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“You may be interested to know,” Kristoph told his brother over dinner, “that Phoenix Wright has asked me to represent him in court.”
“Really?” Klavier asked, raising his eyebrows, fork barely lifted off the table.
Kristoph nods. “Well, my apprentice technically, but I'll still be on the team. I know that we disagree on the matter of Wright's innocence, but I’m sure you-”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Klavier interrupts, waving a hand. “He’s your friend, ja?” He doesn’t always understand what his brother does, but he’s sure that Kristoph has his reasons.
(And, well, over the years Klavier has had a few doubts about what happened to Wright himself. Not enough to voice them to his brother, though.)
“That's right.” Kristoph smiles. “I’m glad you understand that I’m simply doing what a good friend would do.”
Klavier hums in acknowledgement as he takes a stab at his food. “And what are the charges?”
“Murder.” Kristoph let out a soft chuckle. “Obviously, a very serious crime, and one that’s rather distressing to be accused of, but I suppose I can’t say that it isn’t ironic, considering his previous specialization.”
Klavier lets out a chuckle as well. For all that Wright may have forged evidence, he’d never seemed like the killing type.
(Then again, the friends and relatives of most of the people he ended up convincing said the same thing…)
“Well, at least he’s got an excellent attorney like you on his side, right, mein bruder?” Kalvier grins as Kristoph reluctantly acknowledges him. Klavier knew full well that his brother thought his German affectations were only a ploy to make himself seem cooler. And, well, he wasn’t wrong, but Klavier did genuinely enjoy using the language that the rest of their family spoke and feeling its words roll off his tongue. It was a beautiful language, and he was always looking for opportunities to speak it more
Also, the fact that it annoyed his brother was nice as well.
“But anyways,” Kristoph said once he was done with his grumbling, “Winston Payne is prosecuting, so I don’t expect this to be very hard.”
Klavier snorted. “Ach, why they haven’t let that man go is a bigger mystery than some of the cases I’ve taken…”
Kristoph sipped his drink. “I would say that it’s because for all his faults, he’s never forged evidence or otherwise ethically compromised himself… but the Prosecutor’s office has always seemed inclined to look the other way in that regard, so I really don’t know.”
“Ja,” Klavier sighed. After all those prosecutors had been convicted of murder, and then Wright’s forgery, it seemed as though the public had given up on the legal profession - and so had the legal profession itself. For a long while it had seemed as though nothing would change, but rumors of Japanifornia trying out some sort of jury or lay judge system like in other countries had started swirling lately. Klavier wasn’t entirely sure if it was change things, but it was clear something had to give if they wanted to improve the system. And even if that didn’t work out, as long as there were honest, good, lawyers like himself and his brother, he was sure there would always be hope and a chance.
It was with these thoughts in mind that Klavier turned to his brother, smiled, and said “But since you’ll be on the case, bruder, I’m sure you’ll be able to win no matter who is on the other bench.”
Kristoph rolled his eyes, but he did smile and say, “I’m quite sure you’re right, Klavier.”