zeni-macroura

[zeni-macroura]

this, yes, absolutely.

BUT

hear me out

grumpy x sunshine dynamic in narumitsu exclusively in morning and end of day routines.

phoenix is a natural early bird. he's not in love with mornings, but you know, there are some things you just have to do and watching the sunrise sometimes is pretty cool. life is pretty neat, actually.

miles, however, is addicted to bed rot. whoever insisted that a glowing ball of fire dictated when it is appropriate to start a day should be thrown in said ball of fire. no one should be awake at this ungodly hour when morpheus is so beautiful and gives such wonderful gifts.

as the day goes on, they settle into their usual bitchiness, with miles settling into a fine rhythm of sass but phoenix? oh, phoenix's lust for life sours like milk. he descends into his cuntiness in a spiral.

and by the end of it? miles has come around to recognize that yes, he is a little bit dramatic first thing in the morning and life isn't really all THAT bad. after all, he has a lovely husband in his bed and there's always an episode of steel samurai to look forward to.

phoenix is getting ready for bed and wondering if maya might know how to bring about the apocalypse so that he doesn't have to bother with the next day.

sometimes when trying to explain how making narumitsu a grumpy x sunshine ship w edgeworth as grumpy and phoenix as sunshine is ooc, people will do this thing where they try to convince you that it’s actually the other way around

like something along the lines of “phoenix’s internal monologue is often actually quite bitchy and mean even if he usually isn’t an asshole directly to people’s faces” (true) “but edgeworth’s inner monologue isn’t like that it’s actually kind of sweet and dorky but he just comes across as cold toward other people due to emotional constipation” (???)

like obviously there are differences between phoenix and edgeworth’s internal monologues but it I don’t think “phoenix is actually meaner in his head than edgeworth is” is one of them. edgeworth is like… very judgy and is constantly shown to have a little bit of an intellectual superiority complex, and that very much comes out in his internal monologue so I really don’t know what people are getting at.

it feels like people who say this are trying to go “they actually are grumpy x sunshine just in the opposite way that people usually think!” which still isn’t true. not every pairing needs to be grumpy x sunshine. get more comfortable with bitch4bitch.

[zeni-macroura]

baby phoenix having a crush on miles because cute and in-character and sure yeah that's fine

but consider baby miles actually crushing first

baby miles thinking that this other boy who is nothing but kind to everyone, even the people that don't quite deserve it is kind of like the heroes from his favorite tokusatsu

baby miles noticing this other boy's little quirks because he's a little investigator who notices the details

baby miles knowing that this other boy might seem like a slacker because he's doodling in his notebooks, half-listening to lectures, yet he's never failed a test

baby miles seeing this boy get accused of something that not only there is no evidence of but lacks any feasibility

baby miles coming to this boy's defense not because everyone deserves a friend because, deep down, even though he might want to be like his father, his motivation is not to defend the weak

baby miles objecting to their classmates because, even though he doesn't know it yet, he believes people who do wrong should be held accountable

because miles edgeworth isn't a defense attorney

miles edgeworth is a prosecutor

miles edgeworth believes that wrong should be punished

and that boy does not deserve to be punished

[zeni-macroura]

miles used to make the best damn cupcakes for other kids' birthdays every year. everyone loves them, especially phoenix. not just because they're tasty but because - don't laugh, he'll say - but he admires that kindness. even the least popular kids get a nice cupcake and be thought of for one day with miles' treats, and phoenix just loves that something can do that.

so phoenix got the bright idea to make them for miles' birthday as a surprise. after all, miles always makes others smile, so he deserves to get that same kindness, too! phoenix's aren't as pretty as miles'. they're wonky, and he iced them before the cake had cooled down completely so some of the frosting sinks and falls off. but they taste just fine! it's the thought that counts!

but when he comes to class with the cupcakes, he finds out that miles had to move away very suddenly.

it hurts for a while. and he copes by getting deeper into baking, first as a means to connect to this friend he lost but then because he falls in love with it. his skills improve greatly, and he makes it his career. he ends up starting a bakery, and he's a massive hit. so much so that he catches the attention of another... entrepreneur.

miles edgeworth, internationally recognized patissier and heir of the von karma restaurant franchise. miles had steady business in this town before this phoenix wright person showed up with his small local bakery, and now he's losing cache. how dare this man and his small batch baked goods take up the shelves of local shops. how dare he sell them fresh bread when they could be buying from von karma for more value!

and he marches into this little bakery, intending to confront this absolute buffoon, but imagine both of their surprise to see the other again. phoenix recognizes him right away but miles less so. he knows he should recognize phoenix. but that time of his life was from so long ago, and he's lived a dozen other lives since then... so he knows he should know phoenix - how could he not when he looks at him like that? so expectant... - but he doesn't.

and miles edgeworth the emotionally constipated proceeds the only way he knows how. the von karma way. anger and indignance. he lays into phoenix just as he intended to from the beginning, and well...

phoenix is speechless. this was NOT the miles edgeworth that remembered every kid's birthday and wanted to make everyone feel loved at least one day a year. this was NOT the miles edgeworth that inspired phoenix to bake. and in the wake of that shock comes phoenix's own pettiness. who did this spoiled brat think he is, coming into his small one-man-run bakery with his damn nepo money and big dick franchise.

it's on. they are competing for the town's adoration. miles drops all his other obligations, leaving the work to his sister so that he can focus on putting this man in his place. franziska can't argue. she encourages it. and miles stays put in this town to engage in this local battle.

it catches the attention of a peculiar reality tv producer who proposes a bake-off between these two for this one town. miles edgeworth von karma the prodigy and phoenix wright the underdog. it's compelling tv.

but as the two are duking it out in the kitchen, the producers are unraveling the story in real time. former childhood friends, separated suddenly through a happenstance unfortunate tragedy, and neither seems to have fully caught on...

behind the scenes, though, they are. they're forced to work in closer proximity to one another like this. stilted, awkward conversations happen and revelations start to give rise. phoenix learns why miles had to move. his mom had remarried abruptly after the death of his dad. it was a whirlwind of a year, and it had been hard. that was how he ended up a von karma and how he'd lost his love for baking when his skills had been twisted for the von karma's own businesses.

miles' entire career, while reflective of his inherent talent, was orchestrated and exploited entirely by von karma all for financial and social status.

and this reignites that same piece of phoenix that wanted to make miles' birthday special when they were kids. he has to make miles remember what he loved about baking in the first place. he has to make him feel loved not for how rich or famous miles can make him but for no other reason than because that's what people deserve to feel.

phoenix's goal in the competition shifts from winning for its prize but to make something that will remind miles of that part of himself.

meanwhile, miles has been dripfed hints to his and phoenix's missed connection over the course of filming this competition... by the crew and by phoenix himself. but even though he can feel the shame crawling in as he starts to remember more about their childhood together and who phoenix was to him then and now... he has a reputation to uphold. he simply has to win.

and he does. technically. miles edgeworth manages to beat phoenix wright in this baking competition and the von karma name is expected to be preserved. franziska is ecstatic and is sure to let her little brother know that this reality television business is interested in new seasons where the von karmas compete with other quirky small bakeries and what a wonderful business venture, daddy would be so proud...

but miles can't find happiness in this victory. not knowing that the man he beat was once a dear friend who had pursued this career out of inspiration and admiration of him. so he has to do what's right and apologize.

he goes back to the place where it all began. to phoenix's bakery. and he is met with the ugliest chocolate cupcakes he has ever seen in his life and the goofiest smile he's seen in years standing behind them.

"congratulations, miles. and happy birthday."

I've seen some cute Narumitsu coffee shop/bakery/something like that au's and they're great but with all that cuteness I kind of miss the first game's canonical homoerotic rivalry between these two. Like imagine two bakers who are archenemies. And Edgeworth is 100% serious about his war with Phoenix. "That moron Wright will never make perfect sugar bunny cupcakes!My desserts were made under the guidance of the greatest pastry chef von Karma! He won't stand a chance against my Steel Samurai chocolate berry cookies"

Plus remember the whole DL-6 Incident started with a confectioner competition so why not?

(potentially something similar has already been written, I haven't read fanfics for a long time)

[zeni-macroura]

i think meeting phoenix again through this trial would have shaken him even more than facing phoenix in court for the first time. i don't think his heart had hardened quite enough yet, and seeing phoenix as the defendant would bring nigh traumatizing flashbacks to the boy he was in the middle of repressing.

phoenix is a reminder of the kid who believed in heroes. a representation of everything miles was and who he wanted to be. so having to prosecute the boy he defended with his whole heart would bring to the surface all of those "unnecessary feelings" a thousand times over because that kid still isn't quite behind him yet.

i don't think it would put him on the path to truth but i also don't think his motivation would be that perfect von karma record anymore. it would be full of projection and desperation. it's not the guilty verdict he'd be after, but retribution. it would be his way of seeking a punishment for the person he blames for his father's death. not phoenix, but himself.

phoenix's innocence would come as a relief in some ways. like how your body fights to not let you drown yourself and that first breath of air gives your body that shot of oxytocin- he NEEDS phoenix to be innocent.

but the pain deep inside from failing to end it would only come back harder. because phoenix being innocent suggests the possibility that miles might be, too, and that is not something he WANTS.

I'm interested in your opinion both as an nrmt shipper and as an AA player in general(contains T&T spoilers)

I've seen both options in fanfics and here are the reasons why both of them are possible:

-Edgeworth has already seen Dahlia and, despite his obsession with winning, maybe he will finally realize that leaving her free is dangerous.When Phoenix eats the pendant, it will probably remind him of some unpleasant memories and he will definitely panic and call a doctor. maybe he'll also find out that Phoenix is ​​studying law for him and that'll impress him?

-But in Turnabout Sisters he was willing to send Phoenix to jail without any evidence, though he was probably blackmailed by White.I also think age and experience played a role in his change of personality meaning 20yo Miles was probably more obsessed with "guilty" no matter what compared to 24yo.

I'm also curious to know what you think will happen after this (regardless of the outcome chosen). Will Miles want to talk to Phoenix again or will he need more time (considering Phoenix is ​​not a lawyer yet and it was Mia who brought him defeat). If the second option happens, will Phoenix want to continue studying to be a lawyer or will he hate Edgeworth and quit(consider how Phoenix treats him in the first game)?Or will he continue his studies but not for the sake of saving Miles?

[zeni-macroura]

franziska coming around on phoenix as she grows older and finally admits her harshness was never his fault but instead her jealousy that he could stand next to edgeworth, who always felt so far out of her reach and would never return her love (not romantic just deep admiration and respect) the way he clearly did phoenix's

she finally "concedes defeat" and treats phoenix with kindness and without any expectation of reciprocation because doing so is the most pure act of love she can do for miles. and since she's finally accepted that love should be given without expecting anything in return, that it be unconditional, she is also finally able to open up to receive love in ways she never expected and realized she needed. 

phoenix, being who he is, forgives like everything is a fresh start, and his warmth completely knocks her off her feet and everything is suddenly clear to her. "ah. this is why he loves him. this is why i could never do what he did."

and suddenly, phoenix is her big brother. not little brother like miles but genuinely sincerely the figure in her life she should have had all along. her father had trauma bonded her to miles and she had no other guiding mentors, but now she has big brother phoenix.

miles has no idea when this happened. he doesn't understand at all how his little sister, who chided and harassed this man he loved, suddenly stopped looking down on him and began looking up to him. he's grateful, her approval of his partner means more than he'll ever be able to say, but he's lost. 

phoenix gets it. he does not tease her the way he does maya because he knows how prized and vulnerable and fragile and valuable the kindness of franziska von karma is, how it should be cherished as the priceless gemstone it is. 

they bicker. they have different tastes in music and art. they debate like two old men in the box seats of a theatre. but the barbs are a love language. the attacks lack their old spite and volatility. it is a choreographed dance rather than a spar. sometimes, people forget that miles was the one she had been raised with.

when phoenix and miles marry, franziska dances with each of them in lieu of the parent-child dance. she leads miles, but she lets phoenix lead her. 

he thanks her and promises he will take care of miles the way she had for so many years. she smiles and admits "i know."