#and then asougi was like RIGHT THERE and NOT SMILING AT ALL this is too funny đđđ i miss his smile so much *starts crying*
Word count:Â 2467
Chapters:Â 1/1
Rating:Â Gen
Relationships: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame, Susato Mikotoba & Kazuma Asougi
Characters:Â Susato Mikotoba, Haori Murasame, Kazuma Asougi, Yuujin Mikotoba
Additional tags:Â Missing Scene, Foreshadowing, An Ungodly Amount of Dramatic Irony, Canon Compliant, (i think), POV Susato Mikotoba, Character Study
Summary:
Hold it! Susatoâs hand flies up to her mouth as the gears in her brain finally start to spin. Itâs the day â the day theyâre about to set out to Great Britain â and she isnât even done packing yet!
âIâll be right there!â she shouts to her sort-of-brother and her best friend, before dashing towards her own luggage.
Or: In which Susato Mikotoba sets out on her journey to London, featuring complicated siblings, the slow onset of a blossoming crush, and the beginning of a story that will definitely go well for all involved.
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âSuuuuu!â
Haoriâs vocal chords are truly impressive â her voice manages to reach Susato even from two floors below. Susato peers out the window and is greeted with the sight of Haori waving at her from the courtyard.
Susato grins and waves back, then squints. Rubs the sleep out of her eyes. Is that Kazuma next to her?
Yes, it is â he lifts a hand in greeting, mouth ticking up in obvious amusement at Haoriâs enthusiasm. In his other hand are several bags, and on the ground is a very large trunk. Susatoâs clearly not awake enough for this, because she could swear that trunk just movedâŚ
Hold it! Susatoâs hand flies up to her mouth as the gears in her brain finally start to spin. Itâs the day â the day theyâre about to set out to Great Britain â and she isnât even done packing yet!
âIâll be right there!â she shouts to her sort-of-brother and her best friend, before dashing towards her own luggage.
A few minutes later sheâs dragging her two bags down the stairs (one for books, one for everything else) and into the sunny courtyard. Haori rushes to take a bag for her, then nearly doubles over from the weight. âRookie mistake,â Kazuma murmurs, and Susato canât help but laugh even as she eases the luggage out of Haoriâs grip.
âI didnât know you were coming,â she says to Haori, who is still massaging her arm with amazement written all over her face.
âWhat kind of best friend would I be if I didnât see you off?â Haori smiles at her while Susato tries to hide a wince. Sheâs only met Naruhodou-sama once, but Kazuma speaks of him often. Why isnât he here, after Kazuma helped defend him against murder?
Kazuma quirks a reassuring smile in Susatoâs direction, like heâs read her mind, and she relaxes. He explains, âMurasame-san insisted on accompanying us to the harbor, so I insisted on sharing our ride with her. It should be along soon.â
Susato nods. She and Kazuma said their goodbyes to Grandmother yesterday â too cruel to force her to wake up at the crack of dawn for this â so that just leaves⌠âWhat about Father?â
âProfessor Mikotobaâs at the docks already,â Kazuma says. âHe wanted to get the paperwork for our exchange student trip in order with the sailors.â
Susatoâs still not used to hearing Kazuma call her father â their father â Professor Mikotoba. She understands why, of course: Kazuma Asougiâs adoption into the Mikotoba family is on strict need-to-know basis. Itâs secret even from Haori, who comes over to study almost every week; itâs why Father refers to him as Asougi-kun outside their walls and Kazuma-kun within it. But sheâs never been able to call him anything but Kazuma-sama, even though on his part â
âJudicial Assistant Mikotoba, could you help me lift this trunk?â
There it is.
âComing,â Susato calls. Kazuma, she thinks, is deceptively good at facades.
The two rickshaws are waiting on the road already. After Susato and Kazuma heave the trunk into one (maybe sheâs still not fully awake, because thereâs a sound like a human âOw!â as they tip it into the compartment) and they pay the drivers, the two of them â plus Haori â squish together on the seat of the other rickshaw, and theyâre off.
âI still canât believe youâre both going to England,â Haori gushes as the cartâs wheels rattle under them. âWeâve read about it so much, havenât we, Su?â
âWe have,â Susato agrees, smiling. âOh, thatâs right â I told Father to give you the Randst Magazine issues that will arrive while Iâm gone, so you can keep reading The Bride of Hallowâs Eve.â Itâs a time-honored tradition between them: Susato reads every monthly issue from cover to cover (though really the highlight is always The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), then gives it to Haori so she can read her favorite parts (usually the serialized romances). Susato would hate for it to stop just because of the addition of an ocean between them.
âOh, thanks so much, Su!â Haori clasps her hands together in delight. âYouâre so gallant!â
âTh-thatâs not the right adjective for a girl, I think,â Susato deflects. Heat is rising to her face. Kazuma smirks sideways at her but stays silent.
âBut thereâs no better one for you!â Haori giggles, the smile lines of her eyes creasing, as Susatoâs face goes even redder. âYouâre like a gentleman in a girlâs body, Susato.â
âUm,â Susato says. Alongside the embarrassment, thereâs a confusing, fizzy joy filling her chest that she doesnât know how to deal with. Susato Mikotoba, gentleman. She could get used to that. âIââ
âWould you look at that, weâre almost there,â Kazuma swoops in. Susato shoots him a grateful look for the rescue. âJudicial Assistant Mikotoba, you remember what to say when we embark, yes?â
âOf course,â Susato says. They had practiced how to get past the expected questions â why Kazumaâs judicial assistant was female, why she was not yet of age, how they had met each other in the first place. âIf all else fails, Iâll simply give them my best Susato Toss!â
âAnd Iâll come running with Karuma.â Kazuma pats the sword thatâs always hanging by his side. âJust give me a shout.â
âI will,â Susato promises, as the cart rounds a corner and she first glimpses the hulking silhouette of the S.S. Burya. At least the happiness that buoys her now is familiar. Itâs really happening, isnât it! Sheâs going to England with Kazuma by her side, and sheâll finally get to practice in an actual court, and sheâll make her father proud and have so many stories for her grandma, andâŚ
âI just wish you could come too,â she tells Haori. Then the tableau in her head would be flawless. âIâm sure you could learn as much about medicine as I could about the law in England.â That was close to what her father had done for six years, wasnât it?
Haori sighs. âI know⌠but Su, you deserve this most out of anyone! You studied so hard to go! Donât hold yourself back because of me!â She leans forward to stare intensely into Susatoâs eyes. âYouâre the most upstanding judicial assistant I know!â
Susato is fairly sure sheâs the only judicial assistant Haori knows, but still she blushes when she answers: âWell, I doubt I deserve it more than Kazuma-sama, but Iâll⌠try to remember that. Thank you, Haori-sama.â
âThere you go talking like an old man again,â Haori laughs, settling back into her seat. Susato immediately misses the weight of her gaze. âJust remember to write.â
âOf course I will,â Susato says, the words as light as air, just as the carriage grinds to a stop near the entrance to the harbor and the driver hollers for them to disembark.
As Kazuma heads towards his luggage (to⌠sweet-talk it down? She loves Kazuma, but sometimes he really is strange), Susato offers an arm for Haori to step down from the rickshaw. Haori takes it gracefully, and Susato wonders at how easily their hands fit in each otherâs. Haori has a singular calluse at the base of her thumb â testament to the years sheâs spent writing medical reports, Susato knows â and suddenly Susatoâs heart aches.
Sheâll miss Haori. For all that her father calls her mature for her age, this realization hits her with all the impossible longing associated with being a sixteen-year-old in love.
(Not that Susato is â not like that â not â)
How long until she sees her again? Itâs not as though Susato is anyone special â what if she returns to Japan and Haori has forgotten all about her? What if England tears the memory of her best friend away from Susato and she comes back unrecognizable? What ifâŚ
âSu?â
âJudicial Assistant Mikotoba?â
The voices reach her simultaneously and she realizes sheâs been staring at Haori for⌠entirely too long. Kazumaâs trunk is already being carried away by some sailors, in fact.
âAhhhhh! Iâm sorry!â She lets go of Haoriâs hand, face burning, and picks up her luggage. âIâll go put this on board!â
âSusatoââ Kazuma calls after her, but sheâs already gone.
The sailor she meets doesnât know any Japanese and Susato doesnât know any Russian, but they manage to meet in the middle with awkward English. Sheâs studied enough British law books to at least warn him that the bags are heavy before he takes them, though heâs not convinced until he fails to lift one and has to call another person over. Susato frowns to herself as she walks back to where Kazuma and Haori are. She really needs to brush up on her general English once sheâs on the shipâŚ
She spots Haori standing quietly next to her father, whoâs discussing ship logistics with Kazuma, when she returns. âJudicial Assistant Mikotoba,â Kazuma says easily as he looks up. âSo you didnât need any violence after all.â
âThey didnât ask me anything,â Susato reports. Sheâs almost disappointed â she had practiced the right level of friendliness and all. (And the optimal method for a Susato Toss.) âPerhaps they will upon boarding?â
âPerhaps,â Kazuma agrees, then steps aside respectfully as Susatoâs father hands her a boarding ticket. She runs a finger over the gilded paper, the excitement rising again despite herself. How thrilling, being on a steamship for the first time! Itâs like a scene straight out of the Adventures! Oh, to be carried through the waves and inhale the salty air of the seven seas!
She only barely manages to rein herself in enough to hear her father say, âAsougi-kun, your cabin is on the top deck. Susato, yours is in steerage.â
âOh.â Susato blinks. For some reason sheâd been imagining them in adjacent rooms. âWeâre going to be far apart then?â
A split second of conflict washes over Haoriâs face before it resolves into determination. âThat isnât right, Professor Mikotoba! Su shouldnât be separated from the attorney sheâs assisting!â
âYes, itâs quite unfortunate,â Susatoâs father agrees gently. âBut as I understand it, the other priority cabin has been reserved for someone boarding at⌠Shanghai, I believe?â
âShanghai, China,â Susato murmurs to herself. Sheâs read about it in some magazines as well, but she can still hardly imagine the place. âThatâs where our kanji characters come from.â
âThatâs right.â Her father sighs. âIâm sorry I couldnât get you a better cabin, Susato.â
Haori looks downward, a little wistful. âItâs so unfair how theyâre making you stay aloneâŚâ
âIâll be fine,â Susato lies. âItâs not as though Kazuma-sama could bring anyone onboard, either. And I need the studying time!â
âSpeaking of which.â Kazuma casts a glance at the ship. Is that guilt in his expression? No, it canât be. âWe should probably getââ
The shipâs horn blows. They all jump, Susato clapping her hands over her ears.
ââgoing,â Kazuma finishes. âI think I have to check in with the sailors guarding the first-class deck as well.â
Susato nods, then turns to face her father and her best friend, trying to conjure up her resolve. âI suppose this is goodbye for now, Father, Haori-sama.â
Her father takes a few steps closer and then, unexpectedly, wraps her in a hug. She buries her face in his shoulder â sheâs almost as tall as he is now, she realizes. âBe careful,â he whispers into her ear. âRemember that youâre a young woman in a foreign country. Safety is always the first priority.â
âIâll keep that in mind,â Susato says, as he lets go and looks her up and down, like heâs trying to memorize the look of her even after ten years.
âGood.â He turns to Kazuma, doesnât hug him but does ruffle his bangs affectionately. Itâs a dangerous action around someone like Haori who doesnât know about their family situation, Susato knows, and her throat aches at the sight of Kazumaâs answering smile. âThe same goes for you, young man. Be careful. Some things should be avoided even when youâre carrying Karuma.â
Kazumaâs hand drifts to his hip, brushing over the hilt of the Asougi clan sword. He'd fought for weeks to gain permission to carry Karuma onboard, Susato knows. His voice is a little rough as he answers, âI know.â
âHey Su,â Haori pipes up, and Susato turns. âI, um, got you something. Hold out your hand?â
Susato does. She watches Haori fish around in the folds of her clothing and find something that she presses into Susatoâs palm. Susato has enough time to process that itâs small and made of iron before Haori gently closes Susatoâs fingers around it. For someone who spends a lot of time in laboratories, Haoriâs hands are surprisingly warm, Susato thinks.
âItâs a good-luck charm,â Haori explains. âFrom the temple near our house â they said it would protect against any natural disasters and sea monsters. I know youâre a scientific person and everything and so am I but I thought you might want one and I wanted you to have it because Iâll be worried about you because who knows what could happen on a steamshipââ
âHaori-sama,â Susato says.
âEep!â Haori stops. âYes?â
Susato swallows. âI love it. Thank you.â
âYou havenât even looked at it yet,â Haori says, a pink tinge settling on her cheekbones.
âIâd love anything you gave me,â Susato says. It comes out far too sincere, but when Haori blushes harder she finds she doesnât mind.
The horn blows again, making Susato wince. âI suppose we really must be going now, Kazuma-sama?â
âRight,â Kazuma says. âThank you for seeing us off, Professor Mikotoba and Murasame-san.â
âOf course,â says Susatoâs father. âAh â Susato, you know your grandmother canât stand chilly mornings, but she did want me to pass on her well wishes.â
âTell Grandma Iâll write,â Susato responds.
âWeâll miss you, Su, Asougi-san!â Haori clasps her hands together. âYou both have to tell me all about London!â
Susatoâs throat suddenly feels tight. Oh no, is she about to cry? She blinks quickly and only just manages to say, âOf course.â
âJudicial Assistant Mikotoba,â Kazuma warns, flicking his eyes towards the Burya.
Oh, and despite how long sheâd practiced for this day itâs so hard to leave them. Her father, her grandmother, Haori⌠Is it wrong of Susato to board this steamship now? To abandon them all the same way that, sixteen years ago, her father â
No. No, she canât think that way. Susato forces a wobbly smile on her face and says, âYes, letâs be off.â
And as they walk up the gangplank, as they stand on the deck of the mighty S.S. Burya, as the shipâs horn blows its final warning and they wave to the two tiny figures on the ground â Susato comforts herself: at least she knows that Kazuma will always be by her side.
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Chapters: 4/8
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Naruhodou Ryuunosuke, Asougi Kazuma, Mikotoba Susato, Sherlock Holmes | Herlock Sholmes (Dai Gyakuten Saiban), Barok van Zieks, Iris Watson | Iris Wilson, Tobias Gregson (Dai Gyakuten Saiban), Gina Lestrade (Dai Gyakuten Saiban), Mikotoba Yuujin
Additional Tags: Dai Gyakuten Saiban | The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Spoilers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, What-If
Summary:
Spoilers for The Great Ace Attorney 1 and 2
Alternative universe - Kazuma makes to England, but their trip is nothing like Ryunosuke expected. Caught between his convictions and his best friendâs wishes, will Ryunosuke be able to support Kazuma as increasing pressures put him at risk of losing his soul?
â
(Read Chapter 1 here)
Chapter 4
The next morning, a certain gloom fell upon Baker Street. Sholmesâ mood was incomprehensible as usual, but Ryunosuke knew why Kazuma was withdrawn at leastâhe was still considering what he just learned, and undoubtedly lost sleep over it. If he had drawn any conclusions, he was not inclined to share. In addition, he had an impending deadline for a thesis chapter to send to the university that kept him glued to his desk, barely speaking except to ask Susato to reference a book.
Since they were busy, Ryunosuke went by himself to the door, putting on his cap and cloak. As he was about to open the door, Iris appeared.
âOoh, can I come with you, Runo? Are you going to the Great Exhibition?â She clasped her hands together, beaming.
He almost caved at her smile but was determined. âYou can come, but Iâm actually going to the Prosecutorâs office.â
âOh! Well, that sounds fun too!â She hoisted her smoke gun, ready for any adventure.
âI want to see if Lord van Zieks is well after the attack in the paper this morning. Just, umâŚdonât tell Kazuma, all right?â
âIf I come along, then I wonât have to keep the secret!â
The October breeze grew chillier by the day. That was why he was shivering, Ryunosuke told himself, even when they stepped out of the wind and stood before the door to the Reaper of the Baileyâs personal lair. He took a breath to prepare himself and contemplated giving up the whole thing, until Iris went ahead and knocked on the door herself. Before he could lose his nerve, he went in.
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Beyond the Screen
Kazuma Asougi Ă Author
SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY CHRONICLES ~ Read ahead at your own risk!
Rating: E
Word Count: 2.7k
WARNINGS: unintentional public indecency, power imbalance if you squint, marathon sex, oral (male and female receiving), biting, hair-pulling, cream pie, one singular brief mention of smoking, totally 100% platonic displays of affection
Summary: When a dedicated fan snagged herself a front row seat to one of Kar(u)maâs concerts, she was certain that she wouldnât have the chance to stand so close to the world-famous singer and activist ever again.
Part I ⢠Part II ⢠Part III ⢠Masterlist
Key: *ăăăăĺŽç§ă ă â âAhh, thatâs perfect.â
âSo, how did you like your exclusive tour of Kazuma Asougiâs private residence?â
Once heâd finished showing me around, it was past midnight. Heâd just walked in after washing up and changing into a fresh set of sweatpants and a tank top, having left me to make myself comfortable in his bedroom. His bedroom.
âWhat were some highlights? Just curious.â
For a moment, I was too stunned by his wet-haired, bare-faced glory to even realise he was actually standing in front of me and asking me a question.
âOh.â My cheeks glowed with warmth. âI donât know. It⌠Itâs just all soâŚa-amazing,â I so eloquently replied. His place was the opposite of ostentatious; a narrow, two-storey studio flat in a terrace on the quiet and suburban Briar Road, which Iâd never even heard of before heâd brought me there. There were two bedrooms, one of which heâd converted into his studio where he wrote, recorded, and produced nearly all his music, and the other boasting a pleasant little veranda that overlooked his pleasant little backyard. His studio was just what Iâd always imagined it would be, and all throughout the flat there were small things I recognised from historic events in his career and various posts on Instagram and so on, such as the Eurovision trophy being proudly displayed on a shelf above his work space and the Queen vinyl records hanging on the wall of his room. On the other hand, in addition to the things I recognised, there were others that had never been shown publicly as far as I knew, like an award for some kind of high school debate or speech tournament or some such in Japan. âI donât think I could pick a favourite thing about this place,â I simpered and silently added, other than the fact that you live here. âHonestly Iâm still not one-hundred-percent convinced this isnât a dream.â
âYes, wellâŚI can see why youâd feel like that.â His ears had taken on a glaring shade of red for some reason, making me want to scream from the rooftops how candidly adorable he was being. He cleared his throat. âI think Iâve shown you just about all thatâd be of interest to a very important fan like you.â I was about to correct him by saying how everything about this place, and about him, was interestingâbeyond interestingâwhen he turned to face me in earnest. âYouâll be sure to keep the, uhâŚsensitive information to yourself, right?â
âYes! Of course!â I nearly shuddered. âOh, God, I would never even think aboutâŚyou know, not doing that. I mean it.â As guilty and ashamed as it mightâve made me feel knowing that I and I alone had just gotten a glimpse into the Kar(u)maâs everyday life, I was obviously going to have to act like tonight had never happened, for my own sake just as much as for his. Shaking my head, I thought it best not to dwell any further on the weight of it all. I probably wasnât the first person heâd ever brought home with him after a concert anyway. I couldnât be.
But I was.
It was a relief to see him smiling at me again, at least. âI appreciate it.â I returned the look, watching him take a seat on the edge of the mattress. âRight, then. While I have you hereâŚâ Already teasing at my waistline with his eyes, he gave the space beside him two indicative pats: a silent invitation.
It wasnât much longer before my prized tee, ruined skirt, and borrowed jacket were all abandoned in a heap on his floor.
She didnât seem like the very physically active type. Her delicate constitution combined with the way her legs shivered in the effort to carry her weight above me gave away as much. She kept using my shoulders as leverage to support herself with her arms as I took matters into my own hands, holding her in place with my palms and driving myself up and into her with my legs. My mouth found a spot on her heaving chest and latched onto it, sucking one breathless moan out of her after another as my mind continued to wander. What are her turn-ons? What are her most perverse fantasies? What kind of person is she? Do she and I have any of the same tastes? What are her hobbies?
This was getting out of hand. On any other night, Iâd have been satisfied knowing just the fact that the person Iâd been fucking had been my fan. On any other night, Iâd have sent them home from the venue without thinking to ask so much as their name, let alone what they liked to do in their spare time or how many people theyâd dated. That I was wondering all of the above about her was unfair, for one thing, and dangerous for another.
Even with all the things about her that were still a mystery to me, one thing was alarmingly clear: she was gorgeous. I couldnât put my finger on any one feature that she possessed, but I swear her beauty was doubleânoâtriple what it had been when Iâd first lain eyes on her in the crowd just a few hours earlier. On top of that, I couldnât place it, but something about the way she carried herself had me in the clutches of a striking sense of nostalgia. I dismissed the thoughts, fallaciously writing it off as nothing more than a side effect of being so deep in the throes of passion with her. Naturally anyone would look prettier and feel closer with my marks scattered prodigally across their skin while they got drunk and delirious on the feeling of my dick plowing into them from below.
Giving into my fatal curiosity, I fell out of my unwavering rhythm for a moment and into an easy, unhurried, yet deep-as-hell grind as I said, âIâm sorry. I donât think I caught your name.â
âHnhhâŚ?â Her eyes opened. âOh. Emily.â
ââEmilyâŚââ My own eyes fluttered closed as I thought out loud, ăăăăĺŽç§ă *ă
Saying the name again and letting my head roll back, I savoured the way each sound rolled off my tongue. Even her name was pretty. My head was followed by the rest of me, sinking into the mass of pillows behind me as I picked up my previous pace with my legs.
I held her steady by the waist when she started teetering, and her movements became noticeably more fluid as she relaxed in my hands. Each time she did something that I subconsciously found cute, which really was everything from biting back a whine to squeezing her tummy in around my throbbing heat, her infuriatingly perfect name would echo from the bottom of my throat as I railed into her quicker and harder and sloppier. In no time flat, my breaths were hitched and heavy to match hers. I wasnât taking my eyes off her faltering frame, nor my ears off her soft, kittenish voice, for one second, and all the attention was getting to her, by the looks of it.
Just when I caught her legs faltering, I angled my hips in such a way as to hit her A-spot, and her eyes flew open. âKazuma!â she gasped wildly.
Her face flushed, hips frozen in my grasp while my own pressed on harder and faster still, spurred on by her every expression. âEmilyâŚ!â
Her brow was scrunched in apparent horror at her crumbling self-control as she folded over flat on top of me, chest-to-chest, gagging herself on my semi-clothed shoulder. My arms wrapped around her automatically. âKazu-mAâaHh!â
Her broken squeals were raw and vial and everything Iâd ever dared to dream of. The sheer ecstasy splitting her voice in two was addictive, making my whole body ache with need. âFuckâ!â My thighs were on fire, as was my face, but I couldnât stop. Mouth wide and panting, my words started stumbling into one and other. âEmily, youâre doing it again, youâre gonna make meânh-hahh, fuck! Fuck!â My nails sank into her arching back. âEmily!â
It was the strongest, longest, highest high Iâd experienced since farther back than my blissed-out brain could reach, and I could tell she was feeling no lower nor less weightless than I was.
As we slowly came floating back down from cloud nine, our bodies lying limp and heaving in a carefree heap, my mind was clear of any and all thoughts save for one; this feelingâthe feeling of her spent limbs tangled together with mine and her warm torso pressed flush against me and her tender insides weakly clinging to both my softening shaft and my white-hot seedâwas too precious to ever let go of.
For a moment, I returned to my senses, turning my head and seeing hers nestled motionlessly in the crook of my shoulder. A gentle call of her name caught in my throat, dissipating into little more than an apprehensive puff of air as it passed my lips. The poor thing was quickly fading, that was if she wasnât completely out already, but she still had mascara coating her lashes and concealer covering her under-eyes and everything. There was the guilt of putting her fair skin at risk by allowing her to sleep with her face caked in makeup to think about, but the alternative was to commit the unthinkable grievance of waking up someone so deathly tired, not to mention how perfect she looked in that moment with the smile in her closed eyes and the soft parting of her lips.
Before I could conceive of a solution to our dilemma, I found myself jolting awake, realising her exhaustion was rubbing off on me. At that point, all I could think to do for her was undo what was left of her ruined ponytail. I mouthed a heartfelt apology against the shell of her ear, then with care, let the shimmering river of bronze flow out over her shoulder and waterfall down her side and mine. Her hair tie never quite made it out of my loosening grip.
Just as I finally closed my eyes and surrendered to the overpowering pull of sleep, it distantly occurred to me that I hadnât lit a single cigarette that evening.
My eyes watered in protest of my first attempt to peel them open. As I came back to life little by little, the first thing to greet me was the feeling of sheets against my otherwise naked body, tucked neatly up over my shoulders.
These werenât my sheets. This wasnât my bed.
Oh.
I opened my eyes, but my host, whom Iâd so carelessly fallen asleep on, wasnât where Iâd left him.
âKazumaâŚ?â I wheezed. Wheezed. When in all my days of life had been the last time Iâd actually wheezed from a place of authenticity? Maybe after a BTS concert, I supposed. My voice was in absolute ruin. Could I really have overdone it that badly the previous night?
Donning my clothesâShit, how long has that rip been there?!âand stepping out the door to his room, it didnât take me long to figure out that I was the only one there. The place was silent, and it was compact enough that I was confident Iâd have been able to hear any happenings from that spot in the hallway where I stood. Without purpose, I withdrew into the bedroom again. My eyes went to the clock on his dresser. â10:12 am.â God, heâd probably left home hours ago. Nice going, Emily.
But when I went to check my phone, there was a sticky note attached to its screen, and placed next to it was a pack of what looked to be makeup removing wipes. As if this morning wasnât embarrassing enough alreadyâŚ
The handwriting on the note was rushed yet refined, each line straight and sharp with barely a break between each letter, just like what was scrawled all over the special piece of confetti from the concert.
âSorry I couldnât be there when you woke up. Manager said I was needed at the stadium asap. Thereâs stuff for breakfast set out in the kitchen. Help yourself to whatever looks good. The front door locks automatically so feel free to stay as long as you like. xx
âText me if you need anything â 020 7946 0732â
My hand dropped to my side, still holding onto his note. Youâve got to be kidding⌠It was common knowledge that he, as stated in a plethora of past panels and interviews, had more faith in all those that supported him than in anyone else, and this was reasonable enough to believe considering all that âKar(u)maâ stood for both as an upstanding activist and outstanding figure of society. Notwithstanding this, I couldnât have imagined the sheer depth of the absolute trust he had in his fans, until that moment.
Apart from that revelation, however, my eyes couldnât help but linger on the two little âxâs appended to the foot of the main paragraph. As they peered back at me, a spot on my forehead tingled with a strange warmth that faded just as soon as Iâd noticed it.
Swallowing my shame, I took the makeup wipes to the bathroom to clean myself up. There I stood in front of the mirror, and the girl staring back at me, her neck and chest peppered with bite marks and bruises, was another brutal reminder that I hadnât just dreamt the whole thing. That all of the events of the night before had been completely and undeniably real. As my face grew hot with a rush of excitement and horror and disbelief all at once, the girl in the mirrorâs cheeks turned bright red, both of us struggling to hold eye contact.
Once satisfied that Iâd gotten all the product off my flakey, broken-out face, wondering in vain which of this personâs features heâd found so exceptionally attractive, I made my way down to the kitchen where I helped myself to some cereal and perched on the stool at the counter. As soon as I was finished, I would gather my things and head for the nearest bus stop. Iâd already lingered here for far longer than acceptable, regardless of what was written on that piece of paper. Thank goodness I didnât have any major responsibilities today. Even after a full ten hours of sleep, my body was still recovering.
While I sat there pondering my current circumstances over my bowl full of milk and carbohydrates which Iâd just consensually stolen from my number one celebrity crush of all time, I figured the least I could do was shoot him a text. To just leave without saying anything wouldâve been unspeakably rude of me.
âHello, Kar(u)ma.â
No, no, way too formal. Backspace backspace backspace.
âHi Kazuma!â
Ew, what� No. Backspace backspace.
âGood morning Kazuma~ Itâs Emily. Just thought Iâd send you a text saying thank you for breakfast as well as the amazing time I got to spend with you. Hope the next two nights of concerts are just as much fun as last nightâsâ
There, good enough. Send.
Afterwards I politely put my empty bowl and utensil in the dishwasher. I was just on my way out when a buzz from my phone made me pause in the entryway.
It was him.
âNo need to thank me, I had fun too. I like you :) We should do this again some timeâ
As if his note hadnât been enough, I read these words at least five times over, hands shaking and heart pounding and rattling my ribcage. I kept staring at them until I could make out every last pixel.
What had I gotten myself into?
I clumsily set my phone face-down on the vanity behind me. âDamn it, EmilyâŚâ I slumped lower in the chair, legs spread, breath hitched, and face flushed. Footsteps echoed busily outside the locked dressing room door. I groaned, holding back from bucking up into my hands while they pumped recklessly at my rigid, precum-leaking cock. My mind kept wondering how beautiful she mightâve looked without her makeup.
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Request for Mod Betty! Can I ask for headcanons about how would Herlock, Kazuma, Barok, and Ryuunosuke react if their crush remembered something they mentioned a long time ago please?
Sorry this took so long ! Didn't have motivation to write so I'm sorry for the delay! But I hope you enjoy reading nonetheless!Â
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Fandom: Ace AttorneyÂ
Characters: Herlock Sholmes, Kazuma Asougi, Barok van Zieks, Ryuunosuke NaruhodoÂ
Author: Mod Betty
Warnings: Spoilers if you squint ( mainly on Kazuma's part so beware!)Â
Reader is gender neutralÂ
Word count: 1340 words
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âđđŁđđ đđ đđđ đđđđ¤
-Herlock tends to boast a lot about his oh so great adventures, especially his book
- You had to admit those stories did leave you in awe of the detectives bravery and recklessness but some stories did leave you giggling much to his embarrassmentÂ
-It's been years since he first told you about his first ever case a detective with his partnerÂ
-You figured that today is a day to celebrate a little anniversary if you will, the good the detective had to be rewarded for all his years of solving crime right?
-If Iris' help you 2 planned a perfect little party for 3 of you since Ryuunosuke and Susato left for JapanÂ
-While Herlock was busy doing who knows what you were off to a store with Iris to guy ingredientsÂ
-Ingredient for what exactly? For a cake of course!Â
-Iris was a good helper and at keeping secrets from our dear HurleyÂ
-As soon as you 2 got home you started preparing the delicious goodsÂ
-By the time Herlock got back everything was already set and ready, with you and Iris already seated on the couchÂ
-" Welcome home dear" you greeted him getting up from your seat " What's the occasion? I'd hardly doubt you'd mistake my or Iris' birthdays" The boy asks, drooling at the sight of the food " We've prepared a little party for our great detective silly!" Iris chimed in " I figured since it's been over a decade since you became detective we'd celebrate your hard work, I remember you told me way back when that this day was the day you became a detective all those years ago" you explained while putting his coat away on the coat hanger next to the doorÂ
-You actually remembered something as small as that!? Looks like you've got a detective's memory just like him
-He's so moved " Oh dear you shouldn't have , come here , you too Iris" he said before engulfing you both into a tight hug,in which you both reciprocate the gesture " Oh what would I do without you two!" He cried out hugging you tighter before letting go and wiping his yesÂ
-" Come now this deliciousness isn't going to eat by itself " he said while dragging you both to the table in the living room
đđđŤđŚđđ đ¸đ¤đ đŚđđ
-He's not one to talk much, often busy or just preferring to sit with you in silenceÂ
-However he does enjoy talking about his life when he lived in Japan and honestly he's a great storyteller, only when he doesn't use complex words you don't understandÂ
-One thing that interested you was his sword he always carries Â
-You walked to your usual spot where to often talked about whatever was on your mind and you remembered about the swordÂ
-" Hey Kazuma I remember you telling me about how your sword is sort of like a symbol of the Asougi family right? Mind telling me how it became that in the first place?" You asked looking at your boyfriend " Oh you want to hear about the history of Karuma?" He asked , masking his surprise " Yeah I mean it seems something important to you right? Especially since you have it with you anywhere you go" you replied to his question with a smile while pointing at the sword on his waistÂ
-He started telling you the first ever mention of Karuma and how it was kept for generations leading up to the present and how many people in the Asougi family changed their name to Karuma in honor of the swordÂ
-You sat and listened as he kept telling you more thing with a smile on his faceÂ
-Despite his calm exterior Kazuma was still surprised you actually remembered stuff he tells you about his family and generally anything he tells you which he very much appreciatesÂ
đšđđŁđ đ đ§đđ đŤđđđđ¤
-Whenever Barok feels like it he likes to reminisce old stories about him and his brother as you sit next to him and listenÂ
-It's nice honestly to remember these nice moments,it was bittersweet nostalgia for the prosecutorÂ
-One thing you recalled was him and Klint playing chess together, Klint being the older one, often had to teach little Barok the ins and outs of chess but he got the hang of it quicklyÂ
-You decided maybe it would be nice to play a round or two of chess with him,since he spoke fondly of those memoriesÂ
-You already knew he had a chess board somewhere all you needed was a good moment to ask himÂ
-You yourself weren't too skillful at chess but maybe you can improve on those skills with Barok's helpÂ
-One day you managed to catch him reading a book on a sofa, legs crossed, completely focused, he seemed to have finished work for the dayÂ
- " Oh hey Barok!" You call out ,a bit too excited for your liking as you enter his office " Why hello dear, you seem awfully cheerful, might you enlighten me on what brought this excitement?" He asked closing the book after leaving a mark of where he left off " Well I've been thinking, I remember you mentioned on how you and Klint often played chess and I was wondering if maybe you can you know⌠teach me a couple of tricks" you asked looking at himÂ
-He was surprised you remembered something from his ramblings but he quickly recovered from his initial shock, a rare smile showing on his face " Why I'd be delighted , Wait here I'll bring the board and we'll begin our little battle of wits if you will" he said before getting up and grabbed the chess board that was sitting on a stool next to his deskÂ
-He first explained the basics, like what piece goes where and how it moves on the boardÂ
-The first couple of rounds he obviously beat you but he had to admit he was having funÂ
-If you eventually won against him he'd praise you while you cheer in gleeÂ
âđŞđŚđŚđđ đ¤đŚđđ âđđŁđŚđđ đđ
-Despite his more shy nature he loves to talk to you about all sorts of things, he could tell you like 10 things per hour if he really wanted toÂ
-One thing that stook out to you was his hobby of talking fast and learning tongue twisters, you haven't heard anyway that does that in their spare time especially as a hobby
-You were curious about his abilities but usually found both of yourselves busy and it eventually sort of slipped out of your mind till one day
-So on that day you came up to him and asked if about his little hobbyÂ
-'' So mind telling me more about the whole talking fast and learing tongue twisters hobby of yours? I remember you said that once but I sorta forgot to ask about it till now hehe.." you awkward Laughed as Ryburgh looks at you with shockÂ
-You actually wanted to learn more!? Well he's pumpedÂ
-" Well there are many I managed to learn back in Japan. Do you want to hear some?" He asked giddy like a little kid who just got candyÂ
-He also told you about the story of the speech competition and how Kazuma practically humiliated himself by not being able to say " men and women of all ages" which made you laugh at the thought of the stoic and serious student messing up so badÂ
-Ryuu probably has a book with tongue twisters on him so he'd probably drag you to his room and you 2 start your little tongue twister clubÂ
-The first couple of times you messed up pretty badly which caused both of you to laugh at your bumbling messÂ
-After thousands of reading different tongue twisters you were getting the hang of it and actually had even more funÂ
-Ryuunosuke usually found himself silently smiling as your eyes light up when you finally managed to say a particular tongue twister without messing upÂ
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"i think you're afraid to be happy" + asoryuu ?? (sorry idk your live action blorbos)
20. âI think youâre just afraid to be happyâ
âAâsouâgi!â comes a whine from his left, and Kazuma looks up from where he's been idly staring at the road they walk upon. Naruhodou's face is terribly flushed as he speaks, âIt was supposed to be your night of celeâ celiâ your night of party, but the only one who got drunk is me. What's with that?â
âI had some drinks, too,â he replies. His friends from Law at said night of party had made sure of that. âIt's not my fault you can't hold your alcohol, Naruhodou.â
âRude,â his friend mutters, nearly trips on thin air, and continues, âI'm not that bad.â
Kazuma smiles, says, âSure, I'll believe you,â and returns to silently looking down at nothing in particular.
It's a fairly cold night, for a day in mid-October, but he finds himself not minding at all. He's happy to endure the frosty bites at his face, and even happier knowing that Naruhodou's dormitory is a ways away from the bar they just left. That means he has timeâtime to not think about what they just celebrated.
âYou're so quiet today,â Naruhodou remarks, after a beat, âWho'd think you got such great news, huh?â
Great news. Right.
âYou passed. You got in. Everything's great.â
He passed the exam. He got into the student exchange program. Everything should be great.
With awe in his voice, his friend says, âYou're going to London.â
You're going to London, that judge had said, but there's a catch.
âI wouldn't shut up about it, if I were you,â Naruhodou tells him, waves a slow hand in the air in front of the both of them. âImagine it. Defense Lawyer Kazuma Asougi, international attorney at law.â
That gets Kazuma to snicker. He'll be a lucky man if he gets to keep his job by the end of all this, much less his freedom.
âBut I just don't get it.â A drunken hiccup. âYou don't look excited at all.â
He should be. It's what he's wanted for years. He should be, but he's not.
âY'know what I think?â Naruhodou says, slowly, âI think you're just afraid to be happy.â
Kazuma stops dead in his tracks.
That's not true, he wants to say, but he'd be lying. You don't know anything, he wants to yell, but it's his own fault. Please come with me, he wants to ask, but he can't.
His friend takes plenty of steps ahead, alone. Kazuma just stares at the ground he's frozen on.
He is afraid. There's too much that could go wrong. London is not a place he knows, not with people he knows. He can't trust the city, not when it had already betrayed him years ago.
He is afraid. There is a mission and there is a man. He's expected to stain his katana with blood for knowledge in return. There's the catch.
He is afraid. The last time he was really, truly happy, it had ended with him receiving a trunk of his dead father's possessions, the burden of burying his mother, and a letter in English cursive proclaiming him a killer.
ââAsougi?â
He is afraid. Of course he is.
âI am happy,â he asserts, because Naruhodou doesn't know anything, and it's better to keep it that way. âIt's just hard to believe it's happening.â
âI know, I know.â Naruhodou smiles. âI was just joking.â
The tension gently uncoils, just like that, and Kazuma lets a warm breath out.
For something he was just drunkenly joking about, supposedly, it held more truth than most things Kazuma has heard in a long time.
He catches up to the other in a few quick strides, ruffling his hair. âNext time, don't sound so serious about it. You started seeming like a wise old sage, for a moment.â
âHey, don't blame me for talking weird. I'm still drunk,â argues Naruhodou, and clings to his arm. âNow keep walking and get me home, Mr. Exchange Student.â
Kazuma complies without complaint. The rest of the stroll back, Naruhodou manages to make him promise several things for the time he'll be gone. First, to write back as much as possible, especially about the intriguing cases he'll get. Second, to send those fancy photographs of the foreign city, and the foreign people, and especially the foreign food. Third, to not forget about him, even if he ends up staying there. To those, too, Kazuma complies without complaint.
Naruhodou wishes him a good night with a wide grin when Kazuma leaves him at his dorm building, but despite the practiced smile he gives back, the lawyer anticipates anything but. He thinks about it as he walks back to the professor's house. He thinks about it as he sleeps. He thinks about it the next sunny day, waking from a certain fitful dream.
When he receives his documents for travel, hearty pats on his back, and an order of, âDo well. I'm counting on you,â Kazuma has only his friend's keen observation on his mind.
He is afraid, it's true. He just doesn't want this next chance for him to be happy to get snatched away, too.
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foreign waters
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen, M/M
Relationships: Mikotoba Susato & Mikotoba Yuujin, Sherlock Holmes | Herlock Sholmes/Mikotoba Yuujin
Other Relevant Tags: The Great Ace Attorney 2 Spoilers
Word count: 1,348
Language: English
Read on: AO3
âIt was the distance to Japan and his friendship that allowed me to find my footing again. He managed to fill an aching gap in my heart.â
Susatoâs eyes are wide as she stares at Yuujin. The first rays of proper sunshine begin to spill over the horizon, painting the world a soft pink. âFather,â Susato says, sounding winded. âFather, do you love Mr. Holmes?â
Freshly out of European waters, Yuujin has a talk with his daughter.
cw: implied past suicidal thoughts
They leave European waters on a cold December morning.
The sun does not rise before eight around this time of the year, so the deck is still mostly vacant as Yuujin meanders about. Ship hands are busily tending to what needs to be done before the other passengers get up under dim lamplights. The waves below crash against the shipâs hull in a familiar whisper.
There is plenty of noise to go around, yet it is calm all the same.
Susato finds him as the sun begins to creep up on the horizon, its light grey and dreary. Wordlessly, she comes to stand next to him at the railing Yuujin is leant up against, watching the colourless sunrise in pensive silence.
Eventually though, she turns towards him. âGood morning, Father,â she says and dips her head in a shallow bow. âDid you sleep well?â
Yuujin smiles. âI did. Thank you,â he says. âAnd did you?â
Susato gives him one of her long stares in reply, then turns to look back out at the sea. âWe have left Europe now, havenât we?â
âWe have. It is a rather wistful feeling, isnât it?â
âI would have loved to spend more time in London,â Susato says, quietly. âI was there for only two months, yet I miss it all the same.â
âYou could have stayed with Asougi, had you wanted to,â Yuujin reminds her. She would not have, of course, having come into her own as a judicial assistant alongside another young lawyer.
Susato knows that he understands as much, if her meaningful sideways glance is any indication. âKazuma-sama did not begrudge me for leaving,â she says. She settles a hand on the railing, despite how freezing the metal is, clasping it tightly. âI will miss him, too, of course, but⌠oh Father, I am just so glad that he isnât dead.â
She and Naruhodou had been left to mourn him for months; even now, her eyes grow misty as she recalls it. Yuujin begrudges Holmes for it, just a little, though he had been in the know himself and is no better for it.
He places a hand on his daughterâs shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. âI trust that he will be all right,â he says. âPerhaps it is better for him, even, to remain in England and sort through his grief.â
âAs it was for you?â
There is a frigid undercurrent to Susatoâs words. Even the dark December winds lapping at them are not half as cold. Yuujin takes his hand back and grasps the icy railing as well.
âI cannot undo the decisions I made nearly seventeen years ago, now. And by no means did I do right by you, my dear,â he says. His words feel more like a sigh. âBut I canât say what would have become of me had I chosen differently at the time.â
It is as close to confessing his sentiments following his wifeâs passing as he has ever gotten. The waves parting around the shipâs bow still look the same as they had when he had left for England nearly two decades ago, though their allure had faded with time.
Susato hesitates and purses her lips before she speaks again. âI have long since come to accept that you left, back then,â she says, taking her freezing hand off the railing to settle it on top of her fatherâs. âI had GrandmotherâGrandfather, too, for a while. I was well taken care of and not lonely at all. I do not love you any less for it now, butâŚ
âWhen we learnt that it was you who had been the great detectiveâs partner, I was angry. Not just because of my original misapprehension that you were Irisâs father, for which I am deeply sorry, but because I came to think that you had left Grandmother to care for me while you were off in England going on wild adventures.â
âI can assure you that Iris makes it sound much grander in the stories,â Yuujin replies feebly. Susatoâs hand trembles where it still rests upon his. He takes it between his own.
âHolmes all but forced me back into life. He did not care about my grief, did not care at all that I was still in mourning. He was more callous, back in the day, and whenever he needed my assistance, he would drag me along. He kept me so busy that the pain losing your mother had caused me eventually started to abate.
âIt was the distance to Japan and his friendship that allowed me to find my footing again. He managed to fill an aching gap in my heart.â
Susatoâs eyes are wide as she stares at Yuujin. The first rays of proper sunshine begin to spill over the horizon, painting the world a soft pink. âFather,â Susato says, sounding winded. âFather, do you love Mr. Holmes?â
The question does not come as a shock. Susato is a sharp girl, after all, and Yuujin already feels as though this is a confessional of sorts. He smiles but lets his daughterâs hand go all the same. âDoes it bother you?â
âI⌠donât know.â
Susato purses her lips, brows furrowed. She buries her hands in the shawl she has draped over her shoulders against the cold. âI have come to know and appreciate Mr. Holmes as a good friend,â she says. âI just never would have thoughtâŚ. Father, does Mr. Holmes know?â
âHe does.â
âThenâŚ?â
Yuujin stares down into the water. The rippling waves are painted halfway pink as well, where they face the rising sun. âHolmes and I have been together for some twelve years now.â
âYou have been in Japan for more than ten of those years,â says Susato. She sounds almost angry about it, and Yuujin smiles. âFather, all this time, you havenât seen each other!â
âThere was no opportunity to, my dear,â he says. âBut weâve never stopped exchanging letters. I even subscribed to Randst Magazine, just to humour him.â
Some people clamour onto the deck behind them. They pay them no mind, though Susato turns briefly to observe them. When she turns back from the distraction, her eyes are misty. âI just donât understand, Father. Doesnât it hurt?â
The question gives Yuujin pause. He exhales, and his breath trails through the air as a white cloud. âPerhaps, in some ways. Though even having only recently parted from him, the joy of seeing him again outweighs the pain that comes with saying goodbye.
âI had, back then, resigned myself to the fact that the love of my life had turned to ashes long before her time. So what is half a worldâs distance, compared to that?â
Susato leans into his side rather suddenly, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. It is more physical comfort than she, in all her propriety, would usually afford him, and Yuujin rests his head atop of hers for a moment.
âIf you are happy this way, I could not possibly object to it,â she says. Her voice is thick with held-back tears. âIf you truly love Mr. Holmes, then I could never mind that you found someone else after losing mother, or that he is a man. Especially one that I have come to befriend, myself.â
She pauses. âOh, we really must go visit everyone in England again, soon.â
âI believe we already promised a lovely young lady something along those lines,â Yuujin says with a smile as he rights himself again. Susato takes a step back and smiles as well, a little watery but no less happy for it.
The sun hangs low on the horizon now, a deep orange circle fighting to rise to the skies. They stand in silence as dawn spills over them, listening as the other passengers aboard and the crew begin their day.
Eventually, Naruhodou finds them. He stands with them for a while, out of place and unsure of what to do with himself until Yuujin takes pity on the man and suggests they go take their first breakfast outside of European waters.
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Spoilers for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.Â
Itâs a short drabble about Lord Strongheart receiving an unexpected visitor.
Strongheart is haunted by the ghosts of his past, quiet literally.Â
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Itâs a normal night at Barclay Prison when Lord Strongheart sees a figure hiding in the shadows. Itâs way past visiting hours, so he ignores the figure thinking itâs a guard. That is, until the figure speaks.
âItâs been ten years Strongheart.â
He freezes. He knows that voice. He shouldnât hear that voice.
Klint van Zieks died ten years.
He must be hearing things.
Yes that is exactly it.
Perhaps he somehow developed a moral conscious and his mind is now confronting him with his wrongdoings?
No, he still believes what he did was right. He knows what he did was right, everyone else was too weak to see that though.
So why did he hear that voice?
He, remembers that a figure is standing in the shadows, he plans to ignore it. That is until the figure steps forward into the light.
Lord Klint van Zieks emerges.
For the first time in his life, Strongheart feels true fear. Then he laughs. That Klint van Zieks costume was really well made. He looks exactly like the man did when he was alive except heâs much paler, than the real Klint. He slowly starts clapping his hands together. âI must applaud you on your performance. You nearly had me fooled for a second there.â
The figure is unimpressed by Strongheartâs response. He just smiles revealing long sharp fangs. Itâs at this point Strongheart begins to realize heâs dreaming, before the figure phases through the cell bats coming face to face with him.
Strongheart is unamused with this dream and he wishes to wake up at once.
Klint places a hand on his shoulder so Strongheart will know for certain that he is real. âMay you feel the fangs of the beast at your throat every time you swallow.â Klint leans in, about to rip into his throat with his fangs, before Strongheart screams, demanding for the guards to come at once. A guard comes running down the hallway, and Klint vanishes from thin air.
âThere was a ghost in here. It was Klint van Zieks. He must be exorcised at once!â He decrees, as if he was still Lord Chief Justice, with the power to make demands. Strongheart had never been a religious man, but now he would like nothing more than to get a priest in his cell right now. The guard just stands there with his arms crossed unimpressed by Strongheartâs response. Seeing the guard refuse to follow his orders, he becomes more aggressive. âSend in a priest now!â
â......â The guard doesnât move an inch. Strongheart starts to bang on the cell bars, looking into the face of the prison guard. âThat sounds like a you problem.â Strongheart pauses, for he too recognizes this voice.
And he screams the name of Genshin Asougi.
END
Donât worry about Strongheart, Klint didnât actually go through with his threat. All they did was give Strongheart a good scare. And yes, it was Klimt who roped Genshin into this plan. Not that Genshin had any trouble with paying Strongheart a visit.
Later on, Klint and Genshin tell their story to Kazuma and Barok. Kazuma wonders if they plan on paying Jingoku a visit, to confront him on what he did.
Yes ghost Klint has fangs. It sort of reflects his mental state when he was dying. He thought he was a monster so he became one in death. I think ghosts can choose how they appear so he could get rid them if he wanted to but he keeps them as a reminder of what he did in his life, so that heâll never go back down that path in his âunlife.â Besides scaring Strongheart with his fangs gave him the tiniest bit of amusement, so heâs definitely keeping them now.
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Dear Anonymous,
I still have yet to play (or watch) DGS2, unfortunately, so weâll have to save that part for another time, but Iâd love to delve into the shared adventures of this adorable duo in the first game.
When Ryuunosuke first meets Susato, sheâs nothing more to him than an ally in his defense in court.
He doesnât see her again until he and Kazuma find themselves at the end of their rope.
It makes you wonder if sheâs the one who founded whatever School of Interrupting at Just the Right Time so many Ace Attorney characters apparently went to, doesnât it?
When she appears, âcalm and dignified, in our desperate final moments,â to use Ryuunosukeâs words, she causes quite the stir. Luckily, the five minutes granted to her by the judge to present some crucial evidence is all she needs to help him and Kazuma pull off the first turnabout in Ace Attorneyâs history.
The mysterious legal assistantâs wish for Ryuunosukeâs good fortune was granted, apparently.
Thus Ryuunosu-- Um... Is it okay if I call him âRyuâ for short? Thus Ryuâs life was saved by a humble young woman who had the courage and decency to collect, summarize, and present the evidence that turned the case around in the nick of time. After leaving to finish his acquittal procedures with a humble bow, she disappeared, never to be seen by him again.
Or so he thought.
Similar to Phoenix and Mayaâs first encounter, Ryu and Susato's second meeting occurs under the most tragic of circumstances. His close friend and classmate has been found dead in his cabin on the ship he managed to smuggle himself onto. Unlike Phoenix and Mayaâs situation, however, itâs the lawyer (or soon-to-be lawyer) who is initially blamed for his death. To make matters worse, the young woman who helped to save his life isnât feeling quite so compassionate this time around.
Her anger and distrust are understandable, considering that the evidence seems to point to Ryu as the culprit, on top of the fact that Kazuma was her foster brother. Luckily, sheâs polite and reasonable enough to hear Ryuâs side of things, and even claims that she wants to believe him, so the two of them are at least able to treat each other civilly.
That is...until he tries to start investigating.
Thereâs a bucket load of energy beneath that demure countenance of hers, it turns out. Her move even has a special name -- the âSusato Toss.â Who wouldâve thought she came straight out of Street Fighter?
Thankfully, she still has a reasonable side.
By presenting evidence of his innocence, Ryu not only vindicates himself, but finally starts to gain Susatoâs trust.
Sadly, her trust only lasts until a certain world-famous detective shows up to accuse Ryu of being a Russian revolutionary.
Itâs hard to blame her, of course. Who wouldnât trust THE Sherlock Holmesâs logic?
Nonetheless, her determination to find out more about Kazumaâs death is strong enough for her to begrudgingly continue the investigation with Ryu. One notable moment occurs here when he attempts to gain favor wither her by appealing to her love of mystery novels.
Sheâs no fool, of course, and only dislikes him even more for expecting her to fall for it.
If I didnât know any better, Iâd say this was the âmain characters donât get along until theyâre forced into a situation togetherâ clichĂŠ. This situation may not fit that clichĂŠ perfectly, but itâs not too far off if you ask me.
When Ryu is finally allowed to investigate outside the cabin, Susato begins to show a bit more sympathy for him.
I have to give her some credit for that -- it takes a special kind of person to show compassion for a possible murderer. It also seems like sheâs beginning to see Ryu as more of a human being than a heartless criminal. Baby steps, as they say.
From that point on, their dialogue begins taking on a more friendly tone. Thus Susato, whether on purpose or by fate, takes on the role of the first official assistant in Ace Attorneyâs history. And boy, does she pull it off like a pro.
To make a long story short, their cooperative efforts combined with the ridiculous logic of a kooky detective (as well as the assistance of the less kooky Detective Hosonaga) bring them to the truth of Asougiâs death in the end. While this clears Ryu of the crime and offers some much-needed closure for both him and Susato, his death still affects them deeply.
Something wonderful stems from this tragedy, though -- a crucial moment, not only for the two of them, but also for the Japanese and British Empires.
With Asougiâs passing, the exchange program between Great Britain and Japan is forced into suspension, unless, somehow, a replacement attorney can be found before the ship reaches London.
Itâs a shame it has to end this way after all theyâve been through together, but thatâs just the way it goes someti--
...Oh. Well, then. Who wouldâve seen that coming? (Besides us, I mean.)
And strangely enough, the young woman who once saw Ryu as a cold-blooded murderer has this to say about him becoming an attorney:
Thus a new attorney/assistant pair arises from the ashes of one attorneyâs passing (pun fully intended), and the two of them step into a new journey in their lives together. And thankfully, it wasnât exactly the clichĂŠ it appeared to be -- the two of them are now trusted friends, and Susato even offers to let Ryu toss her three times as punishment for not believing him. (It doesnât quite end that way, but thatâs beside the point.)
The first leg of said journey takes place in the âcentre of the worldâ the incredible city of London. What a place to begin, am I right?
Thus their incredible legal adventure begins (or adventures begin, I should say) in beautiful Victorian Era Britain. To describe their encounters here briefly (and so I donât spend a whole year on this essay), they learn together how the British court system works...
...about its imperfections...
...how it feels to pull off a turnabout in a British courtroom...
...and perhaps most importantly, about the value of trust.
To say nothing of their misadventures with Mr. Holmes, his young genius assistant, and several other unforgettable British folk.
And a fellow Japanese immigrant, too, of course. Â Who could forget him?
You know, Iâm starting to wonder if he might be one of Larryâs ancestors.
The game throws one final curveball for the great legal duo before it ends. After telling Susato sheâs the worldâs best legal assistant, Ryu gets a very unexpected response from her:
When he attempts to confront her about it, all he gets is another Susato Toss.
What could someone like her, whoâs already proven her worth as a legal assistant several times, be hiding? Unfortunately for Ryu, heâs unlikely to find out soon, since her fatherâs illness has called her back home, leaving him to pull off his next turnabout on his own. She doesnât go without leaving behind as much helpful evidence as she can muster, of course.
But, as fate would have it, a storm prevents her ship from departing for at least half a day, giving Ryu and his new flatmates a chance to see her off. On top of that, it gives Ryu the chance to find out precisely what inspired Susatoâs words of doubt.
He catches her preparing to throw a copy of the British Empireâs Code of Law into the sea. What would cause her to do such a thing?
It turns out she broke one of the rules by tampering with the scene of the crime, and another by concealing that fact. Her intentions may have been good, but her conscience became a little too heavy for her to let it go. She takes it a step further by claiming that, for one moment, she began to doubt the law.
She may not be wrong in stating this (she learned it firsthand in the British courts, after all), but it still caused her to see herself as a failure of a legal assistant. Luckily for her, though, Ryu had learned some things himself in the time they spent together.
While her methods were questionable at best, Ryu recognizes something in Susato that sets her and every just person apart from a criminal: a desire to protect the innocent. Whereas Chrogray used her tampering as a way to protect himself, her only desire was to protect Ginaâs life and to ensure that Ryu would be able to prove her innocence in the end. In other words, her faith in the system may have been lacking, but her desire for justice, like Ryuâs, never faltered for even a moment. With that knowledge in mind, the two of them can part with a better knowledge of the law, a better understanding of each other, and smiles on their faces.
So, to sum it up, Ryu and Susato go from being friendly acquaintances, to a murder suspect and suspecter (for lack of a better word), to investigative partners, to full-fledged legal partners, and finally, to a legendary legal duo. Will their relationship ever go any further than that?
Also, full disclosure -- itâs been a long time since I watched Dai Gyakuten Saiban, so I had to do a hefty amount of re-watching in order to remember some of these details...hence why this essay took so long. Thanks for waiting!
And hey, howâs that for good timing?
Donât know about you, but Iâm eagerly looking forward to revisiting this unforgettable saga. And, yâknow...doing it the proper way instead of depending on fan translations.
-The Co-Mod
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Okay ! Then can I request a scenario of asougi's s/o being on the ship and reacting to what happens? Maybe even with them having spent the earlier part of the night with him before they went to bed? There is no dgs content I've been starved for years đł
wait if im reading this correctly does that mean asougi and s/o are getting it on b4 he goes kaput while Naruhoudo is in the closet???? I mean i know he was drugged but the thought of him being in the closet while his friend and friendâs s/o going ham is so fucking funny iONFSDKNS
Reader is gender neutral
CW (CONTENT WARNING): Sexual content, swearing, spoilers for DGS case 2
This was a horrible plan and you couldnât believe Asougi-of all people-made this idea.
You couldnât believe that Asougi would stow you away into a spare suitcase and have those big burly Russian sailors throw you away like a rag doll. While you pummeled Asougi lightly when he opened your case, you nearly screamed when Naruhodou was also with you, whoâs just as surprised as you are.
Asougiâs answer was as clear as it was ridiculous. âWhat better way to celebrate our arrival in Great Britain than with my best friend and lover?â
Despite your other raunchy plans with your boyfriend when he was alone in his cabin, you were fine with Naruhodou and you talking when Asougi was away. Even with him, your will to quell your laughter was dwindling each night you two talk to each other. It was risky, sure, but how you and Naruhodou sneaked in the ship reminded you of the times you three sneaked around private areas of your middle school.
Sucks to sleep in a tiny closet with Naruhodou, though.
One night, you were ready to wait for Asougiâs scraps of meals until you saw his plate. You laughed at the drumsticks that seemed to taunt Asougi. âWhat a meal, eh Asougi?â
He huffed at your comment, taking a portion of the mashed potatoes towards him as he tried to push the chicken away from him. You and Naruhodou share a laugh before taking your portions of the meal. You took your portion of mashed potatoes and gave the rest of your chicken to Naruhodou.
âYouâre looking pretty thin,â You said to his bewildered expression, âyou should eat more meat.â
His jab to your side didnât deter your guffaw but Asougi slapped his hand on your mouth. Right after him eating the entire chicken, you and Naruhodou hurried to the closet but before you could, Asougi grabbed your wrist.
âI wanted to talk to you, if thatâs alright.â
Despite his tone, you listened as you bade the other man goodnight. After going into the closet, Asougi pulled you onto his bed as he sat you down. He took your hands in his naked ones, the worn palms of using his katana calming you.
âWeâll be arriving in England soon.â He whispered, not wanting Naruhodou to hear. âI would be lying to say that Iâm not excited for the three of us to see it for the first time.â
You smiled softly at him, leaning your forehead against his shoulder as you sighed from the closeness. âI canât wait to see the sights! I heard that their delicacies are out of this world.â
He chuckled at your desire for new food, taking your chin in his hand as he lifted it up to meet your eyes. He leaned in slowly, stealing a kiss from you before kissing you deeper. You hummed in the kiss, returning it as you fiddled with the collar of his coat.
He parted from you, lips brushing against yours as he spoke. âWe have a few hours for ourselves. Iâm sure Naruhodou is already asleep.â
If you werenât so dizzy from the kiss, you wouldâve made a better rebuttal but all you could muster was kissing him once more. Your hands grabbed his hair band, pulling it out of his hair as his own pushed you down on his bed.
God, it was so long ever since you and Asougi did this. How long was he able to touch you so unabashedly without any restraints? Itâs been too long apparently, with how he hurriedly strips you of your clothes without taking care of his. You tried to help him out of his clothes but he snarled and bit your neck.
You gasped at the pain, hoping that your clothes would cover the mark as he continued downward. You tried to steady your noises because not only is Naruhodou right inside the closet but you were also an uninvited guest on the ship. Even with the terror that someone will find you, the thought thrills you as you bucked your hips on Asougiâs crotch.
He chuckled, deciding that enough was enough. It was clear that he was impatient as he entered you hastily. Thankfully you were well lubricated enough as he laid down his body on top of yours, his chest touching yours as he rolled his hips forward. It was understandable why he used this position, not wanting to make his bed creak as he continued to thrust his cock inside slowly but with impact.
You sunk your teeth on the meat of Asougiâs shoulder as he gasped. âC-Close...â
With his forearms braced beside your head, he thrusts harder, making sure you feel every inch of him before pulling out and cumming on your stomach. You keened at the cum on your stomach as you came down from your high.
Asougi went and wiped the cum on your stomach with a rag as he put his clothes on again. âI wouldâve loved to tease you further but Iâm afraid weâre short on time.â
You hummed, turning to your side as sleep slowly has its hands on you. He chuckled, fixing your clothes as he carried you to his suitcase instead of the closet. He was sure that Naruhodou wouldnât want to smell the musk of sex when he wakes up.
Now that his room is spotless (save for the rumpled sheets), he goes back to his study table and practicing his writing. He wouldâve continued before a knock sounded on his cabin door.
After another knock, he stands up and opened the door. The outside was barren until he spotted a head of platinum blonde hair and a meek face.
"Ah, excuse me milady."
Oh how fate was cruel for you.
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Transaction
---
Ryuunosuke Naruhodou/Seishirou Jigoku
Susato thought he could do it. Convincing their government, however, was a different task.
-Slight spoilers for DGS and DGS 2-
---
Of course he never thought it would be easy, least of all as easy as the Great Detective made it sound. But it was a logical decision and he was hoping thatâd put things in his favor. As disrespectful as this all felt, even more so with the weight of Karuma resting in his lap, he couldnât just let them get shipped right back to Japan. Thatâd be too cruel to Susato, who lost a brother apparently, when he could just sacrifice a bit of his mental health to honor his fallen friend.Â
Â
As he sat on the desk Asougi Kazuma wrote his last journal entry on, pen heavy in his hand, he silently thanked his literature major for his knowledge in writing formal requests. Although, knowing the format didnât really help much when the situation was so unbelievable and complex. Did he start by mentioning how the star student of the Imperial Yuumei University lost his life by hitting his head too hard? Or that said student smuggled Ryuunosuke on board? Wasnât the Minister of Foreign Affairs already aware of these things? Or was it just formalityâŚ
Â
Would he even get accepted? If the country only chose to send the best of the best, would they even want to send some mediocre literature student for an education in law ? As these thoughts swirled and swirled in his mind, he realized heâd already begun writing. Reading over the lines he jotted down proved them to be acceptable. Now, if you asked anyone who knew him, they would say Ryuunosuke worked well under pressure. But what he did on impulse, he wouldnât exactly clarify as such. With a heavy sigh that trembled towards the end of it in remembrance , he let his hand do as it pleased once more and the letter was completed. All that was left was a once-over by Susato in the morning... which ended in her exclaiming that she didnât expect it to be so well written, a sheepish smile blooming on Ryuunosukeâs face as shame pooled in his gut. Noticing how backhanded her compliment was, and maybe not caring much about it, Susato took the letter and floated out the room. Sheâd give it to the sailors for it to be mailed out.
Â
ââ
Â
What? As Ryuunosuke held the (supposedly)formal reply in his hands, he felt a familiar feeling of shock run through his body. Now that heâd told Susato theyâd gotten accepted and got her to leave, he had all the time in the world to read over this.. this personal threat of a letter in his hands. At least, until he had to throw himself into his law studies again, though he felt more like throwing himself...overboard. This was a joke, right? A funny joke from that Sherlock Holmes fellow who had somehow acquired the letter the sailors sent out a month ago, an official Japanese Government seal and also managed to copy the Minister of Foreign Affairs' handwriting and signature. Honestly, how these things kept happening to him, he had no clue.Â
Â
Heâd heard some stories from Asougi(a pang went through his heart), about the law students both male and female who sold their bodies to get through law school. Prostitution, heâd called it. Tragically contradictory. Ryuunosuke remembered the other man smiling as heâd said it, wondering if Asougi really thought it so tragic after all. âItâs wrong to break the law youâre studying!â he heard a whisper through the room. Bitterly, âThe law didnât save you.â, he whispered back. He leaned forward, taking a deep breath as he usually did.Â
Â
So, what if the Minister of Foreign Affairs wasnât immune to such attractions? Itâs not like theyâd meet for a long while. By the time he got to face the repercussions of the choice he was about to make, itâd be a year at least. Or however long this program was supposed to last. And, he thought he owed at least this much to the girl a few doors down. The girl who didnât even get to be the last person to see her brother alive. He looked down. There probably was a good reason Asougi didnât think to tell him about her, and it was no use feeling scorned by the dead.Â
Â
Did he really have to write a reply to this letter? He debated just ignoring it, how would anyone know if it didnât just get lost out there? It probably wasnât easy delivering letters to and from a ship. A lot of calculations and estimates⌠but he was getting off topic. He steeled his nerves and picked up the pen again. Feeling more and more like some kind of doll every second, he wrote an affirmative reply. He didnât even want to think about Asougi getting the same treatment as this. But of course, Asougi was above agreeing to such an indecent proposal just to be able to go somewhere. Ryuunosuke huffed hysterically, placing the offending letter in an envelope. Writing back a letter of thanks was kind of normal in this situation, right? Susato absolutely could not find out what kind of.. transaction had just been made inside innocent, white envelopes.
Â
ââ
Â
He could say in good conscience that there were very few things that could surprise him anymore, especially with all that had already transpired. This happened to be one of those things. Who knew waiting with Susato for Professor Mikotoba to arrive would lead to a premature heart attack? All this action would surely end with him in an early grave. The moment of blissful ignorance that came with him not recognizing the tall, imposing man as his flittering nightmare these past few months had quickly passed. In its place was a cold sweat that persisted even as they lined up for a photograph. The manâs arm around his back was sending all signals except fatherly. If Ryuunosuke had a habit of fainting instead of his unbelievable perseverance to stress, this would be the perfect time to topple onto the floor. It might still be, the more shame-free part of his brain supplied. Surely everything would be forgotten if he caused such a ruckus?Â
Â
He was sure his heart would flee out of his chest when Jigoku took the moment of father and daughter reuniting to lean into his ear, making him feel the vibrations of his words, âHello, Naruhodou-kun.â rather than hear them. Sure, it sounded kind of silly out of context, but the towering figure of the man behind him did a swell job of erasing any sense of comedy Ryuunosuke could have felt. After giving a tense but polite nod, he felt Jigokuâs hands meet his shoulders, slightly shaking with a friendly chuckle. Distantly hearing some form of reassurance being said to him, he wasnât aware of much until they were leaving. Susato gave him a light poke on his back to get him to move. Upon feeling him jump under her finger, she gave him a concerned glance, and Ryuunosuke was once again amazed at how far theyâve come.
Â
With the cold, cold sweat drying on his body, he couldnât be all too sure thatâs what was causing the shiver running through him. His fingers idly traced the piece of paper in his pocket. Probably slipped in there while the photo was being taken, he thought.
Â
ââ
The Old Bailey was a risque place for something like this. He found himself growing colder and colder by the minute. He knew why he was here, the note was clear enough in its subtle way. The English government appointing a foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs a whole office, even for such a short stay⌠The line between courtesy and belittlement was truly a fine one.Â
Â
As he ascended the stairs, he was strangely calm. Like a death row inmate marching towards the rope. A fate heâd narrowly missed, funnily enough. His steps echoed in the grand hallway. The building was quiet but far from serene. For him, at least. As familiar as the courtroom itself had become⌠The rest of the courthouse, mainly the offices, would always remain alien to him. The door was large and imposing as all the others around it. He knocked twice, somewhat nervously. âDo come in, Naruhodou-kun.â a voice called from the inside. Ryuunosuke entered, closing the door behind him. He stood stock still, like that one time he had to go to the Principalâs office because he forgot his student ID number. Jigoku was no less condescending under his friendly façade.
Â
The large man smiled at him, mischief burning in his eyes. Ryuunosuke thought about the door again. Maybe the scariest thing about Jigoku⌠was that he fit in, here. Huffing in amusement at the younger manâs refusal to sit down before being told to, he gestured loosely at the chair in front of the desk. âIâve heard much about your cases, though Iâd love to hear them from you. Would you have some tea, or perhaps⌠a drink?â the manâs voice was warm and rich, but it was no secret that he was sizing Ryuunosuke up, trying to make heads or tails of the man so devoted to the dead(or so bored, he mightâve thought) that heâd go to such lengths. âTea would be alright.â, Ryuunosuke replied, voice lacking the stutter of his heart. Jigoku laughed heartily, getting out two cups from a cabinet behind him. âI had a feeling youâd say that,â he said leaning down, drawing the otherâs attention to the kettle sitting on a miniature stove.Â
Â
After pouring the tea, the man raised a hand to halt Ryuunosuke, reaching under the desk to pull out a bottle of rum. âIâd say English tea is horribly bland on its own, no?â he said humorously. Sensing the otherâs apprehension, âOh, donât be so shy, young man!â he said, topping both cups with the alcohol.
Â
Ryuunosuke Naruhodou was a fair man. He did not leave anything out when recounting the events, regardless of how it made him look. The mix of black tea and rum burned his mouth, but it was nothing worse than some of Irisâ more experimental blends. That is not to say she made bad tea, most of her teas were heavenly, but some flavors were just not meant to becomeâŚÂ tea.Â
Â
Besides that, as much as heâd like to be, Ryuunosuke was not as kind to himself as the Grim Reaper, and he did not drink. That is why, despite all his conflicting feelings, he refused any attempts to refill his cup. The older man did not seem to share the sentiment, however, for he doubted Jigoku would even remember much come tomorrow. Or maybe he himself was just a lightweight, it didnât matter.
Â
It didnât matter because he already felt the wood floor creaking under his knees. And, as meaningless as it was now,
Close your eyes, Asougi.
Â
âŚÂ
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He swallowed up the salt of shame, tongue dragging across his lips.
Â
ââ
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He laid calmly, in the safety of 221Bâs attic. His debt had been paid. Do you see, now?
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[ one thing I donât think I have written down anywhere on the about page but I DO want to talk abt is that in contrast to how for Asougi Jigokuâs voice is the âdriving voiceâ that he hears constantly that drives him to England, for Ryuu itâs Asougiâs voice that reassures him that heâll get to England. Ryuu already knows he needs to go to England when he wakes up, itâs not something that the hallucination orders him to do like with Asougi, but rather Asougiâs voice acts as the reassurance that Ryuu falls back on when he feels like he canât do it.
 he recognizes Asougiâs voice the first time he hears it after waking up (which is right after he smiles at Asougi and scares the bejeezus out of him), and so Ryuu knows that something about Asougi must be important if he can subconsciously recognize him. maybe it isnât that he knows Asougi, but rather that he is someone who can be trusted; maybe it is that Ryuu knows Asougi, and he is recognizing Asougi even through his amnesia; maybe all of this is a simple coincidence and Ryuu is reading too far into it. no matter what the truth is, Ryuu uses Asougiâs voice in his head as guidance.
 once he remembers who he is and stops needing that guidance, the voice goes away. it was only ever there to help him, and now that it isnât necessary, it fades out. unlike with Asougi, who probably deals with the hallucination after 2-5 and has to heal from it, Ryuu doesnât need to so much heal from it as he does move on, which he is able to ]
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What Iâve been doing these past two months, besides working a part-time job for my college, of course, are reading manga and light novel and watching anime~
INTRODUCTION!! Characters from the left to right, top to bottom :)
THE EVERLASTING WIND TROUPEÂ (Iâm not kidding. Their bandana and sash/obi keep flying all over the place even thoâ theyâre inside and thereâs no wind)
-Dai Gyakuten Saiban (game); still questioning how the heck Sherlock didnât realize that Asougi is still alive [SPOILER]. Maybe thereâs an explanation as I stop watching the vids midway cuz they havenât finish subbing it. Or maybe he was just stupid like that :âD
-Itsuwaribito (manga); when his hair is down, he really resembles Gin from Bleach. Maybe Utsuho is Ginâs alive sibling lol
THE ESCAPIST TROUPE
-Kaitou Joker (manga  and anime); What if, Conanâs rival is not Kaitou Kid but Kaitou Joker? Because, unlike Kid, Joker really steal the treasure. HuhâŚthatâll be a cool crossover, I wanna read it. Also, shut up, take my money and gimme that image gum cuz I wanna prank someone with it!!
-Nanbaka (manga. Havenât watched the anime  yet); Besides his skill in jail-escape and picking locks, heâs not someone you can depend and practically useless, his friendsâ opinion
THE NOT-SO-NORMAL-ABILITY TROUPE
-Chemistry (Korean Light Novel); reminds me of Re-Life manga. But, instead of shrinking your body into teenager state, the pill give him an abundance of scientific knowledge and an ability to see and move atoms at will.Â
-Moyashimon (manga, anime  n dorama); can see, talk and interact with the microbes. Though he already has this ability since ever and not obtaining it via outside influence like Chemistry LN
THE MAGIC AND ACTION TROUPE
-Black Clover (manga. Donât intend to watch the anime); Cuz the anime has too many fillers, damn you Pierrot! Thoâ Iâm curious cuz people seems to hate Asta as he has a tendency to shout every time, anytime
-Fire Force (manga); sometimes Iâm still confused if the MC is a hero or a villain. His habit of smiling when nervous is really scary
THE DEMON WORLD TROUPE
-The Autophagy Regulation (manâŚhua??); I love how the creator gives you a hint about the MCâs past here and there via chaptersâ cover and not a full blown story like other manga did. And the MC is actually strong. He just acts stupid to cover his real self. That sudden change threw me for a loop when I first saw it
-Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba (manga); I donât know how many times Iâve cried reading this manga. Iâm weak against family theme story, okay??! Also, I canât wait for the anime next year yes!!
THE ROYAL FAMILY TROUPE
-The Duke of Death and his Black Maid (manga); I hope at the end of the manga, he can finally live happily ever after with someone he cherishes and love. Curse you, witch!! Heâs just a poor lad!! TAT
-Crimson Prince (manga); Iâm not a fan of reincarnation story. But still following this cuz the story is fluff and fluff is life!!!
-Royal Tutor (manga. Havenât watched the anime  yet); Black Butler slice-of-life version, enough said :âD
THE ISEKAI TROUPE
-Yankee wa Isekai De Seirei ni Aisaremasu (manga); MC is the very definition of âdonât judge a book by its coverâ. He may look scary, but actually weak against cute things, itâs cute!!
-Isekai ni Tobasareta Ossan wa Doko E Iku? (manga); If I ever stranded in Isekai world, I definitely want his power. He can access the Internet, buy everything via onlineâhe even bought a motorcycle at one time!!âand have an AI like JARVIS. Heâs also very strong because of God blessing so heâs basically an OP. But I just want his âinternet skillâ `3`
-Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi (manga  and Light novel); his internet skill is not as powerful as the Ossan. He can only buy foods, drinks, anything that involves farming and body care as of now, idk the LN is still ongoing. Heâs just a normal person, wanting to live a normal life~
I like waiting for the manga to have more than 50 chapters before I read it. Cuz then I can just read them all in one sitting. I only need 6 or 7 hours to finish all of the 163 chapters of Black Clover `3`
All of the pictures are transparent~
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if wishing made it so (DGS2 fanfiction)
SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE DGS SERIES, meaning both DGS1 and DGS2 in their entirety. Please do not read this if you do not want to be spoiled.
if wishing made it so (AO3 Link)
Fold it up, call it love, and bring it to a quiet place.
Characters:Â Naruhodou Ryuunosuke, Mikotoba Susato, Asougi Kazuma, Iris Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Barok van Zieks
Notes:Â Some writing I did as a breather in the midst of working on my actual DGS2 celebratory/appreciation fic. DGS2 has completely ruined my life (in a good way)
.âŚWriting to take a break from writing⌠what madness is thisâŚ
A note about honorifics - since they all speak English in London, my way of treating the honorifics used by the characters in-game is to make just the Japanese characters keep them (specifically Susato since sheâs the most relevant example) even to the British characters if thereâs not a good equivalent. âŚWell, I fully admit I just dealt with it as I pleased to make my life easier.
An inexpressible amount of gratitude to airisuwatoson and turnaboutancestor for their DGS playthroughs, without which I wouldnât have been able to write this. Each and every update always had me on edge. Thank you!!!
One last warning that this fic contains spoilers for all of DGS2.
A story of a thousand wants.
âAnd then, you fold this triangle down to make the head.â
âLike this?â
âYes! Very good, Iris-sama!â
At the double cheer resounding from behind, Ryuunosuke tears his eyes gratefully away from his textbook and glances over his shoulder, curiosity prickling at the back of his neck. âWhat are you two doing?â
Susato turns to face him, beaming. âI was just teaching Iris-sama how to fold a paper crane. Look how well it turned out, Naruhodou-sama!â
âIt was only because Susie was so good at teaching me!â Iris Watson chirps, lifting her arms to proudly show Ryuunosuke the small, folded crane that rests on her hands. âItâs so cute!â The girl whirls around once, bright pink curls spinning with the motion, and the crane very nearly seems as if it could take flight right then.
Ryuunosuke crouches in front of her to get a better look, admiring the piece. âItâs really good considering it was your first time, Iris-chan.â Indeed, there is barely a careless crease or wrinkle in the paper, only straight, clean lines that are evident of a studious precision. âI still remember when I first tried folding one when I was younger. You couldnât even tell it was a crane at all.â
A good-natured giggle spills from Susatoâs lips, her hand going to her mouth. âThatâs very like you somehow, Naruhodou-sama.â
âO-Oh, is itâŚ?â
âBut origami is something that can be done by anyone,â she continues, looking back fondly to Irisâs crane. âAll it requires is a little patience.â
âWell, true enough.â His disastrous first attempt had left a bitter taste in his throat, and Ryuunosuke recalls the indignant determination that had refused to let him rest until he had folded a successful crane. âI actually got pretty good at it as I kept folding more, although I havenât done any since we came to London.â
âThereâs still paper here if you want to make one too,â Iris calls, waving the sheets in his direction.
After a moment of contemplation, the words escape of their own accord. ââŚI think I will.â He reaches over to take one of the proffered papers. ââŚWait. These papers are my notes from previous cases!â
âOh, are they?â Yet the untroubled tone with which Iris responds tells him that she is perfectly aware. âThey were just scattered all over the floor, so I figured they were just going to be thrown away later anyway.â
âI mightâve wanted to look over them for reference in the futureâŚâ
At the excuse, weak to even Ryuunosukeâs own ears, Susato places her hands on her hips and looks at him sternly. âIs that how you should treat valuable documents, Naruhodou-sama? By leaving them without care or organization on the floor?â
âN-NoâŚâ
âBesides, if you are in need of references from our past cases, I have also recorded information in my notes.â With that, Susato fishes out a small, bound book, a certain pride brimming in her motions. âYou may look through them at your leisure.â
ââŚAs expected of you, Susato-san.â It is certainly not the first time, and he knows it will be far from the last, that awe at her diligence washes through his entire body and leaves a strange warmth in its wake.
âIt is simply my natural duty as your legal assistant, Naruhodou-sama,â Susato smiles. âWith that, I trust you have no objections to the usage of your scrap paper?â
My case notes were downgraded to âscrapsâ... He allows himself only a small sigh, relenting at last. âI guess it is better than just seeing them all over the ground.â Without further ado, Iris hands him a sheet and cheerfully sets about folding another one.
At that moment, the door to the attic suddenly bursts open and a tall, lanky man waltzes in, a wounded expression on his face. âWhatâs this? No greeting when I arrive home, and instead I find you all cooped up in this dingy, dusty attic? Without me?â
âPlease donât talk about the room you rented us like that,â Ryuunosouke retorts, barely glancing up from his task. âWelcome back, Holmes-san.â
âSherly!â Iris squeals and bounces to the self-proclaimed great detective, wrapping her short arms around his waist. âWelcome home! How did the case go?â
A jubilant laugh rings in the air. âNeed you even ask, Iris?â Sherlock flicks his distinctive deerstalker with his index finger in triumph, a wide grin meeting Irisâs sparkling eyes. âAnother case closed by the great detective Sherlock Holmes! We can rest easy about rent for the month.â
Is that really the sort of conversation you have with a child? Ryuunosuke does not say, but Iris, unperturbed, claps her hands together with equal delight.
âAnd now,â Sherlock continues, turning to survey the rest of them. âItâs my turn to ask again, just what you all are doing cooped up in this dingy, dusty, decrepit atticâAh!â He holds a hand up to forestall the exasperated shape that Ryuunosukeâs mouth has formed, smiling slyly. âAllow me to make a deduction!â
âI was doing some origami,â Susato interrupts brightly without heed for the detectiveâs grandiose conduct, gesturing to the short lineup of small shapes on the table before her. âAnd Iris-sama was curious, so she allowed me to teach her the most classic design, a crane. And it turned out beautifully, Holmes-sama!â
In a rare occurrence, Sherlockâs depressive episode at the interruption of his deduction does not linger and he straightens immediately. Taking Irisâs crane up in his hand, he tilts his head, examining it from all angles. âAs I recall, origami is the traditional Japanese art of folding paper into intricate designs, am I right?â
âYes, thatâs correct.â With a nod of satisfaction, Ryuunosuke places his own completed crane next to Susatoâs skillfully folded pieces. There is only a mild twinge of disappointment in himself as he eyes his craneâs slightly uneven lines compared to Susatoâs delicate work. âSo youâve heard of it, Holmes-san?â
âAs expected of Holmes-sama!â
âWhat kind of great detective would I be if I didnât know this much?â One hand returns the crane to Iris, the other lands in a pat on her head, making her giggle. âIt might be news to you, but I know how to make a few things myself!â
Ryuunosukeâs eyes widen. âReally? Did someone teach you?â
âI suppose you could say that.â But to his surprise, Sherlock does not elaborate, and Ryuunosuke catches only a snatch of something faraway and fond in his eyes before the detective blinks and turns his gaze back on the scattered papers. âBut I must say, the two of you work fast.â
Susato and Ryuunosuke blink in unison, looking down. There is a small pile of cranes sitting between them both, clearly flourishing in their absentmindedness. Ryuunosuke feels his ears grow hot, and he throws half a sheepish glance at Susato, who returns a soft laugh.
Iris leans over the pile, starry-eyed. She scoops a handful up and lets them fall from her hands, smiling as the cranes scatter back to the wooden floor like large snowflakes. âHey, Susie? You said that the crane is the most classic design, but whyâs that?â
âOh!â Susato brings a finger to her chin, tapping in contemplation. âIf I had to say⌠There is a type of crane native to Japan that is said to be a symbol of good fortune and longevity. These paper cranes are representations of it.â
Something stirs in the back of Ryuunosukeâs mind at Susatoâs wordsâstories and laughter from a childhood that seem like from a lifetime ago. He sweeps a look over the cranes in a quick estimate. Certainly, not a number that any would call âfewâ, but at the same time, not nearly enough. âThereâs a famous legend about paper cranes, too,â he finds himself saying, words from his memories filling his throat. âThey say if you fold a thousand of them, youâll be granted a wish.â
âA wish?â Iris echoes, her deep green eyes widening.
âAh, thatâs right!â Susato nods in agreement. âThere are many variations to that legend as well. Some say that you must finish the thousand cranes within a certain period of time. Others say that it only works if one person folds them all by themselves. But the fact that there must be a thousand cranes is the one, absolute constant.â
A wistful sigh escapes Iris. âThatâs such a nice story. Wishes, huh?â
âIt is a nice story.â Ryuunosuke smiles, a little wryly. âWhen I was younger, everyone wanted to do it, and theyâd try. But one thousand cranes is actually a lot more than youâd expect, as it turned out. Most children would get tired of it quickly.â
âWhy donât we give it a try?â
All eyes snap to Sherlock, who is still standing serenely, now with his pipe in his mouth. He smiles down at them with something beyond his usual frivolity. âYou seem to be off to a good start, anyway,â he continues, eying the numerous cranes sprinkled across the floor. âWith the four of us, one thousand doesnât seem so far away, does it?â
âI want to do it!â Iris chimes in, nodding energetically. âIt sounds like fun!â
Susato clasps her hands together, merriment dancing in her eyes. âIt does sound like fun. Iâm sure if we keep steadily at it, weâll reach one thousand cranes in no time.â
One thousand paper cranes. He rolls the phrase around in his head, trying to visualize the end number. Not an impossible goal, by any means, but a question presses insistently forward. âI donât mind,â Ryuunosuke starts, ââŚBut who gets to make the wish?â
âOh.â
The small sound of realization Iris makes is enough to make him feel ashamed of himself. âNot that itâs a bad idea or anything, not at all,â he hastily adds. âI mean, Iâm just saying that according to the legendâŚâ
âAn excellent question, Mister Naruhodou!â Sherlock cuts in, unfazed as ever. He spins on the spot with a wink, a solution clearly on his tongue. âWhy donât we let the lucky person who folds the last crane make the wish? In any case, thereâs still a while, is there not?â
Enthusiastic nods from Susato and Iris, a grin of satisfaction from the detectiveânot that it was ever an option, but how can he say no? âWell, letâs do our best, then.â
âYay!â Iris skips to the table for more paper, beginning the folding process in quick, dainty motions, while Susato turns curiously to Sherlock.
âWhat would you wish for, Holmes-sama?â
Sherlock snaps his fingers. âA case from a rich client!â he announces dramatically, squaring his arms in the strange pose he makes when in high spirits.
Ryuunosuke tilts his head quizzically. âIf you want money, why donât you just wish for money?â
âGoodness, Mister Naruhodou.â Sherlock wags a finger in his direction, shaking his head as if the answer is obvious. âDo you think I take cases just for the money?â
ââŚâ
âStop looking at me like that. No! If the case is a worthy challenge to the intellect of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, then all the better! I didnât make my fame by only taking cases based on how much I was paid, you know.â
Despite the lightness in Sherlockâs voice, the twinkling look in his eyes, the undercurrent of deliberate resolve is all genuine and Ryuunosuke cannot help but smile. âNo, I didnât think so.â
âAnd what about you, Iris-sama?â Noticing the younger girlâs progress, Susato presents her with more paper just as Iris folds down the head of a new crane. âDo you know what sort of wish you would make?â
Iris happily accepts the sheet, her expression bright with the possibilities tumbling through her mind. âThereâs a lot of things Iâd like to wish for! Iâll have to think it over.â But abruptly, her fingers slow in the middle of a fold, her gaze seeming to travel elsewhere.
âIris-chan?â
âIt should be for something important, shouldnât it? The wish.â Her voice comes out subdued, solemn, as she continues to stare at the half-formed crane in her hands. âSomething important like⌠being able to meet my papa soon.â The note of uncertainty makes something in Ryuunosoukeâs chest twist.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he thinks he sees Sherlock tense.
â...I think,â he begins carefully, âyou can wish for anything you want.â He thinks for a moment, and then nods, decisively. âThatâs what wishes are. Whether or not you think itâs important, or whether or not you think itâll be granted, all that matters is that itâs something you want, right?â
Only for a moment, he wonders who heâs really trying to convince.
âThatâs right, Iris-sama,â Susato speaks now, resolutely. âPlease donât fret about it too much. If you find that you need another wishâŚâ She gestures triumphantly to the still sizeable stack of papers they have gathered and deposited onto the table. âAll we have to do is fold another thousand cranes!â
ââŚYouâre right!â Just like that, Irisâs smile is back on her face, the shadow of doubt from moments ago nowhere in sight, and she and Susato giggle briefly at each other. Ryuunosuke marvels at the scene and hears a sigh of what might be relief from behind him. âWhat about you, Susie? What would you wish for?â
âMe?â For all her enthusiasm about folding cranes, the slightest thought of the end goal does not have appear to have crossed her mind. Susato tips her head into her chin, contemplative. âI⌠I donât know. Thereâs nothing that I feel warrants something as grand as a wishâah!â
He jumps slightly at her exclamation. âDid you think of something, Susato-san?â
âYes, I think so.â Susato turns to look at him, and for some reason, her eyes seem very bright. âI would like to wish... for Naruhodou-sama to become the wonderful attorney he hopes to be.â
âHuh!?â The less than flattering sound leaps out as Ryuunosukeâs own eyes widen. âNo, no, no, thatâs- thatâs notâ I mean, shouldnât you wish for something for yourself? I-I canât possibly acceptââ
âDo you truly think that itâs only for yourself?â There is fire in her gaze and steel in the words she returns as she stares at him, unwavering. âItâs something that I too desire, from the very bottom of my heart.â Her eyes travel downward, landing on the object at his hip, and soften. âWish or not, I believe that it will happen. This is simply⌠asking for a little assistance.â
He has nothing to respond with but a meek nod, something hot building up in the corners of his eyes and an lump in his throat.
âMister Naruhodou, do you need a handkerchief?â
âN-No!â Ryuunosuke scrubs briefly across his face with his sleeve, leveling a scowl the best he can at Sherlock before glancing back to Susato. âSusato-san... thank you. Iâll do my best to live up to your expectations.â
She only smiles at him again, an infinitely gentle expression. âWhat would your wish be, Naruhodou-sama?â
âA wish, huhâŚâ He has pondered the question from the moment their shared goal was decidedâbut he is sincerely at a loss. âI⌠really donât know. I guess Iâll think about it when we get close to the end.â A wish meant a desire, a hope.
A want.
âŚI wonder⌠if it would workâŚ
He glances out the window, from where he can see sunlight spilling in and a few, fluffy clouds drifting lazily through a blue, blue sky. Sherlock may have called the attic âdecrepitâ, but bathed in a golden glow, there is not a sight more welcoming.
A warm breeze blows into the room, sending a few papers whirling.
...Probably not.
But he reaches for another sheet.
ââŚHow are you doing? Are you surprised to see a letter this soon? Just after we left, I remembered a few things I forgot to tell you, so when the ship stopped at a port to resupply, I took the opportunity to send this.
Youâre probably still getting used to London, arenât you? I wanted to mention that there are some things left in my old room at Holmes-sanâs place that you might find helpful, like books and stuff. As much as I wanted to, I couldnât take everything back to Japan with me, so if youâre up to it, you can go over to Baker Street sometime to take anything youâd like. In fact, itâd make me really happy if you got some use out of themâŚâ
The sound of the horse carriage clattering noisily away is quickly replaced by that of his own heartbeat, pounding loudly in his chest. It seems silly that such apprehension should eat at him, compared to everything else that has happened, and for the life of him, he cannot find a logical rationale for it.
He takes a deep breath, lifts his hand, and knocks solidly on the door of apartment 221B.
Immediately, pattering footsteps race closer from the other side, and with a click the door swings open. Deep green eyes blink up inquisitively up at him, before they widen in recognition and delight. âItâs you! Come in, weâve been expecting you!â
Asougi Kazuma inclines his head briefly, unable to stop the corners of his lips from turning up at the childâs enthusiastic greeting. âGood day, Miss Watson.â If the still-puzzling facsimile of her in court hadnât been lively enough, she is a thousand times more spirited in person.
âJust Iris is fine,â she says cheerily, ushering him in. âHave a seat anywhere youâd like! My special herb tea is almost ready!â
âAh-â he starts, âYou donât have to-âŚâ But Iris has already vanished elsewhere into the depths of the apartment, presumably to the kitchen. Bemused, Asougi looks side to side, his gaze sweeping over the cluttered sitting room. Despite her encouragement, an assortment of strange contraptions litter every possible place to sit, and he does not particularly feel like carelessly engaging with them.
âWhy, if it isnât Mister Asougi!â
The airy voice from behind him sends a jolt down his spine and Asougi whirls, a hand automatically reaching for the saber at his side. In the next moment, his eyes land on the voiceâs owner and he relaxes with a huff. âDetective Holmes.â
âThereâs no need to be so wary.â Sherlock Holmes, sans his usual distinctive hat and overcoat, shrugs whimsically, appearing utterly unconcerned with Asougiâs instinctual reflex. âYouâre our honored guest for today.â
He bows slightly. âThank you for your invitation.â Itâs not that he means to be curt, but cautious uncertainty still holds him in an iron gripâhow should he react to the man who pulled the strings behind his interrupted first journey to London?
But Sherlock only beams, undaunted. âThink nothing of it. Youâre Mister Naruhodou and Miss Susatoâs dear friend, after allâhow could we disappoint them in treating you otherwise? In fact,â He fishes a folded paper from his front pocket, waving it before Asougi. The scrawling handwriting from what he can see on the envelope is achingly familiar. âMister Naruhodou explicitly requested us to look after you and lend you a hand where possible.â
âNaruhodou⌠he worries too much.â A wry smile escapes him nevertheless. âBut Iâm afraid I wonât be staying long. Iâm only here to pick up some items Naruhodou left behind before I return to the prosecutorsâ office.â
âMister Naruhodou mentioned those as well.â Sherlock snaps his fingers in the direction of the stairs. âTake whatever youâd like! I told him anything left is fair game for my experiments.â
He bows a second time, turning away. âExcuse me, then.â
âAh, just one moment, Mister Asougi!â Sherlock calls, striking a strange pose. âThe bottom of the lowest shelf in the farther corner of the room. I suggest you take an especially close look.â
Asougi pauses with his foot on the first step, puzzled.
Sherlock winks at him, mischief and goodwill in equal measure. âI think youâll find something very interesting there.â
The attic glows with midmorning light, exuding an atmosphere of welcome despite the clear lack of inhabitants. Asougi stops at the top of the staircase, letting his eyes wander from corner to corner and taking in every sight of the cozy, if slightly lonely space.
This is the room where his best friend stayed and learned and lived, in their year of separation.
The room is sparse now, but by no means emptyâa number of packed boxes and heavy-looking hardcover books still line the shelves against the wall. When he runs a finger along the desk, only a few specks remain on his glove; someone has been up here to dust recently.
A soft splash from nearby catches his ear, and Asougi turns to see a small glass tank filled with waterâand prawns, of all things. He peers dubiously into the tank, wondering what in the world possessed his friend to keep such tiny sea creatures. As far as prawns go, they seem quite healthyânot that he can tell. Perhaps Sherlock, or more likely Iris, cares for them now in Naruhodouâs absence.
There is a door at the end of a shallow recess that branches off from the attic, still bearing Mikotobaâs name. He smiles briefly at it before moving past to the shelves at last.
Naruhodou Law Consultation Office may be labeled at the entrance, but it is Mikotobaâs influence that is clear in the level of organization present. Boxes are neatly labeled and books sorted by subject in a way that is not quite believable of Naruhodou, as far as Asougi remembers. He sifts through them one by one, pulling out the files he deems useful and putting the rest carefully back with a mental word of pity for their eventual fate at the detectiveâs hands.
Although knowing Sherlock, the threat might have been made in nothing more than simple jest.
Speaking of the detectiveâSherlockâs words from earlier float into his mind.
The lowest shelf in the corner, was it?
In that spot, there is another large box tucked away, unlabeled. When Asougi lifts it, the box feels surprisingly light for its size. He sets it on the table, raising the lid to set aside, curiosity prickling at the back of his neck.
The box is filled to the brim with strangely shaped paper.
âŚCranes?
Asougi picks one up from the multitude, eying the crane as it sits inoffensively on his palm. Paper cranes. The classic shape of origami, a common pastime in Japan. He has not expected to see one an ocean away. And moreover, this many of them. There is only one explanation.
A thousand cranesâŚ
There is not a child in Japan who has not heard the legend, and Asougi recalls it dimly in his own memory as well. A pretty, fanciful story of wishes and hope, but ultimately, nothing more.
Yet somehow, here in Naruhodouâs room, he is not surprised to see them at all.
A single square piece of unfolded paper he had missed at first glance flaps conspicuously from a corner of the box, and Asougi pulls it free.
His eyes widen as he turns it over and catches sight of his own name in familiar scrawls, messier than usual as if written in a haste.
âAsougi,
I folded these cranes with everyone here, although we didnât get around to finishing the very last one.
But, I donât think I need them anymore.
So if youâd like, if you wantââŚâ
Vaguely, Asougi becomes aware of a quiet, choked up sound that is filling the attic. At the same time, breathing is strangely difficult.
Then he realizesâthe laughter is coming from himself.
He presses a hand to his mouth, his friendâs note shuddering in the other. There is a bizarre obstruction in his throat that threatens to leave him gasping.
But in illogical contradiction, his heart feels lighter than ever.
Ahh, I have never been a match for you, Naruhodou.
When he makes his way back downstairs, Naruhodouâs note in his pocket and boxes balanced in his arms, Sherlock and Iris are there to greet him and grin knowingly at the look on his face. The fragrant smell of tea wafts warmly through the air.
âItâs still hard to believe we folded all these!â Iris says as she lifts the lid up to marvel once again at the collection of cranes.
âA nostalgic sight indeed,â Sherlock nods in agreement, puffing from his pipe. âWell? What do you intend to wish for, Mister Asougi?â
Asougi starts at the question. True, Naruhodou had indicated that the cranes be left to him, but if it had been a group effort as his friend mentioned, can he really accept them? ââŚAre you sure I can take them? After all, I didnât help fold a single one.â
âWe donât need them!â Irisâs response is bright and immediate. She closes the box with a flourish, leveling a kind gaze at him. âNot anymore. Besides, if they said you should take the cranes, you should.â
âThatâs right. Itâs not as if I hoped you would gallantly proclaim that you needed no such thing and then I could wish for a rich clientââ
âNow, now, Sherly, drink your tea.â
Asougi chuckles at their banter. ââŚThank you.â But as he glances back to the box, thinking, an idea comes to mind. âDetective Holmes, Miss Iris, will you help me with something?â
They turn inquisitive expressions on him. âHm?â
âDo you have string?â
The journey back to the prosecutorsâ office is uneventful, and he spends most of it gazing aimlessly out the window of the carriage.
The box of cranes sits by his side, slightly emptier.
âString?â Iris echoes, her head tipping to the side in question.
âIn Japan, itâs traditional to hang the thousand cranes in groups on string,â he explains. âIt makes for easier organization, as well.â
It takes Iris little more incentive to hunt for the material, and the three of them begin the arduous task of threading the cranes together in sets.
âWhat about your work?â Iris asks, snipping another length of string.
He waves dismissively. âNothing I canât handle.â
At length, they finish the job, and Asougi silently marvels that there really were nine hundred and ninety-nine cranes stuffed in the box.
He turns and holds several strings of cranes out to them both. âYou have my gratitude for taking care of Naruhodou and Assistant Mikotoba during their time in London. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.â
Iris takes the cranes, bundling them carefully in her arms, and smiles widely. âCome visit us any time!â
Sherlock places a hand on his hip, a playful, knowing look in his eyes. âBring that gloomy reaper with you too, Mister Asougi.â
Barok van Zieks looks impassively up from his desk as Asougi enters the office, nudging the door open with his footâhis arms are otherwise occupied. âItâs unusual for you to be late without reason,â Barok remarks.
âMy errand took longer than I thought,â Asougi replies shortly. âIâm prepared to make my work up in full.â
âHm. No matter. There is little to do today, in any case.â
âIs that so?â
Brief, concise, void of unnecessary tangents. Their conversations have always been this way so far. The vast abyss of tangled, convoluted feelings that lie between them still runs deep, after all.
It is precisely for that reason that Asougi reaches into the box, scooping out a handful of the contents.
Without a word, he walks up to Barokâs desk, and scatters the cranes onto the tabletop.
For several entire seconds, silence falls over the room.
Barokâs gaze flickers from the pile of cranes on his desk back to Asougi. To Asougiâs pleasure, there is no mistaking the genuine bewilderment in the other prosecutorâs eyesâhe has well and truly caught the man off-guard for once.
At last, Barok opens his mouth. ââŚProsecutor Asougi. What exactly are these?â
He cannot help the grin that spreads across his face as he turns tail and strides purposefully out of the room with the rest of the box, laughter on his lips and satisfied amusement in his chest at the former reaperâs flummoxed expression. âWishes, Prosecutor van Zieks.â
There are still many, many left to give.
A few more strings go to Inspector Gina Lestrade when he comes across her delivering a report. Her loyal companion sniffs playfully at Asougiâs boots while he places the cranes in her outstretched handsâa silent word of appreciation and apology all at once even as she accepts them skeptically.
She waves goodbye as she dashes into the prosecutorsâ office, the cranes trailing in flight behind her and Toby at her heels.
The next name on the list Sherlock wrote for him is a woman by the name of Viridian Green, a woman he has never metâ
But Naruhodou has.
And Asougi thinks, there will never be enough gratitude in the world to Naruhodou for all the lives he has touched.
The box has never been heavy, but there is a strange weight in the remainder of the contents despite the fact it should feel the exact opposite now.
When he arrives at the gates, the sunset burning at his back, his feet freeze in place. But if he should stop here, it will have all been for nothing.
He weaves lightly through the rows upon rows of marked stonesâthese are not what he is searching for. There would have been no inscription, no indicationânot for a murderer. It is only by the allowance of the prosecutorsâ officeâs records that he knows where to go.
At last, he comes to a stop, his eyes fixed on the blank headstone before him. For a long while, he can only stare at it wordlessly, everything he has ever wanted to say suddenly, inexplicably lost in his throat.
So instead, Asougi takes a step forward, and lets the last of the cranes in his arms fall to the dirt on his fatherâs grave.
In the dimming light, the cranes seem to faintly glow.
It is much, much later, after he has pulled himself away, that he realizes Naruhodouâs note is still in his pocket. He brings it out, smoothing the creases, looking down at his friendâs messily inked words, and recalls how to smile.
He begins, by folding the paper in half.
A/N:Â Dedicated to Miryul for the many long hours we spent screaming over Asougi- I mean DGS2, haha. PLEASE LOOK AT HER ART IT'S SUPER BEAUTIFUL! (and be care of spoilers)
I also want to thank everyone for all the love towards my DGS fic from two years ago. I'm so glad Asougi's alive.
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The Great Thaw
Kazuma Asougi Ă Original Character
SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY CHRONICLES ~ Read ahead at your own risk!
Rating: T
Word Count: 1.3k
WARNINGS: amnesia, minor displays of aggression (verbal and physical), mentions of malnutrition
Summary: Just when the Englishwoman starts to think sheâs on the right track, her attempts to befriend the lost soul she met in the East backfire horrifically, after which she decides to take a different approach.
Masterlist
Day by day, Cecelia continued her diligent efforts to chip away at the ice separating herself and the mysterious man with whom sheâd embarked on this half-year-long voyage to Great Britain. A whole month had passed since theyâd left Hong Kong together, and the Vitesse was next set to land in Sri Lanka. Her bunk mates, all lovely ladies ranging from late twenties to mid thirties who thrived off stories such as hers, saved none of their encouragement as she kept them updated with her progress. He had yet to smile for her or to be the first to strike up a conversation, but she had gotten a âThank you,â out of him once or twice, which on its own was already more than sheâd hoped for. Things were looking up.
So when she bumped into him one morning on her way to the mess hall for breakfast, she thought nothing of it. âOh! Terribly sorry,â she chirped, straightening his scarf for him after their unceremonious collision. âYou know me.â
She nearly lost her footing when he grabbed her by the wrists hard and backed her into the cold, steel wall of the passageway.
His shoulders were poised and his upper lip furled in a vicious snarl. âYou just donât know when to leave well alone, do you?â The way his eyes tore into her with so narrow a gap between them had her throat tightening, making it harder and harder to breathe. âWhat do you want from me, eh?!â he snapped, his grip intensifying. âWhy do you insist on treating me like weâre old friends?â
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. âI, I thoughtââ
âNo, you know what?â Her wrists were hurled back down to her sides as he shoved himself off of her. âI couldnât care less. Just stop acting like you and I know each other.â As he turned on his heel and stormed off, she could only just make out what he then muttered under his breath: âI hardly even know myselfâŚâ
The day heâd lost his temper with Miss Gardner, the young Eastern seaman had failed to take into account the fact that, on watch, the two of them were assigned to the same post on the starboard side of the main deck. As such, heâd also failed to consider that he would be forced to stand in close vicinity of her not even twenty four hours later, and for a period of three hours uninterrupted.
When evening came that day, even with them stood outside in the salty sea air above deck, it was just as suffocatingly awkward as heâd all too late come to know that it would be. It was impossible not to notice the way she pointedly kept as much geographic distance from him as she could. The minutes were ticking by like weeks. All he wanted to do as he stood watch beside her doing nothing wasâŚhe didnât even know, but frankly, quite literally anything else would have been preferable.
But then, about an hour into their shift, she broke the silence. âMind if I tell you about something?â she asked innocently.
âWhat is it?â he asked back, not letting his gaze stray from dead ahead of him. He did mind, but really there was little point in offending her by refusing to even indulge her in as little as that.
He saw her shrug out of the corner of his eye. âOh, nothing much. Itâs just a story, from when I was in my late teens and just striking out on my own for the first time.â
He stayed still and said nothing, both of which she took as signs that he was listening.
âWhen I first moved out of my family home and into my uni dorm, I didnât have a clue as to just how frightfully demanding the adult world really is. Which sadly meant I wasâŚseverely under-equipped in terms of basic skills that one needs in order to live independently.â She sighed, but the smile in her tone could still be heard. âAnd to make things worse, I had no roommates, which I was proud of myself for at the time, but in retrospectâŚâ
Expecting her to finish her sentence and surprised when she didnât, he caved and turned his attention her way.
She shook her head in exasperation. âI was a totally different person back then. You wouldnât believe your eyes if you saw me acting like I used to now, Iâm sure.â He raised a brow at her in response to her challenging him. âIâm serious!â Her eyes went wide, emphasising her seriousness. âLike for example, whenever someone would offer to cook for meâgood grief, I was terribly malnourished back thenâor to help me with things like managing my chequebook or setting up a bank account, Iâd lash out at them and accuse them of belittling my competence in taking care of myself.â
Sheâd been right about one thing. What she spoke of was indeed very difficult to fathom. He crossed his arms thoughtfully in front of him.
âEventually I realised that, well...Iâm sure youâve long since figured this out about me, but Iâm not the type of person who can do absolutely everything for herself.â This made him crack a smirk. She was right once again. âThatâs why Iâm always putting my faith in others, because I know I couldnât get by otherwise. Once Iâd started doing that, it was obvious how silly Iâd been to think that people actually thought less of me when they noticed me struggling to get by, while really they just wanted to help because they cared for my wellbeing.â
It wasnât until sheâd started with that kind of talk that the storyâs true level of seriousness really started to get itself across. Until now, it had been masked by her relaxed posture and happy-go-lucky expression, the intentionality of which he was finding difficult to determine. There was as yet more to her tale left unsaid, though, as he would soon discover.
âOf course, that isnât to say that asking for a hand when you need one is guaranteed to end well every time, as Iâve already demonstrated to you.â A few stray puffs of laughter were sprinkled throughout her little admission. She must have been referring to the incident during which the two of them had first met, he inferred. âBut I still believe taking a risk every now and then is better than just...wasting away like I had been.â
For the first time since sheâd approached him that evening, her smile vanished, even if for just a moment.
âI donât understand,â he finally said, sensing sheâd reached a conclusion. âWhy have you told me all thisâŚ? Whatâs your point?â
A short but powerful âHah!â burst out of her and caught him unawares. âI just wanted to, thatâs all,â she chortled as if it were the silliest question sheâd ever heard. That, or he was making her nervous. âNeed I have a reason beyond just that?â
She seemed sincere enough in her answer. However, given the current circumstances between her and himself, it was hard to believe that there wasnât more to her motivations than mere spontaneity.
They didnât speak again for the remainder of the night. All the while, her story continued to play on his mind, confounding him to no end. How dare she imply that he was âstrugglingâ? He didnât think he was. Thus far, in fact, heâd been living up to the profession of âable seamanâ quite well. Unless she thought he was struggling in other ways. In which case, what did she care? Why would she care? He wanted to be sceptical, but then he remembered the part in her tale about how sheâd experienced feelings similar to these in a situation similar to this herself.
The way sheâd chosen to lecture him like he was a teenager was beyond irritating. And yet, he couldnât explain the anomalous feeling of warmth that spread throughout his chest whenever he had the thought of, She cares about me.
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Ryuunosuke Naruhodou & Satoru Hosonaga
-A false arrest and getting thrown in a dark room might not be the best way to end an otherwise pleasant afternoon.-
---
It all happened so quickly. One moment Satoru Hosonaga was in the kitchen, minding his duties as a waiter. The next⌠a gunshot rang out through the establishment, startling the undercover officer into action. He ran out into the restaurant, his eyes landing upon the scene: a university student holding a gun in his hand, standing before another patron with a matching gunshot wound on his chest.
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Hosonaga tackled the young man as he was trained to, dragging him off to the kitchen and into the storeroom at the back. He briefly debated just throwing the student into the room by his lonesome, before deciding to get in as well and lock the door from the inside. He'd be damned if he let a murderer end himself without a fair trial! With a heave he threw the shorter man onto the floor, swiftly locking the door behind him.
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"Hnng.."
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Hosonaga waited for the sound of movement in the dark. A desperate last-ditch attempt to claw his way out of the room, or to take the detective's life as he did with that old gentlemanâŚÂ
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..
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Or even just to right himself into a sitting position. But the young man made no movement or sound, aside from the few groans after he first got thrown. Oh, Hosonaga heard a few hitchings of breath. They didn't sound angry, though. Well, this sure was an anticlimactic arrestâŚ
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As he waited in the dark, his mind began to wander. What could've possessed this seemingly spineless man to take a life? He could swear he saw the guy beaming at the victim a few minutes prior. What changed⌠Ah! This must be his arrestee's plan! Distract the detective with his own thoughts so he can take him off-guard. Well, that wouldn't work on Hosonaga. He waited for the telltale sound of fabric swishing.
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Silence..
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A sob.
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Wait-that's not what he was expecting. Was the murderer⌠crying? Perhaps sensing Hosonaga's eyes on him, Naruhodou tried to quiet himself down, but it didn't really work. Soon he was quietly sobbing, hoping the detective had the decency to just ignore him. The detective was at a loss. He leaned down in the dark and, against his better judgement, poked Naruhodou with a finger. The smaller man was shaking like a leaf. It may have been an anticlimactic one but this arrest was far from boring. For all the wrong reasons, Hosonaga thought. As Naruhodou started to sporadically gasp for air, wheezing painfully, the detective jumped into action once more. This murderer, for whatever reason, was on the verge of a panic attack!
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He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other man, coaxing him into a vertical position. Getting out of the room before reinforcements arrived was out of the question, so he started gently rocking the student. When that didn't do much, he started humming an old lullaby his mother used to sing him. Comforting people may not be his profession, but damn if he wasn't going to do his best! Gradually the man in his arms calmed down, and the room filled with an awkward air. Naruhodou couldn't decide if he should move or not, or even if he should be thanking the man who threw him in here in the first place. The detective wasn't much different, unsure if he should move. In the end, the suspect was stuttering out a "T..thank you, sir." when strong, loud raps on the door signaled the arrival of the police.Â
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Surprisingly, Hosonaga held out a hand, pulling Ryuunosuke to his feet before he opened the door.
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..
Needless to say, the rest of the police were about as gentle as repeatedly getting hit by a speeding carriage, and he didn't even think about breaking down in their presence. Well⌠too much, at least.
-----
A month later when Asougi opens the door to the closet one night, asking what tune he's humming in the dead of night, Naruhodou just smiles mysteriously.
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[ x ]
   âI thought that you would never ask, Naruhodou-sama!â Ryuutarou says, before remembering himself; err he clears his throat, and his voice drops an octave lower. âOr rather, I suppose the correct way of address would be⌠R-Ryuunosuke-kun.â
   The informality doesnât roll off his tongue well, he thinks, but perhaps this is just an at first more than anything.
   âIn truth, itâs not a name that I chose; but rather, one that my father did in order to forge paperwork so that I could stand in court as an attorney to defend a dear friend of mine. Initially, I thought it a singular happenstance, but⌠As you can seeâŚâ and then, a gesture down to his attire. With the blue suit and the bowler cap, one could say that Ryuutarou was a dead ringer for a ten years younger Yuujin. ââŚItâs become habit now. I will admit that I am grateful for the resources to craft this identity. After all, presenting as a man allows me more freedom â and all the more opportunity to assist you and Kazuma-sama.â
   He canât help but frown, though, realizing whom heâs speaking with. âI never did get to request your permission to borrow your name, though, did I. In truth, I felt horribly guilty at first. It is likely that I still do. I stole the name of a person thought deceased, and so soon after that incidentâŚâ Ryuutarou suppresses a shudder as he takes in a slow breath, so similar to the selfsame used by his âcousinâ in his first and last trial. âIs it⌠Truly all right for me to do so?â
   And suddenly, he is not fearsome fledgling attorney, but a young adult who has had to witness, bear, and do too much than any youth should ever have to. The guilt of seeing what should have been the corpse of her dear brotherâs close friend, if not something more, is one of the many.
   Ryuunosuke smiles in response. Itâs not just a smile to express his own happiness, but rather also one to reassure; heâd learned long ago that the easiest way to put someone at ease was to show that you were at ease, too (whether it was a facade or not was irrelevant, for the most part). While the appearance of the young person in front of him marks Ryuutaro as unfamiliar in Ryuunosukeâs brain, he knows this is Susato-san. But if heâs going to support her in this, then he should change how he thinks, as well. Right now he is not speaking to Mikotoba Susato, Asougiâs sister, but rather to Naruhodou Ryuutaro, his own cousin.Â
   âIâm happy that itâs helped you so much. ...itâs a good name, isnât it?â
   There is a funny familiarity in being referred to as Ryuunosuke-kun, something that truly, nobody else has ever done. He has always been Ryuu-kun to his parents, Naruhodou to Asougi, Naruhodou-kun to his friends, Naruhodou-sama to Susato, Narudie to Iris, Master Naruhodou to Mr. Holmes. This marks a new name in his personal dictionary, which is truly an amusing thing to think that the simplest, most direct informal way to refer to him is the only name that has yet to find regular use. Ryuunosuke supposes it has itâs place now, spoken by his cousin.
   âYou donât have to worry about using my name,â Ryuunosuke says. âIts not only mine, anyway. You canât steal something from me that I donât own. If it helps you, and you like it, then itâs a perfect name for you.â
   Ryuunosuke wonders if he should explain to Ryuutaro the history of the surname he carries now. He doubts that Professor Mikotoba could have known for certain how appropriate it had been to choose Naruhodou, but... well, maybe he had, but he likely had not explained why even if the professor had known.Â
   âThere are plenty of people who have taken the name Naruhodou. Youâre carrying on a tradition, in a way.â
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