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crowfanity · 1 year

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Original

More Ace Attorney text posts:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

(ID under cut)

[ID: A series of seven pictures from a Reddit thread with Ace Attorney characters.

The first picture is of the discussion topic, which reads “Let’s test something: describe your gender in a way that will baffle cis people but other trans and enby peeps will get.” Next to it is a sprite of Mia Fey smiling with her arms crossed.

On the next picture, the first comment is next to a sprite of Miles Edgeworth looking away. It says “I prefer to not be perceived by others.”

The comment after that says “A void with thigh high socks and beanie.” Next to it is Phoenix Wright’s disbarred sprite wearing a beanie and looking aloof.

The next comment says “Idk pick a slur”. Next to it is a picture of Dahlia Hawthorne looking uninterested and playing with her hair.

Below that is a comment saying “I drank too much gender juice”. To the right is an image of Rayfa Padma Khura’in smirking.

The next comment says “i wish i was an abstract concept”. Beside it is a sprite of Aura Blackquill with with her chin in her hand as she leans on a distressed Clonco.

Another comment reads “Ooblek. My gender is ooblek.” Next to it is a picture of post time-skip Ema Skye looking bored and fidgeting with her hair.

The third picture starts with a reply that says “I am a grand, old piano. I am painted black, shining and somewhat glossy. Covered in vines holding beautiful, golden flowers, I sit in the middle of a forest; forgotten, yet not lost. A cat sits atop me, staring into the distance with a glare in its tiny, marble eyes. The sun lays itself on top of my base in streaks, like looking through swaying; almost open blinds. I am a grand, old piano.” To the right is a sprite of Klavier Gavin smiling with his eyes closed and playing with his bangs.

The comment after that reads “Seven goblins in a trench coat, each with a different hyperfixation”. Next to it is a picture of young Maya Fey, leaning forward and smirking.

The next comment says “David Bowie, as played by Tilda Swinton”. It’s next to a sprite of Shih-na with sunglasses, looking at a stack of papers.

After that is a comment that says “none gender with left boygirl”. To the right is Sebastian Debeste looking smug.

Blow that is another comment reading “A shapeshifting shadow monster that takes the form of your gay aunt’s wife”. Next to it is an image of Franzaiska von Karma smirking with a hand on her hip.

The next picture starts with a reply saying “If gender is a performance then mine is the curtains which are drawn in to block stagehands switching props and the backdrop”. To the right is a sprite of Trucy Wright leaning forward and smiling with her eyes closed.

The next comment says “I’m a girl in a man way”. Beside it is Athena Cykes grinning and making a victory hand sign.

Blow that, a comment reads “i don’t know what i’m doing leave me alone”. Next to it is Juniper Woods with her hands clasped together, looking nervous.

The next comment just says “Rooster”. It has a picture of Apollo Justice with his arms crossed, looking smug.

Under that another comment says “Booby mcbeardy face”. Beside it is a sprite of Dick Gumshoe grinning.

The next reply reads “I’m all the genders but also none of the genders and everything I wear is drag and every crush I have is gay.” To the right is an image of Shi-Long Lang smirking.

The fifth picture starts by saying “If Gerard way was a sport bike”. Beside it is a sprite of Simon Blackquill smirking with his hand on his chin.

The next response reads “When you order man from wish”. Next to it is an image of Mike Meekins looking down and starting to cry.

The comment below that says “I’m gender fluid but not in a “sometimes a girl sometimes a boy” way. Sometimes my gender is Wesley from Princess bride, a sexy cowboy, pirate temptress and greasy gamer entity.” It has a picture of Jake Marshall holding the brim of his cowboy hat.

Underneath that another comment reads “an old vending machine that only gives you coffee and lime soda”. To the right is a sprite of Godot grinning and holding a cup of coffee.

The next reply says “I want to be able to see my gender in the woods after weeks of camping and get scared away, then the next night wander into the forest searching for it again but disappear without a trace, like those horror stories you read about, you know?” Next to it is Kay Faraday grinning with her eyes closed and a hand on her scarf.

The next picture starts off by saying “I’m a person”. To the right is a sprite of Kristoph Gavin smiling with his eyes closed and arms crossed.

The comment below that reads “I think of gender as icky stuff that I don’t want on me, attached to me. That’s another way of saying I don’t want gendered terms to define me. I’m agender.” Next to it is a young Pearl Fey biting her thumb and looking anxious.

The next response says “No matter who you are, if you have sex with me, it’s gay”. To the right is a sprite of Nahyuta Sahdmadhi smiling with his left arm behind his back.

Under that another reply reads “I do not exist”. Beside it is a picture of Lana Skye looking away.

Beneath that is a comment that says “bowling alley carpet”. To the right is an image of Patches smiling with his eyes closed and holding a fan while confetti flutters about.

The last image just has one reply that reads ““Hi, I’m non-binary. Please refer to me with gender neutral terms.”“ Next to it is a picture of Bobby Fulbright grinning and doing a salute. /End of ID]

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ministarfruit · 2 years

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blackmadhi week day 4: royalty 📿

transcript under cut

Comic featuring Simon and Athena having the following conversation:

A - Simon, you remember Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, right?

S - Regrettably. Why? I take it you saw the Sad Monk over in Khura’in.

A - We did, we did! Well, there was a whole buncha stuff that happened but... I’m so happy we managed to reunite the royal family!

There’s a pause.

S - The what.

A - The royal family. You know, of Khura’in? Princess Rayfa is Nahyuta’s little sister. Didn’t you watch the news?

They both face the TV behind Simon, which is saying, “And now, a word from the Regent of Khura’in...”

Nahyuta shows up on screen. “Please, just ‘Nahyuta’ is fine.”

Simon whips back around to face Athena, bewildered.

A - You didn’t know?! What kind of rock have you been living under?!! Simon, this was like world news for the past 3 weeks, where on earth have you BEEN?

Simon slurps his noodles loudly and does not answer.

#ace attorney #blackmadhiweek2022 #blackmadhi #simon blackquill #athena cykes #nahyuta sahdmadhi

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welcome-to-jay · 11 days

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How many Ace Attorney cases would be solved immediately if they used the Divination Seance?

For those who don’t know, the Divination Seance is a mechanic introduced in the 6th main Ace Attorney game: Spirit of Justice. The way it works is that a spirit medium communes with the soul of the dead, and makes their final memories visible in the Pool of Souls. All of their senses are displayed, from what they saw to what they heard to what they smelled before they died. In game, the Divination Seance is usually used to Phoenix’s disadvantage (obviously), but what I wanted to know is what would happen if the Divination Seance was used in cases that took place not in the Kingdom of Khura’in. If the court could see what the victim saw seconds before their death, how much would that fuck over the real killer? Let’s go through the death of (almost) every single victim and find out: would this case be solved if they used the Divination Seance? This will be updated with each game every day, unless I forget.

(Thanks to my buddy Keepay for helping me out with this! He did all of the AAI 1 and 2 cases because my memory on those is pretty fuzzy.)

Things to Remember:

Divination Seance is derived from the victim’s memories, meaning if they don’t recognize a person’s voice, they won’t be able to identify it.

Divination Seance only works if the victim’s true name (and less importantly, what they look like) is known.

The victim has to actually be dead for a Seance to be possible.

Ace Attorney 1

Cindy Stone - YES

Frank had already broken into Cindy's home when she walked in, so there’s no way she wouldn’t have seen him before he bludgeoned her. A Divination Seance would clearly show this.

Mia Fey - NO

At first, this looks like the exact same situation as the Cindy Stone case. Mia and Redd White were face-to-face before she died, so he would’ve clearly shown up in the Divination Seance, right?

But then there’s that damn updated autopsy report.

Edgeworth stated that Mia lived for a few minutes after she was hit, and Divination Seances only show the last few seconds of the victim’s life. This means that the Divination Seance wouldn’t have shown the actual bludgeoning, or Redd White. As suspect as that updated autopsy report is, Edgeworth himself said that he never forged evidence, so we have to take him at his word here.

Jack Hammer - YES

Dee and Jack were face-to-face when she pushed him. I don’t think we ever learn the details of their struggle, so maybe it would still be unclear whether or not it was self defense on Vasquez’s part.

Robert Hammond - YES

Again again, Yanni and Hammond saw each other before Yanni shot Hammond in the heart. We don’t get a lot of details about what happened in the shack, but we have no reason to assume this wasn’t the case. I promise these are gonna get more interesting.

Gregory Edgeworth - MAYBE

So in this case, the Divination Seance would show that the defendants (Miles Edgeworth and Yanni Yogi in this case) are innocent, but wouldn’t show who the culprit is, so I’m gonna say at the very least, it’s partially solved. The Seance would reveal that Gregory didn’t die when Miles threw the gun, and that all three of them passed out before the second gunshot was fired. However, we know from Von Karma’s testimony that Gregory was unconscious when he was shot, so he wouldn’t have seen his killer’s face.

But! Miles said that he heard Von Karma scream right after he threw the gun, obviously that means that Gregory heard it too. The question is, would he have recognized it as Von Karma’s voice, and would it have shown up as Von Karma’s voice in the Pool of Souls? To answer that, I point you towards Inga’s Divination Seance. Here he recognizes the voice he’s talking to over the phone as one of his subordinates (after a refining from Rayfa) but even after it’s proven that Datz was the one laughing over the phone, the sound still shows up in the pool as just “Laughter.”

This is why it’s important to remember that the Divination Seance is derived from the victim’s memories. Inga recognized his subordinate's voice (but probably not his name, lol) but he didn’t know what Datz’s voice sounds like, at least not well enough to recognize it. In the same vein, Gregory would absolutely recognize Von Karma’s voice because they just spend the whole day in court together, as well as them meeting during the investigation.

Now what this really all boils down to is if Gregory would recognize Von Karma screaming in particular. Miles didn’t recognize the voice even though he also knew Von Karma, but he was also a stressed and delirious kid when he heard the scream. Gregory’s memories are probably more reliable, and he’s probably heard Von Karma shouting either during the Inherited Turnabout investigation or the trial afterward. But, as much as I wanna say this is a yes, we can’t know for sure.

Bruce Goodman - YES

After that long-winded explanation, we’re back to another easy one. Bruce and Damon were alone in the evidence room when Damon did the deed, so he would clearly show up in the vision, or at the very least, his voice would be heard.

Neil Marshall - NO

This is another Gregory situation, but unfortunately much more unclear. Neil was unconscious when he died so he wouldn’t have seen Gant but at least it would be clear that neither Ema or Darke killed him. Neil had already knocked out Darke when Ema pushed him, and it would’ve been clear that Neil didn’t die from Ema’s shove, but much later. Of course, since Neil was blacked out, the argument could be made that Darke woke up first, and simply stabbed Neil while Neil was unconscious. Even with the Divination Seance, there’s no way to prove that Gant did the deed.

#ace attorney #ace attorney spoilers #ace attorney spirit of justice #aa6 #cindy stone #mia fey #jack hammer #robert hammond #gregory edgeworth #bruce goodman #neil marshall

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animepopheart · 1 year

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★ 【qosic】「レイファ」 ☆ ⊳ rayfa padma khura’in // ace attorney ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me on twitter

#ace attorney #rayfa padma khura'in #anime art #anime #portrait #artist: qosic

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cleverri · 10 months

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Apollo Justice x reader. Head cannons for relationship

APOLLO JUSTICE x READER | written by MOD clever

warnings; A few cuss words here and there but that's it-

headcanons for Apollo Justice in a relationship...

Ace Attorney; Apollo Justice

First thing to know about this man- He doesn’t fall in love easily. But when he does? Man, he falls hard. He’s a dedicated and passionate individual, someone who isn’t open to dating someone unless he knows that they’re the right one.

You have to be someone he’s known for a long time. He’s been through a lot, and even though he continues to say that he’s fine, you need to be someone who can actually see through his facade and care for him as a person. Though he’s stubborn, he’ll be practically putty in your hands.

Apollo appreciates intellectual stimulation and enjoys engaging in deep conversations with his partner. (Taxes. /J) He enjoys being able to just have a full conversation with his partner, either it be about a trial coming up, or something random that you enjoy. With that being said, Apollo is also a great listener and a reliable source of emotional support. He genuinely cares about his partner's well-being and will lend a listening ear whenever they need to vent or seek advice. (Even if he's completely awkward at it at first.)

Dates? You mean spending time at a crime scene trying to figure out what the hell happened with Apollo's secret younger sister? Yeah-

Seriously though, Trucy definitely has third wheeled y'all a lot. So has Phoenix. Phoenix absolutely will tease Apollo in front of you.

"This is (Y/N), the person I was talking about earlier." "Oh, couldn't you have found anyone better?" "Mr. Wright-!?" "I was talking to (Y/N)-"

Isn’t exactly that big on PDA. He gets flustered easily, face- Hell, entire body going red at any type of affection from his partner. Grab him by the face and pepper his face with kisses. Hold his hand and shout with him that you two are fine. Let him know how much he is valued, admired, and loved so you can make his heart soar.

Leave small hand-written notes for Apollo to find throughout the day- You don’t understand how much that will brighten his mood and make him feel special. These notes could include words of encouragement, affectionate messages, or even playful inside jokes. At some point, he’ll start writing little notes back, and it’ll become a little thing between the two of you. (You two have a little jar of unopened notes for each other for whenever either of you need a pick-me-up.)

Apollo appreciates whenever his partner cheers him on in court. Though, most of the time he’ll miss the sighting of you, and ends up a bit surprised whenever he sees you after court, waiting for him- But just the realization that you had been there, so excited for him to reveal the truth and provide justice has him absolutely melting.

Loves cooking with you. Is he a bit horrible at it? … Yes- BUT HEAR ME OUT- The guy is a romantic at heart, and longs for a domestic life after everything he’s been through. He loves the idea of standing next to you and learning how to make something with you. He knows how to make everyday things, like- he knows how to make eggs and such. But anything past that is stuff he needs help with.

His siblings give him the teasings of his life whenever you’re around. Even if it’s ever so subtle- Or completely obvious- (COUGH COUGH- RAYFA-) Though, prepare to be completely confused when Apollo’s siblings start speaking Khura'inese. (Don’t worry, Apollo’s confused too- He barely knows anything in Khura’In tongue-)

Old-School kid. He has a vintage record player that he… Doesn’t use that much- He just loves it too much to give it away. He loves taking Polaroid photos and putting them into a little scrapbook (Most photos are of you but shh-).

He tries to surprise you with dates, yet they never really seem to work in his favor due to how chaotic the people are in his life. He wants to be extravagant, yet his work schedule (and wallet-) tells him ‘Absolutely not.’ So dates usually end up with just watching random movies while helping Apollo work on an upcoming case.

You must like Mikeko. Mikeko must like you. I don’t make the rules, he does. Genuinely, he loves his cat so much, and if you aren’t willing to get along with his cat, then there will be a bit of a problem. Of course, if the two of you get along, he’s already getting the wedding ring- /J

Apollo pays attention to the small details and remembers the things that matter to his partner. Whether it's their favorite snack, a specific interest or hobby, or a meaningful memory, he shows that he's invested in their happiness by remembering and incorporating these details into their relationship. Though, he does this absolutely unintentionally. The guy doesn’t even realize he does this. Must be the lawyer in him-

Strong man /J I wouldn’t call him *that* strong, his arms are though- Has pretty buff arms- Strong upper-body strength. This is another thing he doesn’t quite realize? It’s quite funny watching him realize this over-and-over again, to be honest. That being said, he definitely will accidentally pick you up if you hug him.

Lawyer- Lawyer business- Meaning his schedule is usually filled to the brim with upcoming cases and such. It’s a bit difficult to find some quality time with him- It gets a tad worse after the whole Spirit of Justice arc. Just be there for him, ya’ll.

Isn’t used to having someone be there for him 24/7. He’s lived a tough life, lost many people along the way of becoming an attorney, he’s used to the concept of loss. He’d be so scared of losing you as well, seeing how horrible his luck was around this certain topic. He’ll shout that he’s fine, when in reality, most of the time he isn’t. Hold him, and make sure he knows you’re not going anywhere.

#mod clever #ace attorney x reader #apollo justice #apollo justice x reader #ace attorney #ace attorney apollo justice #headcanons

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ema-sahdmadhi · 2 years

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Apollo has 3-4 siblings and every single one has a different last name

#aa memes #ace attorney #spirit of justice #apollo justice #trucy wright #nahyuta sahdmadhi #rayfa padma khura’in #machi tobaye

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tabithwaslost · 1 year

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30 Ace Attorney Headcanons!

1. We know for a fact that a lot of women had crushed on Miles, but people worldwide had crushes on Nahyuta because he is absolutely gorgeous. They know nothing of his past and some people had crushed on Simon.

2. Kristoph didn't give forged evidence to Phoenix so that Zak can plead guilty or anything of that sort, he gave him forged evidence and told Klavier so Klavier becomes popular in the world of law. He actually cares for Klavier in his own strict, weird and slightly harsh way.

3. Whenever Miles is flustered, he loses his British accent and reverts back to the American accent he grew up with when speaking English.

4. Klavier calls girls "Fräulein" which means "Missy" or something like that, and gives boys nicknames such as "Herr Forehead" or "Herr Samurai". But whenever he's stressed, anxious, nauseous or REALLY nervous or scared, he reverts back to first names or "Mr. ______" or "Ms. ______"

5. Nahyuta REALLY loved geography and history. He has memorised/memorized all countries, their capitals and a few other states by heart. And he has memorized/memorised the histories of about 5-6 countries.

6. Larry, Maya and Franziska have became uncle and aunt figures to Trucy. They take their roles very seriously because they know that Phoenix and Miles feel safe enough to let their daughter be around them, so they make sure not to be bad influences.

7. Simon is the least getting arrested because Athena was around and they didn't want her picking up on any bad habits. And after getting released, he got used to cursing in prison but upon seeing Athena again, he reverted to his old self.

8. Klavier and Simon are a duo of destruction in the prosecutors' building and they are best friends.

9. During AA4, Phoenix Wright is a recovering alcoholic.

10. Rayfa calls her older brothers "Braid Head" and "Horn Head" and acts more comfortable, natural and informal around them so they can feel a bit more comfortable with her. But they don't realize/realise it and they stick with the name "Your Benevolence" and they try not to get too comfortable or informal around her in fear that she'll dislike it which makes her feel alone and pretty sad.

11. Nahyuta, Apollo, Pearl, Athena, Simon, Kay, Beanix, Trucy and Zak are all ready to throw hands anytime, anywhere.

12. Lamiroir's latest music video is filled with hints of her real identity.

13. People in universe make theories about Lamiroir's real identity but whoever believes in those theories is called stupid. The biggest theory right now is her being Thalassa Gramarye.

14. Phoenix's beanie in AA4 was knitted by Trucy with the help of Franziska.

15. Phoenix got a long-term heart condition when Manfred tasered him.

16. In Turnabout Succession, when Vera looked at Klavier, small portion of her brain mixed him up with Kristoph and she thought that Klavier IS Kristoph. And that small portion manifested her whole, but when Klavier was being sweet and nice to her, she started doubting that he is Kristoph.

17. During AA6, Klavier was back in Germany and he couldn't look at himself without being reminded of his brother. He never knew his brother actually cared for him, and because of that he has a breakdown and cuts his hair. The same haircut for when he was 17.

18. Apollo's sprites in AA5 resemble Kristoph a LOT. Especially when he was testifying. Phoenix felt so disgusted because of that.

19. Miles doesn't care at all about his mother because she abandoned him and his father when he was about 4 years old. [Younger or older if you'd like]

20. Guy Eldoon became a doctor again after the events of AA4.

21. Out of everything that Apollo experienced, the worst event was Clay's death.

22. Miles tries not to get mad at his prosecutors because he loves all of them very dearly.

23. Apollo had black psyche locks regarding the death of his father and Phoenix has black psyche locks regarding his emotions.

24. Apollo and Clay were huge fans of The Avengers, Harry Potter and ANY fantasy series there is.

25. Clay and Mia know each other. They've met before and she was kinda like an older sister figure to him and a mother figure after his mother died.

26. Kristoph was actually friends with Dahlia and Matt.

27. Kristoph knows the real identity of the phantom.

28. The phantom was involved in the smuggling ring case in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

29. Apollo actually had a teeny weeny eeny meeny shrivelled little small crush on Clay but didn't tell him to not ruin their friendship. Or vice versa if you'd like.

TW: IMPLIED 4BU$3, MENTIONS OF KN!V3$

30. This is a long one and I'll need an image for it. So you know how I have a headcanon that Kristoph and Klavier and half-brothers from mother and that their parents decided to play favorites/favourites with them because Klavier's parent [father or mother, you decide] that is Kristoph's step-parent hated both the kids [3 if you headcanon a sister] and the parent got so mad because of an argument that they slashed Kristoph's hand with a knife. It was so bad that he got stitched up.

Yes he has a cut and here it is:

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princess-polls · 5 months

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Round One: D

#tumblr poll #poll #rayfa padma khura'in #ace attorney #snow white #red shoes and the seven dwarfs

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the-bar-sinister · 13 hours

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Chains of the Dragon (13992 words) by thesavagesabretooth

catch up here Consider this a sequel to Spirit of Justice.

October 1, 2028– 6:40 pm Khura'in time

That afternoon when Apollo dragged himself to the palace after the day's trials were done, he paused at the end of the hall, hearing voices.

The younger voice of the two was raised, and sounded on the verge of tears as it replied to a question he hadn’t heard.

“I just said I was tired! That’s all, I still must do the dance of devotion later today and I wanted to…to take a break. I know horn head’s been….”

"You're making excuses again, young lady," the former queen's sharp tone rang out clearly in the long stone hall.

Apollo grimaced, realizing what was going on. He hadn't wanted to walk in on an argument– and he contemplated just turning around and coming back later, but…

Rayfa’s voice hiccuped, and he heard the ringing of bells as she most assuredly stomped her foot.

“I am not! I have been doing nothing but etiquette lessons, and …and…and holding court, and signing pardons, and attending classes, and being told that I’m still not polite enough! I have been working hard all morning, mother! I want to see my flowers!”

"Rayfa, dear, I don't think that you understand. What you want does not come first. Or second. Your people come first. The country comes first. This is simply your duty as a princess and a queen– and your attitude is showing me that you are simply not up to the task!"

Rayfa made a quiet gasp, and the quiet jingling of bells sounded as if they may have come from her shaking with how rapid and soft they were.

“Not…Not up to the task, mother?” Rayfa’s voice quivered. “Father…father would have let me see my flowers..”

"Your father did nothing but indulge and spoil you, Rayfa. He was raising a housecat, not a queen! Do you understand that?"

Apollo felt frozen, his heart was in his throat. The way Amara was talking to Raya– surely that wasn't right? Everyone saw how hard Rayfa was trying to keep up with all the demands put on her.

And who was Amara to talk about responsibility?

“A…A… a HOUSECAT?” Rayfa’s voice had gone shrill, and the jingling of her bells grew worse. “Mother, how dare you! I am Rayfa Padma Khura’in and…and…you KNOW I’ve always done my best to be a priestess of the Holy Mother AND a princess!”

"Well I am sorry to tell you that your best simply is not measuring up, so you are going to have to try harder!"

Something in Apollo broke, and he charged forward down the hall into the scene.

If they had wanted privacy, they should have been arguing in a more private space then!

He rounded the corner to see Rayfa, in her cloak and priestess garb, holding her hands in front of herself as they shook. Tears were running down her face as she stared up at the former Queen Amara with something between anger, sadness and betrayal.

“So what am I supposed to d-do, if I am not good enough? How am I supposed to try harder when all I do is try to impress you, mother!? I haven’t tended to my flowers in weeks, I haven’t visited my pet! I have done nothing but what you’re asking me to do.”

Amara was about to answer when she saw Apollo there and froze. He felt like he was under the gaze of the medusa the way the withering look seemed to hold him in place.

"And now you've embarrassed yourself," the former queen snapped. "You should apologize to Mr. Justice for exposing him to one of your temper tantrums."

Apollo made a choked noise. "I don't think–"

Rayfa had turned, looking at him with shock and surprise before she sagged under her mother’s reprimand.

She folded her shaking hands before herself and dipped into a little bow.

“I…” she hiccuped. “I’m sorry for exposing you to one of my …” She grimaced and muttered out “temper tantrums, horn h–Mr. Justice.”

Apollo sputtered and shook his head.

"No, uh, no don't worry about it." He glanced between Amara and Rayfa for a moment, and finally said. "I uh, I know you're busy, princess, but I really need your help with a detail about the upcoming trial. If- if you could spare a few minutes?"

He watched as Amara just barely inclined her chin toward Rayfa.

“Of course M-mr. Justice.” Rayfa glanced nervously over her shoulder at Amara , as if looking to see if it were the right answer. “As…as the country’s finest defense a-attorney, It’s my royal duty to assist with such things.”

Amara seemed to give her approval. "I look forward to continuing our discussion later, princess. When time allows."

Without another word, she swept off down the hallway, leaving the two of them alone.

Rayfa quickly reached up to dry her eyes with her sleeves. Her breath went just a little too quick for a moment before she stilled it to a deep intake and slow breath out to steady herself before she looked up with her familiar serious pout.

“Sorry again, Mr. Justice. I forgot myself for a moment…as for your request, I am at your disposal.”

Apollo leaned in toward her, and quietly said, "Why don't we talk in your garden."

Rayfa’s eyes widened and she jumped, her hand raising to her lips in surprise.

“Oh! Ah, if you insist, Mr. Justice!”

Despite the formality of her reply, some sparkle of excitement came into her eyes again.

He smiled wanly and rubbed his face as he nodded, heart still pounding in his chest.

"I definitely insist."

October 1, 2028– 6:55 pm Khura'in time

Rayfa led Apollo down the familiar path towards The Royal Courtyard and garden of the palace. The space still held the now vacant suite of the former Minister of Justice, as well as the now known to be quite empty ‘Tomb of Queen Amara’. The former, Apollo knew, had been given to Nahyuta to make his home in. The latter was still a point of contention in matters higher than his current position.

Rayfa seemed to lighten considerably, walking with a bit more of a bounce in her step as she wheeled towards the overgrown balcony covered in beautiful and vibrant flowers that spilled into the Royal Garden– a collection of local and rare plants in brilliant pinks, yellows, and a whole rainbow of other colors.

Rayfa nervously looked over her shoulder, before she hurried over to look them over. Beyond the flowers, Apollo saw rows of well tended herbs and vegetables growing in discrete patches– all, at one point, tended to by Princess Rayfa in her spare time.

“Oh no…” he heard her murmur when she bent down next to one of the flower beds.

Apollo followed after her, and knelt down beside her. Had they died from inattention?

"Are they okay?" he asked.

A number of the flowers had wilted, dead from neglect on their withered stalks. What was worse, some of the soil had been disturbed with the mark of bootprints nearby…

“No.” Rayfa said in a low and shaky voice. “looks like nobody’s properly watered them…and some of the guards may have been a bit too brutish while passing by.”

"That's–" Apollo bit his lip and hesitantly reached out to touch her shoulder. "That's terrible, I'm sorry. They don't have, like, a gardener? For when you're busy?"

The idea that there wouldn't be a palace gardener to take care of the flowers made him worry that this was some kind of … punishment.

Rayfa was on her knees in the dirt, holding one of the uprooted and withered flowers with a pensive frown.

“These were fath…” she visibly shuddered as she stifled a quiet noise. “Inga’s favorite. They made a nice tea that he’d like to have during his injections, and he liked a bouquet of them on his desk during meetings.”

She sighed quietly. “...I don’t know why Mother didn’t ask one of the monks to tend to it for me.” The frown on her face didn’t help Apollo’s first worrisome impression.

Inga's favorite. If the idea of it being a deliberate punishment didn't explain it, then them being Inga's favorite certainly did. Every impression that Apollo got was that Amara hated the man, and resented his place in Rayfa's life.

"Do you think there's any chance we could save them?" Apollo asked. "I'll have Nahyuta ask someone to tend to the rest of them, too."

“Maybe…” Rayfa’s shoulders started to shake again, and he heard her stifle another cry. “I can. I promise I can! After my duties, I mean. When…when the people and the country are satisfied, I’ll try and save them.”

"Hey, no, Rayfa–" Apollo felt his stomach lurch again and he put his other hand on her shoulder too. "Why don't we just try to take care of them now?"

Rayfa twitched just a little, but looked up at him with tears she was clearly trying to suppress.

“Horn head!” She brushed her fingers through the dirt with a pout “didn’t you have a question you needed me to answer?”

"Well, yeah," he murmured. "But I mean– it can wait. You have so much on your plate already…"

He felt a knot in his stomach. It had seemed like an important question at the time. But now it seemed like Rayfa was just as busy as he and Nahyuta were– just as burnt out. Maybe even more so.

Rayfa’s eyes looked back at the ruined bed of flowers, and she pointed to a small ornately decorated cupboard inset into the wall.

“...get me my supplies out of there and you may ask me as I work, since you’re so concerned for my flowers.”

Apollo nodded, and hurried over to get them. "Sounds great."

October 1, 2028– 2:45 pm LA time

Trucy had called Klavier and added an extra two tickets to the itinerary just before he and Ema had finished up with the travel plans, but that didn't bother him one bit. As far as he was concerned, the more the merrier. A couple of extra hands could only help– for instance if they needed to drag Apollo Justice physically onto an airplane.

He'd parted ways with Ema for the moment, and spent the early afternoon offloading his case schedule to other prosecutors in the office. He was just about to head out when he noticed someone by the coffee machine.

Diego Armando. The newest prosecutor in the office, technically. He'd been out of jail for a few months now and had returned almost immediately to the office with a demand to start work as soon as he could.

The whispers had all wondered why he didn’t return to defense, but Diego Armando seemed dead set on returning to this side of the courtroom…bringing his former co-conspirator and fellow ex-con Iris Fey along with him as his assistant in the process.

He was a handsome, older man…his hair prematurely white due to the shock of his brush with death, and a handsome salt and pepper goatee sharply and neatly shaved under a wolfish smile and the gleaming, three lined prosthetic mask he had to wear to see. It’d gotten sleeker since his imprisonment, the design refined into something less bulky and closer to flush against his face.

Right that moment he was glaring at the coffee machine in absolute disgust. “...look at this piece of shit.”

With a statement like that, Klavier couldn't help but be intrigued and stick his nose in. It wasn't as if he didn't have a little time.

He leaned in and looked the machine over, lifting his sunglasses performatively to do so.

"Exactly what am I looking at, mein Freund?"

Diego looked up at him, and the mask on his face hummed as the internal circuits and lenses readjusted to his proximity.

“This fucking coffee maker, Klavier.” Diego rarely called anyone by their last name, or ‘mister and miss’...but even a few months later, Klavier knew if he did, it meant he was distinctly unhappy with you.

“You’d think a guy like Miles might at least lay out a better option than this coffee-flavored water dispenser.”

"Ahhh," Klavier nodded. "So this is the reason you've been bringing in your own coffee? The coffee maker is not up to snuff for you? It looks expensive to me."

Klavier might not have known exactly why Diego had returned to prosecuting, but he was glad he had. He liked the older man, and over the last few months he felt like they'd developed a little bit of a rapport.

Diego slung an arm over Klavier’s shoulders.

“It ain’t about the price of the machine, Klavier. It’s about the quality. Rich guys…they’ll blow all kinds of cash on fancy gizmos that’ll churn out something mediocre with the veneer of something great because of the damned price tag.”

Diego chuckled. “remind me to invite you to my office, Piano Man. I’ll show you how to brew the best damned cup of coffee of your life.”

Klavier smiled and put his arm companionably on the other man's shoulder in return. There was something irresistibly fatherly about him, and Klavier suddenly wondered if he'd have any advice about his current predicament.

"If you have the time, I am free now," he offered with a bright grin. "Of course, I'm sure you're busy. Such is life in the proescutors' office."

“Unlike the defense.” Diego laughed “actually…I got a case coming up but Iris is working on some investigative work for me before I can actually prepare. Tell you what…come on down, I’ll make you that cup of joe and we’ll chat for a bit.”

Klavier smiled with a sudden feeling of relief.

October 1, 2028– 2:55 pm LA time

Every office in the prosecutorial building had its own prosecutor's personal touches. Diego's, while still in the process of a man moving back in after some time away, was no different.

He’d set a coffee bar to one end, beans in jars and brass and glass machines and pitchers laid out neatly near quality mugs hanging from a rack. Aside from the coffee, several posters sat in frames lined under a drawn red curtain, one for a classic western, one for the movie Taxi Driver, and another for a film loosely based on the career of Sirhan Dogen the assassin. His desk, which had among other things, a framed photograph of himself when he was younger and a woman with long dark hair and a magatama over her chest…and a set of small plastic horses set near a small frame turned down on its face.

In the corner, a smaller desk set with its own peculiarities, which must have belonged to Miss Fey, his assistant.

“Welcome to my home away from home, Klavier." He made his way for the coffee bar first.

"I'm impressed by your taste, mein Freund," he said, swaggering after him toward the coffee bar and looking over the unfamiliar tools laid on it. "The movie posters are a nice touch."

“Someone important to me got me a little hooked on the cinema, she was a regular cinephile.” Diego chuckled as he started the water heating, pointing to the poster of Taxi Driver.

“She had that poster hanging up in her office for years. Had to grab another copy of it for here, when I moved in.” He whistled casually as he laid out a filter, a glass bowl and a few mugs. “Do you want a regular cup or an espresso? I could start that up if you need it.”

He gestured to one of the machines– one of the few Klavier was actually familiar with.

"I had an espresso at home this morning, so unless you're indulging I'll stick with the basics, I think. I'm already more jittery than I'd like to admit." He leaned on the counter, curiously watching Diego at work.

Diego pointed to him with a wolfish grin.

“A man of taste, keeping a machine at home. You’ll have to tell me what one you’ve got.”

He placed the filter and strainer atop the clean glass pitcher, as he got to work selecting beans .“Jittery eh? What’s got you worked up.”

Klavier fussed with his necklace and shrugged performatively. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much about the machine. I inherited it from my brother, who would probably have a more learned appreciation of what you're doing here…"

He glanced away. "As for what's got me worked up, ah, Diego mein Freund, now that is a story. I shouldn't burden you with gossip."

I shouldn't. But I hope you ask anyway.

“I’m an old man.” Diego laughed as he grabbed a handful of beans he was satisfied with and dumped them into a wood and brass grinder, starting to work on grinding them down.

He wasn’t actually all that old, but– sometimes it seemed he liked the joke well enough to pretend. “There's nothing I enjoy more than a little gossip from a friend over coffee. It’s traditional.”

"You're barely old enough to be my father," Klavier laughed with him. And certainly not nearly unpleasant enough to be my father. "but if you'd like to know then I'll share. It would be rude of me to tease you when you're so graciously and laboriously making coffee just for little old me."

“I’d say I’m a saint, but that’d be a lie.” Diego smirked under his mask as he ground. “Given I’m fresh out of the clink.”

"I think that makes you more of a saint, Diego," he said, leaning on his hand over the table. "Saints are known to suffer, atoning for their sins. The people love a redemption story, ja?"

Diego stopped, looking at the fineness of the grind before he went back to it for a moment with a wry smirk.

“So they do, Saint Armando of the Church of Justitia just sounds a bit fancy for a guy like me.” He pointed with a chuckle. “...but you’ve got a story to tell, and I’m all ears. My eyes don’t work for shit, but my ears sure do.”

"Thankfully, I don't need your eyes at all today, Saint Armando," he grinned. "For they say that love is blind, don't they? I have a certain lover who is troubling me, I'm afraid."

Diego started tipping the grounds into the filter.

“Classic stuff. A troublesome lover’s like a fine cup of coffee.” He did not explain exactly what he meant by that. “So what's going on?”

"You're a man of the world, Diego, so I won't bother to pretend that this lover is a woman," Klavier shrugged. "Or that we have what you would call a typical relationship. But either way, it's a problem of distance."

Lots of people would have been embarrassed to admit to a male lover, but Klavier didn't care. He wouldn't have cared even if his famous 'rockstar' status didn't carry with it the tacit assumption of bisexuality that he happily fulfilled.

Diego certainly didn’t seem to mind. No, he looked up with that sharp toothed grin of his, as he began to pour steaming water in a slow circle from a goose necked kettle into the filter.

“Ahhhh. Well Klavier, this man of yours…are we talking emotional distance, or physical?” he leaned on his hand with a grin. “I’ve got a bit of experience to draw on either way.” ”

"The one has turned into the other," Klavier sighed. "First he iced me out emotionally, ja? He doesn't like to talk about his feelings. Now the distance is physical. He's run off on some kind of spiritual journey without so much as a call or a text."

“A spiritual journey.” Diego said dryly with a flicker of the lights in his mask. “Without sayin’ a word to you?”

“This boy of yours seems mighty considerate, would you say this is…” he waved his free hand as he poured “typical, for the way he deals with his shit?”

"Unfortunately I have to say it is. Once the shock wore off I was not surprised in the least." He sagged over the table as he watched the steam rise from the full coffee filter, the freshly made brew slowly trickled down. "He comes and goes as he pleases, when we're together. He doesn't talk about his life. He cries, sometimes, and he won't say why. I ask, but he'll change the subject."

“A man of secrets.” Diego tapped the side of his nose as best he could with the mask in the way. The last of the water trickled down, and he leaned on the counter to look at Klavier with the three staring lights, never blinking and always glaring. “And a past full of pain. Hard to get a man like that to open up to you, even if you love ‘em.”

"Terribly hard," Klaver agreed, staring into Diego's red mask. "I had hoped that loving him would be enough. That if I gave him time and space, he'd open up to me on his own. But… that isn't what happened."

“And now he’s on a spiritual journey.” Diego asked as he poured Klavier a cup from the pot.

"Halfway across the world, in fact," he said, straightening up and brushing his hair back as Diego poured the coffee. "And I know I shouldn't blame him. Times have been hard– very hard. Since I knew him, really, but even more so in the last year. But– Diego, he didn't even text me."

“I’m gonna say this now.” Diego pushed the coffee cup towards him as he poured his own “...you got a point being upset. Even if things haven’t been easy for the guy…vanishing without a word hurts. Not having the chance to even say goodbye hurts more.”

He sighed “He’s probably too wrapped up in his own pain to see the pain he’s puttin’ on others. Easy mistake to make. I’ve been there.”

Klavier nodded and picked up the offered mug, taking a sip and tasting it carefully. It was rich, and subtle. Without a doubt some of the best coffee he'd ever tasted.

"This is amazing, mein Freund! Your coffee skills are peerless I'm sure," he said with a little smile. "And… Thank you. I have been wondering if I have any right to feel so heartbroken."

Diego spread his hands with a grin.

“And it ain’t even hard. Pick the right beans, grind it the right way and pour– and you’ve got yourself Diego’s Blend #85.” He chuckled before he leaned on the table. “thanks. But…I think ya do. Love is a complicated tango, kid. You’re allowed to feel heartbroken when the steps don’t go the way you hoped…especially when your partner’s changing the dance halfway through the song.”

"Changing the dance halfway through the song, ja… when you put it like that…" he heaved a sigh and took another sip of coffee, shaking his head. "I think perhaps part of the problem is we never even agreed on what dance it would be."

“And that’s the issue, kid. Communication…which your guy made hard from the start.” Diego lifted his coffee mug to his lip ‘..a relationship built on miscommunication’s gonna suffer from neither party knowing what the other expects. Just like a relationship built on a lie’s going to carry the baggage of it forever.”

"I've always been honest with him," Klavier sighed, thinking back on it. "Sometimes I worry too honest for his taste, which perhaps is why I stopped being so open, and tried to let him come to me. You're right. It's communication, and he hasn't made it easy. I didn't ask because… I think i worry I want more from him than he wants to share, you know, Saint Diego?"

Diego nodded as he brushed his fingers over his mask in thought. “Sounds like a lot of the prison romances I knew, my friend.”

He spread his fingers and gestured towards Klavier. “you’re an open man, someone who wants to share thoughts and feelings with your lovers. He’s a man who wants to dance away from them any chance he gets…the question becomes… what do you plan to do about it?”

Klavier smiled and rubbed his jaw. He gestured over to the wall of Diego's posters.

"The same thing they would do, mein freund. Purchased a plane ticket to chase him halfway around the world and beg him to come back to me."

Diego grinned widely and pointed his finger at him.

“....and that, my friend, is the right choice. I would do the same exact thing if my partner…s…pulled the same tragic mess on me. Give or take the use of the word ‘begging’, of course.”

Klavier chuckled and rubbed his face again. "Not very manly of me, I know. What word would you use?"

Diego rubbed his chin for a moment.

“Lemme think for a second.” He sipped his coffee, before he pointed the whole cup at him. “Plead. I already took a plea bargain, so hey. Damage is done.” He laughed out loud, his grin growing wider. “Stole that one from Lana.”

Klaver laughed along with him. "That's a good one. Plead. Maybe I'll do that one too. I have already considered merely grabbing him and hauling him on the plane by force. Terrible idea of course."

“Ah yes…” Diego nodded with a wry smirk. “the ‘villain of a romantic drama’ plan. Never quite works out the way the guys hope.”

"Very occasionally it does. but usually those books are in an antique shop with titles like Strange Tales, and Men's Adventure. Not very modern of me. I won't stoop to his level and act like this is the forties" He chuckled and shook his head. "Mein Freund– I did notice you said partners?"

“Whoops.” Diego said with a lazy and carefree grin. “I’m a man of the world, as you said, but I guess the secret’s out.”

He lifted the coffee cup to his lips. “I’ve gotten myself into quite the little circle…part of it’s a rekindlin’ of something that came before…back when Mia was alive. The rest, well–bonds are formed and the heart wants what the heart wants.”

Klavier smiled and once again felt a warm swell of kinship with the man. He lifted his cup to him. "Cheers. It's nice to know it's not only a rockstar who engages in these kinds of complications."

Diego raised his coffee cup with a chuckle and a flicker of his mask’s lights.

“Cheers, my friend. And from the bits and pieces you’ve shared…and what I’ve seen about the office…” he took a long sip of coffee before he sai.d “we share a certain something in our circle of complications.”

Klavier raised his eyebrows, flushing a little as a number of possibilities came to his mind.

"Consider me intrigued, ja? Something or someone?"

“A cloudy Skye.” Diego laughed loudly at his own joke.

Klavier chuckled at the joke too, even as his cheeks burned. "Ah yes, you did mention Lana Skye. The two of you must have known one another during your time in the great dark hole in the ground, yes? Or did you mean her sister?"

Ema had never mentioned a tryst with Diego, but Klavier wouldn't completely rule it out.

Diego held his hand up with a chuckle. He sipped his coffee

“I mean Lana. She and Mia were…close. Even before the clink and…well.” He smirked with a shrug. “when we both wound up at the same long stay, maximum security motel…one thing lead to another.”

Klavier smiled and nodded. "Nice to know the both of you had some comfort through the dark times, Saint Diego. Can I pry a further private question, purely for my own curiosity?"

“It’s certainly a comfort, that’s for sure.” He chuckled and leaned on his hand with a tilt of his head. “All ears, kid.”

"Just ladies for you, or do you occasionally enjoy the company of gentlemen as well?"

Klavier wasn't exactly cruising him, no matter what his answer was. Not that he would necessarily say no to the man's roguish charm. But it was just nice to know when one was in good company. A relief, even.

Diego’s smirk hitched a little upward at the corner.

“Looking to spend a night in the office?” he purred teasingly, before he took a long sip of his coffee.

“But no, ain’t just ladies for me by a long shot, though I would forgive the misconception.” he tilted his head , almost like a wink. “I got a fella I’ve got my eyes on…so to speak, for a bit now. Someone I got a score to settle with in a way I think’ll end more amicably than it did last time.”

Klavier chuckled, and finished his coffee in a long sip, setting it down on the counter. "I hope you have better luck in that endeavor than I've been having in mine, ja? Or rather– I wish us both luck for the future. As for a night in the office, I admit I'm a little preoccupied right now, but who knows what the future holds. I am not immune to the charms of an older man."

Diego raised his mug with a laugh “thanks, kid. I hope so too…who knows what the future holds, like ya say. Let’s hope Lady Luck smiles down on both us hopeless goddamned romantics.”

He leaned on the back of his hand with that wide and nearly feral grin.

“You ain’t, eh? Good to know. Handsome fella like you? I’d be happy to show you a thing or two.”

"Well, Mr. Armando, I am always eager to learn. But first I must solve this little communication issue you've helped me with so much."

#klapollo #apollo justice #rayfa padma khura'in #klavier gavin #diego armando #prosecutor godot #ace attorney #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic #poly ship #fic: chains of the dragon

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