Chapter Text
Actus Reus Non Facit Reum Nisi Mens Sit Rea
: conviction of a crime requires proof of a criminal act and intent.
It was an uneventful morning at Wright Anything Agency - the calm before the storm. Perhaps uneventful was an inappropriate word. With Apollo and Athena loudly playing rock, paper, scissors (“rock” “rock” “rock” “rock”) and Trucy, still unsatisfied with her exploding hat trick - despite it being quite impressive - if not heart-attack inducing - really uneventful was subjective. This was normal. And Phoenix Wright only groaned when confetti erupted from his daughter’s performance prop and into his coffee. He debated drinking it - it was just paper right - but instead moved some papers aside on the coffee table to put his cup down. They certainly made him feel like an old man at 35.
“Paper!” Apollo finally hollered in triumph as Athena clenched her fist strongly in one last cry of defeat.
Both were stubbornly holding onto rock, but Phoenix knew that Athena would be the most stubborn and hold onto rock until she lost or until it finally paid out. She was the newest addition to the team, and although accomplished and emotionally astute for her age, when she lost all professionalism flew out the window. If anything, she really she looked younger than her 19 years.
Apollo chuckled at her apparent, and over-dramatized misery and said, “Well, that settles that. Toilet scrubbing duty is all yours Athena.”
“Noooo, I was so close!” she moaned.
“Um Athena, how can you be close on a one on one match?” Apollo argued in return.
He didn’t receive his answer as a cheery tune beeped through the moment of silence (BOOM another shower of hat sparkles exploded on Phoenix).
“Oh that’s me,” Athena perked up, reaching into her pockets for a cell. “Yes, an escape route,” Widget, her small robot necklace and empathetic tattle-tale announced (“Hey!” Apollo grumbled). BOOM. BOOM. Yep, Phoenix was getting too old to keep up with this. “Just drink your sparkle coffee, Phoenix”, he told himself.
“Hello!” Athena chirped, ignoring Apollo’s loud harrumphing and continuing, “Frisk!” That was a name Phoenix didn’t remember hearing. It grabbed his attention; though he wasn’t eavesdropping, even if he wanted to he could barely hear Athena let alone the person on the other end. BOOM
“Really?” she answered cheerfully. The conversation went on mostly with Athena bouncing on the soles of her feet and nodding enthusiastically despite the other person not being able to see her response. “Hey that’s great! Let’s go now!” she exclaimed. “Sweet freedom” Widget announced, the little computer face winking cheekily as Apollo crossed his arms. “Nothing important,” Athena answered to the obvious question of “Are you busy with anything?” “That’s great…. Yeah… I know where that is! Right away! Hasta luego!” She pocketed her phone, already bursting with energy. She looked ready to jog in her prim yellow suit vest and skirt.
“Well my friend is in town.” She announced, already discreetly stepping closer to the door.
“How exciting!” Trucy replied with just as much eagerness, “How long has it been since you’ve seen them?” She was able to vicariously enjoy the excitement of others. Phoenix did not doubt that his daughter felt just as though she was the one reuniting with an old friend.
“Almost three years, I think. Haven’t seen them since our applied positive psychology course.” she answered turning to have a full conversation with Trucy as she hopped closer to the door. “Sorry, but I gotta go. I have to meet them in fifteen.”
“Wait who’s them?” Apollo called.
“Frisk.”
“Who’s Frisk?” he asked in exasperation.
“They are,” was the cheeky answer he got before she closed the door. Footsteps could be heard running down the hall… fainter… fainter….
“She just bailed didn’t she?” asked Apollo in a slump, a literal slump. Phoenix did feel genuine empathy for Apollo. Today was supposed to be cleaning day, after all, and his last remaining hand just recently covered the whole office in rainbow flakes. He looked around; papers covered the entire desk, except where there was room for his coffee. The old boxy computer was buried under what could only be described as a manila folder tent. Why did he even have that thing again?
Phoenix chuckled a little, before leaning back to chat with the young attorney, “You need to be quicker than that if you want to keep ahead of Athena.”
“Yeah, and considering Athena jogs every morning, you have a lot of catching up to do, Polly,” added Trucy with a tip of her top hat, as though she was delivering a punchline in one of her performances.
“I think you’re mixing up quick-witted and quick on your feet,” countered Apollo, the ever reliable critic. He smiled though, a little bit deviously if you asked Phoenix, before adding, “Besides, the quicker Athena is at running away, the quicker she is at returning. I just have to wait her out.” So that meant that the office would not be getting cleaned anytime today. All was well though; Phoenix probably wouldn’t recognize the office under the layer of litter. It was a bold interior design choice, but he’d grown used to it.
“Oh a trap! How conniving!” the magician girl commented. Both young adults forgot about the mess and began chatting about possible traps. With Trucy’s input, the hypothetical traps slowly got more imaginative and improbable, using donuts as bait. As serious as Apollo could be, he could still play around (thankfully a lot more subdued than Trucy and Athena). At least once a day Trucy could drag that side out of him… like a sister. He bit his tongue. Many times he had almost told them that they were siblings, but a promise he made to their biological mother choked that secret before it reached his throat. And every time that happened, he felt so weak that he had to shut his eyes tight and take a deep breath. What kind of person kept a promise they did not believe in?
He scanned the papers on the table looking for anything else to focus on. He thought he could not find a subject that could take his mind off his current train of thoughts, and then he saw a name:
Miles Edgeworth
What had he been up to lately? He’d notice his name popping up more frequently, usually making front page. His guts never failed to twist, thinking something horrific had once again happened to his long-time friend. Thankfully, as of late, Miles was usually involved only as a third party related to the main news. He made a little, very little – he was not worried or overthinking it – plea that this time would be the same. He immediately felt like a sap when he recognized that the date on the paper was a week ago and that he already read it. However, the topic of the article was so exotic that Phoenix felt inclined to read the headline again, just to remind himself that this was a reality that he did in fact live in.
Monster Delegation Push for Judicial Reform. AGAIN!
Monster Representative Asgore Dremurr meets with Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, Representative Cliff Wulf of International Criminal Affairs, and District Chief Aino Hurst of Criminal Affairs to discuss another proposition to reform judicial procedure for monster related crimes. The last proposition to pass was Monster Ordinance 8 five years ago which permits a representative of monster affairs to appoint an independent investigation and submit permissible evidence in a federal court of law. Reaching nearly the decade milestone of monster-integration into society, MO8 has not yet made it to court. MO8 is only applicable to federal investigations where autopsy evidence already strongly supports a homicide case. Monster Representative Dremurr would insisted that the monster race have only peaceful intentions. If so, then why the push for legal reform? Prosecutor Miles and Representative Cliff receive more accusations of monster-conspiracy and cover-up for their support of judicial reform. However, Chief Hurst avidly denies such claims, stating, “Monsters have to follow judicial practice just like every citizen. The department will remain firmly against privileging one race above another. If monsters cannot obey our laws, they can return under the rock they came from.”
The story continued on page 18.
“Hey Daddy,” said Trucy. Somehow, she managed to sneak behind him and lean over his shoulder. “What do you think?”
“Huh, sorry I wasn’t listening,” he answered with a small smile.
His adopted magician angel smiled knowingly as she glanced at the article that had grabbed Phoenix’s attention. “It’s okay Daddy,” she assured, “I understand... How’s Mr. Edgeworth? It seems like he is always in the papers nowadays. He’s so busy! I bet he forgot how to relax.”
Apollo leaned on the couch casually as responded, “That’s assuming Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth ever knew how to relax to begin with.” Their attention was on Phoenix. What did they expect him to say? Why was he always put on the spot when Edgeworth was brought up in conversation? This tag-team just wasn’t fair.
“... Well,” responded Phoenix tentatively, “Lately, he seems to be more on edge than usual.” He could tell that Apollo had to force himself to ignore that pun.
He commented on the article instead, “Every time a legal dispute between monsters pops up, I see Prosecutor Edgeworth’s name. Not many attorneys would put their reputation on the line that often for monsters.” Edgeworth would do that for anyone, though. Often, his name was dragged in the mud, and he didn’t exactly have the people skills to dissuade rumors. Heck, Miles insulted Phoenix more often than he complimented him. However, he risked himself for Phoenix’s sake more often than he would admit. Of course, Miles would dig himself elbows deep into the current political mess. He didn’t know how deep Edgeworth’s involvement with monsters was, but Edgeworth’s steadfast belief in everyone’s right for a fair and just trial would keep him involved. Only someone like that could stand against the waves of backlash the anti-monster press threw at him.
He leaned back on the couch and thought about the current state of affairs. Phoenix Wright couldn’t even begin to fully conceptualize the reality of a world where monsters existed. To be fair, society was still in the adjustment phase almost a decade later. Ten years ago, humans were the only society on Earth. Every societal rule was built around that assumption. Then came monsters.
“It’s weird to think Edgeworth deals with this on a daily basis,” commented Apollo, “I haven’t even met a monster.”
“Well,” said Trucy, “You might have your chance. If I can get my act to show on Glamour with Mettaton, I’ll let you be my assistant.”
“Seriously? A magic show on Glamour? Monsters can do real magic,” he said.
“Don’t be such a spoil sport, Polly,” she said undeterred, “The real magic is in the illusion, the sleight of hand! The magic is made by the performer.”
“At least you’re optimistic,” Apollo said, “But seriously, no one ever wins on that show. Ever!”
Meanwhile, Phoenix frowned in confusion. Okay, he was usually kept out of the loop with popular media, but seriously, he hadn’t been this lost since Maya tried to explain the multiverse of the Steel Samurai and related series. “Mettaton?” he repeated.
“Wow Daddy,” sighed Trucy, “You really are behind the times.” Can he not be shamed for lagging behind popular media for once in his life? “You should really watch his show though. He is the Monster Host with the most and don’t forget his DJ Ghost Co-host.”
“I’m even more lost,” he admitted after that bizarre catch phrase.
“It’s a monster variety show. Pretty high ratings. Some talent segments bid Mettaton – he’s a robot I think – against contestants, but he always declares himself the winner. Most people just like the novelty of performing with monsters on stage,” Apollo summarized. He tried to act as though the idea was silly, but he did know quite a lot about the show apparently.
A monster variety show? Phoenix was actually surprised at how fast monster media picked up. However, notoriety probably didn’t account for acceptance. The reception of monsters into society was a slow buildup to a slower realization and even slower acceptance. Adjustment was still messy. Anyone involved would be treading dangerous uncharted waters. Although Phoenix, like most people, had accepted monsters as fact, he honestly couldn’t say he really knew what a monster was. There were 7.4 billion humans in the world and just about 30 thousand monsters. With those odds, Phoenix had a better chance of being struck by lightning before meeting a monster.
Athena felt herself practically leaping as she jogged down the street. She couldn’t even hear the small thrums of disapproval from the crowd, the ones that usually overwhelmed her. Her mind was entirely focused on her friend, nothing but good thoughts, happy memories, and shared experiences. She wanted to talk about so many things, but did not know which one to start with first.
Frisk! Athena couldn’t really call them a best friend or a long friend. In truth, they knew each other for a few months and discovered a kindred spirit in each other for the latter half of those months before Frisk’s travels took them out of country. They remained in contact since, but with both their studies and Athena’s career, time sped by before she realized it had been years since she last heard from them. The best part about it was; though, now Athena could tell them how all her goals and plans had come to be. How she handled her first true cases as an attorney. How she brought analytical psychology into the court. How she kept her promise to Simon Blackquill….
Simon… “Wow, drama bomb” Widget announced, computer face blinking a troubled purple. She slowed down to a walk. She could hear the heels of her boots tapping on the sidewalk in steady rhythm with her thoughts.
“Our relationship is not bad,” she told Widget and herself softly. “We’re friends and sometimes we talk outside of the courtroom. Though he can be a real jerk to our clients, I know he’s a prosecutor but that is no excuse!” After that small outburst, she toned her voice back down to a wistful sight, “I just wish I understood him better or had the chance to…” “This is complicated,” Widget empathized.
“Yeah.”
She walked a block, picking herself up gradually along the way. By the time she reached the small noodle shop, she was strutting briskly. Athena kept telling herself to keep thinking of her friend and it worked. Every thought of Frisk was a spoon full of sugar to her last few sullen moments. The sun was shining. Birds were chirping. She could smell the flowers blooming in the park. On a beautiful day like this, when she was about to see an old friend, she couldn’t let all those heavy thoughts weigh her down.
Spying the cart a fair distance away, Athena immediately searched for a crop of brown hair. She wondered if it was still cropped and shoulder length, or if Frisk let it grow, or if they got a Mohawk. But no one was there other than Guy Eldoon selling noodles. She stopped and looked around in concern.
In a heart-stopping second Athena found her vision blocked. Alarms rang in her ears before she jerked into action. Swinging her hips around, she reached for the wrist and shoulder of her assailant. She swung her leg, tripping the creep that snuck up behind her and using the momentum to toss that person over their shoulder. “You picked the wrong girl, jerk!” Widget flashed in angry red. A second later, Widget flashed purple.
The person on the floor groaned while trying to hold in a laugh. “Woops I guess I asked for that one. I forgot how strong you are,” they said cheerfully. They looked up and Athena recognized that crop of brunet hair anywhere. Frisk sat on the cement, looking as though they merely meant to sit there and wasn’t just brutally tossed to the ground. They were just as Athena remembered them, a little taller, but they still had the kindest burgundy eyes and still looked as though they were ready to brighten any dark corner of the world with their small smile.
“Oh my god,” she cried in shock, “I just hurled our friendship into the pavement!” She jumped to her friend’s side and immediately offered her hand. Frisk took the help and kept smiling as she gave Athena a “Don’t worry” expression.
“I should not have surprised you,” Frisk reasoned, “I guess you could say I was a little Frisky.” They winked and Athena snorted. “What a risky pun” Widget chimed in, green and smiling. Athena and Frisk laughed harder. She almost forgot that her friend had an affinity for corny puns.
Wiping a tear from her eye, Athena helped Frisk straighten up and wipe dirt off their nice purple dress shirt. “I’m sorry I hurt you though,” she said, “I acted on impulse. I didn’t need to use that much force.”
“I’m sorry too,” Frisk said back, “I really should have considered how the situation would have alarmed you. I let my excitement get the better of me.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Athena huffed, “Well, this is getting us nowhere fast.” This was what happened when you paired two psychology enthusiasts together. They tried to out-conflict-resolve each other.
Frisk agreed. Picking up their shoulder bag, they nodded at Athena. Perhaps now they could actually get some noodles, as they had planned.
Athena was smiling… until she saw red stains on Frisk’s bag. “Is that blood?” she gasped. Unalarmed, Frisk tilted their head to look at their bag. Athena was almost unsettled by her friend’s detached reaction to blood, almost as if they knew what was in their bag beforehand.
“It’s ketchup.” Sure enough, they pulled out a bottle of ketchup, slightly dented from the fall.
Too curious not to ask, Athena blurted, “Do... do you put ketchup on your noodles.” “I’m not judging. It’s your taste,” Widget added unhelpfully.
“It’s not for me,” they answered, “It’s for a friend.” They paused, contemplatively putting their finger to their chin. “I was going to surprise you, but I hope I didn’t go too far. I can call him and call it off if you still want this to be just us. It was kind of an impulse thought.”
“No,” she objected passionately. “I want to meet your friend! I’ve heard so much about your friends!” She cracked her award-winning smile and posed, using her right hand to make a victory sign. “Athena Cykes is honored that you want to introduce your friend!” That better had been convincing enough for Frisk because Athena meant it and she would yell as loud as she could to prove it. Athena was rewarded with a genuine smile.
“Frisk Dremurr is excited and knows you two will get along!” they mirrored with half as much vigor as Athena, which was still quite a lot. Frisk copied Athena’s pose. Athena heard overwhelming calm contention and joy radiate from Frisks heart and that made her smile wider.
They purchased their noodles and walked down a park path shaded heavily by trees. The two friends found a spot on a bench slightly off the path, shaded by some nice bushes and allowing a bit of privacy and tranquility. For some reason, Frisk didn’t look too enthused about the meal. Athena might have found the first person in her life who didn’t like noodles. The more she watched Frisk, the more it looked like they just didn’t trust the noodles at first. After a few tentative bites, they were eating at a leisurely pace. Athena had already finished half her bowl at this time. It was delicious.
“Hey Frisk?” she asked between slurps, “That friend of yours, he isn’t the one that likes to drink ketchup?” Frisk nodded, shyly smiling with a noodle from their month. Most people would be weirded out by some of the stories Frisk told about their friends. They were some strange and interesting people from what Athena heard. Athena probably would have been one of those people too, but when she first heard the trepidation and fear of rejection in Frisk’s heart when they had first opened up about their family and friends, Athena felt a closeness to them. She knew that feeling well and never wanted to be the cause of it for another person.
After Athena finished her noodles and threw away the container, she excitingly prodded Frisk, “Guess what?”
“You finally learned the tango,” Frisk played along with a straight face.
“Nope… well actually I did,” said Athena. “Piece of cake,” commented a proud Widget. She brought her hand to her lapel and presented her beautiful attorney’s badge. She prodded Frisk again, “One more chance.”
“Either that’s a bagel or an attorney’s badge,” Frisk teased, “I would be impressed with both really.” Athena slugged them in the arm playfully; Frisk took the “abuse” and stuck out their tongue. Their heart hummed with nervous yet still warm energy. “Congratulations.”
Athena’s face melted into one of concern. She was expecting more excitement and well a little more recognition if she was honest with herself. Becoming a lawyer was something that still felt like a dream to her. She did not expect an award or anything grand, but the mild praise from her friend just did not live up to expectation. Well, what did she expect? They knew each other for a few months and have not seen each other in almost three years. Athena was probably the only one on that bench who put that much value in their relationship, as small as it was. She always did that... It was Simon over again. “What a let-down,” Widget tattled. Her hands jumped to her device. She was trying to keep that a secret! “Oops,” said a muffled robot voice.
“Um...” Frisk’s blush deepened. The nervous anxiety grew. They reminded Athena of a puppy that was caught chewing a slipper. “Sorry Athena. I really ruined this.”
“Can someone fill me in here?” Widget asked. Athena tried to vocalize her confusion instead of letting the little big-mouth robot do it for her, “I don’t know what you’re apologizing for.”
“You’re probably going to think I’m some sort of weirdo or something, but I can’t keep up this act.” They put their noodle bowl aside, half-eaten, and twiddled their thumb. Frisk was never large in stature, but they looked just a little smaller then. “I kind of know a lot about you. I followed your cases, ever since you helped the demon Tenma Taro in court.”
“He really wasn’t a demon,” Athena corrected lightly, “He was just putting on an act, but I guess I did help with that case... though I was still a newbie.”
“And every case after that. You were amazing!” they confessed, “You actually did it Athena! You brought analytical psychology into court and it was amazing. I saw all the trials you went through too and always rooted for you. I should have contacted you earlier, like a real friend, and said so myself. Every time I did; though, I convinced myself that you moved on from me.” They sighed deeply. Their brow was furrowed and they looked as if they would tear up but instead they smiled.
Athena felt the nervous energy drum and did not understand. It felt as though Frisk’s heart was beating against itself in self-deprivation. Athena hated that feeling, in her or in other people. It took a lot of her strength not to cover her ears. She still needed to hear something else from Frisk. She knew it. “But those trials were public domain. It’s not like you were invading my privacy. Actually, I’m a little flabbergasted that you cared to pay attention that much... I didn’t think anyone would find my performance amazing.”
“That’s not it,” Frisk confessed. This time they rubbed their arm. The drumming kept increasing and Athena winced.
“Stop,” she pleaded softly, shocking her friend. “Before you go on any further please stop. I can feel you beating yourself up,” she admitted while putting her hand to her own heart, “I don’t want to listen to it until your heart stops. I can’t focus. So please... focus on me. Then I’ll listen.”
Her friend took a loud breath. Athena heard her heart clearly. It drummed against her ears. Slowly, the beating became quieter. She began to feel a murmur of concern, Frisk mirroring her own emotions. They both sighed.
“Thank you,” said Athena.
“You really are amazing,” Frisk repeated.
Athena ran her fingers through her hair coyly. “It was nothing.”
Frisk nodded and continued. If they kept talking about how amazing Athena was, she was going to get an inflated head and drift away. “I was excited to see you again, but I was intimidated too. I haven’t really lived up to expectations, so I wanted to play a trick. It is really stupid. I called my friend because he’s really impressive and unique. It’s pathetic, using your own friends to show off. I know he will make a big entrance and probably surprise you and it would have been good fun to see the look of awe on your face. But it’s so dishonest. I want you to meet him because he is an amazing friend and you’re amazing.” They straightened their back. Although Athena was still confused and growing a bigger head by the second, she still was impressed with her friend’s determined confession. “Before you meet my friend, you should know something very important about him. My friend, Sans the skeleton, is a monster! Please don’t be scared of him!”
“Really?” Athena asked, her eyes wide. No wonder Frisk thought she would be blown away. There were like a million attorneys but she had never met a monster before. “Wow that really blows me out of the park” Widget announced, flashing yellow.
Hearing the little robot companion, Frisk responded, “But you’re one in a million Athena! I wanted you two to meet because well Sans doesn’t have many human friends.” Athena let a lot of information sink in at once. She felt as though a tidal wave crashed into her; however, she was still standing.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Athena finally. It was Frisk’s turn to be confused. “I’m really excited to finally get to meet another one of your friends! Wow, if I knew it was going to be a landmark diplomatic mission, I would have asked you to treat me to something way fancier than noodles.” The tense atmosphere did not suit Athena. She would be damned if either of them left with bad vibes.
“I owe you next time then,” answered Frisk, their heart content.
“Good because I can work up quite an appetite (“Like a horse” Widget added in sync).” She said this in a teasing voice; however, she was completely honest. Athena Cykes was going to get a free meal and she was going to take advantage of it.
“You’re really going to take me for everything I got.”
“Anytime,” she announced proudly.
A calm silence followed for a few moments. Athena was the first to break the silence, “Hey Frisk,” she tapped on her mother’s earing, hearing the familiar and comfortable jingle as the moon rock dangled on her lobe as she prepared herself to ask a delicate question, “I really don’t know that much about monsters. But you used to say that you were studying psychology to bring monsters and humans together. Just a bit ago, you told me your friend doesn’t have many human friends. Is there a connection?”
They nodded and Athena felt a little swell of pride for putting the pieces together... It almost made up for the fact that she never pieced together that Frisk’s interest in human/monster relations had something to do with wanting to help their friends. Of course, their friends would be monsters.
They let their last conversation settle. It settled until Athena couldn’t handle the pent up emotions anymore and bolted up. “That’s it!” she declared pumping her fist. Frisk jumped slightly. Good, the shock treatment worked. It was time for some good old fashion Athena-therapy. “Lo tengo! Time to work off this nervous energy. Do you want to know the best remedy for fear is?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” said Frisk while still sitting calmly on the bench.
“Sweating it out!” she said. Hands on her hips, she gave her best lets-do-this pose. “Time to teach you some self-defense. I tossed you over my shoulder way too easily before.”
“I think I’m good,” responded Frisk nervously, hands up. “I prefer to talk with cute girls rather than fight them.” They gave Athena a playful wink. She wasn’t buying it. Frisk might have been able to throw other people off with a playful flirt but Athena could sense what was really in their heart. “Flattery gets you nowhere,” Widget exclaimed.
“Wai... wait,” they pleaded, hands flailing faster. “What time is it?” Frisk attempted to look busy by searching their bag for way longer than a person should. A few moments later, they pulled out a phone. “I should text Sans and let him know we’re waiting.” Well, that was fair, but Athena still had time to get Frisk up and moving until their friend arrived. She waited patiently. Click Click After they finished texting, it was on. Click Click Bing
“It should take a couple of minutes for him to make it here from work,” Frisk said, but quickly added a tentative, “...maybe.”
“Hmm...,” Athena pondered aloud, “What kind of job would a skeleton have?”
“the skeleton shift whad’else?”
It was Athena’s turn to jump. Frisk merely looked over their shoulder and commented, “That was a lot faster than I expected.”
“i took the express route.”
Athena did not know what to expect. When she thought of a skeleton, she could only think of anatomy class. The guy leaning over the bench with a very toothy grin was something else entirely. He was stout, and Athena realized that even if he was standing up straight, she would be taller than him. Two ghostly lights flicked from his eye sockets. For some reason, she didn’t expect a skeleton to wear clothes, but there he was in a light blue jacket over a t-shirt and jogger shorts. Looking down, she noticed... pink crocs and socks? “Did he dress in the dark?” Widget blurted out. She clasped her hands over the robot and laughed nervously. “Um... sorry. Widget sometimes says things that I wouldn’t say out loud Hehe.” He rose an eyebrow ridge. Woah, how in the world did he do that? Magic?
“This is Athena!” Frisk piped up, “The friend I told you about.” And boy did she make a great first impression... her and her big Widget-mouth.