#this is a lie sometimes i play ace attorney instead

[allthatdivides2]

every night i ask myself. do i watch a horror movie or do i play minecraft. and the decision is impossible every time

[96percentdone]

Your ace attorney opinions are so valid and I wish they did aa5 and aa6 more justice? The characters are interesting and fun but when they play 52 pickup with each individual storyline it really shoots the collective narrative in the foot. From a gameplay standpoint, the stuff introduced in aa5 and 6 are fun and rly cool ways to expand upon the universe, and the Wright lie detection agency is fun, but it feels like. Idk. Like they didn’t trust their writers OR their fan base with their story. Idk if that makes sense? (I have similar beef with aitsf and aini though so,,,)

Yeah I honestly hold more contempt for AA5 and 6 than I do any other art I've experienced. Defenders of these games will posit the detractors are so fixated on AJ's plot they cannot see the merits of DD and SoJ, but I don't care about Kristoph's psyche locks, the untouched sibling reveal, or Apollo's 70000 backstories nearly as much as they suggest. Those things are annoying, but they are minor symptoms of the real issue: bad writing across the board. Most if not all culprits have store-bought motives that are thinly elucidated, if they're even elucidated at all, which impacts the writing of every case. If the cause of the suffering is a caricature, the victims end up similarly toothless. They are equally generic. AA has always struggled to write witnesses and culprits consistently well--there's a reason people talk about ace attorney middle cases like that for instance--but it's compounded by the frequency that it happens especially for the main characters.

The returning main cast are hollowed out versions of themselves. Trucy is just a quirky magician girl which they walk back a little in Spirit of Justice by giving her a focus case, and then she's back to being Quirky. Phoenix Wright is a generic mentor figure with goofy internal dialogue sometimes. Klavier is a rockstar prosecutor!!! That's it!!!! Miles Edgeworth is BACK, and because they worked on the investigations games you can kind of see why he's this big good figure, but Pearl and Maya are seemingly around just to be around cause they have nothing going on emotionally. Apollo is a stock dweeb except when he's stock Edgy as a result of one of his new poorly written backstories involving poorly written new characters who might not even be characters (looking at you, Clay Terran).

And the new main characters suffer just as much. Let's take Dual Destinies as a case study. Blackquill was convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did not do, something that changed him and shows in his scenes, in order to protect Athena, whose upbeat personality is only preserved because she is so traumatized by the events and her complicated relationship with her mother and hearing she cannot acknowledge it consciously. These are compelling emotional beats, it makes for well-rounded characters, but what's the payoff? Why did they suffer this way? Because some hired goon with no name and no face had a job at GYAXA to execute. In a better game, you could use Phantom's emptiness as commentary about how often the things that ruin your life don't have good explanations, but I will not be lending credit to that notion for this game, because void man is the origin point for "The Dark Age of the Law," which now also happened because it did, and it was a shallow idea from the jump.

"The Dark Age of the Law" is an simplified cartoon explanation for distrust in the legal system. Instead of people being flawed whether through selfishness (MvK, Kristoph) or trauma (Miles, Justine) lending itself to corruption, exploitation and injustice in systems meant to protect, leading to a myriad of reasons the public would be skeptical that the law serves them, they just feel that way because one lawyer got disbarred for evidence forging and one prosecutor was convicted for murder. Spirit of Justice largely takes place in a made up country with a tyrannical government that kills defense attorneys for assuring fair trials for guilty clients! Why does this happen? Idk, because Ga'ran sucks, and she has ultimate power and creates all the laws. The root of all evil in Khura'in is one woman who is a factory set trope surrounded by generic citizens, diluted returning leads, and new characters who must be dragged down by the garbage that surrounds them in order to take part in it.

You brought up AI. Since you're anonymous, I'm guessing you're one of the countless people who takes issue with Nirvana Initiative on the grounds it's a bad followup to AITSF, to which I first have to ask.... Are you new to my blog? This is a AINI defender account lmao. I think it's better than AITSF, fight me. I'm writing a whole essay about it; I'll win. That said, I get the comparison because it's one I've made before, even if I don't quite stand by it anymore. I'm not going to explain my AINI opinions here, wait for the essay if you're curious, but I think I can get at that difference to me just by using Ace Attorney alone.

My favorite Ace Attorney game is Investigations 2, a sequel to a spin-off that has two of the writers for the mainline games I hate. It's a game about legacy and family. Whether they were admirable and just like Gregory Edgeworth, or duplicitous abusers like Blaise Debeste, the cast of this game wrestles with who they are, how their parent (or parental figure) shaped them, and who they should be in the face that now. Maybe they have to learn what that person is actually like and separate from them, or maybe they find a new family among their friends to fill that absence, or maybe they make peace with that loss and accepting who they are now is someone worth being. Maybe they deny that memory as their own or significant until the end to preserve what they want to believe. It's also a game about systemic failure, and all the things that have to be done to make the law an institute that actually protects people. Specific bad actors may be out of the picture now, but there is still more work to be done.

And the funny thing is? I2 does all of this without actually talking all that much about the rest of the series. Most of the characters are new, even to Investigations, and the ones that return don't bring up most of the shit that happened like a week ago. Miles references the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, and "That Man", and Gregory Edgeworth is a key figure in this game, to the point where you play as him, and yet all of that is only alluded just enough to understand the magnitude of his image and his loss. The heart of AA has always been in its characters, who are zany and fun, but they face real tragedy and real abuses, at the hands of one another which are then reflected in the world of law because the justice system is created and run by people; in I2 it beats so strongly.

Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice may have the skin of Ace Attorney and the bones to prop them up, but underneath that familiar exterior, they're empty. They lack the the muscles and veins and blood to bring them to life, because the character writing and thematic conceits are shallow. The reason AA5 and 6 fail as followups is not because they don't engage with prior entries enough, but because they are poorly written on their own terms. They say nothing at all; they have removed their own heart.

[xanderthechef]

“I just came from 196” ask game

Sure, I’ll play along. Might be fun; but I don’t know anyone… and tagging random people might be a party foul… idk? So i’ll only reblog and see what happens!

Name? Xander

Pronouns and gender? he/him, cis boy

Sexuality? I don’t know how to classify it! I like boys… I like girls sometimes, too… I like those who lie betwixt… but sex in general is a pretty low priority for me. I’m only ever in love with my friends, too.

Country? USA

Top 5 fandoms? That’s a toughie… (in no particular order) I’m really into the Omori and Ace Attorney fandoms right now. While I don’t consider myself a furry, i enjoy the fandom every once in a while. Uh… I suppose 196 itself counts, right? I can’t think of any others that I particularly associate with. I’m not very experienced with fandom culture.

What is your most forbidden snack? The big stupid red concrete balls at Target. I know they’ve got a delicious ooey gooey center

Would you pet a bug? Yes, absolutely! As long as I don’t hurt it, and it doesn’t mind

Share a weird fact/story about yourself with the class. One time in the seventh grade, I was recounting a Jim Gaffigan bit about hot pockets to these two girls i sat next to during social studies class. They were laughing pretty hard, but probably more at le than the bit. I thought he was the peak of comedy at the time. The teacher stopped the class and everyone focused on me, which i took a second to notice before i shut up. The teacher asked me what on earth I was talking about that was so much more important than doing my work, to which my response was to stand up in my desk and say “have you ever had a hot pocket hot pocket? Its a hot pocket filled with a hot pocket. Tastes just like a hot pocket! 🎶Hoooot Pooocket!🎶” She was not amused.

What does the color blue taste like? Blue Moon ice cream

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? That’s a pretty hard to quantify question for me…. What I can tell you is that I cut a red cabbage in half the other week and the inside was definitely up there on my list!

What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? I graduated high school and culinary school when I was 16. Instead of… yknow, starting my career… going to more college… I instead decided to stay at home for three years and help my mom around the house as a live in full time nanny. I got paid room and board…. And a small stipend. While I gained childcare experience, I otherwise wasted my time. I could have gotten a real job and saved for college. I’m kicking myself for that decision every day when i see the new semester rolls around asking me for a couple grand. Shoulda bailed while I could, but now I feel stuck here.

Stupidest thing you’ve seen/heard someone else do/say? My qanon uncle once sent me an email telling me that he wanted to have a relationship with me, but my libtard family was poisoning my mind; and that he would love to show me the truth before its too late. I didn’t respond.

Hyperfixation song? Currently? Wellerman by Nathan Evans. Before this, it was a FNF song called “Zoo Wee Mama” and before that it was Feelings are Fatal by mxmtoon

Is there any meaning behind your pfp and/or username? The pfp was a random image off my camera roll. “xanderthechef” has been my username for everything for over a decade. I got my culinary trade degree in 2018 and have done… basically nothing professional with it. BUT! My cheesecake is locally famous!

Dream career as a child? My earliest memory of a dream job was to be a rock star… later, i wanted to go into geology, then nutritional anthropology.

Dream career as an adult? I wanna make art in any way i can, be that culinary, digital, drawing, or even through music, video or video games. I love art but i also fucking hate it and why can I never draw right ever

Thoughts on cilantro? A necessary evil. Don’t go overboard! I once had a ceviche with so much cilantro in it the fish was dyed green. Yuck! But if there aint any at all… I’m gonna miss it.

Have you ever been banned from a location and if so, why? Nope, none. I’m a good boy 👍

What is your cursed food combination? Oh, my secret shame… I like to dip the m&ms into the nacho cheese at the movie theater.

Trans rights? Uh… duh and/or hello!

Hooray. I done it. Tagging NO ONE😠😠

“I just came from r/196” ask game

Saw another post. I think I should invite y'all to one of our longstanding traditions. Answer the questions then tag 10 (or more) people. I'll go first.

Name? Frankie

Pronouns and gender? he/they/it, transmasc

Sexuality? Lesbian

Country? USA

Top 5 fandoms? Bungou Stray Dogs, Cosmere, All for the Game, Fundiesnark (not a series but I'm too deep in it to not consider it a fandom), .....the tornado fandom? (they're my special interest)

What is your Most forbidden snack? The preserved bones at the Atlanta Bodies Exhibition. They looked so crunchy...

Would you pet a bug? If it's big enough, it is pettable.

Share a weird fact/story about yourself with the class. I like to drive around rural areas and photograph old, sometimes abandoned locations in the dead of night. I have been literally chased out of towns by foot and by car on two separate occasions. The second time this happened, "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus came up on shuffle and that's the soundtrack my friend and I tore out of town to. Also every "guy" I've dated except for my most recent ex (who has big egg energy) is a lesbian now.

What does the color blue taste like? Creme brulee

What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? The appalachian mountains of Tennessee in the middle of summer. There's kudzu everywhere. On the backroads, there were several old, dilapidated Baptist churches barely hanging to the side of the mountain. I wonder how many of them were still in use.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done? Short version: my friend's house almost got broken into by this dude who'd been stalking us for months while we were home alone. Instead of calling the cops, we decided to confront him with a bow and arrow (me), a hatchet, and a baseball bat (him). The plan was that if it went badly, we would simply throw his corpse into one of the many lakes in the neighborhood and let the alligators eat his remains (this was Florida). Why? Because we were afraid of having our home-alone privileges revoked. Luckily for us all, the guy fucked off and we never saw him again.

Stupidest thing you've seen/heard someone else do/say? My ex thought that Jackalopes were real. Also, a nurse I was doing rotations with apparently thought that "Witness Protection" was for Jehovah's Witnesses.

Hyperfixation song? Young Enough + Bleach by Charly Bliss

Is there any meaning behind your profile picture and/or username? Profile pic; I'm transmasc and I'm currently obsessed with TriStamp. Username; It was my fake internet name when I was like 13. I won't change it because I want my mutuals to recognize me, and because I do have a viral post associated with this name.

Dream career as a child? Doctor (funnily enough I'm now in nursing school)

Dream career as an adult? Professional Jester. Not a comedian. I just want to be some weird little guy who dresses silly and you can hire me to roast your boss at work parties.

Thoughts on cilantro? Delicious

Have you ever been banned from a location and if so, why? I honestly can't remember? Probably... but in recent memory I've mainly banned people from places.

What is your cursed food combination? Pineapple on a hotdog with grilled onions. It Slaps.

Trans rights? TRANS RIGHTS

Tagging: @rocket-mankoi @mostlymarco @atleast8courics @jazzlike39 @gemsweater72 @limbobilbo @ameliaaltare @redcrane112 @theoneofwhomisblue @twinkenjoyer @theultimatecarp and anyone else who wants to jump on

[allygodot]

Taking Accountability

My name is Adam, but people online call me Coffee. I’m a 27 years old graduate of Chicago Law School living in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am a heterosexual Christian, but am an ally to the LGBT community. My main interests are Ace Attorney, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. These are all things my followers should know about me, so why am I telling you this? Well... what if I told you it was all a lie? I’m sure this is coming as a shock to a lot of you, and I sincerely apologize to everyone I’ve hurt with my deception. It is my hope that this post will clear up any misconceptions that have been spread about me, whether I spread them myself or otherwise, and that in the future there will be no animosity between us. I don’t expect to be forgiven nor do I deserve it, but if there is one thing I learned from my time in the church it is that all I can do is ask for mercy and hope for the best. But first... I think an explanation is in order. If all that isn’t the truth, then what is? It all starts in college, that nebulous period of my life that everyone keeps asking about and I keep bringing up. Before I went to university, I had always been completely unremarkable. I had always had the kind of fair weather friends who enjoyed my company, but never felt to invested in me. Combined with my status as a middle child, I always felt like I had something to prove to get people to like me. I would say and think whatever I needed to for them to stick around another day, and I’m sure you are familiar with what that means for teenage boys. I acted immaturely because it was what was expected... and anything outside of that was looked down upon it even forbidden. I never thought much of it at the time, but I realize now that I wasn’t allowed much self-expression when I was always trying to conform to their standards. Everything changed when I met him. My assigned college roommate, Anton, was everything my years of conditioning had taught me to distrust. Despite his tall stature, he was emotional and sensitive... even vulnerable. Even so, he wasn’t afraid to be unabashedly himself. The first thing that struck me as unusual about him was his clothing... he almost always wore pastel pink or yellow and I hardly ever saw him without his long, checkered scarf. His nails were always painted with a clear, glittery polish, and I don’t think he ever skipped a shower in his life. His hair was always soft and smelled like strawberry even at a distance... all this to say he immediately struck me as fruity so I wanted nothing to do with him, at least initially. Despite his kindness to me, I would always respond with either the cold shoulder or open scorn, which only amplified the more I learned about him. I discovered pretty quickly that he was a furry, since one day I came home from a day of classes to find a decapitated pink cat head on our couch. He patiently explained the whole culture to me while I glared at him skeptically, but he didn’t seem bothered at all. He even brought out his paws and tail and told me he was saving up for a full suit despite my open disgust. Looking back, I still have no clue why he put up with me during that time. Another curious aspect of Anton’s life was his addiction to a certain television series called “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” His room was filled with merchandise from stuffed animals to figurines, and I had nothing but disdain for the tacky and embarrassing decoration. I was afraid that if I ever brought a girl over to our apartment she would notice and make all sorts of incorrect assumptions... I couldn’t handle the embarrassment. I tried on multiple occasions to convince him to hide them in a secret box or something, but he always just smiled and shook his head. I even tried to sneak into his room and collect all the ponies for donation once, but he had anticipated this and hid a playful trap for me... I reached forward to grab one of his overpriced statues and immediately got a face full of multi-colored snakes. I was livid of course, despite it being my own fault for trying to pawn of his collection in the first place, but he wasn’t even phased by my tirade. I suppose he was 6’5” and I was (and still am) only 5′7″... but still, I had at least expected him to be somewhat apologetic if not fearful. Instead, he just laughed and told me I should watch the show with him sometime. I obviously had no intentions of taking him up on his ludicrous offer... until he promised that if I didn’t enjoy the show, he would move all of his ponies into a case that he would throw a big curtain on whenever I said the word. I reluctantly agreed on those conditions, positive that this was a bet I couldn’t lose. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. He lead me into the pony chamber and sat down on his bed, taking out his laptop to pull up his favorite episode. It was “The Canterlot Wedding” two part season finale, and although I initially protested that I only agreed to watch one episode, I eventually relented once he reminded me what the prize was. I was hesitant to sit beside him on his bed and lean over his shoulder to look at the small screen, but he assured me that it didn’t bother him at all. I wasn’t particularly concerned with how he felt about it... it was more so my own pride I was worried about. Nevertheless, I sat through the whole episode with him despite myself. Although I was disturbed by the tendency for his long and curly hair to gravitate into my mouth while I rested my cheek against his shoulder, I found the episode to be surprisingly enjoyable. The song in particular surprised me with it’s musicality... by the end of it I didn’t want to leave, but I was far too embarrassed to admit that to him earnestly. I told him I was interested in the show purely for the songs and that it could benefit my studies as a music major, but that he still had to uphold his end of the bargain since I was by no means enjoying it. He just smiled and put on another episode, and before I knew it the sun was rising outside his window. I realized just how tired I was and turned to tell him I would be going to bed only to discover he had fallen asleep. I began to suspect that he must have been asleep for several hours, letting the auto-play functionality do his job for him while he rested up for his exams. Although I was scandalized, I was impressed by his tactical prowess... he had managed to trap me in his room, since I couldn’t move from my spot without disturbing his slumber, and he didn’t even have to be awake to do it. Begrudgingly, I spent the rest of his room, until eventually the faint aroma of strawberries lured me into the world of dreams... This arrangement continued for quite some time. When I got home from my classes, Anton would ask me if I wanted to watch some My Little Pony with him and I only agreed so long as he put the curtain over the cabinet next time I asked. He always obliged whenever I asked him to conceal his collection, but eventually I stopped asking for him to do so and only reminded him not to break our contract before every episode out of habit. It became a ritual for the two of us to do this every night, and even once we had finished all of the episodes we would just watch them again. I found that I was becoming endeared to this eccentric man... and as much as I tried to resist it, I couldn’t help but feel my heart swell a bit in my chest whenever he would run his fingers through his hair or tighten his scarf around his neck. I told myself it was nothing... but it wouldn’t remain that way for long. I don’t know what possessed me, but one night I thought I would get to know Anton a little better. I started by asking if he was single, which to me seemed like an innocuous question, but the very fact I was asking seemed to amuse him. He told me that he was having trouble finding a guy who wasn’t immediately turned off by all the ponies, and I made sure to snidely comment that he shouldn’t be going out with guys anyway even though it made my heart skip a beat when he said that, as well as mention that if he would just give up his collection there wouldn’t be an issue in the first place. I don’t know what I was expecting, but he asked me the same thing: how was my love life going, especially considering my new hobby? I couldn’t help but get flustered and start making excuses. I told him that there was no shortage of girls lined up to date me, but that I just wasn’t ready to make a commitment yet. I spun a whole story about how a girlfriend would only hold me back... I almost forgot that the standard that Anton accepted was completely different from my old teenage friends. He wasn’t impressed that girls were apparently lining up to get a piece of me... he just seemed amused that I thought such a thing was realistic, much less desirable. He didn’t understand that compulsive need to lie at all... he thought it would be better if more guys admitted that they were vulnerable. That was the first time I’d ever heard someone say something like that... I suddenly felt extremely exposed, and before I knew it my eyes were full of tears. My first instinct was to cover my face with my sleeve and hide my shame, but he was already firmly gripping my arm and holding it in place. He told me that I didn’t need to hide anything from him. He asked me if there was anything he could do to help me... and so for what felt like the first time in my life, I told the truth. It was supposed to be just to try it. I wasn’t expecting to actually enjoy it, I just thought that if I got it out of my system all of the unnecessary feelings would finally stop tormenting me... but all they did was grow stronger. I kept telling him that I was still looking for a girlfriend and that once I got one this whole arrangement would end, but eventually I realized that there was no point in lying to myself anymore. I wasn’t ever even sleeping in my own room anymore. I hadn’t so much as glanced at any dating websites in weeks. I was committed, whether I wanted to admit it or not... and I didn’t want to admit it. I only wish that I had told him how I really felt when I had the chance... One of the many things we started to share, which seemed the most inconsequential to me at the time, was a webpage. Anton was the owner of a small subreddit dedicated to My Little Pony fursuits, and he asked me if I would be willing to help him moderate. It wasn’t something I felt qualified to speak as an authority on, since even as I became more open about my love for ponies I still didn’t really feel connected to furry culture despite accompanying him to several conventions, but I was willing to do basically anything just to please him. My job was mostly to stop people from publicly “yiffing,” and although it was a grueling line of work it wasn’t thankless. Anton was a poet with words of affirmation. Many of the compliments he paid me were certainly undeserved, but they motivated me more than anything else ever had... but I got too zealous. There was a certain user on the server who for the sake of protecting privacy, we shall call XxLesbianRainbowDash69xX. As a member of the subreddit they were of course a brony and a furry, but what made them stand out was their dedication to the Flutterdash ship. They were constantly posting couple’s cosplays of themselves dressed as Rainbow Dash, but the Fluttershy in each picture was always different. They were also exceptionally sociable and aggressively tried to make friends with everyone on the tiny subreddit... Anton and I included. I wasn’t so keen on pursuing another friendship that could very well ruin my reputation, but of course Anton was immediately taken with the idea. The two of them exchanged contacts and hit it off instantly, and I started having trouble sleeping at night because he was awake in the early hours of the morning texting his friend in another timezone. He always paid me just as much attention as always during the daytime, but once he saw that his new friend was online he would crawl out of bed to go converse with them in another room. He was trying so hard to be considerate of me, and perhaps it was selfish for me to expect that I would always be able to sense his warmth and scent beside me while I slept... but at the time I was blinded by jealousy. One fateful morning, he excitedly woke me up to tell me that XxLesbianRainbowDash69xX had gifted him tickets to a major convention, and that the two of them were planning to cosplay Flutterdash together. He apologetically explained that he would be gone for a few days since the convention was halfway across the country, but sensing the disturbance within me he assured me that he could probably convince his friend to let me tag along as Applejack... she was always my least favorite. It didn’t matter what Anton said to encourage me, because I was never going to accept any consolation until this threat to our sacred relationship was eliminated. I had to find a way to get rid of XxLesbianRainbowDash69xX by any means necessary... In a fit of rage, I whipped out the ban hammer and beat my rival to death with it, metaphorically speaking. It was a blatant abuse of my privilege as a moderator and I am ashamed to admit it now... but at the time all that mattered was covering up the evidence. I knew I had to come up with an excuse for why I had banned them, so I added a new rule to the subreddit: Flutterdash was prohibited. The news was not met with acceptance from the other members of the community. To some more in the loop with the situation, it was obvious that I had only banned XxLesbianRainbowDash69xX because of a petty personal dispute, but others saw it as nothing but an unfair rule. I was accused of being biased towards other ships like Flutterchord or Appledash and that I needed to accept other people’s ship preferences, or even that I was homophobic and couldn’t handle the thought of lesbian characters in my favorite show. Chants of “mods are gay” could be heard across the subreddit from all sides of the debate, and everyone was rallying for Anton to remove me as a tyrannical moderator. Sound familiar? I can’t help but notice some similarities between my situation and Mo the one over at Kristahlia Week... maybe that is why the drama captivated me so.  Anton tried to reason with me, bless his heart, but at this point I had completely devolved back into my screaming teenager mentality to cope with all the rejection. He was obviously disappointed in me for what I had done but he had no reason to believe it would ruin us... he couldn’t have handled it better. It really was my fault that things happened the way they did, but I refused to take accountability. What I told him still haunts my conscience to this day, even six years later. I told him that I never loved him, and that I was only using his companionship to fulfill my carnal desires. I told him that I didn’t care about what he did with his life as long as he didn’t do anything that kept him away from me. I even told him that I still thought he was disgusting and embarrassing. And the worst thing is... in that moment I meant every word. I was so selfish... I genuinely forgot that I loved him and treated him like he only existed to serve me. My actions were truly despicable and I deserved to suffer for it... and I did. For the first time, I saw Anton cry. I should have been there to comfort him like he did for me on that fateful night, but instead I let him run out of the house to go suffer by himself. By the time I realized how horrible I was acting, it was too late. He had disappeared into the night, never to be seen again. I came home the next day to discover all the ponies in the apartment finally gone... isn’t that what I had wanted? My moderator status on the subreddit had been stripped away, and I had been banned by all of the members of the group on nearly every social media platform. Another classmate later informed me that Anton had transferred to a different college... and that was the end. I have no idea what happened to him after that, but I can only hope he is doing well. Instead of taking this as an omen that I should improve my behavior, I began to become even more bitter than I was before I met Anton. I acted like my relationship with him was just an experimental phase that was doomed to fail from the start, and soon I was denying that it ever even happened at all. I convinced myself that the problem in our relationship was that I wasn’t supposed to be with men, and so I began to insist that I was straight and aggressively seek out relationships with women just to prove it to myself. I also started searching for strict moral codes that could give direction to my life... which is when I found the Church. I was attracted to their beliefs because they gave a very clear outline for how someone’s life should go and promised ultimate happiness to anyone who could fulfill the requirements, so I began to obsess over meeting those requirements. I wanted a Christian wife that could bear me many children not because that is how I wanted to live my life, but because that is how other people wanted me to live my life... and all I wanted was for others to tell me I was doing something right. The congregation was distrusting if me at first, and although they never said it to my face I know it was because they were aware of my past. Hardly a woman would come near me, and looking back on it I can’t say I blame them. The ones who were desperate enough for a husband to give me a shot were quirky repulsed by my egotistical behavior, which certainly didn’t help my reputation. Throughout all this, I still somehow told myself I was the victim because I didn’t want to admit that I had become the villain again. For a long time, the only person in the parish who would willingly hold a conversation with me was Lana. She was a fellow member of the choir and a devout believer in God, but she was often judged by the rest of the congregation for being an open lesbian despite her faith. She tried to convince me on several occasions that I didn’t have to perform any sort of identity to impress anyone and that I should “just be myself,” but I insisted that I knew what I was talking about. Eventually, she decided my well-being wasn’t her responsibility and gave up on trying to reason with me, but nonetheless she still treated me more kindly then many of the other churchgoers. I believe that my “dark past” is what drew Gabriella to me in the first place. She likely hoped that we could act as covers for each other until she figured some way out of her situation, but unfortunately I was too far gone to be of any help. I convinced myself that she was really in love with me and that she would be walking down the aisle soon enough. Whether or not I was really interested in her or just interested in what she represented I’m still not sure... but she truly was a wonderful person who didn’t deserve to have to suffer through my baggage. When she left me I was truly devastated... so much so that I even began to go through another crisis of belief that I recorded on this very blog. All I have to add is that I no longer bear any resentment towards Lana or Gabriella, and only wish them the best of luck. My relationship with Krissy began almost immediately after my breakup with Gabriella. I was desperate to regain the status I supposed that I had lost along with my girlfriend, so I latched onto the first woman who showed me any sort of positive attention. Her death and my downward spiral are all well-documented on this blog. I didn’t want to blame myself for her passing as well, so I developed a conspiracy to rationalize the whole ordeal. I even tried to act like a completely different person to try to keep the blame as mentally distant from myself as possible, but that didn’t work either. In the end, this is my cross to bear alone. So that brings us to now. What will become of allygodot? The truth is, I don’t know and quite frankly I don’t think that is the most important thing right now. I realized last night when I was looking at that art of Diego and Godot as Happy Tree Friends characters that I desperately wanted to be anyone other than myself... it really opened my eyes to the level of repression that had been burdening me since the incident six years ago. I realized that if I wanted to change, sitting around and thinking about how things could hypothetically be different isn’t going to do anything. If I want to make progress and truly become a better person, I’m going to have to act better, not just tell myself that I am. From now on, I will be defining myself on my actions and not my beliefs, as wise man once said. I hope that soon, I will have become a good enough person to meet Anton face to face again... I still love him after all these years, and even though I expect that he justifiably won’t want anything to do with me anymore, I still think that it is a guilt that needs to be resolved. If I ever come back to this blog, it’ll be as a different Adam to the one you thought that you knew. It’ll be as the Adam I’m trying to become... the true Adam that I know exists deep within me... Not allygodot, but as proudgodot. My name is Adam, but people online call me Coffee or Godot. I’m a 27 years old former music student living in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am bisexual. My main interests are Ace Attorney, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #496: About Last Night (Ace Attorney)

2:29 a.m. at the Streets

Ema: (Sighs While Walking) This night could've been a lot better......(Turns to Klavier) Yo, Fop! You still got Justice behind your back?

Klavier: (Carrying an Already Asleep Apollo from Behind his Back) Yep.

Apollo: 'Zzzzzzzzzzz'

Klavier: (Chuckles Lightly) Honestly, I still couldn't believe our Herr Forehead here was such a lightweight drinker.

Ema: (Rolls her Eyes) I believe it. Knew we shouldn't let the dork join us on club night......Or even go to one at all tonight....

Klavier: Oh come now, Ema. There's no need to be upset here. Let alone towards Herr Forehead. He just wanted to spend time with us for the night is all. And at the very least, the night didn't get a lot worse than we thought it would.

Ema: True....... Plus, at least we know now not to never bring him to a bar again. Or anywhere near the drinks and bars.....(Pulls out her Phone to Make a Call)

Klavier: Making a call there, my dear?

Ema: Yep. I wanted to let the fireball know that her man is safe and sound.

Klavier: (Chuckles Lightly) I'm assuming you're talking about Fraulein Cykes, yes?

Ema: You assumed correct, Fop. (Already On the Phone, Waiting on a Call)

???: ('Yawns') Hello?.....

Ema: (Eyes Widened in Terror Once She Realize Who She's Really Calling) Shit!.....

Klavier: What? What is it?

Ema: (Turns to Klavier While Whispering to Him) I called Trucy by mistake!

Klavier: (Eyes Widened in Surprised) Oh.......

Trucy: Ema? Is that really you?

Ema: (Turns Back Around and Answers the Call) Oh! Uhhh.... H-Hey there, kiddo! How's the night treat ya?

Trucy: Okay. I guess...Is everything okay?

Ema: Y-Yeah! Of course! Sorry about that. I've must've called you by mistake.

Klavier: (Whisper into Ema's Ear) Ema, are you sure wise to not tell her about Here Forehead current state?

Ema: (Glares at Klavier While Whispering Back to Him) Whaddya talking about, Fop?! If course, we can't tell about what happened to Justice here late night!

Trucy: Wait. (Immediately Starts Getting Worried on the Other Line) W-What about Polly?! Is he okay?! H-He isn't hurt, is he?!!

Ema: (Damnit! She heard us!!) (Immediately Starts to Lie) P-Polly? What about him,m (Chuckles Awkwardly) Honestly. I have no idea what's you're talking about here, Truce. Really.

'Silence'

Ema: Trucy?

Klavier: (Whispers into Ema's Ear Lot more Silently) You.....think she would believe that or......

Trucy: Ema.......

Ema: Y-Yeah? W-What wrong?

Trucy: Are you lying to me right now?

Ema: Whaaaat? (Chuckles Awkwardly) N-No way! That's crazy!....Why would you think that?

Trucy: Cause you're showing a lot more emotions than you should right now.

Ema: (Already Starting to Sweat Bullets) T-That because I'm genuinely happy! I-I mean... What's wrong with having emotions here, huh?

Trucy: Nothing. There's nothing with having at all.

Ema: See? Isn't that-

Trucy: In fact, if you ask me, I'm showing a lot of emotions in this phone call right now....

Ema: O-Oh! I-Is that so?

Trucy: That's right. I'm tired, confused, worried, and about to go apeshit if you don't tell me what's going on with Polly in couple of seconds!

Ema: (Gasps While Being Very Surprised by Trucy's Sudden Profanity) Trucy!

Trucy: Don't you "Trucy" me, Ema Skye!! Don't think I didn't notice you whispering to Mr. Gavin on the other line a second ago! Speaking of which, Hello, Mr. Gavin!!

Klavier: (Taken Back a bit by Trucy Calling his Name) Oh! I umm....('Clears Throat') G-Good evening, Fraulein-

Trucy: NO TIME FOR FORMAL GREETINGS!!!

Klavier: O-Okay. W-Whatever you say.....(Chuckles Awkwardly till he Went Silent in a bit of Fear)

Trucy: ('Sighs Heavily') Could you guys please tell me what going on with Polly already?! Or do you want me to go out and find out myself?!

Ema: Okay! Okay! We confess! ('Sighs in Defeat') We took Apollo to a night club earlier tonight and....well....he may or may not gotten himself drunk right about now....You know...since he was a lightweight and everything.....

'Dead Silence'

Ema: Trucy? A-Are you still there? H-Hello?

Klavier: (Whispers to Ema's Ear Yet Again) You think she didn't take the news too well?

Ema: Probably not, Fop.....

Trucy: (Took a Deep Breath on the Other Line)

Ema: Trucy?

Trucy: Okay.....Let me get this straight.....And please.....do try to correct me when I'm wrong.

Ema: Y-Yeah. Okay, sure.

Trucy: Now, you mean to tell me that you two invited Polly into a Night Club......AND LET HIM GET DRUNK?!!

Ema: ...................When you put it like that, it almost sounds like it's a bad-

Trucy: IT IS A BAD THING!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!!!

Ema: Trucy, I know you have every right to be mad at us, but could you please try to calm down a little?

Trucy: ('Sighs Heavily') Fine....Sorry for yelling.....You could just please tell me where Polly is right now?

Ema: It's fine, kiddo. We totally get where you're coming from in all of this. Really.

Klavier: (Smiles a Little) And don't you worry about Herr Forehead. He already tired himself out to sleep on my back.

Trucy: ('Sighs in Relief') Oh thank goodness......

Ema: Hey, Trucy?

Trucy: Yeah?

Ema: Listen, I completely get it if you're still upset with us and everything, but...Please don't take it out on Justice. He just wanted to spend time us....Sure that in it of itself got him drunk to sleep, but... It's the truth.

Trucy: (Facepalms While Sighing on the Other Line) Oh my gosh...... Pollllly.....Why are you trying so hard to impress people?!

Ema: That's what I wanna know.....

Klavier: Ema.

Ema: What? It's the truth.

Trucy: Okay. Where are guys at right now?

Ema: Already out in the streets. We're taking Apollo back to his apartment right about-

Trucy: Wait!

Ema: Hm?

Trucy: I want you guys to take him back to agency.

Ema: You.....Sure you want us to do that?

Trucy: Yeah. Daddy had already left for the weekend to do an important case and I wanna make sure Polly's gonna be okay for myself.

Ema: Well, Alright then. Guess we're heading our way to the agency right now.

Trucy: Good. I'll let you guys in once you get here. I'll even let Athena know about everything that happened in the morning.

Ema: Sounds like a plan.

Trucy: Oh and Ema?

Ema: Yeah?

Trucy: ......Thank you and Mr. Gavin so much for taking care of my Polly tonight.

Ema: (Chuckles Lightly) No problem, Truce. Justice may be an idiot sometimes, but.... (Looks Back and Smiles a Little Towards a Sleeping Apollo) He's our idiot. We always got his back.

Next Morning at the Everything Wright Apartment

Apollo: (Groans While Slowly but Surely Trying to Wake Up) (God I hate migraines....Just what the hell happened last night?) (Finally Starts to Open his Eyes.....only to see....)

Trucy: Polly!

Apollo: (Yelps While Getting Himself Fallen off from the Sofa by Mistake) What the....(Look up and See Some Very Familiar Faces Staring Down on Him) Trucy?.... Guys?

Trucy: (Pouts Towards Apollo While Having her Hands on her Hips) You have a lot of explaining to do, mister!

Apollo: (Look Around the Room in Confusion) Wait. How did I get here?

Ema: Yeah....Fop and I was supposed to bring you back to your apartment last night, but your little sister here ask us to bring you here instead.

Apollo: Last night- (Eyes Widened Once he Immediately Realized what Ema was Talking About) Oh dear God....I was drunk that night, wasn't I?

Klavier: (Chuckles Lightly) You're starting to catch on quickly Herr Forehead. We're so proud.

Apollo: Shut up.....

Trucy: Alright. Enough fooling around. All I wanna know is why my Big Brother Polly got himself drunk at a club last night!

Apollo: You guys told her?!

Ema: Hey. In our defense, I did call her phone by mistake.

Klavier: (Shrugged) It's true.

Apollo: ('Sigh') Okay. Be honest with me here. How drunk was I that night?

Ema: (Smirk a Little) Drunk enough to fall yourself to sleep.

Klavier: I had to carry you on my back and everything.

Apollo: (Facepalms) Ah geez...

Trucy: Apollo!

Apollo: (Looks Back up to Trucy While being Startled) Y-Yeah, sis?

Trucy: If you know for a fact that you're a lightweight drinker, then why on Earth did you let yourself get drunk last night? Explain yourself, young man!

Apollo: ('Sigh') Look, I just wanted to able to spend time Ema and Klavier that night.....(Blushes a Little in Embarrassment) Even if it means getting myself intoxicated afterwards.....

Ema: Knew it.

Klavier: (Smiles Softly) If you really wanted to spend time with us, we wouldn't mind doing anything else, my friend.

Ema: Yeah. We could've just called up Wocky and play some Mario Party at your place.

Apollo: True.... But I thought that maybe if I'd go to the club with you guys, it would be another thing we could do other than just having lunch together and playing games. Sorry if I'd cause you two trouble......

Ema: Eh don't worry about it. As long as you're fine, it's already good for me.

Klavier: We had great time with you last night, Herr Forehead. Despite everything that happened afterwards.

Apollo: (Smiles a Little) Yeah......I had fun with you guys too.

Trucy: Well, I'm glad things are settledwith you three....Cause starting today, I hereby grounding you three weeks top, Apollo Justice!!

Apollo: (Eyes Widened in Disbelief) WHAT?! T-Trucy, you can't do that! I'm older than you!

Trucy: That maybe the case, but I'm daddy's little princess! And as such, my orders are sometimes absolute!

Apollo: (Facepalms) You can't be serious.....

Trucy: (Crosses her Arms) As serious as I can be. Plus, I already told daddy about what happened a few minutes ago and he agreed that you should be punished. So there you go.

Ema: (Gives Apollo a Teasing Smirk) Wow, Justice. Getting grounded by your own boss and sister? Really isn't your day now, is it?

Apollo: ('Sighs in Defeat') Whatever. I'll accept the punishment....I'm sorry for worrying you, Truce. Again.

Trucy: (Gives Apollo a Loving Hug) Polly, you know the only reason I'm being hard on you right now is because you mean the world to me. I love you.

Apollo: (Ruffles the top Trucy's Hair) I know you do, kiddo. I love you too-

'SMASH'

Once the sound of a kicked door starts coming into multiple eardrums, everyone in the living room turns to the door and see that it was none other than a furious Athena Cykes.

Athena: Apollo.......

Klavier: (Chuckles Awkwardly) Oh wow. Would you look at the time? W-We wish we could stay and chat, but I just remembered that we had quite a schedule today. If you excuse us....(Quick Makes his Way to the Door with Ema Follow Pursuit) We will see you later, Herr Forehead!

Ema: (Look Back at Apollo) We'll text you later.....If you could survive that is. (Left out the Door)

Athena: (Immediately Closes the Door Behind her Before Glaring Down at her Boyfriend) So.....What is this I hear about you getting yourself drunk last night?

Apollo: (Already Terrified) Tiger......I can explain.

Athena: You better!

And with that, Apollo gets scolded by his fireball of a girlfriend for the rest of the morning. Followed by receiving a nice, relaxing cuddle session afterwards with her and Trucy together.

@apollo-justice-for-all

@cyber-wildcat

@keyenuta

@26shann

@chompycroc

@ma-lemons

[a-trainers-tale]

Hello there! I'd like to request a paid pokemon team description if you please! I had previously sent in the ask for the free one but changed my mind and decided to pay for one instead. Hopefully that's alright. Lol. So where to start. I'm a 21 year old female Leo. Personality wise, I would basically boil it down to, I’m an amiable introvert. I’ve always been really shy and quiet around strangers, maybe even a bit cautious of friendships as I’ve had too many experiences in the past of (1/?)

toxic friends. However, once I perceive a person to be real and genuine, I can open up to them easily, becoming who I truly am around them: fun-loving, excitable and talkative. I have MBTI personality type INFP also known as The Mediator, which makes sense as I'm definitely the peacekeeping type. In my small group of friends, I'm basically the one who keeps them from getting into fights with each other or other people. I'm also the one who diffuses situations. I myself dislike conflict and (2/?) will do everything in my power to actively ignore it, which may be one of my downfalls. For more positive traits, I have a high level of patience, meaning that I won’t give up on people easily even if everyone else has. I’m also very nurturing towards the people I love. I love raising people up and giving them all the support and affection I can. I’m definitely a hugger. However, more negative traits include my stubbornness and pride. These two go hand in hand really. I pride myself in my (3/?) ability to lead and keep a cool and level head when stuff hits the fan but sometimes even a situation can be too much for me and I’ll quickly begin to crumble. However, in an effort to still appear as the cool, kind leader everyone looks up to, I’ll straight up lie about how I really feel and oftentimes will refuse help. This isn’t just with feelings either. It’s with anything from homework to projects, etc. It’s probably worth mentioning that I can also be incredibly lazy sometimes. My (4/?) bursts of hardworking spirit can often be met with equally long periods of me just going, “Meh…” My hobbies and interests include my top three: Drawing, writing and playing video games. I draw mostly cartoon looking things with maybe a dash of anime sprinkled in there. There’s definitely a lot of video game fan art in there too. When it comes to my writing, I generally like to write a lot of fanfiction (the non-cringy sort. lol.) about different video games and of course, I write my own (5/?) do, so much so that sometimes the story never even gets written. My favorite kinds of video games range from adorable friendly things to horrifying video games. Things like RPGs, strategy, action, horror, etc. I don’t have any consoles so I mostly play PC and mobile games. My top three favorite franchises are Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I also enjoy Minecraft, Destiny 2 and Tomb Raider. I’ve also been playing Pokemon since Generation 2 with my first game (6/?) Pokemon Silver. Other things I love include baking, reading (especially history), movies (love studio ghibli, anime, horror, action, thriller, comedy, etc.), TV shows about true crime, history and the paranormal. Speaking of, I'm a huge fan of the paranormal and come from a family of people spiritually sensitive to those sorts of things. I also love animes like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Hetalia and My Hero Academia. My favorite music includes hardstyle, edm, pop, 80’s/90’s hits, etc. (7/?) My favorite artists consist of Gorillaz, Melanie Martinez, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, etc. I also love going on hikes, swimming and just getting to experience nature. I will admit, I’m a kid who loves to snooze. Sometimes when there’s nothing else left to do, nothing’s better than curling up in bed with the blinds closed and room freezing cold with a warm blanket. I think the reason why is because I’m a vivid dreamer. Most of my inspiration comes from the things I dream up of and my dreams (8/?) always provide me with what may not be obtainable in real life. I’m currently going to school to become a preschool, elementary school or daycare teacher. I’m glad knowing that someday, I could make a difference in a child’s life with my kindness. I love Pokemon because it's given me a sense of joy all these years later after initially discovering it as a child. It's the one thing that had always stuck. This had been a lot of asks but I hope it's enough. Thank you for your time. (9/9)

Trainer class: Nurse

You have a naturally nurturing and caring heart and mind. You like to be able to help people and take care of people, this comes from both a genuine desire to help and also a likely subconscious desire to hold that kind of power in any relationships you have. You have a lot of patience and are willing to wait for things. Nurses do not initiate battle, they will wait for people to come to them directly, and after the battle will heal their opponent's pokemon. This is similar to how you approach your relationships with people, you wait for them to come to you and then dedicate yourself to listening, helping, and diffusing problems. Some people might not really understand you and think that your way of life seems boring or irritating but the way that you view it, helping others is also helping yourself. By not going out of your way to be a rockstar pokemon trainer, you are able to better focus on what you care about, namely helping those who need help and bonding with your pokemon who are safe in your care. Your determination comes and goes, some days you are content to relax with those closest to your and your pokemon, but other days you are out trying to find new methods of helping trainers and pokemon alike. You are creative in how you help pokemon and you pride yourself on your work when you are feeling passionate

Starter: Chikorita

Your starter pokemon is Chikorita. Like you, Chikorita really loves laid back activities and taking naps. Chikorita is often found sunbathing and relaxing in comfortable spots outdoors. Chikorita spends a lot of time looking for the perfect nap conditions and once it finds them it is hardpressed to leave before having its fill of a wonderful afternoon nap. You and Chikorita spend a lot of time relaxing and napping together, and you bond over enjoying simpler activities. Chikorita's lower energy makes it a good fit for you, and it doesn't often pick fights so it will never be a cause for concern for you. 

Partner: Steelix

Steelix is also a very patient pokemon, living for over 100 years sometimes, these pokemon will slowly become harder than diamonds. Steelix is also a very stubborn and very individualistic pokemon, which makes it somewhat of a challenge for you to get it to work with your other pokemon sometimes. You relate to your Steelix's desire to hole itself up in a cave somewhere and ignore any responsibility it may have, but you also relate to how it very often pulls itself out and helps out the rest of your team with you. Steelix is also fiercely protective, you so never have to worry about your other pokemon getting into trouble with Steelix around.

Team: Meganium (starter), Bastiodon, Darmanitan (zen), Dragonair, Hatterene

Hometown: Icirrus City, Unova

Your hometown is Icirrus City in the Unova region. This town is very humid and covered in wetlands, so most of the buildings are on higher ground and there are a lot of inclines. This town is also nearby Dragonspiral Tower, which is the oldest building in Unova and is said to be the home of legendary pokemon Zekrom and Reshiram. Because of your early life consisting of brave trainers venturing here to seek these legendary pokemon, and people fighting over the right to study and unearth these pokemon, you came to realize that you prefer to stay out of the mess most of the time and sometimes help people stuck within it. Your dedication to yourself and your pokemon is very rooted in your decision when you were younger to live a simpler life than a lot of the people who came through your hometown. You also gained some creativity due to growing up in an area that required creative architecture. Your experiences with rather difficult terrain and an interesting social climate made you the kind of person you are, namely that you keep your head when things get weird and you are willing to wait and be patient when others are more inclined to rush in head first.

Battle style: Slow and steady wins the race

You are a very patient and slow battler. You take your time and are very cautious. You tend to come overprepared, with lots of healing items and stat boosting items. Your pokemon are not necessarily hard hitters, but you prioritize their ability to be reliable and predictable for you to use. You prefer pokemon who will consistently do a set amount of damage, for instance, over a pokemon who might or might not do a ton of damage in one hit. You prefer pokemon that work well in groups, you like a team that can work together and help each other over individualistic and self reliant pokemon. You help your pokemon learn to work together and learn to love being a team instead of competing with one another. You enjoy being able to take your time in battles and observe your own pokemon and your opponents for areas they could be more creative or more consistent. Your pokemon all trust you deeply and know that if they take any damage or have any conflict they can't solve themselves, you will be there to help them out of their bind and comfort them after the fact. 

[notontumblr]

Character Analysis: Rean’s Opposite (CS1/2 spoilers)

Okay this gonna be super long and maybe pointless, but Trails is very big foreshadowing and catching people by surprise so I might as get my thoughts out there. 

So lots of people talk about Crow and Rean’s differences and insinuate how they're opposites. It's an easy claim to make, but I'm going to argue that while Rean sure has an opposite, it's not Crow. If anything, Rean and Crow are two sides of the same coin.  While there's some opposing traits- they are fundamentally the same deep down. You could write an entire essay on this and their relationship, it’s a very important relationship. But I'm not here to talk about Crow. I'm here to talk about Rean's true opposite.

And that is Elliot Craig. 

There’s a lot of ways they differ in ways that had to be intentional, so I’ll just break it down into categories. 

Battle Abilities

I’ll start with the most obvious one - Rean and Elliot are opposites in fights. Rean is a melee DPS/Tank while Elliot’s a Healer/Ranged DPS. In other words, Rean is a sword fighter while Elliot’s a mage. 

Their crafts are also pretty opposing too. Both of them get their buff craft early on. Rean’s boosts Strength and gives a little CP (the power meter that goes up when you give or take damage), while Elliot’s boosts defense and heals HP. Rean favors going on the offense, while Elliot favors defense. Their other crafts don’t share much overlap either:

Rean: Physical attacks with an increased chance to unbalance enemies. Meant to lay on the hurt whether it be him hitting as many enemies as possible, causing burn status (which causes extra damage each turn), or even being extra enough to summon his robot friend to step on baddies. In CS2 he even gets a special form that increases his damage output. 

Elliot: Only two attack crafts that can’t unbalance enemies. Instead of laying on the hurt, he puts enemies to sleep. His other crafts are a healing craft and one that scans enemy data - in CS2 this gets upgraded to one that will decrease the enemies attack strength when he scans - once again showing he’s favors defense. He’s also the only character with a healing S-Craft. 

Even their elements are opposite. Rean’s elements are Fire and Time (aka darkness), while Elliot’s are Water and Space (aka light). 

Backgrounds

Obviously with the reveal near the end of CS2 of Osborne being Rean’s dad, CS3 goes more into his past and gives more to say about this. But since that hasn’t been localized, I’ll just keep it to info we know from CS1/2 to spare people spoilers.

First, it’s easy to point out their social classes. Rean is an adopted noble from the countryside while Elliot’s a commoner that grew up in a big city - you couldn’t have more opposite upbringings. Sure, Rean is a commoner by birth, but his birth dad is none other than the most powerful and well known commoner in the country. Meanwhile while Elliot’s dad is a commoner with some status being a Lt. General - it’s much more limited, and only people involved with military are familiar with the name.  

Both Rean and Elliot have one sister - Elise is younger while Fiona is older. That makes the relationship dynamic fundamentally different. Both Elise and Fiona really care for their brothers, but Rean is overprotective of Elise while Fiona is the one whose overprotective of Elliot. Even their personalities are pretty different- Elise is a Tsundere through and through. Meanwhile Fiona is sweet and cheerful- but is a force of nature when she wants something. If you talk to the Craigs during the 2nd day of the school festival, you find out even Craig the Red is intimidated by her. 

Speaking of fathers, let’s talk about their relationships with their living parents. Elliot’s relationship with his dad is the focus of his character arc. When Elliot first talks about him, you get the impression that he’s an aloof and intimidating figure that’s trying to push Elliot to be like him. However when you actually meet him.......the stories don’t quite line up. 

While Olaf IS a pushy and intimidating figure, he’s also a very loving dad that openly affectionate and tries to be there for his kids. He even makes sure to attend Elliot’s concert at the school festival despite the worsening situation in Crossbell.  

Even his pushiness has more noble reasons behind it. If you choose to spend time with Elliot during the bonfire, he says this about what he realized with his dad:

"He wasn't against me going to the music academy because he was against me pursuing a career in music. He didn't want me to lock myself into it. He wanted me to be able to decide for myself just what path I wanted to follow. And more importantly, he wanted me to have the strength to do so, even if people around me tried to stand in my way..."

While Elliot says he’s just speculating, CS2 shows that he’s not far off. After reuniting with his son and seeing how strong Elliot’s become, he tells Elliot he’ll support him in whatever path he chooses. Olaf Craig wants his kids to be independent and strong enough to fight for that independence - even if it means going against him.

Another important element of Olaf's parenting? Is his honesty with his kids even when it’s an ugly truth. One example is when Fiona gets captured, the Craig kids know that if their dad has to choose between his duty and their lives- he’ll choose his duty no matter how much it hurts. Imagine a dad as loving as Olaf having to admit that to his kids. Even if it’s questionable if there’s a point of being TOO honest with your kids (hearing how your dad would let you DIE if necessary couldn’t have helped Elliot’s self-esteem issues, I’m just saying), it’s clear he feels it’s better to be honest no matter what.

Rean’s parents, adopted and biological, are the opposite. Let’s start with the Schwarzers. They are a nice and loving folk when you meet them, not at all intimidating. But they actually have their own ambitions for him, revealed mostly in the Drama CD for the CS1 Ymir trip. Rean’s mom wants Rean and Elise to get married and take over his father’s lordship - even though Rean doesn’t want that. While their intentions aren’t necessarily bad ones (though wanting him to marry his adopted sister is worrying), they're planning to use Rean for their own dreams.

And then there’s the honesty thing. The Schwarzers aren’t honest with their kids. Elise didn’t find out Rean was adopted until she was 12, and as for Rean? They pretend they don’t know who Rean’s birth parents are, but you find out in CS2 they knew all along. This exchange in the drama CD sums up their stance on ugly truths:

Rean: The reason why I want to learn more about myself is because I want to become the real Rean Schwarzer. To be proud as a member of this important family, and at the same time, as a comrade for my friends. Therefore, I must find the truth no matter what it takes. Teo Schwarzer: ...No matter how cruel the truth may be?

This shows Teo Schwarzer’s willing to lie and hide things if he feels the truth is too cruel. His stance is a sympathetic one. He wants to shield their kids from the ugly truths as many parents are tempted to do. But in the end, it just ends up hurting their relationship with Rean more than anything else. 

But at least the Schwarzer’s hearts are in the right place, unlike that asshole of a biological dad. Osborne isn’t even subtle about his willingness to use his own son for his ambitions. The moment the civil war ends, he throws his son into helping him conquer Crossbell. As for not being honest, well the fact he hid his identity as Rean’s father until Rean remembered something says it all. While Olaf is raising his kids to be independent adults with a full understanding of the world, Osborne sees his son as a tool that’s on a need-to-know basis. 

Personality

It’s pretty easy to see where Elliot and Rean differ in personality. While Elliot’s timid, Rean’s outspoken. Rean enjoys fighting, Elliot would rather play music. Rean notices girls on several occasions, Elliot notices the guys more during swim class. Rean is regularly in the center of attention, Elliot is regularly overlooked both in game, and by fans. The list goes on about how their personalities differ, but there’s one major theme:

If there’s one thing everyone knows about Elliot it’s that he’s obsessive about music. He practices constantly, he’s a perfectionist, his room is full music stuff- literally he’s a stone throw away from being an Ace Attorney character his obsession is so strong. But if you look carefully, it isn’t so much about music as he’s someone who when he devotes himself to something, he does it at 200%. In the last dorm visit while most characters express something vague like “our paths will cross again” or agreements to meet up sometime if you pick them for their closest bond, Elliot says this: 

In other words, Elliot is the one character that REFUSES to break up or put his relationship on hold. He’s too devoted. Notably, you get his first S-Craft only after he decides he’s glad to be at Thors and becomes determined not fall behind everyone. 

Rean on the other hand is a drifter that doesn’t commit. He studied 8 Leaves, but he stopped after beginner’s rank. He learned the lute, but he wasn’t serious about it and fell out of practice. He never joins a club (seriously Rean would’ve it killed you to join Fishing Club??). At the end of CS2 when it comes time for Class VII to separate so they can pursue their own goals -- Rean doesn’t really have one, so he stays at Thors, because it’s the only place he ever felt like he belonged. 

Character Arcs

Let’s start with where Elliot and Rean were at the start of CS1

Elliot: Pressured to be in the military by his father. Not confident, and a bit at a loss at what his future would be. 

Rean: Enrolling in Thors despite it putting his parents out. Fairly confident in pursuing his plan of easing his perceived family’s burden after graduation.  

Now look at the end of CS2 where they were at:

Elliot: Enrolling in the Music Academy despite his father’s original wishes. Armed with confidence, he committed to a plan to find a way to use music to help the world. 

Rean: Pressured to be in the military by his father. Confidence shaken, at a real loss about his future.  

The situations are different obviously, but they basically switched places over the course of two games.  Generally speaking when stories do that, it’s intentional for some reason or another.

What does it all Mean? 

Truthfully? It might mean nothing. Or it might not. 

It’s impossible to say until CS3 and 4 get released and localized. Maybe Elliot will have an important role to play in the Erebonia arc, or maybe there was a plan and they scrapped it. Or maybe it’s a red herring. With the Trails series, it is hard to tell because they really do like to give hints along the way that you don’t pick up until later. 

But I do believe it’s not all coincidental. For one, in the character line-ups Elliot is almost always listed right after Alisa (the designated main heroine) in terms of importance. And second?

They outright say it in the game.

Thank you all 2 people that read this, this has been my TED talk. 

[rubiaryutheroyal]

[Maya]: Hey, Kay! Want to watch The Steel Samurai with me? [Kay]: *pffft* Lame! The Jammin' Ninja is where it's at! [Phoenix]: Well, -that- friendship was cute while it lasted...

Phoenix: Uh…

Maya: Aw, come on. Kay wouldn’t be like that! Even she admits the Steel Samurai is a worthy adversary to the Jammin’ Ninja!

Kay: Yeah… at least he used to be.

Phoenix: (Oh, no.)

Maya: Huh?

Kay: Lately, SS hasn’t been seeing the best teams and it’s really showing. Meanwhile, Jammin’ is still staying as true as ever! The show’s producers sure know where good musical taste lies!

Maya: What? What are you talking about!? SS is still way popular - much more than JN even! The TV ratings don’t lie.

Kay: Sure, SS may have the bigger fandom, but that’s only natural since it’s older. Besides, just because something used to be really cool doesn’t mean it still is.

Maya: *gasp* Kay, you take that back. Right now.

Kay: Sorry, Maya. As the Yatagarasu, I have to tell the truth.

Phoenix: (…I don’t wanna be here anymore.)

Maya: Oh, that’s it! You wanna go? I will bring it!

Kay: Then bring it! I can take anything from even the most hardcore SS fan! I’ve faced off with Mr. Edgeworth, after all!

Phoenix: (Oh, dear.)

Maya: Don’t be silly, Kay. I’m sure Mr. Edgeworth only let you win because he knows it’s pointless arguing with someone who doesn’t see the greatness of the Steel Samurai!

Kay: Oh, please! You weren’t there when it happened. He obviously gave in because I had him cornered! I could see it in his eyes!

Phoenix: Uh, guys…

Maya: *sigh* I thought you were better than that, Kay. But it’s clear that JN fans are just that short-sighted.

Kay: Look who’s talking! You can’t see beyond the nostalgia lenses that are clouding your view! Face it, SS is getting old and outdated.

Maya: Nuh-uh! Besides, JN’s just a year younger! You might as well be saying it’s getting outdated too!

Kay: Not even close. SS has had some amazing stuff, but lately it’s just been rerunning the same story arcs over and over. But Jammin’ has a wide selection of music that keeps each episode feeling fresh and exciting!

Phoenix: Guys…

Maya: It’s not “rerunning” anything! Each story arc is unique and helps build to a more expansive canon! And JN can only change its music because its very premise is faulty.

Kay: What…?

Maya: Come on. A show about a ninja who can’t be a ninja and instead becomes a pop star? That’d only last about one season before it’s “been there, done that”. All that’s left is to change what music they play.

Kay: How dare you. JN is more than just a glorified idol competition! There are intense action scenes and romantic drama!

Maya: Except the Steel Samurai was there first. Even the singing baddies.

Kay: SS only added the singing after JN started airing! It’s obvious the producers knew they had stiff competition and had to resort to copying!

Maya: Hey! It’s not like kids shows before then didn’t have singing bad guys! The movies were all over that stuff already! SS just jumped aboard that train since it’d be fun!

Kay: More like because “it’s a formula that works”. Too bad that episode was pretty lackluster in comparison to anything in JN.

Maya: That’s just your opinion! You’re way too biased for JN!

Kay: Well, you’re way too biased for SS!

Phoenix: Guys!

Maya: Oh, hey, Nick. You’re still here?

Phoenix: Yeah, unfortunately. Listen, is it really worth fighting over these things? Can’t we just settle on saying they’re both great and leave it at that?

Kay: Mr. Wright, we never said they’re “awful” or anything. This was always about which is better!

Maya: But we’re not getting anywhere like this. Nick! You have to tell us!

Phoenix: Uh, what?

Maya: Which is better, Steel Samurai or Jammin’ Ninja?

Kay: And you can’t cop out and say “I like them both the same.”

Phoenix: …But I do like them both the same?

Maya: That doesn’t help us! We need a real answer!

Kay: Come on, Mr. Wright! Show us that awesome logic that makes you the Ace Attorney!

Phoenix: Ah, well, if you put it that way…

Maya, Kay: Yes?

Phoenix: …I’ll just step out of it and be on my way after all.

Both: Hey!

Kay: Don’t run away! Geez, you’re just like Gummy sometimes!

Maya: Yeah! Where’s your samurai spirit!?

Phoenix: *runs away*

Kay: You can’t outrun a Great Thief, Mr. Wright!

Maya: Or an angry spirit medium! Get back here!