#Phoenix absolutely isn't going to intervene.

[ot3]

When she's like 17 Larry starts selling trucy weed and phoenix's stance on the matter is he won't comment on it as long as he has plausible deniability but then Larry has to ask him to intervene because trucys haggling him down so low thats hes taking a loss on it

[prezaki]

One core trait of Phoenix Wright as a character that I rarely see discussed is how utterly evasive he is about his private affairs. It sticks out the most in AA4 when we see Phoenix from the outside, but "Phoenix won't tell anyone anything important unless he absolutely has to (and even then, he probably won't)" is by no means a new development for him.

From AA1 onwards, we see Phoenix dodge people's questions about his personal life time and time again. In part, this is by narrative necessity - Phoenix knows more than the player is meant to know in order to achieve the optimal tension curve. But AA takes his narrative shortcut and turns it into a real character beat.

Phoenix Wright is the most cagey fucker on the planet.

At the end of 1-1 Mia asks him how he came to befriend Larry and Phoenix dodges the question with a vague promise to tell her later - this also means that in all of his time working with Mia, he's never actually disclosed his full motivation for becoming a lawyer to her.

In 1-2, Maya asks him how he knows Edgeworth and he dodges, because of course he does. The same song and dance repeats at the end of 1-3. And despite Maya's repeated prodding by 1-4, Phoenix still has not told her a thing about his past. That's from October until December that Maya is left going ??? and her questions go nowhere.

Then, between AA1 and AA2, Edgeworth is presumed dead by suicide. Does Phoenix tell Maya about this? Absolutely not. He does not tell her in letters nor is he clear about it when they see each other again in person, months later.

What Maya gets once it's inevitable to talk is a vague 'he's gone' and no elaboration other than the request to not speak about him again.

This is Phoenix's default coping mechanism.

In AA3, there are numerous instances where he mentions forgetting Dahlia, not speaking her name again, etc. Edgeworth is 100% getting the 'person who hurt me too deeply to think about' treatment here.

But to not even tell Maya a vague overview on the matter, when Maya knew him too? Rough. And it just keeps going.

It's six months between telling Maya that Edgeworth is 'gone' in 2-2 and her finding out that 'gone' seemingly means' dead' in 2-3.

Maya complains about it, too. This isn't a matter of 'she never asked again', it's a matter of 'Phoenix is dodging all questions'. Gumshoe has to intervene in order for Maya to finally find out.

And finally in 3-5, does he tell anybody why he's going to Hazakura temple and why he seems interested in Iris? Absolutely not!

At this point we get Edgeworth openly acknowledging that Phoenix keeps his emotional cards extremely closely to the chest. When he states that he wants confirmation on whether or not he has met Iris before, this exchange happens:

Even as Edgeworth directly calls him out on being evasive and never actually speaking to people, all Phoenix can do is acknowledge that this is how he is by apologizing - but he won't change his ways.

AA4 Phoenix is really just a natural evolution of Trilogy Phoenix - Trilogy Phoenix is already evasive, already hates telling people about his struggles or accepting help... It's really no wonder that he'd isolate himself instead of reaching out once he gets disbarred.

[hypnified]

I was so close to putting Laz, Barks and Joystick in his place. But Barks occasionally passes out from exhaustion so he was ticked off (he's also a medic), Laz is too much of an asshole (Phoenix isn't all nice either but he's not as bad as his batchmate.) And as for Joystick he's kinda unhinged and not everyone likes that but I can definitely write matchups for you with them if you want.

That won't bother him, he's just happy to help where he can!

I wouldn't call Phoenix possessive by any means, but he's protective especially after his death. I can't see him getting snappy towards any of your friends, he's respectful but if some random person for example is giving you a hard time he might get a little bit snappy but his go to is just a morbid joke. (He would growl though, nothing is stopping him.)

Lazarus is gonna sob at the chaos that the both of you manage to create! Phoenix is pretty good at not taking things too far, he's very good at understanding people's limits and he's not one to push them. Causing chaos is a way for him to relax and unwind, also because it annoys Laz and nix absolutely loves that.

While his morbid jokes are a coping mechanism for him, he knows they're dark and they can make people uncomfortable so he's very careful about using them. Phoenix will never take a joke too far, he might mess around and tease but he doesn't push it much further then that. It frustrates him when someone doesn't know when to stop and he has intervened around people like that, which has gotten him into trouble!

As far as cooking goes, he can definitely cook noodles and toast and anything really basic but don't trust him with much else. He's a fast learner and he's very eager to please so it might not take him long. He would love anything domestic, he just wants to spend time with you!

I want to be shipped with one of your OCs pleaseeeeeeeee 😁

Female, 27, 5'7", 105 lb, caucasion, blue eyes, brown 3B type curly brown hair that sits just below the shoulder, glasses, freckles everywhere except my face, and long freaken legs.

I have no idea what my personality letters are, but I'm an extroverted introvert. I am a leader, not a follower. I love public speaking and being in front of a crowd, but I also love my quiet alone time where I can write and think in peace. I love people, and I also can't stand people. I'm a lazy, do-nothing Saturday person, but also a let's do everything humanly possible person.

I'm incredibly introspective and inciteful. I spend most of my time in my head and am often asked for advice from others. Don't ask me how I know what the right thing is, I just know. 100% self-sufficient. If I dont know something, I will figure it out. Great sense of direction. I travel for work and I absolutely love it.

No nonsense, and an aversion to stupidity. Master of eye rolls and of sassy one liners. I can let loose once and a while, but only if I've known you for a longgggggg time. If you get to hear me cackle like a hyena, you've made it. Mostly dry sense of humor, but apparently, people still find me funny. I can have a crowd roaring in 5 minutes, but I can't carry a one on one conversation without being awkward.

I am prone to sensory overload, get migraines, and have low blood pressure. I may pass out on you, but I give out instructions on what to do if it happens. Im straightforward, and I will let you know exactly how I feel. There is no pussy-footing with me. I don't lie to make people feel better.

I am probably the most confident person you will ever meet IRL. I am a public speaker, so it comes with the territory. Also, I am a female in a male-domnaited industry, so I either suck it up or get wrecked. Most of the time, though, I'm wrecking the guys. Once I crush their egos with my knowledge and wit, they give me their utmost respect. I don’t have many insecurities, and the ones I do have don't run my life.

Oh, and underneath all of that, I am an absolute sweet person. I will shower you with kisses and hugs and so much love. I just gotta put my thick skin on when I go to work. Loyal to a fault. If you've gained my trust and respect, I will defend you to the ends of the earth. I have fought people before, and i will do it again. I am also a sucker for domestic life, and I can do everything from clean, cook, bake, laundry, gardening, and repairs. I would make a fabulous wife for the right guy.

I hope that wasn't too much...

@the-bad-batch-baroness

I just finished baking so time to answer some more oc ship asks! The longer the better it makes it easier for me!

At first I thought Erix, but I'm also getting Phoenix vibes!

Phoenix is an ambivert, but he doesn't lean towards being introverted or extroverted he's just there I guess. He's more of a follower, Laz is more of a leader. But he also won't sit for anyone's shit, but not much really bothers him. He's very picky with his company, which tends to upset some people but he doesn't care about it too much. He's a menace, and has no problems with being a little shit but he knows when to tone it down. Phoenix is really good at making people laugh and not even he knows why, it kinda just happens!

He's completely fine with you being awkward, if you still wanna talk he can keep the conversation going without any problems. But he won't force it either! If you pass out on him, he's one of the best equipped out of all my clone boys, so you're in safe hands. But if anyone approaches you I can't promise he won't get snappy, but a morbid joke is all he needs to shut someone up.

Phoenix really appreciates how straightforward you are, he's fairly blunt and he can't count on one hand the amount of times he's offended someone. Thanks to his death and the trauma that came along with it, he's not exactly confident, he really admires your confidence. To him you're one if the coolest people in the world, and will not shut up about it Laz will actually tell him to shut up. He's so proud of everything you do, but if he gets too much please tell him he will listen.

Youll never be short of attention with this boy around, Phoenix will be reminding you you're loved, he's peppering your face in kisses, hugging you everything. He just wants to give you attention! But for the love of god, do not let him cook he will burn the house down to a crisp, once he's gained your trust he's not gonna break it.

[attorneys-against-court-violence]

My honest opinion?

If you absolutely, positively, without argument, HAD to have Nick play a role in DD, then make him getting his badge back a STRUGGLE.

Have him grapple with the suspicion, doubt, and shady antics those 7-8 years he spent disbarred had likely cultivated. He could regret not being able to do his job the way he used to but also somewhat agreeing that he probably shouldn't be back in the game either, letting the new generation of lawyers navigate this (somehow even more) broken legal system that his disbarment indirectly enabled.

And if we must give him his badge to make him playable, give it to him in 5-5. At that point, Apollo's already taken a leave of absence to go find the truth on his own (heavily pre-occupied with Clay), Athena's the prime suspect for Clay's murder and indicted by Aura for UR-1 (ie unable to help Simon at present), and there's seemingly no other person around to get her and Simon out of this mess.

At that point, either:

Apollo comes back to untangle this mess that he took such drastic measures to investigate - ones that lead him to the dreadful possibility of Athena's guilt that they both have to work through.

Phoenix is forced to swallow his doubt back to defend Simon/Athena his usual way. He's rusty, he's sweating bullets the whole time, but he scrapes by just well enough to keep their heads afloat before Apollo intervenes.

I wouldn't want Phoenix playable if we can help it, but holding him off until the last case would be something I'm willing to compromise on. 5-5 could be a giant hurrah for all 3 characters that way, if handled well, giving them all a chance to clear out their arcs.

But I of course would rather the WAA kids handle their struggles on their own with some guidance from Nick here and there. Because Dual Destinies simply isn't about him.

He's just there because it feels like it needs to say something about him, while having nothing interesting to say at all (even if I think it could if it REALLY tried).

Thinking about Phoenix and Trucy’s dynamic in aa5 and aa6 because of a post I reblogged recently (idk if I should link it or not) and man it really is something that majorly pisses me off. Warning this is gonna get pretty anti aa5/aa6. And rambly I am too lazy to properly format and structure this

TLDR Phoenix would be a good father based on his character and how his fatherhood is shown in aa4 but aa5 and aa6 write it incredibly badly

First there’s the kidnapping in 5-5. You could feel they were trying to recreate 2-4 with this case by having someone close to Phoenix get kidnapped to force him to be at a trial and the killer being an assassin. It’s just… not nearly as good. For many reasons but this is about Phoenix and Trucy. One of the reasons farewell my turnabout works so well is that the tension and suspense around Maya’s kidnapping is written incredibly well. The whole cast is constantly worried, especially Phoenix. He’s in an instant panic when he hears Maya’s been kidnapped, and it’s constant at the forefront of his mind. It’s one of the reasons the case works so well at being anxiety-inducing, you can really feel Phoenix’s fear and anxiety through the entirety of it. He always has thoughts related to Maya and how worried he is, he finds different sources of help (Gumshoe, Edgeworth) to ensure her safety, the entire REASON he goes along with being Engarde’s lawyer at all is because he can’t fathom the idea of Maya getting hurt. When the reunite at the end of the case, he screams her name and cries and the game actually portrays his damn relief

With Trucy ? He has some dialogue when it happens that is basically just “oh no”, then does the trial without even thinking on it again. No blue dialogue nothing. There’s that one moment where Aura threatens to kill her and he does the most empty fucking “nooo don’t hurt her” I’ve ever seen a father do, and that’s kind of it. Then the trial continues like nothing happened and he once again forgets about it, pretty much. And when she comes back at the end of the case, there’s no crying or yelling or anything, just a bland “Trucy are you okay”. The contrast between the two kidnappings is insane

Then there’s the magical turnabout in aa6 and ohh boy it doesn’t get better. I actually like the magical turnabout, idk if that’s unpopular or not, because I found the gameplay and the case fun and I liked what it did for Apollo and Trucy’s relationship. But oh my god do I hate what it does for Phoenix and Trucy’s relationship. Again.

There are some brief frantic phone calls with Apollo at the start and end of the trial and that’s literally it ? I know why they couldn’t have Phoenix just fly back to Japanifornia because of the Khura’in gameplay and all that, but then make the magical turnabout a case in a different game where Phoenix isn’t in another country. The reasoning for him not flying back is that he wouldn’t make it to the first trial day, but it’s not like that’s a problem for Phoenix ? I know “taking a plane the second you hear someone’s in danger” is Edgeworth’s thing but let’s be real Phoenix definitely would be that guy too if he was out of the country regularly and had money. There’s no way he would hear his daughter is getting accused of murder and he would go “well plane tickets are expensive. I can phone her when the trial’s over”. Plus at that point Trucy is 17 ? It really shocked me while I was playing that he only learned about her arrest from the news or something, because I was thinking shouldn’t he have been immediately contacted by the police, seeing as he’s her legal guardian and she’s a minor ? The ace attorney universe doesn’t seem to have laws like minors being tried differently (looking at you Machi Tobaye), but still Jesus Christ.

And this isn’t me arguing Phoenix is a bad father who doesn’t care for Trucy, this is me arguing the writing of aa5 and aa6 is abysmal. How he treats Trucy in those games is completely different than how he treats her in aa4. In aa4, he’s definitely not a perfect father, but you can tell he cares so, so much about her. She’s literally “his light”. One can argue one of the reasons he was willing to forge the ace was because he couldn’t afford to go to prison when he had Trucy to take care of. He states that “he’s the only one who knows how she really feels”, showing how attentive he is to her emotional state (because god knows Trucy isn’t open about her real feelings) and that Trucy trusts him. In short, you can tell he’s a caring and loving father.

I think the problem with how his fatherhood is written in aa5/aa6 is that they didn’t really have time to flesh it out because of how much is always happening in those games (which is a whole other problem of its own), so they elected to give him stereotypical father things. So he shows basic (really basic) worry when she’s in a bad situation, then the game goes “alright we showed he gives a bit of a shit back to the game”. There are also some lines, like the one where Athena makes a joke about Trucy’s diary talking about crushes and Apollo saying if that were the case Phoenix would burst into tears, that kinda just feel like “haha yeah that’s what dads do right ?”. To me it felt like those games didn’t want to focus on them at all but couldn’t ignore that yknow. they’re father and daughter. and so tacked on some lines without really focusing on if it’s in character or not, without making changes to the plot itself to make it less ooc.

[prospitianescapee]

#Larry also tried to sell phoenix weed when He was 17 #But I think phoenix was too much of a pussy back then. And Larry only had ditch weed anyway #Phoenix absolutely isn't going to intervene. #Phoenix voice weed should be free for my beautiful daughter. Wait no. I mean. She should wait until she's older to start smoking

When she's like 17 Larry starts selling trucy weed and phoenix's stance on the matter is he won't comment on it as long as he has plausible deniability but then Larry has to ask him to intervene because trucys haggling him down so low thats hes taking a loss on it