A/N: Hello, everyone! So I thought today I'd explore an aspect of Robin not many people seem to remember. So enjoy this one-shot all about her!
Craft a better tomorrow- a Robin Newman oneshot
October 23, 2028
Newman household, art studio
A few years ago, Robin Newman convinced her parents to allow her to to use the family garage as a personal art studio. Surprisingly, her parents had allowed this, as long as it didn't interfere in her school studies.
Of course, when Robin had first asked this she had been known as a he. In fact, up until a year ago that's how she was always known. Many different kinds of art projects have come and gone through the studio since then- it was where Robin made art when she wasn't at the art club at Themis Legal Academy.
Having graduated Themis Legal Academy earlier this year, Robin couldn't exactly return to the art club anymore. Today of all days, Robin wished she could visit it just once, and make one last thing there.
But since she couldn't, her personal art studio would have to do. Right now, the only sounds were Robin's grunts of concentration as she molded clay onto a wooden frame. Every so often, she made a sound of dissatisfaction before ripping the clay off the frame and starting over again. Every so often, she heard a voice in her head….
September 12, 2025
Themis Legal Academy, art club room
"HELLO! IS ANYONE IN HERE?" Robin shouted as she walked into the art room. She winced a little, as her shouting had caused her to strain against her brace a little too much.
"I am in here," said a brunette women, who had been in the middle of painting something before Robin had entered. "You certainly seem to be an enthusiastic boy. Are you interested in joining the art club?"
"Yes! I am!" Robin exclaimed. "I want to create stuff! In the manliest way possible!"
"If that's your style, then I look forward to seeing what you'll make," The woman said. "I am Constance Courte. You may know me as the teacher of the judge course, but I'm also the art club advisor."
"Nice to meet you, Professor Courte! I'm Robin Newman! I just joined the prosecutor's course, but I'm also an artist!" Robin said, starting to feel excited for the first time since entering this school.
October 23, 2028
Newman household, art studio
That was how Robin had met her art mentor. From the very beginning, Professor Courte didn't seem to find Robin annoying, or seem all that phased by her excessive loudness. Not long after that day, Robin met the two people that would become her closest friends: Juniper Woods and Hugh O'Conner. So as her days in Themis went on, Robin found bright spots in what was otherwise a miserable school life.
Every time she went to the art club, Robin found something new to admire about Professor Courte. Whether it be the beautiful, eclectic art style she infused into all of her art, or the patience and understanding she gave to every student, regardless of what course they were in. It was no wonder then, that one day Robin came to trust Professor Courte enough to reveal her secret to her...
August 3rd, 2026
Professor Courte's office
"You said you wanted to tell me something, Mr. Newman?" Professor Courte asked.
"Yes I do! There's something I've been keeping from everyone for quite a while," Robin said. She had a hard time finding the words to keep going, so she decided to not explain it with words. Instead, she reached back to where the clasp on her brace was, and unhooked it.
Without a word, Robin removed her brace and set it onto Professor Courte's desk. Professor Courte's eyes immediately widened- the teacher instantly understood what was going on.
"You're actually a girl. Robin, how long has this been going on?" Professor Courte asked, concerned."
"As long as I can remember. I don't want to do this! But my parents- I CAN"T GO AGAINST THEM, MMMMAAAANNNN!" Robin shouted.
"Well, if your hands are tied then it falls onto me to look out for you," Professor Courte said, sounding truly angry. "We must alert the police-"
"No! Don't do that!" Robin said quickly. "I've actually tried that. But my dad's a prosecutor. They believed his word over mine!"
"So it is in this Dark Age of the Law," Professor Courte said sadly. She shook her head. "Well, if you can't be yourself at home, the least I can do as your teacher is make sure you have a safe space here at school."
"What do you mean by that?" Robin asked.
"I'm going to talk with the school administration," Professor Courte said. "To see if you can start attending this school as a girl. If we manage to get that far, then I'll also start talking to your parents myself."
"You'd really do that for me?" Oh thank you!" Robin exclaimed. She felt a glimmer of hope ignite, somewhere deep in her chest.
October 23, 2028
Newman household, art studio
A few hours after starting on the bust, Robin successfully managed to make some progress that she was satisfied with. Enough clay covered the wooden frame to have a general shape. Now it was time for the hard work to begin.
Grabbing a small carving tool, Robin got to work at the bottom of the bust, deciding to work her way up. Detail work required a careful eye and a steady hand- traits that one wouldn't usually associate with someone of Robin's temperament.
Suddenly Robin's hand slipped, causing the tool to gauge an ugly scratch into the clay. For a moment Robin felt frustration furiously arise in her, and she grabbed the bust to chuck it to the floor- but she stopped herself.
She stopped herself, because she could hear her mentor's voice in her head. The patience required to be a good artist- Robin felt she had Professor Courte to thank for instilling that in her. Every time they met in the art club, she guided Robin in some new way, helping her grow as both an artist and a person...
April 10, 2027
Themis Legal Academy, art club room
"Art club has ended, Miss Newman. Shouldn't you be packing up?" Professor Courte asked.
"No, I can't leave just yet! I'm still not done yet," Robin answered, glaring at the painting of a sunlit field she'd been working on.
Professor Courte sighed, having heard this many, many times before. She pulled up a chair by her student.
"I have mentored many students since I've begun teaching here at Themis," Professor Courte said. "And very few of them have had as much passion as you, Robin. But you're focusing it in the wrong areas. Put more value in your own artistic merit."
"I just- I just want to be more like you, mmmmaaannn!" Robin shouted. "You're the best artist I know! If I could make my art more like yours…"
Professor Courte shook her head, but affectionately. "You flatter me, Miss Newman. But the art you make must come from the bottom of your heart. That's how you make something that is truly special."
October 23, 2028
Newman household, art studio
Most of the details on the bottom half of the bust were finished. Now Robin began work on the top half, taking special care when it came to the face of the statue. Soon she would be done.
Even as much as Professor Courte did her best to guide Robin, the artist couldn't help but to aspire to be like her mentor. Then as her final semester at Themis Legal Academy began with her situation still completely stalled, Robin began to feel despair grow inside of her.
Because it seemed like nothing was ever going to change, and Robin began to act accordingly. If she was going to be forced to pretend to be a male prosecutor forever, then she would start to act like one. Unfortunately, she that also meant she was vulnerable to anyone that offered even false hope.
One year ago today, she was working on the stage of the school festival. Robin had been commissioned to make two statues, one of Phoenix Wright and one of Klavier Gavin. While she was able to finish the Klavier Gavin bust, it was after the last bell and she was nowhere near done with the Phoenix Wright bust.
That was when Professor Means appeared on stage with a simple offer: let him do the Phoenix Wright bust, and she could take credit for both of them. Robin accepted- and in that moment betrayed everything Professor Courte had ever taught her. Even worse, that unfinished bust had been used to disguise Professor Courte's body.
That wasn't even the only thing Robin wound up doing, either. She tried to cheat at the mock trial- and wound up putting Juniper at great risk when she was put on trial for Courte's death. Even today, a year later, Robin felt like she still hadn't made up for it all.
In the past year, however, Juniper and Hugh remained by her side. Forgiving her, encouraging her, motivating her to fulfill their promise: to redeem the law system together. And of course Robin had new friends: Athena Cykes, who had helped Robin finally show her real self; Apollo Justice, the only person she knew that was as loud as she was; even Myriam Scuttlebutt, who had published retractions on every article she'd ever written.
Robin Newman had all of them to thank for helping her become the person she was today. But she owed the most to Professor Courte, the first person to ever reach out a hand to her. Today, one year since the death, Robin wanted to make something that represented her mentor the best.
Finished with the bust, Robin sat back and looked it over. The bust was of none other than Professor Courte herself. But it was of Constance Courte as Lady Justice: No blindfold, but with warm, gentle eyes that looked ever forward; Scales held out in her right hand and a paintbrush clenched in her left hand; and of course wearing the pure white robes of justice.
"You're watching over us, right Professor Courte?" Robin asked the bust, her representation of everything her mentor was to her. "I- finally I understand what you were always trying to tell me! Right now, I'm training to become a prosecutor, and I'm going to do it honestly. Hugh and Juniper are going to help me like they always h-a-v-e!"
Smoothing out a few rough spots on the bust, Robin continued, "And I'm still practicing my art. I'm going to make art from the bottom of my heart, just like you told me! I'm going to do what I can to keep your memory alive. So I hope you're proud at me!"
Smiling at the completed bust, Robin cleaned herself up and left the garage. Maybe she'd be the only person to ever see this statue. Yet, maybe she'd also submit it to an exhibit. The world deserved to see such a wonderful woman.
With her mentor's teachings in her heart, Robin Newman planned to walk her new path, as far as it would take her.
A/N: This won't be entirely new to readers of my other work, TSOMS, but I thought this was worth going into anyways. If Robin ever appears again, I hope they address the areas of her character we know so little about. See you next time! Please review.