Setting: Now in the future again (I know, you will think: 'Wow, what an UNEXPECTED suprise!' xD). But I had to change the original topic again because I got another idea for 'F'. :D
And, help, I just have a thing to get this relationship dissected by the other characters. xD
Angel Starr had worked her way up since the SL-9 incident got closed forever.
Of course she had struggles to take part in official cases but she worked secretly in the background. It didn't take long for the prosecutors to realize that they could use the skills of the "Cough-Up Queen". A little lie here and a signed document there…. And now she has at least some kind of a license.
Well, it wasn't the world but she couldn't say that it was bad either. Not to mention that she often visited the prosecutors anyway since she delivered various things. Lunch boxes, furniture, or even hardware for the laptops. She used every opportunity to have an excuse for being there.
"Did you get her to speak?" she heard a familiar voice. The youngest daughter of Manfred von Karma sat in her office and her eyes studied a case file. Normally she should be finished by now but Franziska always worked twice as hard when she had to face Mr. Wright.
Angel tried hard not to mock her about it. She might be known for always telling her opinion to others but she wasn't keen on getting whipped. The former detective did that mistake once when she met the prosecutor for the first time.
My, my, you must be VERY frustrated when you carry that thing around and still have such an attitude.
'That thing' answered in hitting her straight between the different-toned eyes. After that she didn't even knew what day it was because of the pain. Angel never expected it to be afraid of a whip. A true wonder the Judge allowed that spoiled woman to use it in the courtroom!
Still, she and Franziska actually got along. It had been a long way but they managed it somehow. Nevertheless, Angel always closed her mouth when she was about to cross a border.
"Everything is here" she assured the younger one and gave her a full report about the new statement of the victim's sister. That girl wasn't telling the whole truth but Angel could get some more information out of her little, useless throat.
Franziska didn't even looked up. She just laid the document atop of some other papers while her reading intensified. Angel used the opportunity to change a few other things in the room because she also worked as a charwoman to keep her disguise. You need to know: There was always the danger that an outstanding person might rush into the building.
However, there was a little thing that always received Angel's attention in this accommodation.
To be more precise: One of her duties was to arrange the flowers in every room. Almost everyone asked her nicely to bring different kinds from time to time. Only Ms. von Karma wished to keep the sort she demanded Angel to bring. It wouldn't strike her mind if it was an extraordinary type since Franziska is clearly someone who preferred luxury. Yet, out of all the beautiful blooming things, she wanted to have tulips.
"Why tulips?" Angel started to babble. "They are a way too simple. Boring, easy to forget and they seem quite weak if you compare them to other gorgeous flowers. What about lilies, roses or a nice white-and-purple viola sort?"
Franziska didn't liked the way Angel spoke about tulips. But it was not a reason to be all upset about. "If I desire to change the flowers in my office, I will tell you so. Go and scare the police officers before they try to help the defense. I suggest you start with Dick Gumshoe. By now, he surely gave away some serious hints. Scruffy is such a failure when it comes to conceal evidences from them." Even though Franziska changed a lot for the good, she still wanted to win and get the guilty verdict. Where was the fun if she gave up her ambition to make as many foolish defense attorneys cry as possible?
Unfortunately Angel Starr refused her order and took a seat on the chair at the other side of the desk. So she could face Franziska directly. "I want to know."
Now the von Karma rolled her eyes. Had everybody she had to encounter to be so annoying!? "What do you want to know?" she asked as calm as possible since there still was an opportunity for Angel Starr to poison her lunch box. And Franziska became used to get her food delivered by now, so there was no need stopping her work to get it from the next shop.
The 'Cough-Up Queen' leaned in. "Why. The. Tulips?" A grin spread over her face. She was sure that this would become an amusing conversation. What was the cause of all this? Oh, it felt like she was about to solve a case. And what a challenge this would be! She against Franziska in a battle of wills! History books beware!
Finally Franziska put the case file away and crossed her arms. "What. A. Foolish. Question." she copied Starr's way of speaking and tried her best to sound like the topic was the most unimportant thing in the world.
A sinister chuckle escaped Angel's throat. "With all respect, Ms. von Karma. It is an easy question. Wouldn't it be foolish not to answer it?" She sloped her head a bit, smiling innocently.
"I just don't see a need for it." Franziska shrugged her shoulders. "Those are some foolish flowers. And you seem to be all excited about hearing a reason why I like to have tulips. I tell you something: I just foolishly do. Compare it to other things! Some people like curry, some don't. Some people like listening to classic music before they went to sleep. Others – Klavier Gavin – need rock music that you can hear through the walls of the whole building when they decide to take a nap. And there are people preferring absolute silence before they are able to rest. And so it is with flowers. Some like those and others a different kind."
"But… most people like to change the sorts sometimes…"
"There you see! Some need a change! Because they just don't know what they want." She sat back, her usual I-win-again-smirk appeared on her lips.
"Huh…" Her counterpart made. "So what is it that you want? Must be good if this started with some tulips."
And the smirk slowly faded away…
Franziska knew that it wouldn't take long for this stubborn woman to think about it. The prosecutor just feared that she might find out something Franziska, herself, wasn't fully aware of.
Now it was Angel Starr's turn to smirk. "What is the connection between you and tulips?" Her tune became mocking. "It must have been a remarkable day anyway but that you remember a simple gesture like this."
"I am a genius! I never forget anything because I have a perfect mind." She tried to sound like she was ordering Gumshoe to bring her some tea. As blasé as it was possible for a von Karma – which became really scary.
Angel nodded. "Of course you are! A genius decides between the things which are important and which are not. And for you… it must have been very important."
"I'm warning you…" A part of Franziska didn't want to hear anything of it! Why couldn't Angel Starr stop this foolishness? There was no need in analyzing such kind of things! Especially when it came to this one foolish person…
Angel's joyful purr filled the room. "And this importance can be summarized in two words." That game was just a way too good. By now, she even dared it to get whipped. "It's a person. Maybe a bit clumsy but good-hearted. He has his smart moments. Perhaps many women would even describe him as quite attractive-"
"Nonsense! Phoenix Wright isn't attractive in any way!"
Before Franziska could blink, the brunette clapped her hands together. "Caught you! It could have been anyone! I didn't even mentioned a closer thing like a blue suit, the spikey hair or even the red tie! You should have heard my metaphor for the years he worked as a pianist!"
FOOL! FOOL! FOOL! Franziska's mind yelled at herself while Angel started to giggle like mad.
"Well, I… I assumed him only because you said clumsy. A fool as him is the first thing that comes to my mind then." It was a very weak argument. Luckily, she wasn't in court…
The other one raised a brow. "Sure."
It was difficult for the prosecutor to sound cold again but she had to convince Angel Starr that it had nothing to do with it. She had to convince herself. "That he brought me tulips was just a coincidence. I already liked them when I was a little child. It was nothing more than a lucky strike. I don't see why you desperately try to bring this event in a relation with the tulips here." She almost managed it to sound like her eighteen-year-old-self again. "This conversation is a waste of my precious time."
"Precious time for you to prepare a case against him."
"Precious time to win the case, fool!"
Franziska thought that she finally managed it to shut her up. But she was wrong…
"You are obsessed with him."
Some people outside might have heard the cracking of a whip. This was the first time Franziska used 'that thing' on Angel Starr today. And she feared it wouldn't be the last. "What!?" the prosecutor asked dangerously and throw a death-glare at the brunette.
Now Angel Starr took a deep breath. Before she spoke, she stroke a strand of hair from her face. "Years ago, your goal was to become better than your brother in beating Mr. Wright in court. We all know how that ended. But Mr. Wright's values of 'Truth' and 'Comprehension' even floated into you. Over the years you tried more and more to get things right because that is what you learned from him. Now he is back and your first action was to leave Germany again, to face him in court again, to get on his nerves again. You wouldn't have come back if it wasn't to get his attention. You want to show him what you learned and you ache to understand more of it."
"And why would I want this foolishness!?" the von Karma almost shouted angrily.
"Because he is the one who changed you!" Angel yelled back. "You might also concentrate on others like Mr. Edgeworth or Ms. Skye – but all of their notions lead back to no one else than Mr. Wright!"
"That does NOT explain this foolishness with the tulips!"
"It does! You are just too blinded by your pride to accept the very thought that you might have feelings for-"
Crack!
The whip stopped her before she could finish the sentence.
"You… have no right to speak about this!"
Now the brunette stopped arguing. She saw a stubbornness in the way the von Karma looked at her that wouldn't go away soon. Seems like Mr. Wright still had some work to do with her. And it wasn't her job to open Franziska's eyes – somehow, this is a task only the defense attorney could pass.
It irritated Franziska when Angel suddenly gave her a warm smile and delayed her a lunch box. "I think you still need to eat. You worked the whole day and you need to stay healthy."
The self-called genius hesitated. "Do you intend to poison me now? We still haven't settled this strike. And giving up isn't your usual behavior…"
"There will be other matches for us" she told Franziska in a calm voice and laid the lunch box on her desk. She almost reached the door when the prosecutor asked her to hold on. With a knowing smile she turned around. "What is it, dear?" she allowed herself to call the von Karma. Franziska would hate the pet name but this should be one of the few things she had to get used to in the near future.
"Tulips are… kindness" she suddenly started. "They remind me of the hope to get a chance even after you literally screwed up. It is this… Actually it is just a foolishly foolish illusion that someone believes in you. Even after all those terrible things you have done." Franziska took a step closer to her. "And for the record: Tulips are everything but weak. Their simplicity is the thing that lets you forget all those other flowers most foolish people might preferring over them."
"I will try to remember that." Angel assured her. "Do you even know what tulips stand for?"
Franziska laughed. "Ironically they stand for fugacity. What a-"
"Indeed!" The brunette interrupted her. "That is what most people think. But do you know the meaning in the language of flowers?"
"Please don't tell me that you actually spent your time with such foolishly foolish things…"
A wicked grin became viewable. "Here tulips stand for eternal love. Especially red ones. They even have a greater meaning than roses! Before I forget to ask… What color had the ones he brought you?"
"Not red." Franziska said a way too fast and shoved her to the door. "Perhaps I will forgive you in a few days for wasting my time with this foolish talk. But for now I can't stand the sight of your face. So you should go."
When the prosecutor opened the door she caught various people which were trying to get away from it. Some even held drinking glasses behind their backs. Seems like they eavesdropped everything as soon as she and Angel had raised their voices. Franziska reminded herself to give them a special payment at the soon arriving pay day. "Seriously!?" she hissed when she spotted her little brother.
Edgeworth looked around, searching for a good explanation. "I tried to stop them but there are just so many of them. I was short-handed, you see."
"Fools… All of you!" she mumbled.
Before Angel went away, she turned to Edgeworth. "Oh, just for a gift I currently try to create… what were your sister's favorite flowers when she was a kid?"
"Dianthuses." he answered her without thinking long about it.
Angel Starr saw the way Franziska's eyes widened. A last warning for the brunette to get the hell out of here. "Interesting…" the she whispered to herself before leaving this place.
Okay, I seriously don't know the color of the tulips Phoenix brought Franziska back in 'Farewell, My Turnabout'. To be honest, I've always imagined them being blue. xD
And would you characterize Angel Starr's hair color as brunette? I read it once in a description of her appearance but a brunette has for me more the tune of Mia Fey or the Skye-sisters…