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quillandink333 · 2 years

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Hook, Line, and Sinker

Ryuunosuke Naruhodou × Reader × Kazuma Asougi

SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY CHRONICLES ~ Read ahead at your own risk!

Rating: E

Word Count: 5.1k

WARNINGS: Kazuma is a fuckboy, themes of sexism, prior sex trafficking, implied loss, threesome, platonic sex, unprotected sex, nipple play, first-time anal, bondage, hair-pulling, scratching/clawing, light edging, bukkake

Summary: Having been let down and taken advantage of time and time again, a classroom assistant at Yuumei has a fateful encounter that changes the course of her tragic sex life for evermore.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Masterlist

Key: {Fn} – reader’s first name, {Ln} – reader’s last name, *(naga)juban – a plain white robe traditionally worn under women’s kimono as an undergarment

“Turn and face me, {Fn}-san.”

With the sudden command, Asougi had deprived her of the chance to reach out and run her hands over Naruhodou’s unclad upper half as he cast his wanton gaze upon her. Despite the pang of reluctance, she did as instructed and swivelled in the former’s direction, allowing the latter to straddle her from behind.

“You’ve been looking forward to this, haven’t you?” He didn’t even hesitate to get right up close and personal. She stifled her breath. “Don’t think I haven’t caught you staring at me with those shameless eyes.” She writhed under his scrutiny. Ever since she’d first set eyes on him, it had been impossible to tear them away, and he knew it. “Yes, perfect. That’s just the look I was picturing,” he snickered before she could say anything and caught her by the chin, drinking in her every expression.

The air was thick with anticipation. She felt the hair at the base of her neck stand on end, acutely aware of her once or twice previous partner’s eyes at her back. And yet, Asougi had her trapped, preventing her from turning her head. He said nothing as he began to trace the soft edges of her lips with his thumb. She almost missed seeing the blade of his tongue emerge to dampen his own lips. The look he was eyeing her with, like he was about to make a mouthwatering meal out of her, was dizzying. And the charged exhale that sounded from behind her just then—all the attention was making her heart race like mad. She couldn’t handle it. She forced her gaze to the floor beside her.

But the moment she did, her captor swooped in and made his move.

His kiss was more intense than any she’d ever experienced. It made her feel naked. He had her surrounded, one set of fingertips dragging her in by the underside of her chin and the other cascading listlessly down her side. He drew out her chills even more by catching her lower lip between his teeth and sucking ever so slightly.

Every touch took more and more of her breath away. His hand was slinking around toward the small of her back, which arched into him when he gently started to coax her forward. What little distance there’d been between the two of them then ceased to be. She squeaked, and he growled in response, his mouth further prising open her own. What else was left for her to do but cling to his chest in an effort to steady her rapidly weakening self? Nothing. He’d rendered her completely defenceless. And she gratuitously accepted it.

All too soon, he broke away from her with a satisfied gasp. He didn’t even let her catch her breath. The next thing she new, her kimono had slid an inch or two down her shoulder, just enough to leave her neck wide open to the searing heat of his mouth. A poorly suppressed whimper squeezed its way out of her throat. He half-laughed, half-moaned into her skin, the vibrations of which rippling throughout her entire being.

She hadn’t picked up on the way he’d been gradually leaning his weight into her until it was too late. Her heart stopped.

Luckily there was never really any danger of her hitting the ground; not with Naruhodou sitting directly behind her, ready to catch her at a moment’s notice. She loosened her frantic hold on Asougi, letting herself sink back into the other’s solid yet gentle embrace whilst he loomed over her, devouring her one kiss at a time.

“{Fn}-san, can I...” Ryuunosuke could barely keep his hands to himself a moment longer. “Is…it alright if I touch you?”

“Mmh, please…” He was already reaching to untie her hakama skirt before she’d even gotten her answer all the way out. But to the bewilderment of both, the moment it came loose was the moment her whole ensemble began falling apart.

She felt the lips at her neck break into a smirk. Surely not. How could she have failed to notice him undoing her obi like that?

But then as her lapels drifted apart while he helped her out of her hakama, his smirk vanished for a moment, only to reappear even wider. “No juban?”* he teased, turning her as red as his headband. When she’d left her underwear at home that morning, this wasn’t quite what she’d been picturing. She’d envisioned herself shimmying out of her day clothes while the two of them watched with wide eyes and rosy cheeks, she revelling in the victory of having caught them both off guard. Not the other way around.

At least her plan had half way succeeded. As Asougi’s eyes ate her up without a shred of modesty, Naruhodou had gone completely still. He’d seen her like this before, of course, but she’d never pulled anything like that on him. The brashness and deliberateness of the act had his blood pumping. Her kimono cascaded down the length of her arms before pooling where her body met the floor. It was only then that he realised how long it had been since the last night he’d spent with her by his side. As he took in the familiar sight and scent and heat of her, without which he couldn’t fathom how he’d gone on for so long, his inner thoughts made their escape on the back of his breath. “Perfection…”

“She is, isn’t she…?” Asougi’s tone was low and slight as the heel of one of his callous-hardened palms came to rest upon the frame of her midriff, as though he truly were just thinking aloud in a daze. Timid as they were, the other’s hands were quick to follow suit. She shivered. What could she say to that? If anyone out of the three of them were ‘perfect’ as they’d put it, it was—

She tensed, feeling one of them graze the Eastern peak of her chest. Naruhodou halted in his movements.

“Ah…” Catching onto what he’d inadvertently started, he tried it again. Her own hands grasped at the fabric of her sleeves. “That…feels good, does it?” His fingers fell gradually into somewhat of a rhythm. She nodded, too embarrassed to speak. It was the first time anyone had ever touched her in such a manner. Now his left hand was mirroring his right. One of hers gravitated up toward her face, and she wasn’t sure whether it was to cover her eyes or her mouth.

Before she could settle on either, her hand was caught in mid air. She glanced up, seeing Asougi peering down at her with a stern look about him. “Keep that up, Ryuunosuke.” He didn’t even bother to look the one he was addressing in the eye, and she hadn’t even realised he’d stopped before he started again with a hum of obedience. Her hand still ensnared in that of Asougi, his fingers slotted themselves into the gaps between her own before he brought her palm to his lips and pressed and audibly wet kiss into it. A short spell of lightheadedness overtook her. He proceeded to drag his lips and tongue from her palm to her wrist to her forearm. “All those lousy, self-entitled perverts who took advantage of you…” he whispered into the inner crevice of her elbow as he made his way up, “before the end of the night, you’ll have forgotten every last one of them.”

From her shoulder, he continued trailing lewd kisses along her collarbone until he reached her neck, where he didn’t linger for any longer than it took to leave a faint mark. She, of course, would be none the wiser until she had the chance to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Then he descended down her reclined form, leaving no part of her which his mouth could reach untouched. The tails of his headband lay strewn across her nudity in his wake. All the while, Naruhodou continued to fondle her in that devastating way.

When she felt his sultry breath and soft lips exceed below her abdomen, her whole body reeled in want. But evidently, fate had other things planned for her that night. He raised his head, grinning cockily as he observed disappointment taking shape on her face.

And yet that still wasn’t the end of it. The very next thing he did was give the same treatment to her inner thigh. She nearly let out a moan. He was so close to where she needed him most, it almost felt like he was there.

Then she realised, this was her chance. Finally he’d left himself open and had his focus trained elsewhere. With just a bit of difficulty and taking care not to draw his attention, she reached for the collar of his shirt, praying Naruhodou wouldn’t do something on accident that would give her away.

She barely managed to slip the first of the buttons that were still fastened through its slit when her wrist was seized.

A yelp jumped out. His grip had the strength of a viper’s jaws tenfold, and his glare cleaved into her like arrows dipped in flame.

Almost as quick as he’d grabbed her, however, his grip softened, as did his expression. “What am I going to do with you…?” he chided, straightening his posture, but still holding onto her with a firm grasp. Then his brows rose, and that playful grin from before began to creep its way across his lips. “Ryuunosuke. Do me a favour, would you?”

“What is it?” he replied almost too eagerly.

Asougi took hold of her other wrist and guided them both to where Naruhodou’s hands lay on her chest. “Hold these for a moment.”

“O—kay…” Before he could ask what for, Kazuma reached for both sets of their conjoined hands and positioned them up behind Ryuunosuke’s head.

“There. Stay just like that.” He took his hands away to remove his signature ‘aka-hachimaki’ from his head. And just like that, he was reaching up again to begin tying her wrists together with it.

The way he was leaning over her gave her a near perfect, albeit slanted, view of him through where the two top buttons of his shirt were left hanging open. Not to mention, how one side of his suspenders was beginning to slide oh so tantalisingly off his shoulder. These likely weren’t by design on his part, but whether or not they were didn’t change how she wished she could just strip him down using nothing but the willpower of her stare.

Once he was satisfied with his handiwork, he gave Naruhodou the go-ahead to release her, then withdrew slightly—just enough to look at her through hooded eyes. “Comfortable?” he enquired with a deceptively cordial upturn of the lips.

She offered up a soft sough as affirmation. Secretly she’d always wanted to try this sort of thing. The rush of adrenaline brought on by the state of complete vulnerability in which she now found herself was intoxicating.

Asougi exchanged a look with his accomplice, whose arms had wound themselves about her waist again. Then his gaze landed back on her. “Good.” He said this not in a gentlemanly sort of tone, but rather as if in praise for her acquiescing like a well-behaved pet.

She’d nearly forgotten about her dripping wet need until she felt his eyes at the cusp of her thighs where it had been collecting.

A shiver raced up the length of her as his fingertips started tracing her glistening lips with a featherlight touch. He was barely even breaching the surface, and yet, “There’s so much…” he breathed, completing her thought. A faint bit of laughter floated out of him, his focus never straying from betwixt her legs. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

The whine lodged in her throat instead emerged from the man at her back. She turned her head to see his eyes swimming with such tremendous intensity and heat, it made her shudder yet again.

Gently and with a certain tentativeness, Naruhodou held her jaw in the crook of his palm and took her by the tongue. She couldn’t hold back the little noise threatening to spill out of her mouth and into his. Not with so many things happening at once. The continuous trailing of his tender hands across her front, the subtle yet firm prodding where his hips and hers met, and now the familiar flicker of his hungering tongue against her own.

But all of that was struck from the forefront of her mind when she was penetrated without warning. A single digit had slipped into her as deep as it would go. She gasped, the act breaking the kiss abruptly.

Kazuma went still, waiting until her attention was solely upon him with a look of imminent triumph frozen into his sharp features. The moment he had her in the palm of his hand, the finger of said hand began to curl. He watched her squirm at the sensation, revelling in the way her tummy fluttered in response.

Meanwhile Ryuunosuke could do nothing but continue as he had been whilst his partner got to have all the fun.

Her breaths were coming out quicker and quicker as he picked up the pace in his petting. She wanted more than anything just to find some sort of anchor, but alas, her hands were bound, rending her unable to do anything to keep herself grounded. To pile even more onto that, the more she moved, the more the arms around her waist constricted, keeping her pressed flush to the body attached to them. Asougi seemed pleased with this. “Does it feel good?” he purred, to which she replied with a whinny most pitiful. “Do you want more?”

“Yes,” she stammered, “please...” for she knew no other words but these. So when he started to slow in his ministrations, a pit formed deep within her stomach.

She opened her eyes, only to find mischief scrawled all across his face. “Pity,” he grinned, then withdrew himself from her completely, leaving her to slowly plummet back down to earth, cold and empty.

What she witnessed subsequently shook her to the very core. He raised his finger, which had until now been submerged to the hilt inside her, in front of him. It was dripping. A wave of heat splashed over her, but it was nothing compared to what followed when he brought the appendage to his lips. His tongue did a miserable job of catching the drips as they rolled down to the heel of his palm. In fact, he probably wasn’t even trying to catch them. Judging from the calculated stare he was aiming at her, his only objective was to get her even more hot and bothered than she already was. And despite the fact that she couldn’t physically feel any of it, just the simple realisation of his intentions meant it was working. She pressed her damp thighs together in a vain attempt to stop herself from overflowing any further.

She was so perfectly taken in by his display, she didn’t even notice the hand sliding quietly down her abdomen until it was swatted away by Asougi’s. He shot the owner an icy glare, and he shrank back into the wall, hard as rock. Now all she could imagine was Naruhodou working his own fingers between her legs and how terribly good it would feel. His name spilled effortlessly from her lips.

Evidently their host wasn’t having any of this. He tutted to himself. “Alright. I see how it is. You think you’re more capable of entertaining our guest than I am, do you?”

“I just…wanted to feel how wet she was,” he pleaded, breathing almost as heavy and tight as her own. “Can I, please? Just a little…?”

To the surprise of both, he really seemed to be rolling the idea around in his head. Then he locked eyes with her own needy ones and surprised them even further with a sigh. “Fine. But just so we’re clear, you’re to touch her only as long as I say you are.”

“Yes, alright…” the other answered, but not without a near imperceptible groan of frustration.

Come to think of it, this was the first time he’d ever touched her there with just his fingers. He forced a swallow. Whenever it was just the two of them, they would always let their desires get the better of them and they’d never really bothered to take things as slow as they were now. Who would’ve known that the addition of his hot-blooded best friend would drag it out to such arduous lengths? The only explanation he could conjure was that this was a special occasion. That Kazuma, no doubt privy to the girl’s utterly deplorable experience with sex thus far, wanted to treat her to something worth remembering. And frankly, she’d more than earned it.

It was no wonder that she flinched with such vivacity when he got over his senseless nerves and started to touch her. All it took was one fingertip coming to test the waters, and her throat gave way to the clipped set of whimpers that had been building and building over time. She bit her lip hard, stopping the flow before it got out of hand. Her whole face was knitted as she willed herself not to make a scene with her moans.

“It’s okay.” Naruhodou’s voice in her ear was like honey—sweet and thick and burning as it went down. “Be as loud as you want. It’s not like there’s anyone around to hear you but us.” She held her breath with more and more difficulty as his fingers continued their exploration. “Just let go…” he drawled, which then merged with the sound of his tongue coming out to trace the trough of her ear. She squirmed, but still stubbornly resisted.

No sooner than when he worked two of his digits inside her was the dam broken. Her mouth fell open and she melted in his hold. With his mouth sending her into a state of depravity, he curled his fingers inward just the way Asougi had done, the combination enough to snuff out the last of her composure.

The sounds now streaming out of her were more vile and more indulgent than she’d ever imagined she was capable of. It had the two men on either side of her keening in lust. “Ohh, that voice…!” gasped the one behind her. “Even your voice is perfect…” His mouth faltered for just a moment, the tip of his nose kissing her temple as he stopped to listen to her falling apart. “I want to hear more.” He resumed what he’d been doing with increasing fervour. “Please, let me hear you moan,” he begged into her ear. He was making it all but impossible not to give him what he wanted. But the longer he stroked at her, the more it was starting to sound like he was being stroked as well, even though he was still tucked away in his trousers.

It was then that she felt a second set of digits at her entrance below Naruhodou’s. “Asougi-san…!” His eyes never left her face as he took a moment to gather a bit of her arousal on the tip of his finger, which was beginning to stray dangerously low. “Wait…” Her heart lurched when she felt him at her rim. “What are you—ahh!”

He slipped his way in swiftly and smoothly, then froze, giving her time to adjust. “Is this alright with you?” he asked in an unexpected show of deference.

“M-Mhmm…” and a nod were all she could manage to reply with. As foreign and uncomfortable as it was, she couldn’t bring herself to ask that he stop what he was doing. As his limber, knuckley finger started to move, a sweeping sensation of pins and needles crawled down from the crown of her head all the way to her curling toes. It felt as though he were turning her inside out. Now the thrusts of Naruhodou’s fingers were getting deeper and faster. She couldn’t hold back her moans even if she’d wanted to. She went limp in his arms, letting herself succumb to their combined effort to make her explode.

Then her back arched, and her jaw went slack. She gasped. Her finish was fast approaching. Just a little more, and…

“That’s enough.”

Asougi disappeared from inside her yet again, a sob of neglect slipping out of her along with it.

Ryuunosuke, however, didn’t move an inch. He shot the other a challenging stare, wanting to test the limits of his patience.

He should’ve known it wouldn’t take long. “What did I just say?” Kazuma sneered as the target of his glare continued in silent defiance. But it wasn’t to last. He forcibly wrenched his hand away from her desperately throbbing heat.

If he’d only given them a few more seconds, the ropes they had her hanging by would’ve snapped. She wanted to cry.

“Oh, dear…” He took a moment to observe her dire disposition. “You poor thing. Did you want more of that?”

“Yes…” Her answer took the form of a long, strenuous sigh.

“You’re quite certain?” he deliberated, to which she nodded fervently. “Or would you rather I give you something else of mine?”

Her eyes widened. She was powerless to tear them away as he fingered the button of his waistband, below which she could just make out the outline of a formidably sized erection. She exhaled vocally, tummy caving in as she nodded again. She’d never felt so empty in all her life.

“Oh, so you do want that?” he taunted. “My, my, we simply can’t make up our minds today, can we?”

Her hips twitched with a mind of their own. Naruhodou dutifully held her down. “Please…!”

Asougi’s eyes turned dark. Any hint of levity they’d once held had vanished in a tendril of smoke. “Then show me.” He was taking his sweet time in undoing his trousers as she watched in a trance. “I want you to let me know just how wound up you are.”

“Please,” she repeated. “I can’t take it anymore. I need it…” She couldn’t even move as he lapped up every syllable of her crazed begging. “Please, give it to me! Asougi-sama…!”

He let out a croon of delight. “Good girl,” he whispered into her jawline, then positioned himself between her outstretched legs.

With how thoroughly drenched she was, he breached her almost effortlessly. Holding her up by the thighs, he slid his way inside. As he did, her body came up off the floor for the briefest of moments, suspended only by his arms and the other’s shoulders.

When his head hit the back of her walls, his stagnant breath, which she hadn’t even realised he’d been holding, gave way with a gasp of, “{Fn}…!” She flushed, hearing him drop the honourifics entirely. “You—nghh—How are you still so tight?!” He was almost whimpering. Out of nowhere, he’d taken on a different manner altogether. Gone was the playful manipulator from before, replaced by one who wanted nothing more than to let himself go. Then his lips brushed against her ever parted ones. “May I...?” He held a finger under her chin, and she closed her eyes. His tongue, like his body, melded with hers like they were made of liquid.

Once he’d lain into her and started to move, the friction created with each grind of his hips was enough to practically set her alight from the inside. She wanted to call out his name, but the way he’d addressed her had her worried that no matter what level of formality she used, he wouldn’t be partial to it. So instead, she continued to caterwaul like the mindless animal she had become. Meanwhile the state he had descended into wasn’t a great deal more dignified than her own. Instead of taking his time as he had been, it took him next to no time at all to start rutting into her like it was the end of days.

“This has gone on long enough.”

She hadn’t even finished processing Naruhodou’s words when he plowed into her from behind without restraint. Her scream was barely smothered by Asougi’s chest. Even after all the stretching and prodding she had endured, it was still agonising enough to have tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

“Ryuunosuke! Damn it, y-you…!” His mouth was a barrage of colourful insults, and yet he didn’t back down. Even as Naruhodou started to accelerate.

“So I’m at fault, am I?” he retaliated. “You’re the one who expected me to just sit here and wait!” Though they both refused to relent in their thrusts, Asougi bitterly quieted down thereafter. “And you, {Fn}.” She let out a broken mewl as he jerked her head back by the hair. “Just in case you’d forgotten, I’ve been right here this entire time.” He bucked up into her even deeper, words laced with biting sarcasm. “And so help me, if you were thinking for even a second that you’d be getting up before I’d had my way with you, then you’re going to see just how much you’d have missed out on.”

Now both men had fallen in sync with the other’s movements, setting a punishing rhythm that had her eyes rolling back and her stomach clenching harder than ever before. If just their fingers at both ends hadn’t been enough to make her see stars, this more than sufficed. She could feel herself being stretched thin by the two of them, and meanwhile they could explicitly feel the hardness of one and other through the lithe barrier of flesh that lay between them. At this point she was gushing from Asougi’s end to an unimaginable extent. The way it was audible in every collision of skin against skin wasn’t helping her to suppress it, but the truth was that she’d long since given up on doing so. In fact, she’d all but given up on cognitive thought altogether. She didn’t even question the complete reversal in the way the two of them were acting. She was so weak and so sensitive, it was like fireworks were going off between her legs with every penetration.

Asougi hissed viscerally out of nowhere. A curse tumbled from his lips, followed by a frantic, “I-I’m—!”

{Fn} forced her eyes open, feeling him tense on top of her. His face was contorted in a silent cry, the rhythm of his hips beginning to falter. The way his hands grappled at her as he held on for dear life had her tears brimming over at last. When his eyes opened and intersected with hers, the raw desire held therein came within an inch of consuming her. With that, all the pain in her tears turned to bliss.

“Me too…” Naruhodou announced. His own body had gone taut, breath catching and nails bearing into her flank where he was supporting her as he cleaved into her from below again and again. He struggled to keep up with Asougi, whose own pace was escalating by the second. As their movements quickened, so did their breaths—heavy and ragged and accented by sharp grunts and fragmented groans of euphoria—both losing themselves in the chase for their respective highs while pushing her ever closer to hers at the same time. A hand spread itself feverishly beneath her clenched jaw. Then she nearly choked as the one behind her pulled her in by the neck and uttered the same incantation he’d used moments before into her ear. “Let go, {Fn}.”

That did it. The moment those words had left his lungs, she was sent careening over the edge at full force. Her back arched. She cried out. Every muscle in her body clenched. She clung onto one’s waist with her legs while her arms dithered about the neck of the other, shuddering with every ravenous gulp of air she took.

She was still in the thick of it by the time Asougi reached his end. He spoke no words as he slipped out—the only sounds to leave his gaping mouth were primal and bereft of all meaning, not unlike her own. Even then, his hips kept moving, drawing out both his release and hers between her writhing, strengthless legs.

Naruhodou wasn’t far behind. His breath hitched. He let out a roar, clawing into her sides harder than ever. He mimicked Asougi, pulling out and grinding down as he milked his climax for all it was worth. With one last cuss, his movements, along with the other’s, began to slow.

While she was still dripping from front to back with their release, the two boys vied to claim her lips. Naruhodou got there first, kissing her headily and with limited control. Asougi’s was gentler, like a reward for her patiently waiting all that time (as if this heavenly feeling she was drifting on wasn’t enough of a reward on its own). It was then that he leaned over her to place a kiss on his partner’s lips, who hummed in surprise before letting himself dissolve into it, arms falling limp at his sides.

“Are you alright, {Fn}-san?” heaved the breathless Naruhodou once they’d parted, not a trace of the cruel spirit of rapture that had possessed him remaining. “I didn’t hurt you, did I…?”

“Oh, no!” She shook her head.

He cocked his, looking her in the eye. “Are you sure?”

“Er, well…” She couldn’t deny how her rim was left aching after such relentless and repeated abrasions. “Maybe a little, but it was amazing!” she hastened to add. “It…felt so good…”

“I’m glad,” he blushed. “It did for me, too…”

As this exchange took place, Asougi was diligently working away at the knot keeping them bound together. “Seeing as the two of you clearly enjoyed yourselves,” he mused, the headband unraveling and releasing her wrists as he slithered back, “I’d be more than willing to do this again some time.”

As he held her gaze, a flash of heat swept through her, sending pleasant shivers up and down her spine. She couldn’t help but wonder at whether this was all a dream.

He received a completely different reaction from Ryuunosuke, who scoffed in poorly masked amusement. “So you’re saying you didn’t enjoy it as much as we did?” he quipped. “What? Were those moans of pain you were making a moment ago?” He got a laugh or two out of {Fn} with his comically exaggerated impressions of his friend on the brink of climax.

“Why, you…” The object of their teasing had his arms crossed over his cleavage, his face a fiery red. “Why don’t you keep your mouth shut, Naruhodou Ryuunosuke?” he grumbled.

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basicjetsetter · 3 years

Text

The Rise of Deus

♡ Pairing: Mob!Peter Parker x BlackFemale!Reader

♧ Setting: The Terrace Room in The Plaza Hotel, New York

♤ Warnings: Language, Adult Themes, Violence, +18 Smut (If you are under age, please do not read this).

♢ Word Count: 7.2k

☆ A/N: Okay, so I got a little carried away. This is such an indulgent mess, I love it to pieces. If you haven’t read The Fall yet, I suggest you read it before you get to this part. It takes a while to setup, but I promise it’ll be worth it. Please hit like if you enjoy it, leave me a lil’ comment and a reblog if you love it. Happy reading! (P.S. I like these two characters so much, I might just write some more moments for them).

The game is in your hands. Exactly as planned.

♢ ♤ ♡ ♧

You’re not a great poker player.

In fact, compared to Peter and even Rumlow, your skills are subpar at best. The idea of betting everything on chance rankled the very fibers of your being, and you never could quite remember which hands beat which. But you were excellent at reading people.

It’s how you became New York’s best attorney. That, and because you were sharper than most people assumed you were.

Exhibit A: Rumlow.

You have to give it to him, though. He was initially difficult to read.

Earlier in the game, you tried to gauge his tells as he demolished Peter. Everyone reacts when they have a good or bad hand, whether they’re aware of it or not. As an attorney, you study your clients, plaintiffs, and sometimes the theoretically impartial jury for their tells—how they react to damning information, or rather, how they choose not to react.

The truth is in their eyes. The way they hunch their shoulders. Touch their face. Purse their lips. Breathe. Everything is a tell.

Rumlow’s whole personality screams dominant knowing, and he strategizes that way. Like he’s seen your hand before you even pick up the cards.

He plays too smart. And when he’s drunk, it becomes all the more apparent.

The way he rubbed his bottom lip before bargaining the final bet, slow and methodical, sealed the game against him. It’s not much to go off of for some, but for you, it’s more than enough. It’s a nervous habit—the movement confirming that his hand isn’t crap, but it isn’t the best, either.

You glimpsed down at your hand, then back up to Rumlow with a pleasant expression.

No, you aren’t a good poker player. But Peter is.

“Save your time, sweetheart. Let’s just get this over with,” said Rumlow, leaning back in his chair. It creaked under his muscular weight. “Fold.”

You arched an eyebrow, then crossed one leg over the other, causing the hem of your dress to ride up and show a decent amount of skin. “Don’t I get to place a bet of my own? You know, just in case my hand is better.”

Rumlow’s eyes predictably feasted on your exposed skin before he dragged them back up to your face. “What makes you think your hand is gonna be better than mine?”

“Indulge me, Brock,” you nearly purred, internally gagging as Rumlow’s breathing became labored. “If you know your hand is better, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I just want to have a little fun.”

Part of you is grateful that Peter is handcuffed in the back of a police car, not here to witness your attempt at seduction. You needed to do it while Rumlow is still drunk enough to fall for it.

Rumlow contemplated your words for a split second, eyes dipping down once more to relish the sight of your skin while his thumb repeatedly ran over the top of his cards. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

He finally said, “Alright, I’ll bite. What’d you have in mind?”

Saccharine venom oozed into your words as you held a charming smile. “When I win, you’re going to give me $20 million, all of your inventory and routes to Peter, and I want your promise that the Scorpions will no longer operate in New York. You can go be someone else’s problem.”

The smug light fizzled out of Rumlow’s eyes, and his mouth hardened into a flat line. “Not going to happen.”

“And why not?” you asked innocently. You’re having way too much fun with messing with Rumlow’s head. “What’s so different about my demand from yours?”

“You don’t think you’re asking for too much?”

You leaned forward, letting your eyes slowly roam over his face before settling on his dark eyes, loving the way it made him uneasy, then said matter-of-factly, “Not at all. If you want everything from Peter, then I want everything from you. Only seems fair. That is, of course, if you want to renegotiate your previous proposal…?”

Rumlow sat up in his chair, staring too hard into your face. Searching for a crack in your armor. He wasn’t going to find anything that wasn’t already there. You’re sincere and know next to nothing about manipulating a game of luck, and it showed all over your face, clear as day. He’s got nothing on you.

“What is this?” He looked around the room as if there were hidden cameras on the walls, looked at the clueless faces of people spectating the game.

Tony muttered, “Well, this was supposed to be a party, but I’d say we’re miles away from that—ouch!” He groaned as Pepper elbowed him in the ribs.

“What do you think this is?” you questioned him back using the same inflection.

Rumlow’s head snapped back to face you, his eyes practically pitch-black. “A fucking setup.”

“It’s just a game, Brock. That’s all it is.” You’re surprised at how serene you sound because your heart is leaping around in your chest, about ready to burst free and fly away from the excitement of it all, but you’re conscious enough to keep the surprise off your poker face. “Do we have a deal or not?”

He filled his lungs with a ragged breath, expelling it out of flared nostrils. Pinched the bridge of his nose. Strategized. “$25 million. Everything else stays the same. His routes. His connections. You.”

You nod once. “And you accept my wager?”

Rumlow begrudgingly nodded. His knuckles turned white from clenching his cards.

“On three, we show our hands,” you said and waited, giving him one last chance to object. He doesn’t; he just keeps his hawk-like stare trained on you.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

You both turn your cards over at the same time.

Rumlow’s hand shows a Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven, all clubs. Straight Flush.

Peter’s hand shows a King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and an Ace, all hearts. Royal Flush.

“Bullshit!”

Rumlow shot up from his chair, threw his cards to the floor, and snatched the gun from one of his men, aiming it at you.

Gasps filled the room, and you’re certain you heard Tony shout your name in alarm. Just as they’d done with Peter, the venue's guards raised their weapons at Rumlow and his men.

You broke out into a fit of giggles. There were uncontrollable, bubbling from your lips and almost doubling you over. Maybe it was your nerves finally getting the best of you, or perhaps it was the dumbfounded shock on Rumlow’s face as he pulled a gun on you. Either way, you didn’t have a hope of taming them.

Rage intensified the crimson flush on Rumlow’s face. He barked out, “Why the fuck are you laughing?”

You struggled to pull it together. “Di-Did you honestly think you could beat Peter at poker, of all things? Seriously? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I knew you were dense, but geez.”

“He cheated. Ain’t no way he got that hand. Ain’t no fucking way.”

“Oh, come on,” you said, trying hard to stifle the giggles. “You said it yourself. Peter's a lucky son of a bitch.”

Rumlow took a minute to process the loss, eyes spacing out while the gun remained pointed at you. Your giggles died down as you sat patiently, drumming your fingers against your thigh and staring right back at the gun, uninterested. He wouldn’t shoot you. Not if he valued his life.

If Peter were here, you knew he’d be proud. Furious, yet proud.

At last, the arrogance returned to Rumlow’s smile, and he scoffed, “Congratulations, I guess. But um, I don’t really have to give you anything, you know. All bets have been word of mouth, nothing written down.”

Your smile never faltered. “Don’t do that, Brock. That isn’t how this works, and you know it. You were fully expecting Peter to hand me over to you with a nice, shiny gift bow taped to my ass and $25 million. Right? Or are you pointing a gun at me just because you feel like it?”

Rumlow shrugged with one shoulder. A hint of his anger traced his features before it faded back into an impassive mask.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not giving you shit.”

You sighed dramatically. “Okay, fine. Be that way. But this is how it’s going to play out, regardless. You have three choices.” You ticked them off on your fingers. “One: You give me what I won and leave New York. Two: I sue your ass until you have nothing. Three: You get to deal with Peter. That last one won’t bode out too well for you.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, snickering. “And what you gonna sue me for, sweetheart? Gambling?”

Your eyes firmed into a severe gaze as you spoke. “I had a nice little chat with Miss Shuri Udaku earlier.”

The dark look passed over his eyes again. A thick mask of indifference tried to hide his culpability before you could spot it, but you didn’t even need to see it in his face. The guilt in his tightened shoulder blared like a blinking neon sign.

Bullseye.

You forged on. “Now, if what Shuri told me is true, which, guessing by the look on your face, it must be, you’re in deep shit. And I’ll take an educated guess and presume she isn’t the only one you’ve…spoken with.”

You paused for him to defy your assumption. He remained silent, his jaw grinding.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” you inquired with a faux mask of concern. “Did I hit a nerve?”

Rumlow’s eye twitched as he lowered the gun. Defeat heavy in his furrowed brows. “I’m gonna make you pay for this. You and him.”

“Just be sure to run me my money, first,” you said. A sly smirk curled up the corner of your mouth. “I want the whole amount by tomorrow, and I want you out of this state by the end of the week, got it?”

A snarl rumbled in his chest. “Got it.”

“Good,” you smiled brilliantly. “Now get your ass out of here. And take the Dynamic Duo with you.”

Everyone lowered their weapons as Rumlow and his two shadows stomped out of the Terrace Room. You watched their backs until they were no longer in your eyesight. It’s over. You won. A rise of applause swelled after the threat ultimately left the room, catching you off guard as you moved to retrieve Peter’s cards from the ground. You curtsied for them and offered a humbled grin.

A rush of adrenaline is humming through your veins, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. You’re positive you could scale the Empire State Building without so much as a harness, just running on pure pent up energy. Maybe you should do this kind of stuff more often.

Steve was the first to come up to you, confusion laced in his blue eyes. “We’re letting him go? Just like that?”

“Yes.”

“He pointed a gun at you!”

You brusquely scanned your unscathed body. “No harm, no foul, Lieutenant Rogers.”

“Jesus, you and that kid are a match made in Heaven,” Steve mumbled, shaking his head in shock.

“Wouldn’t be marrying him if we weren’t. And thank you for reminding me…” You trailed off, heading in the direction of Tony and Pepper.

You had to tell Tony the truth about you and Peter before your nerve wore off, or else you’d never find the courage to ever say it straight to his face. Even as you trudged over to him, a leaden ball of anxiety smothered your chest.

Shuri sprang at you without warning, tightly hugging you and jumping up and down as she squealed, “That was so awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“It was nothing,” you said mirthfully.

“It was everything! That man’s been breathing down my neck for months about those weapons. I couldn’t turn a corner without seeing him. I can’t thank you enough.” As you broke apart, she handed you an embossed card. “If Peter is interested, I would love to have a meeting with him. Maybe we could all catch lunch.”

“He is definitely interested. I’ll be sure he calls you,” you assured, beaming her a friendly smile.

She nodded in agreement then waved her goodbyes, walking away to find her companions.

Everything always falls right into place for Peter.

You shook your head in awe as you made your way over to Tony and Pepper again, this time scanning your surroundings to ensure no one else ambushed you. Once you were close enough, they both threw their arms around your shoulders and pulled you into a protective embrace.

“We’re so glad you’re okay, sweetie,” said Pepper as she rubbed a comforting hand up and down your back.

“Don’t you ever pull something like that again, you hear me?” Tony chastised, his tangible relief choking up your throat. He pulled away to look into your eyes thoroughly. “I almost had a heart attack watching that. How could you just stare at the guy as he held a gun to you? You didn’t flinch or anything. I swear you’re turning into a different person right before my—”

You blurted out, “I’m marrying Peter.”

Tony blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off, the floodgates bursting open as you spilled everything.

“He proposed three months ago, and I said yes because I am in love with him, Tony. I am in love with Peter Parker, and I know you hate his guts because of what he does, but I don’t care. And…” you stopped, sucking in a deep breath to steady your trembling words. “And I don’t care if me loving him means you hating me. You’re like a father to me, and I respect you, but I won’t continue to let you badger me about being with Peter.”

Tony interjected, “Woah, woah, woah, pump the brakes. Where did you get the idea that I’d ever hate you for being with Parker?”

Both you and Pepper raised an eyebrow at Tony, a universal look that easily translated to Your words said it all.

“Alright, sure, I never really liked the kid. He’s this devious little mastermind who circumvents the law to get what he wants and somehow even got you. But I can hate him and still love you, hon.”

You coughed up a laugh partly because of your relief and partly because of how ridiculous Tony was. “I want you to tolerate him at least. That means no more bringing up the fact that I am his Personal Attorney, no more threats of arrest, and no more nicknames.”

Tony sighed and said, “Okay to the first two, but I can’t make any promises for the nicknames. Baby-faced Criminal has a nice ring to it.”

Your smile brightened. “Deal.” You stepped back into his hug, pressing your face against his shoulder and exhaling. Finally, having the truth out in the open felt like releasing a breath you held in for three long months.

You heard Tony add, “ ‘Sides, I already knew you were engaged.”

“What?” you screeched, stepping back. “What do you mean you already knew?!”

“First of all, ouch,” Tony groused as he rubbed at the ear you accidentally screamed in. “Second of all, Pepper is not really that great at hiding wedding preparations as she thinks she is. And Parker came to me about four months ago.”

You’re so shocked you forgot to breathe, involuntarily pulling in a long drag of air as it dawned on you that your tormented lungs screamed for oxygen. “What—what do you mean Peter came to you?”

“Your young man thought it proper to ask me for my blessing before popping the big question, and I may have expressly told him to go swim in the Bermuda Triangle.” At your expression, he quickly added. “Well, he didn’t!”

“It’s just—He never told me that he asked.” You omitted the part where Peter held your refusal to tell Tony about the engagement against you. Tony wouldn’t understand Peter’s motives any more than you could. But you were going to make him explain himself.

A brief impression of chagrin flashed in Tony’s eyes. “I admit I wasn’t that forthcoming about it. He probably thought it’d be better to keep it to himself than tell you I said no.”

That’s not what it was, but you hummed in agreement anyway.

“Welp, my party mood’s long gone,” Tony stated, unbuttoning his jacket and loosening his tie. “Anybody else up for some Shawarma?”

| Next Morning |

Today wasn’t unlike any other day. Phillips told you your client's location, even though you both knew the area by heart. Third floor. Cell Block E. Number 7. Always Number 7. Lucky Number 7.

♢ ♤ ♡ ♧

One of the guards, a new hire with a tag reading Lang, shadowed you as you walked out of the detention center’s lobby and into the bustling dayroom, then up to Peter’s cell. An untrained eye wouldn’t notice the guard’s careful proximity, and an untrained ear wouldn’t hear his trepid footsteps. You knew better.

Your fiancé is many things, and cautious just happens to be a large part of his make-up. None of the inmates lounging around the dayroom dared to glance your way, not because of the authoritative figure trailing behind you, but because of Peter and his imposing rap-sheet.

While Lang’s presence was somewhat reassuring on your way around the crowded cells, you didn’t need the security detail. You weren’t afraid of anyone in this facility. The moment you propositioned to be his attorney, he should’ve known you weren’t one to be easily rattled.

When you stood in front of Peter’s cell door, Officer Lang moved up close enough to smack the door twice, then placed the key in the lock. As the heavy metal door swung open, you weren’t sure what you might see.

He’s been away from the action, holed up in here all night. A tiny part of you expected Peter to be pacing the floor, running his hands through his hair and wringing them together in distress, beads of sweat trickling down his neck as he counted the seconds to your arrival. You wondered what it would be like to witness God panicking.

What you saw made you smile. Peter, sitting on his squalid mattress with his body propped up against the wall, his eyes closed and mouth slightly ajar, is sound asleep. Some of his brown curls are slightly lying over his forehead, giving him the perfect air of innocence.

Lang took a half step through the door, poked his head in the room, and loudly sang, “Wakey, wakey, Parker! You’re sprung.”

Peter jolted up from his position, looking around as if he forgot his bearings. The moment his eyes landed on yours, a sly smirk slid onto his lips, and the air of innocence vanished.

“Took you long enough.”

He got up from his bed with a low groan, stretching out the kinks in his neck. His dress shirt from last night is has a few more buttons open, exposing his black undershirt, and his shoes are in the corner of the room. The guards didn’t bother giving him a change of clothes because they knew he’d be out in less than 24 hours.

“I could always leave you in here, Mr. Parker,” you said, a small, teasing smile playing at your lips.

Peter grinned back at you, then retrieved his shoes. Lang stood against the wall like a statue, head forward and hands crossed in front of him.

When he was out of the cell, and Lang locked the door behind him, Peter addressed Lang. “She can take it from here, Scott.”

And just like that, Lang’s stoic face melted into a rueful grin as he mockingly saluted Peter and walked off, leaving the two of you alone.

Your mouth gaped for approximately two seconds before you caught on. “You hired him to play pretend-cop?”

“Oh no, Scott works here.” Peter slipped his shoes on and unbuttoned the rest of his dress shirt’s buttons. “He just also happens to work for me while working here.”

You wanted to ask how many Scotts he had in this facility but thought against it, deciding to quietly lead him out of the dayroom and into the lobby. No one acknowledged your departure. Every single one kept their heads down and tended to business as usual.

Peter’s driver, Flash, leaned against the car, smoking a cigarette. Once he saw you both approach, he stamped it out and immediately opened the back seat door for you and Peter.

“Good morning, sir,” he said, always overly cheerful.

Peter clapped Flash on the shoulder and said, “Hey, man. How you doing?”

“Good, sir. Thank you for asking.”

“Dude, we talked about this. Stop calling me ‘sir’ so much. It’s getting weird.”

Flash automatically nodded, saying, “Right, sorry about that,” before closing the door behind Peter. He’d call Peter ‘sir’ again by tomorrow.

Peter groaned in instant satisfaction as he sank into the leather seat. It’s a low and throaty sound, and you felt its vibrations all the way to your core, leaving a flustered mess for longer than you’re proud to say. Two years you’ve been with this man, and the lust hasn’t dimmed.

Peter got right to the point. “So, how’d it go?”

You smirked contentedly, flattening your hands across the lap of your pencil skirt. “You are $20 million richer. And you have the Scorpions’ trading routes and connections, along with a guarantee eviction by the end of the week.”

“20 million… Damn, baby, I knew you were a hustler, but that’s in-fucking-sane!” Peter whooped, turning in his seat to face you fully. His face radiated with excitement. “I bet Rumlow’s pissed.”

“Oh, yeah. He was pissed, alright. He tried renegotiating, then tried to worm out of it. It was fun to watch him squirm.” You’d never mention the part where Rumlow pulled a gun on you to Peter. Not because you cared for Rumlow’s safety in any way, but because you’ve seen how Peter reacts when someone threatens his loved ones, and you never want him to go down that dark tunnel again.

Peter leaned his head against the headrest and wistfully said, “Wish I could’ve been there. Stark didn’t give you a hard time for gambling, did he?”

The topic shift smacked you with the remembrance of what happened last night, what Tony had said. It shouldn’t have kept you up all night, but you tossed and turned with the nagging fact that Peter both hid his confrontation with Tony and had the nerve to pester you about not telling Tony something that he already knew.

For a while, you stayed up wondering why Peter even brought it up at dinner. What was his purpose? Why act cold towards you if there wasn’t a reason? Or was it even an act? Did he genuinely resent you that much for being anxious about telling Tony? Would you ever see that side of Peter again? So indifferent, so cruel. So quick to discard you.

The rest of the night, you replayed over and over how he ignored you, how he minimized you. That wasn’t part of the plan. Most of what happened before the cards got into your hands played out unexpectedly, and you understood why that had to be at some degree, but the ambiguity of it all ticked you off. Did he not trust you?

When he dismissed you, you actually thought about leaving him there alone. Was that not real?

That ache in your chest was real.

“Babe?” Peter waved his hand in front of your face. “Babygirl? What’s wrong? What’d I say?”

You couldn’t bring your eyes up to meet his. They strayed to your lap, refusing to move even as Peter hesitantly took hold of your chin with his thumb and index finger. He emphatically called your name a few times, worry intensifying more and more as an unspecified amount of time passed. Peter never dropped his hand. His thumb caressed your chin while he waited for you to speak, knowing you would.

The desire to verbalize took longer than you expected. There just didn’t seem to be a right way to say what was weighing on your mind. Outright confronting him with only inference to go off of felt childish, but so did beating around the bush. You ultimately chose to address the subject of your silence.

In a tense voice, you said, “Tony told me that you asked for his permission to marry me.”

About thirty seconds ticked away. Peter sighed, “Are you upset that I didn’t tell you?”

You nibbled on your lower lip, then brought your eyes up to meet his. Mild concern drowns his warm brown eyes, somehow increasing their depth, and frown lines creased his forehead. If this were one of your typical squabbles and he stared at you with those damn eyes, you’d have been a goner.

“No.” You shook your head to clear the effect of his gaze. “I’m upset that you asked Tony and then proceeded to act like I had an obligation to tell him something you already told him. And then you got so mad about it last night…” you trailed off in a whisper, recalling his restrained animosity, something you never thought you’d experience with him.

“I wasn’t actually mad,” he rushed.

“So you were pretending?” You asked lamely, feeling the ghost of last night’s ache lash around in your chest. “All that wasn’t real? Ignoring me? Snatching your arm away from me? Dismissing me?”

He insistently shook his head, brown curls swaying across his forehead. “None of it.”

To you, the truth is almost as bad as the lie.

“It felt real to me.” Your voice sounds so small, it’s humiliating. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, severing the eye contact again. “The fact that you couldn’t just tell me that that’s what you were doing beforehand makes me feel like… like you don’t trust me. Like you’re willing to sacrifice my feelings for some stupid game. Like I’m a pawn.”

“Fuck,” Peter cursed, running a swift hand through tousled his hair. “No, baby, that’s not it. Come ‘ere.”

Peter reached over the divider and pulled you into his lap despite your attempt to scoot away. You didn’t want him holding you, consoling you because even if you tried your hardest to resist him, an irrational part of your brain would immediately relent to his closeness.

You stiffened at the touch of his hand rubbing small circles on your lower back, then loudly to clear your throat. “What is it, then?” You spoke to him as if he were one of your clients. Professional. Distanced. But you couldn’t look into those eyes.

“I was giving you an alibi,” he confessed, not fazed by your tone. “In case anything went wrong. We needed to look distant so Rumlow wouldn’t catch on to how coordinated everything was.”

Okay, that’s nowhere near the answer you were expecting. Because, of course Peter would come up with a convoluted explanation that only made sense to him. Irritation rose in you like a brewing storm as you peered straight into his eyes, ignoring the visceral pull as they locked on you.

“Did it ever occur to you that I’m a grown-ass woman who can handle shit by herself? I didn’t need a fucking alibi, Peter,” you said, indignation souring your tone. “What, did you think I was going to fuck up that bad?”

“No,” said Peter firmly. When you scoff, he persists. “I mean it. I was just—I was just trying to look out for you.” He held your chin again, applying a slight amount of pressure to keep your eyes on him. “I’m sorry. You’re right, you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, and I love that about you. Sometimes, though, I want to be there for you as much as you’re there for me, if not more.”

You stubbornly held your tongue. You’re not going to cave with a simple apology… no matter how sincere it sounded.

Peter leaned in closer, poorly hiding his smirk as he heard your breath hitch while his lips skimmed up your neck. “I’m sorry, baby,” he murmured against your skin. “I apologize for not considering your feelings.” He placed a tiny kiss on the crook of your neck, trailing the tip of his nose against your jawline. “I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark.”

An undeniable heat flickered to life within you, building as Peter’s actions grew enticingly bold. The pads of his fingers glide up and down your stocking-clad thighs, and each motion brought his hands down further and further until his whole, warm palms flattened down to massage your calves and thighs. Unknowingly, you inclined your neck to allow him to access a larger expanse of your skin.

Any resolve you cemented against Peter crumbled as a pair of lips outlined the shell of your ear. His voice comes out hoarse when he speaks, hoarse and deliberate. “I trust you with everything I have. You know that, don’t you?” His lips hover dangerously near yours.

You exhaled out a breathy, “Yes.” You do know that. He wouldn’t trust anyone else to hold those cards but you, wouldn’t trust anyone else bargaining with his assets but you.

Peter held your lowered gaze steady as he hooked his hands under your thighs and hoisted you up so you fully straddled him, your pencil skirt elastic enough to permit marginal movement. A low whine emitted from your throat as he pressed a chaste kiss to your lips, then pulled away to stare at you, using the full force of his immorally brown eyes.

“Can you forgive me?”

It’d be as simple as sin to whimper out a pathetic affirmative and let him off scot-free. Excruciatingly simple. You knew he meant every word, and you were glad he let you express your anger before apologizing. You wanted to forgive him. But your mind currently wasn’t on the same circuit as your mouth, refusing to utter a single word, wondering where that would get you.

“Hmm,” Peter hummed pensively, contemplating while a predatory grin crept onto his lips. “Guess I gotta work for it, then.”

♢ ♤ ♡ ♧

Your back arched up off the bed, and you toss your head back as you gutturally cried out Peter’s name for the fourth time.

The moment you two entered the house, Peter was on you, guiding you to the bedroom with his lips attached to yours and his hands groping your backside. His hands never left your body, and once they did, it was only to tear off his clothes. You weren’t sure what you signed up for, but something glinting in Peter’s eyes, an erotic passion you’ve encountered several times in your relationship, bespoke of an intense afternoon headed your way.

Before you could even guess what that might entail, you were lying on your back in the middle of the bed, and Peter was parting your legs open.

Currently, his grip on your bucking hips remains vice-like as he keeps his face planted between your quaking thighs, still lapping up the rest of your orgasm and staring you dead in the eyes with wicked lust.

Each time he made you cum, he’d huskily ask, “You forgive me?” The first time, you were cheeky, shaking your head with a tiny pout on your lips and eagerly wiggling your hips and tugging on the silky strands of his hair for more. The second time, your body ached wonderfully, and you lazily nodded your acceptance of his apology, but he didn’t stop, tightening his hold on the swells of your hips and delving his tongue through your silken folds. By the third time, you were religiously chanting, “I forgive you,” grasping the sheets for dear life as Peter solely sucked on your clit and salaciously groaned into your core.

On the fourth orgasm, your whole body is aflame, your fingers are desperately clutching Peter’s wrists, and you’re a blissed-out, gibbering mess with tears of ecstasy streaming out the corners of your eyes.

“You forgive me?” Peter rasped, his breath fanning against your sensitive skin. He alternately kissed your inner thighs, sometimes gently sucking the skin until he left stinging love bites.

Knowing words were well beyond your reach, your jerkily bobbed your head up and down, gulping in air to calm your heaving chest.

A whine of relief breaks free when Peter finally lets go of your hips and leads a sloppy trail of kisses up your abdomen, between the valley of your breasts, along your neck, your jawline, until he claims your lips in a sensually slow kiss, one that stole away your regained breath. You mewled into it, wrapping your arms around his neck and threading your fingers through his hair. He lowered his body on top of yours, deliciously suffocating you with his body heat and his scent—an intoxicating aroma of smoky spice you only associate with Peter.

Your brain treads on a fine line near oblivion. All your mind can comprehend is Peter. His soft little grunts in your mouth, his toned chest brushing against yours, his hardened cock against your stomach as he ruts into you.

“I want you,” you panted, wanton need thick in your voice. You’re entirely spent, but you couldn’t help but crave more of Peter, couldn’t help but want him to thoroughly build you up only to tear you down all over again.

Peter teasingly nipped at your lips, mumbling, “Where do you want me?”

You let out an impatient, low-pitched groan. “Inside me, baby. Please, Peter.” Your hips angled up on their own accord, grinding your dripping core against his cock. “Please, fuck me.”

His eyes rolled back, mouth slightly agape, and his face pinched in pleasure—what a pretty sight. Your eyes drank him all in. You loved the way he squinches up his eyes, almost as if all the sensations are too much to process. You loved how the flush creeping up his neck turned his skin a lovely scarlet. You loved watching him try to be attentive to you while being so engrossed in his own bliss.

Unhurried, Peter took himself in his hand, then slid his length through your folds before guiding his tip to your entrance. He always liked to draw this moment so he could hear the desperate noises you’d make for him. Your whole body sang out for him, from the broken moans spilling from your lips to the constant, stuttering pitch in your hips.

At an agonizingly slow pace, Peter slid inside of you, hissing out a drawn-out Fuck. You jumped and gasped at the slight sting as he stretched you out, gripping onto his biceps and clenching around him as the sting built up to a toe-curling burn of ecstasy.

He stroked into you with painstaking emphasis, hitting a deep spot within you that brought stars to your vision while capturing your lips in a blistering kiss. Your hands held his face as the kiss deepened, both of you moaning into each other’s mouths in carnal abandon. Yeah, it definitely tops the sex you had on the night he proposed.

Peter broke the kiss to dip his head down and favor the skin on your neck. His voice is a low murmur when he speaks, barely louder than your gasping breaths. “You forgive me?”

You practically sob out, “Yes! Yes, baby, I forgive you.” The flames are multiplying, licking up from your lower region and engulfing you as his strokes rock steadily.

“You know you’re my everything,” he grunted, sucking down hard on your skin and laving it with his tongue after you yelp his name.

Your heart flutters as you moan, “Yes.”

“Say it, baby,” Peter mumbled, an undercurrent of firmness in his voice. “I wanna hear you say it.”

“I’m your everything.” The things this man does to you…

“Good girl.” Peter’s hand wedged between your entwined bodies, reaching down to rub your overstimulated clit, watching the tremors shaking through your body as your mouth hung open in a silent moan. “I want you to remember that,” he ordered. “You’re my everything, and I’m sorry I”—grunt—“Fuck, I’m sorry I hurt you.”

He carefully collects you in his arms before rolling over and putting you on top, wrapping his arms around your back so your bodies remain pressed together. Some of your twists cascade on either side of Peter’s face, but he doesn’t mind, keeping his head buried in the crook of your shoulder as he pumped up his hips, deeply thrusting into you.

“You feel so good, babygirl,” Peter said roughly, his hips picking up into a bruising speed. “So wet for me.” His hands slide down your back and squeeze your ass. “Always take me so well.”

All you could manage were needy, shameless whimpers in response as his dirty words, his scorching touch, his soft lips, his slick body against yours all sent you reeling towards a rapturous release. Every stroke brings you closer to the edge, and you know Peter isn’t far behind.

With some effort, you drag yourself up to sit on Peter’s cock and brace your hands on his chest, lolling your head back as the new angle allowed him to hit a deeper spot within you.

Peter admired you through half-lidded eyes. “So fucking beautiful.”

You mustered up a beaming smile for Peter, then set your focus on riding him with the little energy you had left, slowly bouncing up and down on his thick length and loving the quick hitch in Peter’s breath as you took control. You wanted to see him writhe underneath you as he came inside you, wanted to see his pretty lips part as he called out your name. You’re so close, it’s maddening, but you’re waiting for Peter to fall off the edge with you.

As soon as Peter’s hips began to chase yours in a broken pattern and a repeated mixture of your name and fucks streamed out of his mouth, your climax slammed into you, slightly choking you up as you came with a high-pitched, quivering gasp and cried out, “Peter!”

Peter’s crashed down on him with the same force. His hips stalled for an instant before jerking up into you one last time, your name tumbling from his lips in a hoarse groan as he filled you with his hot, sticky cum. It feels as if you’re riding the wave of your orgasm for hours, and you blissfully drown in it. Savor it. Bask in the absolute pride of knowing that this man is yours and yours alone even though you have yet to seal it with the promise of ‘for as long as you both shall live.’

The comedown is a sluggish process, like trying to swim the length of a 10-foot pool of honey. Your heart rate is the first to slow down into a stable rhythm, then the raucous hum singing in your body simmers down to a delicious buzz whose sole purpose is to remind you of the five breathtaking orgasms Peter drew out of you. Every part of your body aches when you merely think about moving, so you cave and slump onto Peter’s torso, eliciting an amused oomph from Peter as he wraps an arm around your waist. When he pulls out of you, his cum smears a sticky trail in between your thighs.

Peter brushes away some of your twists from your face to press a gentle kiss to your perspired forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you,” you echo back, leaning up a little to peck his jawline. You snuggle up closer so your head rested on his shoulder. “And I really do forgive you. Your intentions were pure, and I know you were just trying to protect me.” You reach up and grab his chin, making him look into your eyes. “But I want your complete trust, Peter. Trust that I can handle things on my own.”

“From this point on, you have my whole trust,” Peter promised. He took hold of your hand, entwined your fingers together, and then put your hands over his heart. Its slow thud matched yours. “You have my word. No more alibis.”

You laughed tiredly. “Thank you.”

For a while, you two just stayed in each other’s embrace, your eyes falling as Peter’s finger lazily traced an infinity sign around your knuckles. You’re still buzzing, and you know you should roll out of bed to wash up, but you try to save these soft moments in your memory, to help remind you of the kind man who can be, at times, too cruel for words. That’s when he’s Deus. Right now, he’s your Peter.

Seconds away from succumbing to sleep, a thought occurs to you, and you quietly ask, “Hey, babe?”

Peter sounds wide awake. “Yeah?”

“Did Tony literally tell you to go swim in the Bermuda Triangle when you asked him for his approval?”

He snickered. “I believe his exact words were, ‘Go to hell, Parker. Better yet, why don’t you do us all a favor and take a swim in the Bermuda Triangle, and become a cold case?’”

Geez, Tony. You bit your lip. “And you still asked me to marry you anyway, even though he didn’t approve?”

“I was going to, regardless,” Peter murmured, and you could hear a smile in his words. “I just wanted to try and, you know, see if I could make you a little happier. Me and Stark bump heads a lot, and I saw how it upset you, so I thought asking him for his permission would get us on the right track to some sort of civility. Wanted it to be a surprise if he did say yes.”

Unexpected tears gathered in your eyes, and your chin wobbled. He tried for you. Had been trying for you. He even noticed how his and Tony’s bouts caused you to be anxious about your future together and tried to mend the stupid rift between them, for your sake. You aren’t going to lie and say that you’re glad Tony refused. You wished with your whole heart that he could clearly see how much you loved Peter. But, from now on, you’re no longer going to be scared of what Tony thinks of Peter. You love him, and he most certainly loves you, and that’s all that matters.

You scooch up a little more and capture his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He’s only caught off guard for a second before kissing back, wrapping both of his arms around your waist. When Peter felt the wet tear tracks on your cheeks, he brought up his hands and wordlessly wiped them away.

As you pulled apart, you rested your forehead against his and said, “I can’t wait to marry you, Mr. Parker.”

Peter lightly rubbed the tip of your nose with his, replying, “I’m already yours, Mrs. Parker.”

#peter parker #peter parker au #mob!peter parker #mob!peter #peter parker x black!reader #black!reader #tom holland #peter parker smut #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker fanfic #the fall and rise of deus #the rise of deus #peter parker x black reader #peter parker x reader #black reader

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whats-a-reading · 2 years

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Ace Attorney Prosecutor Tier list

Except I rate them based on themes. Note that some plot points may factor into my decisions, but I’m not going to be judging their arcs or anything. This is also completely subjective. (My rambling gets longer as we go up the tiers. Minor swearing, if you care about that sort of thing.)

The prosecutors that count are the ones we’ve seen prosecuting, and it’s only their main theme (no reminiscences or other themes they may have).

Spoilers for all ace attorney games except for the Layton crossover. You have been warned.

From worst to best, we have:

The Auchi/Payne clan gets no theme, so.

Manfred von Karma, get your own theme.

F is for Franziska because why does she not have her own theme? This is unfair, and I think that her journey isn’t a copy-paste of Edgeworth’s, so why is her theme Edgeworth’s with a different intro?

Now we have actual themes to judge. Whoop.

I haven’t played SOJ, but I did watch the 169Tom prosecutor theme compilation, which is why I know that Ga’ran eventually stands at the prosecutor’s bench. It’s a nice enough theme, and I’ll admit this one mostly suffered from the fact that I played DGS (and thus never finished AA5 nor started AA6) because... under-exposure.

Now, here’s something I might get crucified for, part one. I think I just like the anime theme for Edgeworth more, because that one is more like boss fight music. It encapsulates him without needing to be changed. Edgeworth doesn’t stop being a force to be reckoned with just because he’s on your side now. In fact, he’s better now. (Rip to AA1 Edgeworth, themeless behavior.) I’ll admit I just don’t care for Great Revival. It’s probably the melody. It has some nice percussion going for it, but if I hate the melody, that’s going to take it nowhere. (All of his other themes are so much better... like the DL-6 theme music, and his Objection/Pursuit themes, but alas.)

At the very least, I like the opening strains of Nayhuta’s theme, which is a step up from D tier (I can’t remember Ga’ran’s enough to still like it after I stop listening to it, and I don’t like Edgeworth’s). I think that the instrumentation’s good. Some choir thing going on there in some sections. It falls off the wagon because I can’t remember the B section.

I like Blackquill’s for the same reasons I like Nahyuta’s (good instruments and opener), but it made a bigger first impression on me, which means it was more memorable from the outset. Nahyuta’s theme had to grow on me. This one captured me. I also appreciate the punch of the very first note and the rising tension of the opening strains. It’s a contrast from Mr Klavier “My theme is my rock song” Gavin, with this one saying he’s all business. All in all, good theme for this sad weeb man.

(Where I get crucified part two.) Ah, Godot. Iconic. It fits him perfectly. It sounds like music a coffee shop would play, and it's kind of sad and wistful and bitter, like him and his favorite brews. Truth be told, the main reason he isn’t higher is because I like energy and complexity. It’s not bad, it’s personal preference. His theme can be summed up to the ringtone version, and I don’t see the B or C section as something that re-contextualizes or adds anything to the main melody/motif. He gets to stay here due to memorability.

Klavier is here due to the power of rock. It’s also here because it exists in-universe. I also find it funny how his name is piano but this is led by a guitar. (No, that has no bearing on this theme's ranking.) Anyway, the B section or the bridge or something shows off said guitar (and is also a frustrating part of Turnabout Serenade but anyway), and helps characterize him. I just think it’s neat.

Sebastian’s theme (First Class Farewell, not the other one) is a classy call-and-response between two different kinds of instruments. It also opens like a marching band, which I think is neat since that evokes graduation. I also like the way it’s stereo. Anyway, I like it as a demonstration of how far he’s come (First Class Reasoning is very good at its goal, which is to be annoying and juvenile), yet the call-and-response nature shows that he’s still following someone’s lead. However, the lower instrument is not always the dominant one, showing that he can think for himself. Also, it’s orchestral, which fits his gimmick of being a conductor. The fact that there are multiple elements in this theme also shows that he can handle more complexity now.

Yo, Asogi, why do you have a bajillion epic themes? A Prosecutor, Reborn is the absolute best for me though. (And it’s the only theme of Asogi as a prosecutor and so is the only one I can judge. Luckily I like it the most.) There’s so much shit going on, and it shows how intertwined “the old Asogi” and “the new Asogi” are. This is the same guy, he’s just in pain. It’s a fusion of East and West, it’s aggressive, it makes liberal use of good leitmotifs... what’s not to love? The Western theme is in a minor key and is carried by some fairly aggressive strings, with piano/harpsichord in the background, reminiscent of both his mentor and just... the general British setting. The steady beat and rhythm of the Western motif reminds me of a clock (Hi Stronghart). It goes back and forth repeatedly and smoothly, which I think adds to it as well. Also just... the introduction of that second leitmotif, it’s like it just asserted itself into what would otherwise have been Samurai on a Mission: TGAA2 Edition. The bridge (towards the end of the song where it's stripped down a bit before the final refrain), the emotional point of the song is from Samurai on a Mission, showing what truly drives him and who he is, but then the Western theme starts up again. This whole song shows how he started in Japan and ended up in Britain, in fact. It’s so good, I love it, I can’t believe it’s over when it ends.

This theme just refused to let me go, send help. Reaper of the Bailey’s my favorite because it sets up the... everything of van Zieks. From the bang that hits your ears as hard as his boot hits the desk, to the oppressive, gothic tone of this waltz, what you hear from his theme is what you get out of the guy: he’s a noble, he’s graceful, he has the vampire aesthetic, and he’s scary. This song takes Blackquill’s “start with a bang” technique and takes it even further by regularly using a singular heavy percussive note for transition and repetition of sections. The harpsichord adds to it because honestly, I think his theme could and should be played on a church organ. (Also haha his name is Barok, Baroque.) The prolonged notes and pedal usage in some instances just add to the atmosphere, adding even more weight to everything. All of these elements make the theme heavy with no reprieve, which fits perfectly.

Also, the strings-led section shows up when he stoically watches a man burn to death. Buckwild. (I am not over that cut scene by the way.) It’s the best. The part near the ending with the high pitched refrain that sounds kind of like a music box is just tragic. His theme is a dance with death. It’s a steady thing that doesn’t lose energy even as it becomes miserable. If that was it, it would already be in B tier. And then everything gets re-contextualized. The plot and the music make you rethink what the hell was he thinking during that scene where he watched a man burn to death when you were pretty convinced the guy was involved in his death. It’s about the layers. You thought it was you who was dancing with death and the peril of everything being over. Nope. It’s him. He’s the one having a bad time here. He’s the one being dragged along by the steady Reaper. Epic. My favorite.

#ace attorney #tgaa2 spoilers #tgaa spoilers #long post #yeah this one's...#I'm not gonna tag all the prosecutors but I don't wanna give preferential treatment so nah #j rambles #I ramble for a very long time

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

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I am seized by a fatal need for courtroom ninja drama fic

But not serious courtroom drama. I'm talking Phoenix Wright style Nonsense.

(Some of this was provided by the folks over in @sloaners‘ server, but the bulk of it was me spitballing nonsense at people who actually know the games, which I do not. I do paraphrase a few times to make it more feasible as a tumblr post/fic concept, rather than a rapidfire text conversation.)

Or one of those like. Reality TV paternity test things? But specifically in my mind the people involved in the actual paternity are a married couple and someone that joined them to be their third, and Clan Elders are throwing a fit about how the baby might not be the heir by blood! while the actual parents are like "I could not care less, this is our child, all three of us, please stop getting involved."

HashiMitoMada would be a VERY good option for the paternity nonsense, mostly because I can see Madara screeching at his own elders about how he already said Izuna would be his heir and he's not changing his mind!

Tobirama is just begging the paternity test to work faster off-screen because he's the only person with the machines to make it happen.

(Hashirama is just. Moping in a corner.)

"I just had to INVENT a paternity test that works before the birth! I had to figure out how to test amniotic fluid! If you assholes make me do something this stupid on such short notice again, I will be digging some shallow graves!" "...for who?" "I haven't decided yet."

Anyway, jumping back to like a Phoenix Wright-style murder investigation.

The victim was Danzo. Even the prosecution isn't actually that interested in making sure someone gets arrested, but they're legally obligated to do at least try. A bunch of people all acting really suspicious about who killed him. There is at least one shitty fake mustache-on-glasses disguise to provide a paper-thin alibi.

WAIT The other thing this gives us is ninjas in three-piece-suits but half of them wear the suits wrong. I’m talking mismatched buttons. The wrong way of tying their tie. Sewn-on-cufflinks. This is Naruto, for instance.

Tobirama would wear it properly, except he's rushing about in a lab coat, screaming at everyone to get out of his way because he's The Entire Forensics Team.

(This is the part where I have to confess that I have only seen the live-action movie of Phoenix Wright, as I don't game, so I just have the live action and tumblr osmosis.)

At this point, of course, we gotta ask: Who is the most Belligerent Witness And who is the Helpful™️ Witness that's super enthusiastic but entirely useless

I can see, say, Mito being a solid witness that both defense and prosecution are really thankful for.

Modern gen you have like... Sasuke and Neji are both incredibly belligerent witnesses. Neji at least is polite about it but pulls the "only answers with the absolute minimum of information."

Lee and Gai would have the over enthusiasm but forget to say actual vital testimony until pressed, and Naruto would love to help but might not be entirely sure what the case even is.

Shikamaru falls asleep when the lawyers consult their partners. Prosecution A consults Prosecution B for thirty-seven seconds, then turns around and the witness is asleep at the stand.

Tobi (as in Obito with mask) is an incredibly frustrating witness. They have to declare a recess just so all the lawyers can recover their blood pressure. "Can we please get someone up on the stand with this guy as a handler? I'm--I'm going to explode."

Gaara: Helpful. Polite. Answers with detail. Answers the spirit of the question as well as the letter. Includes more detail. That's too much detail. Gaara please stop telling us about the sounds that bones make.

His testimony just drags on forever.

Ninken can and will take the stand! Pakkun even enjoys it! Some ninken require translators.

ABURAME TRANSLATING FOR A RANDOM GIANT CENTIPEDE THAT WITNESSED A MURDER IN THE FOREST OF DEATH

There are arguments about whether or not the testimony can count since nobody else can confirm the translation except Other Aburame so how do they know the Aburame aren't part of the coverup.

"Okay, so this Danzo guy had like fifty shell companies but I think I found the route that leads back to him?" "Nah, that one goes to a guy that died eighty years ago that's still collecting pensions: his family lied and said he was still alive for the money." "Fuck!"

Also I just. I love the idea of Sasuke and Madara being the exact opposite kind of belligerent witness.

Also, Orochimaru answers with pretty much the exact kind of wording as Gaara, but where Gaara is trying to be helpful and provide detail for the sake of the case, and failing to see that it's maybe not necessary, Orochimaru just wants to see people squirm. ...similar thing happens with Sakura and Kabuto. Similar phrasing, very different energy.

I keep picturing all of Team Taka as part of Forensics and Evidence Collecting ajshakshjd

Juugo, holding up a rabbit: I found a witness.

Karin joins forensics and Tobirama nearly weeps from joy until he finds her criminal record "Shit, that was supposed to get thrown out when I turned eighteen."

Tobirama: I asked for an assistant, not a criminal. Karin: I'm on parole. Tobirama: That makes things worse. Karin: I know how to use a [concerningly advanced machine that I, a business major, cannot name]. Tobirama: ...never mind, I'm keeping you.

Karin: I know how to DNA sequence AND use LA-ICP-MS Tobirama: [weeps with joy]

Suigetsu would be great at blood splatter analysis. ...I think I read somewhere that blood spatter analysis is actually over in 'fake science that's pushed by cops and media but actually doesn't work' BUT apparently it’s in the Ace Attorney games so we’re going to ignore reality a bit. We’ve already got dogs and rabbits and centipedes as witnesses, what’s a bit of blood spatter?

He's also probably really good at cause of death stuff? Like looking at corpse and figuring out how long it took the victim to die, which blow did it, whether any damage was inflicted post-mortem, etc.

Sasuke is usually too busy playing Belligerent Witness but sometimes goes to join Taka for... uh... reasons.

Juugo: [takes the stand] Lawyer: Hey, uh, why's that Uchiha guy with him? The witness-- Judge: No, no, we need Uchiha Sasuke on hand when questioning Expert Animal Handler Juugo. Lawyer: ...why? Judge: Property damage.

(Sasuke as a work partner with Juugo, also moonlighting as a witness/suspect in Danzo's murder.)

One time they need Juugo but can't find him even though court is already in session and he said he'd be here, turns out he was lured away by Kakashi's army of dogs. Kakashi didn't notice until he turned to ask Pakkun if he could help find the missing expert.

Juugo is a decent lab assistant, I think?

Anyway.

Tobirama taking on Team Taka as his forensics team while Orochimaru is... hm... traveling the country to promote his new autobiography, which is outselling the newest Icha Icha to Jiraiya's ire.

Sloane suggested “a case where it's all the Sannin as suspects in a murder. They would be THE WORST, say... the murder of Hanzo.”

To which I suggested “The Sannin are all suspects but the people on trial are the Ame trio, maybe?”

Which garnered the response of “It could be a surprise upset IN COURT that the trio should be on trial.”

We love a court upset.

Suigetsu finds out that the cause of death was actually an entirely natural heart attack, but while he was determining this, the rest of the team and the lawyers found like eight conspiracies by Zetsu, three by Danzo, four by Orochimaru, and an entire network of nonsense by Sasori.

INO IS THE PSYCHIC. I know her thing in canon is reading minds but pls. Ino is Maya. The Spirit Medium.

Is the judge: 1. Hiruzen 2. Hashirama 3. Hagoromo 4. Mifune 5. The Daimyou

(Old dude with authority, optionally easily distracted/questionably competent. I'd have gone for impressive facial hair but only Mifune and Hagoromo have more than like... Hiruzen's weird soul patch.)

It's not a soul patch but I don't know what facial hair is called and I can't just call it a goat beard

Response commentary was as follows: The Daimyou would unfortunately be closer to the personality of the ace attorney judge, more blindly agreeing with things that sound good :joy: Hiruzen could be fun if only for the competing facial hair for a beard, yes xD Hagoromo would possibly be most buckwild tho WELCOME TO MOON COURT

I managed to get this far with like... NO idea who the judges were except “IDK maybe Kakashi?” but consider:

...HashiMada rival lawyers

Dropping over to Izuna vs. Touka for when Hashirama and Madara inevitably become suspects of something or other themselves and have to be witnesses.

(Tobirama's too busy running blood tests, Anija, let Touka handle it, she's better at people anyway.)

...Hashirama is like. Marginally more put-together than Madara, right? So that... makes him Edgeworth... somehow... That feels wrong but Madara as Edgeworth feels even more wrong.

Madara is very into screaming OBJECTION

ALSO consider: Friction when a doctor from a nearby hospital gets called in to provide expert testimony on something because Karin is like "no hey I should be the one doing this" and then she sees how cute Sakura is.

But also at some point Kakashi vs. Gai for a nonsense case. Their personalities are both VERY FUN for this sort of thing.

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arcaneranger · 4 years

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Final Thoughts - 2019 Long Shows

Dear Lord. This is where all the good shows went.

2019 was absolutely awful on a season-by-season basis (except for Summer, anyway), but that’s mostly because most of the best shows ran longer than what has become the industry norm of a single season. And indeed, heading into the new decade, we seem to be seeing a major renaissance for two- or split-cour shows, given the massive success seen by shows like My Hero Academia, Food Wars, and Haikyuu!!..particularly in comparison to the new perpetual-runners Black Clover (which, despite running for over two straight years now, is still not the most popular show of Fall 2017 by viewer count on MAL, and sits at a ‘meh’ 7.2), and even worse, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which is faring even worse on both counts even though it premiered two whole seasons earlier and the fact that it is the sequel to Naruto.

As a reminder of my rules, the shows on this list may or may not have premiered in 2019, but they finished airing this year. The split-cour rule (stating that I judge any show that “finishes” and then premieres a “new season” within six months) didn’t come into play for any 2018 shows, but it will for Ascendance of a Bookworm and Food Wars this year, at the very least.

With that being said! 25 shows running longer than thirteen episodes finished airing this year after being simulcast, and of those…

I skipped 6:

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part V: Golden Wind, Fairy Tail Final Series, A Certain Magical Index III, Ace Attorney Season 2 and Cardfight Vanguard (2018) because I either dropped or have not finished their previous (also long-running) seasons.

Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS because the simulcast started late and also it was bad.

I Dropped 8:

Worst Long Show of 2019: The Rising of the Shield Hero

It’s always fun to see that a show you hated from its first episode only gets more and more distasteful afterwards, but it’s less fun when a service you have to promote because they’re the legal option is forced to shove it down your throat because they had a hand in making it and it became a massive hit that your friends don’t see any issue with because the author wrote a story that justifies its hero’s patronage of the slave industry. This is my punishment for watching the whole first season of The Asterisk War before I knew better.

YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world

A confusing mess from the word go, this ill-fated adaptation of a visual novel from the nineties seems like it was mostly made to cash in on the popularity of the Science Adventure series, but failed to present itself in a way that made an ounce of sense or looked remotely interesting.

Fairy Gone

Am I really the only one that saw potential here? I mean yes, it ended up a boring slog that didn’t care to move its plot in a meaningful direction, but the first episode was at least cool. I guess Izetta: The Last Witch should have taught me better.

We Never Learn

I know that I’m in the minority in terms of the male demographic for shows like this, but honestly, how are bland harem shows still this easy to market? A copy-pasted protagonist with copy-pasted waifus drag down what could be an interesting setup for a story.

Karakuri Circus

The first episode of this one had me excited, the second and third left me bored to tears and wondering if it would continue to look uglier by the minute. I haven’t seen a three-cour show look this janky since Knight in the Area.

Radiant

Having heard good things about this show from my cohorts, I do feel bad for saying I’ll probably never return to Radiant, but when you have a show that’s notably written by a European author...and it turns out to be a frustratingly standard shounen affair with middling production values, well, you can see my earlier annoyance with Cannon Busters.

Ensemble Stars

This one still gets to me. It almost looked like a male-idol show I would finally be able to get behind, what with its rebellious attitude and oddball setting...that is, until the setting got to be too unbelievable and the show began drowning its audience in side-characters because they had to squeeze every husbando from the mobile game into the story, and it all began to resemble UtaPri a little too much...but without the production value.

Boogiepop and Others

This was a hard drop, honestly. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I felt four episodes in, before concluding that I was bored and not particularly invested, two things that should never describe the experience of watching a Madhouse show. The fact that this was the project responsible for ruining One Punch Man only made it worse. There’s a slow burn, and then there’s walking away without turning the stove on.

And I Finished 11 (holy crap that’s like three hundred episodes just on their own).

That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime (5/10 & 1/10)

I’ll be honest, I had forgotten just how livid I was with the ending (and especially the sad excuse of a recap episode) of Slimesekai, and reading back through my write-up of it, it’s certainly coming back to me. While this year had bigger demons to fight (Shield Hero), the bad taste that Slime left me with hasn’t really faded, and the wasted premise bugs me to this day.

Hinomaru Sumo (7/10)

What Hinomaru lacked in production value, it happily made up for in good execution and earnest heart. I can’t believe this came from the same studio as Conception, Try Knights and 7Seeds, but if they can only get out one good show a year, I’m glad that we got one bringing attention to a sport that many will joke about but few understand, respect and appreciate.

Kono Oto Tomare (7/10)

Speaking of giving love to traditional Japanese culture, here’s a decent-if-unoriginal show about a local high school koto club down on their luck, and the troubled teens coming together under a scrappy protagonist to bring it back to life. Kono Oto Tomare doesn’t have much that you haven’t seen before, but a decently-executed club drama with Your Lie In April-inspired musical performances is more than enough to keep me interested, and since Forest of Piano kinda crashed and burned under the weight of its own self-importance this year, it was nice to have an alternative.

MIX: Meisei Story (8/10)

It’s hard to judge MIX next to the other shows on this list because it’s almost too old-school for its own good, revelling in an eighties storytelling style that didn’t end up jiving with a wide audience this year. But at the same time, its fun character dynamics (and a very good dub from Funimation, despite them saying they’d never touch sports anime again) were very entertaining to watch, even if it didn’t focus as much on the sport it was supposedly about as much as I’d have liked.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (8/10)

I fully admit that I’m very salty about the fact that this won Show of the Decade in Funimation’s poll while it was still on and I thought there were hundreds of more deserving shows, but I can’t deny that Demon Slayer was a very enjoyable experience, albeit one that I had notable problems with. That’s not gonna stop me from getting mad when it sweeps the Anime Awards in a few weeks, though.

Fire Force (8/10)

I was very afraid that David Productions wouldn’t be able to match the energy of Studio Bones’ adaptation of Ohkubo’s previous work, Soul Eater, but I was happy to be proven wrong. Even if the last few episodes contained a bit too much infodumping, it was all sandwiched between jaw-dropping fight scenes that proved that the people who make Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure can still handle the reins of a more traditional action show.

Fruits Basket 1st Season (8/10)

I know that my score for this one is a bit lower than others, but I think that Fruits Basket did pretty well in its first season, considering that it was largely spent setting up future storylines and adapting the part of the manga we’d all seen before, but with much higher production value. I’ve been familiar with this part of the story for over a decade, and the scene with Tohru and Kyo (you know the one) still made me cry. Now, we get the real plot going.

Dr Stone (9/10)

A great start to a totally new spin on shounen, Dr Stone gives me hope for survival in the post-Shokugeki world in which we’ll soon live, as a show that wears its research on its sleeve. A complex plot weaving interesting characters in and out of a narrative surrounding a philosophical battle where both sides actually do have fair points (even if one of them is going about it in a pretty cruel manner). More please.

Vinland Saga (9/10)

Once again, a great start to what will hopefully be years of quality storytelling, Vinland Saga made it seem like it was dragging in the middle only to reveal just what its slow burn had been leading up to, with twist-heavy storytelling and a fantastic cast to match the high visual quality of its brutal battles.

Run With the Wind (9/10)

It’s not often that Production I.G. gets to make a complete, fully-realized show anymore, and this one was a glorious reminder of the potential of the studio in the TV space, and a great rebound for the director of Joker Game. It’s gorgeous to look at, the cast is wonderful, and the story is both realistic and idealistic in a satisfying balance. It’s a miserable process to get to the finish line in real life, but sitting back and watching this was nothing but a treat. At least, until a minor fumble at the end.

Best Long Show of 2019: Dororo (9/10)

Speaking of complete stories, Tezuka Productions and MAPPA teamed up for a breathtaking adaptation of an underappreciated Tezuka classic that expands upon the story in exactly the right way to create a thrilling, savage, beautiful masterpiece that focuses a laser-sharp eye into the relationship between two characters in their journey to, literally and figuratively, become complete people. Also, that opening was killer.

And that’s it! That’s the fun list. Next comes the painful one. Stay tuned for the trash heap.

#final thoughts #year end anime list #long 2019 #dororo #demon slayer #Fruits Basket #vinland saga #run with the wind #Dr Stone #rising of the shield hero #fire force #kono oto tomare!#mix meisei story #hinomaru sumo #hinomaru zumou #that time i got reincarnated as a slime #tensura

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hashtag-anthems · 3 years

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I got tagged by @nahyutas-eyeliner so thanks so much! :D

5 fandoms I used to be in:

Harry Potter (I used to really love it but then JKR ended up being Like That and I'm not about that :/)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (I still like it, I just haven't kept up with it)

Homestuck (I know it's a day late to say this but like... don't shame me)

Voltron (shame me I deserve it)

Pokémon (honestly I still like it, but I'm nowhere near as active in fandom anymore as I used to be, and I'm kind of disappointed in how the franchise has been prioritizing graphics over story ever since the switch to 3D)

5 fandoms I am currently in:

Ace Attorney (currently hyperfixating on this)

Bravely (I need to finish BDII but honestly when am I not thinking about this game series lol)

Persona 5/P5R (I need to get Strikers but I'm not buying any new games until I'm done with this semester)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses (still need to finish GD and CF tho...)

sk8 (my friends dragged me into it so this is more fandom by association than something I actively got into myself)

5 movies I used to watch a lot:

Lilo & Stitch (BIG favorite)

Cars 2 (I used to watch this at least once a week and I could recite the opening scene from memory)

Barbie Fairytopia (or Barbie movies in general but the Fairytopia movies were my favorites)

I used to watch Shrek 2 on DVD on every single long car trip because I had a portable DVD player that was kind of broken and Shrek 2 was the only movie I had that would still work.

Against my will, I've seen The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian like ten times despite never having watched another movie or read a single book in that series. I did play the White Witch in my high school drama production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe though. My mom's oldest goddaughter was really into that series.

5 movies that I watch a lot:

Clue (1985) is legit my favorite movie I watch it all the time

I've watched Oceans 8 more times than is probably healthy bc Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway were part of my gay awakening

I really liked The Greatest Showman when it came out and I'll put it on in the background while I work because I like the music

I haven't watched it super recently but despite not really liking the MCU post-AoU, I will watch Black Panther if given the slightest opportunity

I watch Prince of Egypt pretty often and I wanted to watch it during Passover but grad school got busy O.o

5 book series I used to read a lot:

The Princess Diaries (I read all but the last book bc my library didn't have it v_v) and honestly anything by Meg Cabot that I could get my hands on

The Disney Fairies books (I hecking loved those books okay they were great the movies did not do them justice)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Heroes of Olympus (loved these books, kind of want to reread them)

The Gaslight Mysteries series by Victoria Thompson (I'll be honest these were NOT age appropriate for when I read them I was like eight but my grandma read them and liked them and would let me read them after she'd finished them and we would have fun talking about who I thought had committed the crime or whatever)

The Nancy Drew books (I never managed a full collection, but I do have a first edition of The Spider Sapphire Mystery that I got for $2 at an antique store once) I used to buy one every time I went to visit my stepdad's family because they had two Barnes & Noble stores and we would always stop by one and I would save up for this monthly trip so I could buy another Nancy Drew book and then when I finished it, my grandpa would read it.

5 book series I read now:

Does it count as a series if there are only two books? The last novels I read were The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.

Trying to get my hands on the rest of the Persona 5 manga, I have the first two volumes and I want to collect the rest.

I will reread the Uglies books by Scott Westerfeld a million times those are amazing books I love them.

I got back into Fruits Basket because the sequel series came out and I picked up the first volume on a whim. I should finish that.

god I need to read more books that aren't for school um... I've actually been meaning to reread The Hunger Games now that I'm older because I last read those books in middle school and I feel like I missed a lot.

Tagging Time!

Gonna tag my mutuals @anonymous-ivplay @allyblogsaboutaa (or whatever other blog you want to use this is just the url I remember lol) @friendraichu @iqnatzvictor and @dimension-0

If you want to do this, feel free to say I tagged you, even if we aren't mutuals! I limited myself to 5 people but there are so many more I'd love to tag.

#hashtag rambles #i had to really think about some of these bc i've been so busy with grad school #it was like 'what counts as now if i haven't had time to read a book since last summer?'#all of my reading is for school now v_v

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snezfics-n-shit · 4 years

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Whumptober Day 25: Cranky

Fandom: Ace Attorney

Characters: Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright, Trucy Wright, Athena Cykes, Apollo Justice

Notes: Post-DD. Established married!Wrightworth because what else did you expect? Miles has been taking time out of his schedule to care for the employees of the Wright Anything Agency after a particularly brutal cold season. He’s been doing great, he’ll swear on his life. The patience of a saint, that’s Miles Edgeworth for you. He is totally not going to completely lose it.

He couldn’t believe it. For the first time this week, Miles didn’t have to scrape perfectly decent breakfast, breakfast he made, into the garbage. He could have sworn it was proper etiquette for guests he and his husband so graciously welcomed in their home to at least try to clean their plates.

“They live alone, babe. It’ll do them good for us to extend some hospitality,” he remembered Phoenix saying. At first, Miles didn’t mind at all. He may not have been any Florence Nightingale, but he saw merit in caring for his husband’s colleagues while they were unwell. He didn’t even complain when the two infected his husband with a cold that reduced his voice to a hoarse crackle and kept Miles awake with hours of coughing and sneezing assaulting his ears. No, no. It was no trouble at all, really.

He could have sworn when he first welcomed Apollo and Athena as guests, he was up for anything they asked for. He could prepare soup with his eyes closed, and by the second day of Phoenix’s cold, Miles was very tempted to do so just so he could say he got something resembling sleep. As the number of hands helping him dwindled to zero, Miles’s energy was wearing a little thin. Just a little thin, though, not too much at all.

Then there was the texting. Since Miles was the only one in the house whose voice was audible, his cell phone was constantly blowing up with short, grammatically lacking text messages. Hardly any of them allowed him time to fulfill one person’s request without being bombarded with other unrelated tasks they expected of him. He could make tea and he could check pages of calculus homework, but not simultaneously; there was only one of him. He would do it again, though, really. Go ahead, ask him to care for ten sick people, and for a month this time. Just direct a hospital’s worth of patients to his house, why don’t you?

Oh, no, Miles wasn’t losing his patience at all. He was mature and collected, so he brought anything his family and guests asked for without a complaint. That was true, wasn’t it? Or did thoughts to himself about how tired he was getting from running around the house grabbing whatever anyone wanted count? He was doing so well the first three days of the arrangement, so surely at the tail end of the week his eyes shouldn’t be twitching from exhaustion he was most definitely not feeling.

“I’m really happy to finally taste your cooking, Mr. Edgeworth.” Athena’s recovered voice startled Miles. He had almost forgotten more people could speak than just him. “Trucy kept telling me you were a really good cook, and I’m definitely not disappointed.” Something about that felt underhanded, Miles was sure of it. She was doubting his skills as a cook, wasn’t she?

“You’ve been really good to us, Papa.” Trucy smiled. “Thank you so much!” Of course Trucy was the first to verbally thank him for his efforts. She was taught manners and was clearly not raised in a barn. And no, Apollo, emojis and ‘memes’ did not count.

“You’re very,” Miles heard his voice crack and cleared his throat, “you’re very welcome, Trucy.”

“Yeah, thank you so much, hon.” Phoenix was the second person Miles could count on for gratitude. What Miles really wanted to hear, however, was an apology for all the sleep he lost thanks to Phoenix’s poor volume control late at night. There was always something, be it sniffling, sneezing, or coughing that would start just as Miles thought he finally had some peace and quiet.

“Thanks.” Apollo said nothing besides that and continued eating the last of his toast. What a wordsmith, wasn��t he? A real Shakespeare.

“You’re both quite welcome as well.” Miles’s nose twitched ever so slightly as he spoke. “Are you all finished? I’d like to,” he cleared his throat again, “clean the dishes soon.” He knew no one would bother helping him with the task. They all had much more important things to do like watch television or play games on their phones.

Just as he thought, all responses were a chorus of confirming they were finished eating and not a single offer to help. Despite the fact they were all clearly more than ready to be back on their feet, Miles was on his own in carrying the pile of dishes to the counter by the sink. None of the dishes were his. He wasn’t hungry, and the lord knew he wasn’t about to be a hypocrite by committing the horrid act of wasting food. He would never be so ungrateful, so wasteful, so--

“Oh, I’d actually like a refill of orange juice.” Apollo asked, just as he always did since he arrived last Thursday.

“Your legs aren’t broken.” Miles snapped without even thinking about what he had just said.

“Woah, where did that come from?” Athena was taken aback by Miles’s harsh tone.

“YEAH, SOMEONE’S CRANKY!” Widget blurted in its usual loud and robotic tone, further irritating Miles.

“Would you mind telling that thing to put a sock in it?” Miles clenched his teeth, becoming more frustrated when Phoenix stopped him from reaching for his dishwashing gloves.

“Hey, if something’s bothering you, just tell us.” Phoenix wanted to de-escalate as well as he could. “Did something happen at work?”

“I wouldn’t know, Phoenix. I haven’t been in the office all week!” Miles was so caught up in the outburst he failed to hear how hoarse he sounded. He hardly thought anything when the strain caused him to cough.

“Oh, babe.” Phoenix’s expression softened. “You’re not feeling well, are you?” He kissed his husband’s forehead. “Mm, you’re warm, too.”

“Please, not in front of guests. Not to mention-- mention, hhh…” Miles turned away from Phoenix’s concerned gaze. “Hh’uurrssSHH” He sneezed in his elbow, leaving a damp spot on his pink pajama sleeve. He instinctively pressed a hand under his running nose, not doing anything to get Phoenix off his back. He wasn’t even done yet. “Hu’RRsshhooh! HH’RSSHOOH!” How disgusting.

“We can do the dishes, Papa!” Trucy offered. She looked at Apollo and Athena, who both nodded in agreement. “It’s only right to return the favor.” What a sweetheart she was, absolutely her father’s daughter.

“You’re going back to bed.” Phoenix put his head on Miles’s shoulder and embraced him from behind. “We’re not going to let you lift a finger.”

Miles found himself spacing out for the duration of Phoenix ushering him to bed. He really was out of sorts, wasn’t he? He couldn’t even remember stepping out of the kitchen. It was almost dreamlike to find himself bundled up in bed.

“Are you okay?” Phoenix waved his hand in front of Miles’s face. “It was way too easy to get you into bed and you haven’t said anything since we were in the kitchen.” He gently took Miles’s glasses and set them aside.

“Of course I’b dot okay.” Miles grumbled, turning on his right side. “I haved’t slept ihd days, we have the worst house guests I’ve ever had the displeasure of beetig, ahd by owd husbahd wod’t eved let be wash the dishes.”

“You’re a real ray of sunshine this morning.” Phoenix brushed Miles’s hair with his fingers. “My poor sick grouch of a husband.” He cooed.

“I’b dot a grouch.” Miles frowned, hardly supporting his claim.

“What would you call yourself, then?” Phoenix made a small hum. “With how you acted in the kitchen, I wouldn’t be surprised if you poked your head out of a trashcan and told us to scram.”

“I wasd’t by best, was I?” Miles knew that was the understatement of the year. That tickle in his throat that pestered him, admittedly since he went to bed last night, finally became a full-fledged cough. “I feel awful.” He croaked.

“I know, babe.” Phoenix sighed. “It’s our turn to take care of you, now. You did so much all by yourself, we’re gonna show you how grateful we are. You’ll even have Apollo and Athena to-”

“Doh.” Miles said firmly. “They’re goi’g hobe. Today.”

“Alright, alright. Then it’ll be just me and Trucy.”

“That’s better.”

Phoenix helped Miles sit up so he could fluff the pillow behind him. He gave a sympathetic smile as he listened to Miles’s thick, hardly effective sniffling.

“You must be so tired.” Phoenix let Miles lie back down. “I’m sorry if I kept you up all night.”

“I ab ahd you did.” Miles confirmed flatly.

Miles just closed his eyes for a moment, only to be disturbed by something poking into his mouth. He made a soft grunt, dismissing it until that horrible beeping had him opening his eyes again. He watched a blurry figure resembling Phoenix walk outside his field of vision, only for the figure to return a few moments later. He felt something cold and damp rest on his forehead and flinched from the dramatic contrast in temperature.

“Is it too cold?” Phoenix’s voice was muffled by Miles’s congestion-affected hearing. When Miles shook his head in response, Phoenix gave a sympathetic smile and gently adjusted the cool compress in place. He looked over at the doorway and spotted Athena and Apollo watching from outside the room. He mouthed something along the lines of ‘he’s resting.’

“I should apologize.” Miles said groggily. “The way I acted was terribly rude.”

“Hey, hey.” Phoenix shushed his husband softly. “You weren’t feeling like yourself this morning. Athena and Apollo aren’t strangers, and Trucy and I definitely know you wouldn’t act like that on a regular basis.” He kissed his warm cheek. “You were just a little cranky, is all.”

“That’s dot ad excuse.” Miles closed his eyes again. “It was udcalled for.”

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Athena couldn't help but speak up. "We accept your apology, but the boss is right. We know you don't always act like that."

"You were pretty rude." Apollo muttered just before Athena gave him a light nudge with her elbow. "But, uh," he scratched the back of his head, "we probably deserved it."

Miles refused to have a serious discussion sounding like he did, so he yanked about five or six tissues from the end table tissue box. The amount seemed to be just enough by the time he was done. He checked the remaining contents of the box before tossing the used tissues in the trash bin.

“No one deserved the harsh words I used.” What Miles’s voice lost in congestion was made up for in hoarseness. “It wasn’t right.”

“You can’t be on model behavior all the time, hon.” Phoenix massaged Miles’s hand with his thumb. He noticed Miles starting to look annoyed again. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re too nice about this.” Miles grumbled. His mood wasn’t completely improved. He would come up with more excuses to wallow in excess guilt if he wasn’t so, so very tired.

The next thing the trio of lawyers heard from him was one of his ‘world famous’ snores, as Phoenix jokingly described them when Miles wasn’t in the room. Miles was completely out cold when Trucy tiptoed in, intending on telling him the dishes were clean and put away.

“Papa’s asleep?” Trucy whispered and Phoenix answered with a nod. “Don’t worry,” she directed her assurance to Apollo and Athena, “he’ll be in a better mood when he wakes up, I promise.”

. . .

It was two in the afternoon when Miles finally woke up. All built up grumpiness washed away in his sleep and with a clear head, he felt as if he were in good enough shape to climb out of bed and see if his family needed anything. Just as he reached for his glasses, he found an envelope that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t sealed, so the card inside slid out easily into his hand.

The card was handmade, covered in variations of ‘Thank You’ written in different colored pencils. It was easy to tell whose message was whose, especially Athena’s multilingual expressions of gratitude and Phoenix’s barely legible handwriting. Miles felt himself tear up a little, not noticing Phoenix and Trucy standing by the bedroom doorway.

“We thought you’d appreciate that.” Phoenix was holding a steaming mug of tea, likely made just recently. He either had very strong husband intuition or just planned on waking Miles up when it was ready. He took a couple tissues from the box on the end table to use as a makeshift coaster to set the mug down on. “You should also know our guests left today as promised.”

“Before they left, we all made that card.” Trucy had her hands behind her back. “It was Polly’s idea!”

So Apollo was grateful after all. No, no. Miles wasn’t going to let himself fall back into that sort of attitude.

“We were going to make you soup but we didn’t know for sure if you would be hungry.” Phoenix handed the mug over to Miles, who accepted it gratefully. He watched Miles take a moment to inhale the steam with that smile he always had whenever Phoenix made him tea. There was a quality in Phoenix’s brews that Miles could never replicate no matter how hard he tried. “I’m glad to see you smiling again.”

“I think tea will suffice, thank you.” Miles’s voice was in worse shape than before. If this was how he sounded the first day into this cold, he wasn’t at all looking forward to the upcoming days that would surely go downhill from here. “I would hate to waste any of your cooking.”

“Oh yeah,” Phoenix chuckled nervously, “sorry about all that food you had to throw out. While you were sleeping, Trucy and I realized that must have bothered you a lot.” Indeed it did, as ashamed as Miles now felt for letting it get to him.

“I accept your apology,” Miles took a sip from the mug, “if only because you make a wonderful cup of tea.” He laughed briefly, causing a vibrating sensation in his chest that made him need to cough.

“Oh! Right!” Trucy presented what she had been hiding behind her back: a brand new jar of vapor rub. “We picked this up today! Do you want to put this on yourself or should Daddy do it?”

“I think I can do this myself.” Miles set down the mug so he could take the jar. He had just started dating Phoenix when he first experienced the substance’s decongestant properties. Phoenix applied it the first few times, but Miles was never a fan of how Phoenix knew exactly what parts of his chest were ticklish. He did, however, like how Phoenix was not at all judgmental about his unfamiliarity with the product.

“I did say you wouldn’t be lifting a finger.” Phoenix ruffled his husband’s hair. “I’m kidding, of course. Just know if there’s anything you need, you say the word and we’ll get it for you.”

“And I would like you to know,” Miles kissed Phoenix’s cheek, “if I’m too demanding, just tell me.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Phoenix was just going to pretend he didn’t see Miles’s devilish smirk just then.

#whumptober #whumptober 2020 #sickfic whumptober alt #sneezing #snez #snz #sneeze kink #snez attorney #this went through so many revisions my brain hurts lol

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askaceattorney · 2 years

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Mod Audition Announcement

Something that has just been brought to my attention about the Mod Audition Page is one of the requirements to the Audition, which is having played or watched the game play of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (click the link for details). I’ve since realized the unfairness of including that, since even the other mods here haven’t finished the game (seriously, I’m the only mod that’s answering TGAAC letters) and it literally got released several months ago. As such, I shall no longer include The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as a requirement. However, you will need to include in your Application letter that you either haven’t played the game, watched Let’s Plays or else are in the process of doing either and haven’t finished it as of yet.

The second thing that’s been brought out is that some of you may’ve not been able to watch the video with the tutorial on how to write a cover letter. I must clarify it is no more than an example of how to do so. I only require the letter to include what is written under How to Submit your Application. However, if you are not able to watch the video provided in the link, here is another link you can use. Again, this is just an example. What we are looking for is provided under How to Submit your Application.

Thirdly, we do count watching walkthroughs or gameplay as having knowledge of the game. I thought I clarified it, but it doesn’t seem I have. It is recommended for you to play the game, but you don’t have to. I apologize for not being specific.

Lastly, if you cannot submit your application at the moment, but do intend on doing so at a later date, please let us know via letter, so we can add you to our PM. Just give us a date when the application letter will be sent.

That will be all. I will be giving reminders once every week about the Mod Applications. We look forward to hearing from you.

- Mod Edgeworth

#Mod Post #Mod Auditions #Mod Edgeworth #Mod Commentary #sorry for the inconvenience

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giveamadeuschohisownmovie · 4 years

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After going the Ace Attorney games again, here are my rankings of the six main series prosecutors:

(Side note: Still haven’t played any of the Investigations games or the Great Ace Attorney series)

6) Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Poor Nahyuta. I hate to place him in the last place slot but after going through Spirit of Justice again, he still hasn’t grown on me. Let me just say, I don’t really like Spirit of Justice. There are a lot of aspects of that game I was not fond of, such as the final case being a repeat of Farewell, My Turnabout and the underwhelming Khura’in Civil War storyline. However, in Nahyuta’s defense, I don’t hate the character.

Nahyuta has a decent storyline and he has a unique gimmick. It’s just when compared to the other 5 prosecutors, he doesn’t really do anything for me. His storyline with Apollo feels like a rehash of the previous games (oh, the prosecutor was close friends with the defense attorney? Hmm, where have I heard that before *coughPhoenixandMilescough* *coughAthenaandSimoncough*). Also, he’s not as fun or as interesting as his counterparts.

Basically, I don’t think Nahyuta’s a bad character, he’s just my least favorite of the prosecutors.

5) Franziska von Karma

This one hurt me, mainly because I love Franziska. She seems like a fun character outside of the main Ace Attorney games based on her appearances in the Investigations series. However, if we’re going purely with her role as prosecutor in the main series, then I have to place her in the 5th place slot. But it’s not because I think she’s a bad character. She’s great! She’s a fun character to interact with and she has an interesting backstory. The problem is Justice for All.

In my opinion, Justice for All is the worst Ace Attorney game in the main series. It’s to the point that it affected my placement of Franziska on this list. First off, it’s already bad that one of the main cases she’s the prosecutor in is Turnabout Big Top aka the worst case in the entire franchise. But then there’s Farewell, My Turnabout, which absolutely screws over her character by making Miles Edgeworth the focus of the finale.

Now let me back up. Before you Miles Edgeworth fans jump down my throat, I am aware that Miles is not the prosecutor for the final case in the first game. I am NOT saying that Franziska needed to be the prosecutor in Farewell, My Turnabout. I am NOT saying Miles ruined the story. The point I’m making is that even though Miles wasn’t the prosecutor in Turnabout Goodbyes, he was still the main focus. Everything in that episode revolved around Miles’ past and his relationship with Manfred von Karma. He still got a complete character arc even though he wasn’t the rival.

In Farewell, My Turnabout, Capcom just went and said, “Go fuck yourself Franziska” and made everything about Miles again. Franziska was barely a presence in that final episode and by the time the game ended, her arc felt incomplete. Yes, the writers attempted to make her relevant to the story by having her be the one to deliver the evidence but just think about that for a second. She’s the main prosecutor of the 2nd game and the most significant thing she did in the finale was deliver items. I honestly feel her appearance in Trials and Tribulations was damage control for how shit she was treated in Justice for All.

Thankfully, it looks like the Investigations games treated Franziska better. But as for the main series, she deserved a whole lot better. I’d love to place her higher but with the storyline she got, I have to mark her down.

4) Klavier Gavin

I don’t have much to say about Klavier. I think he’s a cool character and he has a kickass gimmick. However, he’s just a mid-tier kind of character for me. Like with Franziska, it’s mainly to do with Apollo Justice / Ace Attorney 4.

People have already pointed this out but the storyline in Apollo Justice feels more like set-up for something bigger. When I first went through Apollo Justice, it felt like there was going to be more to Kristoph Gavin, more to Klavier Gavin. Phoenix Wright was at the start of a different kind of character arc and the Gramaryes/Trucy Wright would be the main focus of the Apollo Justice trilogy, just like how Maya and the Feys were the focus of Phoenix’s trilogy.

In fact, just going off on a little tangent, I already made a post about this but I was thinking that the abandoned Apollo Justice trilogy would lead to Phoenix becoming a Godot-type character. He had the seeds of that character arc planted, with his darker behavior, willingness to bend the legal system to get what he wants (using forged evidence and trapping Kristoph with the jurist system) and a similar reason to become an anti-villain (Godot was poisoned by Dahlia, Phoenix was disbarred thanks to Kristoph). He would then show up in the final game as the main rival, leading to a Phoenix and Apollo showdown.

Sorry, this was supposed to be about Klavier. The point I’m trying to make is, Klavier is a cool character but he feels wasted. Since the 5th and 6th games didn’t follow-up on the 4th game’s story, it feels like Klavier was left behind as a result. That’s why he’s low on the list.

3) Simon Blackquill

Ah yes, the twisted samurai. For the record, Dual Destinies is my favorite Apollo Justice-era game, so it’s not a huge surprise that Simon is my favorite Apollo Justice-era prosecutor. For me, what makes Simon stand out is that he’s the most “complete” of the three AJ-era prosecutors.

My issue with Klav was that his storyline feels incomplete while my issue with Yuty was that he wasn’t that interesting of a character. Simon doesn’t have those problems. For one, he has the best gimmick between the three of them. It’s an interesting concept to have a prosecutor be an actual death row inmate. What’s cool about that is that the death row inmate gimmick worked for Simon’s character arc.

Dual Destinies set Simon up as the embodiment of the dark age of the law. He was a death row inmate who constantly talked about killing his foes. That’s why the reveal that he’s actually an honorable man who never killed anyone works so well, it’s a strong contrast to how he’s set up. Also, it’s a twist that works with Simon’s character as he’s supposed to be a psychology expert. He plays up his image of a crazy killer to intimidate his enemies.

Other than that, I also feel like Simon had the best storyline of the AJ-era prosecutors. Also, even though his appearance in Spirit of Justice was a bit silly, it was still fun to see this character in a more lighter tone.

2) Miles Edgeworth

Yeah, of course Edgey is this high up on the list. Like I wrote, I can’t count the Investigations games as I haven’t played them but even then, Miles had a pretty good run in the main series. He had a strong character arc in the first game, a decent return in the 2nd game, and a strong return in the 3rd game. It was great that you actually got to play as Miles in T&T and that he was the acting defense attorney. For me, Trials and Tribulations felt like the end of Miles’ character arc as he finally became a defense attorney, just like his dad.

And honestly, Capcom should’ve left him at that. I’m not saying this is why he’s only 2nd on the list but I just want to say, I don’t think he needed to be in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. Yes, I am aware that Miles’ appearances in those games were just fun guest appearances for people who want that AA original trilogy nostalgia. However, I felt that his appearances in 5 and 6 slightly ruined his character arc.

Why? Because he was back to being a prosecutor. Last time I checked, wasn’t his entire character arc about him becoming a defense attorney? He wanted to be a DA like his dad, he developed a misguided hatred of defense attorneys due to the DL-6 Incident, he was misled into believing that the number one goal of an attorney is to win court cases by Manfred von Karma, he was rescued by his friend Phoenix which led to him reassessing his life goals, he goes on a trip around the world to find himself, and then in the final game, he becomes Iris’ defense attorney, overcoming his initial hatred of DAs and fulfilling his childhood goal.

Maybe it’s just me but having Miles come back as a prosecutor in the AJ-era games feels like a step back in character development. But once again, that’s not the reason why he’s 2nd on the list. I like Miles, but I like the next guy even more. It should be obvious who it is by now.

1) Godot

Yes, I know, this is potentially a controversial choice. I just wanna say, I don’t care if you love, like, dislike, or hate Godot. Let me write the reasons why Godot is my number one prosecutor.

When I was writing this list out, I was measuring the prosecutors based on several factors. Story, character arc, design, strength as a rival, humor and so on. Just to be clear, I don’t think Godot is the best of all those categories. For example, when it comes to strength as a rival, I’d say Miles and Franziska were stronger opponents. Godot is definitely a mid-tier rival, which makes sense as he’s supposed to be a rookie / defense attorney out of his league.

So, why Godot then if he’s not the best in every category? Honestly...I’d say it’s the character overall. Regardless of your feelings towards the character, I feel that we can all agree that Godot’s story is the most tragic.

Let’s recap; Godot’s story is of a good man who was destroyed by a wicked monster. He was then abandoned by the people around him and lost the love of his life. With no one to help him, he let his grief consume him to the point that he became a bitter shell of his former self, obsessed with shaming the people he feels are responsible for the death of his lover. It’s only at the end when he realizes that all of his hatred and anger was just him projecting his own self-hatred onto someone else. That even though it wasn’t his fault, he still holds himself responsible for his lover’s death. However, it’s too late to make amends as he’s damned himself. In a moment of blind rage, he doomed himself by committing murder.

That is some HEAVY material for a game series that features the main character cross examining a parrot and conveniently developing amnesia just to set up a tutorial sequence.

Going on another tangent, you know who Godot’s storyline reminded me of? Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Both characters started out as honorable men who were deeply in love. Then, tragedy struck. They lost the love of their lives and, in their final character arc, they took their rage out on everyone. Sons of Anarchy season 7 is still some of the most devastating TV I’ve ever watched and part of the reason was because of how sad it was to watch Jax fall. He fell so deep into his rage and anger that by the time he got his revenge, he burned so many bridges that the only place his character could go was death.

Same with Godot. He’s a damn Shakespearean tragic protagonist in that he was ultimately undone by his own rage and anger. You can sympathize with him based on how he came to be but at the same time, he destroyed himself. It’s a devastating character arc and, as someone who loves Shakespeare and all things theater, I absolutely loved it. It’s the one character arc that has stuck with me after going through all six games over again, even more so than Miles and Simon’s arcs.

In addition to all of this, the fact that Godot’s character arc tied the entire trilogy together is definitely worth noting. From his storyline, the game tied together Mia Fey’s death, highlighted Mia’s importance to the main storyline, and even set up Trials and Tribulations’ main villain, Dahlia Hawthorne. I love it when stories do that, when the character arcs actually work hand-in-hand with the story that the writer is trying to tell.

On some smaller notes, Godot definitely has the best character design in my opinion. Also, the best character theme (I still have the Fragrance of Dark Coffee playing in my head). Lastly, he has the best case in the original trilogy (Bridge to the Turnabout), as well as the best moment (the original pursuit theme plays when you expose the knife wound underneath his mask).

So yeah. In my opinion, Godot is the best Ace Attorney prosecutor. Those are my reasons, feel free to disagree if you want.

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #godot #diego armando #klavier gavin #simon blackquill #nahyuta sahdmadhi #apollo justice #athena cykes #aa #capcom

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