abraxaslogs | 1st Turnabout ⚖ July Catch-All

Phoenix hasn't been able to get all the releases he'd hoped for, but it's probably no secret that he had one particular priority. And he's gotten that priority out.

He's there when the guards get word that Kay is no longer to be imprisoned and release her. He smiles widely as they take the cuffs off her wrists, allowing himself a moment to be happy about at least this victory even as he works on so many other uphill battles. He resists the urge to touch or hug her, instead putting his hands on his hips.

"Do you need a moment, or would you like me to show you around upstairs?"

[The last few days have been particularly rough for Kay! Phoenix has no doubt heard by now that two of her former cell mates, including Estinien have gone missing and are presumed dead, so that's been, uh... A bummer? To say the least? She also feels more than a little bit bad about leaving Relena alone down there, but Kay knows she can at least do a lot more for her and all the other prisoners from up here.

You'd never guess about any of those worries by looking at her right now anyway, because she's just absolutely jazzed about not having to be in the dungeon anymore. The shackles come off, and she's immediately raising her arms over her head and stretching in the most exaggerated way possible, doing little punches at the air, and grinning with absolute glee at the restoration of her full range of motion.

Poor sweet Phoenix, you have no idea what you've just unleashed.]

Are you kidding me? I've had MORE than enough of this place, let's get the heck out of here!

[She is already heading for the stairs before she even finishes that statement.]

[Phoenix hadn't been shocked when he heard Estinien had run away with other prisoners. Saddened, but not shocked. Estinien had made his intentions pretty clear to Phoenix when they spoke. All he can really do is hope that Estinien knows what he's doing and survives out there.

But that's neither here nor there. Kay is free, and it's clear she's ready to enjoy herself. Phoenix follows her at a more normal pace, smiling indulgently as she practically bounces out of the dungeon.]

Remember, Ambrose said that this is basically probation. You'll need to keep your head down for a while for him to figure you never needed to be in prison in the first place.

Bleh! Right. Probation. [Kay exhales huffily, turning to face Phoenix; she's got the back of her head resting on both hands, elbows up in the air as she walks the next few paces backwards like the goddamn anime character she truly is.]

Doesn't he know probation should be reserved for petty criminals? It's not meant for Great Thieves like me. [But she does get Phoenix's point, quickly adding:] But I'll be careful. I promise. I don't have to be nice to that guy though, do I? Because if that's the case, I think it might be better if I just stay away from him as much as possible.

[Phoenix chuckles, shaking his head.] Even if you didn't have to be nice to him, I'd say you should stay away from him as much as possible. It's hard to give him a reason to throw you back in the dungeons if he just never sees you around.

But yes. If you see him, try to stay on his good side if you can. [So... just never see him.] I'll show you around the castle. What do you want to see first? The kitchens? The library? The rooms?

[She looks ponderous for a moment.]

Hmmm... First thing's first, how about we visit a wardrobe, so I can clean up and get some different clothes? I know I'm a Thief and all, but prison chic isn't really my style.

[He smiles with a nod.] Right. I bet you're excited to change. Follow me.

[He gestures, then leads her through the winding halls of the castle. He takes the most direct route he can, but it still passes many points of interest, like the library or the dining room.

He'd specifically requested that someone find clothes that could fit a teenage girl when he learned Ambrose was granting his petition to release Kay. Hopefully that's not strange. He brings her to his room, which only has two occupied beds; it's pretty clear one of them is his, because it's piled with brick-like legal textbooks and a notepad full of disorganized scribbling that would give Edgeworth a headache. There's another bed with new clothes laid on it, clearly meant for a young woman.]

I hope you don't mind, but I asked the servants if they could get clothes for you.

[The first thing she can't help but notice is Phoenix's space, which is very much akin to how she happens to keeps her own room back home. So, they have that much in common. In stark contrast, Edgeworth is ALWAYS organized, and he always had Detective Gumshoe keep his office spotlessly clean, so she can't help but privately laugh a little at the difference there.

She's distracted from that thought when Phoenix points out the clothing.]

Oh, neat! Thanks Mr. Wright!

[She bounds over and scoops them up gratefully. Her eyes skim briefly over the bed, too, and it takes a lot of self-restraint not to just fling herself on it immediately because holy crap a real bed that isn't just a horrible prickly straw mattress. It's really exciting to see, but this is no time for napping!]

Alright, next question, it's one of the gravest importance: Where can a Thief get a dang bath around here?

[Hopefully he doesn't mind if she takes a bit to get ready. After several weeks in a jail cell, poor girl needs to pamper herself a bit with some basic hygiene before she's up for anything else.

Some time later, by whatever means are available, she's all cleaned up and changed. Kay is feeling like a million bucks, even if the clothing available to her leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stylishness. Which is not Phoenix's fault; Kay was never holding her breath on the hope that the Thorneans might have clothes in her exact style handy. She'll just have to re-accessorize on her own when she gets the chance.

Actually, she already has at least one idea, which she announces as she comes back into the room.]

Y'know, I think I might give this a wash and keep it. [She holds up her prison tunic, to clarify.] I bet I can repurpose it into something neat!

[Phoenix can't help but laugh. It's moments like these where she reminds him so much of Trucy, and there's warmth in his eyes that he can't wholly conceal as he points out the bathroom.

He is sitting down with a legal book, scrawling some more notes in the margins of his existing notes (and somewhere out there, Edgeworth is cringing), when she comes back. He looks up curiously at the prison tunic, cocking his head.]

I would've thought you'd want to throw that thing away. What would you like to repurpose it into? A shawl or something?

Hey, you're not far off! Although I was thinking of something more like a scarf... I mean, if I spent all that time in prison, I might as well keep some memento of it, right? Maybe it'll boost my thief cred!

[It's really not outwardly clear if she's joking about this or not.]

[Phoenix chuckles, shaking his head. Is he surprised? No, he guesses he's not. He can't help but believe she's being wholly serious.]

I bet any of the servants here would know where to find a needle and thread to sew it. Do you usually make your own clothes?

Just accessories, mostly. Which reminds me, I'm going to have to make a new Yatagarasu badge when I get the chance...

[As she talks, she balls the tunic up and lobs it over to what she assumes is now her bed, figuring she'll just deal with that later. The motion of throwing the garment leads easily into her taking another moment to revel in finally having her hands free of those stupid cuffs; Kay flexes her her throwing arm, rolls her shoulders, and punches one fist into her open palm. She's clean, she's in more comfortable clothes, and she's not in jail anymore. She's feeling more energized than ever.]

Geez, I feel like an entirely new person! You know what? This calls for a proper re-introduction, since you didn't get the full experience before. Ahem...

[She does not wait for an answer from Phoenix, and is already striking a heroic pose. For a moment, her head is tilted down, eyes closed as she centers herself. Abruptly, she looks up again, eyes now open. There is a grin on her face. She is holding direct eye contact. It is a terrifying flex, but the even greater flex than THAT is how she immediately starts rattling off her own goddamn team rocket style motto, projecting every word loud and clear:]

Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! And that one is me! For I am the Great Thief, Yatagarasu!

...But you can just keep calling me Kay if you'd rather. Or "my assistant" works too, since I'm stealing that position, effective immediately. Lucky for you this won't be my first gig as an assistant to a defense attorney instead of a prosecutor!

[The fact that she just assumes the bed is hers is a bit of a relief. Phoenix hadn't been sure how to bring up the idea of her moving into his room, or if he even should. He offered to be her guardian, but he doesn't know what she wants that to look like.

And then she... launches into a rehearsed introduction. Phoenix tries not to laugh, especially when he considers the fact that she definitely introduced herself to Edgeworth like this. He struggles to hold a serious face, crossing his arms and bowing his head.]

Well, I've been missing an assistant for the past few weeks. I could use a new one. [~~Just please promise not to be accused of murder~~] Who was the other defense attorney you worked with?

[~~She already has two murder accusations under her belt, what are the odds of getting a THIRD one?~~]

Oh! Ray Shields! Do you know him? Umm... Sort of wiry looking, scruffy little beard... Wears a sharp looking hat? Always starts off conversations asking people for hugs?

[It's subtle, but it doesn't look or sound like she approves of the last bit very much.]

[That makes Phoenix arch an eyebrow.]

The name sounds familiar, but I think I'd remember someone like that.

[Phoenix is a huggy person as these things go, but not so huggy he'd greet people like that.]

I bet Edgeworth loves that. [He's known Edgeworth since they were children and it's still a marked occasion if he even touches him in public.]

[Kay laughs. Yeah, Phoenix gets it.]

Oh totally. He gets all flustered and makes this really funny face, like this. [She scrunches her face into a very pained/pinched expression to show what she means.] Mr. Edgeworth still manages to stay polite about it, though. [She crosses her arms at her chest, snorting softly.] Me, I just turn him down flat.

[It doesn't help that Shields seems to ask Kay more often than he does anyone else. Which seem to just be a teasing thing more than anything genuinely creepy, but she really would like to tell him to knock it off next time they see each other.]

Anyway, he's the head of the law office that Mr. Edgeworth's father used to run! Sounds like he was even the old Mr. Edgeworth's assistant back in the day, when you guys were still little kids. Pretty crazy how that stuff works, huh?

Edgeworth has a way of making everything sound polite, even when he's insulting you to your face. [Edgeworth would regularly insult Phoenix in court, but the insults were so poetic and classy that one can't help but be privately impressed. ~~That may be Phoenix's crush talking though~~]

Wait, he was Gregory Edgeworth's assistant? [Phoenix tips his head back, his brow furrowing and his hand going to his chin in thought.] ...Maybe I met him. That would explain why the name's familiar. But I didn't hang around Mr. Edgeworth's office much. Whenever I was around, Miles and I would be playing outside or watching movies. Mr. Edgeworth liked to indulge our interest in law, but he wanted us to go out and do kid things. [Especially since Mr. Edgeworth, in retrospect, seemed to feel pretty strongly about encouraging Miles to be a kid, and Phoenix was very good at dragging him into kid things.]

...Must have been one interesting reunion, huh? [Interesting. Edgeworth at the time had only just recently made his peace with everything that led him to becoming a prosecutor, and the topic could still be... sensitive. Even now, the topic can be sensitive. Some things are always sensitive. And Phoenix has no doubt that Ray Shields would have had the same questions Phoenix himself had in the beginning: why become a prosecutor? What happened? Where did Edgeworth go?

Oh no, Phoenix can see why Edgeworth didn't share all of that with him, especially in the wake of his disbarment.]

Oh right, I guess you would've known his dad, huh? That's nuts! [Said with a big goofy grin on her face, as usual.] Yeah, Mr. Shields was giving off some SERIOUSLY bad vibes towards Mr. Edgeworth when he first showed up. He kept mentioning von Karma...

[Kay doesn't know the details of DL-6, but she does know all about the case that Gregory and Manfred had been clashing over in court the day that Manfred got his first penalty. And she knows Manfred was Miles' teacher, and Franziska's father.]

...They got over it, though. Gummy and me just had to be Mr. Edgeworth's hype crew for a bit.

[There's a small twitch in the corner of Phoenix's mouth when Kay mentions Von Karma, but that's it. No, he's going to avoid that topic. He doubts Edgeworth would have shared all the ugly details of Manfred's cruelty and manipulation with Kay, and Phoenix isn't about to air that out to her either. It's not fair to Edgeworth to share that, and it's not fair to Kay to put that kind of information on her. It's for the best that she just thinks of the relationship as tense for mundane reasons.]

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Manfred von Karma and Mr. Edgeworth didn't really get along.

[And he's going to move right along from that before she thinks to ask any probing questions...] I'm sure Miles appreciated it, even though he probably didn't say so. I'm glad to hear that things got better between them.

[Kay grins a little sheepishly. It feels weird to be thanked on someone else's behalf, but she also appreciates the acknowledgement of her efforts.]

Heheh... But y'know what? I guess that's something me and our Mr. Edgeworth have in common. My dad didn't really like Mr. von Karma either. I mean.... He tried to set a good example, so he never actually said anything rude about the guy to me, but I could tell they didn't get along. [Going to court to watch her father argue cases, and visiting him at the prosecutor's office... Manfred made a few ominous cameos in a number of Kay's memories. And he was there at court the day that Byrne was murdered, too.]

[She shakes her head a little, banishing that train of thought.]

...A-anyway, he always freaked me out, too. [And she let him know it, too.] TOTALLY creepy vibes.

[Phoenix's lips thin.] You'd be hard pressed to find many people who liked Manfred von Karma. He wasn't exactly a... personable man. [Phoenix still has the scars from when Von Karma tased him.] I think he probably liked it that way. We only met once before he stopped prosecuting, but he didn't seem like the kind of man who enjoyed casual friends and chitchatting.

[The world is better off with Manfred in the ground, as far as Phoenix is concerned, but he keeps that thought to himself. He knows that Edgeworth can still sometimes have complicated feelings about the whole thing, and Franziska... well, Phoenix and Franziska will never be best friends, but he respects her enough not to say that kind of thing out loud.]

[Yeah the vibe in this conversation is feeling more and more lousy the longer they continue to talk about The Ultimate Bastard. The only saving grace here is that it the vibe COULD be downright hostile, if Kay actually knew the full extent of just how little Manfred thought of her father. In the duration of one conversation alone he'd call Byrne an imbecile, a weakling, and of course, a fool.

Too bad she didn't kick him in the butt at court that day.]

Yeah, that tracks with what little I know about the guy. [Kay crosses her arms, making a show of shivering with discomfort at the very thought of him.] Anyway, let's forget about him! Gives me the heebie jeebies just to picture him. And don't we have work to be doing, anyway?

[Phoenix smiles again as she moves the topic. Yeah, he's happy to stop talking about Manfred von Karma too (especially before Kay thinks to ask any questions about how they met or why he 'stopped prosecuting.)]

You're right, he's not worth the brain space. First I'd like to show you around. It's a pretty big place, so it might be easy to get lost at first. You want to see the dining hall? [He suspects that maybe she's hungry after being down there for so long, especially since she was away mining where he couldn't slip her extra food every day.]

Oh! Alright. I guess I could do with a bite to eat!

[Actually she's kind of starving, but she'd been so fixated on diving right into casework that she hadn't even considered food as a thing to pay attention to.]

Come on, follow me.

[Phoenix smiles, gesturing for her to follow. He points out interesting landmarks as they walk, at art and windows with particularly beautiful views and doors leading to other places of interest, before finally they make it to the dining hall. As usual, it's full to the brim with food. It's a little early for dinner, but it looks like the servants have already put it out and gotten ready.]

Take whatever you like. Just make sure you eat slowly so you don't hurt your stomach. [Ah, there's the dad instinct sneaking out. But that's fine. He's her guardian now, isn't he?]

Jeez Mr. Wright, what do you take me for, some kind of food-crazy slob?

[She's teasing, of course; flashes him a grin before heading over to take a look at what's available.

What she winds up doing, though, is making a little to-go bag out of some napkins stuffed with whatever easily portable comestibles are available. And then a second one stuffed with desserts, assuming there are some available. It's not all for her; some of it she wants to bring to Relena as soon as she possibly.

More to the point, Phoenix is about to discover that Kay Faraday rarely ever just sits and slowly enjoys a meal if she can help it. As soon as she has what she wants, she's right back over to him with both bundles in one hand, and a dinner roll in the other.]

Alright, let's get moving! Where to next?

You forget, you're not the first person I've walked out of jail. [Everyone is always starving. Phoenix doesn't blame them. He's been in jail more than once and the food is always terrible. Not that he's ever going to tell Kay those stories if he can help it.

He does raise an eyebrow when Kay just stuffs food in napkins and is ready to get going again. Well, he can hardly blame her.]

You want to see where everyone is learning magic?

[Kay's eyes practically bug out of her head in excitement. She'd almost forgotten! That's a thing she can learn now, now that she's free! Actual magic spells!]

Um, DUH yeah, let's GO!

[She nyooms ahead out of the dining hall before she even finishes speaking, despite the fact that she has no idea where she's going, and has to double back almost immediately once she realizes her mistake.]

Whoops! Um. No Ambroses in the hall up ahead. Scouting mission successful! Let's proceed!

[Phoenix doesn't bother to stifle his laugh as he follows after her, taking the lead to take her to the library. Oh, it'll be nice to have Kay around.

He opens up the doors to the library, revealing all the novices practicing their magic.]

Here we are. Be careful when you're practicing the magic; some of the spells involve fire and I don't think they'd like it if you ignite their books.

1st Turnabout ⚖ July Catch-All

Kay, post-jail release

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Hopefully you don't mind me handwaving ahead a bit

I don't mind at all!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject