185 One Step Closer
A/N: so, the last chapter was angst and tears and a deranged psycho getting a little too knife-happy! Ergo, I decided to show the parallel worlds of London versus LA, which means fluffy socks galore, as I decided to focus on loving bonds, a little bit of song, a whole lot of gratuitous German…and puppies!😋
It is the same date in both countries, and I have been cognizant that England is ahead of California by eight hours so obviously it would no longer be morning in the former when it is in the latter, but to minimize confusion and to stop giving myself a headache I stopped writing down the times, although when we get back to Nick and Athena next chapter it will be nearly evening on July 21, 2026.
This chapter is dedicated to Jove’s Boy (hope he’s still reading!) Also, this is a longer read, I hope you enjoy it! 😊
“You know what? I may not be perfect, but I am a loving, caring, and good person. I deserve people who care, who check up on me, no, who want to check up on me, people who can’t let me stay mad at them, who’d always want to make sure I’m happy, loving myself and living my life, people who support me and lift my standard so high because they really want to make me feel all loved and heard, with everything in them, they’d always inspire me to be better, to do better, to love myself and to see beauty in it, and I’m unimaginably grateful I can actually say I have these kinds of people in my life and I swear to hold onto them as tight as I possibly can because honestly, I would never want to let anyone like that go.”
Anneliese Rudolf and Pearl Fey
Lido Café and Bar, Hyde Park
July 21, 2026“Can you believe Mama has lied to me this whole time?” Anneliese tearily wailed to the sympathetic Pearl as they took a seat at the Hyde Park cafe to await Flora and Luke. “Even worse, you should have seen what malicious glee my Tratschtante Tante Franziska took in relaying the sordid details of our ugly family history to me!”
She caught her mate’s confused expression and hastily translated the foreign term.
“Apologies; Tratschtante meansblabbermouth. But never mind that! How am I ever going to face either one of them, ever again?!”
The question jolted the brunette from the act of absently stroking the puppy in her lap, which she’d been doing for the past half hour during the blonde’s rant. It was then that she realized her new friend had finally decided to pause in her stanchless blamestorming to finally intake some air into her starved lungs and was legitimately awaiting a response.
Up until that instant, the spirit medium had merely been offering commiserating coos, shoulder pats and tissues to Franziska’s distraught niece, who hadn’t allowed her to get a single word in edgewise!
Desperately hoping she’d say the right thing, although she had no idea what that could possibly be, the prodigy necromancer stalled for another second by placing Feyt on the ground beside their table. Then, leash clasped firmly in hand, she frantically wracked her brain for how to handle such a delicate situation.
Finally, sensing her dialogue partner’s impatience at her delayed retort, the soft-spoken teenager tentatively suggested a good starting place would perhaps entail actually answering her phone! The blonde had repeatedly been ignoring the relentless ringing of her cell, all undoubtedly calls from her mother, ever since she’d unexpectedly showed up in a hysterical sobbing mess at Pearl’s hotel room earlier that morning.
“And why should I bother to speak to her? So, I can listen to more of her falsehoods?” Anneliese demanded, defiantly hitting the ignore button on her mobile screen with a flourish. “I suppose you have no choice but to stick with the trite textbook ‘talk it out’ spiel! After all, how could someone fortuitous enough to have a darling boyfriend, loving guardian, and doting paternal figure possibly understand what it’s like to find out your family was absolutely nothing like what you ever thought it was?”
“Um, actually…” Pearl began tentatively, about to let on that their situations really weren’t as dissimilar as she thought they were. However, she was swiftly cut off by the tempestuous German.
“Imagine the repugnance you would feel upon discovering you had not only wrongfully adored your Papa but had also blindly been a complete and total Arschkriecherin…”
“A what, now?”
“A mindless Arsch-kisser! Sorry, I always tend to break into my native tongue when I am aggrieved – it’s a family trait I share with Mama and Tante Franziska – we find Deutsche so much more effective for expressing our paroxysms than English.”
Anneliese reached back into her bag of sorrows.
“Anyhow, envision the man you had deemed to be the good parent actually ending up being nothing more than an irredeemably grotesque Hurensohn … and an ever-bigger Hosenscheißer! He knew it was his Lustmolch 1 proclivities that were ultimately responsible for breaking up our home! Regardless, that Schlappschwanz kept allowing me to unnecessarily continue being a Stinkstiefel 2 towards Mama, unfairly resenting and blaming her for the divorce!”
Based on context alone, the non-German speaking psychic managed to deduce that Günther Rudolf had uncompromisingly been decreed a son of a bitch, as well as a trouser-shitter… and a coward! Thence, she didn’t need to interrupt the tirade again for another translation – although she made a mental note, when Anneliese wasn’t within the vicinity, to look up what Lustmolch and Stinkstiefel meant!
“Well, when it comes to hating a family member unfairly, there was that time I blamed my sister for breaking up Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick…” Pearl ventured, only to be interrupted yet again.
“And then, as the icing on the cake, imagine, if you possibly could, that you discover you wasted your life being a mindless Speichelleckerin3 for your maternal grandfather! The man whom you had respected and revered since childhood – only to find out he was naught more than a disgusting Kotzbrocken4 and an utter Pissflitsche5!”
Her lower lip quivered as the words made their way out of her mouth and she appeared ready to break down once more.
“How …” Anneliese’s lip quivered. “I beg of you, just please tell me how I am supposed to ever live with such a discovery? That the esteemed patriarch of the Von Karma family was an unalloyed, evil
homicidal monster?! You could not even begin to comprehend…”I couldn’t possibly understand?! Is she freaking serious?!
The soft-spoken spirit medium had had enough!
“Hold it!” Pearl jumped to her feet, her normally gentle eyes glittering with outrage, fair cheeks flushed with indignation. “That does it! I am officially fed up with being the guest of honor at your pity party of one, along with the baseless conjecture you have fabricated about me and my so-called perfect family!”
The tiny stripling’s hands were on her hips as she sternly addressed Katarina’s startled daughter.
“You think since my life is somewhat normal now, for the first time in almost 17 years, that I’ve had a charming backstory? Because let me tell you right now, nothing could be further from the truth! You’re not the only one with an insane family bearing twisted roots, Anneliese, so enough already!”
Magical Siblings and Clay Terran
Cosmos Space Center
July 21, 2026, 9:00 AM
“Thanks again for buying us breakfast, Clay!” Trucy beamed sunnily at the comely young man as the trio exited the space center. “It was so sweet of you, especially since Polly and I are a little short on extra funds until we get paid for the Wocky Kitaki case.”
“Apollo’s always short, regardless of whether he gets paid or not!” The astronaut quipped, nudging his scowling best friend in the ribs. “Though honestly, doll, it was my pleasure. The flapjacks were my way of thanking you for putting up with my long-winded spiel during my tour of the place. I hope you didn’t feel too much like you were on a boring school field trip!”
“No way, José!” The girl insisted adamantly. “I remember the one time my science class went to the planetarium; it was utterSnooze Ville! But you made interplanetary stuff sound super cool – I was hanging on your every word!”
She animatedly bounced on her heels.
“I was already super excited about finally meeting Polly’s best buddy today since he talks about you all the time. However, he forgot to mention you were an astronomical genius in the space field, as well as such an (inter)stellar narrator!”
To Apollo’s disbelief, the Gramarye illusionist then proceeded to bat her eyelashes at the rocketeer, who gifted her with his most captivating smile as she added the final cherry atop the vast heap of praise … Ad nauseam!
“Clay Terran, you really know how to make a gal see stars … in more ways than one!”
“That’s what all the pretty gals say!” Clay winked, in full shameless flirt mode while the teen twittered girlishly. “Too bad you’re only a sophomore because you sure know how to send a guy’s spirits soaring into space; I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my day!”
Apollo was now officially sick of witnessing this revolting, coquettish display he’d endured for the past two hours between his childhood chum and the nowhere close to legal daughter, whom his erstwhile idol had entrusted in his care while away!
“More like she’s about to launch that intergalactic ego of yours right out of this atmosphere! At least you’re acknowledging she’s jailbait – er, only 15! Therefore, how about beaming those charm rays of yours elsewhere, like at someone closer to our age, Clay?”
“Don’t be so silly, Polly!” Trucy’s cerulean orbs twinkled with jocularity. “Yes, your pal is a total hottie, but have you forgotten that I already have a boyfriend?”
“Oh yes, your very own adolescent Crocodile Dundee!” Apollo noted dryly. “How remiss of me to have let your undying loyalty for an Australian boy, whom you’ve never even met in person yet, have escaped my mind!”
For his part, Clay wasn’t even remotely affronted by the caustic rookie’s defamatory warning.
“You can stop being so unnecessarily didactic – I’m merely being friendly to your lifelong hero’s daughter, nothing more!” The dark-haired cosmonaut returned blithely. “I am in no way trying to steal Trucy away from her Thunder From Down Under, nor get arrested for any sort of misconduct with a minor, so relax, Apollo. No need to have the green-eyed monster rare its ugly head!”
“I am not jealous!” The horn-haired lawyer denied hotly. “I simply don’t think that either Steve Irwin Jr. or Mr. Wright would appreciate you directing your masculine wiles on a juvie high schooler, harmless or not! It’s – it’s grossly inappropriate!”
“Welp, far be it for me to argue with logic like that!”
Clay made a big show out of clapping a hand over his blasted ear and pretending to have been deafened by the red attorney’s sudden Chords of Steel level of defensiveness.
“You win, counselor! If you can’t go with reason, go with volume, for that is foolproof Justice way, am I right?” He directed his best shit-eating grin at the youth, who was already giggling helplessly. “Anyhow, it’s been a blast, but I need to get back to work. I hope to see you again soon, Trucy. Apollo, call me later about that movie tonight, OK?”
“Sure thing,” Herr Forehead muttered as Clay treated Trucy to his famous heartthrob smile, the very one that’d been making female hearts flutter since middle school, one final time, before waving and heading towards the entrance to the Space Center.
“What a fox!” Trucy sighed dreamily after his retreating form as they began to stroll away from the astronaut’s place of work. “But more importantly, he’s so nice, Polly. You’re so lucky to have a great guy like him for a best friend.”
“Yeah, yeah, everyone loves Spaceman,” he grumbled, residually smarting from being the brunt of Trucy and Clay’s merciless collaborative ribbing all morning. “Especially the ladies! Such is the story of my life!”
“No need to get an inferiority complex, Polly. I think you’re totes adorbs – just like a bunny!” She declared loyally. “Or if you prefer the avian species, Maya did compare those spikes to parrot feathers! Either way, both animals are cute, lovable, non-threatening …. and make great pets!”
“A rabbit or a parrot?” Apollo’s horns drooped. “Meanwhile my best friend is a fox! Aka, the predator that’d eat either of those prey, aka me, who is dangling at the bottom of the food chain! Gee, thanks a bunch!”
“Why can’t you ever take a compliment without twisting it around somehow? It’s most unbecoming, you know,” she chided, playfully wagging her finger at him. “Both of you are cute … just in your own different ways. You’re like Daddy and Uncle Miles – each of them attracts a different type of female, as surely you two must’ve, growing up – Clay couldn’t have hogged them all! Were there no fair maidens that preferred you?”
“Sure, they did, but never the ones I wanted to!” He grumbled. “I guess in the end, handsome fox trumps cute rabbit ears with the ladies. Moreover, the objects of my affection usually claimed um, that they found me to be a bit too…”
“Loud?” She supplied helpfully. “Serious? Neurotic? Seriously uptight? A little bit from column A, a little bit from columns B and C?”
If looks could kill, the one Apollo shot Trucy would have rendered her worm chow!
“I was going to say short!” She smiled innocently and shrugged. “Then again, I thought that would have been a wee bit mean!”
Apollo was about to utter a blistering retort when he abruptly halted in his tracks as they reached the sidewalk, and frantically groped at his pockets.
“Shoot, I forgot my phone in Clay’s locker, where we stashed our stuff to clear the security entrance!” He spun around on his heel. “I need to return to the Space Center. Stay here, I’ll be right back!”
“Huh? Why can’t I just come with you?”
“Because if I endure any more of your sickening, underaged, flirty banter with my best friend, I’m going to upchuck my pancakes!”
“Uptight had to be the reason he got passed over, for sure!” Trucy muttered to herself her colleague rushed off. “What gal wants a big ol’ stick in the mud for a boyfriend?!”
The top-hat wearer whipped out her cell from her bag and plopped herself down onto a nearby outdoor bench, a puzzled knit in her brow as she, at last, saw the downright bizarre text that’d recently come from Phoenix.
“What the heck are you up to now, Daddy?!”
She was so engrossed in formulating a suitable response to her overseas father that she didn’t even spot the lumbering male form in her midst until he was practically on top of her!
“It’s been a long time, Magic Girl,” a familiar voice sneered. “Miss me?”
The astonished teen’s head jerked up, and she let out a gasp of dismay as she finally noticed the stocky youth standing forebodingly over her. It was Trucy’s former admirer turned arch-nemesis, whose bullying antics had resulted in the unforgettable showdown that’d gotten her expelled from her previous school at Christmastime.
Drew Peacock.
Her antagonist was sporting even more of his usual pre-growth spurt chub and sparse chin pubes, which he insisted were facial hairs! He was dressed in a hoodie pulled up over a baseball cap, paired with jeans that hung so low, his stubby legs appeared even stumpier.
“Pleased as punch to see me?” The bully snarled, grabbing Trucy’s arm and hauling her to her feet, his beady eyes reflecting the unmasked hatred in his tone. “Don’t tell me you’ve failed to remember the guy you repeatedly shot down, all because you thought you were too good for him, Little Miss Faker Houdini with the Forging Daddy!”
“Let go of me, Drew!”
The frightened magician struggled against his grip, but he only held on tighter, easily pinning both her small wrists in one chunky paw and jerking her closer, until they were nose to nose.
“I sure as hell haven’t forgotten you, or the legacy you left behind at Tralfamadorians’ School of Galactic since they forced your candy ass out of there, after that stunt you pulled on me with that puppet from hell!”
Trucy felt a jolt of panic as all thoughts of her defensive martial arts training momentarily fled her mind; she was still far too dumbstruck at the unanticipated resurfacing of her old tormenter to react quickly enough.
Fortunately, her cadence worked, although it took all her performance expertise to keep it from shaking, lest he sensed her fear.
“I wouldn’t have given you that boot to the gut, or sicced Mr. Hat on you if you’d just left me alone the first time I refused to go out with you!”
“All my damn life, I’ve had to endure mockery due to my accursed name, as well as being ridiculed about how I’m the sole reason Viagra is in business!” Drew’s ferocious spittle flew in Trucy’s face as he continued to fulminate at her. “But after publicly humiliating me by springing that creepy marionette in front of all those kids, I went from being Droopy Cock to Poopy Cock – which was a thousand times worse! I couldn’t ever live that down, so I had to transfer schools shortly after you got kicked out! I’m now stuck at the sub-par educational institute of W.H. Keister Academy!”
“That’s not my fault – I was simply defending myself because you gave me no other choice!” Trucy retorted hotly, unable to curb her livid tongue by this point. “Did you seriously expect me to stand by idly when you got up in my face like that – in front of everybody? – and disparaged both my lineage and my father’s good name, you pork-bellied, puke-inducing, ugolicious … flobjobber?!”
She couldn’t have chosen a more effective – yet unfortunate – insult, as the incensed adolescent’s phizog turned puce with rage.
“Flobjobber?” He was frothing at the mouth as he hauled back his fist. “That’s the last time someone disses my junk again … ever! You’re going to regret that wisecrack, you uppity little bitch!”
Trucy held her breath and clenched her eyelids shut in cringing anticipation for the blow.
Anneliese Rudolf and Pearl Fey
Lido Café and Bar, Hyde Park
July 21, 2026Pearl’s normally soft-spoken tone reflected her aggravation as she drove home the pièce de résistance – the final, fiery evidence of how her family also put the fun in dysfunctional!
“You think I can’t relate to being an absolute jerk-face to an innocent party who didn’t deserve it? I’ll have you know I spent over a year hating my saintly sister, Iris because I mistakenly condemned her for something in which she had zero fault! Even worse, that poor woman withstood both my acrimony, on top of Mystic Maya’s, even though she was only trying to protect both of us the whole time! As for nefarious demonic types, shall regale you about my other sister, Iris’s twin, who also, like your grandfather, got executed, but it was because she was a serial killer! Or should I first elaborate about my deranged, Lady Macbeth of a mother, who is now on death row for twice trying to kill that loving guardian whom you know, and speak so fondly of?”
She smiled grimly at the gobsmacked expression in the wide hazel orbs.
“I see I’ve left you speechless. I’m sorry to inform you that the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. Also, consider this: as far as murderous maniacs go… at least you only had one of them in your family! So, take that!”
Anneliese felt as though she’d been slapped in the face. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she had to stifle yet another sob, but this time one brought on by glaring shame and self-loathing, not self-pity.
Remorseful. Guilty. That is how the American’s harsh but necessary words have made me feel at this very moment. I wish for a time machine desperately, so I could go back, and rectify the mistakes – the worst of all I have done towards my angelic Mama, who has endured having a clueless Arschgeige 6 of a daughter spewing uncalled-for venom at her all this time. However, I cannot turn back time. Impossible. I must live with it. Remorse carves into my soul. Shame eats away like a maggot in rotten fruit.
A tear trickled down her cheek as memories flooded her mind of all the unmerited vitriol she’d felt – and worse, hurled – towards the kind, loving woman she was so blessed to have for a mother.
“I have been not only a ridiculously presumptuous Labertasche 7 towards my own Mama, to whom I have also been an unforgivable Rotzlöffel 8 but you as well, my friend,” she whispered, her voice filled with humbled regret as she reached out a hand towards the spirit medium’s, grasping it tightly as she affixed the tiny brunette with sorrowful, repentant golden orbs. “And in doing so, I have both angered and offended you with my mindless conjectures. Please forgive me, I beg you.”
“It’s all right, I completely understand.” Pearl smiled kindly. “Miss Franziska gave it to you with both barrels and she pulled no punches, so I can relate to how thunderstruck you must have been in the aftermath. As you see, I’m hardly a stranger to unpleasant realities, so I can even identify what you’re thinking about now. You’re wondering what it means for you to know you have such darkness in your genetics, and you’re worried about whether you will turn out normal. Am I right?”
Anneliese nodded miserably.
“Life is like a prism. What you see depends on how you turn the glass,” advised the spirit medium. “Think of it this way, you are only Manfred’s granddaughter… Both Miss Franziska and Miss Katharina are his direct descendants, and while I have referred to your aunt as the mean whipping lady, she’s not a terrible individual, despite you thinking otherwise right now. She obviously has a heart full of love for your mother, who she got a little bit too passionate in defending, even though doing so would end up hurting you. However, neither of those women are evil, nor are you.”
She lightly patted the German’s hand, which was still holding hers.
“You aren’t a bad person; you’ve simply been lashing out at the wrong people because you’ve been misled and hidden in the shadows of lies, but now that the truth has come to light and set you free, you can rise above it and be strong, just like your aunt and your mother. Your grandmother was apparently a wonderful person, and that’s who they both chose to take after. And while you may not think very much of your father, don’t think you’re doomed to repeat his mistakes, as you came from two parents as well! If Iris can be an angel even though her identical twin was the devil, and I turned out pretty normal because I was raised by Mystic Maya, despite who my mother is, you don’t need to believe you’re doomed by hereditary, either.”
Anneliese bit her lip as she mulled this over, wanting with all her heart to believe that the other girl was right. While she had no idea what the future would hold for her, the spirit medium’s philosophical outlook was strangely comforting, nevertheless.
“Danke for such wise and applicable advice.” She squeezed her friend’s hand with gratitude. “More than anything right now, what I want to do is make amends to Mama. I know she withheld the truth from me but…”
“She did it because she loves you,” Pearl finished resolutely. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea in the world, but ultimately her goal was to selflessly protect you. You are so fortunate to have a parent who loved you so much that she put up with a lot of your misplaced anger and the painful truths of your family history all this time. My mother merely saw me as a pawn to use in her bloodlust for power. She never really loved me. The only love I’ve ever gotten is from Mystic Maya, Mr. Nick, and of course, my Luke.”
A reflective smile played on her lips as she spoke of her boyfriend.
“You don’t need another soul to bring fulfillment to your existence, truth be told. Yet, I express profound gratitude to Mystic Ami for his presence in my life every single day. The experience of having your wounds tenderly kissed by someone who perceives them not as catastrophic blemishes on your soul, but as openings to pour their salving ardor into, is the greatest, most palliating feeling in the world. If I were to possess a celestial body for each instance Lucas Triton illuminated my days, I would hold an entire galaxy within the palm of my hand.”
“You two are the most precious pair I’ve ever seen.” Anneliese sighed wistfully. “I guess I inherited the Von Karma ambition, in my quest to become a famous fashion designer someday. This goal has been where all my focus has been all this time, with boys taking the back burner. Yet when I see a couple like you and Luke, a small part of me wishes the same for myself. Moreover, I have long since wanted that for my mother. I had always encouraged her to get out there and date again; to move on with her life because she is still so young and beautiful, yet she has chosen to live like a nun since the divorce! I so badly want to atone for my follies. I desperately want to see her happy, but I have been so damn awful towards her! I’ve no idea where to even begin in showing my atonement!”
“Believe me,” Pearl earnestly counseled, “the power of a simple ‘I’m sorry’ is immeasurable. Never allow pride or anger to obstruct your path toward doing what you inherently know is right. I’ll never comprehend those who prioritize their own arrogance over love… What purpose does it serve to emerge victorious from an argument when there’s no one left to engage with? I can only fathom that such individuals have never experienced the agony of losing someone they cherish… or perhaps they’ve never truly tasted the essence of genuine love! All I can profess is that I would utter a thousand ‘I’m sorry’ declarations if it meant never having to utter a solitary farewell.”
“You are absolutely correct. The longing within me to express my heartfelt remorse to Mama is overwhelming, yet I am plagued by the fear that she will not believe me,” the flaxen-haired adolescent confessed, her voice tinged with sorrow. She hung her head, her vulnerability laid bare. “I-I have witnessed a larger shark tearing apart a smaller fish, relentless in its pursuit. It pecks away at the scales, leaving it exposed and susceptible to further harm. That’s how regret is consuming me, bit by bit, eroding my defenses. It engulfs me in waves, replaying what I should have done or said differently, and what I should never have done at all. I cannot undo the past, but deep within, I understand that I must find a way to make amends. I may not yet comprehend how, but all I can do is muster the strength to try.”
As Pearl’s phone vibrated suddenly, indicating a text message, she glanced at the screen and saw that there was one from Flora and another from Luke. As she read them, a furtive smile flickered across her innocent features.
“Do you honestly mean what you just said?” She asked eagerly. “About wishing to make amends with your mother and seeing her happy?”
“Of course I do!” Anneliese exclaimed fervently. “Only I have no clue where to begin!”
“Well, I do!” The American grinned mischievously. “Furthermore, now that I know we have you on board, I suppose there’s no harm in letting you in on our little plan…”
Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright
Space Center Surrounding Area
July 21, 2026As she braced herself for impact, Trucy was also vainly praying for the power of real magic to exist in the world right about then. Specifically, the instantaneous Harry Potter power of apparition to make her vanish into thin air as her bully’s meaty knuckles waved menacingly in the air.
However, before Drew Peacock could strike her, a thunderous roar pierced their eardrums without warning, causing the thug to drop his ham-sized fist in shock.
“LET HER GO THIS INSTANT, you Slimy, Smegging … Turd Canoe!”
In the next instant, the girl felt herself being forcibly wrenched out of Drew’s unyielding grip and flopping harmlessly back onto the bench as a blurry flash of red suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The next thing she knew, the bully’s colossal rump was thudding heavily onto the sidewalk, while a seething Apollo Justice loomed over him, feet wide apart, chest heaving.
“Next time, pick on someone your own size!”
“Hey, you can’t hit me!” Drew whined, rubbing his flabby jowl, where Apollo had decked him. “I’m only a kid, and you’re an adult! I could press charges, you know!”
“Go ahead and try, you White Trash Taint Waffle!” The counselor shouted at the fallen boy, his tenor quaking with fury. “Good luck finding a prosecutor worth his salt to touch your case once I’m done with you in court!”
“Polly’s a lawyer!” Trucy crowed, wishing she had pom-poms to further cheer on her champion. “So, take that!”
“Not just any lawyer!”
Apollo protectively moved back a step, now guarding the benched Trucy with his body, his ragged breaths making him appear every bit the force to be reckoned with, despite his diminutive size.
“I’m the legal advocate who singlehandedly will ensure you end up doing some serious time in juvenile hall, where you belong! Thus far, I can already nab you with bullying, sexual harassment, plus attempted assault … and that’s merely getting started!”
Unbeknownst to the Apollo, his hazel orbs were now flashing amber-gold flames as he wrathfully continued to address the pathetically mewling Drew, who appeared ready to wet himself.
“If you ever come within a hundred feet of Trucy Wright ever again, I’m going to have you tied up with so many litigation charges, your grandchildren are going to need lawyers!”
“Holy mommy flurking schnitt, what’s with those demon eyeballs, dude?” Drew scampered to his feet, his fleshy mug white with terror as he gaped at Apollo. “Magic girl, you and your brother are both Spawns of Satan himself! Cock in a bucket! I won’t bother you again, just make sure you stay the hell away from me, you goddamn freaks!”
With that, the subjugated bully bolted away as though the hounds of hell were in hot pursuit, leaving a gleefully relieved magician and incensed attorney in his wake.
Drawing in a calming mouthful of air, the spiky-fringed fellow turned to the teen, his eyes, now having resumed their normal color, filled with protective concern.
“Are you OK, Trucy?” He put a hand on her arm. “Did that cretin hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine, Polly – thank you so much!” Impulsively, she bounced up from her seat and pecked him on the cheek, making his face turn the same shade as his scarlet vest. “You not only got here in the nick of time but boy, were you incredible! Forget Harry Houdini – you’re my official hero now!”
Now that his fire had died down, Apollo couldn’t help but be embarrassed by her effusiveness and felt his cheeks further burning.
“Aw, shucks, it was nothing.” He awkwardly scratched his head. “I – I just truly hate bullies, you know? I always have. Clay and I grew up watching out for one another, and whoever couldn’t defend themselves, we’d keep an eye out for them, too. But our key motto was never let a guy pick on a girl…ever!Hence, I refuse to stand for anyone trying to lay a finger on you – not as long as I’m around! No way, José!!”
Of course, it’s been a very long time since my scrappy schoolyard days. I didn’t think I’d ever need to raise these dukes again as an adult, yet it’s my second time doing so in the last three months!
“You’re like the over-protective big brother I never had!” Trucy gushed, fully recovered from any previous trauma within the blink of an eye. “Fitting, since that shaved ape actually thought I was your sister! I guess it’s from the time I popped out Mr. Hat and took my magician top hat off – he must’ve seen the little spiky cowlicks on my head, which are sorta like yours.”
She clapped a gloved hand over her mouth to smother back her laughter.
“Although I’m amazed that he recalled anything, other than the fact that the unexpected sight made him do number two in his pants! Tee-hee!”
Apollo was in no mood to see the humor of the scenario, for he was too busy stifling the growing need to contemplate exactly what it was about the magician which seemed to bring out his innate protective nature. It was exactly like that time he’d shielded her from the pervy Dr. Hotti wannabe at the clinic back in the springtime. He’d literally seen red the instant the creeper medic impersonator had zeroed in on the kid, instantly filled with the inexplicable need to rescue her from any lecherous advances.
As if it was his unspoken duty or something!
Shoot a rabbit! What in the blazes is going on here?! I only met Trucy Wright three months ago – therefore, this all makes zippo logical sense, whatsoever!
“I wish I could’ve decked that barbarian back to the Stone Age where he belonged, but at least I can take solace that my punching skills proved effective this time around!” He responded gruffly. “However, for the record, that knuckle-dragging troglodyte is not only bonafide proof of regression on the Darwinian scale but said dumbass is as blind as a bat, to boot! You and I look nothing alike!”
“Don’t I know it!” A frolicsome grin played on her lips. “Even someone with half an eye can see that I’m much prettier than you are!”
Her harmless attempt at jest went over like a lead balloon, as the visibly fuming Apollo subjected her to his most invidious glower.
That’s a fine way to show gratitude towards the one who only narrowly saved her face from getting rearranged, courtesy of that vengeful, clown-ass, douche hammer! He contumaciously crossed his arms over his chest and combined it with his most tight-lipped glare. That countenance of hers wouldn’t have been so pleasing anymore, had I arrived even a split-second later!
“I’m only joking, you uptight, humorless… unfunny bunny!”
She flashed her most fail-proof, disarming smile. It was the same one she’d refined with Phoenix over the years when trying to avoid severe punishment for her naughty magician tricks.
“For real, I’m sorry you had to intervene at all. There wouldn’t have been a need, had I noticed his noxiously odorous presence a split-second sooner, but I was too distracted by this text I’d gotten from Daddy.”
“Mr. Wright? What’s he up to?”
Trucy showed her associate the strange message.
Phoenix: Truce is it at all possible for you to somehow courier express post my fingerprinting powder and luminol so that I could receive it within the next 6 or 7 hours?!
“Jeepers pelts!” Apollo gaped at the screen. “Why on earth would Mr. Wright need the scientific investigation tools that Ema gave him while he’s on vacation in England? Moreover, why would he need them posthaste?”
“I have no idea… I messaged him back and let him know that unless he was visiting Hogwarts in England and teleportation had become a real thing, it was inconceivable to transport anything within those limited-time parameters! I’d just hit send when I was accosted by a certain Neanderthal Mr. Yucky-Pants!”
Trucy’s phone chimed again, indicating her father had texted back.
Phoenix: I sent you that message over eight hours ago. Did you only get it NOW?
Trucy: Yes. But also, I didn’t check my phone until after breakfast with one of Polly’s friends, and before that, we were getting an early morning tour of the Cosmos Space Centre, where no cell phones are allowed.
Phoenix: Murphy’s Law! This blasted, godforsaken place only has ONE cell tower on the entire dang island … Hence the delayed sending. Plus, I forgot about the time difference between here and LA.
Trucy: Sorry about that Daddy!
Phoenix: Don’t worry about it, baby girl. I was ridiculously hoping you could work your magic and make a doggone miracle happen somehow! After all, aren’t you the queen of “surprise deliveries” and things “turning up” when they’re most … UNEXPECTED?
Trucy: Umm…I’m assuming you’re referring to the incident with Uncle Miles at LAX?
Phoenix: …
About that. Remind me that you’re grounded as soon as I get back home!
Trucy: But DADDY! 🙁
Phoenix: But NOTHING, missy! Edgeworth is a lot more lenient than I am about stunts like this! Any road, as they say here, I need to go now. Very important things to tend to – wish me luck! I hope Apollo’s taking good care of you. Tell him hi. Love you, baby girl.
Trucy: Will do. Good luck, Daddy, with whatever it is! Love you too!
The bewildered young man cast a quizzical glance at the girl as she tucked the phone back into her purse.
“Even though you’re both speaking English, I feel like I’m reading some weird clue from The Da Vinci Code here!” He exclaimed. “What did Mr. Wright mean when he said you’re the queen of surprise deliveries and things turning up unexpectedly? Also, what’s this about Mr. Edgeworth and LAX?”
“Normally I would tell you to mind your own beeswax, but considering you saved my bacon, I guess it’s only fair to answer your nosy inquiries!” Trucy gave him a sickly grin. “But please, spare me any sort of behavioral lecture!”
Flashback….
Miles Edgeworth, Phaya, and Pearl Fey
Baggage Check-In, Los Angeles International Airport
July 18, 2026The chivalrous airport limo chauffeur had preemptively come upstairs to the penthouse and relieved Miles of his valises, (wondrously keeping a straight face at the sight of the beyond gaudy canary yellow design of both the main piece and matching carry-on) and tucked the bags away into the trunk. He’d also extended the same courtesy when picking up Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl and handling their baggage, when stopping to pick them up, on route to the airport.
The motorist had then graciously unloaded all their bags onto two trolleys once they’d pulled up to the arrivals gate at LAX. In hindsight, the poor man had been grunting and sweating profusely more than was possibly the norm, but at the time, the unsuspecting group of travelers had merely chalked it up to the intense summer heat, combined with the driver’s corpulent physique, as the underlying cause of the extreme exertion, rather than think anything was awry with any of their packed cargo!
Phoenix had valiantly offered to push the one trolley containing his suitcases, along with Maya’s, and to everyone’s astoundment, considering the luggage cart had probably weighed more than she did, the petite but insistent Pearl had quickly taken over the handling of the second trolley containing her and Miles’s bags as she’d ushered them to baggage check-in.
All their gear had been tagged by iFly Airlines personnel with no issues until they had gotten to the prosecutor’s largest suitcase, which the flummoxed woman at check-in had informed the group was grossly overheavy from the allotted mass allowed per baggage piece. However, as an honored and frequent flyer, despite being outside the usually allowed parameters, Mr. Edgeworth was welcome to bring the additional encumbrance on board… If he didn’t mind paying the exorbitant “additional weight” fee!
“Objection!” The staggered Miles glared at the check-in woman when he heard the outlandish sum. “Whatever is the meaning of this nonsense?! I demand an explanation as to how the cost of checking in my luggage is almost the same price as an actual plane ticket?!”
“Well, it is 110 lbs over the allowed amount, sir,” the harangued airline employee explained meekly. “Perhaps you can remove some unnecessary articles and only pack the essentials? Or redistribute the bulk of the items amongst your friends’ bags, as all of theirs are well under the limit?”
“My manservant packed this for me, as he’s been doing for nearly 20 years. And prior to this, I have never procured such issues on any other airlines, whatsoever!” The prosecutor informed the woman loftily, too irked to notice Pearl nervously biting her thumb in the background. “Fine then, do allow me a moment to sort through my belongings. Hmmm …. There is something clearly odd about this bulge…”
As the barrister impatiently plucked at the latches holding the oversized bag shut, there was a loud erupting sound, like an oversized bag of popcorn exploding as it burst open, sending a small flurry of cravats, handkerchiefs, and male undergarments flying into the air.
“Uurrngh!” Miles recoiled sharply, almost falling backward into Phoenix, who nearly toppled into Maya, who scarcely kept from knocking over Pearl, in a comical display of a human domino effect. “Trucy?!”
The traveling quartet all stared with saucer-sized eyes as the sheepish-looking magician sat up like a Jack-in-the-Box, smiling weakly at the disbelieving legist, her gawking father, the astounded Maya, and the guilty-looking Pearl.
“Um, surprise, everyone!”
“Security!” Shouted the frantic iFly employee into her intercom, clutching her chest in alarm. “Attempted stowaway at lane 5! All security personnel must come immediately to lane five!”
A couple of armed security guards swooped upon them within the blink of an eye. Calamity then ensued, with Phoenix attempting to stammer out apologies, Pearl pleading with whoever would listen to please not send her best friend to jail, Maya cracking up uncontrollably at the ridiculousness of the entire situation, and Miles, who’d recovered from his initial stupor, now morphed back into his traditional steely-eyed, unimpressed mode, complete with arms crossed and irate finger tapping on his bicep.
“I told you it wouldn’t work, Pearly!” Trucy cried plaintively. “But it was at least worth a try!”
“Please don’t arrest her!” Pearl wailed desperately. “She’s telling the truth … It was all my idea! We didn’t mean any harm!”
“You’re coming with us, young lady!” One of the guards moved forward aggressively toward the top-hatted teen. “Trucy, you got some ‘splaining to do!”
“As much as I appreciate your diligence, that won’t be necessary, gentlemen. This is hardly a matter of national security, after all.” Miles closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. “Please allow Miss Wright to go free. Release her into the custody of Dick Gumshoe, who is not only the local precinct chief of police but her uncle, as well. He will come to collect her.”
“You want us to drop the matter entirely?” The other guard goggled dubiously at the DA. “Are you sure about this, Mr. Edgeworth?”
“Of course, I’m sure.” Miles’s tone was clipped. “It was naught more than a foolish attempt of two childhood best friends not wanting to be separated for a lengthy amount of time, nothing more. As jejune and ill-thought of a plan as it was, it was entirely paper tiger in nature. Moreover, as you can see, she’s merely a child.”
“Actually, she’s my child!” Phoenix cut in anxiously, then pointed at the laughing hyena that’d briefly taken over his lover, and facepalmed. “Well, our kid if you want to get technical! Also, um, she’s his… Niece!”
He smiled hopefully at his brother from another mother.
“Isn’t that right, Edgeworth? So, ah … as the good man said, a silly family prank went wrong – no harm, no foul?”
“None at all!” Maya wheezed, wiping her streaming eyes. “That’s our daughter, the disappearing,
reappearing magician, for you – hence how she almost got away with the whole stowaway act, too! I have no doubt next time she tries this stunt; it’ll be an unforgettable success!”
End Flashback
Back to Present
Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright
Los Angeles
July 21, 2026“Let me get this straight,” Apollo began slowly, eyeballing Trucy as though she’d acquired a second head. “You and Pearl somehow came up with this harebrained scheme that you’d be a stowaway in Mr. Edgeworth’s luggage, and honestly believed you wouldn’t get caught?!”
“I almost didn’t!” She reminded him proudly. “My future New Mommy thinks I’ll be able to pull it off if I ever try it again… and you can bet your bottom dollar that her faith in me shall not be misplaced!”
“I’ll spare you the obvious behavioral lecture, as well as how downright illegal this whole thing was. Heck, I’ll even skip sharing my awe about how you share the same insanely profound luck as Mr. Wright, what with the authorities and Mr. Edgeworth going so easy on you!” Apollo groaned. “But what I’m truly having the hardest time fathoming is how both you and Pearl failed to grasp how dangerous it could have been for you if you had succeeded. Did you two purposely disregard how the luggage compartment on planes is generally unheated, so even if you somehow hadn’t gotten busted, you still would’ve ended up a frozen fish stick?!”
“No, I wouldn’t have!” She refuted proudly. “I was wholly prepared, with a nice, warm blanket tucked into my magic panties!”
“You are unbelievable!” He was beyond incredulous. “You took enough precautions to make sure this would go off without a hitch under most circumstances, yet you didn’t give a second thought about taking off across the pond and as a result, completely ditching me?!”
Trucy blinked, staggered at how genuinely hurt he seemed at that notion. It seemed there was a very sensitive young man lurking beneath all that snark!
“I’m so sorry, Polly! I didn’t think you’d be bothered this much!” She patted his rigid shoulder, her repentant voice taking on a teasing inflection now. “Now that I know how much you were going to miss me and be completely lost without me, I’m really glad I didn’t go!”
“I never said I was going to miss you!” Apollo felt his cheeks warming again. “Although it would have seriously sucked if you all took off to Europe and left me here alone here, twiddling my thumbs! I – I just didn’t want to be left out, that’s all!”
“You aren’t fooling anybody, Polly!” Trucy needled relentlessly. “Admit it! You love me!”
“I do not!”
“Sure, you do! Denial is not only a river in Egypt, you know!”
“Argh! Stop … saying stuff!”
“It’s OK, you don’t have to say it! By now I realize you’re more about expressing your feelings for others through actions, rather than words.” Trucy bounced on her heels and flashed a benign smile. “That would certainly explain your protective fists of fury… though whatever did you mean about your punching skills proving to be effective this time around?”
Apollo inwardly cursed his slip of the tongue, and briefly contemplated if there was any way at all he could bluff his way out of this one! Intuitively, however, he knew there would be no point. He and Trucy had managed to establish an unspoken, deeper connection, as well as reach a new level of unconditional honesty in their friendship that day; one he didn’t want to tarnish with unnecessary lies.
Moreover, the knowing smirk the magician was now wearing indicated she knew very well what he’d been referring to in the first place!
“I hate it when people lie to me. I always have.” He ducked his head away from the knowing blue-eyed gaze. “A few months ago, somebody who I thought I could trust was dishonest with me, and it felt like a sucker punch to the gut. I felt so betrayed, so hurt, that I acted without thinking. And I – I hit them. I’m not proud of myself, but I did.”
Not that it made a difference to Mr. Wright’s cast-iron jaw in the end! Apollo thought sullenly. It’s incomprehensible how even though I’m the one who threw that punch, the disgraced ex-attorney, whom I looked up to for longer than I could remember, was the one who managed to make an even more shattering blow! Never lifted a finger in retaliation yet managed to simultaneously damage my entire belief system and my self-esteem, since he calmly told me to hit him harder next time, making it painfully clear that getting decked by me was the equivalent of a fly-swatting an elephant’s rear end!
“For what it’s worth, it hurt my hand more than it hurt them,” he added when Trucy remained mum, feeling a compulsory need to fill in the awkward silence that’d engulfed them. “I guess it was pacifying fuel for my ego to know that while I’m no Mike Tyson, I can pack a worthy punch when push comes to shove, all the same.”
“Of course, you can! I imagine all that finger-pointing, desk slamming and toilet scrubbing at the office has developed some really good muscles!” Trucy placated agreeably. “Don’t take it personally, Polly. There aren’t too many people who possess the ability to physically hurt my Daddy, what with him being so supernaturally strong! He’s pretty much unbreakable!”
Apollo reeled back, blown away that she could speak so cavalierly about the matter, which up until that instant, he’d had no idea she’d even known about! And what was with this other crazy claim she was making?
“You – you already knew? That I decked your father? How?! And … what’s this now? Unbreakable?!”
“Hang On!” She raised her hand. “One thing at a time, Polly! I guess I’ll get into Daddy’s
Wolverine regeneration explanation first!”Trucy laughingly then proceeded to give a detailed synopsis of her father’s history with painful/near-death experiences.
Apollo’s eyes were the size of saucers as she recounted her unbelievable saga of Phoenix’s superhero antics to him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“It’s all true!” She smirked at his reaction. “The truth is stranger than fiction, is it not?”
“Mr. Wright’s been frequently whipped, pecked by birds, had seeds and boiling coffee thrown at him, fell off an 80-foot-tall burning bridge into a river, and hit by a speeding vehicle, thrown headfirst into a telephone pole, but walked away with simply a sprained ankle?!”
“Yup – and flew 30 feet, don’t forget!” She smugly reminded him. “That’s why you punching him was nothing, Polly! My Daddy is no ordinary badass you know! As I said, he’s … unbreakable!”
“Son of a motherless goat!”
“So again, don’t feel bad about being more Hawaiian than Muhammad Ali level of a punch! As you now know, having pain roll off Daddy like water off a duck’s back doesn’t make you a wimp. Nonetheless, although he’s got a freakishly elevated tolerance to pain, it doesn’t mean you didn’t leave a telltale bruise behind from the impact! Later, when he confronted me about the whole incident with the bloody Ace, I put two and two together that you must’ve found out what happened. He didn’t tell me he’d taken the blame for it, but it wasn’t that hard to figure out.”
Solemn azure eyes steadily met poleaxed golden ones.
“I know that’s why you’re so mistrustful and prickly around Daddy … You don’t even need to say anything. I can sense it. I can see it … in your face, in your mannerisms, and in your body language. A lot of people have their own skepticism about whether he forged the evidence that made him lose his badge seven years ago. I can’t do anything to change that, even though I will stand by his innocence with every breath of my body and proclaim it to anybody that will listen. However, I can tell you this much.”
Her gaze never wavered from his as she dropped the bomb then.
“That forged card, the one that I gave you during recess … My father had nothing to do with that. He didn’t even know about it. It was all me.”
Apollo made a choking sound at this revelation, and she smiled apologetically.
“Apologies, but it was my insurance to ensure I didn’t lose the only family that I have left in this world. I’m very sorry about the risk that I took in doing so, but I would do anything for that man. He sacrificed so much of his life for me, and if he’d been found guilty of a crime he didn’t commit, he would’ve forfeited that as well, and I couldn’t bear to take such a risk. So, if you’re going to hate anybody for betraying you, then you’re going to have to hate me, and I’m going to have to learn to live with that. I only hope you don’t leave our agency because of this. And I pray that someday, you find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Apollo stared into the mournful sky-colored orbs of the youngster who’d been his steadfast courtroom and investigative assistant, and overall ally for these past few whirlwind months.
Trucy Wright was childish, bossy, and annoyingly boisterous. She also drove him up the wall with her outrageous antics, tricks, and relentless teasing. At the same time, she somehow managed to also make him laugh, get through hopeless courtroom cases, and feel a latent, not entirely unwelcome protectiveness … a nurturing instinct of sorts that he hadn’t even known existed! She was also sharp as a whip, loyal to a fault, and had a smile that never failed to thaw out the protective glacial layer he’d attempted to form around his heart over the years.
She was his friend. Moreover, aside from Clay, and despite their age differences, she was also the best friend he’d ever had.
Profoundly, forgiveness transcends the mere release of negative emotions and memories; it is the transformative act of embracing what remains positive and moving forward. When all that remains in a relationship is negativity, even if concealed, it becomes a toxic cycle, an invisible form of abuse. True forgiveness grants the freedom to love and trust again and to mend the shattered fragments of the heart, soul, and mind. It bestows upon us the opportunity to embark on a fresh journey, where only positivity reigns, shattering the shackles of conformity that once held us captive. With a profound understanding of her actions, I now relinquish all negative emotions associated with both Phoenix and Trucy Wright. In this act of release, I am reborn, rejuvenated, and ready to embrace the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.
“To be honest, after the alleged hostage stunt you pulled with Mr. Hat in the courtroom, I can’t say I’m too confounded to find out it was one of your naughty magician tricks at work and not a duplicitous sleight-of-hand perpetrated by Mr. Wright with that card.” He chose his words carefully as he sorted out his myriad of emotions. “Also, there’s no getting around it. Since you entrusted me with your confession, I’m going to trust you not to take advantage of the fact that there’s something about you that makes it impossible for me to stay mad at you…”
“That’s because you’re the Caring, Compassionate Clarion of Revelations!” Trucy squealed, her relief at being pardoned evident as she bounced on her heels and beamed from ear to ear. “Thank you so much for forgiving me, Polly. It means so much to me! As a thank you for being such an all-around champ, let’s go have a doughnut at the best bakery in town that recently opened – my treat!”
“Well, I suppose I can’t say no to some sort of sugary goodness passing these lips since the only thing we have at the office is pudding, which everybody seems to eat before I can even get to it!”
“Goody! Let’s go!” She linked her arm through his and briefly rested her head on his shoulder as she grinned up at him adoringly. “Before we head off though, in light of us being so honest with each other now, there’s one last thing I need to unload off my chest.”
“What’s that?” Apollo couldn’t even begin to imagine what could possibly be left to confess.
“I wanted you to know that if you ever hit my Daddy again, Pollywog…” Trucy’s voice was dripping with honey and the angelic smile never left her lips. “I totally will end you!”
Katharina Rudolf and Luke Triton
Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park
July 21, 2026“Mist! 9 I cannot believe that stubborn Tochter of mine persists in refusing to pick up her phone!”
Katharina Rudolf let out a deep sigh of frustration from her umpteenth attempt to reach Anneliese on her cell. With a resigned sigh, she gloomily sat down at the edge of the fountain where Maya had indicated Pearl and her little hoyden would be convening with the others. Glancing at her watch, she wondered if she’d somehow misunderstood what the designated meeting spot would be, as she’d been there for over half an hour now!
It was nigh impossible that the group had already come and left before she arrived there, as the psychologist had rushed after her daughter only moments following her swift departure from the hotel suite. If anything, she had beaten them to the punch, as she’d hailed a taxi to bring her to Hyde Park, and Maya had indicated that Anneliese was sure to be headed straight there. Considering how long she’d been waiting though, the doctor surmised that her daughter must have first gone to meet Pearl at her hotel room before arriving here with her companion, as it’d be unlikely that she would venture off to the unknown location in a strange city all by herself.
Unless the teens had changed their entire venue entirely because that recalcitrant offspring of hers was hellbent on avoiding her mother, and wisely deduced that Katharina would follow her there.
And I have no way of knowing where everybody is since I don’t have anybody else’s phone number except for Maya’s! It appears I have no choice but to cross my fingers and hope that they show up eventually. Only then can I try to make things right and go back to the way they were – before Franziska opened that impromptu can of worms!
A small yapping bark suddenly sounded from several yards away, and a smile of relief stretched across her visage at the sight of Luke and the most adorable Bichon Frise she’d ever seen scurrying in her direction.
“Top of the morning to you, Dr. Rudolf.” The English lad raised his news cap to her in greeting. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long. The lasses are on their way over, but Flora takes yonks to prime herself to go anywhere, and Pearl had to take Feyt for his morning walk prior to coming here, so he wouldn’t do his morning constitution at this majestic park.”
He mentally congratulated himself on how convincing of a bluffer he could be when the need arose!
“Good morning, Luke. Please do not worry about keeping me waiting. My day ended up being unexpectedly cleared, so I am running on an atemporal schedule,” she responded graciously, crouching down to pet the white bundle of fur that was pawing at the hem of her long floral dress. “Guten Morgen to you too, boy! My, what a precious little headdress!”
“His name is Constantine, and he has worn that helmet for the last eight or nine years of his life – he cries whenever you try to take it off,” Luke explained pleasantly. “His owner used to …ah, play the role of a medieval horseman sometime back, and it seems this pup’s reluctant to let go of his role as an honorary four-legged knight! He’s joining us today because whenever something unanticipated arises with Mr. Barnham, I end up being the called-upon dogsitter! In fact, this little pup is the reason Pearl and I met, but that’s a story for another day. In this case, I fetched him from the marina, and it was a very long jaunt over. I hate to be a bother, but could I trouble you to hang onto his leash while I leg it to the men’s room?”
“It would be no trouble at all,” Katharina replied affably, scratching the adorable Constantine behind his ears. “We have a pet dog at home named Phoenix. I absolutely adore canines of all sorts.”
“Thank you so much.” He smiled graciously. “See you soon.”
Squatting down so he was at level with Constantine’s ear, the chap leaned his head down close to the dog, appearing to any observer to be giving him a quick kiss goodbye, before affectionately tousling his fluffy white head.
“You know what to do, so be a good boy for Dr. Rudolf!”
As the dog barked in affirmation, Luke grinned to himself as he sprinted away, tapping in a rapid-fire text to Flora and his girlfriend as he raced over to meet them at the café:
Constantine has been given his directives! Step one of the plan is complete!
Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright
Cake Me Up Before You Go-Go
July 21, 2026As they crossed the threshold into the bakery, a sense of airy brightness enveloped them. The front of the shop boasted gleaming windows that invited abundant sunlight to dance upon their surfaces, accompanied by the cheerful presence of potted plants. The ambiance exuded a harmonious blend of modernity and rustic charm, a marriage of styles that felt both contemporary and comforting. The café tables exuded chic elegance, their color palette dominated by shades of white and mid-grey.
Stepping further into the bakery, Apollo found himself captivated by the visually striking display racks adorned with an array of delectable baked goods. Each confection was a masterpiece, meticulously crafted to tantalize not only the taste buds but also the eyes. Chocolate-drizzled cakes, delicate pastries adorned with intricate sugar lace, plump blueberry muffins, and steaming, golden-brown puffs adorned the shelves like edible works of art.
Yet it was not just the visual feast that enthralled Apollo; the aromatic symphony wafting through the air was a sensory delight unmatched by any flavor. Every breath he took seemed to carry an intoxicating blend, capturing the essence of all that was good within those walls. The tantalizing fragrance seamlessly blended the rich aroma of filtered coffee, the alluring sweetness of assorted cakes, and the delicate, buttery notes of Danish pastries. It was an olfactory orchestra, a symphony of scents that transported him to pure, culinary bliss.
Caught in the mesmerizing spell of the bakery’s irresistible offerings and the tantalizing aromas teasing his nose, Apollo found himself overcome by salivating anticipation, momentarily forgetting that a mere hour had passed since he last indulged in breakfast.
“This place is great!” He enthused, bending down to check out every level of seemingly countless sweet temptations behind the glass counter. “I can’t believe the variety of goodies they have!”
“This place never has the same selection two days in a row,” Trucy cheerfully informed him. “You could easily spend half an hour trying to make up your mind about what you want… but everything here is so nummy you really can’t go wrong!”
“If you’re going to take forever and a day to make your order, could I possibly go ahead of you?” A familiar female voice asked grumpily. “Some of us are coming right off duty and want to grab their order and go-go!”
The duo turned around, and there behind them stood a slightly bleary-eyed Ema Skye, minus her ever-present bag of Snackoos.
“Good morning, Detective Skye!” Trucy chirped. “What are you doing here?”
“Apparently, doing nothing to squelch the undying stereotype about cops and doughnut shops,” the brunette answered sardonically. “I just came off the midnight shift, and I ran through my go-to snack of choice. To tide me over, Meekins insisted this place not only makes a mean cup of java but a killer banana bread, and generously gave me a piece of his. I found even from that tiny morsel that it made an excellent substitution choice for sweet satisfaction. Incidentally, if you’re really stuck on what to choose, I’d highly recommend it.”
“No way. I’ve been ruined forever for that dessert because of my elementary school music teacher, Mr. Ryder, as his banana bread was the greatest you’ll ever have, mark my words! He used to bake it himself from scratch, and it was his go-to reward any time our music group did well, or we had a potluck class party,” Apollo reminisced fondly. “He was the best teacher I ever had. He was not only an incredible glee instructor, with a voice that belonged on the Broadway stage, but he was the one who taught me how to play the violin!”
“I’d know those vocal cords anywhere! Apollo Justice – is that you?!”
A very attractive, clean-cut man of undeterminable years popped up his shaggy brown head from behind the counter, where he had been reaching down to place a heavenly-scented, steaming loaf of what indeed smelled like banana bread. Grinning widely, he peered up at the red attorney with a look of delighted surprise spreading across his youthful features.
“Mr. Ryder?!” The floored defense lawyer’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “What are you doing working here? Last time I saw you, I was your student, and you were introducing young children to the wonderful world of music!”
“Don’t worry, former apt pupil of mine,” Kevin Ryder chuckled. “I’d never abandon my other life passion. I haven’t quit teaching music, but it’s mostly for younger school-age children now and mostly evening classes, on a private and semi-private level. Many times I was advised to make my baking talents lucrative, so I finally listened! Truthfully, running a bakery has proven to be much more profitable than teaching full time, although the music man in me couldn’t resist incorporating a little bit of George Michael when I named the place.”
“I noticed! Of course, I’ve gotten used to bakery music name trends, like Stairway to Leaven, and Led Zeppoli, but I thought this place had closed down and was replaced by The Rolling Scones?”
“Not shut down, merely moved locations to a slightly cheaper rental area of town. You’ll have to spread the word for me that Cake Me Up Before You Go-Go may have moved, yet remains in business!”
“I swear, I’ll spread the word around the precinct!” Ema promised. “Once he gets wind of your new location, Chief Gumshoe could keep you in business singlehandedly! He was your biggest fan!”
“Thank you, Detective Skye.” The baker smiled warmly at the policewoman, then turned to his former student, his brown eyes twinkling behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. “So here you are Apollo Justice, the newly acclaimed, hotshot rookie who’s making headlines with high-profile cases these days. You were my prize student back in the day! Has music stayed with you at all?”
“You better believe it has, Mr. Ryder!” Apollo enthused, already coming around the counter where his old instructor was already rounding the bend and shaking the older man’s hand warmly. “All the other junior high school kids were supposed to be learning the clarinet, but you made an exception for me when I told you about inheriting my violin, and I’ll never forget it! Because of your tutelage, that instrument has become my ultimate stress reliever!”
“I thought his biggest stress reliever was his Chords of Steel!” Trucy hissed into Ema’s ear in a stage whisper. “I mean, he can practically break the sound barrier while shouting ‘I’m fine’ at the top of his lungs!”
“Hmmm, Apollo’s a secret musician, is he?” The pretty detective mused, tapping her chin. “I never pegged him as being the soulful, artistic type…”
Just then the door chimed, and Klavier Gavin walked into the place, in full Casanova flirt mode with a giggling, statuesque blonde bombshell, who Ema dimly recollected as the Southern server from Lana’s bachelorette party at the Russian bar all those years ago.
“But then again,” she muttered under her breath. “What do I know about men, right?”
Professor Layton and Four Scheming Teenagers
Lido Café and Bar, Hyde Park
July 21, 2026
“I sincerely hope Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth won’t be too cross with me for unexpectedly canceling the polo match and tea at the palace,” Layton fretted as he and his daughter walked towards the café to meet with their mates. “These gentlemen are guests in this country, here for a relaxing holiday. I’m jolly well sure their itinerary did not entail being hauled off unexpectedly to Labyrinthia because an emergency has arisen!”
“I am actually chuffed that Mr. Barnham intervened, so I don’t need to feel guilty about your plans ending up at sixes and sevens!” Flora grinned impishly as she scurried across the grass to their designated meeting area, pulling at his arm as she did so. “I reckoned I’d need to work much harder at filching you away so we could spend some quality father/daughter time, but what a lucky fluke that a certain erstwhile medieval knight went and did all the dirty work for me! Tee-hee!”
“Be that as it may, dear girl, I still maintain that I should have accompanied the good men to Labyrinthia to offer my assistance. And I would have done so, had you not pulled your well-timed guilt trip and coaxed me into coming along with you today.”
The British girl shrugged.
“Everything happens for a reason, Daddy. I’m away at boarding school all year, so how many chances do we get to truly bond as a family?”
“I’m happy to be with my favorite girl in the world, Flora – please don’t ever believe otherwise. It’s just that I shall have to find some way to it up to them,” the Professor murmured to himself, reaching into his suit jacket for his mobile. “Mayhap I should follow up with Ridelle and Jean to see how they’re coming along with the special translation project for Mr. Wright that I put them in charge of…”
“Later, Daddy!” His daughter commanded, snatching the phone from his hand and tucking it back into his pocket. “This is supposed to be your day off, and your bloody work isn’t going anywhere, so let’s chivvy along!”
As the exuberant lass and her slightly breathless father rushed to the crowded eatery, they found Luke, Anneliese, and Pearl playing with Feyt, who was merrily fetching the stick the triad was taking turns throwing for him.
“Anneliese!” The English teen squealed, waving at Luke and pressing a quick kiss in greeting upon Pearl’s cheek before racing over to the German and hugging her tightly, as though they hadn’t seen each other in ages instead of merely the previous evening. “I’m so excited about touring you around this majestic park! However, this place is a stonker, so we’d best have some morning fare to keep us full of beans to get through the day! I trust you lot haven’t eaten yet?”
The three shook their heads, and Flora hurriedly grabbed Anneliese’s hand while winking conspiringly at Pearl and Luke.
“Well let’s go get some nosh then!”
“Flora, we already had a huge English breakfast before we left the cottage!” Layton interjected as she was about to scurry off with her childhood chum. “Are you already hungry again from merely the one-hour drive up to the city?”
“I’m only 17, so technically still a growing girl!” She replied sweetly. “And besides, Pearly hasn’t eaten breakfast yet, and she’s already so tiny – she needs the nourishment! She’s our guest as well, so what kind of gentlewoman would I be if I didn’t ensure she’s well-fed?”
“Perhaps Luke and Pearl can go have breakfast with Anneliese while you and I do little sightseeing around the park and they can meet up with us later?” He suggested. “That’s an incredibly long queue for the food – you’ll be gone for quite a while –”
“Come now! I haven’t seen my old mate in yonks, so we can have a lengthy chinwag session, which suits me fine!”
Flora was about to waltz away without a second thought until she noted her father’s crestfallen expression. Strolling up to her parent, she stood on her tiptoe to peck him on the cheek and placatingly whispered into his ear.
“I’ll be back before you know it, Daddy. Besides, since I’ll be at Gressenheller University come this autumn, you and I both know we’ll be having plenty of time together thereafter! Cheerio!”
With that, she skipped off with Anneliese towards the café without a care in the world, leaving Layton, his former apprentice, his girlfriend, and their dog standing there in discomfited silence for a brief moment before the spirit medium appeared to have a sudden epiphany.
“Um … I never did tell Flora what I wanted to order!” Pearl improvised on the spot, passing the puppy’s leash to Luke and giving him a quick kiss. “If I run over now, I should be able to catch up with the girls in that line and let them know my preference. I’m going to leave Feyt here with you since you can’t take dogs into a restaurant. I’ll be right back!”
Within the blink of an eye, the petite psychic darted off, leaving only the Professor and the young bloke behind.
“I seem to have quite a way with the ladies this morning,” Layton attempted to jest, although he sounded utterly flummoxed. “Somehow I’ve acquired the power to make members of the feminine persuasion dissipate wherever I appear. Do you reckon that’s a coincidence, Luke, my boy?”
“Surely it’s your imagination,” his former apprentice assured him, then mentally counted to 20 in his mind before scooping Feyt up into his arms and making a big display of dropping a huge kiss by his fuzzy ear – or so it appeared. “Bugger and blast! Erm, don’t take this personally – I swear you are not teen-repellent, Professor! – but now it’s my turn to leave you for a bit. I really need to go spend a penny. Could I trouble you to keep an eye on my four-legged son in the meantime?”
“It would be my pleasure,” the British gentleman replied graciously, already extending his hand for the restraining strap. “Although I’m hoping you won’t be too long … I’m starting to feel a bit like an unwanted pariah!”
The minute Feyt’s father was gone, Layton adjusted the brim of his hat and let out a long sigh as he looked down at the tiny white bundle of fluff.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us now, little fellow,” he said to the canine. “At least I have you for company; don’t you think about booking off on me too now!”
The Professor had assumed, not imprudently, that the leash in his hand was firmly secured to the puppy, blissfully unaware that when Feyt’s animal whisperer Daddy had kissed him goodbye, Luke had not only murmured a specific set of instructions but stealthily unhooked the tether from the collar.
This was why the unassuming Englishman didn’t realize he hadn’t merely been abandoned by his bipedal companions, but by the quadruped variety as well, until he glanced down to see the dog’s reaction to his words.
And his horror, he realized he was now holding an empty leash!
Panicked, Layton quickly scanned his surroundings, lambasting his obtuseness for not being more conscientious of the beloved pet whose care Luke had entrusted him with. He only got to experience a fleeting bit of relief when he heard the tiny yip in the near distance, then spotted the snowy blur dashing across the park at warp speed!
At that precise moment, the good Professor mentally cursed his impractical ensemble, entirely unsuitable for sprinting … Dress shoes, a top hat, and a brown suit. He was hardly wearing appropriate attire for chasing after a lightning-fast puppy through a busy public park – not that he really had any other choice!
Neither Pearl nor his former apprentice would ever forgive him for losing their darling pet, and Layton would despise himself for the rest of his days if anything were to happen to Feyt.
Feet, don’t fail me now!
Across the expanse of the park, his frantic steps propelled him forward, the weight of his loafers plunging into the yielding grass with each stride, offering little in the way of shock absorption, unlike the appropriate trainers that would have cushioned his impact. The consequences were undeniable—a jarring collision coursing repeated shockwaves from his feet up to his beleaguered brain. Gasping for breath, his lungs strained as if inhaling acid, while every fiber of his being screamed of impending collapse should he not cease his relentless pace. But at this moment, Feyt’s safety hung in the balance, rendering all else inconsequential. The urgent need to protect him consumed him, propelling his body to operate on instinct alone. It was time to run as if it was all his body knew how to do.
The concept of time had dissolved into oblivion, leaving him untethered from its constraints. In this labyrinth of urgency, there was only one directive echoing relentlessly within him—to forge ahead, ceaselessly, without falter. He dared not entertain the notion of pausing, for the stakes were too high, the consequences too dire. Forward was the only path, an unwavering commitment to pushing beyond all obstacles, propelled solely by sheer determination.
Magical Siblings and Ema Skye
Cake Me Up Before You Go-Go
July 21, 2026“I do try my best to incorporate music in my daily routine here at the bakery though,” Mr. Ryder was saying to Apollo, going back around the counter and grabbing a gleaming woodwind instrument. “A decade later, I can still remember the very first song I taught your class…”
With that, he proceeded to play a stunning version of Nat King Cole’s “When I Fall in Love” on his clarinet, mesmerizing the threesome with the same flawless expertise Apollo vividly remembered. He was grinning broadly when his former teacher finished the opus.
“I will proclaim now, just as I did back then, that you’re worthy of the Philharmonic, Mr. Ryder!” Apollo’s hazel eyes glowed with admiration. “I have some downtime between cases these days, and now that I’ve mastered the violin, I’ve been newly inspired by that incredible mini-concerto of yours to give the clarinet another try! Um, assuming you’re willing to teach an old dog new tricks?”
“I think I can squeeze in my favorite former student in between tutoring the youngsters.” Mr. Ryder winked, pocketing the business card the attorney handed him and handing over his own. “Have your people call my people whenever you want your first lesson.”
“Well, I do declare, Klavier Gavin!” Tiffany was playfully swatting at the prosector’s arm, which only earned her a gleaming, megawatt beam that would have put the sun to shame. “Ya just don’t know how to take no for an answer, do ya? Bless your heart!”
“Now, I wouldn’t be a very good prosecutor if I rolled over that easily, would I?” The famed Männliche Hure drawled – without a hint of irony! – as he pulled out a seat for her at a nearby table. “I can be über … persuasive when I need to be!”
“Yes, yer quite the persistent citified scallywag, ain’tcha?” The woman Maya had once dubbed Booberella fluttered her long lashes at the rock god as she sat down in the proffered chair and crossed her mile-long legs. “A man after my own heart, I reckon!”
Ema watched this entire exchange, appearing slightly queasy. The lovebirds were so wrapped up in their stomach-churning mating dance, they hadn’t even noticed the three friends standing there to witness it!
“So that means you’re accepting my proposition, ja?” The former singer remained blissfully unaware of his cohorts within the vicinity as he directed his most come-hither cobalt gaze at Tiffany. “Nothing would delight me more than the pleasure of your fine company this evening, Schöne Frau.”
“Well, ya ain’t my usual department, sugah…” the pneumatic waitress tittered coyly. “But since ya asked so sweetly, I reckon I could consider trying ya on for size…”
“I’ve been told I’m a one size fits all,” Klavier winked. “I should be finished work no later than 6:00 tonight….”
The homicide detective gritted her teeth, instantly seeming wide-awake as she lifted her chin and fixated determined teal orbs on Apollo.
“My sincerest apologies, Mr. Ryder,” she announced loudly, turning her back to the Ken and Barbie gruesome twosome in the corner and smiling tightly. “But I’ll have to indulge in your wonderful banana bread another time. Come on Apollo, we’re going on a date!”
“Wh –What?” The gobsmacked young man stammered, his forehead already beginning to dampen, as though on command. “A date?! You – and me?”
Ema’s earlier fatigued state was entirely abolished now as she reached out, grabbed the bewildered attorney by the arm, and planted a big kiss on his cheek that ended in a loud smacking sound.
“I’m suddenly feeling rather famished after my long shift, and have decided I’m in the mood for something more substantial than empty calories. Hence, I’m going out for lunch – and you’re coming with me!”
“Lunch?! B – But it’s still morning!” Apollo protested feebly. “And it’s only been about an hour since I had breakfast!”
“Then we are going out for brunch!” She declared undauntedly. “My car’s parked in front, so let’s go already!”
“Trucy was actually gonna be buying since I can’t even afford a donut!” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, but I – I’m kinda broke, Ema…”
“Then I’ll buy!” Her eyes narrowed. “Any more objections?”
He gulped as he further began to sweatdrop.
“What’s your problem, Apollo?” She demanded, puffing up her cheeks slightly so she looked like an adorable forest animal storing nuts for the winter. “Do you not find me attractive? Is that it?”
“Sure I do!” Apollo croaked, blushing furiously. “Although I’m always afraid of being Snackooed to death by your lethal weapon of choice most of the time so that usually lessens any sort of attraction…”
His words closed up in his throat then, and he tried not to gawk like a hormonally-charged adolescent as in the next instant, the comely policewoman deftly whipped off her lab coat and casually slung it over her tanned, bare forearm.
Apollo couldn’t help but ogle. Unknownst to their group, neither could Klavier (who had been pissed off his gourd the last time Ema Skye had unveiled what lay beneath her shapeless trademark garment).
Under that unflattering white jacket revealed a set of jaw–dropping curves. Shapely hips and thighs were tantalizingly showcased in the fitted Capri pants, while the button-down, sleeveless blouse displayed a full bosom, a trim waist, and toned shoulders.
In short, sheer feminine perfection.
“I’m off the clock now, and time’s a-wasting! Plus, I’m getting hungrier by the second!” Ema’s last words came out in what could only be described as a sultry purr, as she’d undoubtedly noticed Apollo’s dumbstruck expression at the rare sight of her rarely-seen, uncloaked physique. “Let’s go whet my appetite… cutie pie!”
She grabbed him by the arm and began hauling him towards the door.
“B – But I never got to have any of Mr. Ryder’s banana bread!” The violinist whined pitifully as he tried dragging his feet against the determined death grip of the lady cop.
“Have fun, you two!” Trucy trilled as she waved goodbye. “Polly, don’t worry about not getting any goodies – I’ll order some to go, so you can enjoy them back at the office! And remember – keep your clothes on!”
“Whaaaaa?” Apollo felt his face turning beet red as he goggled at her, speechless.
“It’s one of Daddy’s favorite retro songs that he loves to play!” The magician answered gaily. “It seemed fitting since Ema’s already started with the undressing!”
“Hubba, hubba!” Mr. Ryder joked, while in the corner, Tiffany let out an appreciative whistle and thumbs up.
“She may be a hottie but there’s more to her than just her body!” The teen sing-songed gaily. “You don’t have to take your clothes to have a good time, no, no!”
Right before the greenhorn’s mortified eyes, Trucy chose that precise moment to burst into song!
We don’t have to take our clothes off (No, no)
To have a good time, oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night, all night)
And drink some cherry wine, uh-huh (Oh, no, no, oh)
The abashed Apollo scrunched his eyes shut upon hearing the indecorous stanza, while silently praying for the earth to open up and swallow him right then and there. Not that, of course, he could ever be so fortunate!
We don’t have to take our clothes off
To have a good time, oh no (A good time, oh no)
We could dance and party all night (Party, all night)
And drink some cherry wine, uh-huh (Cherry wine, uh-huh)
Then, to his utter disbelief, as if things couldn’t possibly get any worse, instead of discouraging such inappropriate shenanigans at his place of business, Mr. Ryder proceeded to grab his clarinet again – and began playing along with Trucy’s (unexpectedly lyrical) vocals, the blasted traitor!
Na, na, na, na, na-na-na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na-na-na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na-na-na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na-na-na, na, na
Apollo had half expected Klavier to begin playing air guitar in time with the tune, just to make his ultimate supreme humiliation complete! However, he instead saw his courtroom rival, who’d obviously since been made cognizant of their presence, openly staring at the science enthusiast. His expression, however, unlike Tiffany’s, was nowhere close to amusement.
In fact, it could best be described as… wistful?
Just slow down if you want me
A man wants to be approached cool and romantically
I’ve got needs just like you
Gimme conversations, good vibrations, through and through
The wannabe forensic investigator purposely evaded her eyes from the corner table as she continued inching out of the bakery, Apollo in tow, as the incorrigible performer continued her unsolicited serenade.
So come on baby, won’t you show some class?
Why you want to move so fast?
“Thanks for the not-so-subliminal message sendoff, Trucy!” Ema let out what she hoped was a lighthearted laugh. “Although I make no promises about the state of our clothing – but only because I need to unbutton my pants when I chow down the way I’m about to right now, ha-ha!”
The detective belatedly realized she had her work cut out in dragging her involuntary date by the arm, as no matter how much she tugged at him, he appeared frozen in place from the utter embarrassment of it all.
She cursed inwardly. It was now downright painful at how grossly delayed their departure was becoming, as more than anything in the world, all she wanted was to put as much distance between herself and Klavier as possible!
It was time to get creative with the exit strategy.
“Ouch!” Apollo bellowed in pain, vociferous enough to be heard in San Francisco. “Not the ear! I have sensitive lobes! Ema, what the hell?!”
“Hey, if you’d quit struggling, and stopped making such a fuss, I wouldn’t have to resort to such extreme measures!” The Snackoo-lover pointedly ignored her date’s falsetto yelps as she continued hauling him, ear-first, out the door – this time with greater success. “If you’d quit your whining, I’d later be inclined to kiss it better… maybe!”
“Owwww! Objection! I’m crying out police brutalityyyyyyy….”
Constantine Barnham and Feyt Fey-Triton
Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park
July 21, 2026
Clutching the brim of his hat with one hand and the wayward leash in the other, the Professor ran off in hot pursuit of the puppy, feeling the muscles of his legs burning with each sprint. Sweat rolled down his skin in thick, salty beads. He could feel his heart throbbing inside his chest, and his skin felt like it was roasting, though he was grateful that he could at least still make out the inexhaustible mass of fur, which was now only a few yards ahead of him.
So close… yet so far…
Cor blimey! He huffed. Luke told me Feyt was a purebred Bichon Frise, not a Greyhound!
Layton was several hundred meters away from the landmark Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, the puppy still within his pseudo-immediate sights, when Feyt abruptly stopped running, and flopped down, belly first onto the soft grass, tiny pink tongue hanging out in a goofy, panting, puppy grin as he lay there placidly, as though now awaiting the Professor to catch up with him.
Barely stifling the urge to collapse down onto the ground beside the dog – his reason for not doing so had nothing to do with how unseemly it would appear but because he was so knackered at this point he feared that if he were to fall, he would never get up again! – Layton kneeled and secured the leash back onto the puppy.
….Only to have the little troublemaker magically regain his second wind, and begin running off again towards the fountain, practically dragging the gasping Englishman behind him!
As comical as it may have looked to have witnessed a grown man being pulled by a puppy that couldn’t have weighed more than a couple of kilograms, there was no alternative but to be hauled along, save for letting go of the leash, which was not an option, or yanking back at the leather strap, which could choke the Feyt’s tiny windpipe, and would be undoubtedly worse, not to mention unthinkable!
As the runaway and his pursuer drew closer to the fountain, another small cloud of white, larger than the puppy’s but not by much – began racing forward toward the two. The oncoming cloud of fuzziness approaching the Professor was not unfamiliar, as his trademark helmet could be seen even from several yards away.
The other non-stranger was the flustered woman who was clutching the incoming dog’s leash, being dragged along behind him.
Canine father and son spotted one another at the same time Layton and the good doctor did, both of their bodies colliding together heavily as the leashed dogs rushed at one another. Professor had no choice but to hold his arms open to catch the catapulted psychologist against his chest like a football to prevent her from flying into him, headfirst!
Dazed less by the absorbed impact, and more by the fact that he was holding a warm female body against his own for the first time in over ten years, the disoriented man barely had time to recover from the disquietude of their propinquity.
Because he was concurrently distracted by the endearing scenario of the Constantine and Feyt reunion.
The two dogs were excitedly yapping while they ran in opposite circular directions around one another, pausing with every lap to nuzzle and exchange kisses as they joyfully yipped away, speaking in a language only they could understand.
“Ah… am I losing my mind, or do these two know each other? Er, surely it cannot be a coincidence that they look almost identical and are behaving in such a familiar fashion?”
The mystified Katharina was blushing madly while asking the questions, and, at the same time, attempting to pull back slightly from his impromptu embrace, only to find she couldn’t distance herself more than a few inches. Glancing down, they both realized this was because while the dogs had been running around each other, they’d simultaneously also been weaving their leather straps between, under, and around the legs of their leash-holders, who were now bound together, quite tightly, from the calves to ankles!
“You are not in the least imagining things, Madam,” he responded as courteously as possible while fighting back the heat rising within his own cheeks as the wind blew a lock of her moonbeam hair against his nose, filling it with the fragrant scent of jasmine. “Allow me to introduce you to Constantine, sire of Feyt, formerly knighted pet of an old mate of mine named Zacharias Barnham.”
“Oh look, Flora!” Anneliese called out from behind them, utterly out of the blue. “They found each other!”
“I told you they would!” Layton’s daughter exclaimed, joining her friend and beaming at her father and Katharina. “You really need to trust Luke with these things, mate! How many times do I need to tell you he can literally talk to animals and that these pups would follow their instructions to the letter?”
Neither girl seemed even remotely stupefied to find her parents in such a compromising position. On the contrary, unless the psychologist was imagining things, her previously distressed daughter now bore an unfamiliar glow within her eyes which could only be described as… Delight?!
“Ah … Wherever are Luke and Pearl?” The Professor asked uncomfortably, obviously wondering why neither of them was making a move to untangle the bound professionals.
“They took off somewhere to have some solo, romantic couple time,” Flora replied breezily. “They needed somebody to watch the dogs, but Anneliese and I were just about to go to the Barclaycard to watch a live concert that’s about to start, so we volunteered you to puppy-sit for them! We reckoned neither of you would possibly mind; just look at how precious they are!”
“Why don’t you girls help un-tie us, and we can all go to the concert together?” He asked reasonably. “It’s an outdoor venue, so I’m sure there wouldn’t be any issues with having Constantine and Feyt with us.”
“You two are a couple of geniuses in your field, so we figured you’d have little issue with this ultimate puzzle that requires a solution!” His daughter grinned mischievously. “Ergo, we’re going to leave it up to you to sort out those binds, and if you do, we would be delighted to have you join us! This shall require putting your minds together, of course, although you know what they always say, Daddy – two heads are better than one!”
“Do you mean to tell me you are just going to leave us here like this?” Katharina gaped at her offspring incredulously “Anneliese are you honestly still so angry that you would wish for me to be publicly embarrassed in such a manner?”
The blonde teen regarded the doctor with an unreadable expression, then slowly approached her, tenderly brushing the errant strand of silvery-blonde hair off Layton’s nose and tucking it behind Katharina’s ear, before softly kissing her on the cheek.
“Ich Liebe Dich, Mama,” Anneliese whispered, loud enough so only her mother could hear. “I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my days trying to atone for my appalling behavior all these years, but for now, just heed these words of mine: I know I have been a terrible daughter, I am deeply sorry, I love you with all my heart, and more than anything in the world, I wish for you to be happy – which is why I am going to leave you two alone now! Auf Wiedersehen!”
With that, the childhood chums skipped away merrily, leaving the greatly mollified Katharina Rudolf and conflicted Hershel Layton alone at that magnificent fountain, with only two reunified pups and one another for company.
After what seemed like eons of silence, the Professor finally spoke.
“I do believe that all four of them were involved in this grand conspiracy to have things end up this way, don’t you, Dr. Rudolf?”
“Five, if you count a certain meddling spirit medium who purposely gave me erroneous information about where to meet everybody, which was evidently instrumental in making this whole stunt work!” Katharina responded with a wry grin as she glanced down again at their fastened legs, then met his dark gaze unflinchingly. “Your daughter referred to you and me as geniuses, but I believe it is those children who are equally worthy of that title. After all, have they not finally found a way to ensure that you cannot run away from me this time, Professor?”
Translations – danke again, RoterSchmetterling!
- Lustmolch – someone who was sex-obsessed. Literally a pleasure-newt.
- Stinkstiefel– a grouch. Literally a smelly boot.
- Speichellecker – literally: saliva licker. This is another way to say Arschkriecher, which you learned earlier. The feminine form is Speichelleckerin.
- Kotzbrocken– literally: a lump of puke. You would use this to mean a contemptible person
- 5 Pissflitsche – literally: squeegee for cleaning the piss (as in from the floors of public toilets). You could use this insult to refer to an unpleasant and disgusting person.
- Arschgeige– literally: ass violin – idiot, Dummkopf. Somebody who just can’t do anything right. It’s a mild insult that Germans use in friendly settings.
- Labertasche – Surely an unbearable babble-bag!
- Rotzlöffel – literally: snot-spoon – brat
- Mist!– Damn!
Jermaine Stewart – We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off
Your article contains really great and helpful info. I’m very satisfied that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date when you create new blog. If you have some spare time, me very happy if you could skim through my blog on car history report, thank you! Free Japan
Hi there!
I love your blog! I have always been fascinated by Japan/Asian culture – I teach ESL to Asian kids and it’s on my to do list to visit Asia especially Japan!
I learned so much about Japan thanks to the content you have here and it’s awesome. My only thing is the one about “DATING: HOW TO SUCCEED WITH JAPANESE GIRLS” …. perhaps change that to “women” instead of girls, as Westerners are very big on legality and ages, and women leaves no question that they are trying to pursue women who are age of consent 😊
Now, regarding the car history report, did you mean this blog? LIB: JAPAN’S ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY?
I thought it was concise, short and sweet and very informative, and I applaud your ability to do that, as I tend to be very wordy in my work!
Keep writing, and reading (I hope!)
As for updates on my blog, as long as you’re subscribed to my list, you’ll be among the first to know when I write something new!
Cheers,
JP