#this turnabout is making me lose my mind

[mad-likea-hatter777]

Playing through the Phoenix Wright trilogy and losing my mind over this

Phoenix Wright Surrogate Big Brother™️

[cringefail-clown]

there are many things that are still under ??? tab when it comes to turnabout au but one of the biggest ones is if caliborn and calliope should be swapped as well. on the one hand i'd be a huge pain in the ass because it'd completely change the whole narrative and how the events of homestuck play out - instead of caliborns bending the timeline through sheer power of will to suit his narrative and ensure his own arrival it'd have to be more... subtle, tiny moments that have the butterfly effect of making calliope come on top. going with her classpect as the muse of space, she'd more likely be inspiring certain events opposed to head-to-the-brickwalling it through the narrative, for example perhaps Alternia started as this utopian fever dream curtesy of feferi being the empress in the post-scratch universe, but as the time went by things would keep not going right, maybe the alternian trolls, changed by meddling from doc scratch, wouldnt take too eagerly to the idea of caring about those lower on the hemospectrum, maybe feferi would start to feel paranoid about the coming of the next fuchsiablood, thinking that her idea of how to run the place is the only right one, ultimately sending her down the path of quietly getting rid of any fuchsia grubs being born. maybe this coming to the light would spark protests from people already tired of the cotton-candy coddling culture enforced on them, which would lead to her finally breaking and it spiraling into the brutal alternia that we know from the canon

what im trying to say is callies villany would be more like planting little seeds and waiting for the results. not everything would go exactly how she planned, but at the end of the day it'd lead to the same place - her winning the sburb game between the two cherubs. like in a game of chess - one perfectly executed move would open up five others leading to the victory. i honestly like this idea of a cold, cunning villain - cal was really fun in canon, but this version of calliope? downright meancing, a force to be reconed with. but as i said, it would be a shitton of work.

on the other hand, the idea of caliborn being the support character is so fucking hysterical to me im willing to jump through the hoops just to make that happen. like imagine the guy. imagine, instead of being this absolute trashbag of misogyny and toxic masculinity, he'd be more like the tumblr warriormale-esque dude. just aggresively suppotive of his little nuclear unit of a friend group. dave would have an absolute blast with this guy. im losing my mind just thinking about it

[absolutefuckingfreak]

Something that I think about quite a bit, and that also kind of bugs me is that. After Reunion and Turnabout what..happens to Pearl?? Morgan (who was her sole caregiver due to the fact her dad left) got arrested, and then next case is just Phoenix and Maya taking Pearl to the circus to take her mind of the fact that her mom is in jail. But who's taking care of her??? Morgan would at least lose temporary custody right? If not full custody due to the fact that she was an accomplice to murder. Obviously all the laws in Ace Attorney have to be taken with a grain of salt because well, absolutely anything can fucking happen in those court rooms. I've tried thinking of possibilities myself to make myself go a little less insane. I know it's not a big deal, but it is to me. She's only 8 in JFA so as far as I know she'd be too young to be emancipated, honestly I believe Maya (or even possibly one of the residents of Kurain Village) would take over guardianship of her. Maya just makes the most sense (as it possibly can) to me because she's 18, she's a blood relative of Pearl, and honestly while an 18 doesn't seem the most fit compared to an older relative (even though all of the closest ones are dead) I kind of like to believe Phoenix would help her fight for custody in court despite being a criminal justice lawyer and not a civil one. Also with how much Pearl is around after the fact, it would make sense that Maya is just, looking after her now that her mom is gone. Maybe there's an actual answer somewhere that I just have not found, but if not, that's my guess.

[its-hai-time]

a huuuuge aspect of my ace attorney headcanons that makes me go fucking batshit insane is the words unsaid. The words no one ever needed to say because there’s a mutual understanding there. A weight in their pasts that they both constantly acknowledge but refuse to say.

The example of this that makes me go absolutely wild is with Phoenix and Trucy. Phoenix was heavily depressed when he took in Trucy, while Trucy had been a child. Trucy already had her perceive ability, she could clearly see Phoenix in pain but whatever she did she couldn’t take the pain away. Yet Phoenix may have felt like a failure of a father being depressed and unable to care for Trucy the way he would have wanted to. Trucy knows Phoenix feels like a failure, and for that she feels like she has failed. Phoenix knows how Trucy feels about failing as a daughter and then he himself feels like even more of a failure. They grow incredibly close despite this, but there’s always that aspect. That mutual understanding that they’ve failed each other but they’ll do their best to make it up to one another. Both of them take the blame onto themselves and if either of them were to bring it up it would make the other feel worse. 

It’s also incredibly evident in the relationship between Phoenix and Edgeworth. The mutual understanding that Edgeworth will never be the same boy that he used to be. The constant wondering how things could have gone differently. This grows after the events of Farewell My Turnabout, where Phoenix is angry with Edgeworth for faking his own death for a year. It created a pattern in Phoenix’s life; as soon as the two of them form some sort of bond Edgeworth disappears. Their relationship with one another becomes stronger over time, but Phoenix works with the assumption and fear that Edgeworth will disappear on him again. They don’t talk about this. Neither of them are really equipped for that kind of conversation.

Reading into relationships like these makes me go insane. There’s so much depth in their understanding of each other and the way they fumble with their communication. They’re so human in these aspects. These relationships are all so poetic and rich and GOD I lose my mind.

[iheartgod175]

Some Thoughts (Mostly ZP, but still)…

—I’ve kinda hopped back onto the Zula Patrol train again since writing Turnabout, but I am planning on doing art and stories for other fandoms, too, of course ^^ I actually worked on chapter 4 of DCR and some more of Love Language for the first time in a month! Which is amazing progress since I had both writer’s block and worries that maybe a lot of folks aren’t interested in the story. But even if that were true, it’s not going to stop me from posting stories, especially about my favorite childhood show ^^

—I went a bit in depth about an OC who gets some focus in both DCR and a few other entries, Firestorm, who’s a military commander in one of the other Zulean branches (I’ll detail my own headcanons on the structure of the Zulean government in another headcanons post) and is one of the few people that Bula gets along with outside of his team because like him, she doesn’t tolerate the BS/corruption that goes on in the government. And somehow, I got the idea that in an alternate universe, they end up as a couple. It has me cracking up because now, I have three potential love interests for Bula: Zeeter (with whom I can see happening even in canon), Bonnie (my old OC whom I’ve revamped and even have a solo story for), and now Firestorm (who might get teased in the future). Bula’s literally building his own harem, LOL XD

—And then it got me thinking that if Bula’s a typical “clueless harem protagonist” (although unlike them, he makes himself useful and isn’t admired due to some random skill he has out of nowhere), Ricochet would be the “smug harem protagonist with a heart of gold” in that he dated Denise, Diane, Melissa, and many other women before he settled down. Also, in a few AUs, he does have a better relationship with Serena, Denise’s outlaw sister, and their relationship borders on UST. Silly thoughts are silly, LOL

—I’ve also had an idea regarding the Third Sight ability. Originally, this ability has no offensive capability in any field whatsoever. But then I had a thought: what if there was a way, theoretically, that a user could hurt/even kill someone with their mind? It came about from a thought that DS! Elfilis (with whom Multo interacts with in my latest crossover) could totally do this easily, since he’s basically seen as a god (although he’s mortal) and he’s a lot more powerful/experienced with his psychic powers. Not to mention that between him and Multo, his cruel streak is not only bigger, but also more terrifying. It got me thinking that the Zuleans who have the Third Sight can do this same thing, namely in a moment of pure distress/fury, stemming from the desire to make the perpetrator feel every ounce of pain they felt at watching their loved one get hurt/killed. The name for this attack is called “Flashpoint” (or at least, it’s a working idea for a name). I had the idea that Multo accidentally stumbles across this ability after someone got the great (read: stupid) idea to hurt Zeeter or any of the others in front of him, and unable to physically defend them (due to being trapped), he’s filled with both horror at his loved ones being hurt, and pure rage at the perp, wanting nothing but for him to feel that same pain and worse. Cue that happening to the perp, with the guy literally losing his mind. With Multo being the kind of person he is, he’s shocked/horrified that he can do such a thing. One of the villains in my current WIP, Nova, takes an interest in Multo after finding out about him using this.

—And now, a part of me wants to do an alternative version of Multo that’s evil. That would be pretty terrifying. O.O

—Oh, I’m also thinking of getting back to The Return of the Phantom Empire soon, thanks to working on Firestorm’s profile. Just trying to work on the general plot of the side story, which focuses on Quick Draw McGraw, and possibly Quack-Up, namely in regards to the trauma he suffered before he joined the Galactic Guardians. This chapter isn’t gonna be quite as long as the first three chapters, but that might change, lol XD

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 23/02/2024

Through the F​-​F​-​Fire and the F​-​F​-​Flames

Season 5 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume D

Ripped by R.L.99

In my excitement leading up to February 22nd and to finally get to write more in-depth about Kara's Flowers' meaning to the SiIvaGunner channel...it dawned on me a bit too late that I was ignoring another meaning to the very date before it. I'm still very proud of how the post on As Miku Collides connects together with Collision Clouds, but there was something far more important to remember from February 21st. The birthday of late ripper R.L.99.

R.L.99 is the second known SiIvaGunner team member to have left us in tragedy, and its always going to be a very difficult topic for someone like me, effectively an outsider, to approach. The first was Marrow, who I've written about thrice now with Telling Fish Tales, Turnabout Fishters and 8​-​bit Fish With Dreams - a true friend to the SiIvaGunner team whose contributions are too many to list, but had been present since the very early days of Season 1. I can't claim to have known the guy, nor ever claim to have felt the same grief that his friends did upon his passing - yet althesame, through how recognizable and frequent his contributions were, losing him did hurt. Yet with R.L.99, my heart sank for a somewhat different reason. I'd barely had the time to truly appreciate him before he was gone.

As a ripper, R.L.99's most defining trait lay in his ambition - he was always seeking to outdo his last work, always shooting higher, yet higher. Joining the team early into Season 5, his twenty-one contributions across the year, ambitious or not, all feel crafted to a sheen. In a Season that already had some of the strongest output in the channel's life, his rips often still managed to impress beyond those expectations. I described one instance of this occurring on my one prior post on the ripper, One Winged PSYcho - V​.​S. Sepsyrop, but it needs to be reiterated that this was effectively standard procedure for each of his big projects. But despite the reverence I hold for him now, I'd chosen the worst possible timeframe to begin distancing myself from SiIvaGunner - during Season 5, I was at my most disinterested in the channel's goings-on, and thus paid far too little mind to the incredible efforts the entire team were making during the year. I'd check in, add some rips to playlists, and check out.

When the news of R.L.99 broke early in Season 6, I didn't know what to think, because...I didn't know R.L.99. But as I looked through my own playlists, looked through his list of contributions - I realized that just about everything he had ever made had found its way into my list of all-time favorite rips. I'd loved his work without ever truly acknowledging or understanding who made it. Without ever having had the chance to truly show my appreciation, until it was too late.

Linked under his username credit at the start of this post, you'll find a Twitter thread I made two years ago now, the day the announcement was made. I wasn't able to appreciate him during his time, but on that day I wanted more than anything else for other people still like what I once was, people far too blind to the talent and care individual rippers put into their work, to know exactly what kind of legacy he left. And so, I put the thread together as one of my first-ever forms of written SiIvaGunner analysis, trying to concisely convey all the ways that R.L.99's work truly was unique - in all the ways I'd failed to pick up on before it was all too late. There was, of course, a lot missing from that thread - notably the as-of-then unreleased rips he'd made that would be uploaded the day after in his memory, culminating in the downright breathtaking Dancing Masked. Yet, I still want to dedicate todays post to a rip I'd heard from before that day, one of those rips I'd loved for so long without knowing the man behind it. A rip like Through the F​-​F​-​Fire and the F​-​F​-​Flames.

A hugely ambitious project, it feels difficult to find one rip that quite so concisely encapsulates all the qualities of R.L.99's work. A distinct love for the MOTHER series, a love for rip arrangements of popular music, a love for Rock music, and the aforementioned scope - it all culminates in a nearly 8-minute long tribute to the legendary Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce. Althewhile, it adheres incredibly well to the expected restrictions of a Game Boy Advance game, each of the shredding guitar samples used being from MOTHER 3 itself, with vocals authentically bit-crushed to match. It manages to rock out incredibly on its own, and that's without mentioning the insane details strewn throughout, such as the song's occasional bumps in tempo to match other boss music within MOTHER 3, or the other songs from MOTHER 3 that become referenced throughout the arrangement. Released on the date of MOTHER 3's birthday, much like Jesus of the Underground - it's a beyond impressive tribute, with love shown in every second of its runtime.

The fact remains, though, that I never knew R.L.99, and never knew Marrow either for that matter. There's far, far too many rippers that I've still not been able to express my full gratitude and affection toward, and many of which I'll likely never be able to reach. But that's part of why I want to run this blog in the first place - to give myself, and other SiIvaGunner fans that chance to show genuine, outspoken love for rips and the people behind them while we all can.

Rest well, R.L.99.

[cornertheculprit]

okay kind of long post incoming because i've just now figured out how i want to word this. i made a little post a while ago saying that i think maya started to consider phoenix her family when he insisted that he would help her in 2-2 despite her thinking that she killed someone and gave him her magatama and that i think phoenix started considering her as his family when he realized she was kidnapped and his vision started going gray and blacking out in a way it hasn't ever done for any other character and while i could make an entirely separate post detailing maya's side of things i'm going to focus on phoenix for now. i don't know if this is a proper analysis or something i'm just rambling lmao

okay. as we all know. phoenix does not believe in people unconditionally unless they have given him prior reason to do so (like edgeworth and mia). this exchange that happens in aa1 is, i think, the biggest example of him admitting it out loud:

Phoenix: I'm going to believe in you two until the end.

Larry: Us two?

Maya: Edgeworth and... who else? You mean me right?

Larry: Nah! He means me! Right, Nick?

Phoenix: Yeah, you, Larry.

Maya: Not... me?

Maya: ...

while it clearly hurts for maya to hear i think it makes sense. they've known each other for a very short time at this point and phoenix does, at this point, have more reason to trust in larry than he does maya (even though that trust seems pretty much revoked by the time aa3 rolls around because of larry admitting he was the one who stole the lunch money that caused the class trial at the end of turnabout goodbyes but i digress). while they're still in the process of quickly becoming good friends and while maya does seem to have grown attached to phoenix more quickly than phoenix to her (presumably because phoenix had defended her when no one else would) it's clear that phoenix isn't quite at the point she is. HOWEVER! according to rfta he also gets so depressed at the fact that she went back to kurain village to train that he literally doesn't take a single case for two months until he meets someone (ema) that reminds him so much of maya that he can't say no. fast forward to aa2:

Phoenix: What's wrong?

Maya: Are you sure? I mean, I'm guilty! I'm a murderer!

Phoenix: No one's decided that yet.

Maya: But I did! I killed that person... with these... two hands...!

Phoenix: That's enough, Maya.

Maya: It's hopeless! If you defend me, you'll lose, I'm sure...

Phoenix: Stop it!

Maya: ... ...Help me... Nick, help me... I'm scared...

Phoenix: Don't worry, I will. When is the trial?

this exchange is interesting to me because it's at this point that maya holds him back from leaving and gives him the magatama. their friendship, even though they've only just been reunited, is strong enough that phoenix insists that no one's decided WHO the killer is yet even in the face of maya admitting she thinks she's done it. but the thing IS—phoenix doesn't explicitly state he BELIEVES she hadn't done it. and when the topic of belief does come up later in the case, this is what ensues:

Maya: Um, Nick...

Phoenix: Yeah?

Maya: Why do you believe in me? Why do you think I didn't kill Dr. Grey?

Phoenix: ...Because of something Mia told me.

phoenix says out loud that the reason he believes wholeheartedly in maya's innocence (NOW, mind you) isn't because of his belief in maya's character, it's because of mia's words: spirit mediums can't dream when they channel. and he wholeheartedly believes in mia, which means that he now wholeheartedly believes in maya's innocence by EXTENSION.

and then farewell, my turnabout happens. and again, the minute he hears that maya's been kidnapped, his eyesight goes grayscale and starts fading like it doesn't do for any other character in the series:

Phoenix: (M-My sight... Everything's fading away... Maya... Maya... Maya's been kidnapped!)

and suddenly, phoenix is doing everything in his goddamn power to try to get her back. it's to the point that even the people of the gallery start turning against him when he attempts to pin the blame on adrian andrews to buy some time. it's even to the point where MIA, of all people, starts looking at him with seemingly genuine disapproval and not just her usual exasperation when he fucks up in court. and the only thought running through his head?

Phoenix: (This is to save Maya... This is to save Maya... Even if the whole world turns against me, this is one fight I can't give up on!)

Mia: ...

and then the case is over, and maya and phoenix have this exchange (as well as the happy little picture which always make me want to combust so i'm putting it in this post because look at them):

Phoenix: M-M-M... MAYA!

Pearl: Mystic Maya! Mystic Mayaaaaaaaa!

Maya: Oh, Nick! I knew you would come through! You got Engarde convicted, like I knew you would... And on top of that, you even rescued me!

Phoenix: Well, of course I did! You know I would never desert you!

and it's DIFFERENT when phoenix says it this time. when he told her he wouldn't abandon her all the way back in aa1 it was different. it was when she thought she'd been abandoned by everyone and phoenix compared it to his own past and made the decision to stay by her side through that trial partly because of that (and partly because of the fact that she was mia's sister). this time, when phoenix says he would never desert her, he EXCLAIMS it and states it like it's a simple fact of life. he would never desert her! that's all there is to it! and from then on things change. aa3 is known for its phoenix&maya moments for a reason: the banter is hilarious, the dynamics sublime, and if you didn't really see it before, you REALLY start to notice that you're getting hit with the wacky friendship/sibling-like shenanigans (maya whacking phoenix over the head with the shichishito is, of course, the first thing that comes to mind, but there's so so so many more moments) now. the conversation of "belief" between them starts in the stolen turnabout, where pearl starts crying and tells phoenix she'll never forgive him for taking ron delite's case. but when he asks maya about it?

Phoenix: And what about you...? Are you OK with me taking Mr. DeLite's case...?

Maya: Y-Yeah... I'm fine, Nick. I believe in you.

Phoenix: ... *sniffle* (I think I'm going to cry.)

she believes, wholeheartedly, in phoenix. and later, of course, bridge to the turnabout happens. you see how phoenix quite literally knocks larry (who he once said he'd always believe in) out of the way despite larry's very rational protests that the burning bridge was too dangerous to try and cross in his effort to reach maya on the OFF CHANCE that the murderer had fled to the other side. despite the fact that phoenix, just hours earlier, had been so terrified of the bridge that he needed literal time to recover after crossing it. and when dahlia-as-iris starts trying to pin the murder on maya....

Dahlia/Iris: I saw her commit the crime with my very own eyes... And then I cleaned up the area to try to protect her.

Phoenix: OBJECTION! Th-That's ridiculous! Maya could never do such a--

INSTANT dismissal. INSTANT refusal. it's not at all like his rationalizations (and his trust in mia over maya) in 2-2. he BELIEVES, wholeheartedly, in maya. in the fact that maya could never kill anyone. and the thing about it is that his belief in maya didn't come from some grand showcase of saving him like mia and edgeworth did—it was the product of years of friendship. throughout the entirety of the time that dahlia tries to pin the murder on maya, phoenix refuses to even CONSIDER the idea:

Phoenix: (I still can't believe it... The idea of Maya cornering someone at knifepoint! It's just silly!)

bridge to the turnabout even ENDS with maya saying that phoenix is one of the feys now. she calls herself his big sister TWICE and the only objection he has to it is that she was trying to claim that SHE was the older one and not the other way around. he (as shown by the end credits) literally ended up sitting under a freezing waterfall with her for the special course spirit training despite not being a medium at all. it's very clear by the end of the trilogy that phoenix and maya are absolutely irreplaceable in each other's lives, no questions asked.

so. overall. i think the moment that the dynamic between phoenix and maya shifted from "good friends" to "family" is actually different between the two of them. for maya, it was near the beginning of jfa, when she gave phoenix her magatama after he refused to let her admit she was guilty without a fight. for phoenix, it was near the end of jfa, when maya was kidnapped and he realized that he'd do anything to save her. and i think this shows throughout the entirety of trials & tribulations. i don't have a proper ending to to this or anything they're just my blorbos and i love them so much

[noteoftheturnabout]

piss-eater

ranking doubts and diatribes cases in chronological order! (+ some hot takes from my beautiful mind)

1) note of the turnabout

I don't actually have to say much about this one. kudos for not teaching us stuff we already know, but it suffers from severe first-case-mediogrity that only the lost turnabout ever really escaped... it was fun having gumshoe as our defendant and the hookup of the note as the only unused piece of evidence that everyone else fails to acknowledge was interesting, the case itself wasn't outright bad and fullfilled its role, which is why it gets a solid 5/10

2) arrival on a turnabout

LARRY BUTZ I FUCKING HATE YOU THANKS FOR GETTING US IN TROUBLE AGAIN!

also hiiii hiiiiiiii viola hi~ <3

this case immediately picked up my interest in a way that note of the turnabout unfortunately didn't. I mean, viola contacting us again?? tender lender comeback and development!! someone murdering a fucking cadaverini??? this has got to be something serious. instant intrigue!

I really appreciate using the tender lender and cadaverini to start tying into all that's going to be revealed. I mean yes! they are the small glimpse we got earlier into the same dark side this case is beginning to unravel! viola fits the vibe, makes sense to be used, is underappeciated in the fandom and I'm glad to see more of her!

viola fanboying aside, I was kinda overwhelmed by the intensity of it all at one point, when the logic thread lead us to Larry was getting accused. that's not neccessarily really a bad thing, or a flaw, but the stress did damage my enjoyment. the prosecutor was just relentless and we could make very little counterargument because of the severe lack of information, and because we were meant to lose, but I think it wasn't really Bad per se. that's when the fact that its a story first and a trial simulator second really begins to shine. I haven't decided how I feel about the fact we're actually meant to lose sometimes, it is very interesting and innovative, but sometimes it made me outright desperate.

and how could I forget! the wet kitten supreme umaru keigo and his tragic reveal! I liked that I think. despite him being a bitch as a prosecutor in this case

anyway the general score is probably gonna be... like 7/10 or 8/10, points taken off mostly for Larry and for stress.

3) turnabout judgement

HOO BOY. OH MY FUCKING GOD.

I'm gonna shove my "the judge actually IS corrupt" agenda in the closet for now because in this case he's not guilty. AND GOD DAMN IT WAS SCARY FINDING OUT THE PERSON I NEED TO GET MY FRIEND OUT OF TROUBLE, THE PERSON WHO WAS RELIABLY ALWAYS THERE, THE PERSON WHO YOU THOUGHT IS GLUED TO HIS JUDGE CHAIR IS BEING DETAINED AND INVESTIGATED RIGHT NOW. remember how I praised arrival on the turnabout for being gripping? forget that! turnabout judgement scared me shitless within the first few minutes. it's getting at least five points for that instantly.

I don't really understand people who say that hanma is supposed to be innocent, sweet and umsuspectable, like dahlia. because.... no she's not. she's scary, shady and an asshole right from the start, – then we just get to learn more and more and more about her motivation and about her doings. which I enjoy very much! I think she's a great character. at least two points to this case for having her in it.

BUT MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS CASE ISN'T HER! its her sus as fuck pet judge, aka the specialest most unique judge ever, aka my perfect man yasuhiro tomioka!!!! omfg can we get a shoutout for yasuhiro tomioka I barely ever even see fanart of him Please. this case gets three points on the spot for having this man in it.

but here comes the final evaluation time, and just when it seemed like this case has effortlessly reached victory....

I fucking hate the evidence in this case and the case itself. the evidence is so flimsy and hard to work with I barely pulled myself to the end of the trial, constantly making mistakes because I was just trying to be logical, and lost a couple times which in other cases never happens to me.

(and yes there is a variant of loss that's not meant to happen, not the guilty verdict which is.) oh my fucking god I wish I could score it higher but beating the case shaved at least a few years off my lifespan, so I'm shaving off four points off this case. 6/10

(upd I realized that only started doing points math in this part of the ranking but its too late to go back and edit the rest now isn't it) (it isn't I just dont want to)

4) turnabout chase

9/10, 0.8 points taken off for pressure and loss stress, good god there's a lot of stress in this, 0.2 points off for lang's brother because I didn't case about him.

otherwise... no words.

(please read the additional materials, THERE ARE LANGWORTH LETTERS YOU GUYS and the cooking competetion was cute and really helped take off the tension!)

5) turnabout obsession

is it fine that I was actually thinking edgeworth did it..?

that's mostly because I was concerned about his moral compass tilt during "revengeworth" arc and I genuinely didn't know what to expect of him next.

the evidence pointing towards him was flimsy and I didn't have that much of a hard time poking holes in it, but I was still doubting edgeworth the whole time.

which I shouldn't have because that's exactly what that detective bitch wanted.

I didn't really care about basil bonerat until this case but after playing this one... I love him actually! yes I obviously hate him for what he did but hes so fucked in the head its incredibly interesting. luke atmey type of shit except arguably worse. also very revolutionary of him to be the first detective culprit!

8/10 with 1 point off for killing off hanma and 1 point off for a couple of things here and there that didn't really make sense, which im usually able to ignore with ace attorney, but wasn't able this time because of the grip the story had on me. gripping concepts is what the developers really poored their heartussy into and it shows.

and a bonus ranking of a case I was on the fence about including because its unclear whether it belongs with everything else or not (and also because I dont like it that much):

6) turnabout by the shore

kudos for sebastian and the lesbianism, but the culprit was very obvious the whole time and unfortunately I really fail to believe in sean and hanma's relationship. if they were given more time or moments or anything I probably would've cared way more than I did but unfortunately. still dont get this part of the fandom that writes 120k fics about sea sapphics and meta posts about how they both know so little about each other (duh that's the problem), but im built different I guess. unfortunately this gets 4/10 or even 3/10. probably 4 though out of respect for nonbinary lesbians

[kingdomoftyto]

Didn't want to clutter up my tags on the last post but YEAH Turnabout: An Ace Attorney Musical, a fan-made musical adaptation of the first game, is insanely freaking good and every fan of the series should go listen to it immediately and drown in the immaculate AA1 feelings

I first heard about it a couple weeks ago and proceeded to listen to it in fits and starts in my car on my next few trips running errands. I enjoyed it but didn't really give it the attention it deserved. Then yesterday I sat down and actually watched the whole Act 1 video in one sitting, with proper audio quality, and.... gosh, fan projects--especially massive, collaborative ones--are never perfect, but this one is as close as I imagine it's possible to get. I've listened to the entire thing about four times now and it seriously gets better every time.

The subtle integration of the canon melodies, the generous use of leitmotifs and reprises, the way the writers clearly GET the characters and what really makes them tick..... (The folks responsible for this go by "Maya Fey Protection Squad" so you know they understand what really matters in this series!)

My heart just gets so soft and squishy every time Phoenix and Maya interact (damn "I'll Be There" for reeling me in with that silly first half only to smother me in feelings in the second), and I lose my mind at pretty much every line Miles sings and every meaningful glance he and Phoenix exchange. His growth in Act 2 is going to be so GOOD, UGH.

Act 2 can't come soon enough. I must know how these threads--both plot and musical--are going to be carried over to the DL-6 trial. The current estimate afaik is that it'll be released some time in February, so join me in gushing over Act 1 in the meantime!!!

[journalsouppe]

My spread for the Turnabout Century zine!! Wow, this zine is just incredible. The art, writing, and merch are all phenomenal and were simply breathtaking. I am so so happy I was able to snag a bundle because I love absolutely everything.

Gosh I have so much love for DGS and I just love zines so much as it’s just a collection of people’s love for a certain piece of media. Thank you to everyone who worked on this zine!! Y’all have killed it.

Images of the art book and merch can be found here. (Extra food and stationary stickers are from Daiso)

Writing typed below!

Zine theme: a celebration of the Great Ace Attorney Anthology

Zine theme: a celebration of the Great Ace Attorney Anthology

Merch List:

Leftover Sales (Prosecutor’s Portmanteau)

B5 hardcover foil art book

Digital zine

Clover suite memorabilia (behind the curtains)

Prelude to century.mp3 (Zebby)

Sticker Sheet (Viridilly)

Susato and Haori wooden pins (Miki)

Elementary enamel pin (Saerinn)

Van Zieks acrylic charm (Kermie)

Darumagami (sleeping salad)

4 Prints (2tchome, ohprcr, noctilin, rollround)

Bonus Print - dress up susato (Katsucii - art and ohprcr - design)

Wax stamp seal

My Thoughts: This zine is truly incredible. Everything in this zine is so beautifully made and made with such love and care, it brings tears to my eyes. There’s so much attention to detail with both breathtaking serious pieces and hilarious silly pieces. I can’t take my eyes away. I am so happy I was able to snag a leftover bundle because this book + merch are now som elf my prized possessions. I feel so appreciative to be a DGS fan because I can tell how much love people have for these games while also being so silly about it, which is exactly how the game is structured lmao. I just have so much awe for this project that I have so many words to say but I am also completely speechless. Incredible.

Absolutely incredible work everyone! Thank you so much to all the creators and mods on this project, y’all have done such a wonderful job. This zine is such a treasure :’)

My Comments:

THESE STICKERS ARE SO CUTE

The kokeshi pins are so unique and lovely

Omg the reverse poem

THE MCGILDED PIECE AHH

THE CARNIVAL

Love the disguises

Sleepover art print T-T!!

Elementary (plus a bad drawing of the forehead point LOL)

The art is so phenomenal, brings tears to my eyes :’)

Haori, Susato, and Iris in gowns oh my god T-T

I’m gonna die the Darumagami are ADORABLE

The black hatching shading omgggggg

Pirate kazuma omg

A recipe within a fix? Obsessed.

The writing is incredible

THE RESOLVE PIECE GOES SO HARD

Ahhhhh the fathers fic

The different art styles really makes this so special

Love the gold foil hard cover

The art is making me lose my mind

All the chuunosuke and friends ahhhh so cute

[womanexile]

Speaking of celebrity culture & the literary buzz lately on twitter… youtu.be/hnP0DnCfuNU m.youtube.com/watch?v=oQsHyLRBUzo - some of these are TS selections. Hmm, now that I think of it, that literary reaction video made me wonder if the mysterious non fiction memoir rumored on twitter yesterday could be about Marjorie. That’s be cool, especially since that time period has drawn compelling comparisons to today and its ripples effect- 50s,60s,70s- like Elvis & Marilyn biopics. Her grandparents had to leave Cuba during that time. Jack Antonoff is a Kennedy collector - he wore vintage pin at Grammys. Marjorie song mentions of wishing she kept receipts & was left closet of backlogged dreams. She has a lot of resources -people & access- it is like a puzzle or whodunit- Agatha Christie (Angela Landsbury tales as old as time- weird how it is like an homage- she passed away around release). She likes that type of stuff, CSI, L&O:SVU, Criminal minds, Oz, etc- Shondra Rimes has definitely been an influence. Lol, Olivia H show was spotted in NY recently & was at concert last night. For example- the politics & celebrity culture (Kennedy & Cuba crisis in that era made me think of the Windsor royal family). The Crown or even celebrity involvement with the Ukraine/Russia war. Coincidentally TS ex secretly fought in it- news came out around TS latest album. The sections & stories on evermore & folklore reminded me of TS library (books, TV, film & music) tastes. Like the Taylor & Burton equivalevent of cancel culture. She has always been fascinated & influenced by history, visited museums & sites, picked up vintage items & exposed herself to various cultures. Lol, on the other hand- I think HS could do this too- or maybe they do already. It’s a creative way to work, express themselves but maintain privacy. Revealing their sources without exposing their life fully, yet educate others- relatable & applicable life lessons. Exploitation of kids for sport (Hunger games & Squid games)- reality TV, K-pop, Disney & nickelodeon- topics- cancel culture. History repeats in a way- we don’t always learn from the past… ‘ghosts.’ It’s true that internet like social media has spread things faster & influenced decisions that impact society. In their own way celebrities like HS/1D & TS for example, have utilized their influence and popularity to make their mark on today’s culture. Innovators & trendsetters- they tap into the pulse of society’s interests. They have a special gift/knack/skill to utilize today’s tools to draw ideas from past & present to spin/twist with words/puns/idioms that help their projects go viral globally and influence the future. They are as SM posts have revealed- Scrabble players/ game players. Turnabout fairplay. It is something that those before them were unable to take advantage of- and well, why not? Lol.

Sorry for the scramble of random thoughs- my page refreshes & autocorrects, ugh. Lol. Jotting it down before I lose it like other posts.

I think this memoir is mostly gonna be about Taylor but I’m sure she’s gonna talk all about her grandmother. This book is going to be 544 pages long. It’s gonna have a lot in it. I’m really excited for it.

TS & HS are so well read. Harry is such a poet & Taylor such a storyteller. If they ever worked on something together it would have the power to change the world.

[mutxnts]

hi ashhhhh i challenge you to do all the multiples of 5 for the ask meme >:) or else if that’s too many then the multiples of ten cksbcmbdmd

ooooh okay multiples of 5 here we go!!! thank you vyn for always sending these in, love you 💖💖

(putting the answers to these under the cut since it got long)

5. Favourite Culprit?

this is hard bc i don't really like any of the culprits lmao but maybe kristoph? or manfred von karma, since he unintentionally caused a HUGE domino effect on such much stuff, which ultimately led to his own downfall

10. Favourite trial from all the games?

already answered here!

15. Random headcanon you can share?

now that i'm trying to pick one out none are coming to mind lmao but hmmm i think that after the gavinners break up, klavier takes some time off from making music to reflect/take some time for himself/take apollo on dates/deal with the fallout of his brother. but this isn't a permanent break, i think he does come back at some point to release solo music bc songwriting really helps him cope with some of the stuff he experienced. it's a lot more serious of an album compared to the stuff the gavinners put out, so he's hesitant to even release it, but i think with apollo and trucy's encouragement and support, he would eventually release it!

20. Did you ever write fanfiction for Ace Attorney? If so, which one is your best piece

my best piece of fanfic for this fandom is something i haven't published yet jkfdsgkjdgh i have 3 wips that i really love but just haven't had any motivation to work on them, so they are sadly just sitting in my drafts 😔 but as for published fics, i would say maybe forever and always? mostly bc i'm partial to doing deep dives into characters and why they're Like That

25. Favourite rare pair?

i don't think i really have any since i mainly just like the main ships sdfgjklsjdflg but uhhhh apollo/clay? athena/juniper? idk, these seem like fairly common ones to me lol

also phoenix/grape juice KJDFGKJDKJFG

30. Character you’d push off a cliff with no hesitation?

dahlia lmao but also mvk

35. Smartest murder plan?

it's gotta be damon gant, right? he faked all this evidence, promoted lana and made it so that she would basically do everything he asked, and fired/demoted the detectives assigned to sl-9 so they couldn't do any real investigating themselves. luke atmey also deserves a shoutout though

40. Honest opinion on Phoenix Wright?

If phoenix wright has a million fans, then I am one of them. If phoenix wright has ten fans, then I am one of them. If phoenix wright has only one fan then that is me. If phoenix wright has no fans, then that means I am no longer on earth. If the world is against phoenix wright, then I am against the world.

(i really, really love him, but you already knew that!)

45. Someone who would’ve made a fun prosecutor but isn’t?

maybe... franziska? don't get me wrong, i love her, but i do remember thinking it was annoying how often she made these ultimatums during court where you could only ask one question or answer it correctly once or you would lose all your health or whatever. from a player perspective that was always kind of annoying since the judge just went along with it lol. but honestly i don't really know for this question sdfgjgjksdf

50. Favourite moment?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE AHHH THIS ISN'T FAIR

okay just to name a few: unnecessary feelings, franziska bursting into the courtroom with the evidence in farewell my turnabout, miles as a defense attorney, any reunions between siblings (like lana reuniting with ema, mia hugging maya for the first time since her death), kristoph finally getting his comeuppance, the end scene of dual destinies (minor spoilers for aa5 for the rest of this answer so just skip to the next question vyn jklsdfjklfgd) where phoenix is smiling and proud of how far his proteges have come

55. Two characters you’d like to meet?

trucy and ema!!!

60. Character you relate to?

phoenix, but specifically during 7yg bc i feel like he really struggles to find a purpose during that time in his life and that's also where i'm at rn in mine

also penny nichols strangely enough bc she works in my field and actually kind of looks like me (i do have glasses, but not as big and round as hers. also i don't have freckles)

65. Outfit you’d like to wear?

bruh no joke i had a dream one time where i wore phoenix's 3 piece suit and ever since i've always wanted to wear one bc i think waistcoats look so nice on everyone!!!! i haven't even worn just a plain suit before but that would be fun too

70. Describe Dahlia Hawthorne in 3 words!

she deserved it

75. Character you would kiss?

phoenix HAHA but also maybe klavier

80. What case was the one that got you actually hooked?

i feel like turnabout sisters or turnabout samurai were ones where i was like oooh this is interesting but turnabout goodbyes was where the ace attorney brainrot finally sank in and i knew i was doomed

85. Which character would you introduce to your parents?

funnily enough i think klavier would be super nice and know how to flatter my parents lol. but maybe mia since she seems pretty calm and levelheaded and wouldn't do anything weird while meeting them?

90. Your NOTP?

any of the gross ships of course but hmmm maybe like klavier/daryan? i just don't really see it happening personally. same with trucy/pearl, i don't ship it personally and just think of them as friends. i also really don't like how in the credits or whatever of t&t it's hinted that phoenix and iris both kind of have feelings for each other still, so phoenix/iris is one that i'm not a fan of either

95. Which character would you redesign?

phoenix to show off more cleavage like his mentor KJDSFGJFDSGKJDFG

no but like maybe franziska if she comes back in aa7! oooh or maybe klavier, but i wouldn't completely redesign him, i would just give him a cool performance outfit for turnabout serenade

100. Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth? Who do you like better?

oh my god this is the question this is gonna end on sdfjklgsdjfkldfsg sorry miles but i prefer phoenix <33

[leoryff]

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Hope, Truth and Despair

Episode 1: Turnabout Twilight Syndrome

Trial: Part 2

"And so the defendant killed Miss Sato for honor and revenge?" The Judge noted. "It really does sound like a yakuza crime drama!"

Blackquill let Taka land on his shoulder for a victory pet. "If I recall, you put forth a similar idea in a previous case of ours, Wright-dono." He taunted.

'Outside the box thinking is supposed to be MY gimmick!' Phoenix silently bemoaned.

"This is bad, boss." Athena pointed out the obvious. "He's established means, opportunity and motive in one fell swoop."

"Does the defense have anything to say in response?" The Judge asked.

"Of course we do your honor!" Phoenix bluffed. 'I don't have any way to disprove the motive or opportunity, so I'll have to go for the means!' He swept his eyes over the autopsy report again. Something about it had bothered him. "Miss Skye? A question."

"Oh? Do we remember I exist now?" Lana asked as she buzzed through another Snackaroo.

Phoenix ignored the quip. "The autopsy report, it's accurate, correct?"

"It better be, the body is one of the only things we could examine properly."

"In that case, would you mind reading the cause of death aloud please." He requested. "And please mention the location of the wound."

Ema shrugged and read the line. "Cause of death, a single blow to the head with a blunt object. Location was directly on top of the skull."

"Is there a problem with the autopsy report, Mr. Wright?" The Judge asked.

Phoenix shook his head. "No problem with the report, my problem is with the prosecution."

Blackquill shot a glare at him. "Excuse you?"

Phoenix, to his credit, ignored the daggers being shot at him. "Your honor, if I might explain a hypothetical situation that should clear things up?" The Judge nodded.

"Say, hypothetically, that I were to strike someone like miss Cykes with the murder weapon. Trying to kill her in one blow." Phoenix postulated as Athena shot him a look. "If I were to swing the bat downward, where do you suppose it would hit her?"

The Judge looked between the two of them running the slightly amusing scenario through his head. "I suppose it would be on the top of her head. Mr. Wright, is this going somewhere or should Miss Cykes be looking for a new workplace?"

"That's my question." Athena muttered.

"Bear with me a bit longer you two." Phoenix sighed. "Now let's say the hypothetical scenario was reversed. If Miss Cykes were to strike at me with the overhead blow, but keep in mind that my height is 176 cm, while Athena is about 160."

"162, thank you very much." Athena corrected as she toyed with her earring for a second. Then it hit her like the hypothetical bat. "Oh!"

"Oh?" The Judge echoed.

"OH!" This last oh was from Ema. "If she were to strike Mr. Wright with a bat (hypothetically of course) the blow would be in a different spot!"

The Judge still seemed confused. "Perhaps it's because I cannot tell your heights very well from this angle, but I do not follow."

"You're talking nonsense, Wright-dono." Blackquill sighed with false sadness. "Losing your senses at your age? A pity." He said with a laugh.

'Cheeky brat.' Phoenix grabbed some of the papers from his desk. "Maybe showing you would be faster." He rolled up the papers to make a short bat. He mimed striking Athena directly on top of her head with the paper. "As you can see it is easy for someone to hit the same spot Miss Iteru was killed in when they are taller."

"I see." The Judge nodded.

Next Phoenix handed the makeshift bat to Athena. "However if someone shorter strikes someone taller..." Athena took a few eager swings at her boss. 'A little too eager, Athena...' However, no matter what distance or angle she swung from, the bat would not reach the same spot he'd reached on hers.

"Oh! Miss Cykes cannot hit the top of your head due to the height difference!"

"Correct your honor." Phoenix slammed his desk. "And if we follow that exact same logic, there is no way my client killed Miss Iteru, if only because he would not be able to reach that same spot!"

"That almost feels like a subtle jab at my height." Fuyuhiko muttered, but no one heard him over the fresh din of the crowd.

The Judge slammed his gavel and as the crowd quieted he turned to the prosecution. "The defense has raised a good point. Do you have anything to say regarding this contradiction?"

"The stairway."

....

.....

.......

"Er, I'm sorry Prosecutor Blackquill?" The Judge leaned in closer. "Could you repeat that?"

"Once again, the defense flaunts their ignorance." Blackquill, who had been leaning his back against his desk, sighed and turned around. "The exact location of Iteru Sato's murder was the Reserve Course building's first floor. Directly in front of the stairway to the second floor!"

The defense team flinched, Athena speaking up first. "So what you're claiming is-?"

"Is it not obvious?" Blackquill scoffed. "By confronting Miss Iteru from atop a stair, even someone as diminutive as the defendant would be able to strike the top of her head!"

"Enough cracks about my height already!" Fuyuhiko snapped.

"Now, now, Mister Kuzuryuu, high school is plenty of time to keep growing." The Judge said soothingly. "Just keep drinking your milk and eating right and you'll shoot up in no time!" Fuyuhiko gripped the defendant's stand but bit his tongue. Not even he was angry enough to snap at the judge presiding over his case.

The Judge seemed ignorant of the boy's fuming as he turned back to the defense team. "Well Mr. Wright, the prosecution has patched the hole in your contradiction. Does the defense have anything else to say?"

Sweat dripped Phoenix's brow. "Oh, uh..."

"Of course we do your honor!" Athena spoke up.

"Athena?"

"I'm sure I noticed something earlier." The girl flashed him a grin. "Hope you don't mind me going at it?"

"By all means, please do."

With a nod Athena picked up the evidence report on the bat. "First a question for Ema."

*munchmunchmunch* "Hhm?" *munchmunchmunch*

"You were the one that took the finger prints on the bat, correct?" Athena checked

"Of course!"

Athena smirked. "Perfect! Then I know they are completely accurate, since someone as skilled as you did it!" Ema quietly beamed at that.

"Enough flattering the witness, Cykes-dono." Blackquill said. "If you have no qualms about their accuracy, then what is the problem?"

"The problem is with the position of the prints." Athena pointed to the picture outlining the prints. "Please look carefully, specifically at where the thumb is."

Phoenix spotted it immediately now that she pointed it out. "Ah! The prints are in the wrong spot!"

"What are you talking about? The prints are on the handle, right where they should be!" Blackquill snapped. He looked at his copy. The fingers were wrapped around the handle, the thumb being close to... The base of the handle? "Impossible!" Blackquill cried, the feather falling from his mouth.

Athena crossed her arms triumphantly. "I'm surprised someone with a literal pair of hawk eyes on their shoulder missed such a detail." She said with a smirk. Blackquill glowered at her, clasping his chest like he'd been struck.

Finally the Judge interrupted. "If you two are done being dramatic, could you please explain things? Why would the defendant's prints on the murder weapon be a contradiction?"

"Of course your honor." Athena rolled up the paper bat they had made earlier. "For the entire time we've been acting on the belief that our client held the bat like this." She presented her grip, her thumb at the top toward the rest of the bat. "But according to these prints the only way he held it was like so." She shifted her grip so she was holding the papers in a reverse grip, the thumb at the base of the grip.

"I see. And how precisely is this relevant?"

Athena forced herself not to sigh. "Er, how about this, your honor? Try holding your gavel like this." The Judge nodded and reversed his grip on the hammer. "Now pretend to slam it against your desk from above, but as if you were using all your might to do it."

"Very well." In order to do so he had to tilt his arm back and swing it at an odd angle. "Oh my, that was deceptively difficult!" The Judge noted.

"Yes, yes it was." Athena nodded. "Now imagine if your gavel was a bat! Or rather-" She slammed the desk. "-imagine how difficult it would be for the defendant to strike someone directly on the head like that!"

"Well I imagine it would be quite difficult!" The Judge said thoughtfully.

"Especially if, as the prosecution claims, our client was standing on the stairs!" Phoenix added. "Such a long wind up would bounce off the other stairs behind him!" He slammed the table as well. "No matter how you look at the evidence, it doesn't add up to the prosecution's claims!"

The audience stirred again.

"Could that little guy really have killed her?"

"Maybe it was some secret Yakuza martial art?"

The Judge slammed his gavel. "Order!" When things quieted down he turned to Blackquill. "The defense has raised yet another good point."

Blackquill, who had ceased clutching his chest, sighed. "I'll admit, the defense has started with their blades drawn today."

"Of course!" Athena said with a smirk. "We aren't amateurs, after-."

"However!" Blackquill cut in. "Their follow through is still amateurish!"

Athena turned to her boss. "He's just making fun of me at this point, isn't he?" Phoenix patted her on the shoulder soothingly.

Taka landed on the man's shoulder once more. "I wanted to avoid this, messy as it makes things." Blackquill said as he stroked his companion's feathers. "However it seems I must in order to put the defense out of their misery! Bailiff!" He slammed his desk hard enough to spook Taka. " Bring out the last piece of evidence!"

'There's more evidence?' Phoenix flinched. The bailiff rolled out a television set with an advanced looking machine attached to it. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is..."

The screen flickered to life, showing the entrance hall to a school building. The timestamp placed it about five minutes before the murder. Then someone walked into the building. A plain looking girl with long hair and a nervous look on her face.

"Oh my!" The Judge exclaimed. "Unless I'm mistaken, that's the victim of this case!"

"Indeed, your baldness. This is video of the night of the murder." He explained. "The video is only fifteen minutes long, but as you will soon see, it gets the point across." Not five seconds after he said that, the Sato on screen hurried into the building. Her hands wringing in worry.

And not one minute after that, someone followed after her, someone carrying a bat in reverse grip.

"That's the defendant!" The Judge exclaimed once more. Indeed it was Fuyuhiko, his face grimly set. He walked into the building. Less than three minutes later he came back out, this time his face contorted in anger, the bat was gone and there was no sign of Sato.

'Uh oh...' Phoenix gulped.

"Uh oh..." Widget echoed from Athena's neck.

"As you can all plainly see-" Blackquill paused the video. "-both Kuzuryuu and Sato went in, but only the defendant came out." He slammed his desk again. "Because in those three minutes between entering and exiting, he killed her!"

The Judge rapped his gavel to tame the stir that the combined evidence and statement had caused. "I believe I have more than enough evidence to make my judgement." He declared. “Unless the defense has an-”

"Objection!" Phoenix called. "Why was this video not brought up at the beginning?"

Blackquill scoffed. "Hah! Don't play games, Wright-dono! The evidence and the video paint a clear picture." He slammed his desk. "Your baldness, make your judgement and be done with it!"

"Boss!" Athena whispered fiercely. "This video has us all but damned!"

'She's right, this all but confirms Fuyuhiko murdered Sato.' He glanced over at the boy, who was chewing his lip in despair. 'But... I have faith in my client. There must be something.' He looked at the video again. Six minutes on a fifteen minute video... 'That's it!'

"The defense demands to see the rest of the security video!" Phoenix declared.

"Mr. Wright?" The Judge looked between him and the video screen. "Do you really think that will do any good?"

"It won't!" Blackquill snarled. "The defense is only stalling the inevitable!"

“This video is still evidence in this trial!” Phoenix explained. “And I have the right to examine it thoroughly!”

The Judge considered for a moment and nodded. “It’s as he says, there is over half the video left. Bailiff, please play the rest." Blackquill audibly growled.

'The reason Blackquill didn't show this at the beginning, and the reason he doesn't want us to see the rest of the video... There must be something that casts doubt on Fuyuhiko's guilt!' Phoenix gripped his desk as the bailiff hit play and the video resumed.

Six minutes passed, showing an empty school entrance. Then, just before the thirteenth minute, someone walked in. Someone with white hair done in braids. "Boss!" Athena gripped his arm. "That's-"

"Peko Pekoyama!" The girl that had come to him just that morning! Fuyuhiko's "classmate".

The image of Peko ran into the building, a case for a bamboo sword slung over her shoulder. And then with thirty seconds left on the video she ran back out, the case now clutched in her hands. Even in the low quality of the camera feed her face looked rattled.

And then the video ended. "Oh my! There was someone else at the scene!" The Judge noted. "A witness perhaps?

"She's no one of consequence to this case." Blackquill growled. "All evidence points to Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu as the killer!" He slammed his desk for emphasis.

Phoenix slammed his desk in retort. "But she would still be a witness to the scene of the crime!" He shot back. "Her testimony could be vital!"

"SILENCE!" Blackquill drew his hands back into a sword drawing stance. "That's mere conjecture! You can't even prove she went near the scene, let alone saw it!" He lashed his hand forward like he was drawing a sword.

Phoenix knew it was coming, but still flinched as he felt the air blow past his face and the tip of his hair fall off. 'At this rate he'll be taking more than a little off the top.' He bemoaned as the strands fell away.

"Ah, but we can prove it!" Athena suddenly said. "Just let me rewind the video to..." Athena took the control for the video and paused it on a frame where Peko was leaving the building. "There! Take a look at her hand clutching her sword case."

Everyone focused. "Oh! Blood!" The Judge exclaimed. "There's blood on her hand!"

"What?!" Blackquill flinched and clutched his chest. "Dammit, struck from behind by the neophyte while her elder took the blow!"

'Not sure if elder is the right term.' Phoenix thought while Athena tried to remember what "neophyte" meant.

Blackquill recovered quickly though. "There is more than enough evidence to prove Kuzuryuu's guilt!" He declared. "Questioning Peko Pekoyama will only waste our time!"

"But the blood on her hand shows she was at the crime scene!" Phoenix shouted back. "It's entirely possible Peko saw something we've missed!" The fact that Blackquill already knew Peko's name was not lost to him, but this wasn't the time to bring it up.

The Judge had been listening to all this silently as he stroked his beard in thought. "This is my opinion on the matter." He finally said. "It is true that all evidence points to Mr. Kuzuryuu as the killer, but the defense has still raised very reasonable doubts. While I could give my verdict now, it would not resolve these doubts. In the hope of quelling them, I will allow the questioning of this Peko Pekoyama."

Blackquill growled again. "This is not a wise choice, your baldness."

The Judge shook his head. "Perhaps, but my decision is made! Peko Pekoyama will take the stand!" At that the braided girl rose from her seat in the gallery. "Oh? I did not expect you to already be here. Will your school be okay with this absence?"

"Hope's Peak main course allows for flexible attendance." Peko explained as she took the stand. "All they care about is if we hone our talents."

'What kind of school is this place?' Phoenix wondered to himself.

"Well, go on, introduce yourself for the court." Blackquill said with a dismissive wave.

Peko adjusted her glasses. "My name Peko Pekoyama. Student and Ultimate swordsman at Hope's Peak Academy."

"Ultimate swordsman?" The Judge asked. "So that thing at your back?"

Peko slid the cover down, revealing a bamboo training sword. "Only a shinai."

"Oh, all right then."

'And what's with this courtroom's weapon policies?' Phoenix wondered again.

"Enough chatter. Witness, speak of what you saw after the events on the security footage." Blackquill snapped. "And speak of nothing else!"

'And what's with Blackquill?' Phoenix wondered more thoughtfully. 'You'd think a "samurai" would have more interest in an up and coming sword master.'

Blackquill shot Phoenix a look the older man couldn't readily identify before both of them looked to Peko. The girl took a steadying breath before speaking. "That day, or rather that evening, I went to the reserve course building with one thing in mind." Her red eyes suddenly gained a sharp glare. "I went there and killed Iteru Sato."

She said it so matter of factly that it took a few seconds for everyone to process it. "What?" Athena finally spoke aloud. "Miss Pekoyama, could you please repeat that?"

“I killed Sato.”

What a twist! Can't wait to find out what happens? View the whole first trial already on my dA page.

[cornertheculprit]

lost my mind a bit earlier to that anon when i thought about the "of course" line but i think the scene leading UP to that last makes me lose my mind even more:

Mia: You did it, Nick!

Phoenix: Thanks, Mia! It's been a long time, hasn't it?

Mia: ...Yeah. It's because Maya doesn't call on me much these days.

Phoenix: Oh?

Mia: I'm just joking, Phoenix. Don't take everything so seriously. But on the other hand, Maya... She seems kind of lost these days.

Phoenix: You mean about becoming the Master of the Kurain Channeling School?

Mia: Becoming the Master... means saying goodbye to our mother.

Phoenix: You mean Misty Fey...?

Mia: ...Watch over her, will you Phoenix?

Phoenix: Of course.

first of all. MIA CALLING PHOENIX "NICK." second of all. mia confiding in phoenix about maya's emotional state because after everything she KNOWS he'll look out for her. she even smiles when she asks phoenix to watch over her because she knows he'll say yes. and this takes place in the stolen turnabout! and then in recipe for turnabout:

Phoenix: So? How's your spirit medium training going?

Maya: Well... I stand under the rushing waters of the shower head every day.

Phoenix: ...That's called "taking a shower". What happened to the rushing waters of a waterfall?

Maya: Well, I'm kind of taking a break... I'm having a bit of trouble right now, you know?

Phoenix: (Last year's incident must still be on her mind... I haven't seen Maya train at all since that time. I think Mia said it's because Maya's at a loss these days...)

i LOVE the little detail with phoenix saying he hasn't seen her train at all since last year's incident. it implies that maya's been staying with him the majority of the time and not in kurain village (which honestly makes sense given the entirety of aa2 but still. a year? food for thought of epic proportions). clearly she would've had to go up there to get things ready for the exhibit in the stolen turnabout and there was definitely other times but like!!!! the fact that she's been staying with phoenix for so long that he's outright noticed that she hasn't been training at all. god the 2-2 and 2-4 really did get to her didn't they. to both of them

[koifrog]

I posted 9,564 times in 2022

49 posts created (1%)

9,515 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kiiblade

@cannot-think-of-a-cute-name

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I tagged 2,934 of my posts in 2022

#q - 263 posts

#love tag - 193 posts

#death tag - 101 posts

#wta - 101 posts

#disco elysium - 92 posts

#aa - 87 posts

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#hollow knight - 74 posts

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#inspo - 50 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#this is why i don’t like reblogging anything that’s like ‘if ur white u need to reblog this’ ‘if ur not disabled you have to send me money’

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Also as stupid as that all is I think it’s really funny that if you opt into that add-on Kaidan becomes the ONLY man in Skyrim to audibly fart

15 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

#4

I swear to god in the middle of the climax of Turnabout Succession, it literally took me 10 whole minutes of walking around my house to calm down from laughing and losing my mind at the realization that literally every single thing that happened in AA4 was the result of Kristoph Gavin’s incompetence.

Like I spent that whole game tense and enraptured, wondering what could have possibly been the reason for all of this, wondering what motivation Kristoph had to ruin Phoenix Wright’s life, wondering what the root of this whole web of lies and control and manipulation and subterfuge could possibly be, only for it to be revealed that the only reason any of this happened was because Kristoph Gavin was a bad defense attorney. That’s literally the root of it all! He had 8 years of legal experience and was going up against his own 17 year old little punk ass brother in the guys first case ever, and he still wasn’t able to prove his client innocent without paying someone $100,000 for forged evidence. Every SINGLE thing that Kristoph did afterward was either a coverup or a failed attempt at one. There was no grand plan in place at all! Kristoph had just spent 7 years fumbling and panicking and desperately trying to cover his own ass. That’s all it was and it makes me cry laughing when I think about it too much.

18 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

#3

Can people just be fucking normal about Kaidan Skyrim

25 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

#2

Grief is made of glue

36 notes - Posted July 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Man. It really is insane how deep the shame goes when you grow up with ADHD

624 notes - Posted September 7, 2022

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[readymades2002]

she will dance to your favorite music!