"Hurry up, Pearly! We gotta go to the mall!" Trucy yelled with her hands cupped near her mouth to amplify her voice. The sun was still on the horizon, but was about to make its descend to the horizon as its rays left an orange tint in the sky. Streets were busy with people and cars, a lot of them dressing fancy. Apollo presumed they were heading towards the festivities of Gatewater.
"Okay, I'll be quick, Trucy!" Pearl yelled back while darting her way back to the office.
"Is it really necessary to go now, Trucy? I mean, I think I got some clothes back at my house." Apollo asked nervously while gesturing with his thumb towards the direction of his apartment. The blue magician looked at the red attorney with an unamusing look. He knew she wasn't going to give up easily so he just succumbed to whatever she would say next.
"No, Polly. We're going." She nudged the defeated attorney with her elbow. Apollo's shoulder slouched as they waited for the small medium to return. A few moments later, Pearl came back with her face flushed with a blush and her run.
"You okay, Pearly?" Trucy asked politely. Pearl caught her breath quickly before answering. "Yeaahhhhh. Hee hee."
"Pearl? What happened?" Trucy had a smirk on her face. A little aware of the answer she was going to receive.
"Oh just Master Maya and Mr. Nick together. It's so cute!" Pearl's cupped her face with her cheeks and rocked on her feet. "It's been awhile since they've been together. And they barely waited for us to leave."
Apollo and had a minor tinge to his face as he imagined his boss all over his girlfriend like last time when he tickled her, except more than passionate. He shook his head quirkily to remove the mental image before returning to Trucy. He was surprised to see her calm reaction. She was actually happy, her hands holding together behind her back while rocking on her heels. "Hehe, oh Daddy!"
Apollo didn't know whether to feel sick or amused as the two young girls were fangirling over their OTP.
"Maybe I might have a mommy after tonight." Trucy laughed in her gloved hands.
"Maybe Mr. Nick can act like my Daddy, too." Pearl added. They were holding each others hands, laughing and jumping in sync with one another on the sidewalk. They skipped towards the direction of the mall, leaving Apollo behind by several feet. His back arched forward, sweating as his mouth fell open at the two bumbling girls merrily picturing their future family. 'Oh brother...'
They finally made it to Rodeo Drive back where Trucy got her father's new suit. The store was quite packed with last minute shoppers. The trio rushed towards the men's section and eagerly dug through the clothing. Pearl and Trucy shoved vests and different articles of clothing towards Apollo, analyzing if he looked appealing in them.
"That makes him look fat!"
"No it doesn't!"
They threw the green vest back on the rack. The girls were still looking at the clearance racks when Apollo caught a glimpse of a black vest, similar to Phoenix's. Apollo didn't want to admit it, but when he saw Maya and Phoenix with matching outfits, a bit of jealousy grew within him. The way how they stood proudly, arm in arm, posed proudly as if they just won another case after many years of separation. He yearned for something similar. A cohort just like his boss had, to stand similarly like his mentor. A chance to leave a similar legacy like Phoenix Wright.
He pulled the vest from the hanger. Removing his red vest, he placed it on a heap of clothing Pearl and Trucy managed to pile up and tried on the article of clothing. It fit him quite well. Apollo viewed his reflection in a full body mirror. The black vest complimented his form. It had a trimmed breast pocket, firm lapels that connected with the collar and gave his chest extra on the broad level. Proud of the new look and arms akimbo, he boasted his chest and smirked.
"Wow. That actually looks good on you, Apollo." Pearl was holding her head with the palm of her hands lying on the heap of clothing while kicking her feet back with interest.
"AH!" He flinched back, not realizing the spirit medium was eyeing him until he turned around.
"Oh snap! Polly looking good!" Trucy mimicked the spirit medium even though she was very close to falling off the pile of clothes.
"You think so, guys?" Apollo was scratching down his horns against his scalp, a large blush the color of his pants covered his face.
"Yeah! Now we just gotta get you the pants." Trucy eagerly pointed to the pants section in the men's department before losing her grip and falling off the heap of clothing, some of the pile landing on top of her. She landed with a thud on her side. Pearl climbed off the pile while Apollo rushed to the injured magician.
"Trucy, are you okay?!" Apollo threw the garments off of her and lifted the embarrassed magician to her feet. Her top hat covered her face. "Yeah… but I think Mr. Hat broke my fall."
Trucy pulled her signature switch to pull out Mr. Hat. He flipped out under her cape, a bit more discombobulated than usual. A cash register jingle played as he unfolded and flipped upward, holding his hat. His jaw slightly off hinge. "My word, dahling. Are you alright?" The jaw slightly creaking lower by each word.
"Yeah, Mr. Hat. But I'm sorry for landing on you." Trucy tried placing back the wooden jaw onto the hinge again. "Thank you for breaking my fall."
"Anytime, dear!" Mr. Hat turned his direction to Apollo. "My word, Sir Apollo. May I say you look dashing."
Apollo wasn't sure how to react knowing he was being complimented by a wooden puppet act. "Uh thanks." He said nervously. Still holding Trucy's hat, Mr. Hat replied, "Anytime, sir."
Trucy folded Mr. Hat back under her cape and placed her hat back in its rightful spot. "That was an amazing act. You sure are full of surprises!" A mystery voice spoke behind them.
Pearl, Apollo and Trucy turned to see a woman with the white dress and hazel brown hair.
"Mrs. Lamiroir!" Trucy ran to the woman and gave her a hug. Apollo looked pensively at the woman. 'I think I've seen her before.'
"You're back here? Did one of the pieces not fit?" The woman asked sincerely.
"No. No. Actually they fit him wonderfully AND he LOVED it! He's wearing it later tonight!" Trucy was jumping in the woman's arms. Lamiroir smiled as she saw the giddy girl jump in her grasp. "So soon? I guess he did love it."
"This is the woman who paid for Mr. Wright's suit?" Apollo asked with suspicion. His eyes squinting tightly, trying to remember where he saw this woman before.
"Yeah! She is really nice." Trucy let go of Lamiroir. "She measured Daddy's sizes just with a shirt!"
Apollo crossed his arms and raised his brows in admiration. "That's amazing! I'm impressed."
"Thank you." Her voice light with content. "And I must say, you do indeed look dashing in that vest." The woman pointed her index finger to the black article of clothing on Apollo.
"He he thanks..." Apollo's face began to hurt from the constant smiling. 'Geez, I should've worn black earlier.'
Lamiroir giggled lightly, covering her mouth with her soft hands. It was then that Apollo had a flashback. 'Her face covered.' He remembered a woman who had her face covered and in a interstellar blue robe with stars connected. 'It's her! Now I remember!'
"Now I remember!" Chords of Steel startled the three ladies in front of him and a few nearby customers. Pointing his signature courtroom finger, he made his claim. "You're that woman from that Gavinners concert, the one with that crook, Daryan Crescend!"
Apollo remembered her clearly now. Lamiroir was the woman who was guarded by Romein LeTouse, who was actually an Interpol agent who confronted Daryan on cocoon smuggling. The woman turned her view to the floor with a somber look. "Yes. It is me." Still shaken by the experience.
Apollo was pleased with himself, content on accusing the right person. The woman finally eyed the attorney, her demeanor now gleaming. "And you took care of that guy real good. You have grown much since then." Her head tilted with a grin on her face.
"I did, didn't I?" His arms crossed against the black vest boastfully.
"Now I remember! UH! I'm so slow!" Trucy remembered the woman after Apollo's claim, more embarrassment piled on top of her like the pile of clothes next to her. "That's why you bought the suit, huh?"
"That's one reason." The woman muttered the words lightly, still smiling.
The woman beckoned Apollo to come closer. Apollo hesitated at first before approaching the woman, almost tripping on his way there. Lamiroir gave a motherly gaze at the boy before putting her hands on his collar. He didn't flinch. By his surprise, he actually accepted her touch. Something about this woman comforted him. She neatly folded Apollo's collar, which he didn't realize was crumpled in the back. "There. It looks much better now."
"Thank you." Low, but thankful in his tone, still wondering what it was about this woman he couldn't put his finger on.
"Now let's go look for some slacks, young man." Lamiroir pointed over to a table filled with neatly folded slacks.
"Alright!" Apollo exercised his Chords of Steel once more.
