#special project: cykes

[sunset-peril]

Now there's a plot twist for you

[s-e-sagas]

The Claws

This is Cyke (short for cyclops because of the eye symbol on his forehead), and he's one of the main characters of a personal project (inspired by Undertale). The Claws, meaning the spear shaped thingies around him, are part of his set of powers, as he's one special kind of monster in his world. He's a tiny but dangerous one :3 We hope you like it ♥ Cyke  ©   S-E-Sagas Undertale © Toby Fox

[renegadewangs]

Imagine... A Mindhunter-inspired Ace Attorney AU starring Simon Blackquill. Simon is asked by Interpol to participate in a special Behavioral Science project, constructing and compiling psych profiles based on the ‘modern day killer’ in order to categorize the culprits and ideally solve future murder cases faster. In order to do this, he needs to have interviews with Ace Attorney murderers who are on death row. Despite not wanting to expose her to these sort of people, his partner for the project is Athena Cykes; Simon uses the Power of Suggestion to ask the hard-hitting questions and gather as much information as possible about the killer’s feelings/childhood/etc., Athena helps to interpret and process the insight they gain. Their chief who keeps demanding discretion and results is Shi-Long Lang. Simon keeps getting slapped on the hand because his questions are too coarse and manipulative, but really, who can stop him?

They start off with the small fries like Dee Vasquez, Furio Tigre, Luke Atmey, Alita Tiala, Roger Retinz... Then they begin to move up the ladder to the big leagues: Matt Engarde, Damon Gant, Quercus Alba, Kristoph Gavin... Simon’s ultimate goal is to be allowed an interview with the Phantom- the Charles Manson of this series, if you will. But because the Phantom is such a high-profile inmate, Lang wouldn’t be able to pull the right strings for an interview until they’ve proven that the project can yield results.

I expect interviews with truly crazed inmates like Luke Atmey and Matt Engarde would be especially delightful in the sort of questions Simon could ask. A lot of other interviews would just be sad, because a lot of the AA murderers were driven into a corner. Don’t even get me started on Acro.

[queen-ofsunflowers]

The sixth and final transformation for the Miraculous Turnabout: Athena Cykes into Queen Bee!

I love Athena and I love bees. Enough said. But seriously, considering her personality, I think that Athena "No-Holds-Barred" Cykes is perfect for the bee miraculous and its power of subjection.

I had so much fun with this project, and I'm surprised that people like them. If I do anymore transformations, they'll be optional or asked for, such as past holders and special powers and things like that.

Unless we get a Mayura transformation for me to reference/get BG track from, this is the last standard one. I hope you enjoy!

[xeno-odyssey]

Top 10 (Slightly Revised) Smash Ultimate - Fighters Pass Predictions

Keep in mind, these are fighters I personally want in Smash Ultimate. With the surprise reveal of Joker, and that he’ll be joining the roster soon with only a month away, anything is possible at this point. Also, Mii Costumes and Spirits usually does not mean a fighter is de-confirmed. For example, Mario is a fighter and he has multiple Spirits of himself from other Mario games. This will be a slightly lengthy list, so I’ll put a cut underneath.

Rex & Pyra/Mythra - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Unfortunately they did not make it into the final roster as Smash Ultimate’s development period was around the time Xenoblade 2 released in December 2017, and Smash Ultimate released the next year. As compensation, we got a Mii Fighter costume of Rex if we pre-purchased the Fighters Pass DLC for free. I still have hope for Rex being in Smash. Some people say they want Pyra & Mythra as solo fighters, I have to disagree on that. They share their life-force with Rex, and without him as the Driver, they’re not at full strength, even if they are the Aegises. I COULD see Mythra as a solo fighter, should Sakurai and his team choose to use her Torna iteration. For their special attacks and Final Smash, here’s what I got: Sword Bash in Neutral-B, Rolling Smash is Side-B, Double Spinning Edge is Up-B akin to Link’s Spin Attack, and Down-B can be Blade Switch by changing between Pyra or Mythra respectively. For Rex’s Grab, it can be Anchor Shot akin to Young/Toon Link’s Hookshot, and it can also work as a tether-grab on ledges. For their Final Smash, it can be something like how Ryu and Ken have a 2-in-one Final Smash; Chain Attack - Burning Sword (Pyra), and Chain Attack - Sacred Arrow (Mythra). Rex call upon either Nia & Dromarch, Tora & Poppi, Mòrag & Brighid, and/or Zeke & Pandoria. They let their Blades go all out with the Special Attacks, and Rex deals the finishing blow with Pyra or Mythra using either of their respective Level 4 Special Attack.

Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X Elma is one of many highly requested fighters to be in Smash, especially during the Fighter Ballot back in 2016 for Smash 4. Even if Elma doesn’t make, I can see the avatar, Cross, be in it. Elma’s moveset can be directly pulled from her origin game, and from Xenoblade 2: Neutral-B is Stream Edge, Side-B is Sliding Slinger, Up-B is Shadow Strike, and Down-B is Ghost Factory as counter akin to Lucario’s Double Team. For her Final Smash, it can be call Full Metal Jaguar Overdrive: This can be similar to Shulk’s Chain Attack in a way. Elma activates Overdrive, then splits clones of herself with Ghost Factory like in her boss fight from Xenoblade 2. Elma and her clones then go all out using moves like Violent Streak, Executioner, Electric Surge, Hundred Shells, and the original Elma finishes the attack with her signature Art being Shadow Strike. For a special aesthetic, one of Elma’s alternate costumes can be her True Form, where she’s actually one of the mysterious peaceful aliens trying to protect humanity from the Ganglion Alliance.

Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza series I know what some of you might be thinking; “But Kiryu has never been on a Nintendo console before!” This is where I say, not true! The first two Yakuza games had HD ports on the Wii U. Sales didn’t do so well though.... But that’s okay! If we can get characters like Bayonetta and Joker, why not Kiryu? For Kiryu’s fighting style taken straight from 0 and Kiwami 1 & 2, he has Brawler, Rush, Beast, and Dragon of Dojima. For most of his standard and aerial attacks, Kiryu can use both Brawler and DoD styles. When dodging, that’s where Rush Style comes in. For his grab attacks and throws, Beast Style is in play. So all in all, Kiryu will mainly be using Dragon of Dojima with hints of his other 3 fighting styles mixed into one, just like in Kiwami 2 and onward. I’m not entirely sure what his B-specials can be like, but they’ll be something straight out of his DoD style. For example, his Down-B can be the Tiger Drop as a counterattack, where Kiryu gut-punches foes causing them to be stunned, similar to Ryu & Ken’s Focus Attack. For his Final Smash, Kiryu goes into Extreme Heat, unleashing powerful Heat Action attacks on anyone that gets in his way. The finisher is using his signature high kick, causing foes to be sent flying. A Kiwami symbol (極) will appear as an aesthetic when the Final Smash is finished.

Byleth - Fire Emblem: Three Houses With FE: 3 Houses recently announced and coming to Nintendo Switch soon, it won’t be a surprise if yet another FE avatar makes it into the roster alongside Robin and Corrin. Corrin especially since both them and Roy were originally put into Smash to promote both of their respective origin games. Roy being The Binding Blade, and Corrin being Fates of course. Robin, Corrin, and Byleth. Wouldn’t that be amazing? As of making this list, we don’t know much of Byleth other than they can use swords and have mysterious powers in Three Houses and how that’ll be incorporated into Smash Ultimate, but I have a feeling they’ll be an original FE fighter much like Robin & Corrin. Robin using their tomes & Levin Sword, Corrin wielding the Omega Yato & using their Dragon Fang ability, so I’m curious and I’d like to see what Byleth could bring to the table.

Shantae - Shantae series Reminder once again, Spirits don’t usually de-confirm fighters. In Smash Ultimate, Shantae & Risky’s Spirits are represented in their Half-Genie Hero appearances & design. So what I’m thinking is that we can bring in the “recent” Shantae iteration from one of her more popular games being The Pirate’s Curse. Shantae’s Smash design can be a mix of all of her past and present iterations, like her vest from PC. All of Shantae’s attacks can derive from all of her games. She can use her magic, and use other means of weapons & attacks from Pirate’s Curse. Shantae can be slightly similar to Robin, and how they use swords & magic. Like she can use her signature Hair Whip attack on the ground, shoot magic fireballs or use a flintlock pistol for projectile attacks, and use a pirate cutlass for her aerial attacks. She can even use moves like Power, Drill & Uppercut Kicks. Her dodge can even come from her notable Backdash. Her most iconic magical bellydances can be her special attacks, and her taunts. Shantae’s Final Smash can be something like unleashing powerful Genie Magic via her magic bellydancing.

Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney series & VS. Capcom series I mean, c’mon now. We gotta have another joke-fighter in Smash. Nick works as a joke fighter in the VS. Capcom games because most of his moves are taken from his games and from Project X Zone 2. Shouting an “Objection!” can be a forward-Smash attack, his Up-B can be a powerful sneeze, and other attacks can involve his partners such as Maya & Pearl Fey (with the Steel Samurai), Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes. For his Final Smash, the name can be something like “Final Evidence Presentation” A.K.A., “TAKE THAT!” Phoenix presents the final key evidence on the “suspect”, belittling them even further that they were at the crime scene with no alibi and hope left, with the finisher being a powerful “TAKE THAT!” shout sending the suspects flying. For this, both Apollo and Athena join Nick like they both did in Dual Destinies.

Neku Sakuraba - The World Ends With You I was one of the people that voted for Neku to be in Smash during the Fighter Ballot. If you’ve played TWEWY, you probably already know how Neku can fight. Most of Neku’s powers come from pins, allowing him to use pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, shockwaves, energy projectiles, quakes, soundwaves, and more. If he were to be a fighter, Neku can be similar to Robin. In his game, the pins’ powers have a limit use and time limit. After a certain amount of use, Neku must wait to use the pin again until it reboots. This goes for all of his special attacks. Neutral-B can be Energy/Force Rounds, Side-B can be Shockwave akin to Marth/Lucina/Roy’s Dancing Blade, Up-B is Vulcan Uppercut or Teleport, and his Down-B is Pyrokinesis which is controllable. Neku’s Final Smash will be Final Fusion. He summons Shiki, Joshua and Beat where they put all of their power in the Harmonizer Pin with Neku dealing the finishing blow. If Final Fusion manages to KO opponents, this fully reboots all of Neku’s pins.

Monster Hunter - Monster Hunter series Smash Ultimate feels nearly complete as it already has the armor as Mii Costumes and Rathalos as a boss & Assist Trophy. I know very little of the Monster Hunter games, but they can work as a fighter with their various weapons.

Ruby Rose - RWBY series Ruby seems very unlikely for a fighting game like Smash Ultimate, but she already has her own game which is RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, and stars in another crossover fighting game being BLAZBLUE: Cross Tag Battle. But what she can bring to the table is that she’s the most unique fighter out of everyone in Smash. Ruby wields her favorite weapon, Crescent Rose, a high-impact sniper-rifle scythe hybrid weapon. Most of her attacks from the show involve using her Speed Semblance, and attacking from a distance thanks to the rifle part. In a way, she can be similar to Bayonetta as both characters uses guns and attack from far away. Her speed can even match Sonic’s and Shulk’s Monado Speed. For Ruby’s Final Smash, it can be similar to Shulk’s Chain Attack, where she summons the rest of Team RWBY; Weiss, Blake, and Yang. All four girls use their unique team attacks, and the finishing blow is all four of them attacking together with their respective weapons.

Sora - Kingdom Hearts series Sora is on the very bottom for this list because I feel he’s highly unlikely to be the next DLC fighter. He’s technically a Disney character, and Square-Enix is usually careful with their IPs, though some producers seem to be okay with his inclusion in Smash Ultimate. Anyway, should Sora become a fighter, of course he would bring his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key to the battle. All of his attacks can derive from his origin games, like moves from Limit & Second Form. Sliding Dash is his Dash-Attack, Ripple Drive can be his Up-Smash, Stun Impact can be his Down-Smash akin to Zero Suit Samus’s, and Magnet Burst can be a Neutral-Air as an example. I’m not sure what his Neutral-B will be like though for the rest of the Special Attacks; Side-B will be Strike Raid akin to Link’s boomerang, Up-B is Aeroga, and Down-B is a Counterattack being Zantetzuken (or even his latest reprisals from KH3). Sora’s Final Smash is a bit tricky as he has a lot of powerful finishers and attacks. They can be either Ragnarok, Sonic Blade, Ars Arcanum, Union χ, Ancient Light, or Trinity where he teams up with Donald & Goofy to unleash a powerful attack.

[imnobodyuknow]

And now...a quick therapy session.

Here she is, “big reveal” #13!

I was super excited draw this scenario for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, it gave me a chance to finally draw my waifu favorite Ace Attorney character, the lovely and witty psychology expert and lawyer, Athena Cykes!  Secondly, it gave me the chance to depict a scenario I’m sure a lot of people who are familiar with DDLC would love to see: Sayori getting some professional help with her emotional issues (or at least someone to talk to about them).

Plus she’s just an adorable character in every way.

Her hair’s a mess, though.  It took me forever to get it right.

So, what exactly is going on in this picture?  The holographic image floating in front of these two girls is being projected by Widget, the little blue device on Athena’s neck.  Using Widget’s software (called the “Mood Matrix”), in conjunction with her special gift of being able to detect emotions in others’ voices, Athena can determine precisely what emotions a person feels, as well as how strongly they feel them, as they recall a memory.

The faces in the corners of the screen indicate how much joy, anger, sadness/fear, and surprise the person felt at the time of their memory.  As you might imagine (or already know if you’re familiar with the Ace Attorney series), this comes in very handy during witness testimonies in the courtroom.  But what would happen if, through the power of imagination, Athena had the chance to meet Sayori and listen to one of her memories?

I imagined Sayori telling Athena about a sad memory of seeing the protagonist (a boy at her school who’s also her childhood friend) spending time with another girl.  As the Mood Matrix indicates, she indeed felt a lot of sadness (and some anger), but as Athena points out (literally), she felt a hint of joy at the same time, the reason being that she was secretly glad for him.  The feeling was so subtle, in fact, that only ears like Athena’s could’ve picked up on it.  Whether this accurately captures Sayori’s attitude or not, I love the thought of Athena discovering the silver lining in one of Sayori’s many rainclouds.  Needless to say, Sayori would be utterly wowed by the entire process.

I considered drawing a picture of Sayori’s memory in the screen’s center (since it can display those in great detail), but I decided to omit that in order to avoid making a mistake -- trying to erase part of a translucent object could’ve been problematic.  I also noticed after I’d drawn the screen that Widget was being partially blocked by Athena’s hand, so I decided to redraw the bottom-right part, and as it turned out, Athena blocked off part of the “sadness/fear” symbol.  That makes for quite an interesting metaphor, doesn’t it?

Psychology aside, though, I can imagine these two relating in a lot of different ways -- they both feel emotions strongly, they both struggle with a feeling of insignificance, and they both have a tendency to be clumsy on occasion.  And if you can get either of them excited...  Huh, boy...

So far I have to say this has been my favorite DDLC-related picture to draw.  Athena’s hair and eyes turned out beautifully (although that seems to be true for any piece of Athena fan art), and so did Sayori’s, although I somehow made her hair pinker than it should be.  Not to mention her eyes are WAY more detailed than I could’ve made them with colored pencils.  In any case, it was nice to draw a new DDLC character and place her in the Ace Attorney universe.  She and Athena are in the Wright Anything Agency office where Athena works, in case you didn’t know (or guess).

Here are the images I used as a reference:

[wingsonghalo]

Project: Matchmakers- Chapter 5

Well, usually I update on Ao3 before tumblr, but Ao3 is being hecka slow, so congrats, tumblr; you get this chapter first.

Also available on Ao3 and Fanfiction.net. If you prefer to read on tumblr, you can find the previous chapters here: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Special thank-you to matsuorka, who drew fanart for me last chapter. Bless you, friend. ;w;

In this chapter, Athena takes a stand and Phoenix takes an elevator.

Athena Cykes was absolutely certain of three things in this moment: one, peppers were gross no matter what you stuffed them with; two, Maya used black magic to be able to eat that many hamburgers; and three, her boss was crazy in love with Miles Edgeworth.

His face lit up like Widget's “happy” expression when he saw the prosecutor walk through the door. Even though she was across the table from Mr. Wright, she could hear his heart rate pick up, the subtle intake of breath.

Mr. Edgeworth and Trucy seated themselves at the already crowded table, and the group exchanged greetings. Athena noticed that Edgeworth had (perhaps inadvertently?) placed himself directly across from Mr. Wright. Trucy, of course, wedged herself between her father and Apollo. The table was already covered in half-empty plates and water glasses, but everyone scooted their stuff aside enough to allow the newcomers a bit of room for whatever they ended up ordering (assuming what they ended up ordering was small). Trucy grinned around at everyone, while Mr. Edgeworth met Mr. Wright's eyes for a split second to slightly incline his head before looking away again. Athena heard his heart skip a beat too. He might always act like he had it together, but people's hearts never lied.

Conversation at the table was loud, excitable, and affectionate. Apollo assured Mr. Edgeworth that Ema was doing well despite traveling back and forth all the time and that Khura'in was now a much fairer nation; Trucy kept making her father's chicken wings “disappear;” Maya kept trying unsuccessfully to start a conversation about the Steel Samurai with Mr. Edgeworth.

But amidst all the clattering of tableware, the bursts of laughter, and the three times Maya held up an empty plate and said “More please!” to be met with a round of incredulous groans, Athena could hear the low buzz of anxiousness between the two older attorneys. Mr. Edgeworth's was a constant thrum of something that felt like guilt or frustration colored with concern; Mr. Wright's came in fluttering bursts of uncertainty and anticipation whenever he looked Edgeworth's way.

Of course, there was another feeling present in both parties: a quiet hum of happiness.

It was enough to make her want to whip Widget off her neck and start up the Mood Matrix to sort out all these jumbled-up feelings, but she found that her friends generally did not take very well to her attempting to Matrix them. Found it “invasive,” or “unnecessary,” or “completely uncalled for, Athena, geez, I was just watching a sad movie.” Spoilsports.

But gosh darn it, she couldn't continue to just stand by while these two dopes made each other worried sick about...whatever it was. Talking about one's feelings always helped!

She vowed to herself that she would get her boss to open up if it killed her! Though hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Everyone was quite surprised that Maya managed to down two milkshakes after all that food, but Athena couldn't bring herself to fill up on food or drink anymore. She was already full of ideas on how to get Mr. Wright to come clean...

***

Ideas weren't the same as plans.

It had been 6 more days, and no progress had been made in the Wright-Edgeworth Divide Debacle. She had tried to inch towards the subject of Edgeworth whenever she and Mr. Wright were alone. Oh, he was quite happy to talk about Edgeworth in general—although his voice always held a pang of sadness now that hadn't been there even just two weeks ago—but getting him to talk about what had happened between them was a different story. Whenever she started veering into that territory, he always skillfully deflected her efforts. She should have known he would—after all, he had taught her everything. But Athena was determined not to give up. It was almost painful listening to how lonely Mr. Wright sounded whenever he told her to stop worrying about him.

She had Trucy's support, too: she was keeping an eye on the Edgeworth side of things. “He's really defensive whenever I talk about Daddy,” she'd told her. “But I can tell from the way he taps the steering wheel or shifts his eyes that he feels bad about something. I wish he'd slip up a little and give me a hint!” But alas, Edgeworth slipping up was a rare occurrence.

Mr. Wright, however, was a different story.

It was for this reason that Athena found herself taking a walk with her boss on one of their days off. Phoenix had not invited her, but she'd taken it upon herself to keep him company, and he did not protest (well, not verbally. He did shoot her a bit of an annoyed look). She kept the conversation casual, talking about Apollo and Maya and even a few updates on Juniper, with whom she was of course in regular contact. He seemed to relax his guard a little after a while.

Athena was beginning to wonder when she would find an opening to talk about Mr. Edgeworth, but just as she was about to open her mouth, a sound caught her attention.

Wow, Mr. Wright's heartbeat suddenly rose to a fever pitch! she thought, surprised at the sudden thudding. And somehow I doubt it's because he's out of shape... “Uh, Boss?” she started, leaning forward a little to peek up at him sideways. “You okay?”

He seemed distracted, having stopped walking to focus his gaze at a spot in the distance. Hastily, Athena tried to follow his line of sight, and after searching the surroundings a bit, she caught a glimpse of a familiar wine-red suit.

“Wow, is that Mr. Edgeworth?” she said shielding her eyes from the sun and squinting. “I didn't even notice him all the way over there.”

Mr. Wright said nothing, but continued to walk. She followed, intrigued, as his heart rate slowly returned to normal. She tucked her hands into her coat pockets, and wondered how it was that her boss wasn't freezing—he hadn't even bothered to wear a jacket today. He was just wearing that beat-up gray hoodie that Trucy kept trying to discreetly throw away but which somehow always escaped. She glanced at his face. His brow was slightly furrowed, and he looked distracted. Perfect. People were always easier to get information out of when they were distracted!

“So, Boss,” she started, quite bravely, if she did say so herself.

“Hm?” he grunted back.

“About Mr. Edgeworth...”

She heard his heart skip a beat, but then resume on as normal. “What about him?” he prompted, and Athena detected that strange mixture of happiness with a dull cloud of sadness clinging to it.

She suddenly realized she didn't know how to broach the subject without putting him on his guard. They had reached the park, and began to make their way down the footpath. “Um...” she hesitated. “N-nothing. Never mind.”

“Oh,” was all Mr. Wright said. “Okay.” Here his voice had sounded the kind of sad that always made Athena want to invade people's personal space and give them hugs. She stopped in her tracks and squared her shoulders, making Mr. Wright stop and look back at her curiously.

“No, you know what, it's not okay!” she said forcefully. He had the gall to blink at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” he confirmed.

“Mr. Wright, we need to talk about what happened with you and Mr. Edgeworth,” she asserted, balling her fists. Her breath was puffing out in front of her in clouds, as if she were literally steaming with how worked up she was about this. “We...we need to work things out!”

Instantly, Mr. Wright's face became a hardened mask of neutrality. “No, we don't,” he said. “I'm not one of your witnesses having a breakdown on the stand, Athena. I'm an adult who can deal with his own problems. Take your hands away from Widget.”

Indeed, she had reached up to activate the Mood Matrix. But Athena hadn't come this far to back down. She narrowed her eyes at him and pressed the button defiantly. The quiet whir of the Mood Matrix coming to life filled the chilly air, and a blue holographic screen popped up in front of her.

“Athena,” said Mr. Wright. His voice had taken on a hushed, slightly dangerous tone. “We are in public.” Beneath his anger and the ever-present sadness, though, Athena could clearly hear an even stronger emotion: fear.

“Then let's go somewhere private!” she retorted. Her hands were shaking slightly, conflicted at having to oppose him like this. But this was for his own good, she reminded herself. She took a breath to steady herself, and then continued. “Boss, your emotional defensiveness is causing your feelings to spiral out of control. We need to talk things through.”

She didn't look away or even blink when Mr. Wright's dark blue eyes bored into hers. She stood her ground, waiting.

At last, his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “If I do this,” he said in a defeated voice, “Will you stop bothering me about it all the time?”

“Of course,” she said, trying not to let her relief be too obvious in her voice.

“Let's go back to the Agency,” he grumbled. “Apollo's not in right now and Trucy's at school, so at least I'll only have one person interrogating me.”

***

“All right,” Mr. Wright said with a sigh as he swung the door to the Agency closed. “Let's get this over with.”

Athena frowned. This wasn't the Phoenix Wright she looked up to and admired. This was a sad man who was desperate to hide his pain and frustrated with his circumstances. She hadn't witnessed it firsthand, but the way he was acting reminded her a little of stories she'd heard about how he'd been before...when Apollo was a new attorney.

She wasted no time in firing up the Mood Matrix. Unsurprisingly, the screen was instantly obscured with squiggling, jagged blue lines. Noise Level: 72%, said Widget's display. “Okay,” she said. “Talk to me about Mr. Edgeworth.”

“I really don't want to waste my day off talking about Edgeworth,” Mr. Wright said, crossing his arms.

The Mood Matrix told a different story. Athena suppressed a knowing smirk. “Mr. Wright, you're setting off the 'happy' and 'sad' markers.”

He looked a little surprised, dropping his arms down by his sides and blinking. He looked down at his beat-up sneakers for a moment, and then finally threw himself onto a couch. “Fine,” he said. “What about Edgeworth?”

“Um...” she floundered a bit for a moment. “H-how did you meet?” was what tumbled out of her mouth next. She beat down the impulse to facepalm.

Her boss surprised her by answering. “We were childhood friends,” he said. A picture appeared on the Mood Matrix's screen: a much younger Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright walking together, book-bags strapped to their backs. Athena's eyebrows shot up. The Miles in this memory looked so different, though he was still a snappy dresser with a little bow tie. This Edgeworth's expression was unguarded, happy. It was a look she'd never seen on the prosecutor's face before. Before she could scrutinize the image any further, it changed.

Now the screen showed a young Phoenix at the center of a room full of scary-looking kids, their faces all in shadow. The teacher was a looming, dark figure near the front of what she realized was a classroom. Everyone appeared to be shouting at Phoenix, who she realized with a jolt was crying, frantically wiping his eyes. The “fear” and “sadness” readings pulsed with equal intensity, waves of yellow and blue. It reminded Athena uncomfortably of a visually similar situation she'd been in herself as a child. “Edgeworth saved me when everyone was against me,” Mr. Wright continued, and at the statement there was a brief green flash of happiness. “But then...later that year...he disappeared.” The image faded away, the pulsing of the “sad” reading spreading out in wide ripples.

When another picture took its place, it was a scene she knew well: Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth facing one another in court. Both were pointing and shouting with their typical gusto. A strong mix of “happy” and “angry” washed down from the top of the screen. “After a long time, I finally met Edgeworth again in court,” said Mr. Wright. The “anger” reading momentarily overpowered the “happy” one. “He'd become a real jerk.”

Another image came into focus, this one showing the two of them shaking hands. The left side of the screen lit up with equal readings of happiness and sadness. “But we reconciled and now we're friends again,” Mr. Wright finished, laying his head back on his crossed arms against the couch. “Or at least friendly enemies,” he added as an afterthought.

“Hmm...” Athena's eyes scanned the image, running through the rest of his statements in her mind. Most of the emotions made sense. Of course, anyone would be afraid and sad if their entire class was against them, and happy that someone had come to their rescue. Likewise, anyone would be devastated if their childhood friend suddenly left them. The “happy” and “angry” readings in court were easy to decipher: Mr. Wright had been happy to see Edgeworth again, but upset at how much he had changed and determined to face him down. But there was definitely an emotion at the end that didn't make sense.

She touched the pulsing “sad” reaction with a triumphant “Got it!” The forcefulness of her voice seemed to startle Phoenix, who sat up straight again.

“Mr. Wright, when you talk about how you and Mr. Edgeworth are friends again, you sound sad. Why is that?”

“Nnggh!” said Mr. Wright, jolting a little. It seemed he was hoping she wouldn't catch onto that. “I-I'm not sad about it!” he insisted, leaning forward to brace his hands on his knees and glaring. “What have I got to be sad about? Nothing!”

But Athena had some suspicions due to her keen powers of observation. Well, that and the fact that the Noise Level had gone up to 94%. She zoomed in on the image, and tapped on the two attorneys' clasped hands. “Got it,” she said again, not being able to entirely suppress a smile of triumph. She lifted her gaze back up to her mentor. “Mr. Wright, you can't fool me. There's something about this friendship that is hurting you!”

Phoenix rolled his eyes and dragged a hand through his spiky hair, exasperated. “I keep telling you, it doesn't!” he said loudly. “It's really good having him as a friend!”

“Then why do you feel sad when you shake his hand?” she retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“Rrrgh,” was his only response as he buried his forehead in his hand.

A thousand thoughts zoomed through Athena's head, each vying for her attention. What could the reason for this be? Why shouldn't he like shaking the hand of someone he so obviously cared for?

“Could it be because...” she said, floundering for the best reason, “...Y-you're a germaphobe?”

A silence followed. Neither attorney even breathed.

“Athena,” Phoenix said slowly, as if speaking to someone who had just suffered a blow to the head, “Have you seen our Agency lately?” He looked honestly concerned for her.

Athena kicked herself mentally. Stupid, stupid! Why had she blurted that one out? No germaphobe could survive in these conditions! She'd said the wrong thing out of nervousness!

She likewise discarded the second wild thought she'd had—that Mr. Wright had never actually liked Edgeworth at all—as being utterly preposterous. Throwing out an accusation like that would be downright cruel as well as nonsensical.

That left her with the most probable explanation. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Right. The real reason is...”

You aren't satisfied with being just friends.

It was the simplest explanation, and also the one that rang true in her heart.

“Mr. Wright,” she started again, her tone even. “You know, if there's something you've been holding back from all of us...” She met his eyes. “You can tell me. I'd never judge you.”

Phoenix just slouched, suddenly looking very tired. “What are you talking about now?” he asked halfheartedly, his chin resting in his hand.

Well, that was it. It was time for her final deduction.

“Your friendship with Mr. Edgeworth makes you sad,” she declared, certain of her conclusion, “...because friendship isn't all you want!”

Mr. Wright made a noise that was half-yelp, half-choke as his elbow slipped off his knee and he nearly faceplanted into the floor.

“I'm right, aren't I?” Athena pressed him, though her voice was gentler now as she powered down the Mood Matrix. “Please, Mr. Wright, just be honest with me.”

The older attorney screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, then massaging the spot between his eyes. After a moment of silence, he sighed heavily and opened his eyes again to meet hers. “He said we can't be so friendly anymore,” he admitted, his tone resentful. “Says that people have been talking, saying he's conspiring with us. I've never known him to care what other people thought of him, so why...?” He trailed off and shook his head again, looking at the floor.  “I shouldn't have let him become a part of daily life. It was bound to go wrong from the beginning, since I...” He closed his mouth, not finishing his statement.

Athena could guess how it would have ended: “since I have feelings for him.” Her heart squeezed in sympathy, and she cautiously walked over and hesitated before plopping down on the couch next to her mentor.

“I've never known either of you to stay down for long,” she said gently. “You'll work it out.”

He snorted disbelievingly. “I stayed down for seven years once,” he said bitterly. “That long enough for you?”

“And you came through that because you worked together with Mr. Edgeworth,” she pointed out firmly, inching closer to him until she could nudge her shoulder against his. “You had the whole of the legal system against you, but your teamwork still came out on top. Isn't a partnership like that worth protecting? Worth...putting yourself out there for?”

“How can I ask him to throw away his reputation?” Mr. Wright asked, his brows knit together. “It's fine for a lowly defense attorney to have his name dragged through the mud, but the Chief Prosecutor?...”

“Boss, pardon me, but you're far from a 'lowly defense attorney,'” she protested, crossing her arms. “There isn't a soul in the legal world who doesn't know your name!”

He shot her a lopsided smile. “That's nice of you to say, but also untrue.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know I'm right. Listen: some things are more important than other people's opinions. This is one of those things. If you have a problem with this new arrangement between you and Mr. Edgeworth, you need to tell him.” Her voice was insistent, but not aggressive.

Mr. Wright stared at his hands, which he'd clasped together in his lap, for a  minute, silently. Finally, he nodded, and stood. “Okay,” he said quietly. “I'll...I'll think about it.”

Athena felt lit up from the inside with happiness. He was actually considering her advice! And after he'd been so reluctant to even let her Matrix him! Her enthusiasm waned a little when she saw how conflicted and nervous her boss still looked, though. How to reassure him?...

“Uh, I know talking about this was...hard for you,” she piped up, running her hands through her ponytail as if stroking an animal to calm herself. “But...let me just add...all of this stays between us, okay, Boss? I won't breathe a bit of it to anyone.”

He favored her with a smile, then, and Athena knew that had done the trick.

Talk to Edgeworth, huh? It was easy enough for anyone to suggest. The problem was finding the words. He stared down at his contact page on his phone, unblinking, until his vision blurred.

It had been almost two weeks since they'd had that fateful conversation. True, it had been only a week since they'd exchanged words, but he hardly considered a group dinner where they barely looked at each other to be a successful interaction. He hadn't even known whether he should contact the prosecutor to tell him that the stalking seemed to have stopped without explanation. He should know that, right? Or would calling to inform him of that just seem like he was desperate to have an excuse?

He blinked, and his vision refocused. Edgeworth's face glared at him from the contact screen: it was a shot he'd taken one night they'd gone out for dinner with the whole gang after a case. Phoenix had just told him “Give me that famous smile, Edgeworth!” and of course Edgeworth had responded by frowning and trying to shove the phone out of his face. It was too late, though. He'd been captured: guard down, downturned mouth stuffed with food, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the viewer as he noticed he was being photographed. He had demanded that Phoenix erase the photo at once. Phoenix had instead made it his contact photo. It had been hilarious at the time.

Now he wished he'd caught a photo of him in different circumstances: those instances that he would glance over and see the crease between Edgeworth's brows relaxed, his face instead smoothed into a neutral expression that, in less guarded moments, turned into a smile. Maybe one of those times he'd caught him chuckling behind his hand, and Phoenix's heart had flipped upside down at the sound. Or even a picture of Edgeworth as Phoenix knew him best: asserting his convictions in court. How did someone look so refined and put-together even when they were shouting and pointing at people?

But if he could pick one Edgeworth expression he wished he'd been able to capture forever, it would have to be one of the times that pale face had blushed from something Phoenix had said. That was the expression he always found himself bending over backwards to elicit: his cheeks would flush ever so slightly, his jaw would clench, his eyes would dart away bashfully. Perhaps it was because it was the most human expression he had that Phoenix was so fond of it...or maybe it was a little bit because Edgeworth looked very good with pink cheeks.

He sighed and locked his phone. Just staring at that screen wasn't going to get him anywhere, he realized. No, if he wanted any development here, he was going to have to face this problem the way he'd always faced them: head-on.

***

The elevator dinged softly as Phoenix stepped out onto the twelfth floor of the Prosecutor's Building. It had been a while since he'd been in here—the last time had been about three months ago when they'd been comparing notes on a case that had just closed. His heart started pounding as he made his way down the hallway, his every footstep sounding magnified to his ears.

At last he found himself face to face with that familiar door that read 1202.

Of course, being Chief Prosecutor, Edgeworth could have any office he wanted, but for reasons Phoenix never quite understood, he'd chosen to stay in the same office he'd held when Phoenix had been a rookie attorney. He suspected Edgeworth had gotten attached to it.

He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. “Come in,” said Edgeworth's voice on the other side, and he steeled his nerves before turning the knob and stepping in.

“If that's you, Detective Gumshoe, I've told you before, I don't—” The other man cut himself off as he lifted his gaze to his visitor, and fell silent, looking flabbergasted.

“Uh... h-hey, Edgeworth,” Phoenix said lamely, rubbing the back of his neck.

Edgeworth stared a moment. Phoenix tried not to notice the sweat that was starting to bead on his own forehead. At length, the prosecutor sighed and spoke. “Well, get on with it,” he said. “You must be here for a reason.”

The response hurt a little, but Phoenix knew better than to analyze Edgeworth's words. With him, it wasn't what he said so much as how he said it, and he had sounded cautious and unsure...just the same as Phoenix himself was. The realization made him feel a little braver.

“I...I don't want to do this anymore,” he found his voice, taking another step into the office.

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Do...what?” he prompted.

Phoenix gestured to the space between them. “This!” he said. “This...whatever this new arrangement is! 'Acquaintances.' 'Peers.' Whatever you want to call it!”

“Wright, if you're not going to be clear, you can—“

“Okay, then I'll be as clear as I can be,” Phoenix cut him off with a surge of boldness, walking closer until he could brace both his hands on Edgeworth's stupidly large desk and look him in the eye. “I don't care what people say. Not being able to hang out with you sucks!”

Oh, if only Phoenix had had his phone out at that moment. The blush that spread across Edgeworth's face was sublime. “Wr-Wright, I'm only trying to be professional and save both of our reputations,” said, nervously pushing his glasses further up his face, though they hadn't really needed adjusting.

“Oh please,” Phoenix scoffed, removing his hands from the desk and turning to pace the office. “You have enough power that you can pretty much ignore whatever any lowlife says about you. For someone who's worked so hard to attain a high status, you sure don't pull rank very often!”

“Wright!” Edgeworth sounded affronted. “You would suggest that I just...do whatever I please with no regard for the opinions of the rest of the Prosecutor's Office?”

“Well...yeah!” Phoenix said, throwing up his hands. “Aren't you in a position where you can do that? What are you afraid of?”

The question seemed to disarm Edgeworth more than Phoenix had thought it would. His mouth dropped open and the pen he had been holding slipped from his grasp. This struck Phoenix as a suspicious reaction, but he put that aside for now.

“I...I am not 'afraid' of anything in this Office,” he said, regaining his composure. “Has it ever occurred to that sluggish brain of yours that I might be protecting you as well as myself?” His tone was sharper now, his eyes narrowed.

Phoenix glared at the stupid frilly suit hung on the wall. “I don't need you to protect me anymore, Edgeworth. I can stick up for myself. I can make my own decisions.” He turned to face the prosecutor, his heart starting to pound again. Was this the right moment? Now, when his pulse was surging with adrenaline? Now, when they hadn't really spoken for two weeks? “And...and what I've decided is...” He gulped. His face felt hot. Were his knees shaking? He couldn't tell anymore. I have to do it fast, he thought frantically, before my courage disappears! “What I've realized is that I—”

“Mr. Edgeworth, sir!” a voice proclaimed, throwing the door open. Ema Skye bustled in, looking short of breath. “There's just been an incident! No one's been killed, but another girl has disapp—” Abruptly, she fell silent as she noticed Phoenix's presence, and froze. “I'm...I'm not interrupting anything, am I?” she said timidly.

“N-No,” Edgeworth said, his voice faltering so subtly that Phoenix was sure he was the only one who heard it. “No, please, Ms. Skye, if something requires my attention, I will give it freely.”

I kinda require your attention, Phoenix thought sulkily, but he said nothing as Ema smiled and turned to go, and Edgeworth stood from his chair.

Ema briefly placed a hand on Phoenix's arm as she passed him. “It was great to see you, even if just for a moment, Mr. Wright!” she said, so brightly that Phoenix had to return the smile.

“You too, Ema,” he told her. She grinned even wider and then rushed from the office to lead the way for Edgeworth. Phoenix felt his heart start to sink like a stone as the prosecutor began to follow, but then Edgeworth hesitated, halfway out the door. He didn't turn around.

“Wright, I-I can't deal with this right now, but—” he said, his voice strained.

“Yeah, somehow I got that,” Phoenix cut him off, struggling to keep the resentment out of his voice.

“Let me finish!” Edgeworth snapped, gripping the doorframe so tightly his knuckles went white. “If...If you want to go over some case files over lunch sometime, I am not opposed.”

Phoenix felt the knot of anxiety in his belly begin to unravel. “Really?...” He saw Edgeworth jerk his head in a stiff nod. Phoenix couldn't help the broad smile that spread across his face. “Yeah... I'd like that.”

The prosecutor shot him a quick glance over his shoulder, and Phoenix's heart stuttered to see how pink his cheeks were. “I'm...sorry I tried to make a decision for you,” he said carefully, as if each word was chosen from hundreds of possibilities. “It was... wrong to not consider how my sudden reclusiveness would affect you. And...” Here Edgeworth looked at the ground, his shoulders tensing before he finally forced the words out: “I admit that not seeing you has been...unpleasant.”

Phoenix felt like his heart had stopped.

“Mr. Edgeworth! You coming?” came Ema's voice from down the hall.

The other attorney gave him one more quick glance, managing something that resembled a half-smile. “I'll...talk to you later, Wright,” he said before hurrying to catch up with Ema.

Phoenix could only think, as a huge dopey smile spread across his face, that he was going to have to buy Athena a fruit basket, too.

I originally wrote the Mood Matrix scene as a game script to amuse Stormy. Here is how the “wrong answers” looked then:

Athena: Then why is it you feel sad when you shake his hand? Phoenix: [flinch] Arrrrgh! Athena: Could it be because...

CHOICE: <<You are a germaphobe?>> <<You actually hate Edgeworth?>> <<You want to be more than friends?>>

Athena: I've got you now. You're a germaphobe!! [Music stops] Phoenix: .... Athena: .... Phoenix: .............. Athena: ................... [music resumes] Phoenix: ...Athena...have you seen our agency lately? Athena: Grrngk! (Now that you mention it, a germaphobe would never survive in these conditions...)

Athena: Could it be because... <<You actually hate Edgeworth?>> Athena: I've figured it out: You've never really liked Edgeworth, have you?! Phoenix: ....Athena, that's downright cruel. I didn't think you were the kind of person to say things like that. Athena: ACKKKK! (I guess that wasn't it...)

It was originally intended to be kinda goofy, but Stormy’s reaction was so positive that I decided I had to squeeze it in there, haha.

Next chapter: Pearl pours a drink. Edgeworth makes a joke. See you in the Thanksgiving chapter, folks!

[thecomicsnexus]

The origin of Professor X

Uncanny X-Men #12-13. July, 1965. By Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Alex Toth & Jay Gavin (Werner Roth).

Cerebro is calling out an intruder alert prompting the X-Men to dawn their uniforms and come to the Professor's study to learn who this mysterious intruder is. Telling his charges that whoever is approaching the mansion is extremely powerful, he sends the group out to set up defenses including an ice wall, live-wire lined trench and fence posts rigged with grenades. When the X-Men return to the Professor, they are shocked to learn that their attacker is none other than Xavier's own brother.

The Professor tells his X-Men that his father was a nuclear research scientist who was accidentally killed during a nuclear bomb test in the New Mexico desert. During his father's funeral, Kurt Marko, a fellow scientist, would come to comfort Xavier's mother. However, the young Charles knew of his less than noble intentions to take his mother and his father's wealth, position, and property; three things that Marko had become envious of.

Shortly thereafter, Kurt moved into the Xavier mansion and married Charles’s mother. Kurt became a ruthless and verbally abusive step-parent and shunned his new family for his work. During this time Kurt's true motives would come out. One day, Kurt was thrown into a fury when his own son from a previous marriage, Cain, came to the Xavier Mansion after yet another expulsion from school. Cain turned out to be a cruel tormentor to young Charles.

The Professor's narrative is interrupted when Cain's advancement on the mansion progresses, easily smashing through the ice wall put up by Iceman, much to the X-Men's surprise. Charles continues the story of his youth: He would explain that one day he overheard Kurt and Cain arguing over money. When told that he would not receive a handout, Cain suggested that Kurt had orchestrated the death of Charles's father (an accusation that Kurt would flatly deny). Charles entered and confronted them about the statement. During the moment of tension, Cain tried to throw chemicals at Charles; however Kurt attempted to stop them sending the volatile brew crashing to the floor causing an explosion and fire. Kurt carried the two boys out of the blast. Having been mortally wounded in the blast, he begged Charles to believe that his father's death was only an accident before dying.

Cain has reached the second barrier, the electro-magnetic force field and live wire. As he is impeded by this barrier, Charles finishes the next part of his story. He explains that by his adulthood he found that his mental powers (which by this point have rendered him bald) could allow him to have an advantage over other students academically and in sports, however he decides against using it for personal gain.

His trophy winnings earned the ire of Cain who pushed Charles too far one day and the two got into a fight. Charles won the fight due to his mental ability to read his mind and know his movements. Some days later, Cain attempted to make Charles cry out in fear by driving recklessly. He only succeeded in making the car drive out of control and smash through a detour sign and down a cliff. Cain bailed out, but Charles wasn't so lucky, however Charles would tell his X-Men that he was able to erect a mental shield around himself to protect him from the crash.

Outside the mansion, Cain finishes with the live wire and breaks through the force barrier. He then makes it to the grenade traps and gas traps that were set out for him. He staggers through the gas traps and Iceman puts an ice barrier over the busted window of Xavier's study so no gas comes in. This allows the Professor to tell the final part of his story. Cain and Charles had grown and were enlisted in the military and had been sent to fight in the Korean War. Cain deserted while under fire and sought refuge in a cave. Charles rushed after him and they had stumbled into the long lost temple of Cyttorak. The greedy Cain grabbed a crimson gem that was left before an altar. Upon contact and reading an inscription, the gem transformed Cain into a hulking form. The cave began to collapse because it was being bombed from the outside. Charles escaped the cave in while Cain was buried under tons of rock.

Finishing his story, Charles realizes that Cain had finally dug himself out from the cave and sought out his brother for revenge. With the last of the outer defenses, the X-Men sealed the mansion’s front door with a near impervious steel plate and waited for Cain's next move. Much to the X-Men's surprise, Cain is able to smash through the supposedly indestructible steel door and easily knocks the X-Men aside. Revealing himself for the first time in years, Charles looks at his brother -- garbed in a special mystical armor -- and calls him a human Juggernaut.

The Juggernaut -- Charles Xavier's mystically enhanced step-brother -- has finally returned home to once more renew his rivalry with his brother. Charles attempts to protect himself with his vast mental powers, but finds to his shock and surprise that Cain's helmet protects him from mental attacks. The X-Men revive and with Marvel Girl’s telekinetic powers lifting up the Juggernaut, Cyclops blasts the floor out from under their foe causing him to crash into the ground below, giving the X-Men time to retreat back and try to come up with a means of defeating their attacker.

Xavier takes the X-Men to the lab and the Professor builds a device that allows him to amplify his mental projections and sends out a thought wave into the city to seek allies in defeating the Juggernaut. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Angel go back to where they last saw the Juggernaut, attempting to keep him at bay using Cyke's optic blasts. However, the Juggernaut smashes his way around the two X-Men and gets the drop on them. Neither Angel’s fists, nor Cyclops’ optic blasts are capable of stopping their enemy.

Back in the lab, the Professor manages to contact both Rick Jone's Teen Brigade and Matt Murdock, (who is secretly the hero Daredevil) however, neither can come to the X-Men's aid. To stall for time, the Professor sends Beast and Iceman to go help Cyclops and Angel, who are having a hard time keeping the Juggernaut back.

As Iceman and Beast join the fray, Charles attempts to get the aid of the Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm (Aka the Human Torch) who is out testing a new modified car with some of his classmates. Hearing the Professor's mental call for help, Johnny assumes that it might be from one of the Fantastic Four's many villains and dismisses it.

Although he is trapped in an ice block, the Juggernaut manages to break free and battles the Beast in hand to hand combat. The Beast only succeeds in getting his foot injured, however this does not stop the brainy mutant, who lures the Juggernaut into the Danger Room and activates all of its traps in the hope that it can defeat this seemingly unstoppable foe. The Juggernaut survives the traps and then knocks the Beast out when he throws back a rolling cylinder.

By this time, the Professor has finally managed to convince the Human Torch to come the X-Men's rescue and then goes with Marvel Girl to help the others. Jean keeps the Juggernaut off balance by lifting him in the air with her telekinetic powers until the Torch arrives. Johnny uses his flame powers to blind the Juggernaut and commands the reviving Angel to remove the helmet from the Juggernaut’s head that beast had loosened earlier in battle. Without his protective helmet, the Juggernaut is easily struck down by the Professor's mental powers.

With the battle over, the Professor thanks Johnny for his help. He wishes that the secret of the X-Men's headquarters remain a mystery and erases the memory from Johnny's mind and sends him on his way. Later, the male members of the X-Men are sent to bed to recover from the injuries they sustained battling the Juggernaut with Jean acting as their nurse, much to the pleasure of the men. Proud of his X-Men, the Professor tells him he has an award for them when they are once more able to be up and about.

From Marvel Wikia

The first part of this story is actually pretty good. Charles Xavier is a very complicated character, and it is useful to know more about him. This early Juggernaut seems very limited, but I suspect they wanted him to have some kind of weak spot to be able to be taken down.

The second part of this story is a bit boring though, but it is interesting to see the rest of the Marvel Universe reacting to this.

I think the weak part of all these x-men stories are the battles, and I think that is a problem with Stan Lee in particular. It is not limited to him, as I have experienced this boredom with Teen Titans from the sixties. Somehow the attractiveness of these stories relies on the inner conflicts, more than their goals for the episode.

Jack Kirby is a king, but his battle scenes feel uninspired. I can imagine that they were outstanding at the time.

I give this story a score of 7.25.

[sunset-peril]

Nobody: Absolutely nobody: Me: *makes the Gavinners a major AA5 plot point*

[sunset-peril]

[sunset-peril]

I love how in less than a year I went from: Lullay, Space Princess - "I will put in extensive research to make sure this short story could plausibly be actually canon"

to

The Sound of Our Silence (Which I'm considering re-titling) - "I world-build all of AA Europe from a human trafficking B-Plot and gave Athena Cykes an identity theft mini-plot, a mechanical spine and a toddler(who I brutally killed off) just because I wanted to and then after Spirit of Justice resurrected the kid because I made myself too sad and gave her another kid to make up for the trouble and neglected to read about Turnabout Time Traveler or Turnabout Revolution before doing literally any of it."

Oh well. \(ツ)/

[sunset-peril]

Reference Sheet for Venus Gyax (SP:C Athena Cykes) is in production! Can't wait to share her visually with you :)

[sunset-peril]

Preview shots for an... extensive Objection.lol I'm working on.

I purposefully tried to find the most out of context ones I could

[sunset-peril]

Today

My goal is to do character refs for Special Project: Cykes

You'll soon find out if I flaked out on myself or not

[sunset-peril]

The cool part about how Athena's lore ended up in Special Project: Cykes is that any minor details, passing references, etc that she made early in the book that either got retconned or written out of the story can technically still be legit lore because she could've been using it as part of her cover.

[sunset-peril]

Reference Sheets coming soon! Athena Cykes/Venus Gyax (Special Project: Cykes)

Link [Imperial] Hyrule (Hyrule's Final Stand)

Zelda Hyrule (Hyrule's Final Stand)

So excited to share the official designs with y'all, in visual format!