#give all of us another Simon Blackquill case for the love of god

[littlemintcat]

Counting only the Japanese votes, the voting contest winners, in order (and in English-localized names), are:

Miles Edgeworth

2. Simon Blackquill

3. Apollo Justice

4. Phoenix Wright (AA5 & 6)

5. Klavier Gavin

6. Phoenix Wright (AA4)

7. Bobby Fulbright

8. Trucy Wright

9. Maya Fey

Second place out of all of the characters in AA4, 5, and 6, fellow Simon Blackquill-enjoyers. I am so happy for him.

[shoeshineyboy]

ace attorney characters based on how happy I’d be to work for them, as a former legal admin assistant

1. Mia Fey: makes money, hence the lamp and also partner. decent layout of the office. can keep a plant alive. clearly knows what she’s doing. she keeps ungodly hours, but given that she managed to get murdered in the office alone, I feel like she’s very much the “I’m going to be staying until god knows when, so go home” type boss. I appreciate that. I feel like she brings snacks in.

2. Gregory Edgeworth: see now he also keeps ungodly hours but since he works in the 90s/00s, I feel like he doesn’t own a cell phone with which to let me know, while he’s offsite, that I can leave the keys to the office under the doormat and go home. however he canonically keeps coffee at the office, and he has an apprentice, which means less long-winded busywork for me (Ray must’ve done something before the Inherited Turnabout is all I’m saying!)

3. Kristoph Gavin: I don’t like this, but it’s true. prior to the murder thing he was making bank and had an established office, which means it’s probably well-staffed and I wouldn’t be left doing pointless busywork. I feel like he straight-up ignores admin staff unless he needs something, which, honestly, is fine. I’m busy.

4. Apollo Justice: I feel like he probably picked up some good habits from Kristoph and I can’t believe I’m saying that. he’d be more polite, I’m sure, but he’s also inexperienced, which means his files are going to be a fucking state. also, crucially, he doesn’t have an office, so I have to dock points.

5. Raymond Shields: buggers off to different country for years, but keeps the office open. I am working remotely or coming in if I want to. this is the dream. I think his filing system is erratic at best and batshit insane at worst, though. also, the man eats paper. putting files together for him would be an unending nightmare of Missing Shit. “Mr Shields, where’s the form with the witness’ address?” “I ate it” “I am going to kill you”

6. Marvin Grossberg: loaded. massive office. lots of staff. unfortunately I might have to listen to him talk about his hemorrhoids, and if I have to speak to Redd White or, god forbid, Robert Hammond, I am resigning.

7. Miles Edgeworth: he would be polite. he would have reasonable expectations. like Ray, he’s also never fucking there. however, one day, he’s going to be talking to me about something and will insist on making me walk to his office with him. if he makes me walk up twelve flights of stairs, I’ll give him a reason to fear them more than elevators.

8. Phoenix Wright: he doesn’t know how to use a computer. the number of emails is going to be insane and it’s giving me a headache just thinking about it. I also hate to judge like this, but he’s skint, and, not being funny, if I’m trying to organise any of his bullshit cases I’m expecting something a bit better than aldi chocolate rolls.

9. Winston Payne: this job would be fucking boring but it’d be straightforward, and sometimes, that’s what you need. he wouldn’t talk to me, which is nice.

10. Klavier Gavin: he would be lovely. he would be so, so sweet. he would bring me starbucks AND remember my order. unfortunately his office looks like a teenage boy’s bedroom- that is, a complete shithole, and it’d more than likely fall to me to try and organise it.

11. Simon Blackquill: pros: bird that’s trained to buy booze. cons: Fulbright is definitely a morning person and I’m not. also, he’s in prison. I probably don’t have much of a job.

12. Nahyuta Sadmadhi: he asked me to organise access to the airport’s gold lounge for him with 20 minutes’ notice.

13. Godot/Diego Armando: I swear to christ I have worked with someone who showed me exactly what working for Godot would be like. fucking coffee cups all over the fucking building like a FUCKING scavenger hunt every single bastard day. I wouldn’t get any actual work done I’d be doing his stupid mug hunt every time he fancies another brew, which is all the shitting time.

14. Franziska von Karma: she should’ve ranked higher because she ticks a lot of boxes (money, absent), but she also carries a fucking whip. I also love her but she grew up rich as fuck and I just Know her attitude is going to be abysmal. “fool” mate you’re the one who wrote their notes in German, google translate and I are doing our best out here.

15. Athena Cykes: acts like a highschooler because she is one. I love Athena as a character, but I would not love her as an employee of hers.

16. Sebastian Debeste: I’m not working for a fucking seventeen-year-old.

17. Robert Hammond: I hate him. he wouldn’t speak to me except to snap at me. he bought me a shite £1.85 americano from the office coffee machine once and then asked me to pay him back.

18. Manfred von Karma: what are you trying to prove, old man? why are you such a shiter? I’m being expected to organise documents for meetings I’m not even allowed to know about because it’s all under the table illegal bullshit. I feel like my job’s on the line because I nodded to Greg in the queue for the gas station once when I was off the clock. this cunt believes in professionalism outside the workplace but also has a cabinet of whiskey in his office.

[4ragon]

Can't speak for anyone else but I for one would love an incoherent rant about the dark age of the law plotline

Alright buckle up kiddos.

So I have a lot of complaints with Dual Destinies as a whole. It’s a poorly paced mess, the final confrontation was deeply underwhelming, it has all these weird “Gotcha” moments where they put in the most bizarre, logic breaking plot twists and then undo them within ten minutes completely for shock value. And yet, despite all of these issues, there is nothing in this world that pisses me off more than the words “The Dark Age of the Law.”

I hate the Dark Age of the Law subplot more than literally any other thing in Ace Attorney. It is a complete failure of a story in literally every possible way. It not only doesn’t work within the context of Dual Destinies, it also completely flies in the face of everything we understand about the original trilogy! It!!!! Sucks!!!!

But no. That was too coherent. I think we should break this down.

First I’m going to start on a macro level. The Dark Age of the Law is the clearest indication to me that the writers of Dual Destinies never played another Ace Attorney game. They treat this Dark Age of the Law thing like this big bad, this shiny new toy, this never before seen wonder, but??? Corruption has been a CENTRAL part of every single AA game since game one!! Since case 2 even!!!

The Dark Age of the Law is this whole idea that people have lost their trust in the court system. And what do they site as the catalyst for this breaking of trust? Phoenix Wright’s disbarment and Simon Blackquill’s arrest.

And okay. Phoenix Wright’s disbarment is a reasonable one. Phoenix was sort of known for being this paragon of truth and justice, this man willing to do what it took to find the truth and protect people in need. His name being smeared through the mud could very well shake up the foundations of trust that the people had in the court system.

But Simon Blackquill? Simon FUCKING Blackquill shook up people’s faith in the court system?? Simon Blackquill is the reason that people are convinced that the entire system is full of lies and deceit? SIMON CONFESSED!! He didn’t even do anything corrupt!! He murdered a woman, sure, but he then immediately lets everyone know “Yes, I super did this murder. No one else.” And they treat it like it’s this big turning point??

LANA SKYE!! You guys remember Lana Skye? The Chief Prosecutor at the time, who was accused of murder, and who still went to prison for doing like a million other crimes after being blackmailed by the chief of police.

SPEAKING OF WHICH the fucking CHIEF OF POLICE was a murderous monster who blackmailed people and also murdered. Did that have no effect on people’s trust in the courts?

Manfred von Karma? Never lost a case in 40 years, literally everyone talked about how he and Miles were KNOWN to be corrupt? Also, you know, murdered a man in cold blood?

Blaise Debeste??? Chairman of the fucking ETHICS BOARD???????? Like!!! That’s some deep fucking corruption right there!!!! And he constantly talks about the mysterious disappearances around him of people who disagreed with him, does that not shake your faith?!

In Turnabout Sisters, as early as case 1-2, Redd White calls up the Chief Prosecutor (who also is not Lana, just to be clear) and demands his complicitness in covering up his own crimes. That’s how central corruption is to the entirety of Ace Attorney.

And you’re going to look me in the fucking EYES and tell me Simon Blackquill, some 21 year old nobody with no power or influence, who theoretically stabbed a woman and made no effort to cover that up, is the reason the courts have lost the faith of the people? You have the NERVE??? the AUDACITY??? the fucking GALL????? to tell me that SIMON is what caused this? The system was never trustworthy, and if it was, what the FUCK did Simon have to do with changing that???

Horrible. Terrible. Disgusting.

BUT

Let’s pretend for a moment that Dual Destinies existed in a vacuum. First Ace Attorney game you’ve ever played. Never touched another one in your life. If you were unfamiliar with the world that Ace Attorney has already spent six games establishing, does the Dark Age of the Law subplot hold up?

No. No it doesn’t.

So as I’ve said a million times before, it was clear that Dual Destinies should not have tried to juggle three protagonists. It just didn’t work. They learned their lesson and booted Athena out of that protagonist title in SoJ, and as much as I hated that decision, it was at least a much stronger overarching story for it.

Now. There were three main throughlines in Dual Destinies. Athena’s story centered on introducing her, of course, but it also was about her struggle to save a friend who needed saving from the law and also himself. It was very AA1 in that way.

Apollo’s story was a little harder to outline, because a lot of it is saved for the last couple of cases, but it’s really about his relationship with Athena. Coming to trust her, his trust in her being shaken, struggling to overcome that, grief, loss, yadda yadda, and I have my criticisms of how it’s handled, but that’s the gist of it.

And Phoenix needed a story. So they made up this stupid fucking bullshit garbage and dumped it in his lap and said “Here you go, best friend! Our dear money maker! This is what you’re working with!” And then they proceeded to use it to beat the shit out of Phoenix until he started spitting out dollar bills.

Okay no sorry I have no idea what the fuck I just said but liSTEN

The Dark Age of the Law storyline was clearly supposed to have some significant thematic relevance to the story, given how hard they were hammering it into us in case three. It was supposed to mean something, and I think it was supposed to mean something to Phoenix in particular. After all, he and Miles won’t stop TALKING ABOUT IT GOD MAKE THEM SHUT UP

The Dark Age of the Law subplot had nothing to do with that final case. Remove it, and nothing changes, because, again, Simon had nothing to do with the corruption in the first place, and the Phantom certainly had nothing to do with corruption. It’s so surface level. “Uh oh, people don’t like the courts. If you can solve this unrelated crime, everything will be fixed.” And then he does (also Athena should’ve been the one to win the case, but that’s a different problem) and nothing ever comes of it, other than “Hooray, you fixed the corruption!” He didn’t??? Miles what the fuck are you talking about????

If they had woven in the corruption throughout the story somehow, maybe it would’ve found some way to be impactful? But it was a floundering, half-thought-out subplot in an already bloated game that failed to give any meaning or help anyone develop as a character. Hell, it kept falling out of relevancy and only popped in to rear its head when the writers remembered it existed and decided to have yet another person remind us that THIS IS IMPORTANT GUYS NO REALLY.

Like! Okay. What if they tied it more to AA4? I mean Phoenix’s disbarment and subsequent return could’ve actually affected the plot. Have people actively mistrust Phoenix or something. Or maybe have it affect anyone in any way. Sure it divides the fucking high schoolers for that mess of a “power of friendship” storyline, but so could a plot about, I don’t know, electing a homecoming queen or something. It affected Athena for one case, but what did that even teach her other than “Trust your gut, sweetie, don’t do lawyer crimes!” Phoenix didn’t have an arc in this game, and he shouldn’t have had to, unless it was coming to grips with the fact that he was never going to get those 7 years of his life back and the smears against his character were always going to linger. But they didn’t do that, they just needed him in there for brand recognition.

I can handle a lot of bullshit in these bullshit lawyer games. That’s part of the appeal. But unlike most of the other bullshit, this particular threat was unsatisfying, meandering, and unnecessary.

[ladyloveandjustice]

The Great Ace Attorney Replay, Dual Destinies Case 5, THE FINALE

Apollo: You know, this is the first time we've been at the defense bench together since I debuted.

Apollo: MY DISASTROUS DEBUT. A DISASTER BECAUSE OF YOU. 

Phoenix: yes i get it Apollo.

Phoenix: Not that you mention it... (Although, back then, I thought you were more loud than you were reliable...)

 RUDE. Also, I’d say he’s less reliable now than then, considering he just got back from randomly quitting his job and accusing his coworker of murder.

Phoenix: You've really come a long way since then, Apollo. You've grown a lot.

awww

Apollo: Well, there have been some hiccups, but I guess I've done pretty well.

Phoenix: (He's still got that ego of his, though.)

That wasn’t really particularly egotistical, but okay Phoenix

Anyway, time to take on Fulbright.

Fulbright: Ngaaagh! I-I guess you're right. But you can't define justice with evidence. Who can define it, anyway? Justice... just is!

Apollo: OBJECTION! D-Don't make me......... break out a dictionary on you!

Oh my god Apollo could you be more of a nerd

Fulbright: Ngaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Please, don't throw the book at me!

Apollo: Ugh... Tell me the phantom didn't just make me set up a stupid pun for him.

STUPID PUNS ARE KIND OF EVERYONE’S THING IN THIS SERIES, APOLLO. also you kinda did that all on your own.

Anyway, after Apollo and Phoenix back Fulbright into a corner, he claims the Phantom was actually blackmailing him and he’s not the spy. Apollo and Phoenix are unable to prove he really is the spy! He’s going to get away. BUT GUESS TO STEPS UP TO SAVE THE DAY!

Athena: OBJECTION! The defense-- No, wait... Not "the defense"... The defendant feels it's not time for a verdict yet, and would like to see this trial continue.

Judge: Wh-What?! But I was just about to declare you innocent of all charges!

Athena: ............Hmm... It just doesn't feel right to be standing here. Hey, Apollo! Think you could scooch over?

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HOW ATHENA JUST ELBOWS HER WAY INTO THE DEFENSE’S BENCH. FUCK BEING A DEFENDANT. SHE IS THE DEFENSE, ALWAYS AND FOREVER.

Athena and Simon teamed up for great justice:

Blackquill: I knew you would catch on, Athena.

Phoenix: Huh? Mind filling me in here?

Athena: Hee hee. Guess we left you in the dust, huh, Mr. Wright? Simon was only pretending to believe Detective Fulbright... Because he knew I'd notice if there was a lack of emotions, like joy or relief, in his response. So he gave me the chance to take a listen. And listen I did to the voice of Detective Fulbright's heart!

Phoenix: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! You two were working together just now?!

Blackquill: Come now, Athena! Show us what's inside Fool Bright's heart!

Athena: You got it! Time to check the instant replay! Widget, mon ami! Let's do this!

I love that Simon just knew Athena would notice.

Fulbright tries to psych Athena out and scoffing at the idea of feelings having any place in court:

Athena:  But all humans beings have hearts and experience emotions. Sometimes analyzing a case from the psychological perspective... ...is the best way to find the truth!

Fulbright: ............It's all just a waste of time. All your efforts at analysis serve no purpose. And now, in this dark age of the law, nobody would believe your claim that it's effective. In an era when evidence is fabricated, do you truly expect feelings to be accepted as proof? 

Athena: Ungh! ...W-Well, I admit, I don't have any conventional proof... But I still say that examining a person's heart has its merits!

Fulbright: Oh, really? Then why don't you listen carefully with those special ears of yours. Listen to the voices of the hearts of the people in the gallery.

Athena: All I hear... is distrust...?

Fulbright: As you can see, the people are on my side. Because all they see is a strange little girl using a weird little machine.

Again, Athena’s story resonates with me a lot because it’s definitely easy to read a gender component into the fact she struggles with not being heard- and it comes across especially clearly hear, with Fulbright demeaning her by calling her a “strange little girl” and being dismissive. And the fact it’s her emphasis on “feelings” that’s being dismissed by men around her, but she presses on anyway- like i said, I feel it’s a very effective story that works on several levels.

Athena: But it's not like I use analytical psychology to falsely accuse people!

Phoenix: (Uh-oh. He's got Athena doubting herself.) Ms. Cykes's analytical psychology has breathed new life into the courtroom. It has freed the hearts of many witnesses, and has been key in getting to the truth.

Fulbright: Ha ha ha! What nonsense! !

Judge: ...........Hmm, I see. Very well. I will give the opinion of this court. In a trial, I don't feel that a person's emotions are quite as compelling as actual evidence is. ....However, I do believe Ms. Cykes's analyses can contribute to making the truth clear. I have seen her do this firsthand several times already.

Fulbright: Surely you jest.

Athena: So does this mean............ you will accept my findings in this trial, Your Honor?

Judge: Yes, I believe your claim, Ms. Cykes. I think there is merit in examining why the witness feels fear in regard to the moon rock. That is the court's opinion on this matter.

Athena: Then that's a win for me-- No, a win for analytical psychology! Now, Mr. Phantom, you will tell this court the reason for your fear!

But as we can see here, in the end Athena is heard! And it’s all because she proved herself through determination and smarts! She succeeded in revolutionizing the courtroom. REVOLUTIONARY GIRL ATHENA.

The part where the Phantom just keeps switching masks and Phoenix is arguing with HIMSELF is peak weird wacky Ace Attorney. The TRIPLE OBJECTION POINTING where Apollo, Athena and Phoenix all take down Bobby is so good:

Athena: OBJECTION! Every human being feels fear! You simply can't face the emotions inside you. You can't face them because you have nothing. No love, no trust..

Phantom: And I suppose you do?

Athena:I didn't have anybody to support me at first, either. I couldn't face the fear inside me, couldn't get over the trauma of my past.

Phantom: Like I said, I don't feel fear.

Apollo: OBJECTION!  Then you're just a coward for running away from yourself! When I had my doubts about Ms. Cykes, I felt like I would collapse under the weight. But I wanted to trust her. And I knew I could trust Mr. Wright to uncover the truth. That's why I was able to face my suspicions without hesitation.

Phantom: Running away from myself...? Ha ha ha ha ha! How can I run from myself...?! When there's NOTHING inside... Nothing at all...!

Phoenix: OBJECTION! I know it's hard for someone as unwilling to trust others as you to understand... But people have emotions. It's just a fact of life. And so, people can be weak at times. But that's exactly why people need to trust one another... ...so they can gain the strength to face themselves when things are at their bleakest. Without trust in others... ...how can you ever hope to face your fears?

Athena: You can't outrun yourself!

Apollo: Remove that mask and unleash your emotions!

Phoenix: Confront your guilt head-on.

All: .....with your own, true face!

DREAM TEAM. 

The ending is a bit of a cop-out in some ways, but I don’t think seeing the Phantom’s face would have contributed much to the narrative- I do like the idea of Athena’s ultimate opponent being someone who completely denies emotion, and someone who’s taken so many identities and been so deep undercover they don’t know who they are anymore. He literally has no self, and that’s an interesting concept- though it could have been executed better.

ANYWAY ATHENA IS INNOCENT HURRAY. Time for the wrap-up!

Luv that Pearl stood by Athena and comforted her :’)

MILES PULLED STRINGS TO GET PHOENIX HIS BADGE BACK CUZ OF COURSE HE DID

Phoenix: Besides............ ...it was you that saw to it I got my attorney's badge back, wasn't it?

Edgeworth: ............So you figured it out, did you?

Phoenix: Yeah. Getting my license back went just a little too smoothly, you know? It should've been much harder after that evidence-forging scandal.

Edgeworth: Well, I owed you a few favors.

THESE TWO I CAN’T DEAL WITH THEM

Phoenix: You know, you could've said that with a bigger smile, Edgeworth. It won't kill you. Instead, the furrows in that brow of yours just keep getting deeper and deeper.

Edgeworth: So I should smile more, huh? ............I'll think about it.

Athena: Ah, the complicated love-hate relationship between life-long rivals!

Athena rn: GAAAAAAAY

Simon’s here to thank Athena for saving him, as he SHOULD.

Blackquill: ..Athena. I'm forever in your debt. You went to all that trouble... even taking the bar exam while you were overseas...

Athena: Well, I knew that if I didn't get your sentence overturned fast, you'd be executed! So I studied and studied. I was frantic! I'm so glad I made it in time! ............ Just barely... but I still made it!

AND SHE ACTUALLY CRIES IT’S SO CUTE.

Phoenix: (............Thatta girl, Athena. It's good to see you finally let your tears out.)

phoenix is so SUPPORTIVE OF PEOPLE SHOWING EMOTIONS I LOVE HIM.

Blackquill: ............Yes, I survived by the skin of my teeth, thanks to you.

Athena: Sh-Shame on you, Simon... for trying to throw your life away like that!

Blackquill: ..It was never my intention to just throw my life away. But some things in this world are more important than your own life.

Athena: Like what...?

Blackquill: My honor-bound duty to protect with my life... ...my mentor's most beloved treasure.

awwwwwWWWWWWwww. Seriously it’s such a good resolution and their relationship is so good. It’s sweet and it’s fun. Simon is rough around the edges, but you can tell he truly does care for Athena through it all, and he properly thanks her. Which makes it more baffling they dropped the ball so hard on Nahyuta cuz seriously BUT HEY.

(also i like that this game added a bunch of dudes with lady-mentors to the ranks. Phoenix and Mia are not alone! Klavier’s mentor was a woman, and so is Simon’s. AND THEY ALL GOT MURDERED. NO ONE SHOULD BE A MENTOR IN ACE ATTORNEY LAND. but still, so good that this series goes so hard on guys openly looking up to women and carrying on their legacies.

Phoenix: Apollo, Athena, thank you both. It took all of us together to pull it off.

Athena: You bet, Boss! What a team we are, huh?!

Phoenix: I'm a lucky guy... My office has the best, most capable lawyers around!

Apollo:Thanks, Mr. Wright. I'm going to work extra hard to make up for all the worry I caused. Apollo Justice is fine and ready to go! Let's hear it for the Wright Anything Agency!

Athena: Well, nobody's going to try harder than me! So you'd better watch out, Apollo! 

CUTIES. I love how competitive Athena is always. Seeing female characters whose ambition and competiveness is treated as endearing and positive by the narrative is always good.

AND THE CREDITS ROLL. I know we’re supposed to take Junie’s comment about red peppers as referring to her crush on Apollo, but it’s ambiguous enough i can still headcanon away her crush is over. IT ENDED WHEN HE SUSPECTED ATHENA. NOW SHE ONLY WANTS TO MEET HIM IN COURT SO SHE CAN BE SUPER HARD ON HIM. MY FIC WILL GO FORWARD.

Miles is like “it seems I owe Wright another debt of gratitude I have yet to repay. But I will repay him someday, you can be sure of that.” Repay him SENSUOUSLY AM I RIGHT.

I’ve finished the main game! all i have to do is play the DLC bonus case and then I WILL BE DONE WITH MY GREAT REPLAY! SO CLOSE! So close to PLvAA time! But since I’ve finished the main game series basically, I’ll be giving my thoughts on my rankings and my Unpopular Opinions on DD in general in a separate post! COMING SOON I GUESS

[not-so-useless-writer]

Simple Touches

A/N: Hi, Welcome to the first post on this blog. This blog’s Purpose is to house my different Fics, whether they be reader inserts or OC stuff or canon x canon. It’s going to be Multi-Fandom for sure. I’m into a lot of different stuff. I just need a place to collect it all to make it easier for you, the reader to enjoy. :) so Please askbox is open for feedback. Otherwise... Enjoy this bit of good old CykesQuill Fluff!!!! 

Breaks never happened. Crime didn’t stop and neither did our jobs. It made going on dates and trying to have relaxing weekends a fond wish between us. Well… The inbetween court lunch dates were still nice.

Despite seeming like bitter rivals in the court rooms defending and prosecuting criminals and the innocent, Simon and Athena were in fact very close friends. Almost eight years after the terrible murder that brought them together by fate, they were now intertwined in each other’s lives. Simon could open up and relearn who he truly was with this wonderful beautiful woman at his side. After everything, After being convicted of killing her mother, spending all that time in jail, being a so called twisted samurai, Athena stood by Simon. She chose her path to save him and had succeeded for the most part.

Simon was still shy of contact. To touch one another was something to be done behind closed doors. Even just a simple hand hold, He couldn’t bring himself to do it in public. Athena respected this but god, did she wish he would do it. She loved how warm his hands always were and how safe she felt with him that close to her. Every morning before they had to go to court, right before they entered the courtroom, he would take her aside and give her a gentle squeeze of the hand wishing her luck. She would do the same with a smile giving him a slight peck on the cheek telling him to save the luck for himself. It was just a silly thing but it had improved both of their confidences in the courtroom. Cases were won and true justice was served. Rave reviews about them were all over the place. The Wright and Co. Office was swarmed with requests for their help because of it giving them more of a chance to see each other professionally. Even if Simon was the lead prosecutor, he would still come as backup for edgeworth or whoever it was that week. He didn’t mind. Athena didn’t either. Sometimes, just seeing him in the back, silent and as still as a rock, still gave her the motivation she needed to go for the win.

This case wasn’t going to be an easy one for sure. A double homicide and there was mega evidence pointing to her client being guilty. Apollo had dropped it off this morning on his way to the court house. He had his own case to deal with as well against klavier. She always wondered when they were going to confess to each other. She and Maya had a bet going on it after all. She got another spoonful of cereal as she flipped the pages checking out everything they had found. She was going to have to go to the crime scene to get more information later. She made a note in her legal pad to do that when the doorbell rang. She looked up at a clock and smiled. It was nine. She got up quickly and made sure she looked ok before getting it. A screech greeted her first as something flew past her. Athena laughed then as a taller man groaned.

“Taka! That was rude…”

“Oh he’s fine… Someone’s just hungry.” She smiled at him then.

“Morning Simon.”

“Morning Athena… Got a new case already?” She stopped then and he pointed.

“The file on the table.” Duh. She nodded then letting him in.

“Yeah. It’s not going to be an easy one. Edgeworth is the lead and… Well it’s edgeworth.” Simon laughed then. Taka was already in his little spot by the window chowing down on some frozen mice she had left out for him. She didn’t like them but if it kept Taka happy, she’d be ok with it. Simon sat down at the small table and stole a piece of toast waiting.

“He’s always going to be sure of their guilt. It’s our job.” She nodded sliding the raspberry jam over.

“I know… Just…  Ugh.” She closed the file hiding it in her bag then and he smiled. He did that a lot around her. It helped for sure, Even more so with the smudge of jam next to his mouth. She always got to see the more… Adorable side to him now. She couldn’t help but smile back until her phone went off. She glanced down and sighed.

“Gotta run.”

“Boss?”

“Always. He’s gotten me access to the scene… Better take it while I can.”

“Alright… I’ll lock up with my key.” She nodded putting her bowl in the sink.

“Thanks Simon… See you later?”

“How about lunch again? My treat this time.”

“Soba?”

“Only if you want.” She giggled then giving him a small one armed hug.

“Sure. It’s been a while. I’ll text if I don’t see you in court.” He nodded and gave her arm a gentle squeeze before her phone went off again. She had to go then before phoenix gave himself a heart attack over her not answering.

Simon watched her leave and sighed. She was always on the run. Small moments like that were all they had anymore. He finished off the toast she had on the table before getting up and cleaning up from breakfast. She always kept a clean house and he helped to keep it that way. He held out his arm for Taka and his bird came, full and looking a bit pudgy from breakfast. He gently petted him.

“Come on… We better see if there’s any new cases for us.” Taka sounded softly then and they left, locking the door with his key. Athena had given it to him just in case he ever wanted to come talk outside of work or anything. He had never intended on using it but one bad night for them both led to him using it to calm them both down. Now he would stop in for breakfast once or twice a week just to see her and hopefully make days easier on them both. The small touches she gave him, the one armed hugs or the brush of her hand on his… They really meant something to him. He reciprocated them then of course… but other times… He wanted to show his affection in more public venues. He just could never do it. Well that was going to change.

“Today’s it Taka…. I think I can do it.” The bird gave him a questioning look.

“I’m going to try to hold her hand… In public.” The bird leaned back then and made some odd sound. It was questioning him. Simon glared at his bird then.

“Don’t give me that! I can do it! She deserves it after all… It is the least I can do right now. She needs our support. Edgeworth is a jerk.” Taka chirped then agreeing with Simon. Edgeworth had been a bad mood lately because of Wright and his gang always winning their cases. Simon could care less honestly. They earned every win fair and square. Now he had his own fight to win. Hopefully he could earn this win just like she was going to.

His first chance came when she skipped into the courthouse. She seemed to be in a good mood with a confident smile to match. Simon was there just to watch seeing how he had no cases to take currently. She came in and instantly saw him and came over.

“Hey! Blackquill!”

“Cykes.” She rolled her eyes gently as she came to a stop. The distance was perfect. All he had to do was reach out.

“Coming to watch me lay waste to Edgeworth again?”

“Oh we’ll see who lays waste to whom today. He’s got a solid case.” He took a small step closer. Her smile was still there and even if his mouth wasn’t smiling back, his eyes were. She could see it so well. He gently reached out but stopped barely centimeters from her skin. His hand just froze.

“Yeah well so do I! I’ve got this!” Simon could only nod and quickly glance around before whispering in her ear stooping slightly

“I know you do hon. So keep that attitude going. Don’t let me see that smile fall.” He stood back up straight then to see a light  blush on her cheeks. The call came for her to meet with her client and she straightened up.

“You got it. Um… still on for lunch?”

“Of course. I’ll meet you back out here ok?” She nodded then once and gave him a thumbs up beaming.

“No sweat! I got this!” He couldn’t help but chuckle as she ran to meet her client. She was amazing. That much was for sure.

Her lively mood slowly went downhill in the courtroom. Edgeworth wasn't pulling punches and landed some serious blows to her case. It was starting to look pretty bad for her client and for her. Widget didn’t even have to tell him that. He could hear it in her voice. Finally they had to call for a recess. They needed time to check back in and regroup their thoughts over lunch. He got out of there early and met her by the main doors before leaving. She was upset for sure. He had found a way to counter all of their evidence. He let her stew over it all in silence while he drove to the Whet Noodle. He knew the chef there after all and quickly got their private table in the back. She smiled a bit once they sat down.

“Thanks for this Simon…”

“It’s nothing. Just take this time to reflect and think. There’s always holes. Watching you and going against you has taught me there.”

“Oh? I taught the great Simon Blackquill something?” She had an eyebrow arched at him with a slightly playful look in her eyes. He rolled his eyes slightly then.

“I’m not that great and it does happen. Don’t go getting a big head over it or I’ll have Taka pop that ego.” Taka seemed to cheer then from his spot on Simon’s shoulder making her laugh. He couldn’t help but smile then. Her laugh was just one of those things he loved to hear. Soon lunch came and they just talked about silly stuff. Things going on in town, New books they had been reading. It was all very casual and relaxing. Her mood picked up quickly and he could tell the cogs in her head were working on the case as well. By the time they were both full as could be and ready for a nap, he could tell. She had a new plan of attack. He held open the restaurant door for her and she skipped out smiling. He went after her and without thinking almost got her hand. He froze up at the last second again leaving him to curse himself as she walked down the sidewalk to his car stretching a bit.

“Right… gonna go back in there and show him who’s the best defense!”

“Phoenix-dono?” She looked back stunned.

“What!? No!!!! Me!” He laughed then as she pouted.

“Thinking that spiky haired boy is… I’ll show you too!”

“Please. By all means, do so. Let us see who’s the best. Just like you did with our last case.” That pout changed real quick to a smile.

“You had it coming. His testimony was flawed.”

“I knew that. I was waiting on you to pick up on it for half the trial.” She gasped then and he smirked a bit opening her door.

“Seriously, you think I couldn’t tell he was lying? After all the studying I did with your mother?”

“Oh don’t even.” She slid into the car and he closed her door gently running to his door. She was still smiling though.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better. Aren’t you?”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.”

“Then yes.” They both couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as he took off for the courthouse. Edgeworth was the one going to have a hard time now.

He was right. Once court was back in session, she was on fire. Athena found holes in the testimonies and used them to her advantage, pressing on points, making the case unravel in front of Edgeworth’s eyes. Simon was having to hide his amused smile from the senior prosecutor for sure. In the end, they both would need more evidence to prove for sure whether or not the client was guilty. Court was adjourned around six that night, with Edgeworth leaving in a huff to rebuild his case. Simon waited outside by his car for her. Athena came out with a cheer and jumped down the last two steps easily.

“We’ve got this in the bag!!!” Simon chuckled then and she skipped over beaming. She was practically a ray of sunshine right now.

“There’s no way he can build a strong enough case to support the claim! A few more pieces of the puzzle and we’ll have the real culprit! A fresh look at the scene tomorrow should get me that.”

“I’d say so. Glad to see you in such high spirits again.” She just went a bit red then smiling.

“It’s only because of what you said at lunch… You reminded me and it really helped…. So this is your victory too.”

“I take no credit. You’re doing it all on your own, Cykes.” She went even more red until her phone went off making her jump. Simon looked and smiled.

“Better answer.” She nodded and quickly did on speaker.

“Cykes and Blackquill.”

“Hey, it’s Maya! Apollo won so We’re going out for dinner at the Diner down the way! You should come join us! Both of you!” Athena looked up at him and Simon smiled.

“Can’t hurt. Been a while.” Athena nodded then and looked down.

“We’ll be there soon Maya! Save us seats!”

“You know it!” Right then it disconnected and Athena laughed a bit.

“They’re insane…”

“For sure. But They’re a family. It’s to be expected.” She nodded and Simon locked up his car before they took off walking. The streets were buzzing with the news of the trials and yet, it was peaceful to them. They didn’t have to worry about anything else all night except them. Maybe that’s why he tried again to gently get her hand. He was just so close but every time before they touched, his hand froze. Only this time… Her hand met his. He looked down and she had gotten his. He looked over at her and she was smiling.

“Small steps… Ok?” He nodded slightly then giving her hand a slightly squeeze.

“OK.” Taka screeched then almost as if telling him congrats and Simon just smiled. It was nothing big but just enough for her. They walked the whole way there holding hands and just relaxing. He opened the door for her and she slid in. He expected her to let go, but instead pulled him in with her and waved happily to the others. They already had burgers and Shakes and left space of the three of them. Klavier was even here near Apollo smiling and relaxed. They joined in the celebration easily, jokes and laughs shared among them all, but the best part, to Simon at least was when he got Athena’s hand as it laid on a table while Wright told them about a small case he had when he was starting out and held it gently for the rest of their night together.

[pinksweatergettingbetter]

ah i almsot forgot: warning, the following has mainly snarky opinions on Spirit of Justice. Reader discretion is advised.

and we’re back to our scheduled programming

time to be rendered unconscious against your will you lil shit

-

“i hardly think anyone could pass out from eating something like this”

clearly you dont know what world youre living in, Sadmad.

...also he... might be allergic, guys. ever thought of that? 

-

yes, EAT! EAT OR WE WILL HARASS YOU, POSSIBLY INNOCENT BYSTANDER!!! YOU THINK YOU HAVE RIGHTS???? CRAM THAT SHIT DOWN YOUR THROAT BEFORE I DO!!!!

-

...uh;

-

FIVE IS NOT AN OCCUPATION!!! EAT ANOTHER BUN AS PUNISHMENT!!!! REGRESS FURTHER!!!! HFKJGU;SUUSRSO 

coping jokes aside holy shit 

don’t hurt this tiny boy!!!

-

i hope you all feel guilty for being such pricks.

look at him. he's curled up under his jacket like a traumatized baby 

at least this personality... sort of aligns with how DID is supposed to work? But now i just feel even worse. Someone get that kid a teddy and a juice-box, stat!

-

“Its clear that none of his personalities could be the killer!”

A) one of the three could still be lying

B) there’s four so far, what’s to discount a fifth? triggered by... i dunno, a reefer brownie.

C) I'm actually glad he's not the killer anyway just wanted to point out the possibilities youre discounting there

-

i love that theyre playing the goofy X people music for a traumatized five year old who witnessed a horrific murder of a loved one.

-

“I believe the person who laid the cards out is the very person who killed the victim” WELL.... DOY.

-

“How quickly you move onto a new theory when your old theory proves false!”

WELL.......... DOY

-

I love that theyre all just yelling and screaming about murder while the tiny child cowers behind the bench

hello??? anybody with compassion anywhere? maybe in the gallery? a bailiff? anybody???

-

“his emotions are spiralling out of control! something must have really frightening him”

maybe 

THE FUCKING MURDER????

athena youre a psychologist; dont you know anything about calming people down or at least putting them at ease? youre gonna put scars on this kid’s scars!

i mean at least Cody Hackins was fairly fearless and defiant about what happened to him and only really broke down once it dawned on him what he’d actually seen. Owen is clearly very, very upset.

-

i passed out *image promptly closes eyes*

-

“poor kid, he's absolutely terrified of something”

KDJFKLDGDGL

“whatever it is, it might be the root of his out of control emotions!”

DSHFA;SLGHOHSO GIRSHG’ 

-

“see, all we got out of this boy is a tale he dreamt up”

fuck off sadmad

-

(sigh) Owen’s on his side, Shisho’s laying down, just get to it already

-

“rotating your thinking about?”

“oh! you mean turning your thinking around!”

“yeah, whatever...”

(SNERK)

-

“like the forehead, perhaps”

is that... just a random location or is it actually going to come true

also, back at the office, Apollo winces and he can’t figure out why

-

oh yeah its definitely gonna come back.

-

WHOA; OK, MANHANDLING 

MANHANDLING, NOT GOOD

STEP AWAY FROM THE ATTORNEY, BLACKQUILL

yeah just fucking manhandle the stressed out anxious girl. you piece of shit.  i knew me being your friend wouldn’t fuckin last.

-

“MOTIVE, OPPORTUNITY, EVIDENCE??? IS THAT ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE YOU STOP BELIEVING IT YOUR CLIENT?!”

to be fuckin fair, cuckoo, thats usually what loses most cases.

-

would phoenix manhandle athena?? would he berate her and shake her into doing her best?? i highly doubt it.

-

“prosecutor blackquill was just giving me a pep talk, thats all!”

athena thats unhealthy

-

legitimately simon’s been nothing but unpleasant this entire time. its fun to watch him wreck sadmad’s shit but he needs to keep the hell away from athena. whatever protective, elder-brotherly instincts he had for her in DD seem to have stayed in DD.

-

man I'm looking back at my previous commentary and i was. i was just so optimistic. how foolish. franziska, bring down your lash upon this foolishly foolish fool.

atcuall dont i bruise like a peach

-

jeez now I'm imagining Super Dad™ Phoenix Wright cross examining Owen with Athena instead and it’s melting my cold, hard heart

-

“unfortunately, i spy nothing of the sort”

again Sadmad acts like if he doesn't see the answer, then it’s nonexistent 

not very monk-y of you, Sadmad.

-

gotta admit, i love this unique murder weapon

ive actually nearly suffocated under soft, cold, gloopy stuff and lemme tell you, its not fun.

-

...i love that simon took that logic-attack for us 

maybe the animators just wanted to play his OH SHIT animation again 

-

i know it looks like i pick on everything but in fact i edit these down. sometimes i take out whole statements because i rationalize them and realize that theyre actually plausible and i let them slide. so just, y’know. if you think I'm just blindly going at it, i am actually giving this game the benefit of the doubt. you just dont see it.

...if you read these

...uh

-

they used the pre-prepped noodles in the fridge. c’mon guys, as athena would say: Andale!

-

“perhaps the victim was simply playing with the cards, and they hold no other meaning”

oh NOW THEY COULD BE UNRELATED TO THE CASE

OF COURSE, NOW THAT IT’S CONVENIENT TO YOU

you sack’a shit

-

nice cliffhanger, kid.

Oh well; I’m partially glad that the poor lil guy can get a rest, and partially upset that his last two surfaces put him through intense anguish. maybe get Uendo drunk and go to the theatre or something, guys. poor baby could use a pick-me-up.

-

n no–– rise from the ashes flashbacks–– RISE FROM THE ASHES FLASHBACKS

THE LUNCHBOXES

SO MANY LUNCHBOXES

AAAAAHHHHhhhhi gotta give bucky a hand; being drunk and riding a skateboard while supporting a tower of bentos isn’t an easy feat

-

ew slurping 

-

and simon extends his douchiness to the guys he's even shafting Athena for.

just, fuckin, lighten the fuck UP simon, CHRIST

-

TIDDIES

seriously tho; we haven’t had a proper boob joke in ages. actually Geiru kinda reminds me of April May...

 Meanwhile we’ve had several testicle references, a drunk guy, and the bloodiest overarching plot the series has ever had. I think we’ve left Ace behind and graduated to Edge Attorney

-

 to be fair the judge could totally be talking about her actual rubber balloons, considering his childlike personality at times. so maybe ITS YOU, SADMAD, WHO’S THE VULGAR ONE!

GET YOUR MIND OUTTA THE GUTTER!!

-

bloooon. i think Drifloon says that, too. Is that a japenese onomatopoeia or something? 

-

ooh he sadMad

heh

i guess its up to simon’s brilliant mind tricks to save us again..?

...yehhhh i knew it

-

...huh. didnt expect that. impressive use of air...sword... skill. 

-

IM NOT A KOORAHEENIST, SHE’S NOT GONNA HEAR ME ANYWAY.

-

i know what theyre building up and yes, i am super excited to see all those balloons pop

-

...i gotta ask tho, why does Athena think those balloon animals are bad?? theyre extremely intricate and they look a lot more like the thing she promised than most of the ones ive seen.

-

aw no the cake disappeared. i want a huge explosion at the end!!

-

“I’ma cut ya, witch!”

...

.....

........

i uh, i have to um,,,,,,, go now

-

SHES GONNA CUT OFF A TIT

GIRD YERSELF ATHENA

-

me, into my DS mic: HOLD IT. Hold IT. Hold it. hold it... hold it... bold it

athena; HOLD IT 

-

simon: athena youre stupid do something. I'm not helping you.

simon: this time I'm going to do something, but god forbid you dont run with it

i dont think we’ve ever had a co counsel add something to the testimony for us before. we’ve had them hint at answers and interrupt trials to get us out of tight spots, but never directly ordering something like that. Guess that proves just how highly BK thinks of Athena’s abilities......

-

ooh the cakes back and there was a pop

im super ready for this

-

shit thats a strong balloon. i wouldn’t advice biting very thing plastic...

-

............

the... fuck???

sadmad: here is what will prove that Geiru IS NOT the murderer!

(geiru reveals buckwheat allergy and ACUAL RED HAND)

how the fuck does that help your case, Sadmad?? We know that the killer used the dough to kill the master by suffocating him with it. Pointing out that she came into contact with the dough, WITH HER HANDS, IS PROVING SHE DID IT.

YOU JUST GOT HER CAUGHT LITERALLY RED-HANDED.

HOW DOES THIS HELP YOUR CASE??????

-

ok well apparently she could die just by being in the room but if we look at how badly her hand has reacted, and is still reacting, Geiru should probably have at least some difficulty talking if “breathing in the flour” was dangerous. If her hand reacted that badly from minor contact, her throat should be shut like a steel trap. what I'm saying is, she’s probably lying about the severity.

-

“As if I would do anything so underhanded”

oh sad-‘trigger my enemies into yielding’-mad, youre hilarious 

-

y’know i just realized, it is a little insensitive of Taifu to make/buy/keep soba around the place. if Geiru is this deadly allergic, he’s risking killing her simply because he can’t give up his precious noodles. thats like living with someone with a deadly peanut allergy and being all “can’t get enough of my PBnJ!!”

-

its time for

Off!

Brand!

Logic!!!!

-

oh. its not. ...ok

-

hang on didnt she say the dough was udon already, or am i misremembering? if she did and everyone just forgot, thats a little sad.

anyway, i guess thats... an alright twist. i still say that saying your witness is allergic to something and showing a reaction on the body part associated with the murder is stupid thing to do.

-

“dont lose your nerve now. keep charging forward or you'll feel my blade at your back”

I'm just gonna let that speak for itself.

-

ah THERES the off brand logic. and we’re finally gonna talk about those fucking noodles in the fridge. its been a long time coming.

-

i like that ‘ramen’ is a third choice every time

-

that was a pretty involved murder. “alright, kill the old man, hmm hmm... make a dish that i’m deathly allergic to to throw of the scent; just gotta get the cooking! make sure Uendo doesn’t wake up and catch me in the act~~ get rid of the dough in a way that is probably time consuming, lalala~ and there! Blooooon, the perfect crime!”

how much time did she have??

-

also how much blood did she lose form that knick on her forehead? if its enough to permeate an entire clump of dough, she should probably need a transfusion.

-

simon: dog pun. have you figured out the twist yet???? DOG PUN, BY THE WAY. JUST SO YOU KNOW.

-

all the balloons are there. its time.

-

seriously, thats gotta be a lot of blood. I'm getting Gingerdead Man flashbacks.

-

“i wanna thank you, simon. without your constant abuse, i wouldn’t have been scared enough to succeed for fear of what would happen if i failed!”

-

...its a bit premature for breakdown animations; the police haven't gotten back to us about the dough...

-

...i didnt like this balloon explosion as much as i thought i was going to. this is kinda just... uncomfortable.

-

you know, she shouldn’t have resorted to murder or blaming the crime on an innocent, but I feel like Taifu should’ve.... I dunno, either Trained her properly or let her down easy instead of forcing her to be a sexy balloon clown.

It’s clear she really, really wanted to succeed her father’s name, (which I'm a little confused about; was he one of Taifu’s students? What is Uendo’s real name then? what is any of their real names...) so I’m sure that if she just practiced enough, she’d probably be able to do what she needed to get to that level of entertainment. And if she couldn’t, letting her down easy and encouraging her to find something she actually liked instead of making her do... um... balloons would probably be a whole lot less nasty.

also wtf uendo; what did whet ever do to you

man all of these people were kind of dicks. except bucky. the guy who came to his trial drunk.

-

Sadmad: Hmm.... upon further deliberation... seeing as you won... I believe I shall afford you a basic sense of human respect.................. 

Athena: thats all I ask, prosecutor sadmahdi!

-

heyy he’s sobered up! or should I say... SOBA’D UP AAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH but seriously i don’t think they’ve said drunk or hungover once in this entire case what the fu

-

“no way... i almost got convicted out of convenience?” you, larry butz, maggey byrde and a shit tonne of other characters in the series. its actually a fairly common occurrence.

-

“he didn’t give her the name because he wanted geiru to find her own calling in life...”

...you know. after foisting a sexy balloon routine on her. to encourage her to quite entertainment. 

obviously Taifu was using the Simon Blackquill approach to encouragement.

“making udon was his way of showing his support of her in her new endeavour”

...what does that... mean

“oh, i’ll make safe dough instead of the stuff THAT KILLS HER to prove that i support her!”

genius

-

“So this entire situation happened because of a misunderstanding? How sad...”

i think you mean,,, hhhh

i hate misunderstanding plots so so much

-

this entire case is just “he was being an asshole to ENCOURAGE you, see!! now you HAVE to forgive him!!”

newsflash: no i dont. you know what works better than fear tactics, threats and coercion? 

BEING ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE

-

“he probably used some tough love on you so that the shop wouldn’t just go belly up”

I SAID SUPPORTIVE. ARE YOU DEAF???

-

see? athena is being a little misguided but at least she's using a positive -food- to try to accomplish something.

“i’ll make sure its got all the TLC Master Toneido would’ve packed in it, too!”

you got it! one ice-cold, bitter, al-dente bowl with a side of vinegar, comin’ right up!

-

no athena!! brand loyalty!! mr eldoon will never forgive you!!!

-

“do us all proud, bucky”

or else

(flashes air sword)

-

Athena: I wonder if this gave me any experience as a lawyer...

Simon: HAHA WRONG, IF I HADN’T BEEN THERE YOU’D HAVE HAD THE SHIT KICKED OUT OF YOU. YOU SUCK, ATHENA, AND YOU DO EVERYTHING WRONG. FUCK YOU~!

see what annoys me about this is that when I first played Athena, I had some issues with her being too inexperienced to be a proper lawyer, especially with her court-related PTSD which could seriously endanger her clients.

However... Why are they bringing up her lack of experience in the one case (it’s not even a full case) in a game that isn’t even about her? And ignoring all the progress she made in Dual Destinies?

The way they’re talking about it is as if theyre setting up some kind of sequel; ‘you need to improve athena, you need to practice’. Which would have been all well and good for one of the cases in the first run of her own game... but Athena has been and continues to be a side character to Apollo and Phoenix. Rather than this moment coming at a crucial moment in her own game, it comes out of nowhere during a case she got last minute, couldn’t have prepared for, and is abused throughout.

what I'm saying is, the ghosts of DD past has come to haunt us. They introduced Athena too early and are bungling up her character development. Lawyers need a full set of games to let them grow. Just make an actual Apollo Justice 2 or Athena Cykes 1, but don’t insult us by pretending that this five minute shit actually did either of them justice.

-

Simon: I hope you stay shitty so that I can always win

brilliant.

you know, usually when a character is jerk with a heart of gold, that ‘heart of gold’ thing is supposed to show up at the end.

-

i was going to ignore the horrible joke but then Widget said “ROTFL”

what a... great way to end this....... great case

-

and so we close this one off, and for a case about tasty food, it sure left a bitter taste in my mouth. 

[atsooshis]

the bsdxace attorney and ace attorneyxbsd au no one needs but is here

bear with me i love both, this is super long and i’m clawing at grasps with the AAxBSD part but i tried

BSD x AA: still takes place in yokohama

the ADA is all one big law office and for some reason most of the cases they end up catering to are murder cases

fukuzawa is the big boss lawyer and values justice

kunikida is his apprentice, he learned most of his techniques from fuku. kinda stands as the boss whenever fuku isn’t around

dazai is kunikida’s co-council, but in the past he was a prosecutor who had pretty crooked ways- he was a mole prosecutor working under the port mafia before. he gave up his job after defeat at the hands of fuku and kuni who worked side by side on a case against him, where he was trying to indict a falsely accused defendant for the death of odasaku. he’s trying to become a defense lawyer under fuku’s discipline.

tanizaki and naomi are assitants of sorts in the office, they’re not interested in becoming lawyers or anything, they just really like the idea of bringing justice for people who deserve it

yosano’s an injury lawyer but for some reason she landed a job in the nutcase agency and has to take up murder cases, which she doesn’t mind. her additional medical knowledge helps her understand autopsy reports more.

kenji often drops by the office after fuku helped him with a property dispute in his hometown, often brings fresh produce and food for the lawyers. now knows legal lingo for his own good despite no actual interest in law as well

ranpo’s a private investigator of sorts, he’s not entirely hired by the agency, but he has his own desk in the agency because he helps them a lot, in return for fuku defending his ass in the past. he’s with the police department but tends to work on his own, as he figures out mostly everything out in a minute. makes the correct arrests. he helps the lawyers investigate cases they get even though he isn’t involved, but doesn’t really talk about the actual answers though, because he believes they should be doing their job instead of him handing them the answers.

atsushi’s a fresh law school graduate and can barely argue without crying, but fukuzawa is his inspiration as a lawyer after the man defended him against false charges after the murder of the orphanage headmaster. will fight for what is right and generally the phoenix wright of all of this, except internal tears are 100% present. he’s a good lawyer at heart and he does handle his job well but trembles after trials. believes in his clients.

kyouka’s a spirit medium from the kurain village despite taking on a different surname rather than ayasato (jp’s version of ‘fey’). atsushi had to defend her after she was accused for assassination, where she was framed by the port mafia. has grown close to him in the process and acts as a co-council of sorts for the new lawyer.

the port mafia is still there and they have moles in the prosecutor’s office and the police department

namely akutagawa, a prosecutor who has never lost a single case until atsushi comes along. while he takes on numerous cases, he’s respected enough to be able to pull strings to prosecute port mafia cases in order to indict wrong suspects involved in port mafia businesses

higuchi is in the police department as a detective, whom akutagawa constantly has to work with, much like edgeworth and gumshoe

chuuya’s also a prosecutor, while being a mafia executive

basically everything else with the mafia is the same just aku and chuuya’s in the prosecutor’s office

black lizard squad..... but in the police department. hirotsu’s a high ranking officer, tachihara and gin are officers that closely work with him

the guild is a smuggling ring honestly imagine that fucking smuggling ring in AAI god i hated that

AA x BSD: still takes place in japanifornia

anything detective agency, a specialized detective agency whose members have supernatural abilities

phoenix wright - Rise from The Ashes, heals him upon taking fatal injuries. gets hit by a car? no fucking problem. runs on a burning bridge and falls down more than 10 feet into cold rushing water? no problemo. kinda like yosano’s ability, but people and him just have to be fatally injured. additionally still has a magatama maya gives him

mia fey, maya fey, pearl fey - all three share the same channeling ability due to their fey blood. feys still have the fame from spirit channeling, it’s just not much big of a deal as it was in the AA universe. additionally, mia can manipulate her scarf. think rashomon, but not as harmful- more of a shield and an extra hand.

miles edgeworth - Logic Chess, allows him to realize what the person he’s talking to will say next depending on what he will say. also lets him deduct possibilities in a case which helps the agency in their cases. kinda like oda’s ability, but more on verbal probabilities, rather than probabilities in the future, plus ranpo’s super deduction, just super limited.

gumshoe.... is their actual detective, a private detective for them. not actually gifted, but aids edgeworth on his cases. he used to be a detective under the police department until edgeworth invites him into the agency after finding out that his failures in his job has cut his salary a lot. he’s bad at being detective, but edgeworth brought out his best after he stayed with the agency.

ema skye - a forensics expert, helps within the agency. sometimes tags along with edgeworth and gumshoe whenever she’s needed for her expertise. can see bloodstains without the use of luminol, but she has to wear her funky glasses. can also tell whose blood it is as long as she sees other comparative blood samples.

franziska von karma - a prosecutor that works with the skilled ministry. unnamed ability grants her super strength as long as she’s annoyed/angry, which is often.

godot - Fragrance of Dark Coffee lets him dispense drinks out of fucking hammerspace. any drink, really. but mostly dispenses coffees of his own blends. throws dark coffee at enemies honestly and it throws them off guard but man can he fucking fight

apollo justice - Chords of Steel, his voice enables him to unleash destructive sonic waves but he has it under control. still loud as hell but minus destruction unless he means to. additional perception ability from the gramaryes.

trucy wright - adoptive daughter of phoenix after her dad, a suspect in one of the agency’s cases, disappears. a magician still. Magic Panties lets her pull out anything and lets her put anything in it. even people. she can manipulate the space fabric containers honestly, but prefers to use the panties for her shows. despite her magic panties being her main ability, she still has the heart of a magician and devises all tricks as much as she can.

klavier gavin - Guilty Love lets him use any sound he causes to unleash destructive sound waves as well. same as apollo honestly, but more control. can make a needle drop more destructive than it should be. still a famous rock star.

thalassa - has the same perception ability apollo has. Siren’s Serenade allows her to enthrall people with her singing, making them focus only on her. not part of the agency but often visits for trucy and apollo.

athena cykes - resident psychologist of the agency. Mood Matrix allows her to hear the voice and turmoils of your heart. honestly the same thing in the AAverse, and can choose to switch her ability on and off with widget’s help. also, for some unknown reason, the agency’s best hacker.

simon blackquill - another psychologist in the agency but works with edgeworth sometimes to manipulate possible suspects into fessing up. no ability, but can cut your throat

clay terran - apollo’s best friend and assistant of sorts. not an ability user, but this guy has learned how to map the stars and impresses everyone in the agency with it. he’s actually very helpful to them and everyone appreciates him despite being not an ability user. sometimes spends time with ema and gumshoe.

juniper woods- is not part of the agency but a student in Themis Legal. has an unnamed ability that allows her to grow flora or reverse the growth of plants. generally plant-based ability, but it tires her out pretty quickly. visits the agency and gives them all treats from her garden in the mountains after they help her avoid being falsely arrested.

the Phantom - Phantomime... generally enhanced imitation ability. the same thing in AAverse honestly

nahyuta sadhmadhi - no ability but honestly has the power of the Holy Mother™. the whole defiant dragons and khura’in’s shitty history doesn’t happen so he isn’t a prosecutor or anything, but he does fly to the US to visit apollo to see how he’s doing in that weird agency he got himself into

rayfa khura’in - enhanced insights anywhere as long as there’s water she can dance around on honestly. her insights aren’t as dull as they were in the AAverse, and while she can let images appear in the water, she experiences the victim’s last moment herself within her mind, and this lets her make correct judgements whether a defendant is guilty or not.

idk what else i was gonna write more about the port mafia counterpart in this but this is so long already honestly and i have no idea what to do with that

[shikis-game-reactions-blog]

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice

WARNING: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL GAME REVIEWER, GAME CRITIC, OR WRITER. The following is just purely my opinion and reaction to the game. Also, ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE. So, yeah, I’m sure there will be a grammar mistake somewhere there. Please don’t be a grammar nazi. Lastly, THIS WILL NOT BE AN ENTIRELY SERIOUS REVIEW. Yay. *insert cute puppy face*

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. The games I am reviewing belong to their respective owner(s). I DON’T GAIN ANY PROFIT FROM THIS, EITHER.

seeing your previous player character on the other side of the courtroom would make anyone scream

Okay, first, let me lay down some rationale for this game. The Ace Attorney franchise is really, really close to my heart. If Pokemon holds my past and my childhood, the Ace Attorney holds the key to my future – as dramatic as it sounds. The Ace Attorney is what pushed me to take the path of being a lawyer. Of course, it’s not the whole reason (I’m not too keen on putting my whole life and future over a single game, after all), the other is the desire to change all the stupid things that is happening around me. But still, it is what introduced me to the greatness of law, the importance of finding the truth, and the great feeling of satisfaction you get once you have found it.

note to self: don’t fangirl too much and read the important details. seriously.

CHARACTERS:

The Legend, Phoenix Wright

Let me say one thing, it’s really, really weird facing Phoenix in a courtroom battle. For five games, I’ve played as him, and then suddenly we’re battling against him as Apollo in a civil case!? I mean, we all anticipated it ever since we briefly controlled Edgeworth in Trials and Tribulations and acted as a Defense Attorney, but seeing the legendary Phoenix Wright on the other side of the courtroom is still surprising.

And scary. Definitely scary. Seeing Phoenix frown seriously, smirk and do a complete turnabout (which, normally is a good thing for us since we’re normally him) made Apollo (and us, the player) really quake in his boots. It’s like he’s getting back for all the abuse he received for being the butt monkey of the courtroom for the past 4 games!

Other than the very memorable Case 4, Phoenix goes back to being on our side again for the rest of the cases. I especially love the fact that even though 8 or so years has passed; Phoenix’s protectiveness over Maya has never failed. He went to another freaking country just because of a phone call for her! He fought on the wrong side of the truth (which is basically the opposite of his whole values) for her! He knowingly risked his life over her (though then again, this part’s nothing new)!

Every girl needs a Phoenix in her life, man. (NaruMayo ship: *sails*)

serious!Phoenix would make anyone tremble

Courtroom Revolutionaire, Apollo Justice

Okay, first of all, let me clarify; I KNOW THAT THIS TITLE BELONGS TO ATHENA. But it just fits, you know? (Also, I don’t know how to spell.)

I don’t care that the title of the game says Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; Apollo is the real star of this game (it’s like the reversed version of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, where the real conflict is about Phoenix.). I believe in the wandering fan theory that this last three games (Apollo Justice: AA, AA: Dual Destinies, and AA: Spirit of Justice) is about Apollo, similar to how the first three games (Phoenix Wright: AA, AA: Justice for All and AA: Trials and Tribulations) is about Phoenix.

And man, how those three games did a wonderful job building up Apollo into the brave little bird he is now. AJ shows how he starts as a rookie defense attorney, DD shows his high school-college past (aka Clay MY GOD *eternal crying*), and lastly, SoJ shows his childhood and ends in how he starts being a professional defense attorney (thus, making a complete, albeit reversed, circle).

Spirit of Justice shows a lot of tearjerker, heart-pulling and gasp-inducing scenes for Apollo that at this point in time I don’t know how he managed to not break down. Oh wait, he did break down, he even have a new, special animation for it. And my god that scene… I didn’t shed a single tear at that point, because I was just so horrified and overwhelmed and whatishappeningisthisreallyhappening. Yeah, that feeling. (I did cry, a lot, but at the later point of the game since it took time for my mind to acknowledge that ohmyggoditreallyhappenedhuuuHUHUHUHU-)

So yeah. Apollo really received his most-deserved characterization and development in this game.

The Funeral Prosecutor, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Nahyuta. Nahyuta… Is my baby. Because, really, he’s just so cute and naiive in some of the things! I mean sure, he’s really nasty, but so are the other prosecutors and you don’t see me hating on them (in fact Franziska is totally my role model). But we can’t all deny the fact that he’s really kind and gentle on other people, look at Ema for instance (it’s clear that he likes her btw, I just can’t decide if it’s platonic or romantic, since my KlEma heart’s really against it).

And just like any main prosecutors in any games, Nahyuta receives wonderful characterization and character development as the game progresses. Similar to Apollo, a lot of tearjerker scenes is about him, especially when you discover how much has he sacrificed for his family…

And Nahyuta’s totally an overprotective brother to Rayfa. I can’t wait to see the next game just to see their post-game interactions.  

look at this two original assistant babies turning to mature babies

The Ace Assistant, Maya Fey

MAYA. SHE’S BACK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Ace Attorney fans have fully risen from the dead the moment the trailer showed Maya returning for this game. It’s what we have been wishing for in these past two games! Our beloved Ace Assistant is back! And partnered with Phoenix no less! Sarcastic conversations! Funny interactions! Ladders vs. Stepladders!

Our original Ace Attorney duo is back! AAAAAAAAA-

But still, of course 8 years have passed, so it’s inevitable for Maya to change. Even though most of the time she’s still childish and funny, there are still many scenes scattered all around the game that shows her all grown up that you can’t help but remember her older sister, Mia. The game shows Mature Maya, the Leader of the Kurain Village.

Also, the Spirit Channeling scene is very, very beautiful. I’m glad that we actually saw it for the first time.

lil’ princess is just so cute!

The Priestess, Rayfa Padma Khura’in

Princess Rayfa is a cinnamon roll. A tsundere cinnamon roll, and that what makes her a very cute and wonderful and funny assistant.

Serious talk though, Rayfa is the youngest (except for Ahlbi) character to be introduced in this game, and it shows. Although she acts all high-and-mighty and incredibly mature due to her status as a priestess, there are times that her childishness shows true. And I think it’s completely okay – and Phoenix and Maya does to. She tries too hard to immediately grow up , but what she doesn’t know is that being true to your age gives you wonders too.

And, oh god, the pressure given to her by her mother… I can totally relate.

That scene when she was asked to show her (adoptive) father’s death in a Divination Séance… it made me cry for Rayfa [seriously, this game made me cry a lot]. Sure, we’ve seen her faint a lot of the times, but it’s only for dramatics; to show how horrified she was that we beat her. But that scene… is the real deal. We actually saw Rayfa going pale, gasping for air, eyes wide… and faints. It’s – just – so heartbreaking…

can we all just cry

The Dragon, Dhurke Sahdmadhi

Oh my gosh, where do I even start.

*cries*

My first impression of Dhurke during the trailer was he’s the typical rebel antagonist in a game. And it continued on as we first got a glance on him at the end of the second trial.

Oh boy am I glad to be wrong.

I admit – Dhurke has not been a particularly good father to Apollo. Sure he’s got his reasons, being busy with the rebellion and all, but imagining a little Apollo hoping for his father to show up, pick him up and get him out of his misery – yet incredibly devastated as later, he will know that no one will show up, really broke my heart. Apollo did not deserve that. No child deserves that.

But oh man, he still loves Apollo. He loves Nahyuta. He loves Rayfa. He loves his children – anyone playing the game can see that. He just shows it in a different way, but every action he takes – it’s for the sake of his family. (Nahyuta really is similar to his father)

SPOILER

Too bad he’s not even alive. I can’t believe all the time we’ve spent with him as Apollo is… not exactly a lie, the interactions with him is the truth – he loves Apollo. But… you know.

Imagining his thought process while he was being spirit channeled by Maya and spending time with his son he had only seen now for the past two decades… is very depressing.

The Childhood Duo, Athena Cykes and Simon Blackquill

I admit, I am disappointed with these two. Well, not these two exactly, they’re perfect just the way they are (I MEAN CAN YOU BELIEVE IT SIMON AND ATHENA TEAMING UP. THE PSYCHOLOGY CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, DEFENSE-PROSECUTOR DUO IS TEAMING UP AAAAAA-), but I’m more sad in the roles they are given. More specifically, the wasted potential of their roles.

The theme of the whole game is inheritance. Inheritance from parent to child, and inheritance from teacher to student. And Athena and Simon’s ace – Psychology – is literally that, an inheritance from Metis Cykes!

They don’t need to create a whole batch of other characters. I’m not saying the Rakugo case sucks – it’s very new considering we have another Japanese culture-themed case; and the fact that a psychological disease (the multiple personalities stuff) is the main turning point of this case makes it a perfect case for Simon and Athena – but maybe they should have used it for the next game?

Athena and Simon were only introduced in the last game – so I’m definitely hungry for more backstory and deeper characterization for these two wonderful characters. And what better way for us to get to know more about theme more intimately than to get to know these two’s most important person, Metis Cykes, and her gift to them?

But hey – I’m complaining but I’m not particularly shunning these two and Case 3. As I said, Case 3 is a wonderful and genius case (but what would you expect from Ace Attorney, right?). It’s just that, the potential…

The Game

So far, this game has the largest amount of ‘gimmicks’ or ‘powers’ featured. Phoenix’s Magatama, Apollo’s bracelet, Athena’s Widget, Ema’s Forensic stuff, and the newly introduced Rayfa’s Divination Séance. I think the only missing power is Edgeworth’s Logic Chess, and we have the complete set!

Each of them is unique and special in their own way, and they definitely made the game much more exciting and enjoyable. OF course, the traditional courtroom battle is as hard, mysterious and exciting as ever!  I cannot even predict who the culprit was in the start of the case, and if it was obvious who did it (like, it was showed in the initial cutscene or was directly implied), I can’t figure out how he/she did it without the help of the character I’m acting as. Which is a new thing for me, since in the past games, I already know who the real culprit is even before the player character knows. Well, most of the time, at least.

And the plot, oh the plot was absolutely complicated and mind blowing it’s wonderful. The family drama is as – if not more – dramatic than the T&T one. And that’s saying something, considering that the Fey clan’s story is really complicated too. And as I mentioned earlier, this game gave meat for the characterization of several characters.

Also, it made me cry probably around ten times.

 FINAL REMARKS

DO I EVEN HAVE TO? GO PLAY IT. Though if you still haven’t play the previous games yet, do that first THEN PLAY THIS. THE STORY IS GOOD. THE GAMEPLAY IS AWESOME. THE CHARACTERS ARE WONDERFUL. *eternal scream*

 FINAL NOTES: I’M SORRY IF I MISSED ANYTHING. What I wrote here are the things that really stood out to me. My aim is not to review everything about the game, but to write what I remember the most and what my reaction to it. If I did react to the whole game, it would take about 20 pages or so in MS word. (This is 4 pages, btw)

[pinksweatergettingbetter]

what the... fuck?

yet again we start off with a cutscene that looks like its from a completely different game... or low quality anime

-

...why are we starting off in court

-

“who brings a defendant to his own trial late”

why... is this sentence not processing 

for the life of me i have no idea what that means;

-

simon: you can just SCARE the judge into not giving a fuck about shit like being late, or threatening people under the guise of clever psychological manipulation!

also hi again simon

are you ready to be fun and likeable and not awful ?? I'm excited!

-

“i wish he'd stop treating me like a child all the time”

hey, old habits die hard.

-

simons already doing well by being an overprotective dork... so far so good. dont disappoint me, samurai.

-

our defendant is drunk

we’re off to an excellent start!

-

what... accent is this...

oh its drunkinese ok 

-

“three sheets to the wind”

ive never heard that one

maybe they can get away with having a drunk guy but they cant actually say drunk?

-

somebody get this guy some raw eggs and hotsauce??

wow hes drunk enough to be close to vomiting? he’s not acting hungover so I'm assuming that he’s been drinking up till now. and simon was last with him, so...

yeah I'm blaming simon for this

-

“ive known athena longer than ive known bucky”

“ive frequented his soba restaurant”

contradiction! simon was in jail up until very recently, and knew Athena for a very short period of time during her childhood. unless he met Bucky right after taking care of athena, it’s not possible that he’s known her longer. that or i guess he could just walk right out of jail to get noodles.

-

“meat slapped between slabs of bread...”

oh no ya dont, translation team. you made your burger bed, now you have to lie in it. no mocking the joke now.

-

quit being so tsundere simon. and yes I'm giving you the luxury of being tsundere and not just an asshole who’d prefer the company of men he once tried to cut to ribbons just because Athena’s a girl. because I'm in a good mood today!

-

a) scariest ringtone to date

b) he runs that place alone?? sucks to be buck

-

please stop doing the vomit animation its making me uncomfortable 

-

“this is no time for idle chatter”

oh simon, you obviously dont know what a chekov’s... um, conversation is.

-

wow so not only are we starting in the court room, but Sadmad said his prayers already. This is shaping up to be a rushed case.

...because obviously this is just filler before we get back to the Oh-So Delightful Adventures in Lawyer Land

-

edgeworth called him back for this case?? ...why???

-

Sadmad: I could be less horrible now that I owe the WAA a favourOR I could threaten to send a young lady to hell for just doing her job!!!! GO SADMAD, GO SADMAD

-

...dont call her a spring chick.

-

wait wait MAY 12TH?!

They just finished Maya’s trial and Edgeworth hauls Sadmad back to America over night?? How the fuck does Sadmad think he’s more prepared than us?? He had about the same amount of time to prepare!

-

I’ve got a good feeling about this case

-

Sadmad just let that poor butterfly rest jfc the aesthetic isn't that important 

-

“this guy stole the deed to this other guys shop, so other guy KILLED HIM to get it back”

yes, brilliant deduction, not an overreaction at all

-

Sadmad, you literally got back here at like 1 am last night. Go fuck yourself and leave Athena alone.

-

So Apollo’s a  red pepper, Athena’s an egg yolk... But there aren’t any blue foods, so Phoenix is just stuck being called ‘putrid’ in general.

Anyway cut Athena some slack. She’s already progressed far beyond having a breakdown in court because someone talked over her. 

-

SEXY PAN UP SHOT FOR SIMON BLACKQUILL,

-

“Simon!! You didnt tell me you were taking the stand!!!”

“There wasn’t time...”

no time at all during that 5 minutes you spent in the lobby. But I'm laughin’ so I’m not judging. Also I missed that theme...

-

AW  YIS

THROW DOWN SIMON

he’s the lesser of two evils this time; I'm ready to back him up! Simon in the blue corner, ding ding!!!!

-

half-awake sadmad looks up “rakugo” on wikipedia at 3 am

“yeah that should do it”

...and memorizes the whole article apparently

(coughmartystucough)

-

Sadmad: No wasting time!! This soul must get to the afterlife post-haste! You’re all putrid lumps of fecal matter for putting off the last ri–– wait, an opportunity to gloat?! Hold onto your hats, baby! The next twenty minutes are mine!!!

-

(weeps) thank you Athena

-

simon will remember this (you blackguard)

-

sexy pan up shot for–– oh, it really is a “sexy” pan up shot this time

except for those... soulless eyes...

-

aw nuts she has that drone-y X people theme. 

-

OH GOD 

OH GOD YOUR BOOBS

THAT WOULD HURT SO FUCKING MUCH

IM CLUTCHING MY CHEST JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

but I'm also chortling at the booby jokes teehee

-

“Never show sadness! Smile, smile, smile! With a twisty-twist-twist!”

Hey, it’s the new motto of ace attorney! Your self worth is based solely on how well you can cover up your less palatable feelings! Yaaaay!!

...also I’m calling it now, she did it.

-

i think her balloons are pretty impressive, athena

-

420 WE GOT ONE FOLKS

-

“Sad Monk Sadmahdi”

simon, youre gaining brownie points fast

-

Lang Zi says... Oh, uh I mean, the Kooraheenist Bible says......

-

“I’m checking in with the big tough old man prosecutor because i underestimate this small, young, female defence attorney”

I'm getting flashbacks to Turnabout Beginnings. and not good ones. 

You kick it, girl. tell them off.

-

nice! the judge is on our side!

-

why did she mention the dog barking a lot if it was only because he was hungry?

-

that is one hongry dog

something about the dog just burying the rest of the food is making me laugh

-

oh so that was important eh

hmm

-

has athena always done this double-slam thing, or is this new?

-

Athena: Witness, I think you might’ve been lying a little bit 

Sadmad: Vile hitler-satan, I cast you down to hell for your debauchery, how dare you insinuate that this case has more to it than what is readily viewable on the surface? Tsk tsk, so inexperienced, so putrid, 

-

“What? The gallery doesn’t get a say in this!”

They’re not a jury, you know!!!

-

“Why is the whole gallery siding with prosecutor sadmadhi?”

it’s because he’s hot, athena. thats the only reason anybody likes him.

-

tbh I'm actually pretty proud of Athena

same time last year Sadmad would have put her in a panic-stupor. but not today. Kudos on working that out, kiddo. You’re moving up!

-

...wait a minute

“with a little push, you could succumb to despair”

>despair

does Sadmad know? Does he know about her PTSD? If so... He’s deliberately TRYING TO TRIGGER HER SO THAT HE CAN WIN THE CASE?!

WHAT THE FUCK

-

oh boy!! OH BOY!! a dying message!!! THOSE ARE FOOL PROOF, AS PROVED BY EVERY SINGLE CASE IN THIS SERIES TO CONTAIN ONE!!

-

“That makes perfect sense, doesn't it!”

Yes... the man who suffocated to death somehow had time to leave a clue to his killer...

...you do realize that to be suffocated, the killer has to be there the whole time, right? if there’s nothing in his lungs and no trace of poison in his stomach, then it has to have been manual suffocation, either by strangulation (though we have yet to hear about any marks on his neck) or by covering his mouth and nose. 

so youre implying that rather than fighting back, the old coot rearranged a bunch of playing cards... in plain view of his aggressor

yet again, Sadmad makes a brilliant fool proof deduction.

-

ohhh my god he’s still trying to do it. HE’S STILL TRYING TO TRIGGER HER. I SWEAR TO FUCK, he’s been tolerable–– very thinly tolerable up until now. But this is just disgusting. This is brazen, malicious cheating. I don’t care if he turns out to be jesus himself when the inevitable “urhurhur he was good all along!!” twist shows up; I’m not forgetting this.

-

Damnit , Athena, don’t fucking listen to him. Don’t listen to a word he fuckin says.

Man I’ve never been so happy to see Simon. Little bit of the pot-calling-the-kettle-black here since Simon’s MO is to threaten and manipulate–– err, ah, use psychology!! to influence people, but I hate Sadmad so much that I don’t care.

-

“To think, you were so easily manipulated by his parlour tricks...”

Watch it, Simon. You’re the lesser of two evils this time, but that doesn’t exempt you from criticism. As a psychologist, you should know WHY it worked so well on Athena and you should be SENSITIVE about it. 

You’re cleared of all charges, remember?? You don’t have to pretend to be a douchebag to keep up your ill-thought-out plan anymore.

-

“I’m not girding up anything in this skirt!”

well i just don't know what to say to that

-

Oh boy here comes Uendo.

Everyone seems to love him so I’m hoping he’ll be a reprieve from Sadmad’s......... everything 

-

Sexy pan up shot of... a guy on a bunch of flower bags. With his own theme song!

-

so far I'm loving his animations and I'm always a slut for shitty puns!!

let’s see... blush stickers for the goofy one, hair forwards and eyeshadow for the lady. Clever little things that make each one of his characters different. He's definitely a fun character so far!

-

ah I'm really enjoying his dialogue 

ill bet the translators had a ball with this

-

won't you PLEASE laugh at my PUN!!!

its ok uendy, i thought it was good.

-

“Silence is more precious than diamonds”, eh?

I can definitely see which Sadmad values more...

-

ooh a spit take! not since godot have we been blessed... also i notice they've dialled up the rock guitar in Athena’s theme. Personally don’t see it as an improvement but eh

-

“yes, making it look like the man drowned was obviously because the culprit hated him and wanted to desecrate his corpse instead of getting the fuck out of there quicker like any killer would”

not to make it look like 

he’d drowned in the bowl

to throw off the police.

of course not; that’d be too obvious.

another win for the great Sadlock Madholmes.

-

wait did Sadmad just say Objection?? I thought he didnt do that

also; duel of the growly voices

-

prosecutor sad monk. simon’s still a dick but at least his dickishness spreads to  people i dont like :3

-

ooh i love it when i can rearrange physical pictures

-

“you can put the cards back in their right place but if you cant explain them then youre fucked”

ever thought that maybe theyre irrelevant to the case and theyre just... cards?? sadmad??

i mean i know theyre not but they could easily have just been on the table when the murder happened. they could stand for absolutely nothing.

-

ahh... the sweet refreshing scent of common sense. you redeem yourself step by step, simon. i mean, when youre not being a dick about it.

-

“don’t testify.”

franziska tried this once. it was for an evil scheme. i dont want to have to threaten another witness with revealing a dark secret; that was depressing.

but at least we know meanwhile that Sadmad isn’t above dirty shit like shutting up a witness. .......not that we didnt know that before.......

-

“Are you trying to taunt him into talking? Such a petty trick will never work”

POT.

CALLING.

THE KETTLE.

JET BLACK, SADFUCK.

-

simon’s lucky he’s surrounded by idiots and people with poor impulse control, otherwise his “mind tricks” wouldn’t do shit

“to be turned by such an obvious ploy... what a man of weak spirit.”

for once, Sadmad, I gotta agree.

-

its time for 

Artistic!

License!

Psychologyyyyyyyyy!!!!

-

sadmad doesn't get his way: my god will smite you later :(((((

-

now that we’ve worn this non-joke out...

-

“seeing my master asleep just made me so fuckin sad...”

-

i love that anger has such a distinctive ping sound

-

please do not call your toe that

-

“You gotta fuss over every tiny detail like this?” yes, Uendo. That’s why I’m writing these !!

-

that box of buns keeps drawing my attention. i love buns

-

Simon, you could try using some positive reinforcement. Mia wasn’t soft on Phoenix, but she encouraged him to think and puzzle things out for himself; she didn’t just call him an idiot. All the time.

-

“as sharp as a trout”

what the fuck

-

“so thats how it works ! fascinating!”

its not like i spent a lot of time working under the woman who invented said matrix!

-

its kinda sad that Athena’s never seen multiple emotions in high dudgeon 

she must hang out with a lot of mild mannered people 

-

athena: ive just proved these words mean something detrimental to the witness

sadmad: erm but they mean nothing to me therefor they warrant no further investigation.

???

i stg most of Nahyuta’s “”””counter argumnets”””” are legitimately just him trying to disparage the obvious contradiction away.

-

again athena seems unable to believe that people can only feel one intense emotion at a time

should i be worried

-

silly AA, that’s not how DID works!

oh well, at least Uendo is the fun kind of DID, unlike other... side-splittingly shameful characters I could mention...

-

Pohlfuckya indeed sadmad

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ROLE CALL

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“You seem proud of yourself, but all youve done is infringe on the privacy of the witness”

(sweats) i hate it when Sadmad makes good points

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its not really dissociative if you dont... um... dissociate.

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Sadmad: let it go and––

Athena: Shut up!!

Sadmad: Let it g––

Athena: Sssh!!!

Sadmad: le––

Athena: SJSJSJSJ

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“if words will not sway you, perhaps pain will”

eject

him

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i dont... like that... the beads are around her torso.......

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YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HE FUCKIN CUT THEM IN MID AIR

that deserves a fucking cutscene all on its own. its like the time Lang caught Franziska’s whip only cool and not bulshitty

...also you coulda maybe done that a lil earlier simon lol

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“I dont give two flips”

all his flips have flown the coop

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“but if Cykes dono were to submit to you here...”

DO NOT 

USE THE WORD SUBMIT

WHEN PRAYER BEAD BONDAGE IS INVOLVED

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fuck you sadmad, not everyone has magic gary-stu powers that let them memorize everything about a single subject in one night.

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once again sadmad wastes precious time and diamonds showing off

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after this lengthy, lengthy, leeeeeengthy detour............ wouldyouliketoaddthisstatementtothetestimony?

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“you look like a hen with a dozen eggs to say”

you can just say “constipated” and it'll be less creepy, simon

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how could they... not tell... oh who cares

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“we’ve got you by the stones now, Uendo!”

DAMN the TESTICLE references in this game!!!

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“heres a big plot twist that i just convenientlyforgottomention urhurhurhr..”

spoken like a true prosecutor 

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there was such a long pause there i thought he was building up to a pun

but of course he wasnt. sadmad isn't cool at all

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heheh i just noticed that Bucky has hair noodles, just like Mr. Eldoon (tho Bucky’s dont appear to be a wig)

also its... very distressing to have a drunk client.

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y’know i just realized

Sadmad is always talking about sending souls to the twilight realm in the proper way. but he's an international prosecutor. he’s probably prosecuted victims of all religious alignments.

isn't it kind of disrespectful to perform your religion’s funeral rites on someone who doesn’t practice it???

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again, BK is only successful because Uendo is a moron

to be fair though, that was one of his better ones.

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“You were leading the witness!”

I...

Just, fuckin’. Please stop making good points, sadmad. I don’t want to be enraged with you, I want to be enraged AT You!!

...well i mean I don’t want to but i hate it when you bring up excellent points.

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anyway why doesn't sadmad want them to find Owen anyway. if it comes to nothing, who cares? can you just not stand having people who aren’t you waste time??

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again... DID doesn’t work like that........

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macbeth, starring athena cykes and simon blackquill

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hey i jusT REALIZED WHERE’S TAKA

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thats,,, reallllllyy not how DID works,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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highfalutin’

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“if you see one, there are likely thirty in your home’

thirty what

WTHIRTY WHAT

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look if you knew how DID is supposed to work you'd probably have a good hypothesis by now. not an... ethical one to implement, but a working one.

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i guess Uendo just never sleeps then, because apparently falling unconscious calls out another personality.

...brilliant.

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Simon: STOP BEING SO NERVOUS. IS MY NAGGING AND DISAPPOINTMENT SOOTHING YOU???? IS IT?????!!!!

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the time honoured tradition of turning a slip of paper over... truly, this is an Ace Attorney game 

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dude.... if you conk out from the trace amounts of alcohol in a bun, you should maybe visit a doctor possibly 

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“hmm, yes, i will allow you to render this man unconscious from alcohol.”

classic judge!!

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au where blackqyil is a very angsty delivery boy

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BABY

THERE HE IS

MY PRECIOUS BIRD

I WAS SO SCARED SOEMTHING HAD HAPPENED TO YOU

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...that bird is going to fly into a shop, terrorize the workers, steal bean buns and (hopefully) drop a twenty on the counter as he flies the coop

awesome 

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phew that was a long court... but wait if this is a half-episode (which it probably is) and it started on a court day...

no investigation?! RIP OFF

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gonna cut this one off here. till next time...

[pinksweatergettingbetter]

// y’know since I finished DD I've been trying to puzzle out why the ending was so unsatisfying, and I think I’ve figured it out 

First off, I felt really uncomfortable finishing off the phantom; I actually ended up feeling bad for him during his breakdown. But why, though? His breakdown is actually pretty similar to Matt Engarde’s (cowering behind the bench in fright, tearing up his face). In fact they’re both quite similar villains: They’re both responsible for kidnappings in some way, both could be considered sociopaths  and both pretending to be innocent.

However, where I hate Matt Engarde and take great pleasure in making him cry as I threaten to put him in jail or leave him at the mercy of an assassin... I don’t really feel anything towards The Phantom. I acknowledge his crimes were bad, but they don’t make me feel the same hatred, so I don’t really feel especially good taking him down.

In fact, the person I felt the most hatred towards in DD was Aura Blackquill, and her take-down wasn’t satisfying at all. 

So I think the main problem with this ending is similar to the reason why everyone mistakes Dahlia as the arch-villain of T&T

Lets think about her for a second; Dahlia isn’t the true villain of Bridge; its Godot (as the murderer) and Morgan (As the person who put the evil plan in motion in the first place)

But we hate Dahlia with a fiery passion. Why? 

Because she's A) Really Unpleasant, and B) She visibly hurt someone we care about as an audience. 

Godot doesn’t register as the main villain because his actions (though stupid, selfish and fucking awful) were based from a good intention (not really though) and his victim was someone so peripheral that it hardly matters. Hell, we don’t even know who she is and how she affects someone we relate to (Maya) until quite late in the case. (tbh I actually don’t know why people don’t hate Godot more; he put every one of the Feys in danger for his own shitty revenge and he sucks. But I’m getting off track...) 

Morgan doesn’t register as the main villain because she only appears in flashback and doesn’t do anything material. She’s still disgusting for treating her daughters that way and attempting to have Maya killed, but she doesn’t appear for us to hate.

So our hatred is laser-beamed at Dahlia, who is nasty, smug, and most importantly: She hurt someone we care about. We can see how much her actions destroyed Phoenix over the course of the entire game; his misfortune is the catalyst for us to hate her, along with what she had in mind for Maya. Same for Matt Engarde and Manfred von Karma; both of them visibly hurt and endanger Maya and Edgeworth respectively, who are characters we’ve come to sympathize with and love.

Nobody cares about Juan Corrida, Robert Hammond or Valerie Hawthorne/Terry Fawles’ deaths all that much because we don’t know them. If they had been the villains’ only targets, we wouldn’t have hated them as much. What makes them an Arch-villain is how they affect a main character.  Redd White and Morgan Fey (in her first appearance) become closest to arch-villains in their one-off villain roles because of their involvement with main characters.

But, returning to DD, the Phantom doesn’t actually... do that. Sure, he killed Clay, who was Apollo’s best friend, and Metis, Athena’s mother... But they’re such non-entities that it doesn’t trigger my sense of sympathy. Now I’m not saying non-appearing characters can’t have weight; but the way to do this is to have their presence made known through the actions or words of more important characters.

We can feel Magnifi Grammarye even if we’ve never met him because of the effect he had on Zak, Valant an even Trucy. We can feel Misty Fey because of DL-6 lore and Maya’s own grief. We can feel Celeste Impax because of how broken Adrian is over her death. Or at least we can at least feel bad for Adrian and hate Matt because of it.

But they don’t do that in DD; they set up their expendable characters very poorly. Clay obviously means a lot to Apollo, and we’d probably feel his presence through Apollo’s grief....... if we were allowed to actually see Apollo’s grief. He’s basically shoved out of the story after Clay’s death to ‘investigate it on his own terms’, so apart from a couple of lines, we don’t really see how much it hurts him in depth. Meanwhile, (and this frustrated me to no end) NOBODY else seems to give two shits about Clay. Even Solomon Starbuck, his mentor, is more worried about Athena during the case. He basically has a line or two of how much it sucks to lose Clay, then he totally forgets about him. 

I love Clay as a concept, but he’s drowned out by all the other grandiose plot elements and never given a proper funeral. So I find it hard to care about his death.

Metis gets things slightly better as Athena doesn’t go missing halfway through the game... but her death also only comes up pretty late in the game and, well... Her memories aren’t altogether great. As much as Athena says she loves her, she also explains her belief that her mother had been experimenting on her, and didn’t care much for her. And it’s fairly obvious that Metis Cykes wasn’t the most attentive of mothers, no matter what Simon Blackquill says to the contrary. Anyone who lets their naive 11 year old daughter play with heavy machinery is not a good mother in my books.  So I loose sympathy for her.

Oh! And the person who grieves for her most? It’s Aura Blackquill, who is so bitter, cruel and selfish that I like Metis even less just by association. 

So our main reasons to hate the Phantom don’t really stack up. Besides that, his previous bombings don’t actually have any casualties, unless you count what happened to the HAT-1 and Starbuck. At the same time, if I remember correctly, that’s actually the fault of Yuri Cosmos and the Government who allowed the launch even when there were threats from a spy. Good going, you guys. (that might’ve been the HAT-2 actually but tbh my point still stands.)

There’s no story-weight behind his villainous deeds. Also, there’s no malice; the Phantom doesn’t kill for the horrible reasons the other villains do. von Karma killed out of twisted and petty revenge, Matt Engarde was a vain and utterly self-absorbed monster, and Dahlia (and Morgan) were both selfish and hateful.

But the Phantom kills for two reasons; orders from a higher-up, and to protect his own identity. Sounds a lot like our Other Assassin, Shelly de-Killer, who I’m not sure anyone hates, really. (I dunno. I never hated him all that much) That obviously doesn’t make his murders permissible or forgivable in any way, but it lacks the spiteful motivation that makes us hate a villain. Phantom was just ‘doing his job’. Perhaps we’d hate him a little more if we knew the origins of his mysterious contractors.... but we don’t. We don’t even know if they’re evil. They could be the country’s own government for gods sake. Hell, even knowing that would add some intrigue. But we know diddly squat. He’s a nowhere man, living in a nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. 

In any case. The Phantom doesn’t provide us with evil personality traits or close-to-home crimes. Who does?

Aura Blackquill, of course! She’s highly unpleasant, her motivation is selfish hatred for a child, her actions are ridiculously overblown and ill-timed (could’ve done something a little earlier than the day before the execution, eh, Aura?) and the person she kidnaps?

Trucy. Our precious darling Trucy who we’ve had an entire game to get to know, love and sympathize with. 

Of course I love (read: hate) how the game tries to play this off like it’s no big deal; Phoenix barely worries about her (in comparison to his constant stress/anxiety/near panic attacks over Maya in Farewell) and when she comes back there’s like 2 lines of her being all “Nah it was cool i just did magic tricks lol” Along with Aura asserting that “none of this could have been accomplished without me”. Yes, thanks Aura; none of this could have been accomplished without terrorism and kidnapping. You sure are a grade-A hero. 

So we finally come to the final point of the Phantom; his lack of emotions. Or his semi-lack of emotions, or... Well. DD doesn’t explain it very well. Does he have emotions? Does he not? Are they very minor, or does he control them very well (...somehow? You can’t suppress an emotion so much that it disappears; by the Mood Matrix logic, they’d still be able to hear it easily underneath.) 

Phantom gives the cliché spiel of “emotions make you weak”, until the heroes insist that they don’t. And then... He doesn’t go down with defiance? He doesn’t go down cursing emotion to his grave. In his last moments, something in our heroes’ words touches him and in a moment of self-reflection he tries to ultimately remember who he is. Most villains show no remorse, but the Phantom seems very close to perhaps taking a step in the right direction. He renounces his lack of emotions and gives in to fear, and his end is really honestly terrifying to watch (at least it was to me)

This might partially be that I still associate him with Bobby, who’s been pretty much my favourite character in and motivation for finishing the game. Whatever the case, the Phantom doesn’t really make me feel smug for defeating him. Just kind of... uncomfortable.

 Then he gets shot by the most amateur sniper in the universe (unless this is just another plan) and carted off to the Police. And so, with that ONE SINGLE TRIAL, the Dark Age of the Law is vanquished. Because that’s how Trust works. 

TL-DR; the DD team did a poor job of setting up concrete reasons for us to hate the phantom, making his defeat not particularly satisfying. Also the whole plot is garbage and i hate it but meh