#and phoenix of like motherFUCKER me and maya have thought you were dead for a YEAR and you told fucking GUMSHOE?

[aventuras-de-andre]

i love that in all the post Justice For All fics i have found thus far, edgeworth tries to apologise/explain his disappearance to phoenix and phoenix is always, always, either like ‘I am not angry, I am hurt/confused 🥺’ or ‘I am not angry, I am fucking furious, now get out of my goddamn house’

but my favourite dynamic is this

[sell-our-skins]

Day 4 of Paradise Motel Week Post Canon AO3 Link ~ Hum Hallelujah “Trying to honor the dead is really difficult when the person who killed them is *right there*”

The Girl was struggling to close her backpack. It was a fairly cheap thing, recently bought by her mom. The shade reminded her of apricots, and all of the times she used to steal fruit flavored candies with Ghoul. Actual fruits were impossible to come by in the zones, or at least they used to be, but with BL/ind being gone, she supposed that she could try a real one now.

It was hot in the car. She was sitting in the passenger seat and the sun was beating down on her through the windshield. Her door was open, occasionally giving a short gust of wind. ‘Mom’s getting the keys,’ she told herself. Soon she could crank up the air conditioning and try to relax. That was, if the bag would actually close.

The zipper refused to budge. She gave it another exasperated tug, “Motherfucker,” she hissed out. Stupid zipper. Stupid backpack.

“Motorbaby?” Maya poked her head into the front seat of the van. Her dark hair, which was streaked with the occasional grey, was pulled up into a loose bun and a leather jacket thrown over a plain green tank top, “You need help?”

The Girl sighed, silently handing her mom the backpack in defeat. Maya smiled warmly, opening up the glovebox in front of the Girl with a gentle click. It was filled to the brim with trinkets from their adventures so far. The older Killjoy pulled out a half melted blue candle and began to carefully rub it over the zipper lining.

The Girl arched one of her eyebrows.

“Don’t question me, child of mine,” she warned with a chuckle, setting the candle down on the dashboard. Maya firmly grabbed the stubborn zipper, and closed the bag with ease.

“I take back my eyebrow raise. You’re clearly a deity in disguise,” Maya rolled her eyes, handing the Girl her bag and buckling herself up. The Girl carefully set the fruit-colored-bag in the backseat.

Maya started the van, and she started to head towards Route Guano. It was only now sinking in, what they were doing and where they were going. The Girl could feel her stomach flip with anxiety and her head filling with doubts.

It was apparently visible in her face, since her mom commented on it, “You know, we don’t have to do this. We could… make an altar for ourselves. Just a family thing.”

She actually considered it for a second, but no. She wasn’t going to let some asshole ruin her day

“I’ll be fine.”

--=+=--

The two Killjoys pulled up to the Ultra V hideout, which was formally some type of restaurant. A fast food place, most likely, but it was nearly unrecognizable. It was covered in spray painted tags and other interesting looking ornaments. However, today, it was also decorated with different types of desert wildflowers.

Pretty much as soon as the car had stopped, a teal haired Killjoy burst through the front of the restaurant, followed by their pink haired twin.

“KIIIIIIID! KID KIID!” the twins called out, running towards the car as fast as they could. The Girl felt a little smile appear on her face as she opened the door and hopped out of the van. Instantly, Vaya had pulled her into a tight hug and loudly exclaimed, “I can’t believe you actually came!”

“Yeah, glad you could make it, tumbleweed,” Vamos tried to play faer previous excitement off casually. Fae leaned against the van, a caricatured version of looking cool. Though they somehow made it work.

“Don’t scratch the paint, pup,” Maya piped up, hopping out of their car with a bag slung over her shoulder, “Can ya’ lend me a hand?”

“‘Course, Ms. Psychic,” Vaya called out, letting go of the girl and rushing to the other side of the van, their sibling following closely behind.

Merely a few seconds later, Vinyl came walking towards the group. The Girl gave him a wave, grabbing her apricot backpack from the backseat. Vinyl pointed at her backpack, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, uh, I got it. You can see if mom needs help, though,” he nodded at her words and travelled around the vehicle. The Girl glanced over at the doorway. The last member of the Ultra Vs was just standing there. Staring back at her and leaning against the doorway. His hair had faded slightly, turning a sort of pinkish red.

She sighed and looked up into the sky. Probably around 4.

‘You’ve been through hell and back you can deal with this,’ she ran a hand through her hair and made her way into the Ultra V hideout. Val’s eyes were practically staring right through her. Like a snake watching its prey. The Girl just tried to not acknowledge it.

She looked around at the now decorated restaurant. There were a handful of wildflowers in a variety of colors in cans and petals on the ground. A desk had been pushed out into the front room, making a makeshift altar. It was extremely plain, the only things on it being a faded polaroid of Volume in a soft yellow frame, a couple bad luck bead bracelets placed on the corners of the picture frame, a bag of chips, most likely stolen from Tommy, and a hair dye kit in Electric Frankenstein.

She opened up her bag and began to pull things out of it. Beads, photos, and other precious items. The Girl started to add things to their shared altar, making sure everyone had a section. Her family, her friends, no one was left out.

“Surprised you’re even here, halo head,” Val finally piped up, after what quite possibly could have been the most awkward silence.

‘Halo head,’ she mused to herself, ‘haven’t heard that one in a minute.’

“I’m here to help, don’t get sour,” she said with a sigh, carefully setting out both the battery powered and real candles.

“Help with what? None of this even… matters,” he moved away from his spot in the doorway and towards the altar she was working on.

She didn’t even dignify his sentence by turning to look at him, continuing to set out the picture frames. Val was just trying to get a rise out of her, she knew it.

“I mean, what deity is this for, again?”

“The Phoenix Witch,” the Girl strung a string of bad luck beads around the top of the desk.

“Yeah, the humanoid in a feather coat.”

She gave Val a somewhat annoyed look from over her shoulder, “Just a few months ago you saw me explode into a ball of green electricity,” she went back to what she was doing.

That seemed to set him off, really make him flare up, “I’m not gonna let some bomb with a silver tongue make my crew-”

“Heyyyyy!” Vaya announced their presence as they burst in through the front door. When they noticed how tense Val was, they cleared their throat, “Hope I didn’t interrupt your little get together.”

“Nope, we’re fine,” the Girl put on a fake smile. Apparently it was believable enough, because they let it go with a shrug.

Vaya was followed in by the rest of the Killjoys, all holding different bags filled with goodies.

Val’s anger seemed to fizzle out, since he practically slunk back into the background. It was like a sparkler, going from loud, bright, and fiery to silent in a matter of minutes. A sparkler in Poison Red hair dye. It still made her frown when she thought of it.

--=+=--

The altar was almost completely done, and Vamos was helping with the finishing touches. It was packed full of gifts and photographs, all meant to honor the ghosted. Maya, Vinyl, and Vaya were all in the restaurant’s kitchen, cooking both for the altar and for all of the other Killjoys. There was laughter coming from the kitchen. Well, Vaya and Maya were laughing, Vinyl was trying to fight the smile that wanted to appear on his face. The others were able to hear due to the openness of the restaurant. Val was hunched over on the couch, scribbling in his notebook.

“Lookin’ pretty shiny,” Vamos adjusted one of the frames near the back, since the glare of the lights had made it difficult to see. In it was a photo of Dr. Death Defying and Cherri Cola that the Girl had stolen out of Dr. Death’s station. Faer smile faded almost instantly.

“Christ, I kinda miss the old man,” fae mumbled, tone somewhat sorrowful, maybe even regretful. Fae brushed some of their neon hair out of faer eyes and continued to stare at the frame for a moment. Val shifted on the couch, no longer hunched over. No, now he was listening.

“Yeah, but, I guess… it happens… in a way?” the Girl struggled to find the words, she could feel herself getting somewhat choked up.

“It wasn’t his time,” Maya added, her tone laced with bitterness, “It’s a damn shame, but he’s with the witch now”

“God can you hear yourselves? He was a broken record. A dust angel. What’s the point of all of this?” Val’s voice snapped through the conversation. Everyone was tensely staring at Val, now. A stiff silence having come over the room.

“You wouldn’t know a broken record if you were hit over the head with one,” the Girl snapped back, after what felt an eternity, “The hell is wrong with you? Why can’t you just enjoy something for once?”

Val wrinkled his nose at her, storming out of the building without another word. Fuck.

“Guess you really blew up on him,” Maya tried, her joke falling flat.

--=+=--

It had only been around 15 minutes. The Girl hesitantly poked her head out of the door, looking at Val, who was sitting on the stairs.

“What?” he didn’t look up at her, like he thought the pavement was the most interesting thing in the zones. The stars were just starting to pop up in the sky, the sun sinking behind its spot in the hills.

The Girl just plopped down next to him and stared up at the sky, “You don’t have to like me, Val.”

Val looked up from his pavement, staring at the Girl with a look of mostly confusion.

“We just can’t keep pretending like we aren’t bothered by each other,” she ran a hand through her hair, focusing on a particularly bright star.

There was a beat of silence, “And I know you’re too stubborn to agree. It’s fine,” she hoped that her words came off as lighthearted. The last thing she needed was Val snapping at her again.

“You like the stars?” he finally spoke up.

She broke her staring contest with the bright star to glance at her fellow Killjoy, “Yeah, uh…” The Girl ran a hand through her hair again, debating whether to share what just popped into her head.

“Party, they used to tell me that when you got ghosted you would get turned into a star,” Val looked over at her, his face unreadable, “It always made me feel better, when I would hear people talking about claps going South on the radio. Made me feel like they were just… turning into stardust.”

He looked like he was processing her words, struggling to find the right response.

“Shiny,” is what he finally landed on.

“Yeah, shiny.”

[tsuki-sennin]

My honest opinions on the cast of DR1, as well as dumb nicknames I had for each one. (Spoilers, maybe.)

Makoto (The Main Boi): He fine. Both in the looks and character department. He represents the audience so that anyone can project themselves onto him, but he has just enough character to keep him from just being an observer/the resident Phoenix Wright. Rather fittingly, I didn’t have any strong feelings on Bryce Papenbrook before this game, but as I got to hear him talk more and more, I grew to really like him thanks to Makoto. Good job, man.

Hifumi (Random Nerd): Even after all these years, I still don’t like him. I just don’t. Matter of fact, I don’t think anyone did. Lucien Dodge deserved better than this guy. He’s got a killer tie, however.

Leon (Man who looks like he’s 20 more than the guy who actually is 20): He’s cool, but I honestly don’t like him either. He has a sick design, but I really wish I could’ve heard him try singing in game. Even if it sucked, I’d have loved to hear him try and move beyond his baseball problem.

Sayaka (Discount Maya Fey): T-H-O-T! Okay, I’ll knock her back up to the one who first caused me despair. I was pretty iffy on the game at first, but she convinced me to stick around once the first case came around. Still not a fan of her voice, with no disrespect towards Dorothy Elias Fahn intended.

Toko/Genocide(r) Jack/Jill/Sho/Syo (Novella, which I guess was a reference to Misao, and Man-Eater): BEST GIRL! BEST GIRL! BEST GIRL! BEST GIRL! BEST GIRL! FUCKING BOW BEFORE HER, YOU SUBHUMAN TRESH! I WILL GLADLY DIE TO HER! AND I WILL GLADLY BE GREEN WITH ENVY AT THE MEN SHE WRITES! Amanda Celine Miller and Erin Fitzgerald really made this literary cutie come into her own in a game with such good female characters already.

Kiyotaka (AP Buttfucking): You know that no-fun motherfucker in your class with a stick shoved up his asshole, and every class he has is AP? That was Kiyotaka for me the first time I played the game. I just couldn’t stand him, even long after I got to know him. I barely felt a thing when he got bludgeoned. Yet despite this, for some reason, I got really pissed when I learned that Hifumi and Celestia were responsible for his death. Maybe that was when I realized how admirable this guy really was.

Aoi (Baywatch): She’s awesome, definitely. Not only is she relatable, but her interactions with Sakura were a real highlight for me.

Mondo (Kuwabara): Now him, I liked through and through. I was already a fan of Keith Silverstein, but the way he pulled off the tough guy act was a damn riot to watch. Chris Sabat in the anime was also a joy to listen to.

Mukuro (Regina/The Boss): I wish we got to know her a bit more than we got to, but she’s great too. Tied for second-best girl, in fact. Guess Amanda Celine Miller strikes again.

Junko (Charlotte the Harlot): Gotta be honest, I feel Junko’s sadism in hindsight. She’s a damn good main villain, and her design just makes me just go wild. Amanda Celine Miller and Erin Fitzgerald strike again with their god-tier voice talent, but Jamie Marchi’s interpretation is just as awesome. And Monokuma is fucking hilarious, if not disturbing. The other half of the tie for second-best girl.

Chihiro (Miss Shrimp/Mister Shrimp): As soon as I realized that this boi, voiced by Dorothy Elias Fahn, who had spent the whole first chapter of this game convincing me that he was a chick, was a dude, I was like “...why am I not turned off by him?” And from that day onward I blamed him for my interest in pretty men. Alter Ego is pretty great too.

Kyoko (Naoto Jr.): OMFG I LOVE HER. SHE’S SO AWESOME AND I WANT HER TO FUCKING THROTTLE MY NECK WITH HER BEAUTIFUL HANDS. THIS WOMAN IS A BOSS-ASS BITCH, AND SHE GETS SHIT DONE BECAUSE OF IT. NAEGI IS SMASHING THIS WOMAN, AND FRANKLY I FUCKING ENVY HIM! Erika Harlacher gave her the perfect voice, and Caitlin Glass just... BARELY falls short.

Celestia (Killer Queen): This woman just... scares me. Marieve Herington really did well here, but... something about her just... made my skin crawl. I didn’t feel that way with anyone else, not even Hifumi, but when I pieced together that she was responsible for Kiyotaka’s death, she made me swear to avenge my bro who I never appreciated. So I suppose Marie Antoinette has that going for her.

Hagakure (Cheech and Chong... no, I didn’t know his VA was Asian, so SHUSH): I didn’t like him much, similarly to Kiyotaka, but he won me over with funny dialogue and how relatable his thought process was to mine at the time. Even if I wanted Chihiro to live more, I can live with him being alive.

Sakura (Akuma): Her interactions with Aoi are great, and you could grind meat on those muscles. She’s so cool too, and I legitimately cried when I found her dead, and even more-so when I realized why she killed herself.

Byakuya (Japanese Malfoy): ...I tolerated him... I dealt with him... I developed a mutual understanding with him... I didn’t like him, and even from in front of the screen I could tell he didn’t like me. That was fine by me. But the fact that this was the guy who Toko wanted made me angry, and it was because of that I declared him my rival. I swore that once we got out of Hope’s Peak, I would personally track him down and fight him... at least until I met the rest of his family through supplementary material and now... I just feel bad he’s related to such bland/boring characters when he is so much more interesting and likable. So yeah, I have no quarrel with you, Jason Wishnov/Josh Grelle... fuck your family though.

...I might make a follow up with Super Dangan Ronpa 2, if this gets any traction.

[acethisattorney]

Ok after watching the stageplay I have some thoughts:

(SPOILERS for the stageplay below)

the opening ceremony speech by nivantess

what do you mean the chairman succeed his father??? is the chairman position hereditary??? what is this?? a family business????? what's with the nepotism in this global organisation??????????? 

also nivantess talking about "pursuit of justice". the audacity of this bitch.

the olympic rankings

i frickin love that the only reason phoenix was winning everything was because he was matching the profile of a criminal HAHAH 

also phoenix being confused the whole time that he was winning was hilarious. "hmmm, i'm doing really well for once. something must be terribly wrong"

ALSO, how did franziska end up in 3rd place LMAO. what did she do to match the profile? was it the assulting people with a whip HAHAHA. she matched the profile so well that even though she isn't a defense attorney she was still 3rd most similar to the profile 

the olympic events themselves

did godot dead ass make a bunch of lawyers run a marathon in full suits, i love him so much. i bet that wasn’t even part of his investigation it was just to fuck with people

ALSO THE ALL WRIGHT BATTLE. that was 100% just to fuck with phoenix

the franziska-phoenix confrontation after the first half of the trial

FRANZIKA YOU WERE INTERRUPTING PHOENIX'S SHITTING TIME.

when larry and maya were looking for phoenix and franziska

oh my god, maya and larry found phoenix and franziska through the power of dicking around. this is too good

phoenix and franziska in the kidnappers’ dungeon thing

OOF PHOENIX GETTING THE SHIT BEAT OUT OF HIM.

also fucking hell, i legit thought they were gonna make phoenix shit his pants for a moment

the sign board fake out

can you imagine what nivantess was thinking when phoenix jumped on the desk and announced that he knew the answer

the goddess of fortune thing

FUCK THAT WHOLE THING WITH THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE WAS GENIUS. he had me fooled. i thought it was just phoenix being phoenix. also the bit with the night vision camera? GENIUS

also can you imagine how crowmack must have felt watching phoenix do his fucking zombie dance and everyone joking around while his life was at stake.

ok but wouldn't it be hilarious if phoenix actually belived in the goddess of fortune phoenix, before trial in the lobby, doing his fucking zombie dance: "O goddess of fortune, plunge this courtroom into a dark abysss. Edgeworth can't pull an updated autopsy report if he can't see it :)))"

the nivantess reveal and breakdown

I CAN'T BELIEVE NIVANTESS ATE IT. PHOENIX LITERALLY SHAT THAT OUT. HE ATE THE SHIT CHIP. NIVANTESS NO.

also phoenix slowly getting on the chair to yell objection during the nivantess breakdown. that was badass

MOTHERFUCKING GODOT AND HIS BIG BRAIN CLUTCH AT THE END. HIDING IT IN HIS COFFEE CUP, FUCKING SMOOTH

also holy shit nivantess really went full super villain at the end. He asked them to cut open phoenix's stomch?? fucking brutal man.

also why did he sign all the fucking records??? why did he even keep records????????

AWW when godot pulled maya out of nivantess’ way. always looking out for mia's sister

why was kojiro so passive during nivantess' monlouge. he was so quick to stab valenbough?? the monolouge was the perfect time for a stabbing??? why'd he wait so long??? also why'd he back up as nivantess approached him??? he's the one holding a knife?? also he scaled a wall effortlessly but couldn't beat and old man???

yoko breaking up the kojiro-nivantess fight

yoko you should have gone for the head

also why was nivantess suddenly so scared of yoko’s knife. he certainly wasn't scared of kojiro's knife

also when yoko tried to talk kojiro out of killing nivantess by saying that if he did, he would become just like him. hate to break it to you yoko, your brother's already a murderer. i'm sure one more won't hurt.

nivantess getting back up

ofc he’d try to stab kojiro in the back like the snivelling coward he is.

hell yeah gumshoe rushing in was awesome. but isn't gumshoe police, which means he has a GUN? why is he not using said GUN?

the commentator/emcee guy

i don't know how to feel about him. what is the point of him being in the second half??? 

like with the scene where nivantess beats the shit out of the hench man, and he's just commentating in the background i guess??? why???

phoenix

I CAN’T BELIEVE PHOENIX ATE ANOTHER PIECE OF EVIDENCE. GDI PHOENIX. GET IT TOGETHER MAN.

I ALSO CAN’T BELIEVE HE FUCKING SHAT IT OUT HAHAHAHA. BUT like he can't wash the chip right? cuz electronics? so...................ERMMMMMM

ummm the whole truth scene at the end was very sweet but like kojiro's grieving over his dead mom and he's about to go jail? for murder??? idk if that was the best time to go on the whole truth speech phoenix

maya

maya asking phoenix to shit out the microchip in court. and she did it so cheerfully. I fucking love Maya.

maya offering to kick phoenix so he can puke out the microchip. she was waaaaay to eager to kick him LMAO. also fucking larry restraining nick for maya

MAYA'S LET'S PARTY IN RESPONSE TO THE LAXATIVE

also i l can't tell if maya genuinely can't tell people dressing up as phoenix apart from the real phoenix, OR she's just pretending she can’t to fuck with phoenix. i feel like both are equally likely with her

miles

oof i felt bad for him with the whole wendy oldbag thing. i know it was for comedy reasons, but can’t a man catch a break :(

WHY DID MILES WEAR HIS CRAVAT WHEN HE WAS PRETENDING TO BE PHOENIX. LOOK AT THIS DORK.

MILES RECOGNISED PI EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FLIPPED IN ONE GLANCE. he also knows it so well that he could type it flipped without a reference bruh. miles is a math nerd confirmed. he was 100% one of those kids that memorised pi just for the sake of it

why is miles so fucking a n g e r y in this play??? i don't think he was ever this angry in the games, even before his character development???

godot

DIEGO STOP TRYING TO THROW MIA’S PROTOGE IN JAIL

also when diego says “what a lucky guy.” in response to crowmack’s birthday being 1st jan, WHILE CROWMACK IS BEING THREATENED WITH A KNIFE HAHAHA. godot, the comedic genius.

is it just me or was godot super seductive throughout this whole play. there was the let’s olympic in a proper american accent, that scene with franziska, the MULTIPLE scense with crowmack...

crowmack

crowmack deserved better man, getting threatened for something he didn’t do. poor baby

CROWMACK GRABBING THE FUCKING KNIFE IN THE END. HELL YEAH. AND HE LANDED A PUNCH WHILE HOLDING THE KNIFE. MY BABY HAS GROWN UP SO MUCH.

#CROWDOT

I SHIP GODOT AND CROWMACK. THE CHIN HOLDING. THE HEAD PATS. THE BOW AT THE END. AND THEN HE FOLLOWS BEHIND HIM AFTERWARDS AND STOOD NEXT TO THE JUDGE'S DESK. IT'S ALL *CHEF'S KISS*

nivantess

why does nivantess have apolo's feelers? Hmmmmm SECRET GRANFATHER?? he's evil too so it'd be a perfect tragic backstorry. it would be a great addition to apolo's 9000 other tragic backstories. 

franziska

franziska is so tsun in this awww

also i think the stage play writters might have the hots for franziska. what with the kabedon thing, the godot thing, the phoenix thing before the kidnapping, the actual kidnapping, THE FUCKING CHAINS HMMMMMM. WHY DID THEY RESTRAIN HER LIKE THAT??? WHY DIDN'T PHOENIX AND KOJIRO GET CHAINS TOO HMMMMMMMMMMMM

the whole idea of a judicial olympics in general

thw whole judicial olympics sound like a blast. imagine getting to watch a bunch of world-famous sofisticated lawyers clown around for a few days. AND THEN at the end there's even a murder trial AND a hostage situation AND a huge scandal involving a worldwide conspiracy with some of the biggest crime syndicates in the world. AND THERE'S THE FIGHT with an old man, a defense attorney, and a singer/protester. sounds wild man

Yo I tried my best to make an English translation for the turnabout gold medal stageplay if anyone is interested:

https://youtu.be/BKDfOYYVXXw

[ladyloveandjustice]

The Great Ace Attorney Replay: Trials and Tribulations, Case 5, the final part

Phoenix and Miles meet and Miles basically gives him a motivational speech

“U GOTTA FIGHT WRIGHT!!!” 

And Phoenix is all “YEAH U DON’T HAVE TO TELL ME!!!!”

“I KNOW U CAN DO IT U HAVE THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE YOU’RE GONNA DO IT”

“YEAH I’M GONNA DO IT GONNA GET THIS GUY!”

And then they double high-five in the middle of the lobby or something.

Miles:  I leave the rest in your capable hands... partner.

PARTNER IN LAW. PARTNER IN LIFE. PARTNER IN LOVE. AMIRITE.

I dunno how chatty I’ll be during this trial because there are only so many ways to say “I hate Godot so much”. (Note from the future- I will still be chatty).

Dahlia is so good at being passive aggressive during this whole trial. I like this heartless serial murderer so much better than u Godot.

And we finally reveal that Dahlia is in the courtroom hanging with us, not Iris

Phoenix: Did you say the plan was to kill Maya?

Dahlia: Yes? You got a problem with that?

YES DAHLIA I KNOW YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND OR LIKE FEELINGS BUT MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE TRYING TO KILL THEIR BESTIE.  

She insisting Maya is dead and this part:

Phoenix: Th-That's absurd! M-Maya is just... She's just trapped! Trapped inside the Sacred Cavern!

Dahlia: Really...? You're as foolishly optimistic as ever, aren't you... my darling Feenie?

Phoenix: ...!

Dahlia: Do you want to know the truth? Ever since we met... I've despised you. Your sniveling naïveté and your pathetic faith in other people.

Just always give me chills. SHE’S SO DELICIOUSLY EVIL.

I mean she’s basically going “HAHA LOOK AT YOU CARING ABOUT PEOPLE AND HAVING EMOTIONS. LOSER.”

Dahlia was super disappointed when she couldn’t take revenge on Mia from beyond the grave. OR COULD SHE? She decided to “go after the person Mia Fey loved most.”

HEY GODOT. DO YOU HEAR THAT. MAYA IS THE PERSON MIA LOVES MOST IN THE WORLD. AND YET YOU PUT HER IN DANGER FOR YOUR STUPID EGO. IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU DIDN’T REALLY LOVE MIA AND ONLY LOVE YOURSELF.

AT LEAST DAHLIA’S HONEST ABOUT HER ISSUES.

Ohh yeesh I forgot how intense this got. Dahlia tries to convince Phoenix that Maya accidentally killed her mother, then killed herself out of guilt. Phoenix is of course like “WTF NO” but you can see him starting to panic. IT IS PHOENIX’S ETERNAL CURSE TO THINK HIS LOVED ONES HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE.

At least it only lasts two seconds this time.

Christ, both Phoenix and especially Maya need so much therapy after this case. Pearl too.

GUESS WHAT MAYA REALLY DID. GOT HER SIS’S ADVICE AND CHANNELED DAHLIA HERSELF SO DAHLIA COULDN’T KILL HER. The moment where Mia appears and is like “lol owned” will always be one of the greatest moments in Ace Attorney.

Haha I forgot how HARD Phoenix and Mia verbally eviscerate Dahlia. They tag-team it too.

Phoenix: WOW GEE THAT SURE DIDN’T WORK OUT DID IT DAHLIA. SURE GOT OWNED HARD THERE.

Mia: OF COURSE YOU MUST BE USED TO GETTING OWNED BY NOW.

Dahlia: what no shut up

Phoenix: Did that kidnapping thing- owned by Mia Fey. Tried to kill me- LOOK WHO’S STILL ALIVE, MOTHERFUCKER! AND BY SHEER DUMB LUCK THAT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE HAHA! Poisoned some other dudes- owned by Mia Fey.

Dahlia: YEAH WELL…WELL…YOU HAVE FEELINGS AND FEELINGS ARE DUMB…

Phoenix: Tried to kill Maya…owned by Mia Fey….

Dahlia: STOP LOOKING SO GODDAMN SMUG IF IT WASN’T FOR MIA FEY YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN EXECUTED INSTEAD OF ME. I ONLY DIED BECAUSE OF MIA FEY.

Mia: True!

Dahlia: ….

Mia: Looks like no matter what I’ll always own you. Even death cannot stop me from owning you. For all eternity you’ll be Dahlia Hawthorne: That lady who got super owned by Mia Fey

Dahlia: but HOW COULD I LOSE?

Phoenix: Hey Dahlia, guess what! Nobody gives a shit.

*Phoenix and Mia high five*

Phoenix: Now GTFO of Maya.

SO SATISFYING. EPIC HERO-VILLAIN LADY RIVALRIES ARE MY EVERYTHING and Mia and Dahlia hit my sweet spot. SUCH A PASSIONATE HATE-ON. And Phoenix getting to be spell out exactly how badly she messed up after everything she did to him and how he looked down on him for his dumb feelings-it’s the best

THIS SURE WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO END THE CASE. BUT NO WE GOTTA DEAL WITH GODOT’S BULLSHIT.

Like seriously. He could just confess that he murdered Misty Fey RIGHT NOW and not waste everyone’s fucking time. BUT NO. Let’s drag Maya, who is completely exhausted and deeply traumatized after almost being killed and witnessing the murder of her own mother, onto the witness stand and make her relive the entire horrible experience YOU PUT HER THROUGH because you don’t give a shit about anything other than ~testing~ Phoenix.

I like that Dahlia has a backstory where you can see where her “look out for number one” and “feelings are dumb” mindset came from. Her Mom abandoned her, her dad set an example by loving no one, ditching people when they were inconvenient for him and only caring about money. You can see why she decided to do the same. It doesn’t excuse what she did obvs, but there is a logical thread to her actions beyond “she’s just a demon child” and that gives her some dimension as a character, even while being so unrepentantly evil.

Mia makes sure Nick’s realized Godot was the killer and then says she’s gonna peace out- I’m sure you could give a lot of explanations for why she recused herself from the trial indicting Godot (like her ~feelings~ ugh)- but I’m gonna  say its cuz she knew if she spent any more time in Godot’s presence she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself from running across the courtroom and beating the shit out of him for putting her little sister in danger and killing her mother for the sake of his macho revenge fantasy.

She would have been fine doing that normally, but she’s in Pearl’s body right now and she doesn’t want Pearl to suddenly wake up with a man’s blood on her hands. She’s been through enough.

 SO IT’S UP TO PHOENIX.

Godot fucking yelling at Maya not to cry after all the bullshit he put her through and the fact she wouldn’t have to even be on this stand reliving this bullshit if he just fucking owned up to what he did I HATE HIM SO MUCH.

She’s trying so hard to protect him NO MAYA IT WAS HIS FAULT THIS SHIT HAPPENED TO YOU

Like he knew Morgan has hidden the note! He found it! It was unsealed when Pearl found it! He could have just taken the note! That is literally all he had to do! That’s not all! He could have explained to Pearl why she couldn’t listen to her mother! He could have TOLD MAYA SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO KILL HER.

But nope. He just leaves to note for Pearl and lets everyone go through with this entire murder attempt because he wanted to “save Maya” and feel all manly. HE. IS. NOT. WORTH. PROTECTING.

The only good part about Maya protecting Godot is seeing her call Nick out on the holes in his logic. AND U THOUGHT U HAD IT TOUGH WITH MILES.

And also! At one point the judge says Maya will be suspected for the murder if Phoenix can’t prove it’s Godot! So he the possibility of Maya going to jail/being executed in his place literally came up and Godot STILL didn’t confess. WOW  DEEP LOVE FOR HIS BELOVED’S MOST TREASURED PERSON HE HAS THERE.

Defeating him is so satisfying at least. BLOWIN’ YOUR MASK UP.

 And in the end, even he admits he wasn’t really concerned with saving Maya…because he didn’t tell Phoenix what was going on. OKAY. OR ACTUALLY YOU COULD HAVE TOLD MAYA HERSELF. I’m not saying Nick would not have probably been more helpful to Maya’s situation than you were, because literally anyone would be, but THE BEST WAY for her not to get murdered is to tell her “HEY MORGAN FEY IS TRYING TO SUMMON SOMEONE TO MURDER YOU THROUGH PEARL, MAYBE TALK TO PEARL ABOUT THIS AND ALSO DON’T GO ANYWHERE ALONE FOR A WHILE.”

Like even after admitting he messed up and his grudge against Phoenix makes no fucking sense, he still does the exact same shit! Only men are people worthy of being told anything! Women aren’t allowed to know what’s happening to them! They don’t get to make decisions about their own lives! Only men can make decisions for them!

And he STILL makes Mia’s death about him and how he “failed to protect her”. It is just so disrespectful to her, acting like he could have somehow done something she didn’t to prevent her death when he couldn’t even protect HIMSELF from being poisoned. Mia died doing what she believed in. She knew the risks and she accomplished her goal. She was satisfied. Her death was about her, not Phoenix and definitely not YOU.

So no, I really don’t feel sorry for him, nn matter how much the game wants me to.

I’m always kinda ehhh about the reveal Iris was subbing for Dahlia. I mean it’s nice for Nick and all and it is incredibly unlikely Dahlia would have had the patience go on all those dates with Phoenix and pretend she gave a shit, she would have murdered him the first night.

But on another level it’s feels unnecessary to say “see Phoenix was right to believe in her, because he wasn’t REALLY dating Dahlia, it was Iris and she did actually care about him!” Like, Phoenix’s belief in people is a positive thing, but I think it’s more meaningful if he’s y’know, not always unfailingly correct.

Having faith in people means sometimes you can have people not worthy of that faith take advantage of it. And I think the thing with Dahlia impacted Phoenix and helped him realize he can’t just be a total doormat for people and believe in them even when shit’s clearly suspicious. This was an important lesson for Phoenix, and also something that left him with some issues. Being like “oh yeah but he was also right kind of” just kinda dilutes that.

It doesn’t RUIN it, since he still did trust someone he absolutely should not have trusted in Dahlia and the betrayal had a lasting impact on him regardless of Iris’s involvement, but it’s just like “eh” for me.

Also it comes off like they were trying to set her up as a potential love interest- obviously they didn’t actually go through with it since she is NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN after this- but egh, if they had... it doesn’t work on so many levels and I’m not just saying that because it disrupts the otp. Like first of all, she did still lie to Phoenix about who she was for months (I hope they didn’t have sex because that could. Technically be a crime on your part, Iris) and I can’t see that baggage being easy to deal with.

Also, I hate to say it, but Iris is boring. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with her, but her connection to Dahlia and the insight on her she provided is about the only thing interesting about her. Her entire personality can be summed up as “shy and nice”. Which is fine. Not every character has to be the fascinating, and she served her function in the plot. But in a series full of quirky, complex, dynamic characters, it’s kinda like. Literally anyone would have a more entertaining romantic dynamic with Phoenix.

(Not saying that Iris couldn’t have potentially been turned into a more interesting character if writers had been interested in it. There’s a lot to work with, considering her tragic past. But as it stood in the game, there’s zero spark there)

Also, judging from the people he’s closest to and spends the most time with, Nick prefers to hang around people who are the opposite of demure, who he can banter and argue with constantly. HE REALLY LIKES ARGUING. IT’S HIS CHOSEN CAREER. I think there was even an interview where the writers said Nick’s type is “someone who would boss him around”. And Iris is not that person. (And Phoenix is also way more sarcastic now than he was in college and I’m not sure if she’d be into that either.)

So yeah I’M GLAD THEY DIDN’T GO THROUGH WITH THAT basically.

I AM glad we went through with putting Godot in jail though. Mia’s just like “nope, don’t feel guilty, it’s fine, this was the best thing to do for him”. I will cling to my theory that she is super disgusted with him. U can’t take it away.

Lol at Maya deciding she’s on a first name basis with Franziska and they’re friends now and being able to make her be nice to Larry just by pouting. Thus a ship was born. They really would have had a fun dynamic I wish we could see more of it.

There’s also the part where Fran is genuinely confused with why Maya is being so cheerful in the wake of losing her parent:

Edgeworth: ...Wright. You seem to be uncharacteristically puzzled. I suspect you are wondering how Maya can be so cheerful despite all that has happened?

Phoenix: Y-Yeah...

Franziska: To be honest... I can't understand it either.

Phoenix: (Franziska... That's right... She lost her father fairly recently as well...)

So she does seem to sympathize with Maya and seem really interested in why her reaction to grief is so different from hers. when Miles and Phoenix say they get why Maya’s doing this, she DEMANDS TO KNOW. What is WITH Maya Fey, how does she work, Fran is fascinated. 

She’s learning about things she doesn’t understand and expanding her worldview thanks to Maya already and that could be another interesting bit of their relationship to explore- similar trauma, different ways of coping, they can sort of connect and learn from each other on that level.

I’ve mentioned that I really like Miles and Maya’s friendship, and this little dialogue exchange coming up is kinda the culmination of that. It’s not just that they both like the Steel Samurai, or both know Nick or anything- they actually have a pretty deep connection and weird understanding of each other. They both witnessed a parent die, they both experienced trauma connected to the DL-6 incident- Miles understands what Maya’s going through in a way Phoenix doesn’t, because Phoenix hasn’t experienced the same loss. And he sees the pain under her cheerful attitude.

Miles: I think I understand how she feels. Maya is a much wiser person than she appears, and I think she realizes something... Now is exactly the time when she needs to be as strong as she can.

Franziska; Wh-What do you mean by, "Now is exactly the time"...?

Edgeworth: Maya wasn't the only one that was badly wounded by this incident. In fact, there was someone that was hurt far more deeply than she. I believe it's for that person that Maya is trying her best not to cry.

Phoenix: (Someone who was hurt more deeply than Maya...) Edgeworth... I think I'm starting to understand, too.)

(She’s doing it for Pearl)

Phoenix: After all, the reason [Pearl] she worked so hard to follow the instructions... ...was because she loved and believed in her mother, Morgan. "It's for the good of the Fey clan"... I'm sure she believed in every last word. She thought she was doing it for Maya... That's why she was so happy. It shows how truly devoted she is to Maya.

Edgeworth: But it's a cruel irony that it was her exuberance that led to this tragedy. Maya Fey's mother was killed and Maya herself was put into the deepest peril imaginable.

Phoenix: (And that's exactly why Maya is putting on a brave face... She's doing it for Pearls's sake... Until she can see her smile again...)

I mentioned this in my last liveblog, but not only is Miles familiar with trying to be “strong” in the wake of tragedy, he also gets what Maya’s doing for Pearl because he’s sort of trying to do the same thing for Franziska right now- he’s pretty messed up over all the von Karma stuff. But he doesn’t blame Franziska for the connection she had to the person who ruined his life or for her attempts to be loyal to him. He recognizes Franziska is just as messed up over the revelations with VK and just as damaged by him, if not more so. So he’s trying to be strong and set a good example for Franziska right now, leaving the past behind and helping them both move one with their lives. And that is exactly the situation with Maya and Pearl.

So yeah, in addition to all the other things Maya and Miles have in common, they both basically have little sisters they feel responsible for and want to help and understand that about each other. ACE OLDER SIBLINGS.

Maya does indeed ace it as a big sis and manages to reassure and comfort Pearl. Her mother is gone, but Nick and Pearl are always there for her, and she loves her family.

Phoenix decided to end the trilogy with a dramatic monologue:

 "It's only natural for living creatures to fight to protect their own lives. But what makes us human is that we fight for others. But who do you fight for? How hard must you fight...? That's the true measure of what human life is worth.

CAN YOU TELL THIS BOY WAS AN ART MAJOR BECAUSE I SURE CAN/.

"We defense attorneys are warriors who are constantly challenged by that question' 

Yeah you’re a warrior champ. Whatever makes you feel cool.

"Even when the battle is over, and the bonds that connect us are severed... We always return... Time and time again. Mia, Maya, Pearl [REDACTED I HATE HIM]... I learned that... from all of them."

 I’M GLAD HE’S LEARNED THIS AMAZING WISDOM ABOUT LIFE FROM THE AWESOME FEYS  AND ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE.

Gr8 anime protagonist speech Phoenix. Your heart has been made fullmetal.

NOW IT’S CREDITS TIME.

Maya: I'll really have to work extra hard now! Master of Kurain and the office manager of Wright & Co. Law Offices. And I have to be a good big sister to Pearly and Nick, too!

Other things Franziska and Maya have in common: insisting guys older than them are their “little brothers”. I love it. YOU BIG SIS THE HELL OUT OF NICK, MAYA, TEACH HIM THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

Maya: Well, as long as I'm not locked up or captured or something like that.

Sorry about ur life Maya. Things will indeed not get better for you in that respect *sigh*.

Franziska taught Adrian how to use a whip everyone must now bow down to their dom lesbian overlords.

Nick actually went with Maya to her special meditation course and did the whole thing with her AMAZING. He’s like an honorary Fey now, which is probably terrifying.

Well, that finishes the game! God this game is so weird, It would definitely be my favorite- it has a lot of great parts, I love playing it, you really get a little of everyone, but it also has to have the most SUPREMELY ANNOYING PARTS in the whole series aka Godot’s whole existence. So I can’t say for sure it’s my fave because of that. But maybe it is. I don’t know. Why’s Godot gotta complicate everything.

Anyway, next up is Apollo Justice. Which on my first playthrough, it’s my least favorite game of the current six in the main series. Let’s see if I’ll have a better opinion of it this time or stand by that assessment.