#[ strong retainer girls gotta stick together ]

[stalwaria]

“ Going from hiking through that cave to now getting to explore these islands in full together. Who would've thought? ”  Lapis remarks to the noblewoman, a bit fond of the circumstances.  “ I know it looks like we won't be on the same team though, so I guess it's not certain how 'together' this really is but... It's fun to think about, isn't it? And with physical games for us to play in, I can't think of a better girl to match off against!”

It's fun to think of their training being able to amount to something more inconsequential like this rather than the wars they've been toning their bodies for in truth. It gives another reason to have those workout machines and those training regimes— to have the thing that brought them together the first time without the doom and gloom of ever constant conflict looming above them.

“ Though it's weird that we just happened to be assigned to work with the each other's princes, isn't it? ”  Looking at Etie's bandana, she connects their colors to their mismatched masters.  “ Like some kind of role swap. Woah. ”

"It's great, isn't it? It isn't often we get to spend time together outside of—well. Life threatening situations. It's nice."

And was how life should be, as far as she was concerned. No living life marching on the road, wondering if the next day would be your last. No soldiers to fight, no hordes of Corrupted to defeat. Just the sand, surf, and company of good friends.

Etie smiles at her fellow retainer before stopping to stretch like a cat in the sun. She was used to the fair weather conditions of Firene, but the beach wasn't the sort of place she visited all too much. It reminded her a bit of the Azure Coast.

Though, it wasn't just a leisurely vacation...

"Oh, I'm ready for the games. I wonder if they're ready for me?" She smiles proudly. Etie was confident all her training would come in handy for the physical activities. "I'm glad to have such a great competitor in you, though! It'll really keep me on my toes."

At Lapis's musing, Etie hums thoughtfully, glancing at the Brodian's cloth in turn. "Prince Alfred's with you? I didn't even realize Prince Alcryst was on my team." She supposed she should look around for more of her teammates. "I'll keep an eye on him, if I can. I'd appreciate it if you could do the same for Prince Alfred... I worry about that man sometimes."

A pause, and then, "Do not tell him, though."

She didn't need to worry Alfred with her every little concern. Keep him happy. Keep him bright.

[spaceorphan18]

have you ever read a detailed post about the glee cast’s singing voices? like all about their technique and stuff? reading your reaction to the ‘vocal coach reacts to glee’ video makes me want to know more!

Hmmmm, not really! Not from a professional vocalist POV, I don’t think.  (That I’m aware of.  This does remind me there was one vocal coach in fandom, and she hated Blaine, and I wasn’t too fond of her, or her analysis, so I won’t point you in that direction.) 

My background is in music, but not in vocal performance.  But I can give you a quick rundown of cast’s musical abilities if you like, though they won’t be huge on the technical side of it.  

ETA: I started this a while ago before I started doing the music retrospective - I’ll probably try to explore a little more as I do those.   If you guys want more conversation about one person in particular, let me know! 

But for now... 

*

Matthew Morrison: Is a classically trained musician with a very good voice.  It’s a shame Will was such a tool, because Matthew Morrison was very talented, had the ability to do a lot of great things with his voice.  People joke about his rapping -- but I think this stemmed from the issue that his background is in musical theater -- which teaches you a cleaner and more traditional way of singing -- opposed to a pop or rap style.  He doesn’t have the grit that rap often has, which makes it a little too much like a Kid’s Bop version of something.  When singing musical theater, though, he really shined. 

A number that showcases ability: Make ‘Um Laugh

A number that isn’t so great: Ice Ice Baby

*

Lea Michele: Lea does have a very good and solid voice.  She’s also been classically trained.  The one drawback is that it hinders her a bit on pop music, she lacks some of the grittiness often needed on a lot of the pop songs.  She also starts to lose some of her classic training as the show goes on (which I think is a shame) so that she can get some of the shine off her voice to make a transition to pop music.  

She has one vocal tick that drives me crazy, though -- she has a tendency to slide into her notes instead of hitting them dead on, which gets worse as the show goes on, and it makes her sound a little screech-y at times.  But for the most part -- she is really good. 

A number that showcases ability: Don’t Rain on My Parade

A number that isn’t so great: Ooops...I Did It Again

*

Amber Riley: The cool thing about Amber is that you get to hear her grow as a musician as the show goes on.  She had already started to get vocal lessons before the show started, but at the beginning, she was still a bit raw and unrefined in her technique.  But you can tell she did practice, and her voice is developed beautifully as the show goes on.  She was one of the best, well rounded vocalists on the show.  She had a good handle on pop and R&B music, but she could sing musical theater rather clearly, too.  She has great breath support - and can belt numbers out while still retaining the quality.  Can’t say enough good thing about Amber’s voice. 

A number that showcases ability: Someday We’ll Be Together

A number that isn’t so great: Sweet Transvestite (It’s not bad - but it’s my least favorite Mercedes solo.) 

*

Cory Monteith: Cory wasn’t a vocalist.  And, to be completely honest, I thought it was some kind of joke when they introduced him as some kind of hidden musical gem when Will hears him singing the showers.  He did really well with classic rock that’s allows not only for a weaker voice - but is often not as technically hard.  And I have to wonder if Cory got lessons, because he did get a lot better as the show went on, and I think his season 4 work is great! 

I will say that sometimes they pushed his voice a little too far.  A lot of times songs were either too high for his range and he often sounded like he was straining.  (The most notable of which is A House is Not a Home - which is far too high for him.)  That said - I think he did reasonably well along side Lea - mostly because often sang pop duets.  

A number that showcases ability: I’ve Gotta Be Me

A number that isn’t so great: Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore

*

Chris Colfer: Chris is such an interesting study due to the uniqueness of his voice.  He’s got a huge range both in terms of genre and literal range of voice.  He can sing quite a few octaves.  He’s got a great, clear sound, too, which is why he’s great with theater numbers.  Interestingly, Chris’s voice did drop over the years, and while I know people love his higher range, he has a gorgeous lower range that wasn’t used as often (and is often my favorite.) 

The one (nitpicky) issue was that Chris’s voice ended up getting pigeon-holed.  I know singing Diva-Broadway songs was his schtick - but it would have been nice to hear him sing a bigger variety of songs.  He wasn’t the strongest on non-ballad pop music, but they also didn’t give him that very often.  

There’s also the fascinating unusualness in that, Chris could really sing duets very well with people -- but in group numbers, his voice sticks out like a sore thumb, and he was often left out of some of the more general songs because of it.  His voice just doesn’t texture very well - which is why I get why they did what they did.  

A number that showcases ability: Being Alive

A number that isn’t so great: I’ll Remember

*

Kevin McHale: I feel like people are often surprised when they sit down and think about it, but Kevin has a great voice.  He has a solid range, and he’s able to do pop music very well (I believe it helps that he was in a professional boy band for years.)  Not sure if people noticed - but he’s often the lead on group numbers that don’t need to be related to specific story or character points.  Which is a bummer for Artie’s story - but if you’re a fan of Kevin’s voice, you get a lot to choose from.  

Kevin was also able to handle a lot of the musical demands that I think some of the other males weren’t? He’s a much better singer than Cory - and could handle leading a full number.  His voice isn’t as unique as Chris’s and can texture really well.  In addition he was fairly versatile.  He might have been the best rapper the show had, lol. 

A number that showcases ability: For Once In My Life

A number that isn’t so great: Addicted to Love (personal taste choice - I just don’t like the song.) 

*

Jenna Ushkowitz: Jenna is another one who is classically trained.  She has a strong, solid voice, which was unfortunately not showcased all that well on the show, and because of that, I’m not sure how she does on a wide variety of music.  I do think she sounds a little generic - but not helping is lack of being featured.  

A number that showcases ability: I Don’t Know How To Love Him

A number that isn’t so great: Gangum Style (She does fine - but the fact that they made her do it in the first place...) 

*

Dianna Agron: The interesting thing about Dianna is that she has a really nice low female voice.  The fact that they never gave her any punk or harder rock was really a shame, because I think she would have done really well with that.  The funny thing is that, more so in the beginning, they show tried to make her sing songs that fit her character - but weren’t necessarily great for her voice.  I feel like it wasn’t until late season 2 did they start really using her voice for the better.  

A number that showcases ability: Never Can Say Goodbye

A number that isn’t so great: It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World

*

Mark Salling: Mark had a really solid voice - that often lent itself well to folk and acoustic really well.  He was good with softer pop and classic rock, and the show showcased that pretty well.  I think, in general, Mark was a much better vocalist than actor, and the show often picked good music for him to sing - which helped with his character.  I don’t have a whole lot to say, only that I think he was underrated as a vocalist, but I get it - with all the other baggage that comes with talking about Mark. 

A number that showcases ability: No Surrender 

A number that isn’t so great: Fight For Your Right (to Party) (I don’t think it’s bad - I just hate this song.) 

*

Naya Rivera: Naya is a little tricky.  I think she has a good, smoky sound to her voice that makes her excellent at things like pop and R and B.  (Shame she didn’t have a good jazz number to do on the show - she would have been great at that.)  I think she was really versatile, though, and handled her Broadway numbers really well.  I do think she was somewhat pinched and nasal at times - and while I do think this was a stylistic choice, to me it’s not my favorite type of vocal sound.  But I do think she was really good at the numbers she was given, and was one of the most talented female vocalists on the show. 

A number that showcases ability: Back to Black

A number that isn’t so great: Alfie (I think I may dislike the song more than her singing on it.) 

*

Heather Morris: Heather wasn’t a singer, and I do think it showed at times.  She often had to have her voice autotuned more than anyone else on the show.  That said - she did do Britney Spears really well, and I think she deserves credit for that.  

A number that showcases ability: I’m a Slave 4 U

A number that isn’t so great: Dinosaur

*

Chord Overstreet: Chord’s background is in country - and that shows a bit through his singing - he’s got a bit of twang in his voice, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.  He’s a fun singer.  I don’t think the show knew exactly what to do with him (voice or character) but there’s a lightness to his singing that makes him easily adaptable to pretty much anything you throw at him. 

A number that showcases ability: Red Solo Cup (You think I’m joking - but I think this is the most fun Chord has singing a song.) 

A number that isn’t so great: Girls on Film (I think just by default of me liking everything else better.) 

*

Darren Criss: Ah, Darren, where to even start.  The thing about Darren is that he may not be the strongest singer, his voice is a little wobbly at times, and his range is somewhat limited, but his showmanship is just completely beyond nearly everyone else.  Darren has the unique ability to draw you in with his singing and hold you captive.  There are technically better singers on the show - but Darren just has this amazing ability to really sell a performance.  And I do love his voice, even if there are some limitations to it.  I really could gush about Darren’s performance abilities, but I’ll refrain... 

A number that showcases ability: Teenage Dream (Both Versions) 

A number that isn’t so great: Piano Man (Which isn’t bad - I just think the show had done it better, and it’s a rare time that felt like Darren was kind of phoning it in.) 

*

A quick run down of others, but first a quick aside - as they started adding people in, vocal ability starts being a factor.  I think a lot of the newer characters could sing better than they could act, which was both helpful and a hinderance.  I think we began to get more solid musical numbers as the show went on, but sometimes acting wasn’t always top notch - and across the board, old and new, hitting a combo of acting and singing ability didn’t always happen.  

Harry Shum Jr.: Not really a singer - but the show often played to his strengths, and his few songs played off the fact that he wasn’t a great singer to great aplomb.  

Jane Lynch: Can hold a tune, even if her voice isn’t the best - is really great at musical comedy. 

Jayma Mays: She has more singing ability than the show allowed to showcase, however, she’s another one whose voice was really unique, and doesn’t texture very well.  

Damien McGinty: Is actually a very good singer.  However, he’s very generic, too - which makes him a little on the bland side. 

Sam Larsen: I think he was fine - I don’t think he sang enough on the show for me to make much of an impression one way or the other. 

Alex Newel: Fucking Fantastic! Alex might be one of the strongest vocalists on the show - has great range, energy, and vocal control.  

Melissa Benoist: Her voice tends to lean on the pop-ier side, but it’s a solid voice, and her work on the show was pretty good.  

Jacob Artist: Has a strong voice, and could sing genres that weren’t often featured on the show (like hip-hop and R&B).  

Blake Jenner: His voice is fine, but like Damien McGinty, it’s generic and a little bland. 

Becca Tobin: She has a very quirky voice that brings in a different and unique sound.  They didn’t use her much, though, so it’s hard to comment. 

Noah Guthrie: An amazing singer, has a really unique sound, but is able to do blend in well with others.  

Samantha Ware: Another amazing singer.  She’s in full control and can do really great things with it. 

Billy Lewis Jr: Has a good, solid voice.  Not as strong as Guthrie, or some of the other guys, but he’s a lot of fun to watch. 

Laura Dreyfuss: Like Becca Tobin - has a uniqueness to her vocal quality that makes it stand out a little, but she’s still a solid singer. 

Marshall Williams: His vocal ability is okay.  It’s better than his acting ability.  I’m slightly confused how this dude got cast, tbh.  

[jokertrap-ran]

BAD MEDICINE ~Infectious teachers~ [PC GAME] Kashu Remu (Chemistry) Route Translations (Part 9)

MC’s name is retained as the original MC name Kawana Hina.

* Words within ‘   ‘ are spoken in English – *Spoiler free : Translations under cut!

Prologue / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

Choice A: Play catch

Kashu: Let’s play catch today~

Kashu: Come on~ What are you spacing out for~? Of course it’s part of the Chemistry Club’s activities~!

Hina: Uh, exactly what does catch have to do with the Chemistry Club…?

Kashu: Well, that’s...

Kashu: Well, don’t worry about the trivial things♪

Hina: ………...

Hina: (I should have already left the Chemistry Club by now; strange. Did he perhaps not accept my club resignation form? I bet that’s the case here…)

Hina: (Besides, considering what happened before, I don’t think that I’m in the position to refuse either…)

Kashu: Hey~ Can’t we? Let’s play catch~

Kashu: The experiment we did before didn’t turn out all so well, you see? So I thought that it would be a good change of pace to take down and record other kinds of data instead~!

Hina: Experiment? You mean...that medicine?

Kashu: Yup, that one! I’m really troubled that it’s been nothing but failures~

Kashu: That’s why, let’s do a new experiment! I’ll be the demon chasing you! Okay?

Kashu: Oh! Did you want to be the demon? I don’t mind being chased if you’re the one doing the chasing~

Kashu: But in exchange, I’ll do my best to set up a strange trap!

Hina: ...I’ll run.

Kashu: Eh~ You sure? Well, both are the same to me anyway. Let’s start!

Hina: Alright...

Kashu: You’ll do it~!? Yay~!! Thank you~!

Kashu: Then, allow me to explain the rules! Ehe~!

Kashu: The field will be the entire school compound. Everywhere’s fair play except for the places where entry is barred~

Kashu: I’ll start chasing after you 10 seconds after you run~

Hina: I get only 10 seconds!?

Kashu: Hm~? Is 10 seconds too short? Of course not! How can that be? You’re just overthinking it~

Kashu: I mean, you’re younger so this time frame should be perfect for you!

Hina: That...might be true, but still!

Kashu: It’s fine, it’s fine~ I’m always cooped up in the labs, you see~?

Kashu: So, I’m sure that my physical capabilities aren’t as strong as yours! I might be on the weaker side~

Kashu: Now then~ Let’s start the countdown! Okay, please do your best to run away, okay~?

Hina: Eh? We’ve already started!? I’ve yet to prepare my heart for this...

Kashu: Oh yes, you can’t run in the hallways. The courtyard’s fair game though~

Kashu: Oh! You can run in the gymnasium and the rooftop too~ Now, let us begin~! Ten, nine, eight...

Hina: (I’ve gotta run, in any case!)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Hina: Haa, haa, haaah…S-Sensei…? What do you mean...you don’t...have the stamina for this!? ...Haa...haa…

Kashu: Eh~? I really don’t~ I mean, it took me this long to finally catch you~!

Kashu: Ahaha~ That was really fun though~! We’ve really chased each other round in circles all over the school~!

Kashu: It’s not bad to have such a thorough work out once in a good while~ It’s really refreshing!

Hina: I’m...definitely going to get muscle aches tomorrow...

Kashu: Eh? Why~? That’s weird; you’ve been taking physical activity classes every week, right~?

Kashu: Ah~ But it was still really fun! I’ve not played catch in such a long time~

Kashu: She’s the only one I’ve ever played together with the same manner I did with you~

Hina: Huh? She…? You mean, that girl?

Kashu: Hm? Ahh…You remembered? Hehe.

Kashu: Yeah, that’s right. She was the only one who was willing to play with me back in that orphanage...

Kashu: We didn’t have much toys to speak of, so we all mostly played catch and hide-and-seek.

Kashu: It was really fun. It’s fun...to not be alone.

Hina: Sensei...

Kashu: ...Now then! I’m amply re-energized right now so let’s end the club activities here for today~☆

Kashu: Oh, but before that! Maybe I’ll give you an after-service for working so hard!

Kashu: Hmmm...would this place do? Yeah, I suppose so. It’s at the right height too~

Kashu: Okay, sit on the step here~ It’s fine, so just do it~

Kashu: Okay, preparations are all done! Here we go then~

Hina: …...!? Sensei...!?

Kashu: You said that your muscles are aching from all the chasing and running we did, so I’m guessing that it must be the muscles on your legs? Your calf, perhaps~?

Hina: (He’s massaging my leg!?)

Kashu: Whoa, whoa!? Don’t start struggling all of a sudden~!

Kashu: I’m not playing a prank on you or anything~ Didn’t I say that this was an after-service?

Kashu: Come on~  Weren’t you the one complaining about how your muscles would definitely be hurting come tomorrow~?

Kashu: You see~ The thing about muscle aches is that the symptoms will become much more manageable if you massage it in advance~

Hina: Um, Kashu-sensei? It’s fine, I can do that myself!

Kashu: It won’t disappear completely, but it’s still much better than having to suffer the full-blow of it, don’t you think?

Hina: (He’s not even listening to me!)

Kashu: So just stay still~ Let’s see...

Hina: Eek!!

Hina: (That tickles!)

Kashu: Around here? How’s it feel? A pleasant pain?

Kashu: It won’t do if it hurts~ Putting too little strength into it won’t cut it either~ This is really hard~

Hina: It’s ticklish…!

Kashu: Eh~? It’s ticklish? Then that’s no good either. Should I put in more strength?

Hina: Uh, ummmm!!

Kashu: Like I said~ Don’t struggle. Do you want your muscle ache to get worse?

Kashu: Yes, now that’s a good girl. Stay still, okay? Oh, but please relax and don’t stiffen up.

Kashu: Hmm, here we go...how does this feel?

Hina: It feels...pleasant.

Kashu: Yup, this is good. Just enough strength to cause a pleasant sort of pain~ I’ll just stick to using this much strength then!

Kashu: Pain, pain, fly away~♪ May the muscle ache disappear somewhere! May it go to Kakeru-kun~!

Kashu: Because there are still many, many more experiments that I wish to carry out with you!

Kashu: So, this muscle ache of yours has to hurry and disappear♪

Kashu: ...Because you’re the only one who knows my secret and I’m the only one who knows yours...

Hina: ………...

Kashu: ...Okay~ I suppose this does it? How do you feel? Better?

Hina: Y-Yes. Um...Thank you.

Kashu: I see, that’s good to hear♪

Kashu: Oh, right! How about I massage your shoulders too since I’m at it?

Kashu: I could add on a special service to the after service if you wish~

Hina: N-No thanks! I’m fine! Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to refrain!

Kashu: Ehh~ You sure…? How boring~

Kashu: Well, whatever! It’s about time school’s over anyway~

Kashu: Good work today, Kawana-san♪ You’re free to go home now~ See you~!

Kashu: I wonder what I should do~ I’m in really good spirits right now so maybe I’ll continue with my experiment~♪

Hina: (I feel like I don’t ever want to play another round of catch in my entire life, but...)

Hina: (I suppose it’s fine if it served as an ample distraction for him...)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Hina: What should I do now? 

Choice A: Play catch  Choice B: Peek into the school’s courtyard

[rubiaryutheroyal]

It's been a while, but John's remark hasn't left Justine's mind. So, logically, she investigates by looking at Edgeworth in another light from a less professional angle.

You know what, I think these two can work together. They can work together very well…

–

[Some other day, Larry has come running over out of the blue to Phoenix in his office.]

Larry: Nick! It’s awful! It’s just so awfulll!

[Phoenix nearly spills the cup of coffee he was holding.]

Phoenix: W-whoa, Larry? What’s going on?

Larry: *sob*… Why does this keep happening…?

Phoenix: H-hey, calm down and talk to me. What’s the matter?

Larry: *sniff*… I-it’s Linda.

[Without a word, Phoenix turns away and takes another drink.]

Larry: Dude! I didn’t even say anything yet!

Phoenix: Sorry, but I’ve known you long enough to know where this is going.

Larry: At least hear me out! Why do you think I first came here and not Edgey’s!?

Phoenix: (True, Edgeworth would dismiss him after hearing that.)

Larry: Look, she’s not my girlfriend, okay? She’s a penpal.

Phoenix: A penpal?

Larry: Yeah. And all that time we were sending messages back and forth, I thought we had something going on between us…

Phoenix: But she didn’t think so?

Larry: Yeah. You got it. See, as it turned out… she had another penpal and was sending him messages at the same time!

Phoenix: …

Larry: I… I feel so betrayed!

Phoenix: You said she was just a penpal, right?

Larry: Yeah, I know! People can have more than one penpal! But I was gonna suggest we meet up for a date sometime, just to seal the deal!

Phoenix: (Oh, Larry…)

Larry: I can’t believe I was rejected before I even got to suggest it… This is the absolute worst possible ending, you know!?

Phoenix: Yeah, I guess.

Larry: …Man, why do I even tell you these things? You guys never take me seriously…

Phoenix: (Maybe you should stop telling us about your lady problems, then?)

Larry: Especially Edgey! Sometimes I wonder if there really is a heart under there.

Phoenix: Now, now. Edgeworth just has a heart for things other than love and romance.

Larry: Sounds like a huge waste if you ask me. What good is a heart if you never open it up for someone?

Phoenix: (…Actually, he has a point. Edgeworth is pretty reclusive.)

Larry: …You know what, Nick? I just came up with an idea. Something that might just help Edgey learn what it really means to be a man!

Phoenix: Uh, Larry, where are you going with this?

Larry: What, haven’t you figured it out yet?

Phoenix: Er… (I’ve got a bad feeling about this…)

Larry: Come on, man! We gotta get Edgey a date!

Phoenix: W-what!? (Argh, I knew he’d go there!)

Larry: Oh! And I got the perfect candidate for him! I mean, I would’ve preferred keeping her for myself, but it’s clear things wouldn’t work out between us.

Phoenix: …You tried?

Larry: Yeah. So you know about this hot chick who’s also a judge?

Phoenix: Um… Wait. Are you talking about Judge Courtney?

Larry: Oh, so you do! That makes things easier. Yeah, man! Justine! The lady of the law! She’s been hanging around with him a lot more lately. I bet there’s something going on, but knowing Edgey, he’s too stubborn to pick up on it!

Phoenix: Uh, I dunno… (I’m getting some bad deja-vu all over again…)

Larry: Come on, Nick! This is important! If we don’t help our best friend, who else is gonna stick up for him?

Phoenix: I meant that I dunno if that’s really “helping” him… He’s used to living alone anyway.

Larry: Ah, man, he’s gotten you too? No way! He’s just living the denial! You can’t trust him on this!

Phoenix: (Well, sorry I don’t quite trust your judgment on this either.)

Larry: Now what are we waiting for? Let’s go!

Phoenix: Huh? Go where?

Larry: Wake up! We’re off to see him in person, duh!

Phoenix: Larry, I really don’t think this is a good idea…

[Keep reading]

–

[And once again, Edgeworth has to make up work due to sudden intrusive delays.]

Larry: Yo, Edgey!

Edgeworth: Oh, for goodness’ sake… What is it now, Larry?

Larry: Look, man, I didn’t want to have to do this, but it’s obvious you’re totally clueless.

Edgeworth: Excuse me…?

Larry: Nick and I are… Hey, Nick! Get in here! We have to do this together!

[Phoenix was waiting by the door, hesitant to follow Larry inside.]

Phoenix: Ugh… Hey, Edgeworth.

Edgeworth: Wright. What’s going on here?

Larry: We’re just concerned for ya, man. You’re always stuck in here working day and night with paperwork and stuff!

Edgeworth: For your information, Larry, that is essential to doing my job.

Larry: I know, but…

Edgeworth: And if you have any invitations for me today, I don’t have the time.

Larry: Dude, just listen!

Edgeworth: …What?

[Larry leans against the desk, making a rather serious face.]

Larry: Look, Edgey. You don’t really wanna be stuck working in here by your lonesome for the rest of your life, do you?

Edgeworth: Even if I had another profession I’d rather take, I have too much invested in this one to leave it.

Larry: Yeah, yeah, do whatever makes you happy, man. But here’s the thing, you gotta learn to let loose once in a while! Don’t you know what they say about people who stay indoors for too long?

Phoenix: To be fair, Edgeworth, Larry actually has a point. You rarely seem to take the day off, and when you do, you don’t go out much. And sometimes, you even take the day off in your office…

Edgeworth: So it’s come to this now, has it… Wright, rest assured, I know how to manage my schedules accordingly. You don’t need to worry about me. And don’t you regularly take the day off in yours?

Phoenix: Usually it’s because I don’t have clients.

Edgeworth: At least you admit it.

Larry: And if you ask me, the best way to get a guy to run out in the world is to help him find a date!

Edgeworth: And I’m not asking you anything! For the last time, Larry, I’m not interested in getting into a relationship!

Larry: Nah, man. You won’t get anywhere with that attitude! Just give it a shot! You could do with the company. And I got just the girl in mind!

Edgeworth: Don’t I have any say in this!?

Larry: Don’t worry, Edgey! She’s someone you know pretty well!

Edgeworth: That isn’t much of a relief…

Larry: Heck, the two of you have been meeting up a lot lately! You know who I’m talking about, right?

Edgeworth: No, I do not.

Larry: Geez, do I have to spell it out for you? I’m talking about Justine!

Edgeworth: J-Judge Courtney? Why would you even bring her up…?

Larry: Ah, I knew you’d be clueless! Think about it. Why would she be seeing you so much? A refined lady like her wouldn’t so easily go visiting people willy-nilly!

Edgeworth: We’ve been cooperating on several cases. Of course we would meet frequently.

Larry: Nah, man! You gotta think deeper! Stop thinking about it professionally!

Edgeworth: But the entire purpose of our meetings is professional…

Larry: You sure about that? ‘Cause I could’ve sworn I saw you and her at the theaters some time ago…

Edgeworth: W-what? You were there!?

Larry: I just happened to stop by.

Edgeworth: (…He couldn’t have been following Courtney, could he…?)

Phoenix: Um, Edgeworth, you didn’t really…?

Edgeworth: She invited me to a screening of a movie that her son performed in…

Phoenix: J-Judge Courtney has a son!?

Larry: Dude! She’s a single mom!? Why didn’t you say anything!?

Edgeworth: It’s none of your business!

Larry: Well, then! It’s all the more important that you two get hooked! You wouldn’t want her kid fatherless, would you?

Edgeworth: Grr… (Since you don’t know anything, don’t use it as an excuse for your wild delusions!)

[Just then, they hear a knock on the door.]

Edgeworth: Hm? I wasn’t expecting any visitors later today.

Larry: Oh! What if it’s Justine!?

Edgeworth: Would you give that a rest already!?

[But as it turns out, Larry was right. Courtney enters the room with a somewhat concerned look on her face.]

Edgeworth: J-Judge Courtney?

Phoenix: What’s she doing here…?

Larry: Hey, Justine! You’re looking as lovely as ever today!

Courtney: Oh. *smile* My apologies, Prosecutor Edgeworth. I hope I did not interrupt anything.

Edgeworth: It’s fine. They haven’t been giving me the most productive of discussions anyway… Is there anything I may help you with?

Courtney: Yes, but… I prefer that we keep our conversation private.

[She glances over to the other two, and they seem to catch on immediately.]

Larry: Well, Edgey! You better keep in mind what we talked about now! We’ll leave you two alone. Come on, Nick!

Phoenix: No need to ask me twice.

[They hurry out and shut the door behind them, but curiosity seems to keep their ears both pressed against it.]

Phoenix: (…I shouldn’t be prying into their business, but…)

[Meanwhile…]

Courtney: Again, my apologies to come here on such short notice.

Edgeworth: Your Honor… You’ve been doing nothing but apologizing since you’ve arrived, but I’m afraid I have no idea what you have to apologize for.

Courtney: Yes, well, I must admit that I’ve come here merely on a whim.

Edgeworth: A whim…?

Courtney: You see… it concerns the matter of the time I invited you to one of John’s movie screenings.

Edgeworth: What about it?

Courtney: If you recall, John said a few things concerning… our relationship.

Edgeworth: …Yes, he did.

Courtney: At first, I simply put it behind me and thought no more of it. But… over the past several days, the thought returned to mind.

Edgeworth: …

Courtney: I cannot say if it was on purpose or by happenstance, but I was reminded of his words because of his behavior lately.

Edgeworth: His behavior?

Courtney: He has been thinking about his late father again, Prosecutor.

Edgeworth: Ah… I’ve offered my condolences already, but I’m sorry that he had to hear of him in that way. If it were any other circumstance, it might not have been so hard on him…

Courtney: No, it’s fine. You need not worry about him. He is a strong boy and has retained his solemn pride. However… I’ve seen that look in his eyes - the kind that seems hesitant yet hopeful.

Edgeworth: Hopeful? Is he expecting something?

Courtney: …I fear I may have misled him into a grave misunderstanding. He may not say it aloud, but… I believe he suspects I may have expressed romantic feelings for you.

Edgeworth: …*twitch*

Courtney: ? Are you alright, Mr. Edgeworth?

Edgeworth: Er, ahem. Y-yes, I’m fine, Your Honor. (Larry, that gullible fool! He actually guessed something right for once! Oh, this is going to be difficult…)

Courtney: I must admit, the more I’ve thought about it, the more telling it seems… I’m not sure how to respond to these mixed feelings.

Edgeworth: Well, they are but natural responses.

Courtney: Yes, but this dilemma has come to the point that I can no longer focus on my work…

Edgeworth: (I-it’s gotten that bad!?)

Courtney: …Prosecutor Edgeworth. I do not mean to burden you with questions, but there is one thing I would like to ask.

Edgeworth: Um, certainly, Your Honor. What is it?

Courtney: What do you think of our relationship; that is, outside of our professional standing?

Edgeworth: …If I must be blunt, Judge Courtney, I never thought of our relationship as more than that between associates.

Courtney: …I see.

[But of course, things never go this smoothly for Edgeworth. Larry bursts into the room again, this time shouting…]

Larry: HOLD IT! Edgey, what are you doing!?

Edgeworth: Larry! Why are you still here!? …Don’t tell me Wright is too!

Phoenix: Um, yeah.

Edgeworth: Wright… I swear whenever I think I have you figured out, you commit some act of madness that veers you off to who-knows-where.

Larry: Never mind that, Edgey! I just warned you about this attitude of yours! And even after Justine came out with it… Have you no heart!?

Edgeworth: Larry, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it plenty of times. I am not interested in getting into a romantic relationship. End of story.

Larry: I dare you! I dare you to look her in the eyes and say that again!

Edgeworth: …Judge Courtney, I apologize on behalf of these two idiots.

Phoenix: Hey, why are you including me!?

Edgeworth: However, as I’ve just stated, I have no intention of taking our current relationship further. I hope you understand…

Courtney: Think nothing of it, Mr. Edgeworth. I fully understand.

Larry: W-what? Justine, you don’t mean…

Courtney: You’ve made it quite clear and I will not push this matter further. In a way, it’s relieving to hear. I’m not sure what I would have done had you consented…

Edgeworth: *smirk* Hmph. You need not worry about me, Your Honor. I’m sure you have plenty enough to worry with raising a boy by yourself.

Larry: What? Whoa, whoa, slow down, Edgey!

Edgeworth: What now?

Larry: J-Justine has a son!? She’s a single mom!?

Edgeworth: Yes.

Larry: Why didn’t you tell me about that earlier!?

Edgeworth: It’s none of your business!

Phoenix: Actually, Larry, when Judge Courtney mentioned a “John”, it was pretty easy to figure out.

Larry: …For a moment there, I thought she was talking about him like he was a nephew or something.

Edgeworth: …

Larry: W-what?

Edgeworth: …You truly are an indescribable miracle of nature sometimes, Larry.

Larry: Uh… heh. Thanks?

Edgeworth: In any case, I believe this conversation is over. Judge Courtney, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to pay me a visit, but I think it’s best we not mention any more of this.

Courtney: Yes, of course. Thank you for your patience, Prosecutor Edgeworth. Now I must be on my way.

[She gives a quick curtsy and hurries on her way, leaving Larry feeling that utter disappointment again.]

Larry: …Man, why does this keep happening? I can never seem to get what women are thinking…

Phoenix: (That’s no surprise, considering your history with dates.)

Larry: Finally, just when I thought, “If I can’t get a date, I at least can play matchmaker!” It all slips away, just like if I had been in it…

Edgeworth: *sigh* Larry, allow me to offer you a piece of advice.

Larry: What? I don’t need you to patronize me, man.

Edgeworth: I’m not. I’m just going to suggest that before you start with finding faults in others, look to yourself and see where yours are.

Larry: …Why are you telling me that?

Edgeworth: It’s solid, sound advice. Take it to heart, especially if you truly believe I don’t use mine in the least.

Larry: Huh?

Phoenix: Actually, you even lost me, Edgeworth. Are you saying…

Larry: Edgey… so you do have a girl in mind after all!?

Edgeworth: No.

Larry: …Or a guy?

Edgeworth: No! Get your mind off of relationships already!

Phoenix: It’s the Steel Samurai, isn’t it?

Edgeworth: Th-that wasn’t what I meant either!

Larry: Aw, dude. I mean, I like kids’ shows sometimes, but you really ought to work on that obsession of yours, Edgey.

Edgeworth: We are not having that conversation again! Listen, both of you.

Phoenix, Larry: What?

Edgeworth: Contrary to popular belief, it is indeed possible for a person to share the emotion of love through means other than romantic interest.

Larry: Um… Like in a family or something?

Edgeworth: Precisely. While I may not see anyone in particular as a “soulmate” or whatever term lovers may use, I don’t see the need for one.

Phoenix: You know, that’s the kind of attitude that leaves people alone for the rest of their lives…

Edgeworth: Hmph. Who said I was alone in the first place?

Phoenix: …! You don’t mean...?

Edgeworth: Even when I thought I had completely broken off any contact with you, you still managed to bring me back into your circle, and I can only be grateful for it. Despite all our differences... I’m honored to call you “brothers”.

Phoenix: …Okay, I admit it. I’m touched.

Larry: …*sniff* Th-thanks, Edgey. Sorry I said you didn’t have a heart.

Edgeworth: You’re forgiven, Larry. (I hope this will suffice to convince you to never try to play matchmaker again…)

Larry: You know what, guys? I just realized something. If Justine’s not actually interested in you, and you’re not interested in her… does that mean I still have a chance with her!?

Phoenix, Edgeworth: …

Phoenix: Larry, you said you tried already-

Edgeworth: If you insist, try your hand with her again.

Phoenix: E-Edgeworth?

Edgeworth: Who knows? Perhaps she’ll eventually listen to your pleas.

Larry: R-really? You think she’ll give me another chance?

Edgeworth: If there’s anything I know about you, Larry, it’s that you never know when to give up even when you’re put down.

Larry: You’re darn right, Edgey! Yeah! I’m gonna go for it! Justine, wait for me~! Your ever faithful knight will always be waiting for youuu…!

[And with that, he runs off.]

Phoenix: …Edgeworth, what the heck.

Edgeworth: You know it as well as I do, Wright. He’s not the type of man to change at a moment’s notice. Eventually, he’ll learn, but now is not the time.

Phoenix: Yeah, but you just sent him off after a court judge.

Edgeworth: Yes, and she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

Phoenix: But what if he gets himself arrested?

Edgeworth: That would be his own fault. Besides, surely you as his best friend wouldn’t let him get into that sort of trouble?

Phoenix: Oh, you sneaky… Stop putting problems in my hands, dammit! Hey, Larry, wait up!

[And he’s off too. At long last, Edgeworth’s office returns to its peaceful quiet and he returns to his seat by the computer.]

Edgeworth: (…Good riddance, the lot of them. Can’t a man enjoy his manga in piece?)

[galimatios]

sci-fi au again but it’s some bastardized blame au feat. my twins

thinking about a bastardized blame au that borrows the setting of blame but with some minor differences, aka humans weren't dead for as long and silicon lifeforms are part of a disease that turns pure humans into half synthetic life, aka go feral go crazy some retain intellect tho, and pure silicon creatures are fully sentient and intelligent but im thinking of a society in which android labor was widespread, but bc humans were wiped by silicon corruption, there's huge populations of androids w/o purpose humans do still exist but they're not pure, most of them have varying levels of silicon corruption as well as varying resistances. it does grant these humans superhuman strength or healing though i kind of. wanna put rey and ray as twins in this au as bounty hunters aka humans who hunt down corrupted humans who've gone too far... but they also do odd delivery jobs and stuff likelihood is that they've been alive for Way longer than humans should be due to their own corruption they remember what life was like before things went to shit ray owned a restaurant and rey owned the bar on top of it as siblings they went thru hell together and back and this was their dream and. well. then shit changed but also aesthetic bc: rey with short hair, tank top, sci-fi ass gear and army boots she's also the Slightly Older twin and holds this to ray all the time they argue. Nonstop. sometimes they cant stand eachother bc dumbasses both have strong aggressive personalities but (and ive been thinking abt rey w a sibling for a while) at the end of the day they trust eachother bc they both had the same shitty mom and survived. they can do anything, they're Them? but the scourge... well. they're always upbeat. they have eachother after all, but sometimes when they're alone, ray gets nostalgic. a little wistful, a little sad "it was nice while it lasted, huh? not even a full ass decade, and everything came tumbling down." legs hanging off a ledge, the smell of cigarette smoke "wonder how dom's doing." rey doesn't want to talk about her. she steals the cig from his mouth and puts it out. "that shit ain't good for you." "the fuck? you smoke too you know." but rey's already leaving. neither of them know if dom survived. ray lost a best friend, rey lost a lover it's been two hundred years, maybe more. if she hadn't shown up, dead or alive, she's probably gone but the thing is, the megastructure is huge. so vastly huge and confusing, anything can happen. ray thinks one day she'll show up. dom is tough. she's out there somewhere. (END PROSE) also i just love the idea of rey being a heavy firearm user and she just has a huge laser cannon strapped to her back at all times ray thinks weird flex but ok he probably uses a device that resembles some sci-fi spear/rapier thing but it channels electricity so on his command he can roast shit and also override / destroy power structures as needed. both of them have mechanical skills, can hotwire stuff, they're too dumb for hacking so they usually just try to physically brute force shit (aka... hitting it until it works) ray... leather jacket and gloves. NOTED THO: organic materials are really rare and are either salvaged or synthetically created instead. so this is like fake ass bioengineered leather from one of the few bastions of semi-human life, a big city within the megastructure that's where rey and ray live... they actually do want to start a restaurant again but. i think they've sworn off it until they find out what happened to dom, bc she's the only person they've ever trusted with their dream so until then, bounty work ok wow i kind of love ray w a fucking. black electric rapier spike thing + black gloves and black jacket, leather fucking pants, DANGER BOY!!! then rey loves firearms but sometimes she JUST PUNCHES SHIT. SHE'S STRONG!!! fingerless gloves for the girl. cries I love my redheads

KEITH PROBABLY. WOULD BE A TRAINEE BOUNTY HUNTER/SCOUT AND PROBABLY HAS A MASSIVE CRUSH ON RAY LMFAO. ray is like lmfao (puts hand on head) u are So Short keith: kkkdjdjsjhdhdhfnfbfbfjgjfjfj rey voice god you have bad taste keith follows ray around like a puppy who wants to be helpful and ray doesnt particularly mind as long as he doesnt get in the way. but its like. this video (youtu.be/TJAqwSmbKJc)

SORRY KEITH HE LIKES HUNKS AND TWUNKS BUT UR TWINKISH TWUNK AT BEST but ray has a soft spot for him once keith proves he's actually super capable at his job puppy gets head pats god i wanna stick all my ocs in this au now jonah would be s service android who used to work for a family he really cherished but they were wiped out. so now he just. kind of drifts. AI technology is self learning so i believe at this point androids have largely gained sentience and semihumans treat them like one of them alister.... heh. fuck. i really want him to be an antagonist actually but a kind of misunderstood one. he's definitely the root of everything. he is probably the progenitor of the scourge and is a human mind implanted into a fully silicon body. who KNOWS how old he is in actuality he was a sick, dying child whose experimental treatment went horribly wrong but this silicon body is stronger, faster, better. he feels no pain anymore. he can walk and run. but he's also immortal. and he can't be with humans bc contact with him is toxic humans with weak resistances died immediately once the plague started. so all the humans left are those who resisted full corruption they went after the source of the plague, intending to kill to stop its spread but even when they did get to alister, they couldnt kill him and boy they tried! took him into labs and did horrible things! some succumbed to the plague from overexposure to him but nothing seemed to stop Alister decided he had enough, killed everyone in a haze, left, then decided to make silicon lifeforms he was lonely! all of them are precious to him and every time a hunter kills one, he mourns semihumans who become fully or mostly corrupted he considers part of his family too GOD I COULD MAKE AND PORT SO MANY OCS cade is about 60-70% corrupted. he's definitely in alister's ranks i gotta think tho bc i do want one pure human with the net terminal gene. probably hidden somewhere in one of those cryosomething freeze tanks idk if i have an oc pure enough to fit the role i gotta check my roster TO EXPLAIN THIS. you need the gene to access the netsphere the netsphere is like an evolved form of the internet that's sort of like heaven and also controls some things in base reality, like the robots that are in charge of automated construction of new structures- these have gone haywire which led to uncontrolled growth this is just canon material but my addition is that once alister went full silicon, he also unintentionally became connected to the netsphere without any real authority to do anything, but the system still detected a breach and it locked Everyone out after alister infected them originally only those of pure genetic pedigrees possessed the net gene haha i love caste systems but now they're all fucking Dead. i imagine life wasn't GREAT before the scourge but it was better than a semi-post-post scarcity environment where some places are uninhabitable so you have silicon life out hunting humans to protect alister, or just for territory, and security systems that have been tripped and now safeguards are running around killing everything that moves safeguards are like antivirus programs but like. in base reality

GOD ALISTER GROWN UP BUT LIKE EVIL AESTHETIC. ALL BLACK EVERYTHING. he definitely has morphing skills, he can connect himself to technology and easily control it bc hes not organic, innocent boy is now twisted and sitting on his throne of black, corrupted human bones truthfully though alister just... wants to successfully turn more humans into silicon so he can make friends and be happy it's sad that they don't usually survive. hundreds of years of loneliness dulled his moral compass the silicon close to him feel like they're not enough they are hideous but fully sentient and intelligent with the same emotions as humans but ig to alister it's not the same. he still loves them but. he truly was human in the past in the end silicon can't truly replace flesh alex... is a high level safeguard with sentience unlike the low level automated ones that attack everything fuck ALEX OF ALL MY OCS TAKES THE PLACE OF KILLY IN CANON THE FUCK he'd probably operate differently tho. way more compassion

"once i find the net terminal gene, most likely the system will begin to purge all impurities. any and all corrupted will likely die. ... but i see no reason to shorten the life of a man already dead." this includes the humans with resistances. people like rey, ray, keith all resistant humans are <50% corrupted. they cannot be allowed to live bc there is a chance exposure to toxic materials or alister will continue the process but i think alex would change his mind and try to find a way to cure it using the net terminal gene he makes friends with the bounty hunting group, aka keith and the twins... and eventually they will find dom and. oh god what if dom is 80+ percent corrupted what if they have to put her down I AM MAKING MYSELF UPSET

BUT FUCK IT WPULD BE A GOOD CATALYST FOR ALEX TO CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT LETTING ALL THE CORRUPTED DIE AHHHHH also alex in an all black suit with a little cyan neck ribbon I LOVE MY OCS SORRY I ALSO LOVE BLAME AND SCIFI FUCK ME UP anyway i think im done for now but ughghfjgh im thinking about this for days

[wrestlingisfake]

Takeover: San Antonio preview

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode - Roode defeated Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, and Adrade Almas to get this shot at Nakamura’s NXT championship.  These are the two most over guys in NXT (with the possible exception of Asuka), and they’ll be working in front of a hardcore WWE fanbase on a PPV weekend.  This should be hot as hell, and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be good.

Nakamura just finished a long feud with Samoa Joe that saw him win, lose, and regain the title.  I don’t see him dropping the belt again so soon, especially since he’ll probably be the tentpole attraction at the Takeover: Orlando show during Wrestlemania weekend.  Still, the good thing about Shinsuke and Joe trading the title back and forth is that it reinforces the idea that nothing’s for sure, which raises the stakes in matches like these.  I’m picking Nakamura to retain, but he’s vulnerable.

Asuka vs. Nikki Cross vs. Billie Kay vs. Peyton Royce - Asuka defends the NXT women’s championship.  This is a fatal four-way match, so there can be no count-outs or disqualifications, and the first woman to score a fall wins the match and the title.

Asuka is, of course, everybody’s favorite undefeated Candy-Colored Murder Machine.  Cross is part of the Sanity stable, so her credibility mainly comes from being a part of that group’s disturbing behavior and savage beatdowns of the men they fight.  Kay and Royce are the latest version of WWE’s “mean girls” gimmick, where two dolled-up women decide they’re better than everybody else and run rough-shod over the division.  So this is basically a three-way between a strong style badass, an anarcho-punk badass, and two non-badasses who are smart enough to work together so they won’t die.

Kay and Royce ambushed Asuka (and it would take two of ‘em to do it), then Cross chased them off and ambushed Asuka again.  This is as bad a beating as Asuka’s ever taken in NXT, so she was stretchered out and put on the shelf with a storyline injury for six weeks.  Hahahaha, no, Asuka is too metal for that shit so she demanded to wrestle all three of her attackers at once.

On paper this might seem like Asuka vs. Cross is the real match while Kay and Royce just kinda get in the way.  But I think if Billie and Peyton mostly operate as a unit, their double-teaming can convincingly stack up against Asuka’s stiff shots and Cross’s aura of savagery.  I’m expecting this to be a shit-ton of fun, just a total trainwreck of women brawling like WWE lets the men do.

Presumably this match allows them to take the belt off Asuka without her being involved in the fall.  If so, the long-term plan might be for Asuka to chase the champion to the Orlando show, or someone else gets the big win in Orlando to feud with Asuka down the road.  Personally I would just pull Asuka from NXT and book her to win the Royal Rumble, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.  Cross would make a good champion, but I think Kay and Royce trying to share the belt would be a better formula for getting those two ready for the main roster.

Nevertheless, my gut says Asuka kills everybody, and eats their hearts.

Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa vs. Rezar & Akkam - The Authors of Pain won the Dusty Classic tournament, so they get to challenge Gargano and Ciampa for the NXT tag team championship.  DIY won the belts after a seemingly endless feud with the Revival, so I’m looking forward to a change of pace where these guys have to fight some big fat dudes.

We should hopefully get some quality face-in-peril stuff from DIY, which stands for Do It Yourself because nothing says self-reliance like watching Gargano desperately begging for Ciampa to bail him out of trouble.  The Authors of Pain aren’t going to be the Revival and that’ll probably piss off some stick-in-the-muds but fuck that, I want some shitty fat guy power moves.

I guess the Authors of Pain could win, but I think somebody on the NXT writing team ships Gargano/Ciampa so they’ll probably pull out a victory.

Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger - Young is the leader of Sanity, which is cryptically disturbing but mostly because I see it as an extension of his bitter deranged TNA promos from 2015.  Dillinger’s “make fans chant ten a lot” gimmick is starting to take off, which has a lot of people thinking he should get called up to the main roster soon.  So a Sanity squash match to send Tye on his way would make sense here.  I’m picking Dillinger to stand around after the match shaking his head while the crowd thanks him.

Roderick Strong vs. Andrade Almas - I guess both of these guys were in the match Roode won to become #1 contender, so now they gotta fight or something.  Almas came to NXT with great acclaim but has largely fizzled.  Strong is the latest arrival from the glory days of ROH but he may be too late to feel like a big “get” for a company that already has Tyler Black, Claudio Castagnoli, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Austin Aries.  The outcome of this one may be telling about the prospects for both guys.  I’m thinking the writing is on the wall for Almas, so Strong gets the win.