Butterfly in the Cold (Phoenix Wright - Dahlia Hawthorne)

[Snowy]

I was watching through a playthrough of Trials and Tribulations recently, and something in me decided I wanted to see Dahlia cracking through... different means. I think the Phoenix Wright series needs more love here anyway given how there's literally a case where a guy dies because he's too into sneezing  That part of the second game kills me every time. Anyway, enjoy part one!

***

    The glaring lights of the courthouse were making Dahlia even more miserable than she already felt. Her throat was raw, her head ached, and she kept sniffling in a desperate attempt to not sully the mask she was wearing. “That idiot…” she huffed under her breath, and immediately followed those words with a few coughs.
    Dahlia had only met Phoenix twice herself, and yet both times he’d managed to ruin her life. The first time was, of course, the inciting incident for this whole mess. The second time was several days ago when, in attempting to poison her so-called boyfriend, he carelessly passed on his cold to her. Of course, she could’ve sent Iris to testify in her place, but Dahlia had lost all faith in her sister. There was no way that spineless girl could ensure a guilty verdict, especially not if she’d fallen in love with that… pathetic oaf.
    Instead, Dahlia had taken as much cold medicine as she could, made herself presentable, and set off for the district courthouse. She was was already halfway there when the reality hit her of how much of an uphill battle the day would be. The medicine was helping her congestion, but, in return, her nose began running profusely. The dripping of her nose then blossomed into a lingering itch. Maybe it wasn’t the medicine at all, maybe it truly was the horrible cold progressing in her. Dahlia had seen how badly the cold hit Phoenix at lunch. He’d been sneezing nonstop. She gritted her teeth and did her best not to sneeze; if she started, she feared that she wouldn’t be able to stop.
    She’d managed to keep the tickle at bay for the rest of the trip to the courthouse. The moment Prosecutor Payne saw her he’d descended on her, asking if she was feeling alright and offering her all sorts of things. She wanted nothing more than to clock him over the head with her parasol. But Dahlia maintained her composure, batting her eyes and insisting—though slightly hitching breath—that she was just a bit under the weather. Eventually he’d buzzed off for the start of the trial.
    Now it was just her in the lobby with the bailiff. A drowsiness had settled onto her shoulders, and the only thing keeping her awake was the building prickle in her sinuses. Dahlia kept her face slightly hidden behind her parasol so the bailiff couldn’t see her contorted expression. “E-eh-huh… ih-hih-h… ngggh…” Dahlia grit her teeth. She was going to sneeze. Even if it was just her and her bailiff, she didn’t want to lose her composure like that. Shakily, she got to her feet and sought out the restroom. It’d been years since she’d been here, and her foggy mind didn’t make finding the restroom any easier.
    The tickle was unbearable. All of her strength was now being put towards fighting the urge to sneeze, and Dahlia had to place a hand against the wall to steady herself. Without the sniffling to hold it back, liquid now gathered on her upper lip and threatened to spill over. “H-h-heh! … Ghh… H-hih! HIH!” The restroom had to be close! She glanced up, and realized too late that she’d walked into the wrong hallway. There was no way she’d reach a place of privacy in time. Dahlia ducked into her parasol as her strength failed her. “HiiIIIISHHHHHHewww! H-hehhh… HESHHHHHHiew! Isshieew!”
    It was the first time Dahlia truly felt like the frail guise she put on. She felt so disgusted that she wanted to scream. Mucus coated the inside of her mask; she could tell by the damp feeling against her face. That skin-crawling sensation gave her a sudden burst of energy, and before she knew it she was staring at herself in the restroom mirror. Without hesitation, she peeled off her drenched mask and placed her closed parasol on the counter.
    She looked awful. Her nose was as red as her curls. Her complexion was somehow pale and flushed at the same time. And worst of all, her whole lower face was gleaming with a layer of snot. At least one of those things was easy to take care of. She fished a packet of tissues from her purse and began cleaning herself up. She carefully wiped at her chin, mouth, and around her nostrils. She then tried to wipe her nose, but just touching the sensitive skin was enough to set her off again. “Hhhheh? Hh-heh… uh… HIIIISSSSSShieeew!” Fantastic, now the mirror was as filthy as her mask was. Dahlia grimaced as she clamped a fresh tissue over her nose with one hand, then grabbed a paper towel with the other to clean the mirror. “Dammit… of all days… U-useless piece of…” No, really she should be mad at her good-for-nothing sister. If Iris could have just accomplish one simple task…
    After cleaning the mirror, Dahlia slumped against the sink. Part of her wanted to scream and tear her hair out. Part of her wanted to cry. But her body, it seemed, still just wanted to sneeze, so she gave into that feeling. “Hh-hishheeeew! Ih-hISHhhieww!” The itch just kept stroking deep in her sinuses. She only managed a few deep breaths in between. “HE-EshhhEWW! Hhheh! Hh? Ughh… Eshhhhiieeeew!” She stayed that way for several minutes, finally indulging the feeling that’d plagued her for an hour and switching tissues once the once she was holding began to dissolve in her hand. Her glossy red hair became more disheveled each time her head snapped forward. “Hiiiiih-ISHIEW! IshhhiEW! Huh-heshhIEW!”
    Finally, her sinuses calmed. Dahlia turned to face her reflection in the mirror. God, she looked pathetic. But… maybe she could use this. Even though she hated looking this helpless, it would be easier than usually to get people to fall over themselves agreeing with her. A few cute sneezes and she’d have the judge eating from her hand. Dahlia donned a new, clean mask—the last one she’d brought—and returned to the lobby.
    “Ah, Ms. Hawthorne,” the bailiff addressed her as she sat down. “You’re being called to testify. Please make your way to the courtroom.”
    “Oh, I’m terribly sorry to make you wait!” Dahlia replied with a doe-eyed expression. It was showtime.

[nothin2sneeze@]

Aww! Can’t wait to see her use her sneezes to win everyone over, such a cute idea! Looking forward to another update. 

[Immorticia]

On 4/4/2022 at 10:41 PM, Snowy said:

And worst of all, her whole lower face was gleaming with a layer of snot

It's so cute. I don't think I've ever read a Dahlia fic before. You really represent the thoughts and motivations of the character well. I also love your snot description. Hope you write another installment soon.