’re mad.” Draco breathed, his gaze dropping away with a shake of his head. “This is not how one is courted, I’ll have you know.”

“Oh?” Harry’s smile was deep and full again. “I guess we can start with dinner then.” He could practically see the refusal written on Malfoy’s face. “Or we can go back to pretending that we weren’t always obsessed with each other. Frankly, I’d really like to find out about your life from you.” Stubbing out his cigarette, Harry reached across the table and covered Draco’s hand with his own. “I don’t want to play these games anymore, Malfoy. I don’t want to keep pissing off to foreign countries and shagging blokes that remind me of you. I’ve been mad about you for most of my life, and I’m tired of running from that.”

Draco’s eyes lingered on their joined hands before slowly fluttering up to Harry’s face. The was a long pause before he sighed lightly. “If we’re going to dinner you can’t wear that bloody jacket. And for the love of Merlin, stop smoking! Wizard or not, those things will kill you.”

Smiling, Harry squeezed Draco’s hand once. “Yes, dear.”

#harry potter #draco malfoy #drarry #I need to stop lol #headcanon #crack headcanon #otp

[bananaairplane]

Land and Sea

I ran away to sea. We sailed into the Bahamas early yesterday morning, after leaving West Palm Beach at sunset. Leaving the inlet that protects the harbor where we had been anchored from the ocean, the boat began to roll on ocean swells. The Gulf Stream runs northwards about five miles off the coast. The lights of Florida fell behind us and the sky opened up overhead, bigger and more studded with stars than I’ve ever seen it. As we sailed, Orion rose and climbed overhead, wheeling off to the south as dawn approached. After barfing up two dramamine tablets, I was ready to take my first watch.

I felt the pull of the sea as soon as I hit the Oregon coast this fall, and also for a good while before that. It’s a constant theme, the sea. A wide open space of freedom, and another kind of wilderness. I drove back and forth past a cargo dock in the days before departure, on provisioning runs and to get a tooth looked at for a possible emergency root canal— no, I just haven’t had a teeth cleaning in rather a long time thanks to the pandemic. Big orange containers marked “Tropical” were stacked around the cranes and one or two big ships. I thought of my great uncle the sea captain, who sailed ships like these to East Asia in the 1930s. This pull I felt toward the water, is it something like what he felt, running away to sea as a teenager? Who can know, I immediately thought, and why does it matter? Why do we look for explanations of our behavior— good or bad— in the past? Heritage holds the promise of connection— that we are not alone in how we feel. It offers reassurance that we’re not alone and justifies our choices by offering an explanation for them. In doing so, though, it gives the lie to the fantasy of breaking free. If the longing for freedom is an inherited trait, like my narrow eyes or my freckles, then it isn’t really freedom so much as a fulfillment. I don’t think this is the right way of looking at it. We all have the same destination in life, but we choose the lodestars that will guide our passage there. They are not infinite, and the choice not entirely free— freedom is an odd imperative because, like nature, it is so poorly defined. But we do have a range of action within which to shape what we do. Do it consciously.

Every trip has two parts: departure and arrival. The switch happens somewhere along the way— possibly the halfway point, but not necessarily. The valence of departure is broken, and your focus swings around toward where you’re going. I took off from San Diego two weeks ago, aiming to catch this sailboat in Florida. I did not know very much about the boat, or the people on it. I didn’t know how long I’d be on it, even— just that we were headed to the Bahamas. I could not answer even the most superficial of the follow-up questions people asked when I announced my plan. All the way through the desert I was leaving California. I felt the places I’d been pulling back, and saw before me everything I was leaving. The beginnings of a life in Oregon, the friends and family scattered down the coast all threw a strong valence out over the highway as it stretched before me.

I blew across the white gravely desert of Arizona, listening to an audiobook of D.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow, banned for indecency when it came out in Britain in 1915. Alternating descriptions of quivering flesh and pointed arches boomed at maximum volume over the whoosh of the road. The sky felt like a glass dome placed over the earth, and in places where the road began to rise gently it felt like my car might take flight. Then the highway thickened into Phoenix and I stopped at the first of a string of worn out roadside motels.

Roadside motels, offer a smooth, hard surface to the consciousness, unable to become particular and therefore familiar. Well, not smooth— more like lumpy in the way a wall is that has been badly painted. And not so hard, either: Why are all the lampshades in cheap motels dented? How many ways are there to dent a lampshade? Or is it the same way, over and over? One clumsy salesman is roaming around, all elbows, putting the same dent in squared-off Days In lampshades.

In New Mexico, a man sat in front of the souvenir shop/ gas station with his dog, looking for a ride to Las Cruces. The exits feel perfunctory— the land around them is as vacant as anywhere else along the highway. Buildings are placed far apart and gratuitously set back from the road, like they didn’t have enough of them so they wanted to really space them out for maximum effect. In New Mexico the land turns orange and the mountains are red instead of the inky blue of California. As you begin to hit Texas, the grass picks up, thickening into shrubs and then live oaks as you get out of the hill country. It is deeply dark on I-10 at night west of about San Antonio. The only lights are white and red columns on the road and the glow of the yellow lines. After El Paso, the lights of Juarez shine off to the left, like distant land when you are at sea.

I stopped in San Antonio for a day off the road with my aunt and uncle and a masked, impromptu Thanksgiving. Every place you stop is sticky: it’s hard to push back out into the the empty current of the road— even more so when you drop into a warm cocoon of kin. We stood around in the kitchen catching up, a dog shuttling around at our feet; the next day was filled with the project of preparing and eating food. In the evening, my aunt and I popped open tubes of dough and rolled up Thanksgiving leftovers into little pastry pockets. When I got back on the road, the arrival of the East Coast announced itself with the thick roadside vegetation of the Bayou and torrential rains. After the austerity of the desert, the excess of vegetation and water felt messy, crowded. It also marked the shift into the next chapter. I had definitively left the West behind and now, instead of the backwards pull of the beginning of the trip, I felt the tug of arrival pick up. In Mobile I parked and went for a walk with a friend through neighborhoods of deep porches and old plaster. I wound up in St Augustine for several days at the house of old family friends, to await the results of a Covid test before joining the boat.

The periodic connections with people and places along the way felt incongruous— so much for wilderness, or the idea of the long drive as some kind of mystical journey of self-discovery. Thanksgiving leftovers and cozy afternoons on back porches felt like cheating. But that’s the lie of departure again. There is no radical break, only a series of arrivals that, like the other half of a parenthesis, reshape the meaning of the departure.

#adventure #road trip #road #journey #my writing #writing #travel #blog