[The sporkers obey, Adrien sulking at the end of the line. They sit down, Lisette eagerly grabbing the middle seat and Belinda and Adrien choosing the two seats on the sides.]Quote:
Summary
Miles Edgeworth
Belinda: Oh my goodness, it’s about little Miles Edgeworth? I didn’t know he was so famous he got fanfiction written about him!
Adrien: Oh no, can you imagine fanfiction about us? We’re relatively famous as well.
Lisette: I can imagine it, I’ve written it!
Belinda: Feel free to share.
Adrien: Or don’t.
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was a normal person until the headaches started and the dreams followed. He had a happy childhood, a loving family, a woman he wanted to marry, a lovely daughter, two best friends (one who was finally settling down with the man of his dreams), and a successful law firm.
Lisette: Two best friends? I don’t think he even had one, from what I’ve heard.
Belinda: That’s pretty mean, Lissy.
Adrien: As long as she’s not teasing me, I’m not complaining.
Lisette: And isn’t Miles gay?
Adrien: Miss Belinda, what did you tell her?
Belinda: Nothing! (That’s the last time I tell her my theories.)
Quote:
But in the wake of his dreams he starts to question if his reality is real as he peers into a world where everything feels so potent that it starts to affect how he relates to people in real life.
What can you do when you begin to question the very fabric of your own reality and everything you've ever held dear?
Adrien: How relatable.
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Notes
Please give this a chance. I'm begging you.
Lisette: Oof. Not a good sign.
Adrien: Imagine a New York Times review being like this. Would that make you want to read the book?
Quote:
Weep not for roads untraveled, Weep not for paths left alone. Cause beyond every bend
Is a long, blinding end.
It’s the worst kind of pain I’ve known.
-Roads Untraveled, Linkin Park
Belinda: Lissy, what does this mean?
Lisette: It means it was inspired by a song? I think.
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Noise. Clamor
.
Belinda: Hullabaloo!
Lisette: Cacophony!
Adrien: Uh, din?
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Miles rolled onto his side and reached out, fumbling for the bedside table with a groan.
Adrien: Hard to believe that the author knows Mr. Edgeworth personally, let alone is close enough to him to use his first name.
Lisette: Maybe they’re like me, and always use first names?
Adrien: Have I ever told you how immensely disrespectful that is?
Lisette: Yep! I don’t care though!
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He had a splitting headache, and thought that maybe he had stayed out a little too late last night, celebrating his partner’s latest courtroom victory. Beside him, he could feel stirring, and glanced over his shoulder to find the little girl who now lived with him curled up beside him, her breathing indicating that she was starting to wake up.
Belinda: Last I checked, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth is too busy to have children.
Adrien: He’s Chief Prosecutor now?
Belinda: Only for LA. Here in The City, we’ve still got old Chief Prosecutor Grumpypants.
Adrien: Mr. Lawson really doesn’t like it when you call him that, Miss Belinda.
Lisette: That's why she does it!
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She had gone to bed in her own room last night, but she had a way of worming her way underneath his sheets most nights. He couldn't blame her, though. Trucy was a lonely girl whose father had abandoned her, and though his career had nearly been compromised by the forged evidence she had given him, he didn’t have it in his heart to blame her.
Belinda: Wait, what? What? That happened to Phoenix Wright, not Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth! What is going on here?
Lisette: Maybe it’s an AU?
Adrien: A what?
Lisette: Oh, an alternate universe.
Belinda: Seems a very bizarre one to me.
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He shifted, sitting up as he carefully turned off the alarm and slipped out from beneath the sheets, shivering as his feet hit the oak floorboards. He found his phone lying on the bedside table and picked it up. It was one of the new one that Uncle Ray had insisted he have for keeping in touch,
Adrien: One of the new one? If only it were one of the new spellcheckers.
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and though Miles was a bit old fashioned, he was grateful for text messaging right now.
I’m coming over to make breakfast for you and Trucy. You can’t flip pancakes to save your life.
Lisette: Ohoho, who’s this?
Belinda: I bet it’s that best friend mentioned in the summary.
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He paused, then suddenly, violently, went to find better pants.
Lisette: I suddenly, violently, tried to find better words to put in my fanfiction.
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Miles knew that she wouldn't mind seeing him in his boxer briefs,
Adrien: Did not need to see that today.
Lisette: Yeah, why hasn’t he put clothes on yet?
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but thought it was better to be wearing something slightly more dignified and much less revealing.
After all, accidents happened.
Once he was properly clothed,
Lisette: Thank you!
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he scrolled through the rest of his messages idly, sitting with his legs flung over the side of the bed. It was nothing remarkable, really, a few texts from Uncle Ray and some disgruntled hangover texts from Phoenix.
Lisette: Phoenix is the one Miles is ‘shagging’, right?
Belinda: Yes.
Adrien: What? No! This isn’t true! Miss Belinda, stop feeding her misinformation!
Belinda: Only if you can stop me!
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Miles didn’t have much sympathy for him, frankly speaking. Phoenix was the one responsible for his own actions, and if he had decided to get drunk and ---
oh my god miles help i went home with franziska
That was really his problem, wasn’t it?
Belinda: Oh, that would be Prosecutor Franziska von Karma. She left the country after Mr. Wright defeated her in court.
Lisette: Are you a human lawyerdex? Do you just know all lawyers that Phoenix went against in court?
Belinda: I get the Los Angeles Times as well as the San Francisco Chronicle for a reason. Also, I’ve got to keep up with what Mimi’s protege is doing, otherwise what kind of friend would I be?
Adrien: (She’s dead, Miss Belinda. You aren’t in her debt anymore.)
Belinda: Adrien, shush.
Adrien: I didn’t say anything!
Belinda: You were going to. And I wasn’t going to like it.
Lisette: Who’s Mimi?
Adrien: Miss Mia Fey, one of Miss Belinda’s coworkers.
Lisette: She must be pretty special to get a nickname.
Belinda: She was special all right.
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Still, he shot off a message telling Phoenix to relax. It was bound to happen eventually. After all, those two had been making eyes at each other from across the courtroom since ... Well, since Miles could remember, really. Sometimes, he felt more like Phoenix’s babysitter than his best friend and business partner.
Belinda: So he is the best friend? Well, I suppose that’s one way to interpret their relationship.
Adrien: You are so out of line right now I don’t know where to begin.
Lisette: Yeah, Belinda. Don’t ship real people, unless you’re positive it’s true.
Adrien: What Miss Lisette said. (I didn’t understand any of it, but I’m sure it was helpful.)
Belinda: (I didn’t understand what she said so I’ll just smile and nod.)
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He wondered how the Law Offices of Edgeworth & Wright survived.
Belinda: But Prosecutor Edgeworth is a prosecutor! They wouldn’t share a law office!
Adrien: I think you’re giving this more thought than the author did.
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“Papa?”
Miles turned around to find Trucy stirring, and placed his phone back on top of the table, smiling softly as she squirmed out from underneath the blankets, reaching out for him. Gently, he reached out and scooped her up into his arms, sitting her on his lap where she settled, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
“Good morning, Trucy,”
Adrien: Didn’t we go to a magic show of Miss Trucy Wright's?
Lisette: *thoughtful* How do you know all this? Seems to me like you’re stalking Phoenix.
Belinda: Just keeping tabs so I know when he needs my help!
Lisette: That’s something a stalker would say. Do you have a crush on him, Belinda?
Belinda: NO! I mean, no. You know me, I’m a capital L lesbian.
Lisette: Likely story.
Adrien: Miss Lisette, Miss Belinda, please.
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[‘Miles’ cuddles with Trucy and reminisces about his own father.]
“I promise. Now let’s go. Mia is coming over to make us pancakes, and you know she doesn’t like when I keep her waiting.”
Belinda: *blanches*
Adrien: Oh no.
Lisette: ?
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[Mia rings the bell and it takes a paragraph.]
Adrien: Oh nonononono. You are not going there, fanfiction. Do not torment my mentor like this.
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His face relaxed after a moment, and he was smiling again when Trucy opened the door to reveal Mia Fey, grocery bags hanging from her arms.
Belinda: …
Lisette: What’s going on with Belinda?
Belinda: It looks so much like her…
Adrien: To put it simply, Miss Lisette, she had a crush on Miss Fey, and now this fanfiction is bringing back all those painful memories.
Lisette: Doesn’t sound like they’d be painful.
Adrien: *whispers* They’re painful because she’s dead.
Lisette: Is she? She doesn’t look it.
Adrien: This is not the time for jokes, Miss Lisette.
Lisette: It’s always the time for jokes!
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“Do you require any assistance?” he asked as he walked forward, reaching out to have both bags predictably thrust at him; he only shook his head in amusement.
“Sure, muscles,” Mia said with a small smile, placing her hands on her hips and giving him an amused look before she swept Trucy up into her arms. “Let’s get to the kitchen so that we can make us some breakfast.”
Belinda: It even sounds like her…
Adrien: Hey, Miss Belinda, how about we don’t think about your friend right now!
Belinda: *laughs nervously* It’s a little bit hard to do that when she’s on a great big screen right in front of you!
Lisette: Then cover your eyes!
Speakers: The Management would like to inform the sporkers that they are to pay attention at all times during the sporking.Lisette: There goes that plan.
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Miles followed after them, intrigued to see that Mia was not wearing her usual spirit channelling garments, her clothing much more common - jeans and a t-shirt. It made him feel a bit underdressed, but that’s what happened when she called on a weekend at 8 am. He also wondered where she had deposited her sister and Pearls; not that it really mattered. Maya was 19, after all, and could take care of a 9 year old for a day if need be.
Lisette: So this is two years after your second case together?
Belinda: Two years after her death too.
Lisette: Look on the bright side, in this universe, she’s not dead!
Belinda: But she’s the girlfriend of a man three years her junior who already has a child. Not that there’s anything wrong with those traits, but Prosecutor Edgeworth of all people?
Adrien: Didn’t she face him down in court during her first case?
Belinda: How do you know that?
Adrien: Back when you first told me about her, I got Mr. Wright to loan me some case files of hers.
Belinda: I hope you returned them, I have a feeling they came in handy for him.
Lisette: Your stalking senses are tingling. *winks*
Belinda: Lisette!
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[Apparently, Mia is heading to Kurain to mourn her mother.]
Miles knew all too well the pain of losing a parent, how raw it could be even after several months. He could see it in Trucy’s eyes, remembered how inconsolable he had been after Redd White had taken his father’s life.
Belinda: Okay, what the actual hell?
Lisette: As opposed to ‘what the fake hell’.
Adrien: Miss Lisette. Let her finish.
Belinda: There are so many things in that sentence that are scrambled I can’t even begin.
Adrien: Then may I?
Belinda: I suppose.
Adrien: Okay, group objection after 3. 1... 2... 3...
All: Objection!
Adrien: *finger point* First off, it was Mr. Manfred von Karma who killed Mr. Edgeworth!
Lisette: *finger point* And Redd White did not!
Adrien: I think we got that, Miss Lisette.
Belinda: Shush, let her have this. *finger point, completing the trio* Redd White killed Mia Fey, who was dead by 2018!
Speakers: *applause*
Belinda: Thank you, we’ve been practicing.
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Mia was much stronger than he had been.
Belinda: Damn straight.
Lisette: (Not really accurate when it comes to you.)
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“Well, we finished sorting out the business of who would be Master,” Mia said, setting Trucy down and spinning to face him. “I managed to convince them that Pearls should one day succeed my mother because she has the most spiritual power out of the three of us and Aunt Morgan was part of the main family before ... Well. It took a lot of politicking, but I’ve learned a few things from watching you in court.”
Belinda: Mimi is—
was a much better lawyer than Mr. Edgeworth. She almost beat him his first time!
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Her smile was sad for a moment before it morphed into a self satisfied grin and she walked toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands immediately found her waist, and he smiled back at her before they shared a brief kiss.
Belinda: *muffled shrieking*
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“Hm. Well it’s good to have you back, for now. How long are you staying?”
“As long as I want. The rest of the Branch family is managing things for the time being and I decided that spirit channelling professionally was never my destiny anyway,”she broke away to rummage in his cupboards for a bowl to mix the batter in. “What was it you always say? I’m too smart to waste my mind in the pursuit of wackadoo spiritualism?”
Lisette: Well, that’s really rude! You shouldn’t call heartfelt beliefs ‘wackadoo’!
Adrien: From the way Mr. Edgeworth talks in the case file, I doubt he has ever said ‘wackadoo’ in his life.
Belinda: …
Adrien: Miss Belinda?
Belinda: <I took out my hearing aids, I’m done.>
Speakers: The Management would like to inform the sporkers that they are to continue sporking or receive punishment. Also, we have someone who speaks sign language on our staff, so you can’t get away with that either.Belinda: <Zark off.>
Adrien: <Miss Belinda! You shouldn’t use that sign in front of Lisette!>
Belinda:<Right, right, Lisette.> *puts her hearing aids back in* I’ll continue, but only for your sakes.
Speakers: The Management would like to thank Phosphor for her cooperation.Belinda: <Zark off.>
Adrien: <Miss Belinda!>
Lisette: I don’t understand Sign Language, folks.
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[More boring stuff about making the pancakes.]
Suddenly, a splitting pain ripped through his skull and he was hunched over the island, supporting himself against the granite countertop, panting heavily.
Belinda: Oh dear. I’m not happy about the situation, but I would never wish Prosecutor Edgeworth harm. Not even if he was dating Mimi. Okay, maybe if he was dating her and treated her anything like Diego did.
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He heard the sound of of the whisk clattering against the bowl and was aware of hands on his shoulders and Mia’s voice speaking to him distantly.
Vaguely, there was the sense that something was terribly wrong about this situation,
Belinda: Yes, there is something wrong, so many things here are wrong.
Adrien: Let’s not list them again.
Lisette: Well, one of the things wrong is that the author wrote of twice in a row.
Adrien: I just said don't list them.
Lisette: But it's our job as sporkers!
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but the thought passed as did the sudden splitting pain.
The world came back into focus, and he took a deep breath. “Miles?! Miles can you --"
“Sorry,” he said, pulling away slightly, waving his hand dismissively. “I have no idea what happened just now ... I ... I’m going to go lie down or a moment."
Lisette: He’ll lie down or a moment, he says. Does he mean he wants to lie down or Mia to give him a moment?
Adrien: The author obviously misspelled—
Lisette: Adrien! Don’t ruin my joke!
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Mia nodded, then glanced at Trucy , who looked absolutely mortified.
Adrien: I don’t think that’s the right word.
Lisette: Yeah, she just looks embarrassed her dad collapsed, not worried.
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A few words of reassurance later, and Miles was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Despite the strangeness of the moment before, the desperation he had felt, he found himself drifting to sleep. Later, he knew, he would have to face his concerned friends and family, perhaps go to the hospital, but for now he was suddenly tired.
Eyelids leaden, they slipped closed and he fell into a deep sleep.
Lisette: Eyelids leaden, they slipped closed and I got so bored I fell asleep. Geez, this thing is full of purple prose.
Belinda: I think it’s trying to set a mood but not doing a great job of it.
Adrien: Maybe the author could just say things happen and let us get this over with?
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--
He stood in a kitchen he scarcely recognized, help wanted ads spread across the table. Over them hunched a man in a grubby sweater, rubbing his stubble-covered face with one hand while steadying the small girl sitting on his knee with the other. There was a look of deep weariness to him, etched into the lines of his face, which unsettled Miles Edgeworth greatly.
Belinda: Who’s that? I can’t see his face.
Adrien: I think the author is trying to be mysterious.
Belinda: Just tell us who this stubbly man is! Don’t make us guess by description!
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“I’ve come over because you cannot flip a pancake to save your life and I refuse to let this girl starve,” Miles cleared his throat, crossing his arms firmly over his chest.
Phoenix
Belinda: So it was Mr. Wright? The author could’ve just said.
Adrien: And I assume the small girl with her face in shadow is Miss Trucy Wright.
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gave him a bemused look, though not one of surprise, then motioned to the Bisquick pancake mix on the counter, which prompted a disdainful look on Miles’ behalf. “I mean real pancakes, Wright, not that boxed excuse for a meal.”
“Well excuuuuse me, Princess,” Phoenix muttered under his breath, though Miles ignored him in favor of placing two paper bags onto the Wright’s limited counter space.
Lisette: Hey! Listen!
Adrien & Belinda: ?
Lisette: Gosh, you guys really are squares.
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Wait ... The Wrights?
Yes, of course. Phoenix and Trucy Wright. What are you thinking? Perhaps you’ve forgotten because it’s such a recent development ...
There was a brief sense of something being very wrong, though he dismissed it quickly enough.
Belinda: What’s wrong is we suddenly appear to be in the correct universe, with no indication of why.
Adrien: I think this is supposed to be a dream?
Lisette: Weird dream if it’s actually just our reality. Wait! Do you think we’re really all just someone’s dream?
Adrien: Don’t worry Miss Lisette, we’re too complicated and interesting to be someone’s dream.
Speakers: *ominous laughter*Adrien: (I don’t like the sound of that one bit…)
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“What’s in the bags anyway?” Phoenix’s expression was curious, but he didn’t want to dislodge the girl so he just furrowed his eyebrows and gave Miles a long, considering look.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he turned, looking over his shoulder, a carton of eggs in his hand. Not waiting for response, he walked over to the refrigerator and pulled open the door, finding it mostly bare, except for a half opened six pack of beer.
Lisette: Beer? Don’t you mean grape juice?
Belinda: No, I believe the author is trying to insinuate Mr. Wright is an alcoholic.
Lisette: But there’s not— but he’s— but— beer????
Belinda: What’s the matter, Lissy?
Lisette: I don’t know, I’m just having a hard time processing. Beer????
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“My God, Wright, you can’t raise a child like this.”
Belinda: That’s very true.
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“Yeah, well, I’m a bit strapped for cash at the moment,” he motioned to the classifieds with a wave of his hand. “In case you haven’t noticed.” Pursing his lips, he looked at Miles, something in his blue eyes deeply mournful for a moment.
Lisette: Hmmmmm… My gaydar’s going off, the way they’re looking into each other’s eyes is pretty dang romantic.
Belinda: Called it!
Adrien: I don’t think you did.
Belinda: Oh yeah, I only called it for real life. You’re right, Addie.
Adrien: (Don’t call it in real life, you madwoman.)
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“I ... I can't pay you back for the groceries right now, by the way.”
“Pay me back?”Miles placed the eggs into the icebox and then turned back to Phoenix with a stern look on his face. “I don’t require monetary compensation for an act of friendship.”
Lisette: Yeah, let the man be your sugar daddy, Phoenix!
Adrien: That's not what this sentence implies.
Lisette: Fine, ‘platonic’ sugar daddy.
Adrien: That's not better.
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His friend looked at a loss for words, moved by something that he likely perceived as touching. Miles ignored him in favor of taking out a bag of flour, sugar ... Maybe he would buy groceries for the Wrights after all. Proper groceries. At least until this jobless phase had passed…
“Trucy,” he said, looking to the girl, who looked back up at him with a very precocious expression on her face, “would you like to help me make pancakes? That way someone in this house is capable of making breakfast while I am unable to visit.”
Lisette: *sports announcer voice* And here’s Miles, preparing to throw the shade… and he’s got it… and he threw it, straight at Phoenix! Wow, that’s a knockout!
Adrien: You just combined about 3 different sports.
Lisette: Do you care about sports, Adrien?
Adrien: …No.
Lisette: Then don’t ruin my joke.
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She smiled at him like he had just offered to take her to Disneyland and he found himself promptly turning his attention back to the ingredients, even as she crawled from Phoenix's lap. “Sure, Uncle Edgeworth!”
Belinda: “Uncle Edgeworth”? Lissy, your gaydar must be faulty, looks like there’s no chemistry here.
Lisette: No, trust me, I’m never wrong.
Adrien: Remember when you concluded that I was the one who embezzled the money when Miss Belinda was accused?
Lisette: Um… oh look, the fic’s continuing!
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Miles’ could feel Phoenix’s eyes on them as he worked, explaining to Trucy how to mix the batter for the pancakes(after he found a stepping stool so that she could look at what Miles was doing on the high and admittedly not childproof counters in Phoenix’s apartment). There was nothing intense in that gaze, though it was focused, curious, and it still managed to make Miles feel self- conscious.
Lisette: Hmmmmm?
Belinda: Okay, maybe. I’m still not convinced.
Adrien: (How easily we forget these are real people…)
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Focusing on Trucy instead, he soon forgot those eyes in light of teaching a child how to properly use a griddle.
Dangerous, perhaps, but if a nine year old could learn to ride a horse, something else that risked substantial injury, then an eight year old could learn to use a griddle.
She likely saw the Gramarye Troupe do more dangerous things in their acts anyway.
Lisette: It’s Troupe Gramarye. Get it right.
Adrien: (I didn’t know she was a fan.)
Belinda: Of course she’s a fan, Addie. She likes a lot of things.
Adrien: (Stop reading my thoughts, Miss Belinda!)
Belinda: I don’t need to read your mind when your face says it all.
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“Okay, so now that you’ve successfully taught my child magician to flip pancakes ...” Miles heard the chair creak as Phoenix stood. “Trucy, go wash up for breakfast.”
Miles glanced over his shoulders to find Phoenix giving him a strange, fond look that almost made him feel embarrassed.
Lisette: Haha! See?
Belinda: I’ll concede that there’s chemistry, but I’m willing to bet that neither act on it.
Lisette: I’ll take that bet!
Adrien: How about we don’t bet and keep our sanity?
Belinda: Loser has to tell a secret!
Lisette: You’re on!
Adrien: *sigh*
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Clearing his throat, he switched off the griddle that Phoenix had mentioned being a gift from his mother the last time Miles had shown up to the Wright’s house to find a half dozen pancakes searing onto its surface.
“You know ... You really don’t have to do this for me,” Phoenix paused and pursed his lips.
Adrien: The author seems to like people pursing their lips, that’s twice in a row Mr. Wright has done that.
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“For us.”
Miles snorted, and focused on rolling back down his sleeves, glancing at Phoenix out of the corner of his eye. There was still something hidden in his gaze that made Miles feel conscious of his personal space in a way he seldom was, but he ignored it.
Lisette: Don’t ignore it! A secret’s on the line!
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“As I’ve already mentioned to you several times, you’re my friend.”
As if that were explanation enough.
I want to do this for you.
He didn’t speak, feeling Phoenix’s eyes on his face, which forced him to turn away.
Lisette: *chanting* Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!
Belinda: *chanting* Don’t kiss! Don’t kiss! Don’t kiss!
Adrien: (Sometimes it feels like I’m the only adult around here.)
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“I know,” Phoenix’s voice was suddenly soft, forcing Miles to recall February, when he had lain prone on a hospital bed and begged Miles to defend Sister Iris in his stead. “It’s almost October now ... And I guess I just feel like ... Like I owe you.”
Belinda: You know… I don’t remember that case.
Adrien: Neither do I.
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Miles turned around again, throat suddenly tight, refusing to cooperate though he willed the lump there to vanish. “Don’t.” He saw the look of confusion flicker across Phoenix’s face and cleared his throat. “Don’t feel like you owe me, Wright. This is what I want to do.”
Something passed between them, and a small smile flitted across Phoenix's lips, his expression growing soft for the first time in months. He reached out, gently tangling his fingers with Miles’ own, squeezing his hand.
Lisette: Yes! I win! Tell your secret, Belinda.
Adrien: I don’t know… that’s not exactly romantic, it could be merely friendly.
Lisette: But they’re ‘tangling their fingers together’!
Belinda: I have to side with Addie on this one. (Not only because otherwise I’ll lose, but really, they make a good point.)
Lisette: Fine.
Belinda: (I thought I’d never be wishing for Mr. Wright and Prosecutor Edgeworth not to kiss.)
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“Daddy, I’m ready to eat!”
Lisette: *snrk* Daddy.
Adrien: ?
Belinda: I don’t know what you’re laughing about but it can’t be good.
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Just like that, it was like Phoenix’s hand dissolved and they were standing on opposite banks of the Mississippi River.
Belinda: Whoa whoa whoa! What the heck?
Adrien: Either we’ve stumbled into a different fic entirely, or the author is just that bad at transitions. I vote the latter.
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Turning around, Miles gripped the counter and stared intensely at the pancakes he had plated, listening to the sound of Phoenix’s footsteps as he went to greet Trucy.
Adrien: Plated?
Lisette: Maybe they’re gold plated pancakes? That’d be pretty cool!
Adrien: Pretty inedible, you mean.
Lisette: Adrien! Don’t—
Adrien: Ruin your joke, yes, I got it.
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Miles fought down his feelings, pushed them away, attempting to return to neutrality, though he knew that what had just transpired was something too significant to turn back from.
Adrien: So significant the setting changed for a sentence.
Belinda: You know, I think that’s what the author intended.
Lisette: It’s pretty sloppy, though.
Adrien: I agree.
Belinda: Me too.
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“Let’s set the table,” Miles heard Phoenix say to his daughter, and his voice sounded far off, though Miles dispelled the sensation by shaking his head. “How long are you staying, Edgeworth?”
Lisette: Let’s lean on the side of forever.
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He turned back around, looking toward the Wrights, thinking how at home Phoenix looked with the little beside him.
Adrien: “With the little beside him” he suddenly questioned: Little what?
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Like a real family, one that he felt he likely would only orbit, growing closer occasionally but never really touching.
The words “Uncle Edgeoworth” had never felt so damning.
---
Belinda: No concrete expression of love. Pay up, Lisette.
Adrien: There might be more later.
Lisette: No, I think she’s right. Those dashes were used to transition into this universe.
Adrien: The correct universe.
Lisette: Right. So my secret is… It was I who ate the last donut during our second case!
Adrien: I thought it was Miss Belinda!
Belinda: I thought it was Adrien!
Lisette: It was me!
Belinda: When this is over, you get us donuts, Lissy. Enough for Perce and Presto to have some too!
Lisette: I’ll have to get an advance on my salary, Belinda.
Belinda: No, you find the money on your own, kid.
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Waking was slow this time, and his bed was empty.
In some small way, it felt poignant to wake alone after such a vivid dream.
Lisette: Poignant to you maybe, but to us, it just means we get more of your weird purple prose-ey internal monologue.
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He wouldn’t have wanted Mia or Trucy to see him like this, though it was an absurd, prideful notion to feel such. He had always had such a strong support network in his life, and they were a part of it now.
Lisette: Miles? Having a strong support network? I doubt it, he seems poncy and rude.
Belinda: From what Mimi told me, you’re right on both counts.
Adrien: Surely he got better eventually?
Belinda: I don’t know. I haven’t met him properly.
Speakers: Perhaps we’ll find a way to remedy that…Adrien: Miss Belinda, I think you just invited us to more of these things.
Belinda: Your tone makes me think you’re against this. Why? It’s been pretty fun.
Lisette: Agreed! It’s a nice break from the office!
Adrien: Speaking of the office, are we sure that Masters Percy and Preston are alright on their own?
Lisette: Preston’s been watching Percy on his own since I joined you guys, don’t worry about him.
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Miles had never had a problem going to anyone with his issues before, as his father had taught him from a young age that only foolish people tried to carry their burdens on their own. Yet now ...
Belinda: *bitter laughter* Sometimes carrying a burden alone is all you can do, author.
Adrien: *sigh* You do have us now, Miss Belinda. You really don’t have to carry your burdens alone.
Lisette: Seriously, Batman, listen to your Boy Wonder.
Adrien: *twitches* (Lisette knows I don’t like being called a boy…)
Lisette: Sorry, Adrien, I just remembered. “Batman, listen to your Robin!” Better?
Adrien: Much better.
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Now he wanted nothing more than to be alone, as if being alone were the right thing to do. As if he had been alone his entire life.
Lisette: Plot Twist! He was alone the whoooole time! Mia and Trucy were just hallucinations of a demented mind!
Adrien: *sarcastically* Whooooooaaaa!
Belinda: And we were just fictional characters the whole time!
Speakers: The Management cannot tell whether you are breaking the fourth wall here. Stop it.Belinda: Fourth wall? Are you saying… we’re actually fictional???
Speakers: *ahem* No, of course not.Belinda: I’m going to believe you since I’m certainly not wearing my ‘Have an Existential Crisis’ jacket today.
Lisette: You have one of those?
Belinda: You get one once you turn 30.
Adrien: Well at least I’ve got that to look forward to.
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You can solve your own problems. You always have. Best not to burden anyone with your issues ...
No. They’ll just worry more if you leave them in the dark. What are you saying?!
Adrien: *looks pointedly at Belinda*
Belinda: I’m the adult here. It’s my decision to burden you with my problems or not.
Adrien: *contines looking*
Lisette: *joins in*
Belinda: *hands up in surrender* Fine, fine, I’ll be more open.
Lisette & Adrien: *silent fistbump*
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“So sleeping beauty awakes at last,” Miles eyes snapped open and he pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes meeting with Mia’s. “How you feeling, Prince Charming?”
Belinda: Charming? Hardly.
Adrien: Hold on, didn’t you call him “little Miles Edgeworth” with some quantity of affection?
Belinda: I admire his work, but so far he hasn’t done anything particularly likable in the “real world” portion of the fic, and my only impression of him otherwise is him being rude to Mimi during both of their first cases.
Lisette: But you call him “little” why?
Belinda: Because he debuted at 20, and calling him “little” is better than calling him “prick”.
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He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head to dispel it of the strange, lingering doubts that burdened him.
Speakers: Since none of you can reference the musical, “These lingering doubts you’ve burdened me with serve no useful purpose…”Belinda: There’s a musical? What kind? For what?
Speakers: It’s about Wright’s first couple of cases. Belinda: Interesting! I’ll have to look for it!
Adrien: Don’t.
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They scattered like dandelion seeds in a strong wind, and he was able to finally focus on the moment. “Much. I’m sorry about that. I’m not really sure what happened,” throwing the covers aside, he swung his legs over the end of the bed. “What time is it?”
“Well,” Mia bit her bottom lip for a moment, something she did when she thought he wouldn't like what she had to say.
Belinda: She never did that. That’s not a thing she did. No.
Lisette: Chill out, Belinda, remember, ‘it’s just a fic, you should really just relax’.
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“It’s about 5:30.”
Rubbing his temples, Miles was annoyed that he had wasted a day off in bed, but decided that he could still be with the people that mattered for the rest of the day if he budgeted his time well. “Right. Could we ... go out to eat?”
Mia’s face lit up, “I have your daughter in the other room making props for a magic show with my little sister and cousin. And wouldn't you know? Phoenix and Franziska just called asking the exact same thing. I know really large gatherings wear you out, but ...”
“But I slept the entire day away,” he said promptly, walking over to the vanity to remove his hairbrush from the top drawer. “I can handle visiting with my best friend, his new girlfriend, and my family by association for a few hours in a crowded restaurant. I have the energy reserves.”
Belinda: His new girlfriend? Weren’t they just introduced as having both stayed at Prosecutor von Karma’s place?
Adrien: Apparently that’s enough for Mr. Edgeworth to make the jump from ‘mutual crush’ (I would hope) to ‘partners’.
Lisette: Don’t look at me, I only write this kind of thing, which has no basis in reality.
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He flashed a small smile at she returned it with a small smile of her own. It made her look beautiful in all the right ways, but something niggling at the back of his mind stubbornly and persistently refused to let go of the dream.
Belinda: “Made her look beautiful in all the right ways”? Don’t tell us she was beautiful, describe her and let us decide for ourselves! And besides, Mimi was always beautiful, even when she wasn’t smiling.
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It likely isn’t the best time to see Phoenix, it told him, not after what just transpired between the two of you.
But nothing happened!
Lisette: Yeah! I lost that bet!
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At no point had anything ever happened, nor would it ever happen. They had grown up together, spent their first two years of high school together before Miles fast tracked school by skipping grades and supplemented his education with college credits. But they’d always lived two blocks from one another for as long as Phoenix had lived with his parents. They were like brothers, and even suggesting that there could possibly be a universe where they were something else was ...
It was just wrong.
Adrien: How much of this is accurate, Miss Belinda?
Belinda: Not much, from what I remember reading. Prosecutor Edgeworth was raised in Germany by Manfred von Karma, which is where he passed the bar, I believe.
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No. Miles was in love with Mia and Phoenix had a new relationship with Franziska.
Lisette: Which came out of what feels like nowhere!
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That was just the way it was.
The way it should be.
Belinda: The way it shouldn’t be, never could be, and never has been.
Adrien: You’re getting really agitated, Miss Belinda.
Belinda: We had a nice break for a while there and now we’re back to this weird pairing that doesn’t sit right with me for many reasons. That’s all.
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“So where are we eating?” Like a life preserver, Mia’s voice drew him from the mire of his thoughts.
“If it’s up to your sister? A burger joint. If it’s up to my daughter? Somewhere with spaghetti.” Miles finished combing through his hair and turned around to find the woman of his dreams practically in his arms.
Belinda: *gag* “Woman of his dreams”? So cliche!
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“I guess we’ll have to draw straws,” she said, a smile lighting up her features as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Or orchestrate some sort of battle royale.”
“Well, I’m not sure bloodletting is the best idea.
Lisette: Aw, I would’ve paid to see children fight to the death.
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Perhaps we should just make an executive decision?” He leaned forward to kiss her.
But for some reason, in some small way, it didn’t feel the same as it had before, though Mia didn’t seem to notice.
Speakers: The Management would like to remind Phosphor that she is to look at the screen at all times.Quote:
Miles ignored the growing suspicion that this dream wasn’t a one time occurrence to walk from the room with Mia Fey, hand in hand.
--
In another room, a man stared at the expanse of his bedroom ceiling, fighting between the urge to sleep and the urge to maintain his vigil over the phone, just in case there was some news.
Belinda: Well this is vague. Who is this masked man?
Adrien: He doesn’t have a mask.
Belinda: It’s a Lone Ranger reference. The one western I’ve seen.
Adrien: Okay… What does “expanse of ceiling” even mean? It’s saying his ceiling is expansive like the sea but unless his bedroom is a mile wide, I doubt it.
Lisette: I think it’s supposed to be other!Miles.
Adrien: …how did you say that with your mouth.
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Eventually, his exhaustion and sound of the unusual rain tapping against his window lulled him into a sleep he had never asked to fall into.
That night the phone would not ring and the next morning he would wake feeling unrested, as if he had never slept at all.
Lisette: Purple prose! Stop!