#Wonder if I should replay 4 or go Spirit of Justice

[littlestuffstohide]

I can't help but think this spunky girl reminds me Phoenix. Jumping into the defense seat when you're the defendant.

The reeeal hero. He helped Phoenix back to law and got Blackquill to prosecute. Suuuuch a daring man! I mean against everyone prostesting and he got his way? Edgeworth is the reeeal MVP!

Smiles Miles has a cute ring to it. Phoenix, he will only smile for you. The giiirrrrllssss are FLIRTING! No Athena. It's fliirrrrting!

The gentlest Athena! We should. She reached her goal of saving Simon. From being afraid of the world, to fighting her fear and doing her damnest to be who she is in this game!

The DAD stirkes! But also perfect since the case ended so it hits when it hits!

WAA is almost literally a stoplight signal team except Phoenix is an exception for being BLUE.

A serious furrow in his brow. If I were APOLLO, I would be internally have been waiting for EONS to get back at my secretive boss! Tho honestly, this case is literally PRO BONO except for the astronaut. You will laugh at me. I'm too lazy to look up his name who is registering into my mind as Starbucks.

[currywaifu]

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: mutuals 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: miyoshi kazunari/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 1.9k words, 2 images

𝐚𝐧: me? back w/ fluff? it’s expected at this point! his speech is hard for me to replicate, but I rly do love Kazunari so I hope I did this scenario justice! I, uh, got too excited at the prospect of “insta mutuals” oops~ hope you don’t mind the additional media TT

The Insta notification that popped up on the top of your screen distracted you from the game you were playing. Normally you’d flick the notif away, but as soon as you realised what it was about, you rushed to finish the rest of the stage.

You and Kazunari have been Insta Mutuals for nearly a year now, ever since he hit you with a follow and you proceeded to stalk his readily-available socials. 

The two of you had been liking and commenting on each others’ posts for weeks on end, starting off with you praising his most recent graphic design work to him sending a paragraph of heart emojis on the most recent fan art you drew.

Somewhere in between following each others’ spam accounts to tagging each other on Insta story games, he finally slid into your DMs and the rest was history. Sort of.

You knew what people said about online dating, or even just long distance relationships in general, but try as you might it was hard not to fall for Kazunari.

The more you talked to him, the less he stayed as your “funny artist mutual” and soon enough he progressed into the “still funny but also really sweet and cute artist online friend, 10/10 would date if asked” category.

You didn’t bother stifling your laugh as you looked at the message he sent you, immediately liking his selfie before saving it on your phone.

Okay, no. He can’t just hit you with an “I do wanna meet u already” and then take it back but not fully commit to it!

You waited for him to respond through text, but instead got hit by your ringtone blaring loudly at such an ungodly hour. At the sight of your contact nickname for him, you eagerly answered his call. You rushed to get the first word in, him doing the same unbeknownst to you.

“Kazu-“

“Babe, I-“

The both of you paused, his eventual laughter easing up your tension as you let out a giggle of your own. You mentally told yourself not to be so nervous— Kazunari and you would have this conversation eventually anyway; besides, it wasn’t as if you didn’t want to see him in person. It was quite the opposite, actually. You just figured that conversations like this needed to happen in call, at least.

“Shoot, should probs shut up so Mukkun doesn’t wake up,” Kazunari commented, his voice volume already lowered, “do you wanna go first?” He asked.

“Yeah,” you replied with resolve. You gathered up your thoughts, formulating the next set of sentences that would leave your mouth, before ultimately deciding on one question. “I just need to know first… how serious were you about meeting up irl?”

“I mean, that wasn’t what I meant when I sent the message? But like, it’s still valid, you know?” he paused, but when you didn’t say anything he decided to continue, “it’s not the first time I’ve thought about meeting you. I think about it a lot, actually.”

It was a bit of a shame the two of you chose to voice call instead of video call. You would’ve loved to see your boyfriend’s face just about now, though you supposed it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a heart attack a quarter to 4 in the morning.

Plus, you weren’t sure you could handle him teasing and throwing compliments at you due to your clearly visible elation, if the upwards stretch of your lips was anything to go by.

“Babe? You still there? Did you pass out, or…” In reality it had only been a few seconds, but still you didn’t want to leave him hanging. Not when the two of you were talking about something that meant taking the next step in your relationship.

“I’m still here, Kazu,” you reassured him. Your voice shook slightly, a sliver of your excitement slipping through the cracks. “I’m the same. Like, no lie I was shocked we brought it up like this, but, um… I’m ready, and if you’re ready, too, I want to meet up with you.”

“Wait, wait, wait— hol’ up! So we’re finally going—“ he laughed for the second time tonight, a fuzzy-wuzzy warmth escaping as its sound equivalent. “Wahh! Of course I’m ready! Can’t wait to finally see what a cutie you are irl♪ Hngg, how am I supposed to sleep now? I’m too hyped up!”

You rolled your eyes, despite understanding exactly how he felt. His infectious cheerfulness amplified the blossoming commotion occurring inside your brain. Despite not making any official plans yet, the prospect of finally meeting up had you frenzied.

Still, one of you had to be at least slightly responsible. While you wouldn’t claim to know his daily schedule, if Veludo Arts was anything like your university, he should be as swamped with workload as you were. Actually, maybe that was the reason he was up so late? That’s how it was for you, anyway excluding the fact that you took a break to stamina clear.

“It’s nearly 4 am… do you wanna continue planning this tomorrow? Err, rather, in a couple hours? After our lectures end, maybe?” You asked, though by the tiny whine Kazunari let out you had a feeling he wasn’t going to agree so quickly.

“Ehh? Why don’t we do it now? I have so many ideas about where we could go, and what we could do… oh! I could introduce you to everyone in Mankai! I’m sure they’d love-“

“I’d love to meet them too,” you cut him off, tone as firm as you could manage at this time, “and I want to hear your ideas, really, but I just know if I let you keep talking the sun will rise before we’ve even decided on a date.”

You chuckled as Kazunari let out a sound of protest, though you had a feeling he knew you weren’t wrong about your assessment. “Zuzu~ Let’s go to sleep now, okay?”

His phone microphone picked up on an audible gasp. “Ehh, how come you rarely call me Zuzu? It’s cute when you say it!”

“Because it sounds like a nickname you’d give to a Pokemon!”

“Uwu, maybe I’ll get Itarun to lend me a copy? Then I’ll catch the cutest Pokemon and name it after you~” you nearly groaned at how fluffy he was being. Seriously, he was distracting you from your agenda of going to sleep!

“Kazu! Stop flirting with me at 4 am or we might not fall asleep!”

Though you couldn’t see him, you were 200% sure he had a wide grin plastered on his face right now. “Me? Using tactics to get you to keep talking with me? Never,” he claimed, professing his false innocence.

“Well, I’m not falling for it! I may not be able to physically tuck you in bed right now, but I can in spirit!”

“Oh!? Then can you give me a goodnight kiss in spirit, too?”

At this point, you were sure that even with just a poke on the cheek you’d be able to feel the heat beginning to envelop your face.

As Kazunari finished laughing, you let the quiet lull of the night seep in the conversation for a few moments before gently breaking it.

“I’d rather give you a kiss irl, though.”

And just like that, you claimed victory over the game he started. With how Kazunari sputtered, a part of you worried that he’d disturb his roommate’s slumber. Still, an even bigger part of you was smug to have him speechless for that much of a duration.

“Babeeeee,” he drawled, “you’re so, so, so unfair… I, like, really want to hold you tight right now…” he murmured, the rustle of his bedsheets discernible through the call. You found yourself nestling onto your bed, too, snuggling up to a soft pillow.

“Soon,” you suddenly yawned, your tiredness seeming to have settled in the comfier you got on the bed. “We’ll have a lot of time to plan tomorrow and the days after, yeah?”

Kazunari let out a hum in agreement, a comfortable silence following suit.

“Kazu?” You muttered quietly, careful not to disturb your peaceful atmosphere.

“Yeah?”

“I love you. Good night,” you said, heart aflutter as you heard his response.

“I love you, too, cutie~ sweet dreams♪” he said in an unbelievably soft tone, before ending the call.

After quickly connecting your phone to a charger, you fell back atop your bed and hugged your pillow tight, already anticipating the day you���d be able to hold Kazunari in your arms, and you in his.

…

Morning come, you hastily prepared for class as you always did. You fell into your usual routine— as soon as you were out of the bathroom, you selected an outfit and went over the things you needed to bring to uni today.

You stopped for a minute; taking a quick selfie to post on your story and emphasise your exhaustion to your close friends, before making yourself some breakfast. Within less than 5 minutes, your phone pinged— a recorded message from one of your favourite people this early in the morning.

"Mornin' piko☆ You're looking cute as always today♪”

There was no way you would admit to how many times you replayed it to Kazunari, but even so it was a good way to keep you positive for the rest of the day.

You don’t remember Veludo Way being this rowdy, though it was hard to trust your memory when it’s probably been years since you’ve last visited. Somehow, it was not tough to imagine Kazunari walking around and performing here— the liveliness of the streets difficult to not associate with one of the liveliest people you knew.

While the original plan was to meet up at a cute and trendy cafe you saw all over people’s SNS, the two of you agreed to meet up somewhere less crowded and more meaningful to him— the theatre which he’d performed at multiple times in the past.

As you saw the building from a distance, you wondered when you’d be able to see him on stage, too.

A shout of your name pulled you out of your thoughts, and you couldn’t help yourself from running over to meet up faster with the figure that was jumping and waving around in your direction.

Had you any sense left, you probably would have told him that you didn’t want him embarrassing himself in public, but in reality it was quite apparent that you were just as excited to finally see him in person.

“Kazunari!” you can’t help the little shriek you let out as you finally embrace him, only joyous laughter and each others’ names escaping the both of your lips. When you finally got a good look at Kazunari, you nearly wanted to bury yourself into his shirt again.

Everything still seemed so unbelievable. That this was real. That it was finally happening. It almost felt like the dreams you’ve had of this moment many times before.

“How are you so beautiful in person, too?! It’s totes like I’m falling in love with you again♪” Kazunari exclaimed, squeezing you one more time before finally settling on holding hands with you. “Ahh! I super, duper love you!”

Except it wasn’t. There was nothing imaginary about his warmth, and the way his words made you feel, and the beaming sunshine of a smile he aimed at you.

“I love you, too!”

want to order again?

[justanotheronechicagofan]

Previous Chapter 

10. Elephants 

series summary - Will the Halstead brothers be able to reconnect with their sister after 5 years? chapter summary - the Halstead reunion continues Madeline Halstead (oc), Will Halstead, Jay Halstead, Mouse [mentioned]  TW - pregnancy related death 

series masterlist  | main masterlist

Madeline basked in the warmth, feeling her roots revitalising as their chatter enveloped her, a sense of tribe, a much missed shield. Still, It seeped in corroding the cocoon.

It. An unwanted guest - never leaving, always looming. Ready to creep, sprinkling in doubt, threatening to ruin… well, anything. They won’t like them. A decorated hero turned detective and a doctor. They like boxes, they like lines, they like nor-

“Babe, just tell them already!” she could hear Jess’ laughter. Angelic against Its coils.“You’ve got this! They all love them, what’s different this time?”

But what if they don’t Jess? What if they lea-

"-addie, you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry" The brothers watched Madeline flash a smile. They didn't miss her tenseness, the way she clasped her trembling hands onto her teacup. The siblings were glad at the more smoother than expected reunion but they all knew of the certain elephants they couldn’t ignore. They decided to ride out the silence. 

Finally, she broke the quiet. “I uh- I need to tell you guys something. Something important” That phrase paired with her expression would have warranted teasing from the brothers followed by Madeline's bursts of laughter. Something related to getting seconds of ice cream or wanting a second dog perhaps. But this wasn't 5 years ago. 

Madeline bore into them, searching as if their eyes laid a hint of what their reactions would be. Both brothers tried for a reassuring smile, hoping to pass this sudden test she had put them on. Jay hadn't felt this level of nervousness, if ever - which was saying something considering he sat across from _the worst _of what Chicago had to offer everyday - he felt as if she didn't like what she found, there would be another five years lost. 

When she seemed satisfied, Madeline spoke, “Jay- you’ve met but uh I don’t think I introduced him. Not officially anyway. And Will, you haven’t met yet but,” she took a deep breath and beamed, “I have a son. His name is Nathan, Nate … He’s 3 and I love him, more than anything in the world. I know- sounds corny but it’s true” Her expression was undeniable.

Will was elated. He had heard from Jay that night when the detective had stumbled into his apartment - “Will, she was right there. And there’s this kid, the cutest kid man. He called her mama… Fuck - Will, she had a kid and we weren’t there” - still, he could count the times he had been this happy. The brothers knew that after half a decade apart, it would be a gamble if their little sister would want them to be in her life let alone her family’s. Will hoped that her telling them was a good sign - maybe some sort of invitation that would lead to him becoming an uncle… He realised he had just been sitting there - smiling like an idiot - and rushed to congratulate but was stopped by Madeline's shake of her head.

"Please. J-just let me- I need to tell you this" Madeline breathed out, her eyes dripping with something they couldn't quite place. 

Jay recognised the mint green envelope that she pulled out of her purse. She opened it and laid out a photograph on the table, her movements so careful as if the slightest jolt would would make it evaporate. 

They immediately recognised Madeline - younger and thinner - sat on a sofa, mid laughter with a young woman in the middle. The woman reflecting Madeline (who Jay guessed was in her early 20's at most) had blonde hair, glowing skin and a growing bump to match. She was snuggled against a similarly aged man with dark brown skin who lovingly gazed at her as he held her close.

"Danny took this one, it's one of my favourites," her eyes crinkled at the memory. "That's Ty and Jess - they're family y'know. Really helped me out" 

Jay recognised that look even through her misting eyes - it was one he had seen many times before - the look Nadia and Erin had when they had talked about each other. 

Madeline continued, "Jess and I - we were so close, like sisters. And people used to think we were cause of our eyes," she shared a wistful smile, pausing as her baby pink nails traced the edges of the photograph. 

Jay furrowed his eyebrows at the past tense - were they no longer friends? did this 'Ty' have something to do with it? had this ‘Jess’ just upped and left? 

When she looked up, her eyes were filled with pride, "Nate ... he was a preemie, nearly 2 months early. But healthy considering - 4 lbs, 6oz." 

A smile touched the brothers' eyes as they imagined their little sister, a part of that precious moment. But it faded away at her features starting to cloud. 

"But Jess-," Madeline started as if on rote, her agony seeping through her blankness, "-she had complications and they took her for an emergency c section-” 

Jay recognised that look as she trailed off. It was one he was all too familiar with - the one he couldn’t hide. Hoping to be the anchor Will and now Hailey were, Jay shifted closer to her where she was fiddling with her bracelet.  

Madeline jerked, blinking herself back to the banquette. She took a shaky breath and continued, "Before they took her, I was so scared y’know?” Jay couldn’t take his little sister’s gaze as it crushed his spirit.

Her eyes empty, she shared a hollow laugh, “But she was laughing … told me to chill out, that she'd be back with Nate before I knew it-” She braved a tight smile, hoping to smother the pain. Knowing it never did. It didn’t matter that every syllable had been rehearsed, imprinted in her mind - Madeline always wished she could pause at Jess, beaming before they wheeled her away, before they- 

The brothers held a breath as they realised where this was heading. Will had seen one too many of these cases even working in the ED. The ones where what should be a happy occasion would turn into one of much grief - the ones where more often than not, they couldn’t give answers. 

“They said she lost too much blood- t-that there was nothing they could do.”

“Jess- she never got to hold him” 

They saw the blame laced with confusion. The waves of emotions she had fought to surf, the numbers of tears she had shed, the days she had clung onto to arrive at this exact place with her grief. They saw it all. They knew the power of the nightmare those two sentences held. It was too great. 

Will found himself thanking God in that moment. He didn’t know what to feel about that. Or in fact any of it. Guilty for being thankful that it had been the friend that was struck with the ultimate misfortune? Or was it because he let this happen to her, his little sister in the first place? Maybe it was both. Or was it relief? None of that changes anything. He could hear in the back of his mind. None of that changes the fact that you failed her.

Jay didn’t know what to say. Having done one too many notifications and witnessed the tragedy that came with the job, he knew. That no apology would be enough. Probably better than none though he thought. But everything about one just sounded phoney. Because in the end, it wouldn’t change the fact that he hadn’t been there. That he had failed her. All he could bring himself to say was,

“What’s he like?” 

“Nate? He has Ty’s eyes y’know. So Much life in them. And he has this laugh … you have to hear him, it’s just like Jess’ - it lightens everything. Oh and he’s silly and hilarious, just like his Dad … has the biggest heart … he’s just amazing.” 

You have to meet him, I want you to. She wanted to say. Madeline didn’t know why she felt as if she had to make an appeal of Nate. You’ve done this before - why all this now? she thought. But she knew, that this was different. Because this was Jay and Will. 

As he listened to Madeline beam about her son, Jay couldn’t help but replay the all too short meeting he had at her porch that day. And before he could swallow it back, it slipped out, 

“Can we meet him?” Shit. That was way too soon. 

But his growing doubt came to a halt as soon as Madeline’s features lit up. “Y-Yeah? For real? You want to?” 

“Maddie, heck yeah! Of course we do” The brothers’ reply didn’t do justice for how truly, undeniably happy they were. 

See? Told ya Madeline heard Jess’ smile. She breathed again,_ It_ silenced. Madeline couldn’t put a word to it but it felt great, something like relief and ecstasy rolled into one. But she wasn’t done yet. She still had another brother to ask about … 

"And Mousey?” 

Will gave a cautious glance, knowing how much it hurt his little brother to see his best friend go. 

Jay chuckled at that nickname. He hadn’t heard that one in a while, “He went back about 2 years ago, comms specialist”

“Really?" 

“Mmhh. Do you remember the sergeant we used to tell you about? Well, he put a unit together and he reached out to Mouse” Jay smiled, proud. 

With the same admiration as when she was little, Madeline spoke, “Seriously? That’s awesome! That unit’s lucky they have him. And … he’s okay?” Will noticed the look his younger siblings shared - he wondered if it had something to do with that one and only phone call he ever got from Pat while he was in New York. 

“Mads, He’s good, spoke to him about a month ago - I should probably call him again soon though” Tell him you’re finally home, safe. 

“Yeah? That’s great. Maybe I’ll join you, make it a surprise? Oh! And do you know his address? I want to send him something. Samoas and Cinnamon Crunch right? And jerky. Wait… or was that your thing?”

Jay smiled at her chatter, “No, he likes ‘em too Mads. And yeah, I’ll text you everything - Man, he is gonna freak out when he hears you.” He was surprised that Madeline had remembered those little details because even though the nightmares chased him, being overseas felt like another life ago. He guessed in a way it was. Will couldn’t help but feel a pang as he was reminded yet again of how his sister who was barely in school at the time knew more about Jay’s time with the Rangers than him. 

“Good. I missed him” she shared a sweet smile before it turned into a mischievous grin. “So?”

“Yes Madeline?” Will amused, raising his eyebrows. 

She huffed in return, “C’mon! All I know so far is that Jay’s a detective in a district with a nice sergeant and that you work in the Emergency Room in the same hospital as Connor which who kne-”

“Hang on ‘nice’? Which district did you go to?” Jay joked. There was one thing everyone agreed on at the 21st district - Trudy Platt although one of the best cops in the city, nice was not the first word that came to mind. 

“Yeah, Sergeant Platt” she stated as if it was the most obvious. 

“Pretty sure this is the first and last time I’ll ever hear Platt and nice in the same sentence - the less I have to interact with her the better.” Will dramatically shuddered before laughing with the others. 

“But seriously, stop avoiding my question.” Madeline mocked annoyance. 

Will jokingly put his hands up. “Alright, alright,” He straightened up and announced “Well Maddie, I have a girlfriend. Her name’s Natalie-”

“About damn time too. He’s been pining after her for how long? since you started there?" Jay smirked. 

“Ooooh. So she’s at Gaffney’s too? Is she a doctor? Or a nurse? What’s she like?” 

Will’s eyes crinkled at her curiosity. “Yeah, we work in the ED together - she’s a doctor too. Natalie’s great, I think you’ll like her. Hang on -” he paused, fumbling with his phone. “She can’t wait to meet you by the way.” He added before giving her his screen. 

It was a selfie taken in a park or maybe a garden. Will’s girlfriend ‘Natalie’ was white and had shoulder length brunette hair - there was something kind in her eyes as she laughed. Probably to one of Will’s Really Bad jokes… Madeline amused. She’s pretty … I’m loving that top, maybe I’ll ask her where it’s from. Madeline chuckled at her eldest brother’s grin as he held her close. There was only one word to describe his expression - Smitten. 

When she swiped to the next picture, she was pretty sure her heart stopped. It was probably taken a few seconds after the first one and everything else was the same except from one unmissable detail. Madeline zeroed in on the toddler now in Natalie’s arms. Crap, I waited too late. Did I miss becoming an aunt?! How old is he? Maybe like two? 

Will laughed at her shocked beyond belief expression. “You’re not an aunt just yet Tiny. He’s Natalie’s son but hoping that down the road y’know …” He trailed off, giving a lopsided smile. 

“You are SO in love with her” she teased before turning her attention to … “Jay?”

“Good luck” Will laughed. “Even if there is someone, he’s not sharing - Believe me Maddie, I’ve tried.” 

“Uh-huh. Like I believe that. C'mon there's no one?” She tried again, now putting the puppy eyes on max. 

“Nope.” Jay smiled and she couldn’t tell if he was lying - she never could to be honest. Damn his Ranger training. She was about to let it go but she saw Will raise his eyebrows and take a sip of his mug.

So there is someone she smirked. 

As he looked at the row of townhouses standing impressive against the dusking sky, Jay wondered what this place was to his little sister. He had barely resisted the urge to ask the whole less than 5 minute drive to this street. The not knowing was honestly killing him but he heard his partners voice, “She’ll come home Jay.” He smiled, hugging Madeline. Guess I’ll have to follow Hails on this one too.

Watching his younger siblings hugging, Will smiled. Our family’s back. Maybe he hadn’t let himself get there but it was clear to him now how much he had craved it. He squeezed her tight, feeling that missing part of his soul starting to be found. And as he watched her walk through the gate, he made a promise right there and then - He wasn’t going to let go. Not this time.

Walking up the stone steps, Madeline couldn’t hide her grin at her body full with that warm cozy feeling. That’s got to be one of the best days ever. Replaying bits of the long awaited catch up, she chuckled at Will calling her Tiny - a nickname she almost forgot about and hated when she had turned a teen - she now realised how much she missed it. 

The brothers drove back in silence for a while and when Jay heard Will say,

“She didn’t ask about Dad.”

He nodded and stared ahead. That was an elephant he was unwilling to touch. Not yet anyway. 

                                            💙✨🦋✨💙

A/N - The characters belong to Dick Wolf and are from the One Chicago universe he created. Thank you so much for reading! This chapter was really difficult for me to write and at one point I considered deleting the whole series but I kept at it and about 4 months later here we are ;) This one touched on a really heavy topic but I hope I was able to do it justice and that you enjoyed it. I’m still not sure how I feel about it but I think this is the best I can hope for in this chapter - let me know what you think 💗

[friendlyneighborhoodborg]

Borg Replays Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies| Case 1, Part 2

In which the Prosecution gets theirs (nyeh heh heh).

In episode 2 of “I Can’t Believe it’s not Perry Mason,” we pretend to uncover the painfully obvious truth before the perpetually bewildered eyes of the Judge and the incredibly useless Mr. Payne. 

Please, no spoilers for Spirit of Justice.  Haven’t played that one yet.  Spoilers below for Dual Destinies.

Links:

[Previous Part] [Next Case]

Aaand we back!

Case 1: Turnabout Countdown Day 2- Trial

We’re right back in Lobby No. 5.  No investigating 4 u.

ALL RISE.  Yes, give me the melodrama...

Ever wonder what would happen if either of them said “The prosecution/defense is NOT ready, Your Honor.”?  I get the feeling both of them are thinking it.

God dammit the one time a Payne is actually right about something, and he’s still completely wrong.

God, really bringing in those backhands on Apollo.  What’d my son ever do to deserve this?

The kind defender to the sickly student easily unnerved by loud noises: HOLD IT!!!!!!!

Okay, but one of my things that I love about the series is how there’s very few “official” romances, and that the story doesn’t ever seem to revolve around them.

That said.... Junie’s crush on Apollo is pretty cute and completely valid.

THEY LAMPSHADED IT.  THE CRAZY NAMES HAVE BEEN LAMPSHADED.

The Judge complimenting Nick’s style and Nick STILL getting offended.  He’s officially “the guy who takes the tiny stuff and pretends it’s a big deal.”

I’m not sure what’s funnier: the accuracy, or the fact that he’s so defensive about it.

And he literally goes straight from this into pointing out an insignificant smudge on a stray bandage as conclusive evidence.

“To be honest, I don’t have any proof” sums up Phoenix Wright’s entire lawyer career up to this point.

Teddie got WAY too lucky with the name and the ID number thing.

Sure, Phoenix.  Analyze the handwriting of a dying blood message.  See how that flies.

Pressed Tonate’s third statement in the testimony about how Det. Arme couldn’t have written the message.  Basically:

Mr. Payne: This year we lost your poor subordinate, Apollo.

Apollo (probably somewhere): Quit telling everyone I’m dead!

Judge: Sometimes we can still hear his Chords of Steel.

We can’t even go two minutes without mentioning how spiky Nick’s hair is.

We’ve hit Allegro!  Bringin’ it home!

USE THE BOMB!

USE THE BOMB AS A BOMB!

Tonate: DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DOOOO!

We’ve had bargaining witnesses, desperate witnesses, smug witnesses... has a witness ever resorted to direct threats once they’ve been cornered? 

Seeing Payne run away like the weasel-man he is, that’s just SO cathartic.

THE PAN AROUND!!!  DAMN PHOENIX!  YOU’RE EVEN MORE BADASS NOW!!!

And the breakdown!  Aw, yeah, no one does villainous breakdowns like Ace Attorney.  Like the signature on the portrait, the breakdowns.  Like the scent of fresh lemons, the days of my youth.

The trial ends just like it really was all throughout: with no prosecution, and no real case against the defendant:

They didn’t look under the big, suspicious bomb transport case.

They didn’t check the rubble to see if Candice Arme’s wound matched.

Apparently they didn’t even look at the photo evidence.

They didn’t do a blood test on the “WOODS” message to prove Apollo wrote it.

They didn’t ever order Tonate to OPEN said suspicious transport case.

In conclusion, this never would have happened with Edgeworth.  Something as serious as a terrorist action against a courtroom should never have been handed off to Gaspen f*cking Payne- even Winston would have done a better job.  Dark Age of the Law indeed.

Case Epilogue

“There’s never a dull moment with all these lawyers.”

And we get our 0.5 seconds of Trucy looking solemn.  I wonder if she knows about Apollo and her at this point in the timeline.  Because if so, it’s probably all the more devastating for her.

I’m not joking, Trucy ended the last game on such a heartbreak, and after all she’s been through... I’m just...  Please let her be okay.

Apollo, too.  Apollo also has to be okay.  I know I’m not supposed to know what’s wrong with him at this point, but I got spoiled, and, ugh, can these two just be okay please?

And there’s the teaser for Case 2, which I will start next week.

[zaggitz]

My Top Ten Video Games of 2018

Well, here were are again, my friends. After the non stop roller coaster thrillride of VIDEO GAMES 2017, can 2018 live up to the hype??? I’m gonna go ahead and say no right off the bat, but while every single week wasn’t filled with a new incredible genre defining experience like last year, we still had some genuine certified bangers in the mix, many of which I think will remain important to me as the years go by. It should be noted this is the first year since 2014 where a Trails game hasn’t hit the market, so for the first time ever since I started writing these lists, a Trails game will not reign victorious at the end. Scandalous! Impossible!! Shit year tbh, but we’ll get by.

Outside of games this year is maybe the best year of my entire life?? I got out of a years long slump, started an actual genuine career path, and then somehow managed to fenegle falling in love into the whole mix. These lists have always come from some greater sense of yearning to reach out and communicating how I feel about things I love to anyone who will listen, but right now all I can think of is about how happy and lucky I am for my life to have taken the turns it did this year. 2019 is gonna have to try real hard to break my stride.

If you’d like to read my previous rambly lists, here they are:

2015

2016

2017

Anyway without further ado, here’s ten games that aren’t Trails of Cold Steel 3(WHEN??):

10. Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

This one is only at the bottom of the list because I didn’t have time to finish it. I loved getting to jump into the world of the witcher again. The world is dark and gritty and the choice are morally grey and the writing is impeccable and gwent is even more fun to play as a main mechanic than it was in the Witcher 3 as a minigame. I can’t wait to dive back into this one come the new year.

9. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology

One of the most well written and executed time-travel-based JRPGs I’ve ever played. It’s a story about trying to fix mistakes, about different perspectives trying to understand each other instead of fighting over differences.

It’s got an overall theme of realizing how important you can be to the world around you despite seeming insignificant that really resonated with me, an amazing cast of characters and it also just happens?? To be really fun to play??

8. The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence

That I didn’t play the first game the year it came out is a damn crime, this series of gothic tragedies has such special, meaningful and important themes of redemption and sacrifice and finding the people who will survive the world with you no matter what. It tackles mental illness, lgbt topics with an immense amount of respect and tells some of the most heart wrenchingly real and gutting stories, but it all culminates in the most viscerally satisfying way.

This sequel delves into one of the most unspoken parts of the original while also offering promising and hopeful glimpses into the future. It’s absolutely a must play if you in anyway liked the original.

7. Wandersong

Now here’s one that came absolutely out of nowhere. This game just oozes joy out of every pore. You play as a dandy bard who can only interact with the world via music trying to save it from being destroyed. Heavy themes of pacifism and the internal struggle of doing your best when you know for a fact your best won’t be good enough cover this thing like sprinkles on the most delicious and colorful donut.

Another thing I love is how every single chapter of this game plays differently, one will be a pirate adventure where you steer a ship with pirate shanties, the other will be a Majora's Mask still town sim, it goes on like this, and it never once gets boring. This game will make you smile the biggest smile from start to finish.

6. God of War

Remember Kratos?? He’s back, in open world action-RPG form. I sort of grew up with the original GoW trilogy and am of the opinion that they aged about as well as I did(which is fuckin not gracefully, teenager me was a fuckin mess). God of War is out of its edgy teenager phase now, and just barely squeaking out of its holier than thou college student phase into a game that actually has a few things to say, fun characters, an amazing world, and a paternal relationship that is kind of actually a joy to watch unfold despite everyone making fun of the game for it.

This game is like twice, maybe three times as long as the original trilogy which hilariously kind of makes those games feel like a prologue to this one. I suppose the real ironic thing is they kind of are?? They were shallow angry games with nothing to say but their existence created a character that, under the right light, under THIS light, could actually be extremely compelling and fun to watch grow alongside his boy. This series went from one I was glad to see gone to one I can’t wait to get more of.

5. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life/Yakuza Kiwami 2

It’s absolutely insane that Yakuza is popular now. I got into this series 10 years ago and at the time every single new yakuza release was a blessing and a curse; blessed because holy shit they actually put out a new Yakuza game and cursed because oh god it sold like shit and they probably won’t localize the next one why did they localize the zombie spin-off it almost killed the series nooooo don’t localize that give us the samurai games instead.

So anyway, this year I finally finished my journey playing through all 7 mainline Yakuza games. The journey of Kiryu Kazuma has come to an end and I have seen every step he’s taken. Yakuza 6 itself had kind of a really rough new engine that Kiwami 2 ended up refining, and from a gameplay perspective these games are basically the same, for the most part(Kiwami 2 is just better). Neither of these games come close to touching the masterful highs of Yakuza 0 but from a story perspective I think the respect and love this series has for its protagonist is unmatched, and while I was sad to see him go, I will never forget that big good crime boy and his whacky antics.

Ganbare, Kiryu-san...sayonara!!!!

4. The Messenger

This game fucking rules, I really don’t know how to do it justice, I played it on a whim and fell in love with it for the time it took me to beat it in a way that I haven’t done with a game in a long time. The gameplay is fluid and fun, the writing is charming and legit hilarious at times and the soundtrack, oh baby the soundtrack, if this wasn’t a year where Celeste came out this game would win every single award for OST of the year, I would fight anyone who disagreed.

The main gimmick of this game once you reach the halfway point is being able to shift between the 8 bit past and the 16 bit future, and every time you do the music will warp to fit those aesthetics and the game does this so freaking seamlessly, it’s amazing. The final level in particular meshed the music so well with the narrative that I was like fist pumping the whole way through the final sequence of the game.

It rules extremely hard, play it. Yes, you, you reading this right now, play this game so these people will make more for me. Please?

3. La-Mulana 2: The 0th Body, The 9th Spirit

Chalk this one up for game of 2018 I most can’t wait to replay and do a bunch of quick runs of. The original La Mulana is one of my favorite games of all time and this sequel delivers more of all the stuff I love while streamlining a lot of the more obscure and obtuse solutions. The music, the bosses, the world, all of the best things about the first game were all just as on point in this one.

The game evokes a sense of mystery you can only really achieve in a sequel to a game like the original La Mulana by constantly making you question the lore you already knew from the original. This all culminates in a sidequest that for a game as inscrutable as opaque as LM2, I still ended up getting really really emotionally invested in.

I don’t think there will ever be a La Mulana 3, and if that’s the case I’ll be able to leave this series happy, these two games complete each other in such a huge way, and will remain some of my favorites for years to come.

2. Celeste

I swear to god, this game was my Game of the Year for 9 whole months. I have never in my life played a game with this much precision perfect game design. This is maybe the tightest most consistent feeling platformer of all time. It’s like basically perfect on a gameplay level. That it meshes it’s gameplay with it’s themes so well is what truly makes it stand out and transforms it into not only a viscerally satisfying, tough but fair game, but an emotionally resonant masterpiece that will stick with me for years to come.

Celeste is a game about climbing a mountain. Celeste is a game about overcoming depression and anxiety and learning to cope and better yourself. These things are not interchangeable, the challenges you face as a player in this game all tie in perfectly to the main character, Madeline’s struggle to just fight through her self doubt and self loathing. It’s an extremely real tale, despite how fantastical the visuals are. It’s a game about fighting and screaming and clawing at that fucking Mountain to give you a way to have your heart again, and it’s absolutely wonderful.

The game is difficult, but every personal triumph accompanies one in game, and it lets you truly feel the feelings the game is trying to evoke alongside it. This is the kind of game that only comes once or twice a decade. I’d be extremely surprised to see anything hit this level any time soon.

1. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

This is the gold standard for all JRPGs now as far as I'm concerned. There are series that go deeper, that go harder, that go all the way in with their music but no game out there exists that is so confidently just the classic all encompassing idea of a JRPG like this one. This game is pure comfort food, it knows exactly what it is and what it is is a fun heartwarming and charming classic JRPG “chosen one gets the cool sword and fights the dark lord” tale and damn it if it hasn’t been a while since we had just a good one of those.

Haha, just kidding.

A third of the way through, this game takes a dramatic shift and flips everything on its head in a way that hasn’t been really seen or executed this well since FF6. Suddenly the comfortable is taken away, the world is scary, bleak, and the themes you missed, that were simmering in the background since the start of the game start to boil over to the surface. The world is darker but the people in it are warmer, they hold themselves together until the day comes, and the game will find ways to make you cry you would never expect from a series this traditional. These themes all culminate in a super satisfying finale that, while not entirely happy, at least leaves the world in a better place than it was before, with it’s people that much closer.

Now what if I just didn’t write any of that and told you why I really love the game.

Credits roll, and the post game, that is to say, the final third of the game, begins. What if the shift never came, how would the world be different? How would these characters acrs resolved? Who would live? Who would die instead? What does this happening mean to the world? What does this new future hold?

In one simple moment, you answer all of those questions, and Dragon Quest XI becomes a prequel to Dragon Quest III (which was a prequel to DQ1 but that’s less important).

All of a sudden this entire series has lore, everything is connected in a way it had never been for 30 years, and it fits so seamlessly and perfectly that it could only have happened in a series like Dragon Quest, which has had the same writer across all 11 games. As a fan who had played all the available english games this was such an insane rewarding moment. I struggle to really compare it to anything else outside of maybe like…

Oh shit.

OH SHIT.

Outside of goddamn Trails.

Ya’ll know what that means right?

That’s right, Trails wins game of the year once again. STILL THE KING BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[royalxiii]

My Personal Top 10 Games of 2016

I know a lot people had a bad 2016, but for us gamers, it was a pretty good year (if you don’t mind all the delays that is)! So why not make a good old top 10 list? It’s always fun! 

I’m also gonna have my personal “out of 10″ score for each game’s gameplay AND story, since both are equally important to me. As well as a mini-ish review and why it’s placed where it is. Without further ado, here we go!

*Contains Spoilers* 

*Keep in mind I haven’t played every game, nor do I have a Xbone or Gaming PC.*

10) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)

Gameplay: 8/10 | Story: 9/10

Twilight Princess is one of those “love it, or hate it” Zelda games. For me, even though I’m aware of it’s faults, I love Twilight Princess. Even more so without the motion controls. I love Wolf Link (even though I wish there was more reasons to use him), Midna, Zant, the darker and creepy atmosphere, I love it all! So why is it at number ten? Well, I personally don’t believe ports and enhanced versions should be on a “top 10 games of the year” list (they should be for new games only). But I haven’t finished a lot of games I got this year, and I was missing two slots. So here you go!  

9) Gravity Rush - Remastered - (PS4)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 9/10

Like TP above, Gravity Rush is lower on the list only because it’s a port/HD version of a old game. I really loved Gravity Rush back on the Vita, but I was quite confused at the story. But once I replayed it on PS4, knowing what I knew, it was easier to follow (even though you really don’t figure much out by the end). Gameplay feels so, SO, much better on the PS4! I love the Vita, but playing GR on it cramped my hands so much. It feels just right on the PS4 controller. Playing through this again makes me even more excited for Gravity Rush 2 this month! 

8) Pokken Tournament (Wii U)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 3/10

At last, a actual new game! Pokken is such a oddity, but goddamn I love this game. I’m pretty horrible at fighting games, especially ones that aren’t “Smash Bros.” style. But I had fun playing this, and when I had friends over, they loved it too! There’s not much of a story, which wasn’t surprising, but the Shadow Mewtwo segment was interesting enough to keep me playing. Still haven’t beaten the bastard (last battle) though. I hope to see this ported or get a sequel on the NS!  

7) Ratchet & Clank -2016- (PS4)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 5/10

Ah, Ratchet & Clank! One of the handful of games on my “Must Buy Day-One” list for every new installment. The series has been a bit on the shaky side after A Crack in Time, both in gameplay and in story. But this game (at least gameplay-wise) is a real return to form! Unfortunately, since this is a game based off a movie (based off a game), there’s pretty much no story since you’re suppose to watch it’s movie counterpart (which isn’t great). But it’s still a fun time! And there’s a in-game cheat to turn bolts into rupees, which is fucking fantastic. 

6) Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero (PS4, Vita, Wii U, X1, PC) 

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 8.5/10

Oh Shantae, you were so close to becoming a 2017 game, good for you for staying in 2016 :3 This is game is beautiful! The animation is so good and lovely! And it’s as fun as any Shantae game before it (I do miss using Risky’s gear though)! My only complaint is the slide segment that’s used twice. For me, they ruin the pacing and they drag on for a little to long both times. Other than that, I really loved it and I can’t wait for the Risky Boots DLC! Also the music is fantastic XD

5) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice - (3DS)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 10/10

I love the Ace Attorney series, warts and all. That being said, I didn’t like the last game, Dual Destinies. Although I liked a lot of new characters from it (and it’s DLC Case), I never felt so out of sync with out to proceed in the Court Cases. By the end I just wanted it to be over. But with Spirit of Justice, it was like the game was reading my mind or vise versa. I was so in-tune with the cases and only messed up a handful of times! And the story is wonderful and heartbreaking, as this series is known to be. I really can’t wait to see the future for Wright and his friends :D

4) Final Fantasy XV (PS4 and X1)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 8/10

People are gonna hate me for this, luckily this blog ain’t popular enough for a huge backlash. FFXV is game I, much like a lot of people, have been waiting for since it was first revealed as Final Fantasy Verses XIII back in 2006. So obviously, there are high, and I mean high, expectations for a game ten years in the making. For the most part, it does succeed, at least with gameplay. Unfortunately, the story is lacking. Not in plot, mind you, but in cutscenes. I know cutscenes are the bane of some people’s existence, but to them I say “fuck you, why the hell are you play a JRPG in the first place then?!” Cutscenes  don’t only add personality to the main characters and depth to the story, but also to show other character’s within the story and why we should care or hate them. I know FFXV will be getting a update with new cutscenes later, but for now it’s sort of bare bones for me, and I don’t want to feel like that for this game. I see so much good in it, so it’s only natural I want to love and care for everything in it, right?

3) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 9.8/10

What a way to end Nate’s story, I fucking love this game! It’s so beautiful, the writing is great, the characters are great, and that fucking epilogue makes me want a Uncharted featuring Nate’s daughter. With Sam acting as her Sully. I know it wont happen, but I can dream can’t I? The gameplay is mostly the same, but it’s still fun. I love being able to almost always complete areas in stealth mode. Much like most games on here, I can’t wait for it’s story DLC :3

2) Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)

Gameplay: 10/10 | Story: 9/10

This may seem very, VERY, odd that Kirby beat both FFXV and Uncharted 4 for me. But I have to give the number two spot to this game because, well, I just had so much fun playing it! Once I got it, I barley ever put it down. It was 100% fun from beginning to end. Hell, I was actually completing it as I was playing it! Granted, I haven’t picked it back up since I completed it. But I’m already feeling the urge to replay it as I type this, and that’s the sign of a good game. Story-wise, it’s sort of what you’d expect from Kirby, but it’s still fun and entertaining. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I just wish it had post-game levels or something to that effect. 

1) Pokemon: Sun & Moon (3DS)

Gameplay: 9.8/10 | Story: 10\10

Given that my blog is mostly Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon, and all the news updates, drawings, a report of my gameplay for both games, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Even though I have some problems with it, this game is fucking fantastic! There’s a lot of upgrades to how things work that needed working on for a loooong time. From small things like your PC no longer has the useless “Withdraw and Deposit” options, to big things like no HMs! And recovering from the somewhat bland story in XY, the story and characters in SM is really fun and interesting! Hell, there were times where I was actually laughing out loud! I don’t think a Pokemon game has ever done that before! This game is just a real treat from beginning to end! As far as nitpicks and things that just piss me off from the oversight, well it defiantly has it’s fair share. But this is mostly at the Trainer Customization and some movepools for the New and Alolan Form Pokemon. In any case, even after beaten both Sun and Moon, I can hardly wait to get another copy to play my Popplio Team :D

Honorable Mentions 

(AKA Games I’m Loving but Haven’t Finished)

World of Final Fantasy (PS4 and Vita)

I honestly didn’t think I’d like this game, but it does grow on you! I stopped playing because I want to wait for the Sora Summon DLC (coming out this month!) Plus Pokemon came out soon after. What makes this game great is that, unlike other non-Pokemon monster-catching games, the monster-catching part isn’t almost 100% completely random. Like Tales of Symphonia 2, Ni no Kuni, and Yo-Kai Watch to name a few. The story is kinda interesting as long as you get used to to voice acting, which isn’t bad but the dialog is kinda awkward and Tama’s the-the is so annoying. In any case, I can’t wait to get back and beat it!

Watch_Dogs 2 (PS4, X1, PC)

I got this game for Christmas, and started it after beating FFXV and Shantae. So far I’ve been loving it! So far it’s much better then the original Watch_Dogs in graphics, gameplay, and story (granted, I’m still basically in the beginning. Doing a lot of side-quest). As of now this is the game I’m currently playing in till Gravity Rush 2, which will then be taken over by Kh2.8. 

[alicia--bishop]

Feeling the aloha.

Wow. So much new I am taking in.  It is wild. This island, these people.  It all feels a little surreal. But I know I am where I am supposed to be. 

Had you asked me yesterday. I would have told you I was disappointed on the day I arrived. I couldn’t explain the feeling, but it wouldn’t go away. Thinking back on it now, I think It was a mixture of being disappointed in myself and disappointed in Hawaii initially. Now you know, I think it was just my anxiety coloring every thing two shades darker than it really was. 

It just seemed crowded and fake. The streets are dirty. There is a lot of poverty, its obvious. And I was feeling out of my element. I was feeling alone. No one here shares my faith, at least no one I have met so far. This makes me feel like I need to be constantly on guard to be politically correct. So I don’t feel llke I can really relax into who I am exactly. 

Today was overwhelming with new. But all day I simultaneously felt overwhelmed and blessed.

One moment this morning I know I will never forget. Six of us were sitting at two fold out tables crammed together in the middle of a giant open room. This room is the aerobics room for the Atherton Ymca. One wall on the far side of the room is all mirrors ballet studio style. Then opposite wall is entirely made of windows. So the light that fills the room is incredible. The lush green plants outside the windows don’t kill the vibe either. All around it is a pretty low income Y building, but the set up with the light, windows, mirrors, and trade winds make it kind of magical. Definitely spiritual. It was a holy moment.

I wish I could do justice in describing the characters that I met today. These women are incredible. I feel like I moved literally to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that is Hawaii. I feel so blessed to get a taste of their RICH culture. I am so grateful they are sharing it with us. 

I’ll give brief descriptions of each character so maybe you can get an idea. 

Jasmine, she’s my roommate. She’s so interesting to me. We are total opposites but seem to click so easily. She’s from Miami, but kinda hippie as well. She’s into things like zodiac signs and understands incarceration issues really well cause she dealt with them in her family. She has a really welcoming energy that makes everyone feel at home. 

Ananda- she’s my boss. She’s probably the most professional of the group but still so down to earth. I feel very comfortable with her. She’s very warm and affirming and been so welcoming. I can tell she put a ton of effort into the planning for us to be here with them. I feel so blessed. She’s not a Hawaii Native, she is bi-racial, I think Chinese and Caucasian. At first I thought she must be hawaiian because her skin is darker than most Chinese people, but she is not. So she is great to help be a bridge in awkward cultural moments, because she also isn’t Native Hawaiian but has enough knowledge to know what is going on. She has beautiful tanned skin, white teeth and dark brown hair. 

Debbie is quite possibly my favorite person ever. She is the antithesis of the person you’d want to be your Auntie. She is hysterical, first of all. And she is a gift giver. I have only known her two days, and already I have received more food from her than we could ever eat. She gave us lays, and she gave us this beautiful plant. She just has a generous spirit. Constantly asking us what we need, and bringing us stuff we don’t. lol. She really is wonderful. She is what I would imagine when I think of Native Hawaiian woman. She is so down to earth, this is what makes her hysterical. She does impressions, and she says things others wouldn’t be bold enough to say. I love it. 

Toni is also Native Hawaiian, and wow she is incredible. She should be the emblem of Womanhood. Seriously, like she has so much leadership and poise and at the same time is the most animated person I have ever seen. She talked for a long time, but captivated all of us with every word she said. She spoke about the heart of the RIPEN (Reducing Intergenerational Poverty Elevating Neighborhoods) partnership and made us all want to stand up and shout in agreement! She is tall and expressive with course black hair and clear glasses. Her athletic large build gives her a commanding presence. 

One thing she said spoke volumes to me. 

She said that her heart is really about passing on the torch to the younger generation of women. And that the biggest thing she was going to cultivate and encourage is developing our VOICE. Developing confidence. 

At this point. I have goosebumps.

Literally the things I have been dealing so much with has been not believing my words have value, having no confidence in myself. 

At this point I know I am where I am supposed to be. 

We were told about the history of the YMCA. It actually was here long before the sucession happened. It was started in 1869 i think. So even before everything went down. It started as a mens Bible study, the Young Men Christian Association, I believe is the meaning of the acronym. 

Thinking about how much that Bible Study grew into one of the largest non-profits in America really blows my mind. I get to be a part of this rich history. 

At this point, I thank Jesus.

Then Sonya, is the other major leader for us vistas. She is one of the most interesting, creative humans I have ever met. If I could see into her brain I’m sure it would be something like rotating stained glass set in a jungle with tunnels connecting every which way. Each of those pieces of stained glass would hold a rich history. She is inspiring. Really. She is contemplative, and really just charming individual. She came up with this challenge for each of us to get to know one another better-- to create a metaphor that explains yourself in order to build community. She gave the most beautiful example for herself being a Sampalok tree.

This was my metaphor:

A camera lens. Taking the world in constantly, freeze framing memories and replaying them the lens is reflective. Always exploring new spaces and seeing things from a different angle. Basically interviewing the environment-- without words. The lens memorizes both laughter lines, and shadows. More than spaces, the lens loves to take in people--capturing their idiosyncrasies and emotions in all their forms. Pictures can both paint people in a beautiful light and give unapologetically honest portrayals of reality. Files are stored, stories are told. Patterns are discerned, history is uncovered. Light is sought after.

I’m posting this like 4 months later than I wrote it but oh well..