#Manfred had to hear the whole thing

[curiouswisp]

Emmrich: I wish to approach things with a clear head.

Rook: Or you're overthinking everything!

Emmrich: One of us needs to consider these things!

Rook: Maybe one of us just needs to admit he's scared!

[starboundsingularities]

good lird they did not make a gimmick blog about a real life murder

#someone fucking DIED but whatever who gives a shit it's funny i guess

7 notes

🥚 eggvidenced Follow

honestly with how suspicious and confusing everything on the dl-6 case was i wouldn't be surprised if it came out that it was that prosecutor guy tbh

🌟 rockliker270 Follow

date posted: june 23, 2010

1,834,853 notes

⚖️ courtofpublicopinions Follow

🌟 rockliker270 Follow

ok hear me out. what abt winston payne though

🧊 just--ice Follow

okay now they're just making lawyers up

#also didn't mvk die or something?

28,932 notes

🔥 triedbyfire Follow

why the fuck are you people still posting about the gavinners as if theyre not copaganda. didn't the guitarist get convicted of murder

🎸 guiltiest-lovers837 Follow

so fucking tired of this "um um didn't daryan get convicted of murder" YEAH AND HE'S LITERALLY NOT IN THE FUCKING BAND ANYMORE. dipshit

🔥 triedbyfire Follow

are you gonna address the copaganda thing or

1,092 notes

🌻 attorneybout Follow

he's so. 😳

📂 trialanderror Follow

why is he defending

📂 trialanderror Follow

OP WHY IS HE DEFENDING???

24,374 notes

🦈 giantlakemonsters Follow

i just wanna hear about another gourdy sighting thats all

🥜 liberdeez Follow

op. i'm so sorry op. gourdy isn't real you have to let her go. they had a whole trial about it.

🔐 wrightorwrong Follow

hi!! so this isn't actually the case as while gourdy was briefly mentioned in a trial, said trial had nothing to do with whether or not gourdy was "real" per se as much as. well. murder, actually. while gourdy WAS found out to be an inflatable steel samurai this was not brought up in the case at all as the veracity of gourdy wasn't really as relevant as the fact that the witness was looking for gourdy rather than at the murder she claimed to have seen. plus this was also a relatively small part of a MUCH larger trial which for those interested not only solved the dl-6 case but ALSO marked the end of prosecutor von karma's ~40 year long record and the court records are really a fascinating read through!!

🦀 mad_libz_87 Follow

net 0 information post

#thanks again lawblr

94,834 notes

🍒 cherriescoola Follow

btw i was at the park the other day and klavier gavin (of gavinners fame) was there and obv there was a huge crowd but this guy was there with him and at some point he (the other guy) waved to the crowd and someone still screamed like it was klavier??? who was that guy ive never seen him before in my life

2,284 notes

🩸 has-dl6-been-solved-yet Follow

December 28, 2016

YES!!!

702,947 notes

🪙 tellerlikeitis Follow

guys help i'm a bank teller and this guy just introduced himself as robin banks what do i do

🔪 violencekilling Follow

you gotta let him rob you that's the law

302,948 notes

👻 ghostesswiththemostest Follow

look if i ever get convicted of murder im just hiring the lawyer with the coolest sounding name

💼 courtofwaw Follow

bestie if you already got convicted it is Too Late

62,193 notes

📋 lawandwhoreder Follow

guys i know it's real fun to think people just can predict whatever but if you look at the earliest reblogs of that post that "guessed" the true killer in the dl-6 case it was actually a post about how they didn't want to go to the store. clearly edited

#stg nobody bothers to factcheck anything anymore

7,293 notes

🐺 lawnewolf Follow

i am NOT homophobic or whatever the fuck you guys are saying now i just think its weird to write fanfiction about realass people?? go touch grass ffs

🌈 lawsbian Follow

the fun police (this guy) putting me in yaoi court but the lawyers (phoenix witrght and miles edgeworth) just keep trying to make out (real court is like this too btw)

🐺 lawnewolf Follow

YOU HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.

#look idc what your enemies to lovers fic bullshit says #they're straight. and more importantly REAL PEOPLE. #there's TENSION because they are in COURT and there are LIVES on the LINE. #not because they wanna fuck. god.

12,293 notes

🔮 inhighspirits Follow

why dont they just ask the spirit mediums to ask the victims who killed them this law shit is easy

837,495 notes

💞 lawveyourself Follow

seriously i cant believe they gave this guy a law degree

💞 lawveyourself Follow

what do you mean evidence fraud

503,893 notes

🎧 instrumentalillness Follow

fuck you *unguilties your love*

384,568 notes

🎀 copiicat Follow

perjury isnt illegal btw in fact if youre one of tge witnesses youre legally required to lie on the stand. thats why everyone does it. trust me

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜 DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Kala has heard rumors that there may be merch pins coming of Assan and Manfred [source]

(Previous comment for context - Dev Brenon: "You can sprint, there is also a dash/dodge move you can do for short range mobility - though I don't tend to use that much when exploring.") A user asked on this, "Will it be a push-to-sprint key, a sprint toggle, or other (to be explained later)?". Brenon replied with some more detail on this feature: "Right now it's a pseudo-toggle, you press it once (while moving) to start sprinting and then as long as you keep moving you keep sprinting. If you let got of the movement controls, you stop sprinting." [source: the official BioWare Discord]

User: "if a choice i made 30 hours ago affects me.. best believe im restarting the whole game". Brenon: "Uh oh''. User: "UH OH???". Brenon: "I mean... we do have "decision saves" before big choice moments, but there are still a bunch that depend on a whole mess of stuff you've done earlier... so... yeah... RIP :P" [source: the official BioWare Discord]

They hope to get a bunch more BioWare-themed emojis for the Discord [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Trick Weekes has been signing DA:TV stuff with "with love and appreciation for your patience" [source]

Carly: "theres so much id love to say, but i unfortunately can't , that being said, i hear y'all and love working on a game for such passionate people and hope y'all enjoy when it does come out 💕" [source]

Actor signing attendees report that it was amazing and that we're in good hands with this acting cast. You can see more photos from it here [source].

Dev signing attendees report that it was packed. You can see another photo from it here [source]. and here is a photo of the sign from it [source]

Another photo of the booth [source]. Sometimes at the booth the devs had a Solas statue [source] (this is done by Dark Horse). I think Dark were also displaying somewhere a Varric and a Cassandra statue too, and I think these were the ones that Dark Horse do too (Varric, Cass), but I can't find the image or video where I originally saw this anymore, sorry >.<

The companion tarot-style art from the website was shown on the big screen at the acting panel [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee: John Epler said that this is the best group of companions written because of their relationships with each other, not just Rook. They can become friends, lovers, rivals with each other. Zach thought that Lucanis was the coolest character he gets to play. It sounds like he mentioned Illario [I'm assuming] by name. Lucanis is quick-witted. Neve is a bit of a romantic. Jessica found voice acting freeing as it felt like playing pretend when she was little. In her role, she felt like she could embrace being very powerful. Neve is passionate. On Emmrich, "wisdom, calm to group, warm-hearted, loves learning". Emmrich has some fantastic lines. Along with working with Varric to track down Solas, Harding has also been working with Rook and Neve. Ali talked a lot about how much collaboration there is between BioWare, the actors and the material they're given to work with. Harding has been through some things and has more of an edge to her, but they can't talk about it! [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Jessica Clark: "A lot of the time, we kind've really all bonded in the way that we were intended to, you know? And that's why we've been so excited all week and all weekend, because we can be like 'oh my god you're here', 'oh my god you're here, you're here, you're here', finally, you know? You know, I know on a lot of projects people are like 'oh yeah, we're all like, we love each other', but we really do, we really really do, and it just evolved so organically, and there was something magical about it just being our voices in the beginning, you know, like, sort've taking anything else out of the [equation.]" [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Nick Boraine: "I think I've been preparing for Emmrich all my life. I was very attracted to the role initially, and I was so, I was so, I was overjoyed when I got it, because I think it was, the writing of Emmrich is really fascinating, it's this, this man that is obsessed with death, on one hand, but on death as a comfort, death as a transition, death as something that is not scary, and that, that ability to enable people to transition and the investment that he gives in that sphere, which we don't give in our own lives. I was immediately attracted to that and I thought that that was, I'd never seen that before, so to go in these two ways, to talk about death and to talk about it in a way that is kind, and that the transition becomes a kind transition, that was fascinating to me, and I think, will be fascinating to you too." [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Zach Mendez: "[before they started shooting] I did kinda get an idea about how passionate the fanbase was, which made me really excited. I don't wanna say nervous, because I don't say I'm nervous, I say I'm excited. And so, before the first day of shoot, I was very excited. And luckily, you know, Ashley and them, didn't have me do too much on the first day. I played a lot of darkspawn. I darkspawn-ed my ass off, though. I want you guys to know, I really. And when I got home, I thought to myself, 'Zach, did you darkspawn hard enough?' I was just worried. You know, and within an hour I got texts from Jeff, who's a part of this cast as well, and G, telling me what a great job I did, and then I'll never forget, I got a call from Ali Hillis down here, and I'll remember that conversation, because for thirty minutes she made me feel like I was welcome in the Dragon Age family, and it gave me so much confidence moving forwards. So thank you, Ali, so much, I still remember that." [source]

[Character limit text break!]

Varric and Manfred: "not romanceable" [source] ?

Neve mostly eats deep-fried fish [source], it makes up the bulk of her diet [source]

Bellara loves pan-fried fish [source]

John on SDCC: "thank you to everyone who came out to the signing. thank you to everyone who came out to the panel. thank you to everyone who said hi, swung by the booth, or otherwise expressed how excited you were about the game. absolutely amazing experience. was wonderful to see you all" [source]

There's a lot of lovely concept art for DA:TV [source]

Trick Weekes: "One of the things I was proudest of was inviting leads from other teams/departments into writing peer reviews and having them later say, "Wow, those critiques went deep, but everyone stayed professional and compassionate the whole time." My junior-most writer knew she could tell me I was wrong." [source]

Violet: "As we get closer to DATV, I just want to send out a reminder Var lath vir suledin 😭" [source]

Derek on the casting department: "They really did an incredible job! Every single one of these folks deliver such amazing performances." [source]

Derek: "a lot of great talent doing awesome stuff from KY nowadays. I count myself extremely lucky that I can work on such an amazing project with such a wonderful team straight from my home state!" [source]

Michael Gamble: "i know a few people on the DA team, and i want them to have a nice time." [source]

User, on the recent word count news: "Sooooo , when will I (we) get to hear all these words". Michael: "hopefully when the game is out." [source]

User, on the news of no microtransactions: "This is great news that I hope survives past the review period". Michael: "it will" [source]

User: "What class have you been playing as in DAV mostly?" Michael: "mage. i light everything up. everything." [source]

DAMP / multiplayer mode is not returning [source]

Ghil: "Im very sorry for the teasing tweet but to be very real, i really miss playing veilguard and to stop THERE and have to wait over a year is killing me tbh. Im bothered. My crops are dying. I am withering. I want to know what happens" [source]

A user asked a question around if there are dialogue options and choices available in the game that indicate a mixed or less favorable positive perspective on Solas. Bria, a Councilmember, shared: "As an Egg Cracker, I was pretty satisfied with what we saw. I don’t want to go into spoilers but I was able to play my Rook the way I wanted when it came to the Sad Egg Man." [source]

User: "would you be able to tell us if you can change your perspective while in a fight? Those circles we saw on the video were kind of hard to see from that angle". Ghil: "Like a bit- no promises but they told us a lot of stuff like that would be in an accessibility feature. I get pretty motion sick so I remember talking about backing it up a bit." [source]

Kala: "The amount of gasping, screaming, @/ElbenherzArt having to lay on the floor, @/hattedhedgehog and @/chaosbria having to stand up from excitement and us just being in shock the whole time. Yeah 🔟 😎" [source]

Kala shared that there are moments in the game that she knows people will freak out about [source], that in terms of marketing, she knows that the devs have more things planned [source], and that she found Bellara endearing, despite not usually vibing with optimistic and energetic characters [source]

Kala shared that she feels that the Lighthouse is way cooler than Skyhold [source]

Also, in early May 2024 Zach appeared on a podcast:

Zach: "I'm very excited because it looks like at the end of this year, the video game that I've been working on for about three or so years is gonna come out, and I'm really excited for that. I'm gonna come back on and I'm gonna promote that, you guys, you will have no choice, I'm coming back on." Host: "Does the video game feature dicks?" Zach: "I can't say too much about it, but it, it doesn't ignore dicks, you know what I mean? It doesn't, you know what, there might be, yeah, there's, it's a sexy video game, it's a hot video game." Host: "So are you a character?" Zach: "I'm a character in the video game." --- Zach: "I'm gonna come back on to promote the hell out of that, because I'm really excited about that. I'm still working on that, and that's been, like, I'm super grateful for that, because that's been going on for like three years and it's been consistent work." --- Zach: "I'm super excited about it [...]" "Other people help you make really amazing things, when humans get together they make pretty stuff, and this game looks amazing"

[source (acting career segment. source link isn't work-appropriate. I don't recommend the podcast)]

[azalawa-scroggs]

About Eddie Fender and why he was a dick to Miles

I first started this post in response to something, but it got so long I decided against inflicting it on OP. This is very long and very meandering and the form is kinda weird, as a warning. It's also kinda spoilery for Ace Attorney Investigations 2.

When we first start playing AAI2 and are introduced to "Ace Attorney Eddie Fender," it's true he doesn't come across as very likeable. The first thing he says to Miles is basically "Oh, look! Here comes Manfred von Karma," and the game happens three years after the truth about DL-6 came out. That's incredibly low, very petty, cruel even. He does start off as a dick to Miles, unfair on him until he gradually realises he isn't as bad as he thought, and as he starts warming up to Miles we start warming up to him.

But also... I kind of get it.

Like... Imagine you're 19 years old. Your boss just died in a sudden and shocking murder. You inherit the law firm even though you haven't even passed the bar yet. You're grieving as you keep working hard to become an attorney, now without the guidance you used to have. Maybe you even blame yourself a little - after all, you worked on that case too, you were likely there for the trial, you left both Edgeworths to take that elevator by themselves. Had things played out differently you would have been there, too.

Did you think of your boss's son, in the middle of this whirlwind? Probably a little, but you're a 19 year-old law student. You're nowhere near a suitable place in your life to even think about fostering a kid. Besides, Gregory Edgeworth was your boss. Someone you greatly admired and whose death you will never stop mourning, but still just your boss.

(It's unclear how well Eddie knew Miles. Enough for Miles to recognise him instantly, but certainly not as close as Miles and Phoenix were.)

You take it on yourself to continue the work he left behind, to help the clients Gregory can no longer help. For ten years you try your best to uphold the reputation and the values of his firm and name, and every day you witness a little more how corrupt the system really is.

Then, one day, you start hearing about this young new prosecuting upstart. Passed the bar at 20 and already has the legal world in his pocket. Rumours of forged evidence, backstreet deals, manipulated witnesses. Not only is that just like the whole lot of them, the tactics you became so familiar with over the years - no, it sounds painfully, specifically familiar to that one long, drawn-out case, the last one you worked with Gregory. It turns out the young prodigy is the student and protégé of Mr. Perfection himself, the man who never lost a case in thirty-five years, even though he should have lost against you ten years ago if the world was even a little fair. You would hate the boy for that alone, but on top of that he's also the son of the mentor you lost, the son of the man you both used to admire so very much.

And that hurts. That none of Gregory's legacy lived on in his son. That this sweet, kind boy, who Gregory always used to worry about not making any friends, became a parody of all they used to despise.

Perhaps you even get to see him. You catch a glance of him in the courthouse corridor as he passes you by without so much as a nod to acknowledge you, or you stumble upon a picture in the same paper that struck Phoenix Wright so deeply. You see that damn suit. That damn smirk. That damn waggly finger. His features may have something of Gregory but everything in him screams von Karma. He's spent a decade trying to shape himself into him, and it shows.

Prosecutors are a privileged bunch, and the Edgeworth kid grew up into a downright brat. Entitled. Rude. Arrogant. Obsessed with his fucking perfect record. You hear he goes around cutting the salaries of detectives that make a tenth of what he does and insulting the opposing counsel in court. He became the worst of them all, taught by the worst of them all, he is everything Gregory fought against and everything you hate.

Why would you want to associate with that? Why would you ever think he is not perfectly fine where he is, with his cushy office and his cushy sports car and his doubtlessly cushy pay?

A couple years later you hear he's been arrested for murder. Maybe you follow the trial, maybe you only see the headlines after everything, after DL-6 is finally solved. Honestly, that's when you start having a reason to reach out. When, had you been less embittered and jaded by the thanklessness of your job, you might have wondered what it was like for him to grow up in the shadow of his father's murderer. You might have been stricken with compassion and horror at the thought of fifteen years spent in crushing guilt, believing he killed the father he used to love so much. You might have empathised, despite your contempt for von Karma, with how his ward might feel to be so cruelly betrayed, thrice over, by the man who raised him since he was nine, who taught him everything before throwing him away like a piece of used junk.

But you still think of how he was like a son to von Karma, of how he got to spend fifteen years in wealth, following a shiny, easy, corrupt new path while you grieved and desperately tried to keep the pieces of your shared dream together. You think of how uneasy Gregory seemed with the idea of von Karma as a teacher, you think of how eager Miles seemed to follow in his footsteps and how much Gregory would have hated it. You think of the many defendants this boy callously condemned with barely a thought, just like his mentor. Of how he may not have his father's blood on his hands, but with the way he acts you'd think he had his murderer's in his veins. And you really, really don't want to deal with any of that.

You think, somewhat unfairly, that maybe Miles ought to have seen it coming. It's not like it's much of a secret that Manfred von Karma is a piece of shit, and good riddance to him.

Three years later, you actually have to interact with him again. It's been 18 years since you last saw him in his father's shadow, looking at him like he hung the stars in the sky, back when everything was so simple for the three of you. It's been 3 years since the truth about his oh-so-esteemed mentor was uncovered. He still wears the cravat. His brow is still furrowed, his eyes are still piercing.

But slowly, begrudgingly, you talk to him. You start realising he actually has some honour to him. That he's not really the Demon Prosecutor the papers made him out to be, that maybe you misjudged him a little bit, in you grief-stricken, angry bitterness. That maybe he can be trusted, after all, with his father's legacy.

Why would you think he ever needed saving?

[supermarket-goblin]

Phoenix Wright celebrates Almost Christmas. Maya helps him shape traditions. The tree always has to have one parrot ornament, an old photo depicting Miles and Phoenix as kids playing while Gregory Edgeworth keeps an eye is put up in a festive frame, some part of their day involves walking down to the lake. When Maya leaves, he tries to get Larry involved but the holiday period is a busy time and he's got his own traditions. The first person he truly gets to share it with after Maya is Trucy. He introduces her to these things as if they are normal but Trucy's Christmas tree has never had a parrot before and why does her new Daddy insist on this place specifically for their walk? She goes along, learns and performs the traditions without any understanding. When she is around ten or so, she meets Uncle Miles, who wants to spend Christmas with them. She tries to explain their traditions to him and she can tell his feelings on the subject are mixed. He rolls his eyes at the parrot on the tree, he stares fondly, with a longing, at their photo. "Why?" Miles asks Phoenix when he thinks Trucy can't hear as they take their walk around the lake. "Why do you keep revisiting these memories?" The disbarred attorney just smiled. "Because as horrible as it all was, it saved you. It helped me prove to you something I already knew, that you aren't a murderer."

Miles tried to respond at that, only to be interrupted by Trucy, asking him about his Almost Christmas traditions. He gave her a and took her hand and talked with her as they walked. After that, a new frame appeared in the Wright home every Almost Christmas, clear fold lines in the newspaper clipping of the story of Manfred Von Karma's conviction.

Apollo instantly understood what Almost Christmas meant, his hero worship of Phoenix Wright providing him with all the information he needed. It would seem like an odd thing to celebrate, until you see the way the Edgeworth and Wright look at each other.

Athena was confused by what Wright meant by "stepping Almost Christmas up a notch" after he got reinstated. She soon found the office was home to a fair few more fireworks than she had recalled. Trucy was working on a whole new parrot puppet just for the occasion. She'd met Miles Edgeworth briefly in Germany one time but here, in the anything agency office, preparing for Almost Christmas, he was almost a completely different creature. He had stepped into the office with two tote bags, placing them on Wright's desk (which he seemed not to notice or pay attention to) and removing from them a series of frames containing photos and newspaper clippings and even a doodle of a radio with the caption "It's Almost Christmas." When Apollo later filled her in on the story behind Almost Christmas, she was shocked, but she supposes for the Wright Anything Agency, wild and unimaginable shouldn't be a surprise.

[mao-likes-2-draw]

ace attorney into the woods au…….save me…….

character choices explained under cut !!!

baker and baker’s wife - diego and mia : okay so. love cut off very tragically. and for lanamia purposes because lana is cinderella’s (miles’) prince. mia is very determined and she dies in the process of reaching the goal because she became distracted, like the baker’s wife.

jack - phoenix : jack is very attached to things, and so is phoenix. he would be trying to get milky white back like his life depended on it. also made him jack so that diego could say “its because of you theres a giant in our midst and my wife is dead!” because he blamed phoenix for mia’s death 🙏🙏 i <3 angst. oh and also he can be friends with red :)

just…dont ask me who his mother is. i dont know.

little red - maya : shes young and just like little red, is kind of sheltered and has some terrible shit happen to her that leads to a revelation about the real world. shes on a search for her mother, or in this case, granny. i know it makes more since for red to be mia as she was looking for misty and the truth and died along the way, but shes already the bakers wife and it can apply somewhat to maya as well.

cinderella - edgeworth : okay so this one is kind of silly. hes like the von karma black sheep and i think franziska being a stepsister is hilarious. i dont think they would have as bad of a relationship and cinderella and lucinda do in the actual show, but the rivalry is still there. he also is the type to run away from hard things because…we have JFA to thank for that.

also gregory can be the ghost

the witch - kristoph : he doesnt have any relation to mia or diego, but him and klavier work pretty well as the witch and rapunzel. i dont know why klavier is related to diego in this. lets just say kristoph did some weird ass wizarding shit that made himself and klavier look very similar. i dont know. the witch is a very complex character but i dont want kristoph to be as sympathetic as she was. he is very interesting but less “right” than the witch was. in her words, “i’m not bad, im not good, i’m just right!” kristoph…isnt really right.

he also loves petty revenge and would do the whole monologue.

princes - lana and ema : siblings, for one thing. lana and mia could have a moments in the woods type of thing going on. mia has a bisexual awakening. lana also works with edgeworth, but in this version i dont think shes very in love with him. its more about asserting her authority as royalty. edgeworth isnt in love either, just as cinderella is unsure of her decisions. ema is the same way. she cannot stand klavier.

the line in agony where rapunzel’s prince says, “you know nothing of madness till you're climbing her hair…all the while hearing her ‘aahhhh’” i feel like that could be recontextualized from “im madly in love” to “oh my goodness this bitch wont stop singing”. the princes, or princesses, are much more reluctant about their counterparts in this au.

lavender marriages. take what you will.

steward - angel starr : okay so the steward(ess) isnt an important character but . maybe idk (im insane) him and cinderella’s prince had some kind of relationship. i mean….he gets around. and lana does too—its insane.

and im pushing the starrskye agenda (cinderella’s prince x steward?? 🤨🤨)

rapunzel - klavier : rapunzel is reminiscent of 17-year old klavier. i feel as if that controlling relationship rapunzel and the witch has is almost like his and kristoph’s. kristoph is keeping klavier close to him because hes afraid if he sees the world he’ll know that what kristoph is doing isn’t right. kristoph is great, and he’ll always be nice, until klavier wants to leave. everything will be fine, as long as klavier depends on his for the rest of his life.

also they both have ridiculous names, and they both sing i guess??

lucinda and step-mother - franziska and manfred von karma : another thing i thought was funny. it just makes sense (somewhat) in the context of this au. its important to note theres only one stepsister now, and i know theres an older VK daughter but im too lazy to cook up a design.

mr. wolf - redd white of bluecorp : hes dangerous and lurking. he killed mia, sure, but he also framed maya and therefore put her in danger. hes definitely got that predator animal vibe to him, but hes also just as charismatic as the wolf. he also had a major hand in the disappearance of misty.

granny - misty fey : a victim of the wolf. a victim of redd white.

WHEW that was long. wow. okay so i hope this was good!! there is not an into the woods fandom and i will personally make that happen if i have to. great musical!!!

[musashi]

You said in one of your youtube videos I think that the aa anime had your favorite characterization and I was wondering if you'd like to elaborate on that a bit more? I haven't watched it yet kother than the bloopers video lol) and I'm just curious as to what it does differently than the games

it is true to the games in every regard, but it has extra time to add character flourish that the games cannot.

just some examples: maya moves around erratically in every space she's in, the foley work is amazing so you can hear her wooden sandals on the ground and the clink of her beads hitting themselves. she barrels through crime scenes, accidentally smacks phoenix all the time because she isn't paying attention to what she's doing, and just has room to be more 'maya-like' because she's in an animated space and not stuck in a VN with mostly-static screens.

phoenix's internal monologue is replaced by long, lingering shots of him silently studying evidence as he finds it. moments where he connects everything come as instant revelations and you are left on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what he will say, rather than having to piece it together yourself. his character is incredibly pronounced in the anime especially--the core tenet of him is 'faith' and this is shown wonderfully time and time again.

(see, the scene in episode 2 where maya says she doesn't want him defending her, so he bikes in the rain all day to the office of every single defense attorney in the county begging for their help. the flashback scene in episode 13 where larry is insisting that miles has abandoned them and is about to crush miles' keychain under his foot, and phoenix dives for it and lets larry smash his fingers instead.)

miles in game is described as being sad-looking and watery-eyed, always kind of holding pain in his body and expression. you get to see that in the anime, instead of just having it told to you, and it does an amazing job at softening his character and endearing him to you in an instant

the anime supplements tons to established relationships. i talked in that video about how i love what it does to the prosecutor family, it shows you miles as a teenage boy and surrounds him in imagery (flower language, the clothes he wears, wide shots of him stuck at a fork in the road) that tells you he does not know what to do or who to be. and it shows you how the von karmas take care of him, and how it is miles' choice to be a prosecutor.

in the anime, franziska never has her 'miles was like a little brother to me' line because the anime shows you instead of telling you.

the anime offers insight into manfred von karma's thoughts on miles, which are notably remorseful and kind. it offers flashbacks to a time when franziska was protective and loving toward miles, doing everything in her power to pull him out of his trauma-induced depression and help him process grief.

the AA anime loves using symbolic storytelling. flower language is a big one, light is another. light is constantly used to convey truth, enlightenment, joy. this shot where franziska is literally in miles shadow as her father begins the process of choosing him over her, but she smiles with her whole face because she finally got him to smile for the first time since they've met, is literally a fucking masterpiece to me. i could write my dissertation on this scene alone.

the anime shows us everything we do not get in the games, all the little things we wish we could be privy to. it shows us mia giving maya the best day she possibly can, before asking maya--with the full expectation that maya may say no--if she would be willing to head the fey clan.

the anime gives us the progression of miego's relationship, literally SHOWS them falling in love

the anime gives us the fucking hospital scene that everyone is insane about!

and, of course, the anime gives us the little tiny baby signal trio, all running around and playing pretend as their favourite toku heroes.

these keychains that larry wins the three of them are a thruline throughout the whole show. phoenix keeps his on his briefcase, exposed to the world just like his heart, its paint chipping from years of love.

miles keeps his hidden away, close to his chest, pristine after all those years. even as the demon prosecutor, he never gets rid of it. even when he chooses death, he takes the memory of his two best friends with him.

the ace attorney anime is a fucking masterpiece. it takes these pre-established characters and breathes new life into them without losing sight of their original intention. every choice it makes is beautiful, rich with depth and nuance and love. it is genuinely no wonder the fandom hates it so much, which how much it clashes with their often black-and-white views of these characters who were never intended to be that way.

obviously, as a new medium, it does have to make some changes to adapt properly. but i have decided i am no longer speaking any problems i have with those changes, because i am sick to bastard death of negativity on all sides of me and would rather just publicly profess my love to this anime forever.

watch the aa anime.

(hey, dipshits in my notes! read the above banner, and then read it again! read it a third time, for good measure! are you typing a tag that starts with 'the anime has it's problems, but--' or 'the anime did a lot of things wrong, but--'? consider: no one fucking asked! not everything in the world needs your opinion, person with severe main character syndrome who doesn't know how to shut the fuck up! stop using parroting other people's opinions as a personality replacement and log off this website. take up a hobby. don't reblog my post. ten thousand whip lashes.)

[alkalische]

i hear one more "manhoe is one sided/ unrequited" and "manfred is forcing himself on hoederer" again i'm going to actually kill someone

notice how hoederer, who's normally pretty glib about things he dislikes, barely ever acknowledges W and Ines's trash talking of Manfred. He literally has nothing but praise for him as a friend and commander.

like a major thing people get wrong with manhoe is going "hoederer is fearful of him/ hoederer hates him" which is untrue! hoederer spent the whole of chapter 10 making sick little jokes with him. Hoederer thinks Manfred is dangerous but he quite literally sees him as a friend

the one CANON complaint has about Manfred is that he can be indirect and that's literally it!

Hoederer doesn't think he's creepy or weird Hoederer is like "yeah he's kind of scary and is vague about stuff but i respect him a lot"

here's how he reacts AFTER they had their fight and manfred tries to kill him. he wakes up, makes sure his friends are okay, and then asks if manfred is okay. and then gets visibly annoyed/ sad when ines goes "i hope he's dead"

In the flashback in chapter 13 Hoederer is a lot more fearful and he's giving a report to Manfred who wasn't really looking at him. and then they reveal that Manfred was just casually reading Hoederer's book draft and Hoederer had LET him

(gay ass conversation)

ALSO HIS MODULE STORY. HIS MODULE STORY????

THIS IS JUST A MANHOE FANFICTION?? AND ITS REAL???? AND ITS POST WAR????

like manhoe isn't fucking one sided and that's what makes it so interesting, actually! Manfred APPEARS to be chasing after Hoederer and Hoederer APPEARS to be avoidant but it's not JUST that there's LAYERS to this

[thatweirdfetish]

In the short time I didn't have tiktok, I couldn't silence the invasive thoughts with thirst traps of buff women and Emmrich enthusiasts. Instead I opted to write scenes, things that make me think of Emmrich, and a collective of things that I can physically hear him say.

"I'll envy even the dirt that wraps up your body, my dear." dunno where I heard it but it's got Em all over it.

"Whether you come as a lover or an executioner, I am ready to receive you.” for specifically Lich!Emmrich

"Have you heard of the lovelorn wanderer? The woman that dug in the dirt for her not so lover?" lover girl is literally haunting the grounds Emmrich died at, no matter how he passed she still digs

"Rook darling, why can't you get it? I have had my beginning and I know how this ends, the middle is where you were found. The ever encapsulating unknown of the in between, it's beautiful but so horrifically short."

"Darling, how this almost ruined me- To be a man that lives in the darkness would have been better than to be the man that life found, the man on his knees who prayed for your return is worse off than the man who never knew its grace. (Solas)He spoke of fairness in a game that we should not play. The only equality to be seen is the one where you walked away. Love wants to be as simple as breathing, but it came as swift as the waves recede. Love does not care for the speed nor for the height of which the waves have grown; it only knows destruction or how it will swallow you whole." my brain went a lil wild after he said 'darling I thought I'd lost you forever' in such a sad voice

'Silence had never felt so heavy as when he looked up at me, cradling the limp stature of his ward. Our son, "We must go to the Necropolis.." he strained out, veilfire dancing in the collective tears we both were attempting to will away. "ahem- Of course, would you like me t-" The crunch of dirt scattering under his boot cut her short as he lifts Manfred wordlessly. The soft tremor of his shoulders breaking the thinly veiled composure he clings to as he strided forward. Neve's hand on my shoulder is the only thing helping to maintain my own.'

And now a little scene between my Rook's mother and her ever patient baby daddy.

"One of us has to consider my morality!" she watched as his grey hair slowly fell out of place, the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he spoke despite his measured tone, the desperate dedication filling his eyes as he looked upon her. "Emmrich please, I know the risks at hand here-" "At your age?" he cuts in, her eyes quick to snap up to his narrowing.

Hands clenched on reflex as she inhales deeply. "That's not fair and you know it" she whispered before returning her gaze to him with an almost unbearable softness. "Yes, at my age. I'm not some naive dalen roaming the Arlathan wilds, nor am I some spry junior attending your lectures. You have six, say it with me, SIX years on me at most. Our children are nearly half our age. And it would do you well to remember that,"

She watched as his posture snapped straight, confusion clouding up his expression as his eyes bounced across her features expectantly. Her eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "What?" She asks, anxiety nipping at her tongue.

"Children- you said CHILDREN, plural.." he spoke slowly, carefully. Almost playing with the way the words flowed from his mouth.

"Yes I di-" it was her turn to still now, eyes quickly dropped to the floor.

Fuck, she hadn't told him about Emiliana yet.

He took a tentative step forward, gold clinking as he raised his arm to quietly sit in the space between. "Hyacinth- No, Cin darling look at me. Please" he begged, attempting to coax her. But she didn't stir, eyes remained transfixed to the floor out of guilt or desperation he couldn't be sure. So he did what he thought was best and attempted to speak one more time, only to fall silent at the shake of her shoulders as her voice rang out once again.

“Emiliana," she muttered out, "our daughter's name is Emiliana. She's wonderful, so intelligent and diligent. I doubt even a Pride demon could have pried her out of the Skyhold library,” a sad chuckles slipped from her lips as her hand came up to mindlessly thumb at her necklace.

-which is an intricate Locket he's realizing upon closer inspection.

“She's not very adept at magic much to her frustration, I fear it may be the only thing she inherited from me beyond the freckles. She'll be damned if that stops her though," a deep sigh filled the gap as Cin rose her head once more. Tears streaked across her face, but her eyes burned with such loving familiarity it nearly sent him reeling.

“You should see how she flourishes when she is in the thick of her alchemist studies, I'd dare to say her love of botany could put yours to shame with the course she's on at present.” His eyes are wide, careful to note every word, every loving detail she's sharing so rapidly despite the heavy reluctance her voice strained through. The pride he can't help but to bask in with her at every new revelation, and the pain of lost experiences he'll never share.

A small, almost imperceivable smile twitched at the corner of her lips as she wiped away a stray tear.

“She's grown to be so much like you, it nearly had me bent to the knee in mourning at what was taken from you all unknowingly when I ran away with them..”

The crackling of the fireplace and the click of heels against stone echoed against the oppressive silence as he approached her once again. Hands delicate as one came to softly grasp at her twitching hand to remove it from the locket momentarily, while his gloved one patiently cradles her cheek.

“May I?” he asks, voice soft but not demanding as his thumb traces small circles along her face in attempts to help clear up her gathered tears.

Swallowing thickly, she nods ever so slightly. The anxiety, the grief, the anticipation all of it fell to her feet as she watched him.

Still she was eager to drink in the subtle aging of his features with such close proximity, the once shapely cheekbones that's sharpened with the march of time. The ever encapsulating creases of his laugh lines that deepened, and the new ones that formed at the corner of his eyes. That one early onset grey streak that seamlessly bled out and took over the rest of his thick locks save for a long thicket that remains just as pitch black against his widowspeak.

Her eyes flick towards his hand as it gingerly prys open her locket while she notes the slight crinkles of his skin at his knuckles, the greenish hue of the veins under his alabaster skin creeping out from the clicking bracelets in a quiet act of defiance. Even the small dusting of age spots that gather on the top of his hands she's happy to drink up in an attempt to steady herself.

His sharp intake of breath quickly throws her out of it again though as the anxiety coils back through her like a vice grip. His hand slipped from her cheek once more, careful to cradle the locket between both palms that now laid fully unfolded in his grasp.

The tears the fell from his eyes causing her to harshly bite down on her tongue, quick to silence any of her own sobs.

His eyes quickly darted across the golden pendant savoring the images. The first one held the likeness of a child with some of the messiest curls he'd ever seen and a mischievous grin shy of a front tooth. “Rook– no, Edwin..” he spoke with quiet amusement as his thumb gingerly ran along the frame before moving to the next.

There sat the three of them, Edwin barely a hair bigger happily curled into his mother with a hand placed ever so softly on a bundle with pitch black tuffs of hair poking out, he sighed, one that rattled deep from within his chest. “Emiliana?” he questioned, as his thumb lightly grazed the picture while he turned his gaze to Cin.

The metallic taste of blood pooled on her tongue as she nodded wordlessly. Eyelashes heavy with unshed tears as she watched him return to the photo, a somber smile pulling at his lips as he turned to the last one.

He laughed, a genuine deep laugh at the third image. It was of them in their youth standing side by side, covered head to foot in soot and grime. Cin’s wild grin as she eagerly clung to Emmrich's arm, wearing his own coy smile.

“Of all the photos, of all excursions, you pick the messiest one to commit to gold?” he questions, his voice light with mock offense despite the tears that glide down his face. At this she broke, the hideous sound of her sob filled the room at his tender tone.

She sinks in of herself, clutching at her chest tightly in a vain attempt to sooth the violence of her shuddering breaths. Her voice cracking and she speaks,

“Don't just smile at me like that Emmrich, I- I don't deserve it, please” her nails bite into her skin as she clawed at her arm. “Look at what my fear, my selfish fear TOOK from you. I couldn't even, I didn't-”

Her eyes were blown wide with fear and regret, words beginning and dying on her tongue as she grasped roughly at the root her hair pushing it from her face as she laughed.

“I got pregnant not once, but TWICE and ran from you both times. I didn't even give you the courtesy of knowing it happened, I had every opportunity to after Edwin. You were there, right there in front of me at that banquet. We even went off to the gardens to be alone it was the perfect time, it was right fucking there- and then you kissed me and it's like I forgot about everything I was supposed to say and then we-” she paused closing her eyes taking a deep breath and continued, anxiously pacing.

“And then Emiliana came to my attention on that boat on my way from Navarre to Val Royeaux and I just.. How could I just send a letter..? You were rising so high in the order, your reputation was worth it's weight in gold, you were SOMEBODY and I was just- I didn't want to ruin what you'd been working your whole life for, how could I dare to-” she releases her hair, aggressively wiping her tears along her sleeve as she mutter on.

“We were so careful yet still twice it happened, twice. I'll never regret them, and never have but I couldn't drag you down with me. You had so much potential, THEY have so much potential, but I was just a glorified body guard who was apparently trying to move up the ranks by ‘attempting to seduce you’ to our peers.” She stops her ministrations long enough to finally look at him, the quiet recognition of her words lingering in his eyes.

“Cin, you know I'd never believe the humor of such hearsay,” he whispered.

“It wasn't just about you, or me at that point though. I had bigger concerns, and we both know how nobles respond to such cases. Lead alone the senior watchers at the time, even with the low birth status your abilities made you a high value bachelor for better or worse. If word got out about well,” she gestures vaguely to herself. “Do you truly think they'd just let me be? Lead alone Edwin? It would of been a miracle if they let me keep him, especially when he started showing signs of his affinity for corpse whispering so young..” sighing, she turns and sits down at the foot of the steps. Pressing her forehead into her palms.

“I regret not telling you truly, I have for twenty-eight years, Emmrich. While I stand by the decision that led me to leave, I won't forgive the means I had to take to do it. And you being so ready to receive me despite it, let alone smile at me? I don't deserve it, I just don't.”

With a soft breath he strolls beside her, quick to take a seat next to her as he stares at his desk mindlessly twirling the ring on his thumb.

“You know, I once thought about getting married and settling down. It was after you left of course, but not too long after that banquet if I'm being brutally honest. I threw myself into a new whirlwind romance, and convinced myself this was it. This is that one,” She lifted her head slightly to peer over at him, “Seriously?” she questioned.

“Oh absolutely, barely a month in and I was ready to look at jewelry. I was deluding myself off course, but you know how easily I resign myself to my whims, dearest.” he mused, earning a soft snort from beside him.

“Yes, believe me I remember the desire demon incident very clearly..” she muttered, a soft smile tugging at her features.

“Exactly! Well to what I'm sure will come to you as an utter shock, she was only looking for a temporary connection that summer. She was, and I am quoting her here, ‘up to her ears with art she needed to appraise and didn't have the time.’ A lovely woman despite it, we still exchange letters on certain Navarre paintings that cross her path once a blue moon.” he turned towards her with a coy smile.

“My point however is you truly never know what fate will pull towards or away from you, the only certainty for a lack of better wording is the inevitability of death and all that comes with it. We've both lived enough life to acknowledge that much, and I'm sorry for my lack of poor phrasing earlier.” his body naturally gravitating towards her as he spoke.

“You shouldn't be apologizing for anything, given my childish behavior up to present time I think I should be the one on their knees groveling.” she mused, a familiar teasing edge slipping into her tone.

“While my memory savours the time you spent down on your knees for me darling, I am regretful to be the voice of reason and say this may not be the best time.” he said, voice barely above a whisper as he glances between her eyes and lips slowly.

To say the breath escaped her lungs would be an understatement, as she stared up at him wide eyed entranced by his hazed over gaze.

A sly grin is what he's met with as she regains her senses, “Since when have you cared about reasonable times and places? Or am I remembering our time pressed against the ‘Love in Life and Death’ statue incorrectly?” her hand comes to cup his cheek tentatively, eyes scanning his for any hesitation or reluctance.

Here she finds only a longing smile and a warm hand pressed against hers as he draws her closer.

“I wouldn't dare, be certain the true event was even more remarkable than your memory allows,” he pauses momentarily to bring his face just shy of her lips as he stares her down diligently. “I would however be so bold as to say that whatever you've committed to memory I can readily assure the present reality would surpass even your most vivid recollections.”

Her hand trailed down his neck slowly to his collar pin, undoing it with an ease that can only be chalked to muscle memory as her nose nudged his.

“Such pretty words for such a vulgar sentime-” she began but the creak of the door opening snapped them both away from one another just as quickly as they were drawn in.

“Hey mom you'll never guess who came through the-” Edwin stared at the scene before him with a brief flash of confusion then mortification at the way they looked away from each other. Emmrich's crossed legs and his mother's fidgeting of her hair only sinking the horror deeper.

“Makers tits, nope- NOPE.” Quickly he turned on his heel to yell over the banister, “ILIY, NEXT TIME YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE DOOR FIRST I REFUSE TO LET THEM RUIN SEX FOR ME”

Following a sign from Hyacinth, a loud snort and hiss echoed from the ground floor that caused Emmrich head to rapidly whip towards.

“Truly you never change do you, Eds?” a unfamiliar voice spoke much to Emmrich's delight and Hyacinth elation as they both bolt upright out the door. There by a very interested Manfred stood what Emmrich could only describe for a lack of a better wording to be, a hyper feminine version of himself poised comfortable on the landing.

[soupandsorcery]

Beaux wakes up to see five faces hovering over his. All of them look drawn, tired, but there's not a dry eye out of of the lot. Even Davrin, stoic unless he's angry, collected unless he's laughing, looks like he might have recently been crying, and Beaux has to blink several times to get his head on straight.

He was...in the Fade. Right. Solas' prison, a monument of regrets. It was cold there, bitterly so, and every breath felt like glass in his lungs. He remembers Harding's voice, Neve's, urging him on. Varric's, revealing what Beaux probably knew all along.

It still aches, a shard of pain in his chest that he's been ignoring for months now, still digging in deeper, like a splinter.

"Rook?" Bellara breathes, leaning in closer. Her eyes dart anxiously over his face, her hair falling into her eyes. Her bun is uncharacteristically messy, which feels like a strange, yet important thing to notice right now.

"Present," Beaux says. His voice comes out raspy. There's a headache behind his eyes.

"Is it really..." Her eyes well up and she claps a hand over her mouth, pulling away. Emmrich replaces her, relief, worry, and something cautious etched into the lines of his face.

"Rook," he says. "How do you feel?"

Beaux frowns. How does he feel? Numb. Angry. Tired. Aching. Hurt. Yeah, that's a big one. His whole body is one giant scab, throbbing with the pain of it all. But he doesn't have the words for that, so he takes a deep breath. "Fine, I think. A little dizzy, maybe?"

"Here." Davrin is behind him in a second, his strong, broad hands coming to Beaux's shoulders. "Sit up slowly."

"Right." He lets Davrin help him, even though the movement makes the pain explode in his forehead. Everything spins for a minute, and Beaux squeezes his eyes shut.

"Focus on your breathing," says Emmrich's voice. "In, then hold, then out."

Beaux obeys, dragging in a deep breath, expanding his lungs, and holding it for two beats before releasing it in a messy rush.

"Good," from Emmrich. "Again."

It comes easier the second time, and then the third. When he opens his eyes again, the room is still. And he realizes where he is. Lucanis' pantry is warm, bathed in the light of flickering candles and magical lamps. Everyone is packed in, save for Manfred and Assan, but he can hear them having a conversation in squawks and hissed words just outside the door.

"How much do you remember?" this from Taash, standing towards the back of the room, arms folded. Their face is shadowed, both by the light and by the pain they must be feeling.

Maker, they'd come so far only to lose so much.

"All of it," Beaux answers. "Tearstone Island. Neve. Harding." His voice breaks on her name. "Lucanis killed Ghilan'nain, and then Solas—"

There's a broken off noise of anger from Beaux's right, and he turns his head to see Lucanis there. Of all of them, he looks the worst. Shadows under his eyes again, Beaux notes. Those had been going away, once he and Spite made their agreement. He hasn't been sleeping. His hands are clenched at his sides, and his hair is a mess, like he's been dragging his fingers through it.

"Perhaps we should...give them a moment," Emmrich suggests, looking between the two of them. "We can all convene in the library later?"

Davrin hesitates, eyes flicking over Beaux for a second. "We are sure this is Rook, right? We didn't accidentally pull some demon out in his place?"

"What are you suggesting?" Emmrich asks, sounding more than a little affronted.

"Stranger things have happened. To us."

"I don't think a demon would know you secretly asked Lucanis if he thought griffons needed sweaters in the winter," Beaux says.

"I told you than in confidence," Davrin replies, directing the grievance at Lucanis, who can't even manage a rebuttal with how tightly he's wound. "Fine, you're you. Good." He claps Beaux on the back and slides past the others to leave the pantry.

Everyone touches Beaux somehow before they leave. Bellara throws her arms around him, clinging tightly for a second before she's off again. Emmrich touches the back of his hand, giving him a reassuring smile. Taash ruffles his hair, and when Beaux catches their hand, trying to figure out what to say, they shake him off.

"Later," they say, cutting their eyes to Lucanis.

Beaux nods.

The door closes behind them all, and their hushed voices linger in the dining room beyond. It warms Beaux through to know they're not going far.

Lucanis hasn't moved, though. He stands like a statue, eyes staring at the wall, unfocused. There's pain in the way he's holding himself, like if he doesn't hold himself together, he'll shatter into a million pieces. Beaux wonders how often Lucanis has felt like this. How many times he's had to put himself back together after having the rug pulled out from under him. Too many in recent memory.

"Lucanis," he says softly.

The only response is a low sound of not quite distress.

Beaux moves slowly, but with purpose, swinging his legs over the side of the cot, bracing himself on the thin mattress to try to lever himself up to stand.

But Lucanis is there in an instant. Or rather—something shifts, and Spite is there, blocking the way.

"Hello, Spite," Beaux says, smiling up at him. "Will you help me?"

"Smells like the Fade," Spite growls. "Cold. Bitter. Lonely."

"That about sums it up, yeah. It was..." he trails off, shaking his head. "Bad. What's going on in Lucanis' head?"

"Anger. Betrayal. Not again. Loss. Fear. NOT AGAIN."

"Help me?" Beaux asks again, reaching a hand out. Spite takes it, hauling Beaux to his feet. He sways for a second, off balance, and the world goes spinning again. There's a flash where he's almost sick right on the scrubbed wood of the pantry floor, but it passes, thankfully. Spite doesn't let go, and he's grateful for the lifeline. "Okay, let me talk to him."

The purple of those eyes recedes, giving way to deep brown, and Lucanis is there again.

"I thought—" Lucanis says. Falters.

"I know."

"I promised myself, Beaux. I promised you. I would lose no one else. And then Neve. Harding. You were gone."

"I know," Beaux says again. "But you found me. You found me, and I'm here."

He reaches up to cup Lucanis' face in his hands, stroking his thumbs along his beautiful, beautiful cheekbones. Lucanis grips Beaux's wrists, hanging on tight. "You're here," he repeats. "Mierda. When you disappeared, I— I could have killed Solas. I wanted to."

"He has that affect on people." The words are dry as a desert in Beaux's mouth. "How long did he have me trapped there?"

"Weeks," Lucanis says. "I cannot say how many. Days lost their meaning, after a while."

"Weeks?" Beaux sways again, and Lucanis tightens his hold. "Maker, the fucking Fade. It felt like hours for me. I think so anyway? It was hard to tell. I'm so sorry, Lucanis. I never wanted to worry you like that."

"No," Lucanis growls. "You owe me no apologies. If I had been faster—"

"You killed Ghilan'nain. You watched one of your closest friends die to help give you the shot." He thinks back to all those weeks ago, when Lace and Lucanis had been discussing him hiring her to watch his back. None of them could have known just how good she'd be at it. "I knew Solas would betray me before it was all said and done, I just didn't think it would be something like what he did. No one could have predicted that, and this isn't on you."

"He was in your head. He used you. Manipulated you. Then he just disappeared into an eluvian, like he had done nothing. Like it did not matter." Anger sharpens Lucanis' accent, bitter around every word.

"Yes," Beaux says very faintly. "He did."

Something in his voice drains the anger from Lucanis in a rush. He leans forward (well, up and then forward), pressing their foreheads together. "Forgive me," he breathes. "I should not make you dwell on it."

"There's no time for that anyway. If I've been gone for weeks, we have to get back to it. I need to know what's been going on."

Lucanis looks like he's going to argue for all of a second, then he nods. "You need the work to focus you."

"We've always been alike that way."

A smile ghosts over that handsome face, and Lucanis pulls Beaux down into a kiss. It's tender, and nothing has said 'you're home' so much as Lucanis' mouth on his. The last of the chill of the Fade is wicked away, leaving behind only a simmering warmth that spreads all the way down to his toes.

When Lucanis pulls back, he looks less haggard. There's life in his eyes again, at least. "Come," he says. "We will discuss with the team. I will make you something to drink."

He threads their fingers together, and Beaux holds on tight.

[lightan117]

Mourn Watch Headcannons 2

I had to make more now that I've finished the game....

As a reminder - this is based on the character that I've used, but I've mostly tried to keep Rook's gender natural.

Mourn Watch in general:

Students 100% ship Myrna and Vorgoth together. They also have little betting pools on which professors sleep with whom. Many students also end up as couples that eventually lead to the next generation.

Speaking of students - the students are the entire gossip pool of the Necropolis. The teachers get their information from the students.

Nevarran beetles are 100% pets (think Scarabs). Mourn Watchers will try to have different colors and species. Golden beetles are rare, but green ones are common.

More on the Grand Necropolis is Hogwarts - first-year students ALWAYS get lost, and search parties always stand by the first few months to find the ones who are. Spirits who are restless might "lure" people away and just peace out when they are well and truly lost (Vorgoth is never happy when this time rolls around)

If students get in trouble, their punishments are to deal with the gentry and clean their tombs. Ever want to hear a spirit complain about how students are not cleaning their tomb correctly? No, didn't think so.

Everyone knows that Markus Pentaghast is dead or undead. It may not be confirmed, but low-key, everyone knows that man is not really "alive." Emmrich confirms it with Lucanis, but we all know Mourn Watchers just know in general just by reading the news. The king was poisoned again? Of course, it didn't work—the man is already dead, guys. Take a hint.

They love to throw any type of fancy party to one-up each other. If someone is having a fight, they don't brawl - they throw the biggest party to show off.

Mourn Watch Rook:

Mourn Watch Rook, when traveling to Treviso, will always look to see if there is anything that they can bring back for Myrna and Vorgoth (Big sister and brother energy). Def will try and get Vorgoth and Viago together to talk about paintings.

There is a scene where Harding mentions Rooks' speech not being as proper unless they are talking to a fellow mourn watcher—THIS IS ON PURPOSE, NO ONE CAN KNOW THAT THEY ARE VERY PROPER IN SPEECH! They worked really hard that first year with Varric to be "normal." They can switch back and forth really easily.

Minrathous is the place they dislike the most due to their view on spirits and power. Feels bad for those in Dock Town - hate everyone up top. Politics are almost the same but not as bad I feel.

Would pester Emmrich (in the best way) about what they missed in Nevarra and any lessons he could teach them. Lessons from one of the top professors in the Mourn Watch? Why the fuck not?! They can also nerd out together about all things undead.

Assan and Manfred are the favorites of the whole group

Rook has beetles in their room - fight me - everyone knows and thinks its weird when they show up at the lighthouse with a glass case full of beetles. Spite thinks they're cool.

(End of Game) Mourn Watch Rook and dating:

If Mourn Watch Rook is dating Lucanis, they would have a hard time once everything is...normal I guess? I'm sure the Mourn Watch would give the nobility the middle finger if they protest Rook coming back to Nevarra (they would be welcomed back with open arms - Rook just made them fucking famous). Their role, they take seriously, but they would find some common ground to meet in the middle. I could see that the Mourn Watch would allow Rook to work out of Treviso but have to make trips home for rites/reports/gossip. Rook is the only exception tho, everyone is shit out of luck until Rook decides to put forward change. Lucanis and Rook do end up getting married and having a bunch of kids (adoption or by natural).

If Mourn Watch Rook is dating Emmrich, they would move back to Nevarra to live together. Rook would be allowed back into the Mourn Watch cuz why the fuck not...

(Spoilers!)If Emmrich became a Litch - I would feel things would be difficult due that the man is undead and would outlive them (there is no going around that topic; it will be rough). There will be arguments and such, but after about, I would say, a year, things will die down into a routine. The topic of marriage might come up and there might be one. (Lots of convos about what happens when Rook does die). Emmrich might try to stay teaching students and opening up conversations with Litchs still having relationships with the living as per his relationship with Rook being an example. An uphill battle if you choose this route.

(Spoilers!) If Emmrich did NOT become a Litch - this route might be a tid difficult but not as much as if Emmrich is a litch. Since he's human with Manfred (Manny as I call him) you two are in your perfect little bubble that no one can pop. Emmirch would go back to teaching and Rook could do whatever they want. They could teach if they wanted, become an instructor, or even help Myrna. Emmrich does have fears of his death still but Rook would be there to help him along with Manny. When the time comes, Rook would not be left alone.

[rockturbot]

do you have any headcanons abt them.

Many. Here's a few of them. Some of them I'm sure I've mentioned before.

🟠Gant: -is ambidextrous! -is mildly allergic to peanuts -was born in Greece -doesn't exactly *believe* in astrology but will still look up the natal chart of everyone he regularly spends time with. If you refuse to tell him the time and place of your birth he will abuse his authority as a police officer to find ways to attain the information regardless. At that point it's not even about your chart anymore. He just can't stand people purposefully withholding information from him. -loves snakes and spiders and bugs and all kinds of animals considered "creepy" by most. He always wanted a pet snake, but circumstances never really aligned :( -is Magnifi Gramarye's younger half-brother and can Perceive; that's what his long stares are. Usually. Other times he really does just want to unsettle you. Magnifi doesn't like him much and so they don't really talk, though. Gant is a bit sad but respects his boundaries. He unleashes all his annoying younger sibling energy on Manfred instead. Or whoever else happens to be around. But annoying Manfred is fun :) -his pink glasses can detect luminol, just like Ema's. 🔴Blaise: -likes dogs! Napalm (the dog Edgeworth found in the mall in the flashback episode in season 2 of the anime) is his dog. -tapes pictures of people he doesn't like to the walls of his office and uses them as dartboards when angry -used to play very loud music in his office when he was younger, either by putting on a record at max volume or playing his electric guitar himself. Stopped this eventually to prevent further damage to his hearing. -grew up as the son of a single father who wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a mechanic and taught him how to maintain all kinds of vehicles from a young age. Blaise has used these skills to manipulate the brake cables of people who got uncomfortably close to revealing incriminating truths about him and had them disappear in tragic "accidents". -his impressive abs? Are silicone implants. As someone who derived much of his confidence from being conventionally attractive when he was younger, aging took a pretty strong emotional toll on him and he couldn't deal with losing both his hair and his muscle definition.

🔵Manfred: -was offered the position of chief prosecutor before Blaise, but declined. He wants to prosecute, not administrate. -is left-handed -really does primarily use his stun gun for self-defense (though it sure comes in handy when threatening defense attorneys and their assistants). If there's one thing he can do as well as prosecute criminals, it's make them very, very angry. -he gets along perfectly fine with horses, though! His family always had horses so he grew up around them and knows how to behave around them to make them feel safe. -may or may not have named Franziska after Frank Sinatra -will deny this if you ask him about it -will remain silent if Gant asks him about it. He knows he can Perceive. -thought for the longest time that it was *Gregory* who shot him in an attempt to fight off Yogi. Only realized the truth after looking at the DL-6 case files many years later, sometime around 2013-2014, and reading that forensics only found Yogi's and Miles's fingerprints on the gun. Only then did he begin to plot the whole Turnabout Goodbyes thing.

[luckylolabug]

Spoilers and criticism for Veilguard under the cut! Don't read if you're not prepared!!! I've been sitting on this long enough to try and get my thoughts together on what my biggest problem with the game is and I think I figured it out (for me personally, anyways) so!

The biggest downfall for me is genuinely not really having a way to ACTUALLY get to know your companions. Most of their backstory information is tucked away in party banter, so you just have to kind of hope you happen to hear it while out running around with the right combination of party members. (I could get into how much I hate that I can only take two but that's a whole other thing.)

The issue with this is that it completely cuts Rook out of the equation at all. I can't really go around and ask my companions questions about themselves or their backgrounds. There aren't any conversation trees to get to know them, and I literally can't even talk to them unless it's something they want from me. Rook isn't even really part of ANY of the party banter out in the world, which is a huge bummer. It wasn't EVERY banter, but in Inquisition, there were many times you were actually able to chime in with your own response to whatever people were talking about. And you know what that does? It makes it feel like Inky is actually part of the crew. It feels like they're IN the conversations and their thoughts and opinions matter.

Meanwhile, Veilguard has several party banters where I feel like I'm interrupting a conversation and they're turning to look at me with drinks in their hand waiting for me to get lost.

Rook is like the CEO of a company while everyone else is making friends, and it's frustrating as a player. Even with codex entries that talk about the team doing stuff it's like. Why isn't Rook part of their book club?? Why isn't Rook part of their grocery lists in the kitchen??? Why isn't Rook included on the mural Manfred paints at the end of the game that's supposed to highlight how heroic everyone was?? (I know the answer to the last one is because everyone's Rook looks different, but come on. You could at least just have a hooded figure in the center or SOMETHING to indicate they're involved)

Nobody asks Rook questions about themselves, nobody really seems to care about them at all. There's so many points in Inquisition with Joesphine asking about your background or Cassandra asking about your beliefs etc. And that's just....not there??? (Don't even get me started on Rook randomly popping out information about their past that I have Zero input or knowledge of. Why the hell does my elf Veil Jumper Rook who HAS Vallaslin insist they were a city elf out of nowhere when talking to Taash??? Why don't I get the option to pick that???? What???)

Anyways, all of this to say is that it makes me incredibly sad because a big draw for Dragon Age for me is how cohesive the crew usually is as a unit. I dont expect everyone to be the best of friends (lord knows that my Cousland didn't get along with Morrigan at all, my Hawke had issues with Sebastian, and my Lavellan doesnt like Vivenne at all) but the difference is with all three other games I can point out directly which companions they're closest to, and how by the end of the game at least a decent chunk of them feel like a found family. And I just can't say the same for Veilguard because its like Rook is an afterthought and everyone else is besties. (Forreal though, as a Veil Jumper especially, would it really have been that hard to assume I already knew who Bellara was??? We're from the same fucking camp. There's like 40 of us. HOW does Rook not know who she is prior to the game deciding to meet her???)

[rom-e-o]

Thinking about the HoF now cuz I'm on a second DAI playthrough with my save state on Dragon Age Keep for DAO and DA2 (just finished up the Winter Palace and met Walrod and Morrigan's lovely son, Kieran!!)

Someone made concept dialogue for Veilguard where you can talk to Morrigan about her family, whether the HoF survived or not, both still talking about Kieran either way.

And I'm just imagining Renata going to Arlathan to check with the Veil Jumpers, see if there were any lingering side effects because of Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain's defeat, and she sees Morrigan still sticking around.

Renata: "Morrigan? And here I thought you moved on already."

Morrigan: "And here I thought you would have joined your pet necromancer back to Nevarra, but I suppose we both cannot seem to get what we want, can we?"

Renata: "You didn't have to be so harsh about it... Maker's breath..."

Regardless, Morrigan's there, though not for the Veil Jumpers' sake. Not anymore. Now it's all snark and sass as she roasts the ever-loving crap out of an exasperated Strife.

"Honestly, 'twould not be surprising if you chose to sit out this next expedition. I'm quite sure your poor, aching, creaky bones would thank you immensely for the respite."

"I hate you. So much."

"Thank you."

But in reality? She's waiting. Waiting for family she's yearned to see since this whole mess started.

"Leave the man alone, Mor. The last thing he needs is his streaks of grey to get even greyer."

And there he stands. Warden-Commander Waldor Aeducan, with a shite-eating grin as he greets his wife with a wave and more scars than Morrigan would like to see him with.

And their son, Kieran, now fully grown into an adult with a similar shite-eating grin and a hand across his father's shoulders, Vigilance now resting on his back.

Renata steps aside to let them pass, silent and respectful to the man known as the Hero of Ferelden. He gives her an acknowledging nod, before both father and son both go to embrace the Witch of the Wilds.

And screw any talk of sentimentality. Morrigan would have traded all the knowledge and magic she had known just to be with her family again.

And then they go home in their little pocket in the Fade and live happily ever after and they visit the Lighthouse where Kieran becomes friends with Assan and Manfred and Waldor, Emmrich, and Davrin become dad buddies-

Can you tell I am so incredibly emo over them?? XDDD I need to draw/commission Waldor so BADLY and I am so mad the Warden wasn't mentioned by Morrigan at least once in Veilguard-

(Ignore that I messed up realising that Dwarven markings signify casteless dwarfs and I did not realise that until after I finished the game- T-T time for mods to fix it)

First of all, Morrigan calling Emmrich "your pet necromancer" is so perfectly in-line with her character voice. I can practically hear Claudia reading the lines in the signature voice in my head, haha. Too perfect. And her tormenting Strife is perfect. He can stand up to her, but it doesn't mean he'll crack a smile about it, haha.

Gotta get in a jab, of course.

Kieran, yes! It was so surreal to be able to see him!

Oh my gosh, there's a REUNION! We got to see Hawke in DAI, but never the HoF (even if they survive) SO HIM REUNITING WITH MORRIGAN? And an adult Kieran? Oh, that is BEYOND precious.

Please, give this adorable family some rest after the decades of horrors they have braved together and miraculously survived!

I love Renata just stepping back and dipping her head. the perfect amount of ceremony. Those Necropolis-begotten manners haven't failed yet.

I don't blame you for being emo over them - it's a love story that spans generation, battlefields, entire countries, dimensions! All for them to end up eventually safe and reunited again through it all. <3

RIGHT? The Warden is so neglected in Veilguard and DAI! As mentioned above, we don't get to see them, and in Veilguard, there is ... maybe a mention or two? It's so sparse. I get it, we're in Tevinter, but come on! Just a little nod is more than enough!

I must tell you, that now every time I see Morrigan, I'm like, "there is is, Walrod's wifey." You've got me so invested in them. XD

AH, THERE HE IS! There's the man! I adore how you designed him - he's so handsome, and contrasts so well with the more goth/dark vibe of our favorite Witch. (Lmao, you are ALL GOOD. Ah, the beauty of mods.)

[vaguely-concerned]

Did Rye ever hear tales of Hezenkoss growing up???

What an amazing question! Ingellvar certainly seems to immediately recognize her by name in the first leg of Emmrich’s haunted house loyalty mission, so they have clearly heard of her exploits at least. Hmm. For Rye specifically I think it depends a bit on the timeline of how and when things went down, if there is an established one I did not quite internalize it on my first playthrough. (Rye is 35 at the time of Veilguard, for reference.) If Johanna getting kicked out of the Watchers happened at some point in Rye’s late teens or early twenties, there’s every chance he sat severely hungover at a Watcher cafeteria table squinting pitifully over a cup of tea and plate of uneaten breakfast while the other students spoke with equal amounts horror and morbid excitement about the Watcher who had gone so rogue, and groggily went ‘Woah. That’s wack’ before shambling off to do his Necropolis chores and fail to do any studying at all despite his best intentions before spending his afternoon and night up in Nevarra City making bad decisions and getting wasted again lmao. What she did is against every belief and principle he holds as a person and a Watcher, but he was also very busy living his worst life and slowly not with a bang but a whimper self-destructing at the time so he might not have been in the best position to like. Pay attention to that lol.

It would be really cool if she was sort of a rockstar researcher before she not so much fell as leaped, cackling the whole way, from grace, and the novices used to listen with wide eyes as they heard about the Watcher who proved a point of theoretical necromancy everyone thought would just stay a useful hypothetical without practical application. But at least American masc Rook sounded like they had more beef with Johanna over what she says about Emmrich and more egregiously Manfred *horrified gasp*, so my sense was that there wasn’t much of a personal betrayal ala what you might get with disappointed hero worship in that relationship! Though that also would be an amazing angle for her and Ingellvar’s dynamic haha. If she says the whole ‘you would have been taught very differently if you were my apprentice’ in a scenario where that used to be a secret childhood daydream of Ingellvar’s???? The communal crypt baby experiencing someone they once looked up to so much openly wanting to claim them as their own apprentice, as their own, but unfortunately as it turns out she is also the worst person in the world? God, the layers. Longing, morbid curiosity, perhaps some pride, guilt over the pride, moral disgust, grief… it’s not Rye’s whole deal (he’s more about clinging to father figures who did not mean to leave him behind yet had no choice but to do so due to being well. ah. dead.), but one could get SO much out of that if you wanted to give an Ingellvar some uuuuh Feelings about mothers specifically haha. Add some of their strange vibes with Myrna in there and parallels, echoes and contrasts with Mythal, Caterina and Shathann as you see fit, and that’s a rich tapestry one might end up weaving. (I love all the thematic echoes going on in this game for that reason, you can make a decision for your Rook that way and the narrative will probably have something to mirror back to them)

[contents404]

There are specific reasons why some of the ME2 mechanism only works in ME2.

Like the maps are small in ME2, but the loading animation makes sense as you wait for the ship’s door to open, so mentally your brain can trick itself into believing “Yeah, Shepard and squads traveled a long way”.

But that does not work as well in DA2. Cause the wooden door doesn't work that way and the loading animations do not imply your team travels a long way or walks through the door. DAO did better than DA2 in that part.

Also, Shepard’s not usually the one to start a conversation. It makes sense cause they are military. The command chain is clear. Shepard is the commander others are under their command. No chat with the officer is common. And asking permission to deal with your own shit is common. As in a strictly ranked environment is common.

On the other hand, there is no chain of command that level clear in DA. Like the Inquisitor is obviously the head of a military organization, but they are also a puppet figure made by circumstances and the advisors. While Rook is Verric’s second-in-command but also feels like others just don’t want to make a decision. So in this situation, giving Rook a mere chance to start a non-quest-relevant conversation with anyone makes it weird. These people are not their employees. But they feel like a corpo project team more than the chosen family the devs claimed.

Specific planets’ political issues don’t matter cause everything is burning, on screen in ME2 and 3. Also when Shepard and team land on any planet is mission-specific. They don't see as many normal NPCs and they definitely don't walk through those people’s life as DA’s team does.

Meanwhile, the South is burning in the letters from the Inquisitor. That's lazy development. It's tell not show. You are a game, you need to show people that. Rook walks through maps full of people, overhearing normal NPCs talking steps into their personal lives cause that's the side quest. This does not work like that in ME2 cause it gives you the feeling that the whole North is covering their shits up somehow. You only see Tevinter slaves out of Tevinter, you only see them when you save them or hear them from the shadow dragon, otherwise, you only see former slaves like a lord of fortune Rook. In Dock Town, though you might see people seem or feel like they might be slaves but no one says the word like is a Taboo or something. And guards are like statues they don’t do a thing. It feels so fake on a deeper level than it in ME.

And when there is no banter cause you hear all you can at the point. The Normandy is just a ship. When nobody talking it just feels like a silent ship. Maybe everyone just had a bad day. You can make sensible assumptions.

But in the Inquisition or the Veilguard? It feels like the fucking world is in silence all of a sudden. The only two who still play with you are Assan and Manfred. They are great! But except for them, the whole fucking fade is in a weird silence. The lighthouse and the whole endless void around it. It's some real horror.