songerein | [Closed] The Merry Ace Attorney

Entry tags:

[Closed] The Merry Ace Attorney

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.]

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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.]

[ 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. ]

[ 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.

[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.

[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.]

[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.]

[ ...Don't say it.
Don't say it.
Your current sweater is not that much better, Susato, do not-- ]

Meowy Christmas. [ Gosh darnit. But of course she will bow in return, respectful as always, despite the chuckle that escapes. ] Not at all! He is waiting for us inside, but first, allow me to show you something.

[ Perhaps the confidence is ill-advised. Was Whoville even real? Nevertheless, the smile is evident as she closes her eyes, her pointer finger extended as if to say "wait." After a few seconds, she can feel a small warmth growing there, just at the tip, and when she feels the flame as grown large enough, she opens her eyes and shoots it towards the lamp that marks one side of the beginning of their path, glowing bright. ]

[The only indication he gave for that greeting was a raised brow. Maybe a quiet sigh. Yes, Meowy Christmas, haha.]

Hm? [What was she about to do with that hand? Oh. Ohhh. He watches with surprise and fascination as she lights the lamp nearby.]

Amazing...when were you able to do that?

[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.

...At first, only when I was angry. But with some training, it's finally gotten easier.

[ Practicing in Whoville helped, and that was only last night, but Kazuma shouldn't be shy. She's seen him do similar things, and she always aspired to make it look that easy. Since he has his hands full at the moment, however, she'll go ahead and light the second lamp too.

Now that she's done showing off-- ]

May I lend you a hand?

[ She doesn't know how heavy the bag of presents is exactly, but she wouldn't be a very good host if she didn't offer. Either way, she will lead him past the lamps and down the path to join Yujin in the house. ]

In such a short time...? Impressive. [He means that, really. His tail is wagging slightly under his coat and there's a warm smile on his face. It feels so long since he genuinely felt happy.]

Ah. It's all right, I can handle this. Let's not keep your father waiting. [He'll follow along behind her, the smell of the roast reaching his nose as they got closer to the home. Not letting the meal deter him, he'll bow his head to Yujin as well when he sees him.]

Merry Christmas, Professor.

[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.

[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.]

Edited (i forgot to hit a button.) 2021-12-28 05:14 (UTC)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.]

[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?

Edited (GET OUT OF HERE, D, NOBODY WANTS YOU THERE) 2021-12-28 07:29 (UTC)

[He had wanted to make it look nice, giving great care to the choice of wrapping paper and the shimmering bow he chose to pair with it. Unfortunately that almost seems to make the execution of the lumpy folding and taping stand out even more. It also didn't occur to him to make a better attempt to hide the nature of the item with a proper box; simply opting to wrap the soft item by itself... which was no doubt at least a small part of why it was so difficult to wrap with precision.

But all that effort was more than worth it, to have it accepted and with some gladness. Although he wasn't the slightest bit confident in his ability to choose gifts for others. It had been pointed out to him that he has a terrible habit of being drawn to useless and unnecessary things-- so he can only hope that his attempts to find things for others is better than his ability to collect them himself.]

Under normal circumstances, this isn't a holiday I would have been able to celebrate yet-- much less with you or any of the other people I was fortunate enough to meet in London. So I figured this would be a nice way to commemorate that celebration.

[On one hand, not knowing what his reaction was would probably drive him crazy. On the other, he's a bit nervous to see his reaction first hand. But he has to pick one or the other. After a moment of uncertain debate with himself--]

...if you'd like to, then please-- by all means.

[Gosh, he's proud of his daughter for mastering fire dreamotion. Has he told her that yet? He should tell her that m- Oh, here they come.

He goes to stand by the open door to greet them with a smile as they arrive, bowing his head to Kazuma in turn when prompted.]

Merry Christmas. I'm glad that you could make it.

[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.

[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.]

[ No no no, "mastered" is such a strong word, and she is far from that, but she is quite ~~lucky~~ glad that it worked. How embarrassing that would have been for her had it not......

She chooses not to think about that, smile bright as sunshine as they greet each other. ]

I am glad too, of course. [ She knows he has been busy, and she has been helping to alleviate that best she can. Either way, she knows there are other things Kazuma could have been doing with his day.

The Mikotobas are new at this, but the makings of Christmas cheer are all there. In fact, the only thing left was that tree they were going to pick out and drag in together at some point, but the presents are rightly wrapped and in an designated corner where a tree would look right at home. ]

We decided to wait so that we might be able to open our presents all together. If you want, you can put yours over there too, Kazuma-sama.

[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.

[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.

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[Closed] The Merry Ace Attorney

26th party; OTA

Kazuma and Yujin

arrival

Drinking

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26th Party! (OTA)

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party tiiiime

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drinking

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arrival but like later

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