#granted two of those were phoenix's doing. but edgeworth helped

[demon-prosecuted]

I find it hilarious how Edgeworth, more or less, secured his promotion to Chief Prosecutor through one simple trick.

❝ I had all of my superiors arrested. ❞

[snezfics-n-shit]

it's only been two days and i'm already missing whumptober 😔i am craving sneezefucker phoenix so like... if you're interested 👀

Anon I love you and also of course I’m interested :3

Your wish shall be granted under the cut.

     Phoenix drummed the table with his fingers. He knew Miles wanted to make this a particularly special dinner, being their first night out since Phoenix had earned his badge back, but Miles was taking so long to arrive that Phoenix wondered if there was a mix-up in how the couple interpreted the reservation time.

The hostess took him to his table fine enough, so Phoenix knew he wasn’t the one who had misinterpreted the time. Why didn’t he and Miles just take the car and arrive together? Phoenix sighed through his nose and checked his phone, pleased to see Miles at least sent him an update.

Going to be late, love. Just left my last errand; on my way now. Sincerely, Miles Edgeworth. 

The timestamp was a minute ago, which meant, depending on distance and traffic, Miles could be at the restaurant anywhere from five minutes to a half hour. 

Phoenix took another sip of the sparkling grape juice he thought was in a far too expensive glass for a nonalcoholic beverage. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have ordered wine, which would have been more appropriate; he didn’t even drive, anyway. He just had a hunch that if Miles were to keep him waiting for long, he’d find himself absentmindedly sipping to the point of being inebriated before Miles even arrived. 

He knew well enough it wasn’t polite to stare, but Phoenix found his eyes wandering, imagining what conversations the other elegantly dressed diners could be having. It may not have been the most mature thing to do, but it passed the time.

Was that... Winston Payne and his wife? So it was true Payne’s wife was quite the catch, like an older version of the models Larry would attract somehow. Phoenix ducked his head as soon as Mrs. Payne turned her head in his direction.

“HrnxXT... gh.” The sound of a stifled sneeze perked Phoenix’s ears enough for him to look up.

“Hey, what took you so long?” Phoenix should’ve known the instant he felt his face heat up at the sight of a map of pink on Miles’s face, most prevalent under his eyes, just barely visible behind his glasses. Of course, if Phoenix wasn’t, well, Phoenix, he’d know from the large bouquet Miles was barely hiding behind his back. “Babe, you shouldn’t have.” Miles really shouldn’t have, for both the obvious reason and the fact they were in public.

“Do you like theb?” Miles’s smile contrasting with the clearly irritated features of his face made Phoenix want to stare for a longer time than what would be comfortable. He placed the bouquet carefully in the vase the restaurant had provided for romantic gestures such as this. “Flowers have a whole ladguage, I’ve heard. The florist said... saihhh-- HH’RnnXT!! HhNNXTT... guh. Excuse be. She said this bouquet was perfect for todight.” He sat across from Phoenix, almost giving him a show as he sniffed.

“Uuhh-huh,” was all Phoenix could coax out of his mouth. He anxiously fumbled his hands inside his suit jacket pocket. When Miles helped him pick out his new suit for work, a set of handkerchiefs accompanied the purchase, so at least one of them resided in each pocket Phoenix owned. He normally wouldn’t dare offer one for a purpose other than wiping lingering raindrops off Miles’s glasses, but tissue boxes were not exactly a common find at such an elegant establishment. Without another word, he presented the square of soft cloth with both hands, thinking how he could just die right here.

“Oh, thagk you, sweetheart.” Miles had to use some force to pry the handkerchief from Phoenix’s tight grip. He was just barely in time to use it for an extended stifling effort. “HhrrNNKTT! HnnXTT! HnggXXT!! HggKXTT... gh.” There was a wet quality that could be heard each time he pinched his nose. 

Phoenix would have focused on eye contact with Miles if it weren’t for those glistening allergic tears making his face almost as damp as the handkerchief against his nose. Oh god, he was rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. 

“W-What do you want to order, hon?” Phoenix choked on his words. Miles was doing this to him on purpose, wasn’t he? The prosecutor may have been the type to show his affection with gifts from time to time, but Phoenix would eat his hat if this was merely a romantic gesture. “Um, bless you, by the way.”

“Oh, I’m hardly done.” Miles laughed, again going right for Phoenix’s racing heart. “There’s a lobster dish made especially for couples to share, if you’re interested.”

“I’m very interested!” Phoenix slapped his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. “In the lobster dish, I mean.” He heard that light wet sniffle that served as a warning another fit was on its way. 

“Just a moment, love.” Miles held the handkerchief slightly farther away, giving Phoenix full view of his twitching pre-sneeze expression. “HiigGXTT! HigkXNTT! HrgxxNTT... kh.”

“I don’t think, um,” Phoenix swallowed, “stifling like that is good for you.”

“Look at where we are.” Miles used both hands to hold the handkerchief when blowing his nose into it. He had to know he was driving Phoenix wild. 

Why wouldn’t he look at where they were?

“Oh, uh, the server’s coming to our table!” Phoenix frantically waved his hand to let the server know he and Miles were ready, desperately needing to take his mind off everything Miles was doing to him. 

“Are you alright, sir?” The server’s voice was gentle enough on Phoenix’s ears to distract him from his mind’s broken record of Miles’s recent stifles. 

“I’m fine, ma’am!” Phoenix blurted out. If he looked anything like how he felt right now, he was sure someone ought to have called an ambulance by now.

��I mean your date.” She smiled.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Miles shrugged. “Just hay fever.”

He said that. He really said that. Yup, Phoenix was definitely going to die here.

The server glanced over at the full vase and made a face without saying anything. She proceeded to take the couple’s order, periodically blessing Miles after every single sneeze interrupting his inquiries on various wines. When she left, Phoenix let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Why didn’t you take anything, babe? If you really wanted to give me flowers, you could have taken some precautions.” Phoenix avoided saying anything that would make him even more flustered than he was now. Had he already crossed the threshold of merely being flustered? Most likely, yes.

“I was under the impression we would be drinking tonight.” Miles gently dabbed his eyes with one of the few dry corners of the handkerchief. “Antihistamines greatly lower my alcohol tolerance.”

“I thought that was just you being a lightweight.” Phoenix laughed nervously.

“Tonight is very special, after all. Why not celebrate?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Phoenix finished off his grape juice so as to not make a waste before the wine would be delivered. “Our first date since I got my badge back. It means so much to me that you’ve been such a great help, to both me and Trucy all these years.” Phoenix caressed Miles’s hands from across the table. “Thank you so much.”

“I think it could be--” Phoenix’s grip tightened as he watched Miles’s expression change, preventing Miles from pulling away for another stifle. “Sweetheart, I need t-to... HH’RRSHHOOOH! HU’RRSHCHOO! H’RRSSHOO!!”

Phoenix was so caught up in his fascination that it hardly dawned on him how quiet his surroundings became after Miles sneezed. Luck was in his favor when he only came back to the moment once the diners shrugged off the noise and returned to their own conversations.

“I hate to say it, but that felt a lot better.” Miles blew his nose again. Did he always get this pink when his allergies were acting up for this long? That shade of pink was taking up a rank in Phoenix’s favorite colors.

The stellar customer service advertised in the online reviews was evident with the quick arrival of both the wine and meal. Other than Phoenix’s quick glance at the server to thank her, he couldn’t keep his eyes off Miles.

He had every opportunity to steal an extra bite each time he saw Miles hopelessly, furiously rubbing under his nose, but he abstained. He thought back to Miles teasing him for being in a similar situation when the two visited Phoenix’s mother, whose family of cats seemed to grow every time they visited her. Of course, the comments Miles made then were mostly regarding the irony of Phoenix’s circumstances rather than the temptation to steal the last slice of Mrs. Wright’s homemade pumpkin pie.

Phoenix felt a pleasurable tingling in his mouth that forced him to smile as he swallowed some wine, not losing eye contact with Miles for even a moment. 

“Phoenix Wright.” Miles using his full name grabbed Phoenix’s full attention to bring him to his senses. “I think I’ve had you on the edge of your seat long enough.”

What was this about? He was messing with him after all, wasn’t he?

“You think?” Phoenix’s voice cracked.

Miles smirked and stood up. He sent Phoenix’s heart out of his chest by leaning forward, face first into the bouquet, looking for something inside. So he meant Phoenix on the edge of his seat just waiting to keel over?

“Ah here it is.” Miles looked up, even more pink and dripping, no, streaming than before. He slid his hand in and out of the vase, making a fist. Whatever he was holding was small enough for him to use the same hand to pinch his nose. “HhgkKXT! HihgxXNTT!!” He let go of his nose and presented his elbow with the duty of muffling his sneezes. “Oh, I cad’t do this ady lohger. HuURSSHHOOOH! Hr’RRSSHOO!” 

“Oh my god.” Phoenix at last allowed himself to say something. He watched Miles crouch down on one knee. “Oh my god.”

Miles smirked; his timing was perfect, as he planned. He prepared himself, nose and all, for what he was so eager to say.

“It’s been an honor, no, a blessing to be your boyfriend.” He waited for the pun to register with Phoenix before he opened his hand to reveal a ring resting on his palm. “Would you further bless me by being my husband?”

Phoenix felt weightless as he took the ring. He knew he was going to accept; why wouldn’t he? In all but legal documents, he and Miles had been essentially married since Phoenix moved in with him eight years ago. But what would he say? Was a simple ‘yes’ too easy? Then it hit him that Miles was going for something here.

In that case,

“Bless you, hon.”

[turnaboutimagines]

Hey I really liked the hananaki disease one shots,, do you think you could write an alternate ending for them where the reader recovers? As much as I love angst I also love happy endings, I hope it’s not too much to ask!💕

That’s very valid, pal!  These are honestly just alternative versions that can stand on their own, more than an alternative ending.  The language in this is just as flowery too though because it’s fun to write.  ;-)  Similar situations to the OG post, but the boys get their happy endings here.[The OG Post, is ANGST and features both Reader death and major character death.]Content Warning: Mentions of coughing up flower petals with blood and pain as per Hanahaki Disease’s premise (tl;dr, you start coughing up flower petals that slowly gets worse due to unrequited love.) 

Miles Edgeworth.

It’s hard not to fall in love with Miles Edgeworth.  While he may remain oblivious to it, you see the longing looks people give him and hear the hopeful flirtations in their voices.  But you know him too well, better than any of them, and watch all of their hopes wilt.  

He’s not malicious, you know, but relationships… well, he doesn’t think they’re his style and romance in general is a ‘nebulous concept’ to him.  You’ve heard as much for yourself over late night cups of tea.  “You aren’t missing out on much,” you’d laughed at the time and earned a rare, appreciative smile in return.

It’s the kind of smile that made warmth blossom in your chest, longing for seeing more such smiles on him.  Happiness and acceptance truly do suit him well, he deserves them and so much more.  And you want to continue to help provide those things for him to the best of your ability at his side as he continues to move forward.

You just happened to get unlucky that evening, finally coughing up a white rose petal flecked with crimson blood.  You’d spent too many evenings with him, bonding over tea and games of chess…  You’d fallen too deeply and there was no going back.  

You resign yourself to your fate.  He’s worth it, even if your wish won’t be able to come true.

The thorns dig into your lungs more with each breath and flurries of petals now coming up instead of just the single ones…  It all points to one fact: Your time’s running out.  So, you choose to spend as much of your time with him as you can.  Perhaps it’s selfish of you, knowing that it’ll hurt him all the more when you’re suddenly gone.  Yet he’s looking so haggard from how hard he’s running himself in the name of his work, it’s hard to stay away from him when you can be there with him to encourage him to take breaks and eat well.  

It’s a good way to spend your final days, at his side as you try and make him as happy as you can—wanting to see more of his elusive smile before you go.

You just so happen to get unlucky once again on one such evening, it happens while you’re playing a chess match with him as you discuss each of your days.  The coughing fit descends upon you too quickly.

You can only cough into your hand, wrapping your fingers around the red and white petals stained with your blood to hide them from view.  It’s a good thing, too, because by the time you’ve cleared your lungs, his hand’s on your shoulder as he looms over you—worried.

“Are you all right?”

You’re tired, you realize as you stare up at him with the proof of your illness in hand.  More importantly, you decide on a whim that he deserves the warning.  You unfurl your fingers and hold up your palm to him, refusing to meet his eyes as regret quickly blooms in your chest.  He grows as pale as a lily, eyes flickering nervously between you and the petals while his grip on your shoulder turns into a death grip.

“…Who is it?”

You spare a sad smile in his direction, torn between not wanting to place this particular burden on him, but also not wanting to lie to him.  You’d already done enough damage with your first impulsive action, another one may break him.

“Please… tell me.  I need to know.”

He releases your shoulder and instead hesitantly places a finger underneath your chin, tilting your face toward him to make you look at him.  You’ve never seen this expression on his face before, there’s a strange combination of hope and dread he presses the issue.  It’s all it takes to crumble your resolve…

“You, Miles.”

The single word hangs in the air.

He laughs, equal parts disbelief and relief with a light wheeze making it rough around the edges.  You can only blink up at him, shocked at hearing such a sound come from him (as adorable as it is), but especially in this context.  He clears his throat, a crimson blush spread across his cheeks as he averts his gaze and crosses his arms back over his chest.

“Ngh, I, um, apologize.”  He looks back to you, gaze intense as ever as his finger taps nervously at the crook of his elbow.  “I just… recently, I’ve… also had it… because of you.”

“Because of…?”

When the realization hits, you don’t hesitate pull him down to your level by his cravat and capture his lips in a gentle first kiss.  He freezes for a moment, but quickly relaxes into it as his lips fumble a bit awkwardly against yours.

You both smile into it, not minding the slight metallic taste in the slightest.

Phoenix Wright.

Phoenix never fails to make you laugh or feel special, drawing you helplessly into his gravitational pull of non-stop trouble as he does with so many.  The way he looks at you shines with life and his smile is pure and utter sunlight.  Everything feels different with him, more vivid and just… special.  There’s simply no other word that will do for him.

You’re just friends, though.  Or you were.  Now, you’re best friends and always will be… which is even worse.

Yet he says as much with such brilliant happiness that it should make you feel warm, too.  But it doesn’t.  Each time he says that dreaded word, it feels like a cold shadow’s cast over your heart.

It should be enough to prevent anything from growing, but… it isn’t.  Not for you at least.  These cursed feelings have only flourished in-spite of it until they came to bloom in a violent fit of coughing.  The single yellow petal, long and slender, stares up at you from its place on your desk—the red drops around it reminding you of what is to come.

However, it is not yourself that you think of first, but Phoenix.  Perhaps it’s because the sunflower petal reminds you of him or, maybe, you truly have fallen in too deep.

As hard as it is, you tear yourself out of his orbit, wanting to minimize the damage you do when you disappear from his life.  You want to preserve that precious smile of his as best you can and that means absolving him of any guilt he may feel from learning the truth.

The yellow petals are coming more frequently, now in clusters, and you can feel the stalks taking hold in your lungs—breathing is becoming harder with each passing day.  Perhaps that’s why you finally respond to one of Phoenix’s texts and agree to stop by the office to have a talk.  He never gave up on trying to contact you…as lucky or unlucky as that may be.

It’s at least an opportunity to grant him some closure.  A proper goodbye.  You should give him that much… it’s kinder in the long run.

Yet it’s excruciating for you, just sitting beside him on the sofa.  There’s no light in his eyes or beaming smile on his face, then, and his hands are jammed into his pockets.  He’s worried and it’s all because of you.

But it’s kinder in the long run.

“Why have you been avoiding me lately?”

“…I’ve just been busy.  It’s got nothing to do with you.”  A lie said with a smile is still a lie, 

He purses his lips, eyes darting around you at invisible objects.  And he is.

The magatama… you’d caught him using it before and he’d trusted you enough to tell you about it.  He doesn’t need it to know you’re lying though, he knows you too well, but still… you can’t help but bristle at it.

“Phoenix—”

“—Please, you know you can tell me anything.  Just… don’t lie to me.  Not about something this serious, especially if I’ve done something wrong.”

“I… you haven’t done anything, Phoenix.”

He frowns at you and takes your nearest hand, making your heart lurch its way into your throat.  “Then… what is it?”

“I—”

“—can’t tell you,” is what you want to say.  But you choke over your words, face losing all its color as you seize up.  You hear him call your name with worry, but you descend into a coughing fit and hack up another cluster of yellow petals into your hand.  There’s no point in hiding them.

He stares at the yellow petals in growing horror, too clever for his own good as he rapidly connects the dots.

“…that’s why.”  You work up your courage and smile at him.  “Because I love you romantically, Phoenix… not platonically.”

Suddenly, you’re pulled into a tight embrace, and after a few moments you hear him sniffle quietly.  You sigh and try and reach around to rub his back to comfort him, but your hands trapped firmly in-between your chests.

“I love you, too.  Romantically.”  He tightens his grip around you further.  “I realized and I’ve been meaning to tell you, but you’ve been… avoiding me.”

Now it’s your turn to make the connections.

“You…you’re not just… saying that, are you?”

It would be just like him to try and pull something like that just to try and save your life, trying to bluff his way into requiting your romantic feelings… his loyalty is one of the many things you love about him, though.

He pulls back and shakes his head, looking serious.  “I wouldn’t bluff about something like that… and let me present some evidence on the matter.”

The smile returns to his face as he closes the distance between the two of you and steals a kiss.  

His lips feel so soft and warm and you can’t help but melt into it as the flowers within you wither.

[alligaytorrr-reviews]

A Retrospective on Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies

               Being someone whose online presence began in 2006, gaining a peripheral knowledge of the Ace Attorney series was unavoidable. Still, I knew relatively little for quite a while: I knew that there were attorneys, and that two of them were named Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth; I knew (from the many memes) of “Objection!”; and I knew that at one point, Phoenix cross-examines a parrot. This, along with its popularity in general, was enough to give me a mild interest in the series, but not one strong enough to inspire me to ever make the effort to try it out, at least not until that effort became considerably easier with the release of a free demo for Dual Destinies on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Everything about this demo instantly endeared the series to me: the immediately charming characters, the excellently funny writing, and the series’ hallmark rush of endorphins from uncovering a lie and watching a cornered witness squirm. I had been in the market for something new to play, as I would shortly be spending three months studying abroad and knew in my down time I’d want the comfort of sitting in bed with my 3DS, and this demo solidified Ace Attorney as that something new. Being about to leave the country, I unfortunately had no time to track down a physical copy of the then-nine-year-old first game in the series, limiting my selection to what was available through the 3DS eShop: Dual Destinies.

                Dual Destinies, being the fifth main entry in the series, is by no means an entry point. But it was mine, and I fell in love with it. My first playthrough was overwhelmingly positive. I was enamored with everything about it, completely surprised to learn that beneath the often wacky exterior, both of the characters and the plot, there was a real depth to the game. I even considered it among my top ten favorites of all time. Later in the year, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy would release on the 3DS eShop, and I would also acquire a copy of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Through playing them, I would learn that this depth is the core of the series’ identity – that is, fun, lighthearted, and clever murder mysteries hiding truly emotional storytelling and excellent character arcs. I would also learn that all of those games were better at this than Dual Destinies, as my second playthrough of it was overwhelmingly unremarkable. My third playthrough, just recently completed, seemingly confirmed this and resulted in a 3,500 word critical essay exploring how the game shoots itself in the foot by attempting to do to much and succeeding at none of it. Yet, unbelievably, as I spent this time elaborating on my negative feelings, I found I had more to say about my positive ones. This doesn’t mean the game doesn’t do too much, because, oh, it does. But there’s just enough good in Dual Destinies that the end result is not one that entirely fails to succeed at what it attempts, just one that fails to capitalize fully on its potential.

               To understand Dual Destinies, it’s necessary to understand where the Ace Attorney series stood just before its release. The original trilogy of games is frequently and rightfully lauded for its stunningly well done ending, which manages to neatly wrap up major plot points and give nearly every character arc a satisfying conclusion – namely, that of main character Phoenix Wright. For all intents and purposes, Ace Attorney could have ended right there, and series creator Shu Takumi indeed intended as much. When it was decided that a new game would be produced, however, Takumi smartly breathed life into it by introducing an almost entirely new cast for what became Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: newcomer lawyer Apollo Justice, along with a new investigation partner, detective, prosecutor, and… Phoenix Wright. Phoenix’s inclusion came at the insistence of Takumi’s colleagues and against his wishes, but I’m of the opinion that the final product works. Thanks to a seven-year timeskip, the game avoids stepping on the toes of his character arc from the original trilogy while managing to still do interesting things with him. His role as mentor to Apollo creates a fine (if not strictly necessary) through line for the series, and the overarching plot of him having been set up to lose his attorney’s badge and working to prove his innocence is a good one. Some complain that Apollo himself never really does much in the game, and this isn’t an inaccurate assessment, but a protagonist whose agency is constantly usurped by people with a better grasp of what’s going on is a great setup for interesting character development. Only, the game never really feels like it’s making that point (and, spoiler alert: Dual Destinies does nothing with that, specifically, either). Rather, the problem is not that Apollo lacks agency in and of itself, but that he lacks agency specifically because at the end of the day, this is not his game – it’s Phoenix’s.

               It’s for this reason – that Apollo Justice is not really a story about Apollo Justice – that Dual Destinies raises eyebrows with its first moments. Granted, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is not so much about Phoenix as it is about Miles Edgeworth, but unlike Dual Destinies, its sequel, Ace Attorney: Justice for All, doesn’t immediately introduce a new playable character. This character is Athena Cykes, a fledgling attorney who stands out well enough, being more energetic and chipper than Phoenix or Apollo. The setup for this case, Turnabout Countdown, is one of the more interesting for an introductory episode: a courtroom has been bombed, Apollo’s injuries sustained in the bombing make him unable to lead the case at the last minute, and Athena is thrust into the courtroom alone with her childhood friend’s freedom on the line. The game uses the same shortcut as it has in Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice to help the player connect with Athena (that is, making her terribly nervous) and as a whole, she’s a fine character. It’s nothing about Athena herself that causes unease – it’s the fact that her existing at all begs the question of whether or not Apollo with get justice (pardon the pun) in this game, and if Athena is doomed to suffer the same fate that he did in his debut. The game spares no time compounding these fears, as Athena, struggling in court, is soon saved by none other than Phoenix Wright, who takes over as the playable character halfway through the episode. Not even a full episode into the game, it begs the question of how it will manage to be all that it wants to be: sequel to Apollo Justice, introduction of Athena Cykes, and return of Phoenix Wright. Already, it feels like Apollo has been shoved aside for Athena, who is soon shoved aside for Phoenix. The game will eventually do interesting things with all three, but it never quite assuages the suspicion that it could’ve done better had it narrowed its focus.

               Turnabout Countdown now moves Athena into her alternate role as co-counsel (and investigation partner in later episodes), which causes the unfortunate shelving of Trucy Wright, whose relationship with Apollo after the previous game had plenty of unexplored territory that this game is uninterested in touching. For this loss, Athena offers something to gain: the Mood Matrix, this game’s new gimmick. This is a step up from Apollo’s Perceive ability as it involves some amount of critical thinking, but not much. The Mood Matrix is an admirable attempt to innovate and provide new gameplay for trial chapters, but unfortunately only seldom amounts to more difficult thought processes than “a witness wouldn’t normally feel happy when something bad is happening” and “a witness wouldn’t normally feel surprised when nothing surprising is happening.” Additionally, the explanation for how Athena makes it work is a bit goofy – it relies on her “special hearing” and “listening to a witness’ heart,” which feel like clunky ways to describe hyper empathy. Coupled with the sensory overload she’s described as having experienced as a child, it seems obvious Athena could be autistic, but the game doesn’t confirm this, which is a missed opportunity, especially when it results in such awkward ways of describing her “special ability.” The Mood Matrix has no penalty for wrong answers, so in the few instances where there’s a semblance of a challenge to these segments, a guessing game suffices, which doesn’t help it feel like any more of a worthwhile addition to the game. While on the topic of penalties, this episode provides the first opportunity to experience the excellent quality of life improvement to Game Overs, no longer bumping you back to the last save point, but simply starting over from the point where the player failed. Having to hold the B button to skip through a mountain of text you’ve already read has always been more of an annoyance than a fitting punishment. The penalty system is effectively meaningless because of this, but it can still serve as a personal measure of skill, which is ultimately for the better.

               The Monstrous Turnabout turns the clock back to show how Apollo (playable this time – a relief) and Athena first meet. Like all “filler episodes,” this provides an opportunity to enjoy some character interactions and have their personalities shine. It feels the most like it belongs in a sequel to Apollo Justice out of any episode in the game, starting with Apollo and Trucy taking a casual trip together, before Apollo is once again turned into errand boy, tasked with tracking down new hire, Athena. The fact that Phoenix has been traveling and looking out for new recruits is a nice detail that fits well with the mentor role he took on in Apollo Justice, and as Ace Attorney has always had a found family aspect to it, seeing the Wright Anything Agency expand is welcome. Plus, Apollo and Athena play off each other well, so though it’s unfortunate to see Trucy out of the spotlight, this episode is an overall win in terms of characterization. The case itself, despite featuring the novel premise of a murderous yokai, is mostly unremarkable. It, like all second episodes, begins the inclusion of investigation chapters, which are disappointingly neutered in this game. While other entries have occasionally whisked you away to your next destination, much of where to go and who to talk to was left up to the player. This game constantly ferries you around to exactly where you need to be, which may have been an attempt to streamline and avoid frustration, but ends up robbing the player of a sense that they’re leading the investigation on their own. None of this is helped by the fact that the Examine option is now restricted to only vital areas, especially a shame because all the scenes in the game are beautifully rendered and look great with the 3DS’s stereoscopic 3D turned on too. This case is also the first to show off the new Revisualization mechanic, which tends to come at the end of a case where a previous game would have had a character talk through “turning the case around” and is a fun way of adding visual flair to those moments.

              The most important contribution from this case, though, is the debut of new prosecutor, Simon Blackquill. As with every prosecutor following the first game, he’s equal parts actual character as he is gimmick. This time around, the gimmick is that Blackquill is a convicted felon, standing in court with shackles and having to rely on his pet hawk to deliver evidence and harass others in the room, as opposed to, say, a whip or a cup of coffee. It’s a fun new idea, and the moments where he inevitably breaks out of his shackles in each episode are consistently entertaining. He’s additionally accompanied by his minder and new detective for the game, Bobby Fulbright. It’s unfortunate to not have endlessly unhappy, but always amusing Ema Skye return from Apollo Justice, but Fulbright is a solid replacement. His “commitment to justice” schtick is grating, but in a good way, making him sufficiently annoying but easily enough manipulated into being valuable for the defense’s investigations.

              Now is the best time to talk about the DLC case, since after the second episode is the best time to play it. For Ace Attorney’s first foray into paid DLC, this is definitely a success. It enriches the main game, but the five episodes that comprise Dual Destinies are by all means a complete story on their own. For its price and length, it’s certainly worthwhile, especially given that Turnabout Reclaimed is the best case in Dual Destinies. It tells the story of Phoenix’s first case after regaining his attorney’s badge, so I’ll take this opportunity to say that this is a great plot point. The ending of Apollo Justice hinted that it would happen, and it just feels right to see Phoenix back in his iconic blue suit (especially with a spiffy update that helps sell his role as an older, seasoned mentor). As with everything in this game, though, it feels like a plot point that would have been better served by having more time and focus devoted to it, rather than sharing the stage with the development of two more protagonists. Ignoring that, it’s an excellent case on its own. Taking on the defense of an orca in court feels like only a logically step for Phoenix, and in an obvious callback to one of the best moments in the first game he even cross-examines the whale, though an earlier fake-out where you can either request to do the same, only to have your request shot down by the judge, or choose the correct option and have the judge express surprise that you didn’t make the request, cheapens its impact a bit. Sasha Buckler, the second defendant in the case, is the most likeable defendant in the game (besides Athena, anyway), and Marlon Rimes is the only culprit with any degree of pathos this time around. A revenge plot against a whale is a little silly, but at least it’s something, and it’s nice to see Rimes’ coworkers sympathize with his grief and welcome him back to the aquarium openly. More than the rest of the game’s episodes, it feels like it tells an impactful story on its own, something that makes for the best Ace Attorney cases. Pearl Fey also makes a return here, with welcome confirmation that she and Phoenix have remained friends over the eight years since her last appearance, but her personality is bafflingly untouched despite having last been seen as a nine-year-old. Considering the traumatic events she experienced at the end of Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, this is disappointing. Truthfully though, exploring her character any further would have only made an already-bloated game feel even more stuffed.

              Periodically, Dual Destinies has been making references to the so-called “dark age of the law.” This is ostensibly a major plot point, but in practice is more the vague idea of a plot point. The game cites the fact that a felon is serving as a prosecutor as evidence of this “dark age,” but this fails to sell the idea well when Blackquill doesn’t particularly stand out among the series’ existing cast of equally wacky prosecutors. It also claims that Phoenix’s case at the center of Apollo Justice’s story, where he presents forged evidence, helped usher in the “dark age,” which at least means that these two games have something to do with each other, but Phoenix never appears to feel any responsibility for this until the end of the game, so it too falls flat. The only time the game actually properly shows what this “dark age” entails is during Turnabout Academy, which is the episode’s strongest point. Professor Aristotle Means, with his “the ends justify the means” preaching, feels like an embodiment of actually tangible ramifications of the “dark age.” That attorneys shamelessly forge evidence to win their cases is bad, but that Means is successfully indoctrinating high school students into his mindset shows the sorry state of the Ace Attorney world’s legal system far better.

              Means is instantly hateable, and his ideological differences with victim Constance Courte make him particularly suspect, but the writing does a good job of forcing doubt that anyone could have done it but Juniper Woods, Hugh O’Conner, or Robin Newman. The case constantly jerks you around as the three friends pile lies upon lies in their attempts to take the fall for each other. This is never as emotionally impactful as the game desperately hopes it is, but it makes for a fun case where it’s hard to find your footing, and it’s satisfying when you prove they’re all innocent and get to take down Means, the true culprit. This is chronologically the first case where Athena leads the defense, though it feels as though the themes and character beats could have been the culmination of her character arc. Means frequently sowing doubt in her that she’ll be able to save all three friends without resorting to his underhanded tactics is a fitting challenge for her as a brand new lawyer. It makes for great character development as she remains determined to do things the right way and proves her capabilities to herself when she succeeds.

              The game now moves on to its penultimate case, though in actuality The Cosmic Turnabout and the next, Turnabout for Tomorrow, are one large case cut in two. The only notable parts of The Cosmic Turnabout specifically are that it’s the second instance of a bait-and-switch where one lawyer (Apollo this time) starts out the case only to have Phoenix come along and take over, which is frustrating even if it makes sense for story reasons, and the reveal at the last minute that Athena is the only suspect that fits your argument, which is an excellently disheartening moment. Besides those points, these two episodes are best talked about as a whole. Wrapping up the game, they attempt to do nearly all of the legwork for character development, which is far from a new occurrence in Ace Attorney, but no finale has ever had three attorneys and a prosecutor to tackle all at once. Despite this, it’s a great case that, through what could only be a divine miracle, manages to do all of this to some satisfactory degree, though it begs the question yet again of what it could have accomplished if only Dual Destinies would ever stop trying to do so much. In a way, it’s a microcosm of how the game holds itself back.

              Turnabout for Tomorrow begins with an investigation chapter featuring Phoenix and daughter Trucy. This is wonderful – Phoenix has always felt like he fit the role of a dad since as early as Justice for All, but it’s nice to have this dedicated father/daughter bonding time, something that hadn’t happened yet. They eventually come upon Apollo conducting his own investigation, having taken a leave of absence from the Wright Anything Agency to pursue the killer of his friend, Clay Terran, alone due to his personal connection to the case. This is the game attempting to provide a backstory for Apollo, but for the most part, the game is content to do little more than say that Apollo did indeed have a friend named Clay, show a brief flashback of the two as middle school students, and hope that it suffices. It doesn’t, but it serves as an excuse for Apollo to potentially be at odds with Phoenix, which provides decent drama and facilitates good development later in the episode. At this point, Trucy decides to stay with Apollo because she’s worried about him, which is an appreciated reminder that the two have a meaningful relationship, even if the rest of the game doesn’t care to explore it, but it does unfortunately cut short the time Phoenix gets to spend with her.

              After this, Phoenix returns to the office alone for one of the best moments in the game. He’s lost the trust of one of his employees and his own argument in court helped implicate the other in a crime. It’s a low point, by his own account the loneliest he’s felt since the start of his career, until he finds a letter from his friend and former assistant Maya Fey, reminding him that even without anybody physically by his side, he’s not truly alone. It’s a moment that could only happen to Phoenix now, as he reminisces about years gone by and reflects on how he’s handled his role as a mentor, which is what makes it so spectacular. It feels like proof that there are still interesting things to be done with the character. The strength of this scene is dampened a bit when it turns out that Maya’s letter doubles as an excuse for Pearl to show up. Having Phoenix investigate on his own, determined to do right by his employees, could have been powerful, but Pearl is here instead, presumably for no reason other than that fans like Pearl. Soon after, another familiar face returns, in the form of Miles Edgeworth. This is more forgivable, as it makes sense that the chief prosecutor would involve himself in a case concerning an international spy, and he’s a more fittingly challenging final opponent for Phoenix than Blackquill would have been.

              The investigation ends with Athena producing five black Psyche-Locks, a moment that feels like a genuine defeat. Despite spending the game with her, she’s still a relatively new character that the player doesn’t really know too much about, and it’s hard not to question if she may have just been responsible for her mother’s murder after all. It’s a fantastic setup for the excellent trial chapters making use of Edgeworth that follow it. Somehow, after all these years Ace Attorney has never managed (perhaps intentionally) to unseat Edgeworth as the prosecutor who is most in control and confident, and the way that he constantly turns Phoenix’s logic back around to prove his own assertions creates a lot of tension between the player’s attachment to Athena and uncertainty about the truth. It’s a direct reflection of Phoenix’s feelings, and it’s times like this where the player’s and the player character’s emotions are in sync that are Ace Attorney at its finest. The focus of these chapters is an exploration of Athena’s past and her trauma, which isn’t the most nuanced, though probably best for a game that wants to stay mostly relatively lighthearted. Besides, it’s already heart wrenchingly painful to watch her have what appears to be panic attacks throughout the game. The bulk of Athena’s character development comes from this, with Phoenix helping her to overcome her trauma. It’s good enough, but for a playable character, it feels like too much of this development comes at the hands of Phoenix powering through the case to uncover the truth. It feels more befitting of a supporting character, which Athena is not.

              Prosecutor Blackquill also receives his backstory here, revealing that he intentionally accepted a false conviction for the murder of Athena’s mother in order to protect Athena as well as the evidence that would help him take down the elusive true culprit. His concern for Athena makes him an immediately more likeable person, and his method of laying in wait for seven years to take down the criminal who wronged him draws obvious parallels to Phoenix and Kristoph Gavin in Apollo Justice, which sets the stage well as the two work together in the final chapter to put an end to the “dark age of the law” that their cases ushered in. The parallel, and even Phoenix’s culpability for helping cause the “dark age,” is never elaborated on as much as it could be, but this conclusion ties together Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies with an overarching plot that works. At this point it’s also revealed that the real Bobby Fulbright is dead, and has been impersonated by the spy and murderer of Athena’s mother known as “the phantom” all along. This twist isn’t particularly impactful as it doesn’t recontextualize much about Fulbright’s behavior aside from his willingness to help the defense.

              None of this, however, comes before Apollo gets his development too. This sequence is excellent, which makes it something of a tragedy. If Apollo’s arc had been laid out more gradually and his backstory fleshed out more, rather than it all coming at the tail end of the game, this might have been even more powerful. Still, what’s there is great: this is Apollo’s moment to decide what being a lawyer means to him, and it helps to define him more clearly as a character apart from Phoenix. This is Apollo’s answer to Phoenix’s Farewell, My Turnabout from Justice for All, which is to say it pushes his beliefs to an extreme and challenges him to reexamine what he stands for. For Phoenix, his unwavering belief in his clients is put to the test when he learns that he’s defending an unquestionably guilty man, forcing him to learn to balance that belief with the pursuit of the truth. For Apollo, his endless pursuit of the truth narrows his view to the point that he doubts even his own friend’s innocence, something he shows he desperately doesn’t want with the best line in the game: “It’s fine, Mr. Wright… even a bluff would suit me just fine…” This singular moment does more for Apollo’s character than the entirety of his own game and the rest of Dual Destinies, and it’s ever so satisfying.

              It was at this point when originally writing this essay that I realized I had made a terrible, terrible mistake. I had set out to discuss every way Dual Destinies sets itself up for failure in its lofty hopes of doing more than it was capable of, yet as I went through, case-by-case, and examined what worked and what didn’t, I discovered that there was a solid story here and that each of its protagonists is developed – if only a little. Originally, I had thought Apollo got the short end of the stick, receiving only one case that didn’t contribute to any sort of character arc and a paper-thin backstory. What I didn’t see was that the game does manage to use it to facilitate some amount of meaningful growth, even if it comes at the very end of the game. I started to think that maybe Athena was the worst off, and given that she’s supposed to be a main character on par with Phoenix or Apollo, I’m inclined to maintain that view, but as a character, divorced from expectations, her story is a touching one. And as for Phoenix, the game shows that his continued relevance has value.

              With one final, fist-pumping-ly exciting triple objection from our lawyers, Dual Destinies just about reaches its end and demonstrates what the game is really about. To some extent, it’s the continuation of Apollo Justice, challenging Apollo to develop as a lawyer. To some extent, it’s the introduction of Athena Cykes, exploring who she is and how she comes to stand confidently in court. And to some extent, it’s the return of Phoenix Wright, as he learns to serve his role as mentor and right the wrongs of his past. Maybe it should have been only one of those things – a more focused story might have made bigger strides for the characters’ development. But above all, Dual Destinies is a story of all three as a team. Unlike how Apollo Justice centered Phoenix over Apollo, no one character outshines both the others this time; each character’s growth is built off their relationships with the each other. Regardless of if this was the right direction, it was the direction nonetheless. In the end, for all its unused potential, Dual Destinies is at the very least, an Ace Attorney game through and through. The themes of discovering who one is and figuring out what one stands for are as present as they’ve ever been, even if they don’t get exactly as much time and attention as they deserve. The game is overly ambitious, certainly, but it crams enough goodness to just barely make it work – that, if nothing else, is an admirable feat.

[healing-hanyou]

Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Love Live for the ask meme

STRAP YOURSELVES IN, KIDDOS. THIS IS A FUCKING ESSAY RIGHT HERE.

Ace Attorney:

Favorite Male Character: Miles Edgeworth. Shi-Long Lang is great as well. I also have a soft spot for Klavier, Sebastian and Apollo. And, naturally, my space son, Clay Terran.

Favorite Female Character: Kay Faraday!! Props also go to Mia Fey and Trucy Wright, as well as Athena and Jinxie.

Favorite Het Ship: Farabeste (Sebastian/Kay). Cykesquill as well, but I’m very specific about how and when I like it...like, ridiculously specific. Diego/Mia is good as well. For something more ridiculous that I think would be fun, Clay and Athena could have had a great dynamic. Maybe even Clay and Jinxie, if we go out and be totally wild.

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Klapollo, Langworth, Nahyuta/Simon. Vera/Trucy, lady Cykesquill, Robin/Myriam and Athena/Juniper for the ladies. 

Least Favorite Male Character: how to I condense the list of the bastards? Kristoph is evil, but I cannot deny he had charm as a character - he’s terrifying, but fascinating, so I cannot name him as my least favourite. I think I’ll go with either von Karma or Blaze Debeste. They’re responsible for so much misery, and they don’t have any tragic reasons for being the way they are.

Least Favorite Female Character: Ma//ya Fe//y. I know the reasons people have for liking her, and I can forgive some flaws in writing, but she simply has too many of them. I know she is a courageous girl who ultimately wishes to do good, but the way she acts, especially in the first two games... just make me go ‘hmmmm’. Honestly, my favourite games in the series are those where I don’t get to see her. Young Pearl is also very low down on the list, and she was my least favourite for a long while, but her teenage years made me soften up to her, she’s pretty great in DD.

Least Favorite Het Ship: anything that encourages abuse, like Grant/Lana? Why would you do this? Also, I’m not fond of Athena/Apollo or Juniper/Apollo. Apollo is far too gay in my eyes to ever be together with a girl. Phoenix/Maya is another one I dislike.

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): same rule as above applies. Aside from those, I... don’t have many slash ships I actively dislike, surprisingly? My main one would be Wri//ght//wor//th, since, in my opinion, it’s very overhyped, and I cannot turn around in this fandom without seeing it, but even that is mostly just...annoyance.

Dirty Little Secret: I haven’t forgotten about my dumbass theory. I’m just...really fucking slow.

Headcanon(s): this will need to be answered in its own separate asks. I have headcanons for everyone. For now, though - Jinxie Tenma is a Fey.

Unpopular Opinion(s): I like Gyakuten Kenji far more than the original games. In general, games with a protag that’s not Phoenix and newer games in the series I tend to like more. Not to imply that the original trilogy was bad or anything, but... Edgeworth is far more solid as a protagonist, not only because his side was relatively unexplored, but because his investigation methods were so much more sensible. Phoenix has this ‘wing it’ approach, which works fine, until you see past it. When you see past it, the tension build-up it tries to pull fails massively, and you just get annoyed by Phoenix never thinking ahead for anything, or being oblivious. With Edgeworth, when there are moments of tension, they appear because of something genuinely unexpected, or because Edgeworth made a miscalculation (which allows character growth). Even when Edgeworth has to pull dumb or crazy shit, it feels like it makes sense, because he thinks, even when he panics. Also, Phoenix is tied down by the worst accompanying duo of Maya and Pearl all the time, while Edgeworth acquires an absolutely amazing set of sidekicks (and he not only gets fun new ones, like Kay and Lang, but there’s so much detail in his interactions with Gumshoe, Franziska and Larry as well? It was great to see the Edgeworth/Larry dynamic of the friendship). Plus, I like the Logic Chess things, the soundtrack is my favourite (how exactly COULD you even attempt to top Shi-Long Lang’s theme???), at least if we’re not counting PLvsAA as a part of this universe, and I like the visuals of it much better. In short, everybody should play these fucking games right fucking now, and storm Capcom offices so they actually port GK2 for the Western market.

A lot of the same criteria apply for the newer games, too. While DD was a comeback for Phoenix, it was a game with mixed protagonists, and it was a new Phoenix as well. Apollo probably has my second favourite supporting character crew after Edgeworth, and, at the time, his Perceive mechanic was refreshing to see after being stuck to the same gimmick for 3 games. Same with Athena. She differs dractically from both Phoenix and Apollo, and brings a new mechanic and a new set of associated people. In other words? I’m happy this series is trying new things, and exploring extra protagonists where it can. It has improved a whole bunch as a result.

Danganronpa:

Favorite Male Character: Byakuya Togami, Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Nagisa Shingetsu. Gundham Tanaka, Hajime Hinata, Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko, Nagito Komaeda. Shuuichi Saihara, Ouma Kokichi, Rantarou Amami.

Favorite Female Character: Aoi Asahina, Celes, Touko Fukawa. Sonia Nevermind, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari, Ibuki Mioda. Angie Yonaga, Kirumi Toujou, Maki Harukawa, Tenko Chabashira. 

Favorite Het Ship: Togami/Asahina, Ishimaru/Asahina, Hinata/Ibuki, Tanaka/Pekoyama (I’m especially fond of this one, also titled Soft Animals Edge Duo). Sonia/Kuzuryuu is also great, though that is a platonic ship, as I headcanon Sonia as aro.

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Naegi/Ishimaru, Naegi/Togami. KomaNaegi is quite pure, but a friend also got me into KomaSouda as a complimentary ship to TanaPeko. A crackship, but still a favourite is Izuru/Ryouta. And, of course, the ultimate fave - Saiouma. (A nice shoutout also goes to Oumota and Amamota). As for the ladies, Kirizono and Celesgiri, and all gay Asahina ships are good, SoniAkane & Pekobuki. In V3, Tenko is mega gay, so there’s a chance for every gay ship, however, my favourite one is Tenko/Maki. If we’re talking non-Tenko ships, Angie/Maki sounds fun.

Least Favorite Male Character: in DR1, surprisingly, none. Well, Hagakure can get on my nerves, but I like just alright all of them. In SDR2, Nidai, in my opinion, didn’t have that great of a development, so I guess him. Though I also have plenty of issues with Souda. In V3, Gon//ta Go//ku//ha//ra.

Least Favorite Female Character: All DR1 girls are good, and even if they aren’t, they’re at least interesting or entertaining. But if I have to pick, Junko, if we’re judging morality. In SDR2, Mi//kan Tsu//mi//ki and Hi//yo//ko Sai//onji,in terms of morality and/or being dicks. In terms of rather poor writing (despite having a good idea), Chi//a//ki Na//na//mi. In V3, H//i//m//i//k//o Y//u//m//e//n//o and K//a//e//d//e A//k//a//m//a//t//s//u. The final one is also my least favourite in the entirety of the series as a whole.

Least Favorite Het Ship: Jun//ko//ma//e//da. In general, any Junko ship is not very good for plenty of reasons. Na//e//gi//ri. In SDR2, Souda/Sonia (she’s clearly not comfortable with him), Nidai/Akane, Hi//na//na//mi.. Not sure if should be mentioned here, but romantic Kuzupeko? Mostly because I cannot picture it as a thing. I do, however, like them platonically, they do care about each other a whole bunch. In V3, Sa//i//ma//tsu (never make me look at it). 

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Chi//hi//mon//do. Even if I do like Mondo okay, it’s not healthy. Ka//mu//ko//ma. Son//dam. Jun//ko//mi//kan? Mahiru/Peko for sure. Kiib//ou//ma, too.

And the one I guarantee I’ll receive anon hate over - Te//n//hi//mi.

Dirty Little Secret: this series somehow manages to combine the good with the ridiculous in such a way that I can accept.

Unpopular Opinion(s): I am the literal embodiment of unpopular opinions in this franchise. I think V3 is the best game of the series, and it had a brilliant twist (both the start one and the final one). I don’t really ship the most popular ships, the obvious exception being Saiouma (and, to an extent, SoniAkane? It’s a popular Akane ship, at least). I think Saihara is a far better protag choice than the other option that was presented, since the story and its structure was made to fit him. I’m the unpopular opinion and rarepair central in this fucking thing. (Please help me.)

Love Live!:

Favorite Male Character: yay for not having prominent males, which means I get to skip 2 more questions here.

Favorite Female Character: In Muse’s, my top 3 is Hanayo, Eli and Maki. In Aquors, my top 3 is You, Kanan and Dia (though Mari and Chika are also very lovable).

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Makipana! It’s very very cute. I also quite like HonoEli. HonoMaki is also quite nice. In Aquors, YouKanan or DiaKanan. 

Least Favorite Female Character: Not unpopular by any means, but Ni//co Ya//za//wa. In terms of singing voice, Kotori. In Aquors, R//i//k//o S//a//k//u//r//a//u//c//h//i. 

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Ni//co//ma//ki??? I will never understand why people like it. In Aquors, Chi//ka//ri//ko and You//ri//ko. 

Dirty Little Secret: I quite like A-RISE. Every song they’ve ever done is an absolute banger, as the youth says.

Unpopular Opinion(s): would you look at that. Another fandom where I’m the monarch of rarepairs.

[reaganwarren]

A/N: Greg Lives AU even though I was gonna take a break because . . . god I want to write about Franziska helping Edgeworth get his ears pierced. 

“Are you absolutely sure this is how you’re supposed to do it?” Miles asked, twenty-years-old and sitting in his mentor’s kitchen and watching a thirteen-year-old Franziska von Karma sterlize a sewing needle with a lighter she had found somewhere. Where did she get that, anyway? 

“Absolutely,” Franziska said. 

“. . . There’s not a piercing parlor or something?” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it perfectly,” Franziska said. 

“. . . I change my mind. I don’t want to.” 

“Awww, c’mon. It’s just a little needle. And you’re the one who let enough time pass that Phoenix Wright went and got another significant other.” 

Miles glared at her. 

“I didn’t let time pass me by, I was busy being mentored by your father and trying to meet his expectations! I’m graduating an entire year ahead of schedule! That takes effort!” 

“Excuses, excuses. Now, do you want to catch Phoenix Wright’s eye or not?” 

Edgeworth stared at the needle in Franziska’s hand, now hot from the flame and probably not germ-infested as a result. 

He thought back to the days of Diego Armando and the current days of Dahlia Hawthorne. 

Both of them had pierced ears, though they didn’t seem to have much else in common from afar. Other than the fact that they seemed to take up a lot of Phoenix’s time - which neither of them had a lot of anymore, since Phoenix switched majors and Miles had Von Karma to impress. And with Dahlia being Phoenix’s girlfriend, now Phoenix had even less time. 

It didn’t help that Phoenix and Miles tended to just keep getting on each other’s cases whenever they’d see each other these days. 

Phoenix wouldn’t stop telling Miles to talk to his father, “you haven’t called him in months,” “why didn’t you go home for break” - the incessant nagging made the short periods of time they did spend together very annoying. 

Granted, those were the times when Phoenix’s back pain wasn’t so bad that he was actually able to speak in anything other than pained sobbing.... It was a bit easier to think of the annoying conversations that the days where Miles spent most of the visit with Phoenix helping him inject his pain medication and holding him until he was able to stop crying, distracting him with talk of his life that Phoenix wasn’t privy to. 

He hated seeing Phoenix being in so much pain. 

It was all that damn Diego Armando’s fault.... It may have been Redd White who had shoved him, but Phoenix wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for Armando. 

The anger burned in his stomach and fueled him when he was exhausted and stressed out to the max while trying to handle too many credit hours at a time in order to get ahead, in order to meet Von Karma’s expectations of him. 

“If you want to be a prosecutor who can handle criminals on the level of Dracona Wright, then you have to be the best.” Von Karma told him this so often, it felt like it was every day. It was becoming a mantra between them. Something that kept him focused on his goal, even when he wanted to sleep an extra hour instead of waking up early. Even when he wanted to “accidentally” miss a boxing lesson with Von Karma. It motivated him to drink that nasty coffee instead, it motivated him to not just go to Von Karma’s boxing sessions but be early for them. It motivated him to stay on top of his classes and homework, even when it felt like it might be killing him. 

The longer he kept this up, the less time there was for anything else. 

He simply . . . had to prioritize which people he wanted to keep in contact with as he worked to be the best prosecutor he could be. 

He made time for Phoenix, when Phoenix was able. He made time for Larry, who would officially be a member of the police force around the same time Miles would be graduating. Larry fully intended to be an officer Miles would be working with closely as a prosecutor. He ended up making time for Franziska since she lived with Von Karma when she wasn’t back in Germany, where she was already poised to become a prosecutor herself. 

There just . . . wasn’t any time for his father. Especially since, at first, Miles had refused to speak to him when he learned he had hired Mia Fey at Edgeworth and Co. 

He hadn’t talked - or even looked - at Raymond Shields in two years. He sometimes felt like he was still angry, but the rest of the time, he just didn’t have the time or energy to even attempt to reconnect. 

There just wasn’t any time these days. Miles kept telling himself this. And it was true. He swore on it. 

Even if there was an inextinguishable anger burning inside him, that wasn’t why. There just wasn’t any time for it. 

He promised. 

“If you’re sure this is how you’re supposed to do it,” Miles said, “then all right.” 

Franziska smiled, then came closer to Miles and poised the needle right against his earlobe. 

Miles’s grip on the chair he was sitting in tightened, and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

The clack of a familiar set of heeled shoes could be heard entering the kitchen right as Edgeworth started to feel the tip of the needle against his earlobe. 

“What are you two doing?” Von Karma asked as he walked into the room. 

Miles opened his eyes, taking in Von Karma’s raised eyebrow. 

“Piercing Miles Edgeworth’s ears,” Franziska said, taking the needle away from his earlobe. 

Miles let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“Mr. Edgeworth, you’re aware they are parlors for that kind of thing, aren’t you?” Von Karma asked, a glint of . . . something in his eyes. Was he making fun of him?

“Papa!” 

“I knew it! I knew you were lying!” 

“You don’t need one of them when I’m perfectly good at piercing ears myself! I pierced Kay Faraday’s just fine!” 

“And her father threatened to sue,” Von Karma said. “No amateur ear piercings under this roof, young lady.” 

Franziska pouted. Miles breathed a sigh. 

“Papa, take us to the parlor! Miles Edgeworth needs pierced ears!” 

“I don’t need them, you merely made a good argument for them,” Miles said. 

Von Karma watched the two of them for a long moment, seeming to consider the proposal. 

“We’ll call to see if there’s an opening at Franziska’s parlor. If they do, then we’ll go.” 

Franziska grinned with as much smugness a thirteen-year-old could possibly contain. Miles’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“You’re - you’re really going to take me to get my ears pierced?” Miles asked. 

“Consider it a reward for working so hard,” Von Karma said, not even looking at Miles as he dialed the number for Franziska’s parlor. 

Miles didn’t know what to think about that. And he still wasn’t sure what to think even as they got in the car and Von Karma drove them to the parlor. 

It was a lot less painful in the parlor than Miles had been anticipating it’d be when Franziska was prepping to pierce his earlobe with a hot needle. And the gold balls that would be his earrings for the first six months until his follow-up appointment went with the color of his suit. 

Miles had pulled out his wallet, but Von Karma was faster. 

“Sir - !” 

“Don’t worry about it. You’re my pupil after all.” 

The kindness was . . . odd. But this did mean that Miles now had money to spend on something else. Like food. 

Miles caught himself checking the earrings every so often in whatever reflective surfaces he happened to come across. Now that he had them, he was actually surprised by how much he liked them. 

He also kept imagining Phoenix’s face when he’d see them when they met up again. 

He tried not to let his imagination run away from him, but the happiest day dreams involved him breaking up with that Dahlia Hawthorne on the spot for no reason other than Miles with ear piercings being hotter than her everything. 

Miles of course also noted that Von Karma also had pierced ears. He always wore rounded blue sapphires encased in a silver-colored metal. While Miles had always known that Von Karma had worn them, now that he had his own ears pierced, he was now curious about it. 

He didn’t ask right away. He waited a few days, until they were alone in Von Karma’s office. Miles set a stack of papers he had been asked to fetch on Von Karma’s desk. The sunset spilled in from the window. 

“Prosecutor Von Karma?” 

“Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?” 

“What made you want to pierce your ears?” 

Von Karma raised an eyebrow at him, barely looking up from his paperwork. 

“What makes you want to know?” 

“. . . Perhaps it’s a silly question. I don’t know a lot about Europe, but . . . here it’s seen as . . . odd. Men wearing earrings without there being a specific reason is a more recent development, isn’t it?” 

Von Karma snorted, then continued looking at his paperwork. 

“You’re actually correct. There was a sub-culture reason I got my ears pierced.” 

Miles waited. Von Karma didn’t elaborate. Miles then turned to go back to where he had been sitting and working. 

“It may not be a good idea to hold out for your little college friend to recognize your affections,” Von Karma said abruptly. 

Miles froze in place, then turned around to look at Von Karma. 

Von Karma looked up from his paperwork. 

“Men like that never see what’s in front of them. It won’t be until you’re unavailable that he’ll even notice. It’s better to not let someone like that control your life.” 

Von Karma then looked back at his papers. Miles stared at him, his heart pounding hard in his chest. 

“But do what you will. It may not matter, if you do not choose to continue your genetic line. Perfection doesn’t require someone to be hanging off your arm.” 

Miles chose not to verbally acknowledge. He sat back down at his desk and got back to work. 

Once his shift ended, he went back to the college campus. He was halfway across the quad to his dorm room when he heard someone calling his name. 

“Hey! Miles!” 

Miles stopped and turned around. 

It was Phoenix. 

He steadily made his way towards Miles with his walker. Miles could move faster and met him a little more than halfway. 

“What’re you doing out here so late?” Phoenix asked. 

“I could ask you the same question.” 

“I was studying at the library, then realized I wasn’t moving fast enough to get back to the dorm before it got too late. And I have that super early class in the morning.” 

“I guess that means you’re not sleeping any better.” 

“Not really. I might have to ask the doctor to up the pain med dosage. Again. I kinda don’t want to ask again, though, ‘cause I’m sick of sounding like a damn addict.” 

“. . . I’m sorry.” 

Phoenix shrugged. “It’s fine.... Hey, wait a minute.... Did you get your ears pierced?” 

Miles was standing under a street lamp now. The gold earrings glinted in the light. He blushed a little. 

“Yes, I did. Franziska von Karma wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed.” 

Phoenix smiled at him. 

“It looks real good.” 

“Really? You think so?” 

“Yeah! They’re the starter set, right? How much longer until you can put in whatever you want?” 

“Still a few months. I’ve only had them for about a week now.” 

“Oooooh. Next you’ll be dying your hair crazy colors.” 

“I will not,” Miles said. 

“Heehee. I think it’d look good, actually.” 

“. . . Y-you do?” 

“Yeah, it’d look pretty cool. Miles Edgeworth the Punk Prosecutor, hahaha.” 

Phoenix grinned at him. 

Miles’s heart soared. 

He didn’t care what Von Karma said. Phoenix was beautiful. There was no one else Miles ever wanted to be with, even if it was only ever as friends. 

“Let me walk you to your dorm,” Miles said. 

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” 

“How is Kay Faraday doing?” Miles asked. “I haven’t seen her since her dad’s funeral.” 

“I actually haven’t seen her since then, either. Her mom’s family doesn’t really bring her around. They don’t exactly think a cripple can be a babysitter.” 

“Don’t use that word,” Miles said. 

“I’ll use whatever damn word I want,” Phoenix said, but Miles knew that Phoenix hated the word. He really only used it in a self-depreciating way or when he was angry. Usually angry at the very people who would use that word as a weapon against him. “.... Sorry.” 

“It’s fine. I’m not upset.” 

“I know, I . . . I shouldn’t have snapped. You’re just looking out for me.” 

“It’s fine.” 

“. . . Are you happy? Working for Von Karma?” Phoenix asked. 

“. . . Yes. Yes I am. He’s strict, but he’s really helped me. As soon as I graduate, there’s a position in the prosecutor’s office for me.” 

“That’s . . . really great, Miles. Definitely more than what I can say right now. But I’m pretty sure there’s one place that’ll hire me once I pass the bar.” 

“That’s good. Which office were you thinking of?” 

“Well, there’s always your dad’s.” 

Miles frowned. For a while all that was heard was their footsteps and the metal clacking of Phoenix’s walker. 

“Will that really be okay? Working there? With Mia Fey?” Miles asked. 

Phoenix gave a long-suffering sigh. 

“I happen to like her,” Phoenix said. “She’s a good person. And a good defense attorney. She’s been giving me a lot of good advice, since you’re not really around much to give it to me instead.” 

Miles frowned. 

“That’s not my fault.” 

“I know.” 

“. . . Just be careful. Okay?” 

“I will be if you are.” 

“I will. I am.” 

They reached Phoenix’s new dorm building, stopping just short of the elevator. 

“Well, I’ll see you around. Think you’ll be free for tea or something this weekend? Dollie has some new tea leaves I actually think you’ll like.” 

“. . . There’s an important case Prosecutor Von Karma is working on and needs my help with. I’m afraid I can’t this time around.... Maybe next weekend?” 

“You’re the one with full weekends, not me. Come by whenever you’re free, okay?” 

“Right. Yes. I will.... Good night, Phoenix.” 

“’Night, Miles.” 

Phoenix entered the elevator, then the doors closed behind him. 

Miles stood there for a moment, then went back out into the dark to head to his dorm room. His roommate was already asleep in his bed. The strap on Miles’s bag suddenly snapped, and Miles bent down to re-gather his stuff. 

In the moonlight, the package of razors caught his eye. He moved his hand and grabbed it. 

He stared at Phoenix’s unopened packet of razor blades in the palm of his hand. They were meant for exacto knives, the kind that one would use for the set design class. Miles wasn’t really sure what they used them for exactly, but they were also used for a variety of the more creative art classes. 

He did know that Phoenix had used them for something else entirely, but he wondered if Phoenix had been continuing his art as electives or if he had given it up entirely. 

He didn’t understand why Phoenix had decided to go into law instead. Or why he had chosen the defense attorney track. He didn’t understand at all. 

But they really hadn’t had the chance to ask each other why they were doing what they were doing. 

Without really thinking about it, Miles put the razor blades into his bag, then set his bag in his desk chair before getting ready for bed. 

[darkot]

I... am immensely pissed off right now.

I feel like I start every one of these entries like that, but... GOD DAMNIT!

For a year.. an entire fucking year, I had been meaning to make a Phoenix Wright painting with Edgeworth and Von Karma as the subjects and post it on December 28th, 2016--the date of the final in-game case--as an homage to the amazing game series that I fell in love with earlier that year. And I fucking missed it.

You can’t comprehend the deep seeded rage that stirs inside of me as of writing this. I just.. holy fuck, dude. I have no words.

It’s not just that, but a lot of other stuff going on that has been incredibly frustrating. I literally just realized the whole missed painting thing moments before writing this. That was just icing on the anger cake.

I worked for about 7 or so hours on the next storyboard for the film project I’m working on. Nothing inherently went bad with that, it’s just... my lack of speed is showing. I’m only billing the guy I’m working for, for 4 hours, because at some point I need to concede that it is my own lack of skill that caused it to take as long as it did. Granted, it was a very complex board. But still, it’s just.. argh.

I just finished watching the last dubbed season of One Piece last night, which was the final episodes before the time skip. Even though I already adored that show, that season was fucking astounding. I would go on to praise it further, if it wasn’t for this seething wrath that is currently dominating my mind.

The general theme towards the end of the season was that all of the main characters recognized that they needed to get stronger to tackle the challenge ahead of them: The New World. It was strangely coincidental because that’s a lot of how I’ve been thinking lately. Not that I need to get stronger in the physical sense, but.. I want to hone my skills further. I need to get better if I want to go where I want to go in the world. As of right now, I’m too weak.

Another thing that’s pissing me off: I ordered two art figures back in November, and they still haven’t arrived. Figma Archetype: He, and Figma Archetype: She. I figured that they would help a lot in drawing those story boards. But so far, they haven’t helped at all because they haven’t arrived! It is t-minus ten days until I can complain about it to the site I bought it from. I already tried emailing them to ask if they could contact the shipping company and make sure that it left Japan, to which they essentially told me to fuck off until 60 days had passed. So, I’ve been waiting.. and waiting... and waiting. And nothing. The tracking info for this type of shipping only has four entries. When it is processed in Japan, when it has left Japan, when it has arrived in Canada, and when it has been delivered.So far, it has gone through the first two.. but it apparently “left Japan” on the 16th of November. So, if the tracking info is to be believed, it has been in transit for nearly two whole months. That.. seems rather unlikely. But okay. January 15th. It’s still got time. Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and it will be delivered? I’ve been saying that to myself every day for the past eight weeks. But maybe tomorrow will ACTUALLY be the day.

Don’t even get my started about Overwatch. Again, nothing inherently bad has been going on with it. I ended today at 3070, which I’m pretty okay with. But the last match before me and my group ended really got under my skin. Or rather, somebody on the enemy team did, which I honestly don’t care to admit. 

We were on Lijiang Tower. They were playing Reaper. I was playing Reaper. I was absolutely decimating him when we 1v1′d during the match. However, they ended up winning that round, so that gave him ground to start trash talking out of saltiness. Then, during the second round, I concede that I did absolutely nothing. Their team was too coordinated for me to be effective, and he won most of our encounters. So, he pushed it further and just kept goading me and goading me. I was honestly getting really annoyed. At this point, I hadn’t said a single word to him, but he was just making this a dick measuring contest. So, I switched to Pharah. At that point, I was absolutely slaying. I started the third round with 11 kills and ended with 37. I landed two direct rockets on an enemy Pharah that I don’t even know how I hit. For the second one I had to turn around 180 degrees and aim up above me.. it was weird that I was able to instinctively predict that, that is where they would be. I just trusted myself to land the shot and got it. From the kill cam on their end though, they must have though I was using some sort of bot, haha.

We won the next two rounds, and then it was tied 2-2. At this point that guy had all but shut up because we were making a big comeback. And in the final round, I choked. Fucking hard. It was a very close game. We had 90% on the point, they had 99%. At the very end, they started to make this last push. Their Pharah came in, and she had a Mercy pocketing her. Even though I had been doing insanely well up to that point, something about that just made me.. panic. I don’t like fighting a Pharah+Mercy combo as a Pharah without a Mercy. I am confident in Pharah vs. Pharah battles. I don’t like Pharah+Mercy vs. Pharah+Mercy, but I can deal with it. But Pharah+Mercy vs. Pharah is the worst thing as the lone Pharah. That said, I definitely had a disproportionate reaction. I saw the Pharah with the Mercy beam on here, and something in my brain said “I know, I can win this encounter my ulting them. I ult, am immediately two shot and downed by the damage boosted Pharah, their team capitalizes on the pick, rest of my team goes down, and we lose.

Nobody says anything. Not even that dickhead Reaper from earlier. But I have been beating myself up about that ever since it happened three hours ago. That could have definitely been a win. Perhaps we were going to lose no matter what happened, but I more or less sealed our defeat with possibly the worst ult that I have ever done in Overwatch. I don’t know what I was thinking. I had this sense of needing to carry because the other DPS wasn’t doing a whole lot. I guess my brain went “If I die to this Pharah+Mercy, we’re done for.” Talk about your self-fulfilling prophecy... god, that was stupid. I ended with 49 elims, which frankly is pretty decent. I was doing well that game. Up until the very end. But that’s just.. not good enough. I don’t settle for doing well and then messing up. It’s extremely aggravating to me. It sucks when it is somebody else who makes the mistake, but when I’M the one who throws the game, that feeling of failure is the worst..

So, mark that as another display of inadequacy today, along with how long it took me to finish that picture.

Though this hasn’t just been today, I’m having writers block when it comes to a character for that AQ3D series I’m working on. That has been bugging me for a week now. But DING DING DING, we’ve got three! That’s three areas that I’ve done shitty in lately! Do I hear four? Well, I haven’t streamed in over a month either because I still haven’t worked out the “second entity” idea.

I don’t know, man. My mind’s just feeling so polarized right now. Technically, I’m getting shit done. I finished a storyboard. I went up about 60 SR in Overwatch today. I am two lessons away from completing one of my school courses. But.. it’s just not good enough. That board shouldn’t have taken that long. I should have went up 90 SR today. I should already be done those final two lessons.

Like.. fuck, man. I.. I just want to get to a point where I’m satisfied with how I’m doing. People are right when they tell me that I’m my biggest critic. But that’s why I draw, and that’s why I play Overwatch competitively. To prove something to myself. That I can make a picture that I consider beautiful, or to reach master rank. Whenever I take on a challenge such as these, or entering an art contest (which I haven’t done in years at this point o.O), or auditioning for a voice acting role, or accepting my friend’s offer to do storyboards for the film series.. it’s to prove to myself that I can do it. That if I put my mind to it, that I can accomplish this, because my mind is great. That if I try my heart out, that I can succeed, because my heart is strong. But time and time again, I only end up disappointing myself. I always get in reach of that horizon, but always fall short. My family has always told me that I make them proud, but.. I haven’t ever managed to make myself proud.

The worst part is seeing my potential, and not reaching it. Like that 180 upwards airshot on that Pharah. That is possibly the craziest thing that I have ever done in Overwatch (I really wish I was recording/streaming, so I had it saved =/). Or the painting I did of Notch that blew up on Twitter (not in terms of skill, because that picture was god awful. But in terms of the response people had to it). Or getting 10 Twitch followers in 2 days. Sometimes, I feel like such a one hit wonder.

Aside from individual ambitions, I worry that it taints my overall dreams too. The other day, a friend on my team was going through a rough time. They were really down on themselves because of things their family was saying about them, and because of their own personal opinion of themselves. I gave a pretty long speech to them in our Discord text channel to try and lift their spirits. This, was that message: “It's not that big of a deal, Wild.. I was below 3000 just a couple days ago. Hell, I think I dipped into the 2800s last week. SR will fluctuate. Wildly, at times (hue hue). It's natural. 

You can't let your Overwatch rank be a measure of your personal skill. In-game, or out-of-game. Back in season 1, I was determined to reach top 500 because I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of doing it. That if I really set my mind to it and tried my heart out, that I could reach that goal. What I came to realize though, was that competitive Overwatch is one of the worst things to base any sort of personal merit on. At the end of the day, it is a team game. No matter how well you do, you alone can not determine the outcome of a game. It is a collective effort made by all 6 people. This is even true when you are playing with us. Sometimes, we'll be having a bad day. But you can't let that make you think that it was your fault. You're only one man. 

Likewise, sometimes you'll be having a bad day too. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Everybody does. We can even have a bad week or a bad month. But no matter what's going on, whether it's on your end or you're having a stroke of bad luck with team mates, that still doesn't say anything about you, or what you are capable of. 

Through sheer will, you can do a lot of things. Single handedly winning a comp match is not one of them, however. That's like trying to win a football game on your own. It just doesn't work without teammates that are also on their A-game.

IRL, you aren't a failure either. You're only a failure if you give up. But we're all here. We're all trying our best each and every day, and that's all that anyone can fairly ask of you. Nobody has all of the answers and goes through life without a single bump in the road. All of us, even our predecessors, blindly walk forward and just.. try. Sometimes it doesn't work out. Or, sometimes, our best efforts at accomplishing something are slow. But that's FINE. Millions before you have gone through the same, and millions have come out of it alright. 

 "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu 

No matter what's going on, I know you're doing fine, Wild. People may judge or criticize--even those close to us--but as long as you're taking one step every day (doesn't matter if it's forward or backward), then you're doing your part. Be kind to yourself.”

I was worried that the others wouldn’t be too happy about the wall of text, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. They were all telling me how brilliant and beautiful what I wrote was. (One even said to remember them when I’m famous, which was really out of nowhere o.o) That was one of those periodic reminders that I have the ability to change minds. Something in my delivery, or the way I speak, or the way I act makes people listen to me. I’ve made bigots think critically, I’ve made the pessimistic dare to hope, I’ve made the fearful test their courage. But, in this instance, the one person who I was trying to touch with my writing, the friend who was having trouble, didn’t respond positively. It did not seem to lift their spirits much at all. Once again, another example of seeing what potential there is, and not quite meeting it.

That’s the type of thing that makes me fear that I won’t succeed in my dream of changing society for the better. It seems like, no matter what it is, I am always one step short. What if my work doesn’t touch the lives that I’m intending to? Maybe it too will fall short of achieving greatness, as its creator does.

God, Herman Tech messed me up. This is like.. a psychological scar from that experience. I see more failure in myself than I know is there in reality. I just.. want better, for myself.

In a lot of these situations, it feels like it’s me, holding myself back. That if I could let go and be more expressive in my artwork, and trust my instincts when taking shots in OW, and just.. generally be me, totally uninhibited... that I could accomplish so much more. But, for my whole life, I have put on faces for people. I adapt my personality to whoever I’m talking to, so we both have the smoothest interaction possible. At this point, after doing that for so many years, I don’t know who “totally uninhibited me” is. I have a VERY vague sense of that. But I’ve been out of touch with myself for a long time, now. I’ve developed my philosophies and thoughts, but I’m still very distant from my soul. My being. That’s a large part of the discord that I’ve felt stirring inside of me. I think too much, but I really don’t know how to do anything else.

Well, tomorrow’s another day. Maybe those figures will arrive...