Player and Character Information
[ Player Name ] : Mab
[ Personal LJ ] : mabaliciousness
[ Age ] : 23
[ Timezone ] : USA EST
[ Other Characters ] : None
[ Character's Name ] : Miles Edgeworth
[ Character's Age ] : 28
[ Series ] : Ace Attorney
[ Canon Point ] : Taken from the period between Trials and Tribulations and Apollo Justice, about two years after the events of the Gramarye case.
[ History ] : Miles Edgeworth was born in Los Angeles, California. Raised by his father, a defense attorney whom he idolized for his sense of justice and dedication to defending those in need, he was a happy, albeit quietly awkward child. Despite never quite fitting in with his peers - often bullied because of the old-fashioned way he dressed and his distaste for sports and other activities loved by most boys his age - he dreamed of one day following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a defense attorney. One day, when Miles was in the fourth grade, his lunch money was stolen and his classmates accused another boy, Phoenix Wright, of stealing it. He made his first friend by defending the other child when no one else would and from then on, Miles spent most of his time with Phoenix Wright. With the help of Phoenix and another boy in their class, Larry Butz, he slowly began to come out of his shell, exposed to new sorts of boyish mischief that the other two had a knack for getting into. Always the voice of reason (though Phoenix and Larry usually just called him a spoil sport or a chicken), Miles served as the token “mature one” in the group. While in reality he had a habit of throwing small tantrums, Miles was always the best at making up convincing stories and arguing the three of them out of the trouble they might otherwise have gotten into.
Then one day his life was turned upside down. After a trying day in court, nine-year-old Miles and his father were in an elevator with another man when an earthquake hit. The three were trapped in the dark elevator for hours, and eventually, due to lack of oxygen, Miles’ father and the other man began to fight. Miles witnessed his father shot before his very eyes. The killer, a bailiff by the name of Yanni Yogi, went free, and as a result Miles developed an intense hatred of all criminals. After the incident, Miles was taken out of school and taken in by a famous prosecutor, Manfred von Karma, renowned for always getting a “guilty” verdict. Raised in Germany alongside von Karma’s daughter Franziska, a girl a few years younger than him, Miles dedicated himself to the study of law and became a prosecutor by the age of twenty, making his own name for himself by never losing a trial, just as his benefactor had done. He became cold and aloof, never allowing anyone to get close to him besides the Von Karmas, and even then their relationship was cold and superficial at best. In his first trial, Miles fought without the blink of an eye to put his childhood friend, Phoenix Wright, in jail for murder. His reputation was tainted, however, when he was accused of doing anything to win a trial, even forging evidence. He was dubbed the “Demon Prosecutor,” continuing on his winning streak until the day he came up against Wright once again - only this time, as a colleague.
Phoenix Wright was the defense attorney who brought about Miles Edgeworth’s first loss. For a while, Miles hated Wright, whom he saw as defending evildoers like the man who had killed his father. They became rivals, fighting fierce battles across from one another in the courtroom, yet Miles could never seem to win against Wright. His relationship with Wright took a sudden turn, however, when Miles found himself wrongfully accused of murder. To his embarrassment, when no one would take his case, it was his rival Phoenix Wright who insisted on defending him in court. Over the course of the investigation, Wright’s ardor for proving him innocent earned the defense attorney a reluctant sort of trust from Miles. Eventually, he confided in Wright about having had reoccurring nightmares about the night of the murder, and told him of his fear that it was in fact he himself who had been the one to shoot his father. During the incident, Miles had picked up Yogi’s gun and thrown it at him in an attempt to prevent the man from attacking his father. The gun had gone off, and young Miles had lost consciousness, never knowing whether or not it was his fault his father had died.
Once again, Miles’s life was irreversibly altered when his trial revealed it had in fact been his most trusted and revered mentor, Manfred von Karma, who had shot his father, infuriated after Gregory Edgeworth had nearly caused the infamous prosecutor to lose a trial. Shocked and hurt by the betrayal of the man who had taught him everything he knew - who remained entirely unapologetic about what he’d done, and even served as the prosecutor during Miles’ trial - after being proved innocent, Miles found himself at a complete loss as to how to continue on with a life that had been so twisted by the manipulative lies of a criminal. He couldn’t handle virtually owing Wright his life, and, resigning from his position as prosecutor, Miles fled abroad to find himself, with no warning besides a quickly scrawled note left on his desk that stated, “Miles Edgeworth chooses death.”
A year later, he returned to Los Angeles, standing in for his sister Franziska when she was shot. Though he only remained in the States long enough to complete the trial, returning to Europe with Franziska afterwards, he proved during the case that he had reassessed the meaning of being a prosecutor. As opposed to marking any loss as a personal failure as he had previously done, Miles had come to value the discovery of the truth above all. When Larry Butz called him out of the blue one night, informing him frantically that Phoenix Wright had been in an accident and was in the hospital, for reasons Miles couldn’t explain he found himself chartering a plane and was back in Los Angeles the very next day. To his surprise, Wright handed over his attorney’s badge, asking Miles to act as defense attorney in his place while he was in the hospital. Miles began the investigation as well as the trial, defending Wright’s client until Wright was well enough to take his rightful place once again. From there on out, Miles gave in begrudgingly to the strange sort of friendship that began developing between him and Wright.
For a while, everything remained relatively calm. Miles took on prosecution in Los Angeles once again, facing off with Wright just like old times, but with more of a fond, friendly rivalry than before. He came to rather enjoy Wright’s company, joining Wright and his motley crew of friends for drinks or dinner every now and then, though never quite opening up or becoming close with any of them like he had with Wright and Larry when they were children. Wright did become his confidant, however, and Miles turned to him when there was no one else to talk to. Similarly, he was there for Wright when the other man’s life took a turn for the worse and he was debarred. Yet despite his efforts to support Wright and help him through the rough time, Wright turned down a path Miles severely disapproved of. As he watched Wright sink lower and lower, forgetting about the utmost necessary things such as personal hygiene, taking up vile habits such gambling and what he considered a shameful “career” as a performing artist, the fire of his old dislike for Wright was rekindled. Though he would never admit it, Mile’s anger was in actuality a cover for his own feeling that, because of his own inability to open up and become close with anyone, he had failed Wright as a friend. His response to Wright’s decline was to once again return abroad, as he had a habit of doing when faced with situations he simply couldn’t handle (the slightly more realistic embodiment of his childhood tantrums).
It was from France that Miles was pulled into Vatheon. Having buried himself in work - as he is wont to do whenever emotions threaten to get in the way of his logic and reason - Miles had spent his days abroad pursuing a finer education in international law. While his psyche had continued to coil itself into a tighter and tighter ball of disgust and self-loathing after the way he’d abandoned his only friend, he’d taken on a far greater work load than even the workaholic prosecutor was accustomed to. By the end of his work days, which concluded only a few hours before the next day was to start, Miles would collapse into bed frequently without even managing to change his clothing. He had worked himself well beyond sheer mental exhaustion, running on auto-pilot to the point that he simply didn’t have the mental capacity left to think of anything besides work. It is on one of these pathetically regular nights that Miles is pulled to Vatheon, where he will wake up rumpled and disoriented in his work clothing from the previous day - but hey, at least he managed to get a few extra hours of sleep.
[ Personality ] : Much like his wardrobe, Edgeworth’s personality can easily be described as prim and rather prudish. Raised under the strict eye of the infamous perfectionist, Manfred von Karma, he strives to excel in any and every endeavor he takes on. Simply put, to be anything less than the very best is entirely unacceptable in his eyes, as well as a distinct sign of personal failure and weakness of character.
Edgeworth’s manners are impeccable, though he does have a tendency to come off as rather haughty if he considers someone to be of a lower class than himself. Quite skilled in the practices of social etiquette despite some leftover shyness from his childhood days, he can be quite charming when he needs to be, especially as a means to an end. Though he does prefer to maintain a stoic air, it is quite possible for him to become impassioned when it comes to certain subjects, and he won’t hesitate to engage in lengthy, heated debates if it means defending something he truly believes in.
Despite his on-going efforts to cover his true feelings, and his general success as far as putting forth a cool exterior, Edgeworth is not entirely unflappable. At twenty-eight, though he is perhaps not as volatile as he was in his early twenties, he has yet to perfect the mask of complete indifference he would prefer the world to see. He remains irritable and short of patience; a trait made all the stronger due to his frequent habit of covering up any wayward hints of vulnerability with a shield of anger. His nervous habit of grabbing his arm, however, will be a dead give-away for any of those times he has become seriously upset.
Contrary to popular belief, Miles Edgeworth is not entirely unfeeling, nor is he the demon that the media would have him believe himself to be. His sister, Franziska von Karma, and former friend Phoenix Wright might attest to this fact, for it is these two people with whom he has been able to establish an arguably close relationship. Around them, he is able to be the most himself, unafraid to let his regular defenses slip, if only just a bit. He bickers most openly with these two, and has both received and given aid to the point that a mutual sort of trust - however grudging - was able to develop.
Above all, Edgeworth has a keen sense of justice. Finding the absolute truth in any matter is of the utmost importance to him, and he is willing to go to any length to reveal that truth, even if it means moving out of his comfort zone.
[ Strengths/Weaknesses ] : Edgeworth’s main weakness has always been that of dealing with his emotions. In the von Karma household, emotions were considered not only frivolous but even dangerous should they get in the way of one’s reason. From the time he was taken in by von Karma, Miles was taught to subdue his emotions and put forth a hard, unfeeling exterior as a means to prevent distraction from the trifling appeals for mercy from those he would prosecute. As an adult, though he has made an attempt to rid himself of some of the harsh training from his youth, Miles still struggles when it comes to showing any genuine emotion beyond anger and frustration. He might easily be called judgmental, and is still likely to snap at someone with good intentions should they get too close to breaking through his emotional defenses.
Another great weakness of his would be his insecurities. Though he has trained himself to always put forth an air of confidence, he still inwardly battles with any number of insecurities brought forth through his perfectionism as well as his inability to confront his emotions. He tends to be suspicious of others after being raised by the manipulative von Karma, but in the end he will blame himself for any failures before blaming other people. In fact, when things don’t the way he believe they ought, Miles has a knack for convincing himself that everything was his own fault in the end.
His pride might also be considered a weakness, for while it often fuels him into action and prevents him from giving up when the situation seems hopeless, his pride is easily wounded and stubbornly persistent, to the point where Miles will often refuse to back down even when he ought to. This same pride, however, could also be considered a strength. Though his pride makes him exceedingly stubborn, it also gives him a confidence in his abilities to see any endeavor through until the end, especially when the well-being of an innocent person rides on his success.
He is ruthless and meticulous in his work, sparing no minute detail that might break an otherwise air-tight case. He has mastered the art of diplomacy, and - so long as he is able to keep his emotions in check and remain calm - he has taught himself to use his charm and knowledge of social graces to gain the trust of those from whom he most needs it. He is not a man who is above using his looks to move forward (though he would never stoop so low as to use any method that might be considered inappropriate), and as such he makes a point of staying in shape and maintaining a physique that will allow him to present an air of strength and confidence. In addition, he is highly intelligent and well-educated, and does his best to make claims only when he can support his argument with sufficient evidence and knowledge of the subject at hand.
[ Other Important Facts ] : This version of Edgeworth is based off of the first four games in the Ace Attorney series, as I have yet to complete Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Canon-updated to include the events of AAI.
[ Sample ] : They must have drugged me. It’s the only logical explanation for how they could take me out of my private home without waking me. I suppose I’ve been a bit more exhausted lately than usual, but there’s absolutely no reason why I wouldn’t wake up to strangers in my bedroom unless there were another factor at work.
They must have drugged me. And it must have been something powerful, at that. Why else would I be seeing the ocean in the sky, and strange lights floating about my head? They expect me to believe that I’m in some sort of city under the sea - absurd! - and that my energy is being drained away as a means to power some sort of forcefield around the city that “keeps the water out.” They seem to have gone to great lengths to convince me their story is true, as well, seeing as I woke up completely drenched in what would appear to be sea water. Apparently, that evidence alone is supposed to be enough to have me believing their fantastic tale.
I suppose they didn’t count on my familiarity with fatigue. Perhaps most people aren’t accustomed to feeling so drained, but hallucinations or no, I’m inclined to think I got a few more hours of rest than I normally do. Even through the haze of the drug - because they must have drugged me - I’m hardly so gullible as to believe this nonsense.
I don’t care where they claim to have brought me, or why. Kidnapping is illegal according to every law book I’m familiar with, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice…
…just as soon as I stop hallucinating.