too busy to take part in palletshipping week as always, but here are some sketches of The Gays Ever that i still haven’t finished (but i WILL eventually!)
Summary: A sheltered young artist with a tragic past finds herself caught in the web of dark affection by a beautiful and sinister murderer, and his carefree rockstar brother.
Mr. Edegworth had initially volunteered, of course, to help ferry her and her new things to her new dorm, but the day before, she’d gotten a text from him, saying that Klavier had offered, and if she would mind the switch.
As much as she was happy with Edgeworth’s help, she took Klavier up on his offer, promising to meet with Edgeworth and tell him all about it later. With a quick text to Klavier as well, she began putting her things by the door with an eager smile.
It was going to be a hard few months– brutal and testing of every faculty she had, but she refused to give up.
As she finished her preparations, the letter she had received the afternoon before, after coming home from her therapy session with Simon Blackquill, was fresh in her mind.
Funny to think this is the last letter I’ll be sending to this address for a while. Thank you for making sure that I have the correct one for your dorm. I’d ask if perhaps we should pause our correspondence until you’re finished with your training, but I admit it would be a bit lonely for me, even if I thought it was prudent.
She hummed cheerfully as she threw some of her last minute things– her precious nail polish, her brush, a fresh sketch pad and pen and a number of other things she’d used only just that morning– into a smaller bag to set upon the others.
In her reply, she’d told him that prudency was well and good but she had no intention of stopping their letters. Taking Simon’s advice she signed it with a heart, to hell with whoever may object.
It was a simple little flourish. Out of context, almost nothing. But how much would it change the context of her letter? How would her guardian angel take the change?
She hoped– prayed even– that he’d understand. That he’d notice and apply it retroactively. If not…she would simply have to be bolder with her next letter.
She grabbed the letter in question, looking over his words once more as she carried it to the bag with the rest of her essentials.
His letter, like all of her guardian angel’s letters, was warm, encouraging and cordial.
After signing the heart, Vera suddenly found herself second guessing if that was all it was. She’d confessed to Klavier Gavin that she wanted his brother’s affection; and she’d confessed now to Simon Blackquill that she was in love.
But how did he feel about her?
It was something they’d never been able to talk about through the ambiguity of letters. Through the polite, warm, florally scented written word, they’d only ever been innocent exchanges. Hopes, dreams, discussions of their past and encouragement for the future.
She knew her heart, and the way it beat for Kristoph Gavin– but she wouldn’t lie to herself. She couldn’t. There was a solid chance that for all her hopes and affections Kristoph only saw her as a student. A young woman to help guide into the next phase of her life. A friend.
She bit her lip and held the letter to her chest.
Nothing in Kristoph’s letters indicated he wanted to be anything more than her mentor and her friend. Nor had their brief interaction in his prison cell.
But there was one thing she could hold on to that indicated that the cordiality of his letters was possibly– or even likely to be– a false veneer.
Twisted as it was– it was Klavier Gavin’s reaction to the whole thing.
Her face burned as she thought of it. Klavier– he’d been so certain from the little she’d told him at first. He took one look and he seemed to know.
Yes…it was twisted, but it was that very thing that gave her hope that there between the written lines was the love and affection she craved.
Klavier knew better than anyone the way Kristoph could hide intent behind a false veneer. And what exactly he might be hiding.
From the sound of it, once prying eyes were away, Kristoph Gavin was not exactly a man who withheld his affections. Of some variety, at least.
Vera packed the letter carefully away with her bottle of perfume, her eyes lingering on it a moment more.
When prying eyes closed or averted— it was possible she would have to see for herself just how true that was.
A knock on her door brought her back from her reverie to reality. Speaking of Klavier…
She looked up and opened it with a smile , her eyes darting for any helpers or unexpected visitors before her greeting.
It was just Klavier though, however, on his lonesome– a little more conservatively dressed than she’s seen him so far, with a t-shirt that actually covered his stomach, and a button down shirt unbuttoned over it.
“Fraulein! Good morning! I got up early to help you with your move, ja?” He grinned widely, clearly aware that ‘getting up early’ at 10 in the morning was ‘early’.
Vera grinned playfully.
“Good morning, big brother. Thank you so much for coming! You look like you’re ready to carry some of my heavier bags…” She laughed into her hand. “you’re lucky…there’s no room in the dorm for my drafting table…so it’s mostly essentials and clothes for my leave days.”
Klavier made a muscle jokingly. “I could carry it easy, little sister, I promise. But a little birdy told me that your dorm was already furnished and you would only need help with some boxes and bags.”
“Exactly!” she gestured to the admittedly small pile of boxes and bags by the door, even a she slung her bag of ‘essentials’ over her shoulder. “Maybe if I ever get the chance to move for real, I’ll put t-that to the test, though.”
“Ahhh, liebling, if you do, I will have to assemble a little army of worker bees to make our work shorter– while I carry all the heaviest things, of course.” He strode into her apartment, and started grabbing boxes.
“Worker bees?” Vera laughed quietly “…you don’t mean Miss Skye do you?”
She bent down to grab a rolling suitcase herself. She selfishly took a minute to watch him bend down to grab a box with a flush. His jeans were tight and hugged his form, giving her a good view of the rockstar’s ass that a tabloid would have killed for.
“Ja, fraulein! Frau Skye would be one! Oh and perhaps Athena Cykes as well– she’s got quite an arm!”
He started hauling her boxes toward her door, which he propped open with another box.
“I’ve noticed. She’s shockingly strong.” she said with a satisfied smile as she started rolling her case out the door. “Would…would we have to pay Miss Skye in Snackoos?”
“And she would complain the whole time even so,” he nodded, “Enchanting, isn’t she?”
There was a small truck parked outside at the curb, and Klavier started loading the boxes into it smoothly.
She worked right alongside him. She wasn’t the strongest but she’d been working to improve that even over the last two years. Running, morning exercise– anything to heal from the ravages of the poison.
“Honestly, she’s very enchanting…heh. And kind of an inspiration. She’s why I specifically want to go into forensics.”
“She inspired you, liebling? Have you told her? She’ll be very flattered, even if she doesn’t say so.” He smiled, leaning on the truck for a moment and tossing his hair.
Vera tossed her bag up and into the truck with a soft laugh, looking at him appreciatively for a moment.
“Back during the trial for my life her forensic investigation techniques were decisive evidence of my innocence. If it wasn’t for her and her work, they might have executed me already.” She smiled gently “I haven’t had the chance to really tell her though…I’m hoping that I might now that I’ve promised to be a little more…e-emotionally honest.”
Klavier put his hand warmly on her shoulder, leaning close to her. “Oh yes, liebling? I am thrilled to hear that. Perhaps I can set up a little meeting for the two of you! We could go to lunch, the three of us if you like.”
She chuckled softly as she leaned into his touch.
“I had a talk with mr. Blackquill. …he thinks I need to have a late stage ‘teenage rebellion’ and commitment to opening up even if I’m a bit past the usual age range.” She looked up at him “if you could I’d be over the moon, big brother~. You’ll get to see her face when she t-takes a little flattery.”
“I’ll make a date, fraulein, I can’t wait to see her face!” Klavier’s fingers played with her hair for a moment. “So, you spoke to herr Samurai. He’s surprisingly wise in things like that for such a forbidding man, ja?”
Catlike, Vera gently rubbed against his touch with a half smile.
“Uh huh…I can’t wait either.” She closed her eyes thoughtfully. “he is…when I saw him I wasn’t sure what sort of advice he’d give but…ah. he..he seemed to see through everything I said and gave me some pretty great advice. I think he’s got experience with it..”
“A surprisingly experienced man, too.” He chuckled and after a moment grabbed her shoulder again gently to lead her back for more boxes. “I have often seen him in his bold and public flirtations.”
She followed along, even as her face heated a deep pink. “…he may have given me some advice on that too.”
“Oh did he now? Was it bold and flirtatious?” He scooped down for a couple of her suitcases, still grinning his wide, easy grin.
“You could probably call it that.” She said with an awkward chuckle, bending down to grab one herself and hefting it with a huff. “…I guess he has experience with… ah, sneaking– moments– with people who aren’t supposed to have moments to sneak.”
“Ahhh, yes I see what you mean,” Klavier nodded, amused. “From when he was a prisoner himself, sneaking time with his own detective. I’m sure he was eager to share tips.”
She snorted softly, her smile as flustered as she felt.
“He hasn’t shared them yet but he promised that if things worked out…he..he’d give them.” She bit her lip “I mean, I don’t even know for sure that they will, big brother.” She dropped the box in the truck..
Klavier carefully put her suitcases in the truck and promptly cocked his head like a lost dog. “What do you mean?”
Vera rubbed the back of her neck with a smile.
“…I don’t know if I’ll wash out of the Academy despite my best efforts..and…” She hesitated, putting her fingertips to her lips.
His bold smile fading into a worried expression, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Tell me what’s on your mind, fraulein.”
Vera leaned into him with a gentle hum. “You know my letters with Kristoph…I tried to be a little bolder with my reply today..”
His voice dropped a little quieter and curiously he goaded her. “Oh yes?”
“It wasn’t much! But I put a little heart at the end.” she laughed quietly. Despite her smile, her eyes were wide with worry. “and then I started…worrying.”
He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “Worrying? About what? That you overstepped something?”
She nodded quietly.
“I had the sudden worry that I’d read too much into things because of my own …adoration.” She bit her lip “and that there was a chance he only saw it as…as…you know…”
Klavier’s eyebrows raised dubiously and he cocked his head again, looking confused.
“I don’t think it’s the case!” she protested with a shaky smile “..but i thought of the worst case scenario where he…he just thought of me as a student or…something.”
Klavier made a choked noise. “Ah– fraulein– let us go inside for the rest of this conversation, ja?”
She offered her arm to him with a sheepish smile. “alright..”
Once they were safely inside, Klavier pushed the box he’d used to prop open the door away and leaned on it. He ran his fingers through it nervously, playing and toying with the strands.
“Fraulein, little sister— I think perhaps you are under a misconception about Kristoph.”
Vera nodded quietly, her brow knit in worry. “…yes? What do you mean, b-big brother?”
He kept toying with his hair, looking off away from her. “You say that you worry he might think of you as a student. When you say that, what exactly do you think you will be missing from him if it’s so?”
“Not a student…I know there’s some of that in his letters.” she held her hands up “I’m not entirely sure. I just worried my…overt display may surprise him, or maybe he won’t b-be happy with my…” Her voice dropped quiet “need for affection.”
To her surprise, Klavier laughed and shook his head. “Fraulein, if he didn’t want to show you affection, he wouldn’t bother to take you on as a student. For Kristoph– brother, student, friend– they are all the same. Lover. Either he pays attention to you, or he does not. And it seems like he’s been paying a lot of attention to you.”
Vera’s eyes widened, and her hand covered her lips.
“He either pays attention to you…or he does not…” she repeated.
Over 500 letters stood in evidence only just to her right in her drawers and table. One burned a hole in the bag currently sitting in the truck.
“He…has been. Every week, twice a week, he’s never missed a letter…he remembers the things we say , and notices little details…” She bit her lip with a deepened flush “They’re all…lovers…to him?”
Klavier tossed his hand dismissively. “My brother is very polite and sociable to everyone. But I’ve never known him to actually pay attention to or get close to anyone he did not intend to take to bed– more than that– I have never known him to get close to anyone he did not intend to, in his own way, romance. I’m sure that Phoenix Wright was surprised when their weekly dinners turned into dates. But I was not surprised.”
“Because you know him…and his unique way of seeing the world and romance…” Vera mused thoughtfully. She bit her lip, face flushed red. “He only gets close to those he intends to romance in one form or another…meaning the fact he’s kept up these letters, even…even if it’s been unsaid directly…”
“He sees you as an intended target of his physical affections,” Klavier nodded. “Or he wouldn’t have bothered. And he’s already so completely ensnared you, it’s all but guaranteed, ja, fraulein? That is why I call you little sister so quickly.”
Vera bit her thumb quietly, turning it over in her head.
Kristoph’s mere act of continuing their relationship– of initiating it and never letting it lapse– was a sign of his intention. His intent to ensnare her and draw her closer to share his physical affection, and maybe more.
She nibbled at the pad of her thumb with a flustered half smile. It was guaranteed, as Klavier said.
She truly was accepted into the ‘family’. Into his life, so soon and so completely.
“Thank you…” she grabbed him suddenly in a hug, looking up at him with genuine warmth in her slight smile. “I didn’t know, but it makes so much sense when you explain it, big brother. No wonder you call me it so quickly…and accepted me so quickly.”
He hugged her back as she grabbed him suddenly and smiled as she flushed against him.
“Ja, liebling,” he chuckled, and petted her hair. “I am certain that my brother intends to keep you as close as it is possible for him to do. And so, knowing his intentions, it is my job to keep you close when he cannot.’
Vera nuzzled her head against his hand with a flustered laugh.
“I can already tell you’ll do a wonderful job, Klavier…” she looked up at him with a teasing smile “so what’s my job?”
He chuckled and lay a finger on her nose. "Oh, a dangerous question, fraulein, I could answer that in many ways!”
Vera gently brushed the tip of her nose against his fingertip with as innocent a look as she could manage in her quiet and muted affect.
“I’m used to danger.”
“What a shame,” he purred, smiling. He cupped her cheek with his hand.“I can’t say for sure what my brother intends for your ‘job’ to be, but for the past two years I think you have been a comfort, and a companion to him. I would like it if you would be that for me as well.”
Vera tilted her head into his hand with a shy smile as she leaned her body against his.
“I’m glad…glad to be a comfort and companion to my guardian angel,” she started with a quiet stammer. “and I would love..absolutely love it…if I could be the same to you, big brother Klavier.”
“That makes me happy, little sister. I have been lonely for a while, I have to admit.” He leaned in and he kissed her forehead.
Vera closed her eyes, his hug and the affectionate kiss warming her heart. He’d been as lonely as she had been, she believed him when he said it. Despite the crowds of ‘friends’ at the club, and his easy smiles, she believed it with all her heart.
“Me too.” she murmured against him “not anymore?”
He gathered her close to him and nodded. “You’ve done much already to ease my lonely heart, fraulein. There’s something about you that fills a comforting space. I suspect that’s how my brother feels too.”
Vera snuggled against him, letting him draw her close with a pleasant and happy hum. Something about me that fills a comforting space.
The thought brought her joy. The idea that, as lonely and isolated she’d been for so long, there was still something about her that could comfort and ease…once she found where she fit.
“You’re probably right,” she closed her eyes “easing both our lonely hearts…and Mr. Kristoph’s too.”
“So tell me, liebling, does that ease your worry?” he asked. “I’m sure your little heart flourish will be well received. In fact, it may easy my brother’s own worries, that he has not sufficiently conveyed his intentions to you, or that you harbored no interest in him outside of as a mentor.”
She nodded against him with a happy hum “no more worry…it’s very eased.” she chuckled softly “…good. That’s what I wanted. I wanted him to see how I felt.”
“I am sure he will be thrilled, liebling.” Klavier smiled. “So– let’s get the rest of these boxes moved and get you into your dorm, ja? So you can start your detective’s path.”
“My detective’s path…“Thanks for helping me take my first steps, big brother.” She leaned up to give him a peck on the lips and then she looked at the boxes with a half smile. “We should hurry before Pearl starts thinking I’ve chickened out.”
September 05, 2028– 12:20 pm
By the time Vera and Klavier had reached the academy dormitories and started bringing boxes in Pearl Fey seemed to have been already moved in.
As they scooted the first round of Vera’s things in the door, they spotted her and her companion– Iris Fey– sitting at a little folding table drinking tea.
Vera tried to wave…only to nearly fumble the box in her arms and have to right herself with a soft squeak.
“H-hey Pearl! Hey Miss Iris!”
Iris Fey looked up from her tea with a quiet smile and a nod “We were wondering if you’d gotten lost.”
Pearl, meanwhile, had hopped up to run over and help Vera with her box, short hair bouncing around her ears.
Klavier laughed. “Nein, nein, it was my fault, I’m afraid. I was terribly late in picking Ms. Vera up. She has graciously forgiven me for my terrible manners, ja, fraulein?”
Klavier was lying to make Vera look better…
She glanced at him with a tilt of her head as she handed the box to Pearl.
“Ah..t-thank you Pearl!” He didn’t have to lie for her– especially on something so small– but she smiled with a nod. The die was cast, she wouldn’t contradict him., and it was sweet of him in a way “I’d forgive you for a lot, Mr. Klavier, and it’s not like there was much of a rush.”
Iris tipped back the rest of her tea and stood with a stretch of her lithe body. The battered old military coat she wore slipped down over one shoulder. She was wearing some sort of tank top under it, baring enough skin that Vera could see the main body of her floral tattoo.
“Don’t worry too much about it.” She winked at Klavier “…lemme see what I can do about those boxes, ok.”
“Ja, Frau Iris, we would be overjoyed to have some of your muscle helping us schlep the rest of these!” He grinned broadly, tossing his hair.
With the team effort, getting all of her belongings into the dorm took less than half the time it had to get them out of her apartment.
As they carried the last boxes up– well after Klavier and Iris were inside– Pearl grinned at her. “I can’t believe you got Klavier to come help you move!”
Vera laughed, quiet and shy as she grinned.
“You can’t? Really?” She hefted the box in her hand “I know he’s a rock star and everything..”
“Yeah, and he’s kinda lazy!” Pearl teased. “he’s super nice though so maybe it’s not that surprising.”
She lingered by the half open door before they entered the dorm proper.
Vera gave Pearl a wink.
“Big brother Klavier is incredibly nice…did you know he took me out drinking the other day to celebrate?” She chuckled quietly. It immediately t dawned on her that she’d slipped up with the ‘big brother’ addition, but she continued as if it were nothing. “I think he’s excited to hear that we’re going into law too.”
“I guess he is!” she chirped. She dropped her voice low. “Big brother, huh?”
Vera turned a vivid pink, and nearly dropped her box.
“uh…” She gave her a flustered smile “….turn of phrase?”
Pearl grinned. “Let’s talk about it later.”
She held the door open for Vera as they brought the rest of the boxes in, and that was that.
September 05, 2028– 2:10 pm
Klavier and Iris stayed for another cup of tea, and chatted eagerly with Vera and Pearl about the move and the beginning of their training, but eventually they’d both left, to let the two of them get started on their unpacking. Klavier had left her with a gentle touch on her head, and a promise that he’d be keeping in touch.
And so, she and Pearl had gotten to work unpacking.
Vera’s excitement beat in her chest as she worked to unload her clothes and essentials first , box by box. Seeing Klavier and Miss Iris was nice– exciting even– but there was something amazing about unloading her things in a new room.
It felt real, this first major step in her detective’s path, when she finally placed an old and hand-stitched stuffed cat on the bed she’d chosen.
Fey hovered over her shoulder, having less to unpack than Vera did. “Oh, he’s so cute! Or she?”
Vera blinked over her shoulder at her with a smile.
“She. I made her myself so I’d have a friend. Of course…she’s a copy of someone’s toy I saw at the Gramarye show.”
“You made her yourself?” Pearl gasped, covering her mouth. “That’s so amazing! Of course, I should have expected you could.”
Vera picked her back up again and wiggled her at Pearl with a shy smile.
“Thank you…I could make one for you too, if..if you wanted something specific. I’m sure I could find the time.”
“That’s so sweet!” she cooed. “Maybe! But I think we’ll both be pretty busy, huh?”
Vera hefted her bag of essentials onto the bed…unpacking her perfume, her nail polish, the latest letter and other daily needs.
“They’re not going to go easy on us one bit, so I think we’ll wind up being pretty aggressively busy, Pearl.” She chuckled quietly “..but we can tough it out…”
Pearl made a muscle. “Darn right we can! We gotta– with all the people rooting for us, right? Speaking of which…”
Her smile took on a teasing edge as she looked at Vera.
Vera tilted her head with a smile. Part of her had a vague idea of where this might go, Pearl’s ‘we’ll talk about it later’ rising back to the forefront of her thoughts.
“Y-yeah Pearl?”
“You and Klavier– I had no idea you were close!” Pearl hopped onto her bed and looked at her curiously, hands in her lap like she was expecting a story.
Vera turned a deeper pink as she moved to put her cosmetics on her night stand, smiling a little shyly at Pearl with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Well…back during the trial , my trial, he was the head prosecutor…and for a long time he used to visit me every now and again to take me out and see how I was doing…” She bit her lip “..I’m about 80% sure that Mr. Edgeworth started looking out for me because Klavier asked him too. Even if we didn’t spend a ton of time together back then.”
“Aw! That makes him sound almost like a guardian angel!”
Vera sputtered , grabbing the letter off her bed and shoving it into her pocket with a tilt of her head.
“…something close to it. Perhaps. Recently …recently we started getting a lot closer because of some stuff.”
Pearl chewed on her thumb thoughtfully. “When we talked when you came over, you mentioned you had a guardian angel. I wondered if that was who you were talking about!”
Vera stared down at the nail polish by her bedside for a moment. Simon had told her– told her that she had to be more open. And she’d been thinking of telling Pearl back when she’d first brought it up when they were talking about the future.
The world didn’t work like her father had always told her…
She ducked her head with a deep breath before she said “he’s close to my guardian angel…he’s done so much for me, and has promised to be there for me…but the person I was talking about is someone else.”
She bent down to grab another box , before setting it by her pillow. “…my Guardian Angel is my demon as well. Kristoph Gavin.”
