[Closed] The Merry Ace Attorney

[professorbestie]

Who: The Great Ace Attorney cast
Which: Closed log
Where: Mikotoba house
What: The Mikotobas invite Kazuma over for Christmas on the 25th, and all their friends from home on the 26th
Warnings: Nothing here but Christmas cheer!

[25th, closed to Kazuma]

[It's Christmas day in the Mikotoba household, and no such celebration would be complete without their adoptive family member. For that reason, presents have not yet been opened and instead lie ready in a corner of the living area, the wrapping paper almost beckoning the curious gaze. The decorations in the house are minimal in number, though Yujin did learn a thing or two from the most recent dreamscape about crafting a strong Christmas aesthetic with bare essentials. Food has already been prepared for the most part by Susato; roast duck and an apple spiced tea. It only requires those few easy finishing touches, but it's not dinner time yet!

At the moment, they're still waiting for Kazuma to arrive.]


[26th, Cast Party]

[For today, the Mikotobas made sure to invite everyone they know from home to spend Christmas at their home. They have to stick together! While those who hail from London may have their own traditions regarding Christmas, they'll just have to make do with what's been set up! Yujin dragged in a small tree, there's hot cocoa for everyone and dinner will be later. After that, perhaps some drinks of the alcoholic variety for the adults? (Which means everyone except Susato, sorry!) The choices are between apple cider or wine, because we all know Van Zieks has a problem.]

Comments

26th party; OTA

[buriedvigil]

arrival;
[In full out honestly, Vigil was not expecting to be invited to any sort of Christmas party, especially with that whole dreamscape situation that just went on. But he's truly grateful, as he mostly just planned on spending the holiday by himself. It would be the first time for him in years and he wasn't really looking forward to that, so accepting the invite was easy for him.

Even if considers himself to be poor company at times.

But Vigil is here with a few presents in his possession, some dedicated to a few individuals and maybe just a couple to hand out because of the holiday spirit. Somehow, he's carrying everything in his arms and hasn't managed to drop anything as he arrives at the Mikotoba household. Whether or not you greet him at the entrance or find Vigil walking around the house with said presents, he'll actually manage a small smile before replying in a... still tired voice.]

Ah... hello there. Merry Christmas. [Or belated Christmas?? Well, close enough.]

apple cider drinking;
[After presents have been given or set properly by the tree, Vigil finds himself nursing a cup of hot cocoa by himself. The wine was a little tempting, but something warm sounded far more appealing. Maybe it's the cold or just something else, probably the feeling of missing his family on this holiday. He's... somewhat aware that things are still continuing like normal back home, but right now, he doesn't feel it.

It's certainly confusing.

Anyway, Vigil actually isn't trying to be a huge downer, especially at a party, so he attempts to be a little more positive to anyone that's nearby him. It's a work in progress.]

It's nice being here, celebrating a holiday by yourself is... quite lonely. [Nailed it.]

arrival

[judicialassistant]

[ Christmas, round 2? Round 2. Let's absolutely go.

Susato was delightfully not plagued by dreams last night, dreamscape or otherwise, so she is looking slightly better rested today when she prepares for their guests. When she sees Vigil, her face lights up, and immediately she's going to help try to take some of those presents off his hands. ]

Oh, Mr Vigil! Merry Christmas. Let me help you with those. [ She leads him to the small tree that Yujin has set up for the occasion, where he can leave the presents until they find their owner; and she maaay sneakily grab a rather small present that had already been sitting there as well. ] I'm so glad you could come.

[buriedvigil]

[Once he places the presents near the tree (although, he keeps hold of one still), Vigil turns to Susato with that same small smile, bowing slightly as he responds in a genuinely lighter tone. Maybe he's finally getting into the holiday spirit, or just being reminded that he's not entirely alone on the day after Christmas has helped quite a bit.

Plus, Miss Mikotoba is always a pleasant person to speak with.]

I wanted to thank you and your father for opening your home to me. [...] I'm happy to be here. I wasn't aware that you celebrated Christmas as well.

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato holds the present she has quietly grabbed behind her back, a pleasant smile on her face. She does look rather sheepish though, at Vigil's slight surprise at their celebrations. ]

Well, it is a rather new experience for my father and I. I'm afraid we didn't do much, but the tree is evidently quite important. [ Last night was sort of... a crash course of sorts? ] Ah. And... these.

[ Ta-da! She pulls out the small wrapped box she had just been hiding, and holds it out to him. ]

A present. For you.

Drinking

[professorbestie]

[Yujin happens to be the one nearby! He's holding a cup of cider in one hand and to some degree, he's still working on processing how well the party is going. It's been a busy last few days, especially with the dreamscape situation, and now that evening has fallen his mind feels a bit slower than usual. He's doing his best though, just as Daley is.]

Yes, I'm quite willing to believe that. I've been fortunate enough to always have some form of company during the holidays, but even then... [Other company never stopped him from missing his wife, he thinks bitterly. So he shakes his head and plasters a smile onto his face.] Well, I'm glad that our party is serving you well.

[buriedvigil]

[It takes Vigil a second, but recognition appears in the British man's eyes and somehow, he manages to bow in a respectful manner without spilling his hot chocolate all over himself. It would be a sad time for both his drink and his clothes, so one crisis averted! He just needs to stop himself from creating any future crisis and embarrassing himself in front of the older other man.]

You're... Mr. Mikotoba, aren't you?

[He straightens himself up, before speaking in a respectful, if content manner.]

Thank you for inviting me to your home. I'm Daley Vigil... I've spoken to your daughter a couple of times before.

[professorbestie]

[Yujin was made aware that Mr. Vigil's memories are not up to speed, but even so, the introduction catches him offguard. He still vividly remembers being in close proximity to this man in the middle of some courtroom testimonies, after all. He spends a few seconds in stunned silence, then smiles and shakes his head.]

You're quite welcome. It's really no trouble at all. [A pause, and then:] We may have met in passing in a distant past before, though I don't know if you would recall. Over a decade ago, when I was an exchange student working in St. Synner's, I did quite a bit of business with Barclay.

[Certainly, most of Yujin's dealings back then were with Governor Caidin. Even so, he expects that there were whispers among the prison staff, given his nationality.]

drinking

[mychosenpath]

[It's good to see him being... well. Himself. Even if the mood does feel a little heavy. Ryunosuke can tell he's trying. All the more reason he's glad that even if Vigil can't celebrate it with his family properly, the way he might have liked-- he's not alone. A bit of friendly chatter might help. So once he gets his own hot cider to drink, he comes over to join him.]

This is actually a first for me. Uh-- celebrating the holiday, that is. So I really only have stories to go off of. [...] But I think this feels like the way it's meant to be celebrated.

[buriedvigil]

[It's the Japanese man that threw the shoe at Lord van Zieks... it's quite hard to forget the person brave (??) enough to do such a thing. Seeing him up close though, it's almost hard to believe that he's the one responsible, but he's certain that he's not mistaken here.

...

Perhaps for both of their sakes, he doesn't mention the Shoe Incident.]

Is it? [Something softens in the former warder's eyes, a small smile finally lifting the corner of his mouth as he nods in affirmation.] The Mikotobas' home has been very welcoming; I'm glad your first experience with this holiday has been with them. Christmas should be spent with close friends and family.

[mychosenpath]

[It's bad enough that he knows Vigil knows. But there's no way he's bringing it up first-- especially now with the other man in question present today as well.]

They truly are. I haven't known them all that long, but they've still been nothing but welcoming and kind towards me. And I know they're just as happy you accepted their invitation.

[Susato in particular, he's sure, would have insisted. But in this case, he has to agree. Especially with their current situation being what it is, it feels that much more important to stick together through both good and bad.]

While I wouldn't call us "friends" necessarily... our meeting, all of us-- none of it was insignificant. Or at least that's what I think.

arrival but like later

[discourtesies]

[Ah, the man brought gifts for their gracious hosts... having lost track of the days himself, van Zieks hadn't exactly planned appropriately to bring any of his own, not to mention not having expected an invitation to their home, so a simple bottle of wine would have to do this time.

In any case, Vigil seems to be in decent enough spirits, even if the man must be missing his family. Mood, really.]

... I suppose Christmas is whenever we would like it to be in this world. Would you not agree, Mr. Vigil?

[buriedvigil]

[Somehow, he's not entirely surprised to see Lord van Zieks here. It's become apparent that he has some ties to Miss Mikotoba and the others... possibly in a manner that almost seems friendly. He doesn't think that the man would be invited if he was on extremely bad terms with them at any rate.

...He is glad that the Reaper isn't spending Christmas-- the day after Christmas, by himself though. It's a terribly lonely feeling and the prosecutor doesn't deserve that sort of fate.]

Lord van Zieks. [He acknowledges, nodding slightly as he keeps a polite, if slightly stiff demeanor. Look, the man can still be quite intimidating even after witnessing him get smacked by a shoe. Speaking of which, guess he's forgotten all about their conversation, or more likely, he's found it unimportant.

Probably.]

...The spirit of the holiday matters most. Today has felt more like Christmas to me. [He won't be a sad sack and mention sitting in his home by himself yesterday...]

Kazuma and Yujin

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato feels like she's barely gotten a wink of sleep (thanks, Whoville!), but it's fine, 'cause she's got Things To Do. Mostly, this involves food prep; she wanted to do a trial run of sorts of the dish she'd proposed to Kazuma for his pub, hence the roast duck, loosely based on the pheasant Iris once cooked for Yujin. In addition, she had also brewed a spiced apple cider, with actual apple slices within.

She had wrapped all her presents already, thank goodness, so really by time she had a moment to breathe, she was sort of staring out of the window like a dog, excitement bubbling in her stomach. ]

...! [ She sees him coming from a distance. ] There he is. I, I'm going to show him. Be right back!

[ BYE DAD. There she goes, out the door and down their path to meet Kazuma. ]

[chippedsoul]

[December brings about the holidays and a Western tradition to be together with those important to you. Though Kazuma would rather keep to himself, it has been a long time since he had seen or stayed with the Mikotoba's. He feels he should take the opportunity while it present's itself, at least for a day or two. So Kazuma has opted to visit them for Christmas, preferring to stay at home for New Years when his pub will be opening around.

His attempt to dress nicely proves futile with the sweater he's been forced to wear, still refusing to come off. Then again, it's more of a "family gathering" then a holiday party, isn't it?

He had barely gone up the path when Susato is outside to greet him. He tugs at his coat, just barely hiding the stupid sweater. His tail still lingered from his Noctaere ventures last month. All the same, he will greet Susato with a bow.]

Merry Christmas. I hope I didn't keep you and Professor Mikotoba waiting too long. [In his left hand, he carried a bag with gifts wrapped up inside.]

[professorbestie]

[Yujin doesn't follow Susato outside the house. Not only is it rather cold out there, he'd rather give the kids their space for a little while. Still, that doesn't stop him from standing by the window to observe. He remembers the first time he introduced Kazuma to Susato and smiles when he notes how far they've come. Kazuma is still a bit distant, but it's different now. Genshin would be happy to see this as well, he likes to think.]

26th Party! (OTA)

[mychosenpath]

[At the first mention of a party, Ryunosuke was glad to accept. This being his first opportunity to celebrate the holiday, he could think of no one better to share it with than the dear family and friends he'd grown so fond of. Honestly, looking at him, you can immediately tell he's feeling a bit sappy. But if there was still any doubt, he's not too shy to share those feelings. It's not just the apple cider. Probably.]

Thank you for inviting me to join you all. I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to celebrate with so many friends. This is all new to me, so-- I'm happy it could be this special.

[professorbestie]

[Truth be told, Yujin doesn't know much about Naruhodo's personal life. He knows he's Kazuma's best friend, he knows the young man originally studied English... That's it. Anything else he knows is related to brilliant attorney skills, and so, he has no idea whether there's a family back home Naruhodo might've celebrated holidays with. (Not Christmas, of course, that's not a thing in Japan (yet), but other celebrations.) Going by Naruhodo's emotional reaction now, he gets the impression this could very well be a rather rare event for him. All the more reason to make him feel welcome.]

Think nothing of it. You're really rather like a member of the family by now, and we're more than happy to have you here.

[mychosenpath]

[It makes him all the happier to hear that, even if he does appear somewhat sheepish. He's a good deal more relaxed than he expected, but there's still a part of him that really wants to leave a good impression, even now. The fact that the "family" he's made is filled with so many people deserving of admiration is certainly a part of it. He definitely wants to live up to their expectations and he's not sure he's quite there yet. At least not exactly on the same level. But he's getting there.]

I never would have expected an outcome like this when this all began. Still-- a lot has changed in a short period of time. I know it's a bit formal for the occasion but... I still haven't even begun to properly thank the both of you. I'm extremely grateful for everything you've done for me. I owe you both a great deal.

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato always said she would stand steadfastly by his side through anything. Today is no different, even if she does seem to be carrying a small wrapped box in her hand, waiting patiently for him to finish. ]

...Hee hee. [ She giggles when he finally does. She doesn't clap, but it wouldn't have felt out of place for her to do so. ] No need to be so formal, Mr Naruhodo.

[ After holding it out for a couple seconds, she quietly taps him gently in the arm with the present. ]

Here. It's for you.

[mychosenpath]

[Nothing means quite as much to him as her steadfast support has. It's gotten him far. So much so that even if he could, he doesn't really want to think about what it would be like without it. He's sure she put a lot of work into making today special for everyone-- that's just the kind of person she is. All the more reason he hopes that it's everything she hoped it would be too.]

No... I guess not. But still-- I really do appreciate everything you've done.

[It's not quite a surprise, really, to feel the tap of her present against his arm. But it still leaves him with this soft, warm fluttering sort of feeling for a moment before he can respond.]

Oh-- thank you. [Before he takes the present, Naruhodo fumbles around in his pocket, producing his own to exchange with her. His wrapping is not the neatest, however, he put a great deal of thought into the paper and bow he used; wanting to pick something cute that she'd like.] This... this is for you.

party tiiiime

[discourtesies]

[He is a tad surprised to be invited to the Mikotoba's for evening, but van Zieks doesn't express this thought; after all, they are the ones most likely to openly include him in their plans—Asogi surely wouldn't include him, and Naruhodo and Vigil would probably be too timid to offer, in his estimation. So he simply arrives on time and remains largely silent unless spoken to, listening to the conversation and occasionally turning to admire the decorations and the ornamented tree. Is it just you, or are those lights a little more... glittery than they were a second ago?

Although van Zieks isn't... mingling, per se, the fact that he's here and apparently has no immediate plans to leave probably counts for something! He doesn't even complain about the wine. In fact, there is a bottle of his own vintage waiting to be opened by the other members of their little party. Maybe he even seems more approachable than usual? It's truly a Christmas miracle.]

[mychosenpath]

[Not an incorrect assumption, at least on his part. But he's quite pleased to see that he's come to join them this evening and-- well, enjoying things about as much as can be expected for van Zieks. Any more miraculous and it would probably be a very different kind of strange. There's definitely something more approachable about his aura this evening. Which is why it feels like now or never, if Ryunosuke is going to do this. Hopefully with minimal embarrassment this time, if such a feat is possible for him.]

...Good Evening, Lord van Zieks.

[The wrapped gift in his hands is not even a little subtle. Nor is it particularly cleanly wrapped, suggesting that he probably struggled with the determination to do it himself.]

Sorry, it didn't quite come out like I had hoped, but-- [He holds the soft package out, still somewhat nervously.] This is for you.

[discourtesies]

[Although Barok doesn't appear to regard Ryunosuke's approach with any particular reluctance or hesitation, turning at the greeting with about as neutral an expression as he's capable of—he does pause and blink at the offered package, and the clear... effort, however much of a struggle, the young man has put into making it presentable.

His hand reaches out to take the gift first, but at last he speaks with the only proper response:]

... thank you, Mr. Naruhodo.

[This man continues to surprise him. There's a bit of an awkward pause as he looks at it, caught in a few thoughts, then—]

Would you prefer that I open it now?

[What even is time or holidays or traditions in a dream world... even aside from not knowing if there are any customs the people of his country follow regarding gifts. He's bad at this.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Lord van Zieks looks to be totally in his element, silent as he is as he takes in the present company. In truth, Susato is a little surprised he is here right now, though she wonders if the wine has something to do with keeping him here. Either way, she doesn't want to bother him if he's content with being a wallflower.

Instead, she is adjusting some of the decorations on the tree not too far from where he's sitting. Very carefully, once she's done, she sets a certain black bunny rabbit plush underneath the tree; because even though she opened the anonymous present early, she still felt like it belonged there.

Her and Yujin had their suspicions. They had no proof, however, so for now, she rummages the boxes underneath the tree, hoping what she got him in return would be enough to say thank you, in her own roundabout way. ]

Um, Lord van Zieks... this one is from me.

[ She bows. Other than the fact that she handles the box as if it were fragile, there really isn't much to gain from the wrapping, or the shape of the box, which is boringly a rectangle. ]

[discourtesies]

[He regards the placed plush with no different an expression than the usual, although his gaze remains there a few short moments longer than might be expected of the man looking at an unfamiliar toy. It seems she appreciates it enough to include it in the proper tradition, and that is enough for him.

Van Zieks does actually expect Susato to approach him this time—it is her home and partly her invitation, he's sure—so he simply turns to her when addressed. What he doesn't expect is an offer of a gift of her own... although he supposes that is a tad ridiculous, when they went through the trouble of asking him to come celebrate.]

I have done little to earn your generosity, Miss Mikotoba.

[But he's pretty sure she wouldn't allow him to leave without taking it, even if he was fully resolved to deny the gift. He sets his wine aside.]

... nevertheless, you have my gratitude.

[So, he'll accept it into his own hands, even if he may not feel that he deserves it.]