"A Mama For Trucy"
Disclaimer: Ace Attorney characters belong to Capcom.
Time: After the end of Apollo Justice, but before Dual Destinies
My name is Apollo Justice. I'm a defense attorney. I work for the Wright Anything Agency, which sounds goofy. I'm actually the only practicing lawyer at the moment.
Though that may change in the future. Mr. Wright was disbarred seven years ago for forging evidence, but he and I recently proved he was framed. So he is eligible to be relicensed, though he'd have to retake the bar exam.
For now, however, I'm handling all our defense requests. Speaking of which, I was looking through my bookshelf and one of my books seemed to be missing.
"Mr. Wright?" I asked. "Have you seen my copy of Advanced Rhetoric for the Courtroom?"
"Oh, Trucy borrowed it," Mr. Wright replied.
"Why would Trucy want to read that?" I asked.
"She said she needed something to put her to sleep," Mr. Wright shrugged. "I offered her one of mine, but she settled on that one."
"Do you mind if I go get it?" I asked. "I left some paperwork stuck in it."
Mr. Wright shrugged, so I assumed it was fine.
I went down the hall to Trucy's bedroom and knocked out of habit. But of course, Trucy had already left to perform her act at the Wonder Bar. I opened the door. I found my book on her nightstand and grabbed it.
Once I returned to my own room, I opened the book. Two sheets of paper fell out. I retrieved them and examined them. Apparently, Trucy also had a habit of sticking papers into a thick book.
The papers were handwritten, torn out of a notepad.
Mama Candidates, one page was headed.
It continued
Name: Maya Fey
Age: 27
Occupation: Master of Kurain Village
Pros: Lots of fun. Her cousin Pearl is in her care, so bonus 'big sister.'
Cons: Would have to move to Kurain. Switching schools (There was a small frowny face here)
Unable to stop myself, I read on:
Name: Franziska von Karma
Age: 27
Occupation: Prosecutor
Pros: Smart, will help me with my German homework, would let me wear leather and presumably makeup!
Cons: Daddy is kind of afraid of her. I need to get him to embrace disciplinarian fantasies.
Name: Lana Skye
Age: 38
Occupation: Prosecutor
Pros: Classy, mature. Her sister Ema is also fun to be around.
Cons: Emotionally distant. Will probably be strict. And I won't be able to get away with my current grades. (Another frowny face emoticon was drawn here.)
Name: Angel Starr
Age: 40
Occupation: CEO of Lunchland, which makes really good pre-made lunchboxes
Pros: Good cook, pretty, snappy dresser
Cons: Mean streak. Bitter about being fired from police department. Do not bring up in conversation. Can get you to confess anything – they don't call her the Cough Up Queen for nothing.
Name: Lotta Hart
Age: 31
Occupation: Photojournalist
Pros: Cool accent, energetic, fun to gossip with.
Cons: A bit loud, gets carried away, and dislikes the supernatural
Name: Viola Cadaverini
Age: 32
Occupation: Loan agent
Pros: Soft spoken, polite, makes cookies, must know some magic because people who upset her disappear (there was a smiley face here).
Cons: Quite scary, wears too much black
Name: Adrian Andrews
Age: 31
Occupation: Business manager
Pros: Professional, nice, good at what she does
Cons: Self-conscious, finds it difficult to say no, a bit of a workaholic
Name: Sister Iris (real name: Iris Hawthorne)
Age: 32
Occupation: Nun at Hazakura Temple
Pros: Sweet, kind, obviously has a thing for Daddy, can relate to me since she was adopted at a young age
Cons: Sheltered and a bit naïve. I feel some strong regret from her, especially toward Daddy. Might be hard to get her to be with Daddy because of this.
Name: Lisa Basil
Age: ?
Occupation: Head of Blue Screens, Inc.
Pros: Friendly, helpful, good with computers
Cons: Too stiff, almost artificial in her mannerisms
Name: Lamiroir
Age: 40
Occupation: Folk singer extraordinaire
Pros: Elegant, beautiful, can sing me to sleep at night. I also feel a strange comfort coming from her.
Cons: Recovering from recent surgery to restore lost eyesight, so now might not be the best time to get into relationship. Daddy also probably has competition. A lot.
"Gah!" I said to myself. "What the heck is this?!"
XXX
I waited down in the living room, among Trucy's scattered props. Mr. Wright went to bed early, bidding me good night. I tried to watch a TV show, but I couldn't concentrate on the plot. I tried working on the paperwork I recovered from my book along with Trucy's little spreadsheet, but that was fruitless too.
The door opened, and Trucy walked in.
"Trucy, you got some explaining to do!" I said.
Trucy looked startled. "Did Daddy find the drawings?"
"What?" I shook my head. "Not important. I found these in my book." I held out the pages of profiles.
"Oh, that's my compilation of Mama Candidates," Trucy said. "Ladies Daddy has met who might be a good match for him."
"You're making it sound like setting your single father up with a woman is natural."
Trucy looked sad. "It's just that I think he thought he wasn't worthy. To be loved in that way. When he got disbarred." She looked angry. "Even though he didn't do anything wrong!" She sighed. "My point is, I think he needs a push. And now that his name's been cleared, he won't have a convenient excuse." Her face brightened. "Help me, Polly."
"You want me to help you set up your father with someone?"
"Well, you're a guy, so you might know more about his type…?"
"Considering how he wept like a baby from a paper cut yesterday, I'm guessing not whip-wielding dominatrix-types like Franziska von Karma."
"Which one would you pick for him, then?" Trucy asked.
I read over the list. "Iris, maybe? She's a nice girl. And it might be easier for him to rekindle an old relationship than start a new one."
"Sounds good!" Trucy smiled happily. "I'll work on Daddy, you work on Miss Iris."
…Sigh. It seems I'm powerless against the opposite sex. Or it could just be Trucy. What Trucy wants, Trucy gets.
XXX
The next day was Sunday. No court, so I took the journey to Hazakura Temple.
"Hello there, young man," A portly but cheerful looking elderly nun greeted me. "I'm Sister Bikini."
"Yes, I remember you."
"Remember me?" She perked up. "Have we met? You don't look familiar."
"Oh, I mean I read about you in Phoenix Wright's case studies. I'm a lawyer. I work under Mr. Wright."
"Oh, I see," Sister Bikini looked relieved.
"I'm actually looking for Sister Iris," I said. "I have some questions for her." It wasn't technically a lie.
"She isn't here at the moment. But you're welcome to wait in the foyer, if you wish."
"Um, could I use the bathroom?" I realized I'd been holding it since this morning.
"Certainly," Bikini pointed down the hall. "Third door on the left."
I thanked her and went down the hall. Once I finished using the bathroom and washed my hands, I was about to go back to the foyer when I noticed my badge was coming loose from my lapel. I fiddled with the clasp, and the badge fell to the floor. By virtue of being round, it rolled down the hall and into the open room at the end. A bedroom.
I peeked in the room. No one was there. It was definitely Iris' room. On the nightstand, there was a small framed portrait of Mr. Wright smiling, wearing that frumpy pink sweater that Trucy has been begging him for months to burn. A twin bed, neatly made, with a floral-patterned comforter and fluffy lace-trimmed pillows. It definitely suited Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. There was minimal furniture: a lamp on the other side of the bed, a small dresser, a chair, and a tiny shelf filled with knitting materials.
I saw a glint of gold under the bed, and tried to reach for it. No good. I would have to crawl under the bed. I crawled under it. At least Iris vacuumed under her bed, which is more than I can say for myself. My fingers closed around my badge. Success!
Then I heard…giggling? And footsteps.
Aw, crap. If Iris finds me, she'll call the police. And just my luck if Ema's on duty and I get a complimentary Snackoo shower with a breaking and entering charge.
The door shut.
"Your hair is so pretty, Viola."
"Would you brush it?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
The bedsprings squeaked. Apparently Iris and her companion – whom I hoped wasn't Viola Cadaverini – had sat down on Iris's bed. The pressure of both of them was pressing on my back. Individually, they didn't weigh much, but both?
I lay there, frozen.
"Iris?" A soft cackle. My hopes that it wasn't a mobster's cherished granddaughter were erased. "Could you call me Violet? I think it would go well. Iris and Violet."
"In the language of flowers, the iris means glad tidings. And the violet stands for honesty."
"And purple flowers are symbols of loyalty," Viola said. "I've always dreamed of having only purple flowers in my bridal bouquet. Lilacs, morning glory, verbena…"
Oh dear. They were not using hanakotoba as pillow talk.
How did they even meet?! Since when does a sheltered, innocent temple nun cross paths with a mafia heiress? Did they reach for the same bag of flour at the grocery store one day, their hands touched, and…?
On second thought, I don't want to know.
The bedsprings creaked. And there were noises. Iris and Viola were apparently playing kissy-face above me.
After what felt like several hours, but must have been a few minutes, I heard a pair of feet touch the wooden floor. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" Iris asked.
Viola cackled. "Nothing would please me more. I'll even brew the tea. And add a special ingredient…hee hee hee."
I heard the door open and shut. Clutching my badge in my sweaty hand, I crawled out from under the bed. I moved toward the door, but then Iris and Viola might see me trying to cross back into the main hall. I opened a window, climbed out, and shimmied down the gutter to the ground. Then I scurried from the temple and didn't stop until I was out of breath.
XXX
Upon returning to the office, I was tired and thirsty. I walked past a snoring Mr. Wright and opened a glass-doored cabinet. Inside were several bottles of liquor. Mr. Wright's personal stash. I grabbed a bottle of bourbon, along with a glass. I figured I didn't need much to get drunk enough to forget Viola and Iris's little kissy-kissy session. My adoptive parents never drank, or kept any sort of alcohol in the house. And they made it quite clear that I'd be shipped back to the adoption agency if I tried partaking of it before I was twenty-one.
The clinking of the glass woke up Mr. Wright, who snorted. "Apollo?" He gazed at me. "That's expensive bourbon you're helping yourself to. Without asking first."
"Take it out of my next paycheck," I replied.
"Don't you have court tomorrow?!" His tone was sharp.
"It's against Winston Payne. I can win it in my sleep."
"…Point. Half the defense attorneys in the city show up to Payne's trials hungover. They win anyway."
"Trucy doesn't know the full story of your relationship with Iris, but she suspects," I said. "Just to give you a heads up. And I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but…"
"But what?"
"Iris is over you."
He looked the most surprised I had ever seen. "Are you sure?!"
"Yeah, pretty sure." I shuddered.
"Who is it?"
"Why would you assume she's with someone?" I laughed nervously.
"Do I have to take out my magatama?"
"Were you aware Iris is bisexual?" I chuckled nervously.
Mr. Wright stared at me. "Don't hog the bourbon!" He took a glass from the minibar and helped himself.
"Don't you want to know who it is?"
"I can tell I don't want to know, so no." Mr. Wright chugged his glass and poured another.
"That's probably best," I agreed.
End for now
Author's Note: I actually want to do more than one chapter in which Apollo and Trucy scheme to set up Phoenix with the Mama Candidates, only to fail miserably. I'm working on some other fics, both serious and comedic, so the next chapter might not come for a while.
Somehow, the image of Apollo and Phoenix getting drunk together warms my heart.