#so klavier keeps coming back

[elytrafemme]

well whoever it was who tried to switch in is gone i think. hashtag slay moment

[frost-faerie]

apollo justice being a tumblr user and ratioing all the gavinners fangirls is something that lives in my head rent free. + klavier joining tumblr just because it's the only soc-med apollo has

🟪 klavgavgirl Follow

OmG Klav is sooooo smol bean >:3 my fav little troublemaker

🟥 doingfinethanks Follow

Can you please find god

🔳 crescendo4life-deactivated20XX Follow

Where the hell are all these gavinners haters coming from????? can we all hunt them down with pitchforks

🟥 doingfinethanks Follow

your fave literally got charged guilty of murder

🔳 crescendo4life-deactivated20XX Follow

...deactivating. there's no way i'm coming back from that one and i know it

🟥 doingfinethanks Follow

preformed an exorcism in my apartment. it was pretty easy all i had to do was play gavinners music

🟥 doingfinethanks Follow

"omg klavier joined tumblr!! guys this is crazy" can someone get him to leave.

🟪 klaviergavin Follow

Herr forehead!! 😭 Teach me how to tumblr!!!!!! I am so confused and everyone keeps calling me babygirl!!!!!!!! 😭😭

🟥 doingfinethanks Follow

I don't think i'll ever have the mental energy to explain that.

[nyaagolor]

Thinking abt Ace Attorney Social media HCs

Phoenix: Technologically illiterate, doesn’t really know what social media is or how to use it and refuses to learn because the longer he keeps up the bit the funnier it gets

Edgeworth: Doesn’t particularly care for social media, but found out about tumblr through Maya and now has an anonymous Steel Samurai account. His tagging system is meticulous and he has all notifications turned off. He treats it like he does office work. He and Maya are mutuals. Doesn’t have a personal account to speak of

Maya: Runs a semi-popular canon url pink princess and steel samurai fan tumblr. Also has a personal Instagram that’s mostly her eating burgers

Pearl: Didn’t have social media for a long time because of Morgan, but Maya introduced her and she has a very inactive private Instagram. She’s also in charge of the Kurain Village socials, which are very neat and professional

Mia: Was technologically illiterate and died before the social media boom was completely inescapable so nada

Diego: Socials weren’t as big before he fell into a coma and afterwards he doesn’t care too much about his image so he has nothing. HOWEVER, Maya started a twitter called “dead philosopher wisdom” that’s just random Diegoisms. He’s doing NUMBERS on there but is unaware of it because he doesn’t use twitter

Franziska: Knows how social media works because she needs it for her job but doesn’t use it very often. Her account has like 2 posts on it and she mostly uses it to keep track of targets and online paper trails

Kay: Runs an instagram account called “Edgeworth where he shouldn’t be” that’s nothing but silly and embarrassing candids of Edgeworth. Oldbag won’t stop messaging her asking who she is and how she’s getting these pictures

Apollo: Has a twitter with two followers that he uses to retweet and comment on legal academia news. He’s super active on all the law forums and legal advice columns and unfortunately has definitely posted on r/AskALawyer on mutliple occasions. His real claim to fame, though, is the anonymous Instagram he runs for his cat Mikeko. It’s called “The Pawsecutor’s Office” and he dresses up Mikeko like all the prosecutors (Miles Edgepurrth, Clawvier Gavin, Franziska Von Catma, etc) for photoshoots and silly skits. It’s wildly popular and Apollo would die if he were revealed to be behind it

Klavier: Super popular across all platforms and loves being silly online. If Edgeworth saw all the thirst traps he was posting he would prolly have a heart attack

Kristoph: Has a very minimal personal account for professional reasons but his REAL online footprint is the dozens of alternate accounts he uses to cyberstalk people and send his brother hate mail

Athena: Perfectly normal social media user. Has personal accounts that she posts to occasionally with cute photos of what she’s doing. The only person using it correctly

Trucy: Insanely popular on socials for her magic act. Knows how to market herself online better than anyone. She has a smaller personal account where she occasionally posts silly things about the WAA

Blackquill: Ran an edgy anime Tumblr for years before his incarceration and was posting on AO3 a lot. He comes back after his release explaining the break between chapters of his latest fanfiction was due to him being put on death row for seven years and continues posting normally with no mention of his prison sentence ever again. When he finally posts another AMV it’s a joyous day indeed

[charleemoon]

thinking about kristoph and klavier. it's just the two of them. just a boy and his sweet little brother. no apparent family, origins, place to go, anywhere to belong.

thinking about kristoph developing the idea at a young age that his brother depends on him. no parents to take care of them, most likely they pass away in one way or another. and his brother is innocently young, too young. so kristoph becomes a parent, on top of a sibling. he is the only front, the only defense between his brother and whatever cruel world betrayed them. kristoph can't falter, can't disappoint, can never be unsure. for his brother, he learns to be cold. steadfast, and strong. unbreakable. to be a foundation for a boy to rely on.

he tells himself klavier depends on him to survive. to succeed, to make something of himself, all of it falls on kristoph's shoulders. and control becomes a theme of his life. it's his responsibility to make sure klavier lives his life right, well. and the pressure of that seeps out through judgement.

he tells himself klavier depends on him, so he can ignore the fact he depends on klavier too. he can't feel any sort of weakness. so he judges klavier, when he pursues music. he's critical of him, detached. seemingly uncaring. he protects klavier, and he punishes him when he endangers that concept of protection. he keeps him in line, because only kristoph knows what best for klavier.

klavier, for kristoph, is always that innocent, sniveling child. who doesn't know better, who needs to be guided. because at the worst of it all, it was kristoph and his little brother. no one would know him better. and he would do anything to protect him

and that control becomes obsessive. kristoph needs to control everything in his life. his work, his image, his protégé, and always his brother. he spites things that escape his grasp. he spites klavier when he leaves to tour his music, because he can't admit he needs him too. at the end, klavier will return to him, eventually. because klavier needs kristoph gavin to survive.

he forges evidence, to protect the success and image of his career. even for a case against his own brother, he cheats. because it's not about what's right. it's not about anything but control, for kristoph. because there's no way he could be anything less than perfect. kristoph can't falter, can't be weak, or the world will eat you alive. and when zak gramarye veers out of his grasp, over something he can't control, the nature of who he is, he spites him too, and the man he chose. he forces his way into the case to make sure he can enact control, to protect his view of the world, and of himself.

and klavier, of course, comes back to him. believes in him, follows his word, even with doubt in his heart, a doubt that haunts him for years to come. he destroys phoenix's career, has his brother back, and protects himself from facing a truth he can't handle. he wins.

and it's not enough. he plots out the murders of his forgers, stalks every involved person of interest on the case, and plants himself right by the biggest threat: an unpredictable, awfully lucky man. someone who never did anything to him personally, but whose mere nature is contradiction to the ideals kristoph has pledged himself to. he does this because he isn't confident, perfectly conniving and infallible. for the first time in a long time, kristoph feels control slip out of his fingers and it terrifies him. he obsessively intangles himself with the case for seven years, watching, waiting, for loose ends to be cut.

this need is so intense that when he passes by zak, his first instinct is to murder him in cold blood. for no reason other than he is a threat to the stringing web of sanity kristoph is holding himself by. if he were more clever, more careful, he might've stayed, listened in, found out zak had no intention to do anything but give one last thing to his daughter, before he disappeared again. none of that mattered. because kristoph panics, at the idea that someone, anyone could do something to destroy his image, his life, his control. he's paranoid, and as thorough as he's been, he's sloppy.

and as he thought, phoenix is his perfect downfall. kristoph seemingly loses everything, he's found guilty of murder. his protégé, who he raised up strictly and intensely to follow in his steps, accepts this and is the falling blade to his final bow. but he doesn't snap. he doesn't break his illusion, his facade of poise and composure.

because he still has klavier. klavier, who returns to law after years to meet the man who sent his brother to prison. klavier, who believes his brother is innocent. klavier, who still depends on him. once again, it's kristoph and his little brother. he's already done the unspeakable to protect their lives, to sustain all he's built for him.

klavier visits him in prison, feeds him information, holds faith that he is good, even after he is betrayed by his closest friend. even as things lead to an awful conclusion klavier denied for too long. and when everything plays out the way it does, kristoph at the stand, he still sees klavier the same. he speaks for him, calls him incapable, believes he doesn't know better. because klavier will always come back to him. klavier needs him to survive, to be succeed in life, klavier depends on him.

until he doesn't. the one thing kristoph has always had control over, the reason he needed to be in control of it all, leaves him too. through his never ending desperation, he has become unforgivable. he threatens klavier, demeans him, humiliates him, but none of it works. everything is, as he says, spinning out of his control. he has nothing left, but the ego he's created for himself.

the jury system is the final blow. the idea that no matter what he could do to ensure his victory, the neverending upkeep of his perfect, unfaltering persona, he was at the whim of someone else. his control, completely stripped away from him. because without that, what is he?

when phoenix asks him why he killed zak gramarye, five black psyche locks appear, chains barred and tight. he claims he is simply an evil, cold-blooder murderer. a simple, unsatisfying thing. it's snide, and spiteful, and it's a lie. kristoph's secret, held so close to his heart that he doesnt even know he's keeping it. why did you kill a man, after seven years, when he had done nothing but hurt your pride?

he needs control. somewhere deep down, there's still that teenager, panicked and unsure, staring down at his brother with pleading eyes, deciding that he needs to become inviolable. like the law, absolute and unwavering. and in that he became unreachable. he emotionally neglected and abused the only family he had left, and told himself it was for his sake. he's insecure, entitled, angry; he's vengeful, petty, neurotic. so caught up in the fantasy he created to eliminate what was weak in him, he saw weakness in everything, in everyone.

to admit that would be suicide. it would be a complete mind shatter. he laughs hysterically out of the courtroom, out of acceptance for what he's lost or denial of everything he is, he breaks in one way or another. the places he was led to by love, by responbility, a bloodied bottle in his grip, poison on lips, standing alone at the end of it all.

to shield himself from cruelty, he became cruel himself. kristoph loved his brother, and that too, became a weakness to snuff out.

that is. if. they had actual backstories to explain why they are the way they are. foams at the mouth and collapses

[attorneyologies]

Ace Attorney Headcanons - Holiday Gift-Wrapping 🎄🎁🎄🎁

🎁 Phoenix likes to keep his holiday gift-wrapping simple - he buys a case of “grape juice” and wraps the bottles in the fanciest gift bags he can find at Dollar Tree. Done and done.

🎁 Miles does not enjoy gift-wrapping, or paper-folding of any kind, actually (due to the origami-crane incident), so he gets all his presents done at the charity gift-wrapping booth in the mall, and he always donates generously.

🎁 Franziska, on the other hand, adores gift-wrapping. She refuses to entrust her packages to the mall employees - “If you want something done perfectly, do it yourself,” she says. She takes pride in her color coordinations; the ribbons and bows must complement the paper exactly. If the department store runs out of her favorite tissue paper, Franzy will call the manager to complain.

🎁 Larry - OK, so this one time, years ago, when Larry was working for KB Security, he was assigned to guard a Tiffany store. Somehow, Larry managed to “acquire” a small stash of blue Tiffany gift bags without anyone noticing. Now, whenever he buys his latest girlfriend a present, he always puts it in a Tiffany bag to impress her.

🎁 Gumshoe likes cloth gift-wrap: reusable, eco-friendly, and most importantly, easy on the budget. He’ll bake a batch of homemade sugar cookies and wrap the cookie box in a big red and green tea towel, knotted at the top, Japanese-style.

🎁 Klavier has his own Gavinners wrapping paper: purple with silver G’s, of course. He won’t wrap gifts himself, though; he saves his hands for guitar-playing and doesn’t want to get any paper cuts. So he asks one of the junior clerks at the prosecutor’s office to help him.

🎁 Ema works long hours in the forensics lab, and she doesn’t really have time to shop for gifts, let alone wrap them. So she orders gifts from Amazon on her work computer, during her snack break, and she checks the “Gift Wrap” box on every single item - boom, boom, boom, done! “Work smarter, not harder,” says Ema as she goes back to munching her Snackoos.

🎁 Maya lovvvves gift-wrapping, and so does Pearl. It’s one of their favorite activities to do together for the holidays. Maya wraps all her presents in plain white paper and then she and Pearl have fun decorating the parcels with ribbons, stickers, stamps, and markers.

🎁 Trucy is a bit of a prankster when it comes to gift-wrapping. The first Christmas that Apollo was at the Agency, Trucy did the whole “box inside a box inside a box” thing for Apollo’s gift. So poor Polly had to spend like 15 minutes unwrapping a refrigerator-sized cardboard box with about seven or eight more boxes nested inside, weighted down with rocks and bricks, while Trucy looked on with devilish glee. Finally, Polly opened the last box, and inside it was … an expired coupon for Eldoon’s. Naturally, he was furious! But before he could say anything, Trucy whipped out the Magic Panties (TM) and revealed his actual gift - TA-DA! (It was a Blu-ray box set of his favorite TV show, that Trucy had saved up her allowance to buy for him!) so Apollo couldn’t really stay mad at her after that.

[makaira-art]

13 Years Hard Time For Love - The Gavinners Lyrics

I translated/localized lyrics for “Guilty Love” and “13 Years Hard Time for Love” because I found the latter on Spotify (why isn’t anyone talking about it) and fit it back into the melody! And here is Klavier's VA singing it on YouTube:

1 2 3 4!

The dance floor where the rock’n’roll was playing Was the crime scene where I first met you I was taken prisoner by your heated eyes I fell in love, so! You have committed the perfect crime

Your gun loaded with magnum bullets shot me down Breaking my heart (bang bang) into pieces! That’s a criminal possession of firearms!

(Hard time for love, yeah) Now at last we find our sentence won’t be suspended So, lets jump right in To the prison of love that no key can open

(Hard time for love, yeah) Attempted? Accidental? Or willful negligence I can’t quit it now We’re model prisoners repeating our crimes

That rock ballad we used to play now haunts me At the crime scene where I lost you The tears that welled in your mischievous eyes told me Our love was over, so! Our perfect crime comes tumbling down

The hammer you brought down with all of your might Struck my poor heart (gang gang) into pieces! Isn’t that criminal property damage, though?

(Hard time for love, yeah) The statute of limitations have been abolished So, lets run away Using the jailbreak plans I made for us

(Hard time for love, yeah) Innocent or guilty? What to make of this love of mine? I’ve made up my mind We are accomplices racking up crimes

Ah, hate only the sin, not the sinner As for me, well… Just one more time, bitte Can’t you dismiss me of all charges?

[spoken] Let me just ask you one last time… Can’t you dismiss me of all charges?

(Hard time for love, yeah) Now at last we find our sentence won’t be suspended So, let’s jump right in To the prison of love that no key can open

(Hard time for love, yeah) Innocent or guilty? What to make of this love of mine? I’ve made up my mind! We are two accomplices racking up crimes

(Hard time for love, yeah) 13 years (Hard time for love, yeah) 13 years (Hard time for love, yeah) 13 years (Hard time for love, yeah) 13 years

--

And I'll post a fixed-up version of Guilty Love once I get the German ironed out (I don't speak German). More translators notes below! I may lose my mind!!

I kept everything as faithful as possible. Since it’s a song, I can’t fit the direct translation of the lyrics and opted to keep the meaning instead. I only had to change the meaning of one line in 13 Years:

絶対領域の恋さ

The love of "zettai ryouiki" — Which means, well, Google translate will tell you it means “absolute domain” which it does literally. However, it’s slang for the area of exposed thigh between skirt and stocking… what on earth is it doing in the middle of a Gavinners song, I have no idea. I guess Gavin is just into that kind of thing…? Admittedly he also sings about how the other person’s “sexy eyes captivated him across the dance floor” so the song is very different to Guilty Love, which is about blowing off your date to go to court with Apollo Justice.

--

So yeah translators notes: Klavier Gavin is a thighs guy and really into eyefucking, and I guess this is what I use my Japanese language education for? I have a whole list of notes about the song (Like, Genius Lyrics breakdown style) that I won't share here for the sake of brevity. Here are some of my preliminary comments:

[jinxedshapeshifter]

Trucy's Characterization Never Changed: An Essay

Originally I was going to do an essay on all the characters that had flanderization accusations thrown at them but then I decided to focus on Trucy because Trucy.

First of all, here's the link to the TVTropes page for flanderization. It doesn't apply to Trucy in my opinion. You can't flanderize a magician when that's been a central part of her characterization from the beginning. With that out of the way, onto me basically proving TVTropes is wrong about Trucy being flanderized.

Part 1: Trucy's Characterization in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Trucy's a bit of an eccentric magician from the beginning. She experiences negative emotions but she hides it incredibly well, especially for a 15 year old. She's so good at hiding her emotions that it's a plot point in The Magical Turnabout but I'll get to that later.

Trucy shows concern over Apollo breaking down after Trucy fakes her own kidnapping, she shows concern for Lamiroir throughout Turnabout Serenade, and she shows concern for Klavier while Kristoph is testifying. She just usually hides it almost immediately after showing it. Let's look at the two scenarios where Trucy does show concern for someone else, but hides it immediately after; those being when Apollo finds her after she stages her kidnapping, and when Kristoph is testifying:

She tells Apollo not to cry and almost immediately threatens him playfully. Instead of outwardly showing concern, she tries to cheer him up then he threatens to press charges and she explains everything to him. The fact that she staged her own kidnapping to get a recess in the first place is evidence enough that she was worried about Apollo, specifically him not being able to identify when a witness is nervous.

She tells Apollo "Prosecutor Gavin's on the warpath, isn't he?" and justifies it with Klavier being nervous because Kristoph's watching. When you press the next statement, Trucy says Klavier and Kristoph are like a "two-man wrecking team" and doesn't take it quite as seriously. Press Kristoph's final statement and Trucy will voice concern for Klavier again ("Does Prosecutor Gavin seem strange to you, too? It's like he's all grown-up…") and she continues to flip between visible concern and nonchalance. Also worth noting is she also gets visibly concerned when Klavier freaks out on Vera. She also voices concern for Vera at this point.

None of this is to say people are saying Trucy doesn't express concern at all. I'm trying to give a picture of how Trucy tends to express concern; that being, something comes up that concerns her, she expresses that concern, and then she keeps going like nothing's wrong (this applies to more than just concern, it's just easiest to exhibit with how she shows concern). It's not because she doesn't care, it's because she just tends to hide her emotions behind a smile, something that's referenced by Phoenix himself at the end of the game.

Also worth noting is that if she wants to, she will bring things back to her magic show. I would think the fact that she brings up her magic panties whether it's relevant or not just to mess with Apollo is proof enough of this.

Part 2: Trucy's Characterization in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice

Getting this out of the way now, she's not an airhead after AJ:AA. She is consistently intelligent. I have never once thought she's not. Like just as examples:

First and foremost, because this really makes me wonder where this claim came from, both Athena and Apollo are shocked to find that Trucy was conned into signing a different contract than the one she thought she signed in The Magical Turnabout. Athena specifically says "It couldn't have been easy fooling Trucy. That girl's no slouch!" and Apollo says "It's not everybody who can fool our Trucy." Actually I could make The Magical Turnabout an entire bullet point on its own considering the entire plot is "how the fuck did this guy con Trucy"

Let's also mention Turnabout Revolution. I'm like 99.99% sure her goal was just to get on the plane without being seen, otherwise she wouldn't have popped up at the end of the case. As long as she got on the plane without anyone finding out, she'd be fine because there is no way they were going to turn back JUST because Trucy snuck onto the flight. If anything I actually think Edgeworth is the idiot in this situation for falling for something Trucy's apparently pulled on him multiple times. The important thing here though is that she snuck on the plane in Edgeworth's suitcase. She could've snuck on in anyone's suitcase and she chose Edgeworth's, and I think there's a very specific reason for this. Trucy was present when Klavier said prosecutors don't have to go through the same security checks as everyone else, and if we assume Trucy knew this, yeah, of course she snuck on the plane in Edgeworth's suitcase. Was it pointless? Possibly, depending on whether Phoenix, Apollo, Dhurke, and Athena had to go through security checks. But Trucy still chose the person whose luggage was least likely to be checked and she apparently does it enough that Edgeworth isn't surprised to find out about it.

Trucy can throw knives with such perfect precision that she prevents Cosmos from scootering away while she's investigating the space center with Phoenix, something she reacts to with "And the streak continues!" implying she's been throwing knives at moving targets for a while at that point (behind Phoenix's back, I might add). Throwing knives at a target is one thing, throwing knives at the tires of a moving vehicle is another and it makes me wonder how much she practiced. Either way she'd have to know exactly how to throw a knife to puncture the tire of a moving vehicle because she very specifically used a knife to puncture the tire of Cosmos's segway. Precision isn't the only factor into this, she needs to know exactly how much force to put behind her throw. She might've just guessed at that for all we know, because it's almost impossible for her to know exactly how much force to throw a knife with to puncture that tire without having thrown a knife at the exact same type of tire. Like. GIRL

When I saw the claim that she turns every conversation around to her magic show, I was like "surely that's an exaggeration and she does that because Phoenix wants her to focus on school instead of going out and investigating with Apollo" and checked the transcript for The Monstrous Turnabout. Guess what, I was right, for The Monstrous Turnabout at least. It's either relevant to something, the conversation didn't have a solid topic in the first place, or she's passive-aggressively complaining about not being able to join investigations (because the reason discussions with her were usually on topic in AJ:AA is because she was Apollo's investigative partner).

Like did we forget that presenting something and an irrelevant tangent happening isn't new in the Ace Attorney universe? Kay and Lang get into a powerscaling debate about wolves and ravens because Lang was presented with Kay's Yatagarasu pin. Trucy's been pulling the magic card on Apollo when he presents something since she was introduced. Athena and Apollo get into a powerscaling debate about Tenma Taro and the Nine-Tailed Fox (which is tangentially related to the case at best). I'm pretty sure Maya has moments like this.

Trucy's tangents just get more plentiful because she's not investigating the crimes and she herself implies she's annoyed about it. I've never met someone who likes doing schoolwork, why wouldn't she focus on her magic if she can't investigate crimes and it's between schoolwork and magic (which, mind you, is her job that she gets paid to do)? It feels less like "Trucy's whole personality is being a magician" and more like "mutual 'what are you working on' exchanges between coworkers" because as I said, magic is Trucy's job.

To put it another way, magic is to Trucy what law and psychology are to Apollo and Athena respectively. "But Athena doesn't talk about psychology near as much as Trucy talks about magic!" She's Apollo's investigative partner. She knows what's going on in the investigation which makes it easier for her to stick to the topic of the investigation. If she wasn't involved in an investigation, I can almost guarantee she'd start psychoanalyzing Apollo and Phoenix. This is opposed to Trucy, who has no idea what's going on aside from what Apollo and Athena tell her because she's not involved. Like there's very much a reason most conversations with her go to magic after AJ:AA. What else is she going to talk to Apollo, Phoenix, and Athena about? She's not involved in the investigations. That fact is implied to annoy her.

Like I said, Trucy bringing up magic when you talk to her during investigations just feels like some kind of "how's work going" exchange, which, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that normal in workplaces like the Wright Anything Agency? The only difference is that Trucy's job is vastly different from everyone else in the agency. Apollo and/or Athena tell Trucy how the investigation's going, so she shows them how her magic is going in the most inconvenient way possible. It's funny and I love her for it.

And she still hides how she's feeling behind a smile. Presumably because she's so used to a smile convincing people she's fine, she's surprised when Apollo's bracelet reacts to her saying she's fine. She actually explains why she does this in The Magical Turnabout; the Gramarye creed is "A true entertainer always keeps a smile on their face" and Trucy's been living under that since her debut (she also explains this; she sees it as a way of keeping Zak alive). She does this twice in Dual Destinies; once with Athena and once with Apollo. We can also assume she did this when Aura was holding her hostage, since she says she performed magic tricks for the rest of Aura's hostages to keep everyone's spirits up. Let's break down the times she does this in Dual Destinies though.

The first time is in The Cosmic Turnabout, after Apollo gets attacked by Tonate. Phoenix teases Trucy about not being able to tease Apollo anymore and even that doesn't get a reaction from her, which prompts Phoenix to say it's been a while since he last saw her so down. When she does finally talk, it's to say they should take Starbuck's defense to "avenge our fallen comrade" (Apollo). Not really sure if it's relevant but I do think it's worth mentioning that Athena is the one who cheers her up here.

The second time is in Turnabout for Tomorrow, after Athena's arrested under suspicion of Clay's murder. Here she's masking her feelings about both Apollo's estrangement from the Wright Anything Agency and Athena's arrest, but it's actually implied that she's more upset about Apollo leaving (which I'm going to guess is because she's closer to Apollo and she knows Athena's in good hands with Phoenix defending her). Trucy is so upset about Apollo leaving the agency that she blames herself for him leaving in the first place (specifically wondering out loud to Phoenix if her roping him into her magic tricks is why he left). She's so worried about Apollo that she stays back when Phoenix leaves the space center to keep an eye on Apollo, which is what results in her being held hostage. To reiterate, she was so worried about Apollo that she basically ditched Phoenix to keep an eye on him and ended up one of Aura's hostages as a result.

I also want to mention that Trucy explicitly says during the credits of AJ:AA that she feels like she found her "long-lost, big, little brother" and she is all but stated to have abandonment issues from the age of eight (something I say because she's worried that Phoenix is going to leave her like Zak did when Phoenix basically adopts Trucy on the spot). Look at her reactions to Apollo leaving the agency and Apollo staying in Khura'in with that in mind and it just makes it even more heartbreaking. Trucy even asks if they're really going to see Apollo again when Apollo says he's staying in Khura'in. She feels like she just found her long-lost brother again (and she did, she just doesn't know it), I think him just leaving without much warning (TWICE within six months of each other) probably triggered her abandonment issues.

Part 3: Conclusion Because There's Definitely More I Could Say But I Don't Know What. I'll add to this later. maybe

This is more of a ramble about how I don't think Trucy's characterization changed at all after AJ:AA but I will do a proper analysis of Trucy at some point, especially because I really want to analyze her dynamic with Apollo. I don't even really know how much sense this makes (which seems to be really common with these but it's fine. I'm okay with that) but I will be analyzing Trucy again, I promise. She needs a hug so bad

[ifwebefriends]

TRIGGER WARNING: misogyny and mentions of transphobia and bigotry in the video above

Comic dub of this ace attorney fan comic by @runby2 with permission from the artist

Huge thanks to runby2 for letting me dub their comic! Please go support them, he makes great stuff! This is one of my favorite Ace attorney fan comics. I know the sound quality on my voice is bad and I said the wrong word at one point but I did my best. I hope I did it justice (no pun intended).

[Video ID. A comic by tumblr user runby2 vocally dubbed by tumblr user Ifwebefriends. It is a fancomic based on the ace attorney games featuring Apollo Justice, Klavier Gavin, and Kristoph Gavin. Apollo looks determined at the floor with his arms crossed as he says “Klavier, I have to tell Kristoph that I am trans. I know you said if he hired me he already knows but,,, I want to be honest with my mentor!” Klavier, standing next to him and looking worried, waves his hands and says “nein,,,, nein forehead,,,” Apollo looks worriedly at Klavier and says “wait is he ,, transphobic??” Klavier responds “nein,, it’s just,, confusing-“ Apollo says back “then I want to tell him, klav! I made up my mind!” Klavier responds “I’ll,, come with you,,,” The scene changes. Apollo looks determined as he says “Mr. Gavin!!! I have… something to tell you!” Klavier, standing next to Apollo, looks dejected with his arms crossed as he says “ah here we go,” Kristoph is sitting behind his desk and looks concentrated and confident with two fingers to his temple as he says “ah, Justice. There is nothing you can tell me that I do not already know.” Apollo points confidently as he says “well, actually sir, how about THIS?” He then grabs his bicep and looks concerned as he says “I’m transgender” with a voice crack. All three of them are silent for a moment. Kristoph says “but, you ARE a man, yes?” Apollo looks worried as he says “well- yes! … technically -“ Kristoph interrupts “no.” Apollo questions “I- ‘no ‘?” Kristoph clarifies “you ARE a man, Apollo.” Apollo smiles and says “I- !! Oh! Thank you, sir!” Kristoph continues “thank god you’re not a woman. I despise women.” Apollo looks shocked and dumbfounded. Klavier silently puts his hand on Apollo’s shoulder while Apollo looks confused. Kristoph continues “that is why I too, became a man.” Apollo, curious and emboldened, exclaims “wow! Wait! Mr. Gavin, you were born ‘a girl’ too?” Kristoph responds “no. I was born a man. Keep up.” Apollo looks even more confused and Klavier looks away disappointed as Kristoph continues “I chose to become a woman to fully understand what it was like to become a woman. i choose my fate, justice. then when i fully understood what it meant to be a woman, i became a man again. that is why i am the best defense attorney, because i have conquered all gender and i fully understand what it means, to be both a misogynist and hate men. NEVER. assume you know more than me,, justice. i chose you for a reason.” Apollo replies “what abt nonbinary ppl,,” Kristoph looks smugly to the side before saying “‘nonbinary’… hahhah… Justice,,, do you SERIOUSLY think that I am a man, RIGHT NOW?” Kristoph turns to flash a smug smile with two fingers by his eyes as he says “i am more than a man and a woman. I identify as a man solely to fool the idiots who do not understand the spectrum of human existence. i chose YOU, justice, because you understand what it means to become more than what you were born as. I, right now, am a god among men. My gender has evolved past that of a simple male, or a simple female. I understand the binary and I use it to my advantage. I have both joined and fought against the bigots that run this government, yet they could not track me as I did so. I have handled what you understand as the gender binary and distorted it like a fine clay. That is what it means to be a lawyer. Do NOT forget that, Justice.” An endcard comes up that says “comic by @runby2 dub and sound editing by @ifwebefriends End ID]

[wowowwild]

Ace's All Time Best Fic Rec List (AATBFRL) April 2024: Ace Attorney

It's been a 6 months since my last list so here we go again! (I specified Ace Attorney in case I start doing this for other fandoms.) I originally planned to have all the old recs here as well but the list was too long so here's a link to the previous list. These aren't necessarily in any particular order, but if you can think of a good way for me to organize them, please let me know for future lists!

P.S. Anything rated over T mentions that immediately for your browsing convenience.

Doing more self promotion this year, so check out my pinned post or fic tag (desktop only)!

London, 2021- 7 yg Wrightworth hint of Krisnix. Phoenix is presently in London with Edgeworth. Phoenix is presently knowing that he knows about Kristoph but doesn't want to acknowledge it bc Kristoph has been really good to him and Trucy. But that doesn't matter right now bc they're going to the theatre.

if you leave the light on- 7yg Wrightworth. Nothing can happen until it's over but something Keeps happening. Miles will wait as long as it takes and Trucy decides he's part of the family.

In The Dead Of Night- During the 7yg Edgeworth invites the Wrights to Europe. Trucy has a nightmare and 'Uncle Miles' comforts her.

Phoenix's List- After getting his badge back, Phoenix has some regrets and sets about fixing what he can.

Perfect- I actually found this on another fic rec list and I can see why it was their favorite. Set towards the end of the trial of Bridge to Turnabout. TW if you have memory issues, it might be a little hard to get through parts bc of all the mindfuckery. I have to be really vague here so as not to spoil it. (Wrightworth)

Eo Nomine- Klapollo fake marriage turned real marriage but ig that's what happen when you get fake married while being real in love.

the best you'll never have- Rated M for sex reasons. I love the tagline: "Someone else's wedding is something that can actually be so personal". It's a Blackmadhi complicated relationship, what relationship, they weren't actually dating but also...

Apollo and the Artist (1975 - Oil paint, wax crayon, pencil, collage)- Rated M for mentioned sex reasons. Apollo is not an art person. But to Klavier he is art... and also a person. They've known each other for 8 years and it's probably been coming for just as long. It was a long time coming.

darling i'd wait for you (even if you didn't ask me to)- Wrightworth fake date bc Edgeworth needs a plus one to a wedding for some guy, it's not really important. But the cake sucks.

A Knight in a Loud Red Suit- oh my god oh my god oh my god Klavier gets shot and Apollo stabs a guy. And also love confessions at the hospital. They could have me also if they wanted.

Written- Rated E for sex reasons. Edgeworth moonlights as a Steel Samurai fic writer, and due to it being an obvious coping mechanism for his life and feeling Maya finds out... and accidentally sends a fic to Phoenix who... finds out. Half of the smut is Edgeworth's own fanfic, so we get like... fanfic-ception. That doesn't really work with more than one syllable words, huh...

Lover Be Good to Me- Rated M for implied sex reasons. 5+1 klapollo wooing each other.

Love Love Love- Rated M for implied sex reasons. klapollo is messy in a good way and takes wayyyy too long to call themselves boyfriends. Set from middle of aa4 to past aa6.

delicate- Rated M for sex reasons. klapollo is messy in a bad way (long distance is hard) and they break up but it works out, I prommy. If you don't like angst you'll want to skip this one, though.

(i was) enchanted to meet you- klavquill! I love them, I need to read more fics with them. They meet at the Prosecutor gala for the first time and sparks fly. Actually, they were fireworks, but that's not important.

Process of Elimination- Rated M for sex reasons. One day I will read a fic where Blackmadhi is not complicated as hell. Can they ever talk about their feelings? Apparently I like this, though, bc I keep reading and recc'ing them. Um, Nahyuta is looking for a fuck buddy and by 'process of elimination' ends up deciding on Blackquill but whoops! Feelings.

feel your skin- Rated M for one boner. Klavier is infuriating AND wearing lipgloss and Apollo can't take it. Cue making out in the janitor's closet.

moribund- I keep thinking about this one so I need everyone else to read and think about it with me. Pre Gant busting, POV Lana has to help clean up his messes. This a comedy, mostly of errors.

chronophobia- StarrSkye (AngelxLana) Be forewarned, you are going to cry. Lana has done her time and is trying to find a way to reconnect with the most important people from her past.

Crash! Landing- Junithena, fantastic traumatized autistic representation, if I do say so myself as a traumatized autistic person. It is very sweet and Juniper is a real one. I need me one of those.

In Pursuit of Justice- This one is not yet complete, but I preemptively j'adore'd it. It's a klapollo. Sebastian is great. He says Apollo looks like a frog (accurate).

Witcheln Woes- Secret Santa klapollo and they are cute and Clay is alive and it is sooooo fluffy.

Samurai Swear- Maya making besties with Edgeworth! Maya and Phoenix being besties also! Dash of mutual pining wrigthworth.

Missing You/Missing Time- Ok, hear me out, yes, the mystical bullshit tag is accurate, and de-aging is a weird concept, but !!! It actually serves this story very well! It is a fanfic that feels like a fanfic, but sometimes you want that, you know? Not every fanfic needs to feel like Little Women. Established klapollo first I love yous.

[randoimago]

Headcanons of what's like to date (Ace Attorney) Phoenix Wright, Klavier Gavin, Asogi Kazuma, and Herlock Sholmes please?

What It's Like To Date Them

Fandom: Ace Attorney

Character(s): Phoenix Wright, Klavier Gavin, Asogi Kazuma, and Herlock Sholmes

Type of Request: Headcanons

Note(s): The amount of patience S/O will need when it comes to these men istg

Asogi

He almost always has a knowing smile on his face. Like he knows something you don't. It really doesn't help if you have anxiety or if you actually are hiding something from him because he just looks like he knows. And if you ask him about it, you just get a cheeky smile and a, "Whatever do you mean?"

Will drop everything to help you with whatever you need. Even if he thinks it's a bit silly, he won't say anything, just offers his help. Of course, if you say you can do it then he won't push.

He keeps to himself mostly, not really sharing his thoughts on things. But he does check up on you quite often, wanting to make sure you're alright. It's like he's noticing things that he doesn't want to say and instead giving you the opportunity to speak up.

Herlock

Be prepared to constantly be interrupted with whatever you're doing because he needs attention. He really is like an overexcited puppy because look at what he just made! Look at this new case he got and how quickly he solved it!

Lots of sleeping alone at nights. Not because he doesn't want to lay next to you and cuddle, but because the man does NOT sleep. He's always pushing himself and working on something. Don't worry, he has strict "Okay if I take 10 minute to rest now then it gives me an extra 20 minutes for his thing--" That is if he even follows through with the resting.

There are times when you come home and he's in his depressed state. He's moping about something failing and you coming home does make him a bit better, but he really needs someone to listen to him and talk to. Even if you don't quite give him a solution, you can definitely give him ideas that help pull him out of it and suddenly he's back to being a happy puppy.

Klavier

Music is constantly playing. Usually the same genre, but now and then he switches it up for inspiration or because you ask nicely. The volume of the music also changes if he's trying to work or if you think it's too loud/soft. But music is always playing.

Likewise, get used to hearing him practicing guitar. Sometimes he's just strumming a tune that got stuck in his head, sometimes he sees you and gives a teasing smile before going into some improv for a super cheesy love song, and sometimes he is tearing his hair out because he cannot figure out how to write a certain song and it's just angry grumbling.

Despite the fact that Klavier tries to seem rather easy-going, there are moments that only you get to see where he needs you to hold him and just be there for him. Between his brother, his band, and the fact that his mentor was killed, well he needs a shoulder to lean on when the thoughts get to be too much.

Phoenix

You can expect quite a few twisted jokes from him. He'll be reading the morning paper and give a hum about someone falling to their death before he retorts, "I would've survived that fall."

Speaking of that, you become a regular at the hospital. They learn your name, give you cheery smiles, and then point you in the direction of Phoenix's room because he is so bad at avoiding being hurt. He promises you that isn't trying to be a mummy with all his bandages, but it's just his luck.

Phoenix really wishes he can have his phone on silent, but with his job that's not possible. So when you two are out on a nice date or relaxing at home, there are many times when it's interrupted by someone needing an attorney. But most of the time the interruptions are from Maya or Athena or one of the people that has pretty much become family. He does his best to be nice with telling them he's busy, but more often than not you get pulled along to whatever shenanigans they've gotten themselves into.

[4ragon]

Hi JJ!! What about Klapollo and those funny stupid themed valentines day card packs? (Gavinners pack maybe...) I think there could be some funny klapollo shenanigans with those :3c

“Wait wait wait wait no, hold on, back up. Gaventines?!”

“Well yeah,” Trucy said, flourishing the small paper monstrosity into Apollo’s face. “What did you think it was?”

“I don’t know, a normal Valentine’s Day card?” Apollo snapped back, eyes crossed as he stared down at the card in her hands. It was purple of course, and glossy. On the front was Klavier Gavin’s smug face as he pointed, the words ‘OBJECTION! Won’t you be mine?’ emblazoned across the front. “That's not even a pun. Why the hell did you buy this?”

“Because it’s perfect!” Trucy replied with a smile, hopping up to sit on the edge of Apollo’s desk, kicking her legs. “Plus, I figured you weren’t getting any Valentine’s stuff elsewhere.”

“Why you think this thing is perfect is—hey, wait a second, what’s that supposed to mean?” Apollo protested, swiping the card out of her hands. “What makes you think I don’t get any Valentine’s stuff, huh?”

“Call it a magician’s intuition,” she replied smoothly. “Besides, I’ve never seen you in any other holiday spirit, why should this one be any different?”

Apollo grumbled, glaring at her with as much heat as he could muster. On the one hand, she had a point. On the other… “W-Well, I don’t see you rolling in Valentine’s day gifts,” he snapped.

Trucy gasped at him, and then had the audacity to pretend to look hurt. “You’re so mean sometimes, Apollo,” she murmured, lip wobbling.

Apollo narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you dare start.”

“And here I’d been hoping maybe daddy could’ve at least bought me some chocolate or something,” she continued on. “But, you know, money’s been so tight lately…”

Apollo’s jaw clenched. “Please. I’m not falling for this schtick again.”

“O-Oh, you’re right, sorry,” Trucy said softly. “Hope I didn’t ruin your day with my silly little card.”

Apollo’s eye twitched. Then, groaning, he glanced into his desk drawer. “...Listen, if you really want Valentine’s Day chocolate, I, uh…have this chocolate chip granola bar—”

“Wow, thanks, Polly!” As he pulled it out, Trucy swiped it, pulling out her magic panties. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to put it with the others.”

“The othe—I knew you got chocolate already!” Apollo snapped as the bar disappeared. “Give that back, you know I keep missing breakfast.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Almost immediately, Trucy was on her feet.

“Oh yay, there’s my other Valentine’s Day plan!”

“Are you kidding me? Who the—”

“Guten morgen, Fraulein!”

A second purple monstrosity entered the vicinity, and Apollo groaned. “Really? Gavin?”

“Ach, and Herr Forehead,” Klavier said, leaning over and waving. “What a pleasant surprise. Come here often?”

“I work here,” Apollo replied flatly. “And I know for a fact you don’t come here often, so care to explain?”

Klavier laughed. “Ah, you’re not making me feel very welcome. But, nein, I have a delivery to make.” As he said so, he pulled out a basket from behind his back, filled with chocolate-covered strawberries on wooden skewers.

For a split second, Apollo felt a shock of panic, fear, and almost hope, before Klavier turned toward Trucy. “Now Fraulein, can you make sure your father at least sees these before you start eating them?”

Trucy gasped, looking mock-offended. “Of course!”

Apollo rolled his eyes, leaning glumly on his hand. “Alright, well, is that everything? Don’t you have work to do?”

Klavier shot him that rockstar smile. “It’s true, the work never ends,” he said. “Well, I suppose I’ll…”

There was a pause, as Klavier seemed to notice something. Apollo frowned, following his line of sight. And then, he flushed. “Wait it’s not what—”

“Why Herr Forehead, is that a Gaventine’s card?” Klavier was smiling wider now, an amused gleam in his eyes. “I didn’t think you were such a fan.”

“I-I-I’m not, I was just—Trucy was—”

“Oh my gosh, Apollo!” Trucy gushed suddenly, hand over her mouth. “You got Mr. Gavin a Valentine?! That's so sweet!”

Apollo froze. “H…Huh?”

“Well.” Klavier crossed the room, leaning down, hand setting on top of the card as he leaned over Apollo’s desk. “I can’t exactly turn down a fan, can I?”

“What—But I—No!” Apollo grabbed at the card, but already Klavier had it in his grasp. “It’s not mine! Trucy was—I didn’t—I wouldn’t spend my money on that!”

“Now Herr Forehead, there’s no need to be so modest,” Klavier said, flipping open the card with his thumb. “I don’t mind that…”

And then Klavier trailed off. Apollo watched as Klavier’s eyes scanned the paper. As he did, his face seemed to change. The smile slowly faded. His eyes widened slightly.

Suddenly, Apollo was sweating. “A-A-Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is, uh, that’s not, um…Prosecutor Gavin…?”

“...Well.” Klavier blinked. He looked up at Apollo. Down at the card. Up at Apollo again. And then he coughed, smiling a bit, not his usual rockstar grin but something a little more subdued. “I-I didn’t think—err…” Another cough, and Klavier straightened up, and, wait, was he blushing…? “Danke, Apollo, that’s…that’s very sweet of you.”

“...huh?”

“Does six o’clock work for you, perhaps? I was thinking about working late, but I suppose Valentine’s Day only comes once a year.”

Apollo blinked. Apollo blinked again. “S…Six?”

“Ach, good, six it is then.”

“What?”

“Oh, Mr. Gavin!” Trucy interrupted suddenly, making Apollo jump because oh yeah Trucy was there. “Don’t you need to get back to the Prosecutor’s office?”

“Ach, you’re right, I’m already running behind schedule. Herr Edgeworth isn’t a fan of tardiness.” He turned, card still clutched in his hand. “I’ll see you tonight, Herr Forehead.”

“Wha—Wait—I dont—”

And then Klavier was gone, out the door, whistling something Apollo couldn’t quite place.

Apollo stared as the door swung shut by itself. He already felt himself breaking into a cold sweat. “Trucy, what did you write on that card?”

“What card?” Trucy quipped, walking off with her edible arrangement under her arm.

[taxkha]

would LOVE to hear your klapollo fic recs!! Personally I love anything by cosmicpoet on A03

Oh I have a bunch of cosmicpoets fics in my bookmarks! but okay okay, here we go! And if my wishes could all come true by SeaMint

“‘Our son’ my ass. You’re getting way too into this,” Apollo grumbles, rolling his eyes. “Is this your dream? Do you dream of being divorced and paying alimony, Gavin?”  Klavier doesn’t tell him that as far as dreams go, his is to live in a world where a relationship with Apollo, past tense or otherwise, is at all possible. Apollo doesn’t need specifics, or terrible confessions in vet clinics that show how badly Klavier wants to play pretend with him.

Or, Klavier, Apollo, and how cats bring people together in the most convoluted ways possible. Okay so. This one is my favourite Klapollo fanfiction, I literally left a big ass love confession in the comment section because I enjoyed it so much.

Lookin' for a boyfriend (I see that) by SeaMint Five times Apollo tells Klavier about his dates, and the one time Klavier finally gets him to stop. Love this one as well ahh ;_; if it's really me you seek by SeaMint

“Anyway,” Ema keeps going, fully ignoring his sarcasm in favor of staring at a neat corner where the walls meet the ceiling. “I asked if he wanted to go to your party together, but he said he wasn’t going.” “What?” Apollo suddenly finds it very hard to breathe. “Why?” “Hell if I know,” Ema says nonchalantly, but then she turns to him with a smirk. “See if you can figure it out: I believe he told me, and I quote—ahem—'Ach, I would, Fräulein, but I believe Herr Justice would be more comfortable without me there.’”

Or, when Apollo comes home from Khura'in only to learn that Prosecutor Gavin is avoiding him, the last thing he expected was for Gavin to offer to let Apollo stay at his house while he looks for a new apartment. Can you tell that I really like this author shjhsamd Hot for Justice by indirectkissesiniceland

After the events of State v. Misham, Klavier finds himself in a slump, stressed at the prosecutor's office and unable to pen new songs. To his surprise, he finds creative inspiration—and unexpected feelings—spending time with Apollo. Now if only he could release the new tracks without raising any suspicion as to whom his love songs are for. Do...I even need to say anything I think this one is one of the most well known fics, ive seen it in pretty much every fic rec post so far.

just finally say you love me by ahmackalak

“Backpacking through Europe?”

“Ja! I’ve wanted to go for ages – it’s been so long since I’ve been back home, I figure I might as well make it a whole journey.” Klavier’s smile is as easy and agreeable as always, but Apollo isn’t buying it.

Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen.

A trip to Europe with Klavier Gavin...this’ll be fine, right? I like this one a lot too, its very sweet and ahh. Pining. PINING. Stupid Cupid by KrisseyCrystal (IceCreAMS) In which Klavier botches his attempt to confess his feelings to Apollo, and somehow instead sends the entirely wrong message that he's already involved with someone else--a certain brooding and hawkish prosecutor, of all people. Cue the clown music. This is probably one of the funniest fics Ive ever read, I lost it at several instances. Monster Movie Monday by contritecactite

Klavier attends a bad movie marathon at the WAA, gets a boyfriend, and makes peace with Phoenix Wright. Somehow, the last part is the least awkward.

Set sometime post-DD but pre-SOJ. This one is very cute and wholesome, I love the idea of the wright agency kiddos hanging out with Klavier :") Need more of that. love at first sight (and other common misconceptions)  by experimentaldragonfire

Klavier's always been certain that when he runs into the person he's going to fall in love with, he'll just know. Apollo believes the exact opposite--that you can't fall in love with someone without getting to know them first.

After a bit of convincing, Klavier's starting to see Apollo's point.

Just read everything by this author, one of my fave authors. 10/10 humor and writing :3c in effigy by experimentaldragonfire

Apollo discovers some scandalous Gavinners merchandise in Klavier's closet. Klavier, having no shame, decides that this is an excellent opportunity to have some fun with it.

or, The One With The Official Gavinners Dildos This ones nsfw which I don't have to mention considering the...summary 8"D morning revelations (to sleep beside you from now on) by experimentaldragonfire

It’s not until he sees Klavier beside him, golden hair strewn over the pillow like some sort of Renaissance heroine, that Apollo Justice realizes he’s in love.

Apollo wakes up next to Klavier and has to come to terms with his feelings for the prosecutor. It's very cute!! This Is What You Do At Sleepovers, Right? by grimsparkblue

“Let me guess,” Phoenix said, one of those lazy, evil smiles he had back when he wore the same hoodie for weeks on end making an appearance, “You two were in the court library and the power went off. The front and back doors were locked because this place is ancient, so you two decided to tough it out until the cavalry arrived. Then the Brokeback Mountain itch hit you.”

Apollo and Klavier get stuck in the courthouse during a blackout. Enjoyed this one a lot, it's funny and sweet, as the summary suggests.

Just a Curiosity by GigglingGrave  Klavier is curious about how Apollo can see through lies. So, of course, he tries to figure it out. What he learns, however, is really much better than what he set out for. Apollo is really cool in this one and I love it when my boy gets to be cool. Baggage by u_andcloud

“Herr Forehead!” Klavier is calling out the nickname before he even realizes what he’s doing. Never mind that this is a German airport and people are giving him strange looks.

Apollo reacts immediately, and the instinctive response is gratifying on its own. His brow creases, he turns, and when he catches sight of Klavier, a disbelieving smile spreads across his lips, and Klavier realizes quite suddenly that, even after two years, he has not gotten over Apollo Justice, not even a little. This one is also really sweet. Jamais Vu by spaceburgers Apollo Justice, at 27 years old, is many things: a defense attorney, Khura’in’s Acting Minister of Justice, a mentor, a brother, a friend. And also, apparently, about to enact one of the biggest clichés of all time by sleeping with his ex at his former boss’s wedding. I LOVE THIS ONE, I already loved spaceburgers fics when I was still super into Sylvix, was very excited to see that they also wrote for Klapollo!! This one has nsfw in it! scoop of the century (read all about it!) by experimentaldragonfire

Working at a gossip magazine aimed at teenage girls is just a way for Apollo Justice to pay his law school tuition--until his article rating Klavier Gavin's outfits goes viral.

After that, he's got half the Internet reading his articles, and it's inevitable that Klavier finds out. This one is so funny!!! Also, read the second part of it which I'm not gonna link here now because its linked in the fic anyway, as its a collection. pen to paper, heart to heart by shepherd Written for the tumblr prompt, ‘instead of drawing the model in our art class ive been drawing you instead because i think youre really cute and oh my god all my papers just fell out of my folder and you saw them and oh my god theres hearts on some of them please kill me now’. Listen, I'm a simple gal. And a simple artist. Artist AUs really speak to me and this one spoke to me loudly. Its super sweet!! Loose Lips by judojudo "Please disregard all prior questions and instead just tell me one thing, Apollo," Miles Edgeworth's tone was half-smug and completely mocking and all Apollo wanted to do was melt into a puddle on the floor, never to be seen or heard from again. "Why are you on Klavier Gavin's wikipedia page?" I like fics that make me laugh and this one did, haha. we caught fire like california in july by lady_mab

n his head, Apollo mentally scolds himself for asking such a dumb question. Because of course Klavier likes him, right?

(Right? Being treated differently from a swarm of adoring fans isn’t necessarily a precursor for LIKE liking someone and what the fuck he’s twenty-four why does he sound like a high school girl from a manga trying to figure out if her crush likes her back?)

(Oh, that suddenly puts a lot of things into perspective, actually.)

(in which apollo contemplates the line between boyfriends and boys that are friends that sometimes kiss, and also contemplates turning into a crab)

This one is one of my faves! home is wherever i'm with you by bevioletskies At Athena’s request - or more accurately, her demand - the members of the Wright Anything Agency are spending their week-long winter holiday at a cozy lakeside cabin together for some quality team bonding. Much to Apollo’s dismay, she also invited their closest companions from the prosecutor’s office to tag along. With everything he thought he knew about Klavier and everything he has yet to learn, Apollo finds himself thinking he might have someone to ring in the new year with, after all. It's a bunch of AA characters having holidays together. What more do you want. Bricks, Lockets, and Other Christmas Presents by apolloyoostice Present shopping is always easier with someone you love, even if they do have a terrible sense of humor. This one is super sweet!! fame vs infamy (the price of writing fanfic out of spite) by experimentaldragonfire

In which Apollo Justice becomes the most popular fic-writer in the Gavinners fandom.

(and, along the way, realizes his Big Gay Crush on Klavier Gavin might not be as hopeless as he thought)

Honestly, when I read the summary I wasnt expecting to like it at all because this is usually not the kinda premise I'm into buuut I read it anyway because I liked the authors other works and man I had such a good time and many good laughs. The Main Event by ItsyRoyal Apollo had no idea that the flirty busker outside of his favorite cafe was his boss's brother. To be fair, Apollo also had no idea his boss had a brother. Theres a specific line around the end of the fic that had me wheezing. The rest of the fic is of course really good too!! The Definition Of Home by Hikari_Kaitou All Apollo wanted was to go right home after the legal conference in Seattle, instead of spending the night like his colleagues. He's never been able to sleep well in unfamiliar places. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond his control prevent him from returning to LA as planned, and in desperation he turns to Klavier for help. Klavier generously opens up his hotel room to him, which in turn leads Apollo to opening up his heart. Agh just. read it. Loved it. 13 Hours by Powerpossessor Apollo and Klavier are stuck together in a 13 hour layover. Stupid and hilarious antics ensue. Also, is it normal to slow dance with your friend in a dimly lit airport at 3am? THIS ONE IS SO SWEET AND FUN!!! can i go where you go by parchmints

Apollo Justice has rotten luck: he actually wins the grand prize for a mail-in contest, but It's a couple's getaway to a fancy ski lodge in the mountains and Apollo is aggressively single. With no one to go with, Apollo offers them to Klavier since surely, a rockstar would be able to find a date before then, but Klavier has a better idea—they go together and pretend they're a couple. That way, they both get a vacation, plus free food and wine.

And well, Apollo's never been one to pass up free food. VERY CUTE AND SWEET AND AHH. PINING. I love pining!! sweeping you off your feet by shepherd A short piece for a prompt on tumblr, for the quote "Please put me down, it's just a sprained ankle," featuring clumsy Apollo and his marriage to Klavier. A very sweet short piece!! Things Are As They Are by hechima

Klapollo cabin fic. That's really all this is.

Based on the events of "You Ever Been In Love?", in which Edgeworth gets drunk and rents a romantic cabin for Klavier and Apollo in Joshua Tree. Things go about as well as one could expect.

This is the most recent one in my bookmarks so the list ends here. I have a lot more bookmarked but these are the ones that made the biggest impression on me! Hope you or anyone else on here can find something they havent read yet! x)

[nebjamin]

MAJOR APOLLO JUSTICE: ACE ATTORNEY SPOILERS

So, I didn’t like AJ:AA as much as I thought I would.

Keep in mind that my prior experience with Ace Attorney (AA) before this was the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy (1-3) and The Great Ace Attorney (TGAA) Chronicles, so I had very high standards. I’m a PC guy, so I just play the games when they get ported over. Also, I haven’t seen much discourse about this game, so I have no idea if my thoughts are a brand new hot take or the same stuff people have been saying for years. That said, here are my very long and drawn-out thoughts about Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

Apollo Justice is (not) doing fine.

Apollo Justice is a new defense attorney and the protagonist of this game, following up Phoenix Wright from the first three AA games. These are major shoes to fill, but moving to a new protagonist made sense - they essentially finished Phoenix’s story in the previous game in the series. Justice is a less experienced attorney than Wright, so of course he’d trip up a bit in court and occasionally fold under the tremendous pressure of prosecutor and air guitar extraordinaire Klavier Gavin (more on him later). However, I’m sure the writers could have handled this in a way that feels less frustrating to the player.

Most of the time, Justice appears helpless in the courtroom. He tries his best, but is ultimately forced into a corner by the prosecution. Ace Attorney cases are typically a constant back-and-forth between the defense and prosecution: the prosecution embarasses the defense, then the defense has a revelation and dominates the prosecution, then the prosecution dismantles the defense’s theory and forces them back into a corner, and the process repeats until a Not Guilty verdict is reached (with few exceptions). However, Justice tends to spend significantly more time crying in the corner than making a case for himself. Apollo certainly has his moments, but they felt far and few between. Half of Apollo’s gimmick is his “Chords of Steel,” or his incredibly loud voice. Even if he has nothing to say, let my man shout. His mentor is THE Phoenix Wright, after all - let Justice bluff a bit, even if it doesn’t always work out at first. 

The other half of his gimmick is his bracelet, which lets him find minute details of a person’s body language, and use that discovery to pull the person into the shadow realm to question them and extract the truth. This is a really creative idea which breathed some new life into the gameplay of the four cases, but I do feel like it could have been executed significantly better. In order to find the details of a person’s body language, Justice’s vision excessively zooms in on a character, and the player is tasked with panning around with Justice’s super-powered eyes as the witness gives their testimony. When you’re that zoomed in, finding a slight twitch of a finger or a bit of moisture in a witness’ armpit can feel like finding a needle in a human haystack, especially when you have absolutely no idea what you’re looking for. It’s a great concept, but in execution, it proves to be more frustrating than enjoyable.

Given how helpless he is in the courtroom, I felt that Justice and his revelations don’t really drive the story as much as they should. More often, he just happens to be there in the courtroom as the story happens to him. This doesn’t change much as the game progresses either - he has some growth over the course of the story, but it isn’t really felt as the cases march onwards. Unfortunately, Justice never really grows the strength and mental fortitude to push the story and the mystery forward himself. Even when he does in Dual Destinies, it feels like borderline character assassination, but that’s a different game that deserves a different rant (coming soon?????). In AJ:AA, there’s another character who really pushes the story forward, constantly leaving Justice in the dust.

Klavier Gavin is ready to rock (a little too hard).

SPOILERS FOR ACE ATTORNEY 1 & 3 IN THIS SECTION

Klavier Gavin is this game’s new prosecutor, and he also has big shoes to fill - but for different reasons. Each Ace Attorney game up to this point has had different prosecutors facing off against the defense, and the standouts were undoubtedly Miles Edgeworth and Godot (my apologies to the Von Karma and Payne families). Edgeworth was Phoenix Wright’s first main prosecutor opponent, and he was formidable for many reasons - he was a very skilled prosecutor, he had much more experience in the courtroom than Wright, and he had never lost a case. Thus, when he experienced his first ever loss to novice defense attorney Phoenix Wright, he was horrified. He came back for revenge and lost again and again, until Wright defended him in court as the defendant against the legendary prosecutor Manfred Von Karma, causing him to re-evaluate. This made Edgeworth an incredibly complex and intriguing character, and a great opponent in the courtroom. Two games later, Godot served as the main prosecutor of AA3, and was also a hugely complex character due in large part to his past association with Mia Fey. Fey was Wright’s late mentor, and Godot’s complicated relationship with both Fey and Wright made him a very interesting opponent, especially in the last case of the game. I still can’t hear the words “the only time a lawyer can cry is when it’s all over” without tearing up just a little bit. These prosecutors all went to war against Wright in the courtroom, and were devastated when facing defeat. Not Klavier Gavin, though. He’s different.

As Justice got his first Not Guilty verdict against Gavin, Gavin simply stood and smiled. He wasn’t banging on his desk or breaking coffee cups like two other prosecutors I know - he just stood and smiled. This created an air of mystery around him - why isn’t he upset? Did he want to lose? What is this guy’s motivation? Although this left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied with the case’s conclusion, I moved on to the next case in the hopes that something would eventually be explained. But it wasn’t. Even as the game came to its conclusion, Klavier Gavin didn’t have a single major breakdown. It was as if every event of the game went exactly as he planned it. If that’s how Gavin’s actions were supposed to be interpreted, then it makes for a very unsatisfying conclusion. Apollo Justice was the protagonist, and yet no victory was truly his - he was just guided along the correct path by the prosecutor on the other side of the courtroom. Gavin would often give Justice hints or lead him into a line of reasoning that Justice would need to win the case, which makes me feel like this was what the writers were trying to do with his character. Yet, with an “antagonist” that predicts your every move and is always one step ahead, you need two things: an overarching goal and a defeat at the hands of the protagonist. In Gavin’s case, these two were in constant conflict.

Klavier Gavin’s main motivation throughout the game appeared to revolve around his older brother, Kristoph Gavin. Kristoph was referred to as “the devil” and was found to be the culprit of both the first and last cases of the game (more on both of those later), and I believe it’s safe to say he was the overall antagonist of the game. Klavier Gavin, being his brother, had complex feelings towards him in theory - he loved Kristoph as a brother, but hated him for who he was and what he’d done. This was also not executed well, as we (the players) were never really given a glimpse into what this relationship was - we were just told that it was there. The interactions between Klavier and Kristoph were very limited in number, and showed nothing more than the surface level of their relationship. Don’t get me wrong - I like it when details like that are just implied, and I don’t need every little thing spelled out for me. Still, I felt like their relationship was shown a little too much to be “just implied,” but not enough to be explored in any meaningful depth. When Kristoph was found guilty at the end of the last case, Klavier seemed happy, proudly declaring to his brother that “Kristoph… it’s over.” It appeared that this was what he wanted, this was his end goal, this was his motivation. He got it - he won. Yet, this made for a very unsatisfying conclusion, as Apollo Justice was the protagonist, and he needed to win too. He won each case, sure, but Klavier never lost. Klavier was always one step ahead of Justice, and he got what he wanted without much difficulty. The protagonist never truly won if we consider Justice to be the protagonist, but what if we consider Klavier to be the protagonist?

In order for Klavier to function as the protagonist, he would need one thing that he doesn’t show nearly enough of: character growth. The first time we see him, he’s already a successful prosecutor AND the lead guitarist, singer, and frontman of a ridiculously successful rock band NAMED AFTER HIM. There isn’t much further to go from there. He shows this success in the courtroom too: he appears cocky and confident, forcing Justice into corner after corner, with a charismatic smile that rarely leaves his face. His only point of weakness seems to be his brother. Supposedly, he’s always lived in the shadow of his brother, and this is his chance at redemption - but is it really? What part of headlining a rock band NAMED AFTER YOU is living in your brother’s shadow? What part of his long, successful career as a prosecutor is in his brother’s shadow? His confidence wavers a little as he faces his brother at the end of the story, but that is the only time he’s shown interacting with his brother. Ultimately, Klavier stares his brother down, watches as Justice corners Kristoph in a cross-examination, and smiles as his brother is taken back to jail for good. His demeanor never changes - he never seems any less cocky, and he always has the same exact smile. It’s as if the story doesn’t affect him. This is frankly frustrating to watch, seeing all his potential as a character go to waste. He has minimal character growth, and the little he has isn’t earned. Klavier is a bad antagonist and a bad protagonist, as if the writers had no idea what to do with him.

If you want my theory on the matter, I think the writers really wanted to create a character that people would like. They saw the people’s love of Edgeworth, of Franziska Von Karma (to some extent), and of Godot, and they wanted to replicate that feeling. In their attempts, though, they forgot what made those prosecutors so loveable. Yeah, they were quirky and charismatic little guys to some extent, but they were also powerful foes who proved to be mountains for Phoenix Wright to conquer. We hated them as enemies at first sight, but as we got to know them better, we came to love them as friendly rivals. Not only that, but they all grew as characters in meaningful ways. With Klavier, they tried to rush the process, and it didn’t work out. They wanted us to love Klavier from the start by making him cool and a bit quirky, but that was all on the surface level. We loved what laid beneath the surface of Wright’s relationships with Edgeworth, Franziska, and Godot - we loved the depth of their characters and of their stories. In order to give Klavier and his relationship with Apollo that kind of depth, they would have needed to build Klavier’s character up much more over time. However, that would mean that Klavier’s character couldn’t already be perfect from the start. The writers assumed that we loved the previous prosecutors because of how cool they were on the surface, but they missed everything beneath the surface level that was truly the foundation for our collective love for our foes of the past. Then again, that’s just my theory - I have no idea what was actually going on in the writer’s room at the time.

I did like Klavier Gavin as a character, I just didn’t love him, and I honestly think he’s my least favorite main prosecutor of the series only because of the high standards set by other prosecutors. Nothing will beat out my love for Godot and the TGAA prosecutors, and unfortunately Gavin didn’t even come close. In fact, my favorite case from the game is actually the only one he isn’t involved in.

Case 1: Turnabout Trump (lives up to its name).

I would like to clarify that the game and I are referring to the verb “trump,” which means “to get the better of” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). I am not referring to the former president of the United States. This game was released in 2007, 9 years before the start of the presidency of Donald Trump. It was released 15 years after Trump played his prolific role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, though. That seems important.

Nonetheless, I genuinely believe this is one of the greatest opening cases in an Ace Attorney game, right up there with AA3 and TGAA 1 & 2. It does a great job of introducing Apollo Justice as an attorney and putting the player into his shoes, while showing that his heart is in the right place but he still has room to grow. Unfortunately, he never wound up growing that much in this game, but that’s a problem to take up with the rest of this game’s cases. This case also functions as the player’s introduction to the overall mystery of AJ:AA, and Justice acts as your eyes into this new world of unsolved mysteries. This game takes place 7 years after the previous game in the series, and the old protagonist, Phoenix Wright, is very different from how we last saw him. AA3’s conclusion saw Wright win his hardest (and best-written) case yet as a successful attorney with a growing history of success, but AJ:AA opens with Wright as a disgraced, disbarred former attorney, working as a pianist that can’t even play the piano. He’s even the suspect of a murder in this opening case. Naturally, the player has to wonder what caused this, which sets them on track to uncover the mysteries that the rest of the game has in store for them. Apollo feels the same way, and thus your motivations align as player and protagonist. This helps the player better connect with the new protagonist, and Apollo Justice already feels at home as the new head of the Ace Attorney series (until Dual Destinies at least). Not only that, but the other new character introduced also proves to be fascinating and intricately connected to the mystery at hand.

This case also functions as the player’s introduction to Kristoph Gavin, a renowned defense attorney that appears to be friends with Wright, and Justice’s mentor. He walks the player through the tutorial, which is not only useful from a gameplay perspective, but also portrays him as a reliable character from a storytelling perspective. This seemingly tiny detail makes the player trust Kristoph more, just like Justice does, and thus puts the player further into Justice’s shoes. Mia Fey gave the same instructions to Phoenix Wright in the first Ace Attorney game and she was very trustworthy, so the player would subconsciously think of Kristoph the same way they thought of Fey, putting them on the same pedestal. Justice trusts Kristoph as his mentor, so once more the player feels better connected with the new protagonist. This isn’t the only way the game tricks the player into trusting Kristoph, though. Typically in the first case of an Ace Attorney game, there will be four or five major characters - the defense attorney, the prosecutor, the defendant, the witness that turns out to be the true culprit, and possibly a mentor or partner for the defense. Thus, when the witness (Ms. Olga Orly) takes the stand, the player would naturally assume that they’re the true culprit - it’s happened in opening cases in games prior, and it would proceed to happen again in future games. Kristoph tries to guide Justice (and the player by extension) to accuse Ms. Orly, which would naturally make sense to the player. They trust Kristoph and they’ve done this song and dance a few times by this point - it must be Orly. However, Wright leads Justice and the player in a different direction, with the knowledge that Orly isn’t the real killer. Instead, it’s actually Kristoph Gavin himself, in a massive betrayal and twist as the writers flip the opening case formula on its head. Wright takes the stand next to you as you prove your formerly trusted mentor’s guilt, sending him off to jail. The writers completely subverted the player’s expectations over the course of one short case.

Additionally, this perfectly clues Justice and the player into the mysteries of the game, without revealing too much. The player knows just enough to wonder, but not enough to have any answers. What happened to Wright? What’s with his pendant? What was Kristoph’s motive? What aren’t they telling us? All of this gets the player (or at least got me) genuinely interested and excited for the events to come, especially after this wonderfully-written case. I was worried that these cases wouldn’t be able to live up to the ridiculously high bar set by their predecessors, but this case proved that the writers were more than capable. At least, I thought it did. You’ve already seen the first two sections of this essay, so you know that this game did not live up to my expectations at all. In addition to the previous games, I blame this first case for setting the bar way too high for the rest of the game. Because of this case, I expected the rest of the game to have superb writing and direction to match this masterpiece of a case, but it didn’t. I felt that the rest of the game’s cases - 2 and 3 - were just okay at best. They certainly had their moments, but ultimately, they were just average. I don’t have much to say about them (although I’ll touch on them a bit in the “other things I want to rant about” section), but after all the mysteries introduced in the first case, there was a lot hinging on the grand finale: case 4. I was still extremely curious to find out the answers, but ultimately, the way they were delivered was nothing more than a letdown for me.

Case 4: The MASON System (has an error).

I have a LOT to complain about for the fourth and final case, so I’m splitting it up into two parts, like how it was in the game. I know I’m skipping over the first half of the case, but my main criticisms really lie in the case’s dramatic and disappointing conclusion. First, I’ll be talking about the portion taking place in the MASON System, which frankly just confused me and took me out of the experience. I can only suspend my disbelief so much, and this weird and unexplained segment pushed me over the top. I’m still not entirely clear on what the MASON System even is, but I’ll do my best to explain what I experienced inside it. As the player, you see what appears to be a loading screen, and then you’re shown a black background covered in moving green binary code, just like something a hacker from of a cheesy 90s movie would see as they hack into the mainframe (as you can see in the image above). In front and facing you is Phoenix Wright, who appears to be talking directly to you. He’s not talking to Justice anymore, because Justice isn’t here, wherever or whatever here is. Wright appears talking directly to you, the player. The player is later revealed to be seeing through the eyes of “Juror No. 6,” but I’ll get more into that in the next section since it isn’t revealed until the end of the case. It also doesn’t explain how the juror got immersed in the MASON System or what it even is, but I digress. Wright then tells you that you can use the system to jump through space and time in order to experience Wright’s memories and to find the “keys” (evidence) to unlocking the truth, which you’ll then use to find the real truth of the mystery.

If you got lost somewhere in that last paragraph, me too. The game doesn’t explain how the MASON System connects to anything else in the game (or in Ace Attorney canon for that matter), how it knows Wright’s memories so intimately that the user can fully re-experience them, and why Justice can only get that game-changing evidence after some random juror experiences Wright’s memories. As far as I’m aware, this is the only time something like this has been done in Ace Attorney, and for good reason: it completely breaks immersion. Even if Wright isn’t actually breaking the fourth wall, it certainly appears like he is, which is not something Ace Attorney has ever done in a serious manner before, outside telling a player to press a certain button in a tutorial. The presence of Juror No. 6 is used at the end of the case to show that it wasn’t actually a fourth wall break, but that was long after the player left the MASON System and long after my inversion was ruined. I can accept weird and barely explained concepts in Ace Attorney - in fact, I’ve come to expect it. However, these usually follow a set of established rules in the Ace Attorney universe, so the player stays immersed. There’s nothing realistic or sensical about Wright’s “Psyche-Locks,” the Fey family’s ability to summon spirits of the dead, or really anything in Spirit of Justice (I’ve only played the first case, don’t spoil it for me). However, it’s an established rule in the world of Ace Attorney that magic exists and certain people can wield it. Thus, despite not being at all realistic, it makes sense in the context of the world. The MASON System, however, does not. I still don’t really understand it, and honestly, my enjoyment of the game is heightened if I just forget about the system itself and just remember what happened inside of it.

Even if I didn’t like the MASON System as a concept, I have to give credit where credit’s due: I did enjoy experiencing Wright’s memories and slowly starting to piece together the truth of the incident that led to Wright getting disbarred and the apparent death of Thalassa Gramarye. There were two ongoing mysteries at that point - the case of Magnifi Gramarye’s death (and Wright’s disbarment) from 7 years ago, and the case of Drew Misham’s death in the present. These two appeared to be inseparable from each other, and the truth about both would have to come out together. In truth, I’m kind of a sucker for mysteries where the past and present collide, even if it’s on the verge of becoming an overused trope in the Ace Attorney series by this point. I love figuring out the truth behind a long-lost case of the past and using that to answer questions about the present, and the MASON System delivers that perfectly. I especially love the use of Psyche-Locks throughout, which are essentially visualizations of secrets that people hide. These appear when a person is hiding something from Wright, and by presenting evidence, you can crack open these “locks” until the truth is finally laid bare. In this section, you slowly pick away at Valant Gramarye’s Psyche-Locks as you explore and gain new evidence. You figure out the existence of a secret as you question Valant, explore somewhere or someone else until you have the right evidence to force the truth out of him, then come back and land another blow that gets you ever closer to the truths behind Magnifi’s death and the Thalassa incident. This allows the player to see how close they’re getting to the heart of the mystery, and is certainly much better than any use of Psyche-Locks in Dual Destinies, where you already have the evidence from the moment the locks are put on display. Then again, that’s another essay for another time. I may not like how the writers used the MASON System to link Wright’s past to Justice’s present, but that was a very satisfying part of the mystery to conquer - if you ignore the MASON System itself, that is. Now that the answers to the mystery are starting to make themselves apparent, all the writers had to do was to stick the landing and call it a day, but it felt more like a belly flop than anything.

Case 4: Turnabout Succession (was not a success).

SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY 1 IN THIS SECTION

Most of case 4 played out like the rest of the cases in this game: just okay. It wasn’t exceptional, but I don’t have any major problems with it either. My main issue was the way the case was concluded, with a strange turn of events that felt out-of-place and caused a generally unsatisfying conclusion that ultimately made the journey feel like a waste. To explain this, let me give some context about Phoenix Wright’s adventures before and during the events of this game. Despite having been disbarred for presenting forged evidence in court, he was still very involved with the legal system and creating change within it. Specifically, he wanted to incorporate a jurist system into the courts, meaning that the verdict would be decided by six jurors instead of just a judge. This trial would be the first in the country to use the jurist system, and would be a test of this new system. Additionally, it’s revealed at the end of the trial that the player takes the role of a juror, Juror No. 6. This is the same character that experienced the MASON System just prior. Given all this information, you might be wondering: Why does Phoenix Wright have the power to alter the trial system in such a drastic way? Why would the verdict of a “test run” of a new system decide whether the defendant, a 19-year-old girl, spends the rest of her life in jail? Why does the player, who plays the role of the defense attorney, also get to play the role of the juror who decides the verdict of the case? And to those questions, I have no answer, and neither does the game. The end of this last trial entirely revolves around this “jurist system” subplot, and yet it feels tacked-on and pointless in the grand scheme of the game’s story. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad concept - Kristoph Gavin’s breakdown at the hands of the jury showed a glimpse of everything this game could have been. Yet, it just felt improperly executed, as if the writers just forgot about it until the last moment and scribbled down a couple new plot points at the end to make it fit. Furthermore, the whole concept of a jurist system as it existed in AJ:AA just isn’t compatible with the Ace Attorney formula. The judge’s decision is an integral part of a trial, and the only reasonable way they could make it work would be something like the system in The Great Ace Attorney 1 & 2. In TGAA games, the jurors are right in front of the judge, and both the defense and prosecution can argue directly to them. Instead of maintaining the idea of an anonymous jury decision behind closed doors, Dual Destinies just pretended that the jurist system was never introduced, which was honestly a smart decision if they wanted to maintain the classic Ace Attorney formula.

At the very end of the case, the player takes control of Juror No. 6, and gets to make their vote to decide whether the defendant is guilty. The player, who has been arguing that the defendant isn’t guilty to the court for hours, gets the chance to decide whether or not the defendant is guilty. As you can probably tell, there is a correct answer. An Ace Attorney game with multiple endings is a cool idea in theory, but in practice, there’s really only one ending in AJ:AA. If you choose to declare the defendant “not guilty,” you finally catch the real killer and happy music plays as the credits roll. If, for whatever reason, you declare the defendant that you’ve been defending for multiple hours “guilty,” then you’re told that the defendant died in a hospital bed and you’re kicked back to the main menu. The credits don’t even roll if you decide to indict the defendant. The idea of choice is a very important one to this game’s story, yet the one real choice the player is given has a correct answer, and the game punishes you for answering incorrectly. Once again, this doesn’t feel thought-through at all - it was just tacked on at the end for seemingly no reason at all. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad concept. For instance, what if it was used in a case like “The Adventure of the Runaway Room” (case 3) from The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures? That case was an incredibly interesting case for a number of reasons, including the fact that it was the protagonist’s first time acting as an attorney in a court with a jury. But more than that, it was interesting because of one ginormous detail of its beautifully unsatisfying and unsettling conclusion: it’s never made clear whether the defendant did or didn’t commit the crime. You get your “not guilty” verdict from the jury, but you never get a magnificent breakdown from the true culprit, and the defendant acts smug and suspicious as he’s given permission to walk free. In this case, there wasn’t a right or wrong answer, and neither the player nor the protagonist are ever given an answer as to whether or not they did the right thing. They just have to live in suspense and pray that they didn’t just set a murderer loose upon the world. If the final case of AJ:AA was structured more like this, it would make sense to have the player make the decision, since it easily could go either way. However, this isn’t at all similar to what the case actually was, leading to immense disappointment instead of the unease and intrigue it should have provided.

Even so, there was one thing this ending did right: the reveal of Juror No. 6’s identity. By this point, Thalassa Gramarye’s true identity has been revealed as not just the wife of Shadi Enigmar and daughter of Magnifi Gramarye, but also the mother of Apollo Justice as well as the mother of Phoenix Wright’s adopted daughter, Trucy Wright. The key to this realization laid in the bracelet she had on her wrist, which was identical to the one worn by Justice which gave him his powers. However, during his investigation, Phoenix Wright also learned that Thalssa had an unfortunate death in an accident years and years ago. When Juror No. 6’s perspective is shown as they look down on a screen with options for “guilty” and “not guilty,” a reflection is shown on the screen, vaguely showing the face of a prominent witness from “Turnabout Serenade” (case 3) by the name of Lamiroir. She always wore a hood and a mask over her face, which I assumed was just meant to make life easier for the animators. Still, it was instantly recognizable, even if it was just a faint silhouette. Additionally, her sleeve extended up her arm, showing that beautiful and recognizable pattern the player had seen numerous times behind the witness stand. Yet, as the player controls her arm and moves it to the “guilty” or “not guilty” buttons, her sleeve falls down, revealing a golden bracelet - identical to the one worn by Apollo Justice. Thalassa Gramarye is still very much alive, and she’s living life as Lamiroir. I was grinning ear to ear with my jaw on the floor as the answer to the game’s final (intentional) mystery was revealed - exactly how I should feel at the end of an Ace Attorney game. The reveal was subtle enough that I felt smart for figuring out what it meant, but obvious enough that it was near-impossible to miss. The game doesn’t outright tell you what it means (until a wrap-up scene right after), but instead takes a look at the puzzle of answers you’ve been building up throughout the story, and gives you the final piece. Because of this perfectly-written moment at the end, the game actually left a pretty good taste in my mouth, despite everything I just complained about. I may not have loved a lot about the ending of this case, but this one detail almost makes it all worth it. Almost.

Other things I want to rant about

SPOILERS FOR ACE ATTORNEY 1 & 5 IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH

I’ve talked about all my main points of controversy about this game, but there’s still a bit I want to get off my chest about a few other topics. I don’t have as much to say about these as I did about my main topics, but this is a comprehensive essay on nearly all of my thoughts about Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, so why stop now? First, let’s talk a bit about the man in the picture above: Phoenix Wright. Honestly, I liked the way the writers treated him in this game. Introducing the former lawyer extraordinaire as a washed-up bum raises a lot of intrigue from the player, and seeing him in his natural habitat at the defense’s bench supporting Justice was a satisfying thing to see. To Justice, Wright serves as a mentor. Although he’s a very different character now, he still has the intelligence and the whimsy that Wright is known for. He’ll act mysterious when it comes to important topics and he’ll get serious when he needs to, but he’s also just telling dad jokes and reminiscing on his days of presenting his attorney’s badge to every person he saw. He’s an old, retired veteran of an attorney, and a hero for Justice to look up to. Yet, at the same time, he’s a weird and silly old dude with that same old silly sense of humor he’s always had. It would have been very easy to essentially pull a character assassination on Wright by putting him into this role, but the writers of AJ:AA walked the tightrope perfectly and gave the foundations for him to be a great mentor to Justice and possibly take on a role similar to that of Mia Fey for the rest of the series (with or without dying). I have mixed feelings about their decision to bring him back as an attorney in Dual Destinies instead of just entrusting Justice (and maybe Cykes) with the lawyering duties, but then again, that’s another essay for another time.

While we’re on the topic of characters, there’s one more I wanted to rant a bit about: Trucy Wright. As I mentioned in the last section, Trucy is the adopted daughter of Phoenix Wright, and plays a role as an assistant in this game similar to Maya Fey in past Ace Attorney games. (Which makes sense, since Trucy is Justice’s biological sister. Wait, as I’m typing this, I’m realizing: were they ever told that they were siblings? That’s their character dynamic, but Wright just says at the end of AJ:AA that he’ll tell them when the time is right. Was it still not time yet by the end of Dual Destinies? THEY DESERVE TO KNOW!) Trucy’s profession at age 15 is that of a magician, being the sole true heir to the legacy of the famous Gramarye family of magicians. I like her character and her role in the story overall, but I have one major complaint: why are the writers so obsessed with this 15-year-old girl’s panties? The first major magic trick of hers that’s shown is her “magic panties” trick, in which she can make things appear and disappear into her panties. Her panties essentially act as a pocket dimension, like Mary Poppins’ bag. For whatever reason, the writers KEEP COMING BACK to the same panty trick, OVER and OVER and OVER. It’s supposedly her most popular trick, and yet neither she, her adopted father, nor Justice ever question why an audience of grown adults is so keen on seeing this 15-year-old girl’s panties. In so much of anime and so many anime games, there’s that one episode or that one scene that you just can’t defend, and in this game (AND IN DUAL DESTINIES TOO) they just can’t let it go. As much as I love her character, this is the one sin I can’t overlook, no matter how much I want to.

There’s no way to talk about Ace Attorney without talking about the music. I don’t have any real analysis to make about the new tracks in AJ:AA, but I do want to say that I really like the new direction they took with the music in this new game. Justice is a new protagonist, so his music shouldn’t sound exactly the same as Wright’s, but it should still be recognizable enough to feel like a proper Ace Attorney game. The OST of AJ:AA does this near-perfectly. Even Justice’s “objection” theme goes by a different name: “A New Trial is in Session.” Justice is his own person and his own attorney, and this shows the new direction that the Ace Attorney franchise would be going in from here on out. This is another detail that was written out by the writers of Dual Destinies, for the better or worse, but the people behind AJ:AA had no way of knowing what the next game would do. Justice’s new tracks all have a uniquely “Apollo Justice” feeling to them, from the objection theme to the pursuit theme to the all-new “perceive” theme for Justice’s body language-reading abilities. Klavier’s theme feels perfectly cool and high-energy, and Kristoph’s theme feels like the exact opposite with a slow and methodical feel. Also, the various little easter eggs revolving around Klavier’s theme never failed to make me laugh, from hearing it in a live performance in case 3 to hearing a little pixelated version of his theme as his ringtone. And for the guitar’s serenade, well, I could probably write a whole paragraph about that. Actually-

Lamiroir was introduced in case 3 as a singer from the fictional Eastern European country of Borginia, and a very talented singer at that. We’d later learn that she’s actually Thalassa Gramarye after getting shot, losing her memories, and being presumed dead, but that’s neither here nor there. There may not have been enough space on a DS cartridge to fit high-quality human voices, but there was enough space to fit a midi file with a high-pitched part that represented the singing voice of Lamiroir. This track is one of my favorites of the entire OST. Towards the beginning of the case, you witness a joint performance between Lamiroir and Klavier Gavin, entitled “The Guitar’s Serenade.” You’ll be hearing this track again and again as you analyze the video for evidence over the course of the trial, and also because you just want to hear the song again, turn on your phone’s flashlight, and wave it back and forth over your head to the beat. Despite being such a small audio file without any actual human singing, it perfectly displays the soft, gentle, and beautiful nature of Lamiroir’s voice. The Ace Attorney games usually just have to say “trust me bro” after telling you what a witness’ voice sounds like, but this is the exception. Additionally, parts of the song are used in Lamiroir’s theme, giving it that same gentle, majestic, and elegant energy found in the song. This made it very easy to like Lamiroir as a character, which only added more magic to the reveal of her true identity at the end of the game and its story. I’m honestly not sure if I want her to return in a later game for more, or if I’d rather not hear a worse interpretation of her character that sours the memories of her character in this game. I guess all I can do is place my trust in the writers, no matter how hard of a task that may be.

Now, for a (not so) quick rapid-fire round: Payne was really funny in the first case as he completely lost control of the trial, which became a duel between Wright and Kristoph Gavin. I still see Kristoph and his devil-hand in my nightmares sometimes. Ema Skye’s return after Rise From the Ashes (bonus case from AA1) was really fun and cool to see, and I enjoyed the return of the forensic examination techniques. Seeing the Kitaki crime family after having played through the entire Yakuza franchise was really funny. The reveal that Patriarch Kitaki’s shades were actually just huge eyebrows covering tiny little baby eyes was absolutely hilarious. Wocky Kitaki is a baby version of Akira Nishikiyama if he was a furry and also straight (or maybe Alita’s betrayal is what drove him to loving men?). Trucy’s Mr. Hat magic trick is her best trick and I’m honestly appalled that it never showed up in Dual Destinies. Borginians speaking in wingdings is really funny, and I’d love to hear what that sounds like. Valant Gramarye is very evil but also really funny so I think he should be pardoned. Little Trucy in the flashback is really cute, and I love Klavier’s flashback outfit. Kristoph going super-saiyan in his breakdown is really funny and the animation is perfect. I love how everything new they did with Phoenix Wright was explained by just those seven years since disbarment, rather than adding even more things to his backstory (although I think it would be really funny if in a future Ace Attorney game, they just added a bunch of random details to Wright’s backstory then explained at the end of that game that none of it actually happened and the villain was just messing with their brains with magic) (hit me up Capcom I have ideas). I really loved the credits sequence with all the printed pictures. All in all, I feel like I didn’t love the parts of this game that really mattered, but the little unnecessary details were all perfect. Anyway, I think it’s time to wrap up this rant - it’s gone on for long enough.

The verdict on Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Now that I’ve dogged on Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney for 27 paragraphs and over 7,000 words, I feel like it’s time to say that it’s not actually that bad. A rant this long can only come from a place of love, and I absolutely love the Ace Attorney series. I started playing the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy in late 2021, which was a pretty bleak time for me coming out of the pandemic. During the pandemic, video games were the only things that really kept me going, giving me something to look forward to day to day as all the days blended together into one blob. Because of this, the games I played at the time all hold a very special place in my heart: Persona, Halo, Devil May Cry, Yakuza, Ace Attorney, and so many more. Maybe my experiences with the games were altered by the conditions of my life as I played through them, but still, I know just how amazing Ace Attorney can be. That’s exactly why I felt so upset playing through this entry of the series - I know the writers can do so much better. The game wasn’t really that terrible as a video game and as a story, but when it has to live up to the brilliant standards set by the Ace Attorney franchise, it just falls flat on its face. I did really enjoy my time playing through this game and I did really enjoy all of the cases, but I just know that Apollo Justice and Klavier Gavin had the potential to be so much more interesting and to be written so much better. I’m not going to give the game a numerical rating or anything like that because that system has no room for subjectivity, but I would genuinely recommend the game to any Ace Attorney fan who finished the first trilogy (and maybe The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles) and is looking for more - in other words, anyone like me. I may not have loved this game as much as some other games in the series, but I do not regret one second I spent playing that game. If nothing else, it gave me this chance to reflect on myself, my thoughts, and my feelings about the series as a whole. I’ll always be grateful for that, and rest assured my love for the Ace Attorney franchise will not fade anytime soon.

I’d also like to briefly say that, if you read this far into the ramblings of an insane Ace Attorney fan, thank you. I wrote this to get my own thoughts and feelings off my chest, but if anyone else reads through these words and gets literally anything out of them, then this was all the more worthwhile. And if you’re a vehement Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney fan who’s foaming at the mouth with pure rage while hate-reading my rant, please tell me why. I don’t mean this as a joke or a diss, I genuinely believe that the ability to debate and argue about the things you’re passionate about is one of the greatest joys life has to offer. While I’d rather not have any death threats sent my way, I would still greatly appreciate the chance to keep talking and thinking and debating about this messy yet beautiful game in one of the best series of stories I’ve ever had the joy of experiencing.

And as a thank you for reading this far, I’d like to let you know that I’m a screenshot addict. I cannot stop myself from taking a ridiculous number of screenshots every time I play a game, and it’s killing my hard drive. I still have a lot of really funny shots that I wasn’t able to include as section titles, so without further ado, here are some…

FUNNY SCREENSHOTS!!!!!

[midnightbrightside]

Do you have any fluff to balance out your delicious angst?

i gotchu ❤

kristoph doesnt know when the wrights became part of his saturday morning walk with vongole, but they've somehow slid far too neatly into his routine. usually trucy is the conversationalist between the three of them, and today she's chatting about all kinds of space facts, apparently that's what she's been learning about in school recently.

turns out trucy loves the stars and would be able to see them all the time when she was travelling with her first daddy. she doesnt mean for that to come out like it does, but something flickers across Phoenix's face, something soft and helpless.

kristoph offers to drive them out of the city to see the night sky clearly, without any of the light pollution here in the city. the words leave his mouth before his brain has the chance to stop them. trucy looks ecstatic and she starts begging phoenix to take uncle kristoph up on the offer; of course phoenix agrees, and the gratitude shines in his eyes and weighs heavily on his shoulders.

it takes them a bit to find a a night where all of their schedules line up (phoenix wont let trucy stay up late on a school night), but it happens. the drive there is filled with chatter from trucy, she reminds kristoph of a younger klavier with all her noise and her grand way of speaking, bubbly and endlessly entertaining.

they arrive at a field and all 3 of them lay on the blanket as trucy chatters excitedly about miscellanous space facts and points out the constellations she recognises from her books, kristoph chips in with his own knowledge, and phoenix makes some up. trucy giggles and calls him silly, then she leans over to Kristoph and stage-whispers, “daddy doesnt know any of the stars." and kristoph nods solemly.

phoenix chuckles, "hm, i guess i don't. you'll have to teach me” an open invitation that trucy gladly takes.

her enthusiam is infectious and the two men are utterly charmed, she keeps going until she tires herself out. it's so quiet in the field now, it feels like it just the 3 of them in the entire world.

phoenix is the first to break the silence, “thank you, kristoph. this meant a lot to trucy” and me goes unsaid but heard nonetheless. “i owe you one” he says a little quieter.

“nonsense, i enjoyed myself, that's payment enough” and it should be a lie, but it doesnt feel like one.

it goes quiet again, and kristoph feels phoenix's hand brush against his, soft enough to be an accident. kristoph darts his eyes to the side without turning his head. phoenix is still looking intently at the sky, it's too dark to make sense of his expression. the gentle, barely-there contact burns at his fingertips and spreads across his body, he can feel his heart thundering in his chest like it wants to escape. he wants to escape. he doesnt move closer, he doesnt pull away either. Neither does Phoenix.

they stay there in perfect stillness for a while, it's almost dreamlike. for perhaps the first time, kristoph's head is empty. he could stay here forever.

trucy stirs, and phoenix blinks back to reality, "we should probably head back," he says. kristoph agrees and drives them home. they all linger in the doorway as trucy sleeps in phoenix's arms, he gently jostles her awake “say thank you to uncle kristoph."

trucy mumbles a tired “thanoo….” and phoenix smiles down at her, so full of love. kristoph has the strangest urge to kiss him.

he doesnt. instead he says his goodbyes and heads back to his car, the moment the door thuds closed the spell is broken. he grips the steering wheel and wills his chest to stop aching.

[its-hai-time]

Apollo Justice 2 AU dialogue

For three years now I've had dialogue moments from the "game" written out in my notes app and I've never shared them. I planned to draw them eventually but I'm horrifically inconsistent so it never happened lol.

Here they are!

(Case AJ2-2, in the defense lobby before the first trial)

???: Excuse me,

Apollo: Ack! (TALL)

???: I presume you're the one they call Justice?

A: Ah! Justice! Um, yep that's me! (She's glaring so intensely, my palms are clamming up already)

Destiny: So then you're the rat I'd heard word of on my crime scene. I'm Prosecutor Atlas, your opponent today.

A: (Rat!??)

Trucy: I think I can see your tail, Apollo!

(more under the cut)

(Case AJ2-3, day 2 of investigation)

Apollo: So you're.... Married to Prosecutor Atlas?

London: Yep!

A: But you're still her personal assistant?

L: Ah! There's no weird motive behind it!

L: We met right before we started.... Working together. When we started dating she didn't want me to lose my job, so we agreed to keep it professional.

A: Couldn't that have gone horribly wrong?!

L: Haha... Yeah, I guess it could have. But spending every day at her side is more than I could have ever asked for.

Phoenix: That's.... Wonderful.....

A: (Mr. Wright looks weird.... wait, are those tears in his eyes?!)

(Case AJ2-3, first investigation, forensics mini-game)

Phoenix: Oh, this feels familiar.

Ema: Feels like the good old days, doesn't it, old guy?

P: Oh come on, I'm not old yet!

E: Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself that, Gramps.

Apollo: (I really wish they wouldn't banter while I'm trying to focus.)

(Case AJ2-3, Right after the end of the TL comic, Klavier has just accepted Apollo's offer to defend him)

Phoenix: You're doing good, Apollo.

Apollo: Mr. Wright?

P: I've been doing a lot of hiding. Should have known you'd know exactly how to drag the truth out of me.

P: You've been a real good sport through all of this.

A: What do you mean?

P: After my... Memorable first impression, I expected you to abandon ship. Run away from my nonsense, from the card.

A: (The card.... He's talking about the forged evidence from my very first trial..... I didn't think he still thought about that moment.)

P: I guess..... I wanted to say thanks.

A: .....With all due respect, sir, where is this coming from?

P: Ah....... I guess this case is just making me sappy.

A: (I guess his talk with Prosecutor Gavin earlier got him thinking about the past...)

(Case AJ2-4, directly after the murder attempt on Trucy. They're in the hospital while she lays on the bed unconscious.)

Phoenix (at her bedside, facing away from Apollo): Trucy.... I never got to give her a stable life to grow up in...

P: I think she could tell I didn't know what to do. But I just kept bluffing. I guess that's all I've ever been good at.

Apollo: Mr. Wright.... Trucy's going to be okay...... She has to be.

P: ..........

P: I know she will be. She's a strong girl.

A: (there's a familiar feeling gripping my wrist...)

A: *sigh* Mr. Wright, you should stay with Trucy. Look after her.

P: !

P: But what about your investigation?

A: I can manage by myself. I know my way around a crime scene by now.

P: ...... Thanks, Apollo.

A: Right, I'll get down to investigating. Tell me if her condition changes.

P: Will do. Good luck.

>move

>hospital hallway

A: *big frustrated sigh*

???: Forgive me for overhearing-

A: Wha-

A: Prosecutor Gavin?!

Klavier: You need help in the investigation, ja?

A: ...What?

K: I want to help you.

A: (What????)

A: Gavin, what brought this on? Why are you here?

K: I was in the crowd for the whole event. I wanted to see how the fraulein was doing.

A: And now you want to help... Me?

K: Fraulein Atlas has already taken the case. I assure you, Forehead, I really do wish to help.

A: But I-

K: You would have been investigating alone this time around, no? It never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes, and you would know mine are quite sharp.

A: I guess but-

K: Perfect! I can drive us back.

A: (Something tells me he isn't going to take no for an answer.)

A: Alright, Gavin. Let's go then.

K: Ah, I was hoping you'd say that!

[runby2]

Do Kristoph and Klavier speak German? If not, have they ever thought about learning it?

Habt nen schönen Tag, ihr seid echt cool!

hallo anon!

funny thing about me, when i split, i was isolated from a lot of our english vernacular and slang. it was an odd situation! similar to when the brain is keeping memories from us, but our native language instead? heaven knows why.

as a result i have learned some german, as well as japanese, along the way when picking it up from youtube and other content creators, so i know very little, and i am no where near fluent! i do not even consider myself german despite my source being so. we did grow up in the country after all. i must try to sound very white again!

our host's partners have dubbed me german however. as well as our host himself . and for some reason i have what our boyfriend calls a "foreign to english way of speaking" - they have said i have a "german accent", personally though i believe it is more swedish in pronunciation if i were to pin it on anything specific. for a year now i have tried to ease my way of speaking back into how our host speaks, but i seem to be stuck this way until further notice.

i know just enough german to flirt (7 words at most) and to read basic words. but that is as far as i've learned. 🩷 you can image how humiliating it is to make friends in person and not be able to speak properly, or for honey to come back and our accent to be gone! we will look like such a weird poser for sure? i am not quite country boy, and not even quite german! so what am i?

kris knows not much german, as he tends to heavily focus on proper english.

i hope one day to learn our words again properly and fix this odd mental mishap!

and you have a good day too! you are cool! (i hope i read that correctly -)

-KLAVIER GAVIN 🎸