#ALSO phoenix's coat is the only one we actually see him wear in game - the one from the farewell my turnabout bad ending | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sailorfailures · 4 years

Photo

I fell in love with these postcards from the Girl’s Night Out popup cafe the moment I saw them! I knew I had to get my hands on them, and the lovely @blaze-rocket was able to help that happen.

I cannot get over how perfect these postcards are. To me, this is what Sailor Moon is; a testament to the little moments from the series that made us fall in love with the characters, especially how their personal preferences were reflected in their fashion choices. In a world of merch where it’s easy to just slap a random crescent moon on something pink and say “look, it’s Usagi,” the designer responsible for these graphics went the extra mile to take imagery from the show itself that needles its way deep into our nostalgia-cortexes.

How many references do you recognise? Quiz yourself against this comprehensive (image-heavy) list! 👇

The inners’ postcards all reference the eye-catching sign for Game Center Crown, the iconic arcade where Motoki Furuhata worked and the gang would all congregate to play games and share information.

Starting in R they switched to hanging out at Fruits Parlor Crown, a cafe attached to the arcade staffed by Motoki’s sister Unazuki, which the Inners’ postcards all also reference. They would often get brightly-coloured drinks there, but the drinks pictured on these postcards seem to specifically line up with the real drinks available at the Girls Night Out popup cafe.

Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto’s postcards all reference “Café Étrangère,” which was the name of the cafe they were seen dining at in the Sailor Moon S movie. Even the logo is replicated faithfully from a scene only a few seconds long.

All the girls’ clothes are hanging on coat hangers shaped like Luna/Artemis/Diana.

Ami / Sailor Mercury’s references:

Ami’s casual outfit is an unusual choice since she only wore it a handful of times over the entire series, and half the times she wore it, it was given a different colour scheme with a green jacket instead of the yellow version pictured here.

Her “mini data computer” is her most iconic tool/weapon/accessory, revealed in episode 009, directly after her introduction.

The pink package is how Usagi and the other girls wrapped up her transformation stick and communicator watch as Ami’s going-away present in episode 062.

The ice cream may be a reference to the same episode, as she shared a cone with Chibi-Usa before she left, and returned to the store to protect her friends from the Droid Nihpasu.

The flash cards are a method Ami commonly used to help her study, and are particularly similar to the ones shown in the SuperS short “Ami’s First Love”.

Rei / Sailor Mars’s References:

Rei wore her casual outfit fairly frequently, starting and most notably in the beginning of the Sailor Moon R movie.

The small red o-mamori charm is from Hikawa Shrine, seen frequently but introduced in episode 010.

The paper ofuda ward was used frequently by Rei to fight evil, even before she could transform, but most notably in the attack sequence for “Akuryou, Taisan” (“Foul Spirit, Begone”).

To my knowledge the purple bag isn’t a specific reference, but Rei did throw a similar purse at a Cardian as a makeshift weapon in episode 048 before she got her Guardian memories back.

The gift-wrapped shopping boxes are the exact same ones as carried by Rei in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars opening sequence before she trips and falls, right down to the patterns on the paper...

... which in itself may be a reference/callback to Rei’s tendency to make Yuuichirou carry her shopping (maybe so she doesn’t trip).

The phoenix-shaped pendant is a reference to episode 183; it’s made of glazed ceramic, crafted by Rei’s cousin Kengo Ibuki, given to her as a child after she convinced him not to smash it even though he his pottery a “failure”.

Makoto / Sailor Jupiter’s References:

Makoto didn’t start wearing her casual outfit until around S, but she wore it frequently after that, especially as she became more confident wearing “feminine” clothing. They even remembered her iconic gold wrist watch worn over her sleeve!

Her uniquely decorated bento bag debuted in episode 026, her introductory episode, along with the rounded green cutlery. The pouch has been featured a few more times since and its design is a mainstay in almost every Sailor Moon canon.

The teal hairtie and the rose-shaped earrings are two of Makoto’s iconic accessories, some of the only non-magical fashion accessories in the entire series to stay the same whether the character is transformed or not (the other being Minako’s infamous red bow). Her earrings also served a dual purpose as makeshift projectile weapons in episode 025.

The blue book is 月夜の天馬 (Tsukiyo no Tenma, “The Moonlit Pegasus”), a novel which was written by Tomoko Takase and introduced in epsode 134. Makoto knew Tomoko from her old middle school, before she transferred, and was the first one to read her first draft after retrieving it from bullies. She encouraged Tomoko to try and get it published. Makoto meets with her again and helps her overcome her writer’s block to finish her sequel, 天馬幻想 (Tenma Gensou, “Pegasus Fantasy”).

Minako / Sailor Venus’s References:

This is one of Minako’s most-worn casual outfits, especially if you consider the additional outfits based off it. Despite its prevalence, she didn’t start wearing it until the beginning of S.

Minako’s red hair ribbon is her most iconic accessory, but did you know why she started wearing it? The Codename: Sailor V prequel manga explains that she started wearing the ribbon instead of her usual red hairtie on the suggestion of her “first crush” Higashi. But when he turns out to be an enemy in disguise, she decides she looks good with a ribbon anyway, and keeps wearing it for her own benefit.

The red mask is a reference to Minako’s role as Sailor V before joining the team as Sailor Venus. Sailor V was known as a mysterious vigilante superhero and a fictional video game character as early as episode 001, but in episode 033 Minako revealed herself to the rest of the Sailor Team, dramatically removing her mask one final time.

Minako was known to be a skilled volleyball player, especially in the manga, and it was especially relevant in episode 100 where she had to delicately return the serve of an energy sphere containing the Pure Heart of her old volleyball crush, Asai.

The sign with Minako’s name can be seen hanging off the front of her bedroom door in episode 192.

[Manga scan courtesy of Miss Dream.]

Usagi / Sailor Moon’s References:

Usagi wore this outfit in the Sailor Moon R movie, making it a memorable choice. Although the movie aired roughly midway through R, Usagi didn’t start to wear this outfit casually again until the S season.

Usagi is shown eating a lot of food, especially sweets, but she seems to have a particular fondness for crepes, snacking on them in several different episodes.

In episode 143 we can see that Usagi is very technologically trendy - for the times. She’s carrying that blue-and-pink pager which she and Mamoru use to contact each other by way of goroawase, that is, deciphering messages based on the different pronunciations of numbers, a precursor to modern texting. Mamoru pages her the numbers 84 51, which could be read as hachi yon go ichi; reading only the first syllables, and substituting go for the related sound ko, Usagi would interpret the message as hayo koi, which sounds a bit like “come quick” - she’s late for their date. Oops!

By the way, pagers were often called “pocket bells” (pokeberu) in Japan, and became so rapidly popular they even found their way into the lyrics of Rashiku Ikimasho, the ending song for the SuperS season; 「泣きたい時にはポケベルならしてよんで、戦士の休息」 [Nakitai toki ni wa POKEBELL narashite yonde, senshi no kyuusoku] “If you feel like crying, send a page thru the Pocket Bell, take a break from [being a] Guardian”

Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon’s References:

Chibi-Usa doesn’t technically have a school uniform, but her casual clothes are often styled after sailor suits as a reflection of both her idolisation of the figure of “Sailor Moon” and of her desire to be seen as older and more mature than she appears. She changes “uniforms” every season, and this pinafore outfit is the version she wears in SuperS. She wore the other outfit in the SuperS premiere episode.

The handgun is from episode 060, Chibi-Usa’s introduction to the series and arguably one of the most iconic absurdist scenes in all of Sailor Moon. The gun itself is actually a toy, probably a transformation of the Luna-P sphere, which Chibi-Usa uses to try and threaten Usagi into giving her the Legendary Silver Crystal. When she “shoots” Usagi, the bullet is revealed to be nothing but a suction-cup flower, also pictured. (By the way, if you were wondering, Chibi-Usa’s fake gun is based on a real Colt M1911A1.) She transforms the Luna-P into a toy gun to shoot Sailor Moon again in the Sailor Moon R movie, this time as a way to motivate Usagi to fight.

The Luna-P sphere was a mysterious gadget Chibi-Usa kept with her for the duration of R and parts of S. It’s unknown where it came from, but it could be assumed to have been created from advanced 30th century technology. It was a combination toy and tool which could transform itself into a variety of objects, formulas, and even weapons, though none were shown to be particularly powerful. It could also be used to communicate with Sailor Pluto at the Time-Space Door. When Chibi-Usa was manipulated into becoming Wicked Lady in episode 085, the Luna-P sphere also transformed into an “evil” and much more dangerous version.

The Space-Time Key was a special tool given to her by Sailor Pluto that allowed her to travel between the past and the future, though it was difficult for her to wield effectively.

The sunhat was given to Chibi-Usa by Ikuko, so she treasured it greatly. In episode 112 it got blown away and was retrieved by Hotaru Tomoe, which allowed her to meet Chibi-Usa and marked the beginning of their close friendship.

The blue-and-red package was a gift containing two manga books (”Drop Drop” vol. 1 & 2 by Ukon Katakuri) which Chibi-Usa intended to give to her new friend Hotaru in episode 113.

In episode 127, Chibi-Usa returned home to the future, and the girls all made her some going-away gifts. Ami made her a floppy disk (lol) to help her study, Rei made her a casette tape (double lol) of her music, Makoto packed her a lunch, and Minako made her a photo album of their time together. Usagi hand-sewed Chibi-Usa the rabbit-shaped backpack using a real outfit she used to love when she was a child.

Michiru / Sailor Neptune’s References:

This is a somewhat unusual choice for Michiru’s casual outfit, as she only wore it for two episodes, and that’s only because they made up a two-part story. But perhaps because the episodes were so pivotal - with Haruka and Michiru almost learning Usagi’s true identity - the outfit itself became more memorable.

Not only do they include Michiru’s violin, but they included the lemon she bounced off the instrument as she played to show off her skills in episode 093.

The teacup, teaspoon and saucer are the same set Michiru was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Michiru and Haruka both reference episode 095, where they had to enter a “true love” contest as part of their investigation. The contestants were asked to find their partner’s hand in an anonymous lineup, and Haruka was able to identify Michiru’s hand immediately.

Michiru used Haruka as a model for an illustration in her green sketchbook in episode 106.

Michiru’s Talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Submarine Reflection. She could also use it to receive prophetic visions. Visually, it was based on real-life art nouveau hand mirrors, and symbolically represented the mirror from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Haruka / Sailor Uranus’s References:

Conversely, Haruka wore this outfit a lot. Maybe more than she should’ve.

The teacup and saucer is the same set Haruka was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Haruka’s postcard also references the lovers contest in episode 095 (see above).

The purple scarf is from episode 096; Haruka was wearing it as a necktie when she almost ran into Makoto on her motorcycle. Haruka used the scarf to bandage Makoto’s road rash, which she returned later, though now smitten.

Not only is Haruka’s motorcycle included, they also referenced (one of) her car(s), the 1968 Toyota 2000GT.

Haruka’s Talisman is the Space Sword, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Space Sword Blaster. Symbolically it represented the sword from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Setsuna / Sailor Pluto’s References:

Setsuna didn’t have a school uniform, since she wasn’t a student, so she got to double-up on her casual outfits. Her mauve outfit is her most recognisable, wearing it so often it may as well have been her uniform. In fact, she was rarely seen wearing anything else until Sailor Stars, where she started experimenting with other outfits, including the Time Lord-esque suit on the right.

The potted plant is a Tellun, the energy-draining plant created by Tellu in episode 121. Setsuna was investigating it when it attempted to attack her, but she was protected by her Talisman, the Garnet Orb (also pictured, representing the jewel in the Three Sacred Treasures). She then went on to destroy the remaining Tellun plants and defeat Tellu with the help of Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask.

The teacup and saucer are the same set Setsuna is seen drinking from at Cafe Etranger in the Sailor Moon S movie.

In episode 182, the girls are discussing the mysterious arrival of Chibi Chibi while eating ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Setsuna appears out of nowhere to confirm their suspicions... carrying that popsicle of her own.

Hotaru / Sailor Saturn’s References:

Hotaru tended to wear the same thing, mostly all-black, but she did occasionally adventure into rich colours like this bottle green two-piece outfit and iconic raspberry beret.

The sunhat belonged to Chibi-Usa; it symbolises the beginning of their friendship, when Hotaru caught it after it blew away in episode 112.

Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru the rabbit backpack in episode 116, using it to pass a note inviting her on a picnic.

Hotaru collects lamps, and the two referenced here are seen in her bedroom, which she keeps dimly lit to manage her pain.

The window might seem random, but it was random in the series, too - it’s one of the curtained window which looks out from Hotaru’s bedroom, and when a Daimon experiment goes terribly wrong in episode 118 and transforms her house into a Bamboozled-like inter-dimensional maze, one window overlooks a vast ocean while the other overlooks a strange jungle.

Hotaru’s weapon as Sailor Saturn is the Silence Glaive. It’s said that she possesses enough power to destroy the world with a single drop of her scythe.

That’s it! You made it! How many references did YOU know? 🌙

#sailor moon #long post #I couldn't have done this the easy way. I couldn't have just posted the pictures and been like 'ooh look pretty'.#it was fun though and I actually learned some things in the process #I feel like I slipped through time somehow and designed these for Toei and then blacked it from my memory #again: sincere apologies to those on mobile

2K notes · View notes

phoenixyfriend · 3 years

Text

I am seized by a fatal need for courtroom ninja drama fic

But not serious courtroom drama. I'm talking Phoenix Wright style Nonsense.

(Some of this was provided by the folks over in @sloaners‘ server, but the bulk of it was me spitballing nonsense at people who actually know the games, which I do not. I do paraphrase a few times to make it more feasible as a tumblr post/fic concept, rather than a rapidfire text conversation.)

Or one of those like. Reality TV paternity test things? But specifically in my mind the people involved in the actual paternity are a married couple and someone that joined them to be their third, and Clan Elders are throwing a fit about how the baby might not be the heir by blood! while the actual parents are like "I could not care less, this is our child, all three of us, please stop getting involved."

HashiMitoMada would be a VERY good option for the paternity nonsense, mostly because I can see Madara screeching at his own elders about how he already said Izuna would be his heir and he's not changing his mind!

Tobirama is just begging the paternity test to work faster off-screen because he's the only person with the machines to make it happen.

(Hashirama is just. Moping in a corner.)

"I just had to INVENT a paternity test that works before the birth! I had to figure out how to test amniotic fluid! If you assholes make me do something this stupid on such short notice again, I will be digging some shallow graves!" "...for who?" "I haven't decided yet."

Anyway, jumping back to like a Phoenix Wright-style murder investigation.

The victim was Danzo. Even the prosecution isn't actually that interested in making sure someone gets arrested, but they're legally obligated to do at least try. A bunch of people all acting really suspicious about who killed him. There is at least one shitty fake mustache-on-glasses disguise to provide a paper-thin alibi.

WAIT The other thing this gives us is ninjas in three-piece-suits but half of them wear the suits wrong. I’m talking mismatched buttons. The wrong way of tying their tie. Sewn-on-cufflinks. This is Naruto, for instance.

Tobirama would wear it properly, except he's rushing about in a lab coat, screaming at everyone to get out of his way because he's The Entire Forensics Team.

(This is the part where I have to confess that I have only seen the live-action movie of Phoenix Wright, as I don't game, so I just have the live action and tumblr osmosis.)

At this point, of course, we gotta ask: Who is the most Belligerent Witness And who is the Helpful™️ Witness that's super enthusiastic but entirely useless

I can see, say, Mito being a solid witness that both defense and prosecution are really thankful for.

Modern gen you have like... Sasuke and Neji are both incredibly belligerent witnesses. Neji at least is polite about it but pulls the "only answers with the absolute minimum of information."

Lee and Gai would have the over enthusiasm but forget to say actual vital testimony until pressed, and Naruto would love to help but might not be entirely sure what the case even is.

Shikamaru falls asleep when the lawyers consult their partners. Prosecution A consults Prosecution B for thirty-seven seconds, then turns around and the witness is asleep at the stand.

Tobi (as in Obito with mask) is an incredibly frustrating witness. They have to declare a recess just so all the lawyers can recover their blood pressure. "Can we please get someone up on the stand with this guy as a handler? I'm--I'm going to explode."

Gaara: Helpful. Polite. Answers with detail. Answers the spirit of the question as well as the letter. Includes more detail. That's too much detail. Gaara please stop telling us about the sounds that bones make.

His testimony just drags on forever.

Ninken can and will take the stand! Pakkun even enjoys it! Some ninken require translators.

ABURAME TRANSLATING FOR A RANDOM GIANT CENTIPEDE THAT WITNESSED A MURDER IN THE FOREST OF DEATH

There are arguments about whether or not the testimony can count since nobody else can confirm the translation except Other Aburame so how do they know the Aburame aren't part of the coverup.

"Okay, so this Danzo guy had like fifty shell companies but I think I found the route that leads back to him?" "Nah, that one goes to a guy that died eighty years ago that's still collecting pensions: his family lied and said he was still alive for the money." "Fuck!"

Also I just. I love the idea of Sasuke and Madara being the exact opposite kind of belligerent witness.

Also, Orochimaru answers with pretty much the exact kind of wording as Gaara, but where Gaara is trying to be helpful and provide detail for the sake of the case, and failing to see that it's maybe not necessary, Orochimaru just wants to see people squirm. ...similar thing happens with Sakura and Kabuto. Similar phrasing, very different energy.

I keep picturing all of Team Taka as part of Forensics and Evidence Collecting ajshakshjd

Juugo, holding up a rabbit: I found a witness.

Karin joins forensics and Tobirama nearly weeps from joy until he finds her criminal record "Shit, that was supposed to get thrown out when I turned eighteen."

Tobirama: I asked for an assistant, not a criminal. Karin: I'm on parole. Tobirama: That makes things worse. Karin: I know how to use a [concerningly advanced machine that I, a business major, cannot name]. Tobirama: ...never mind, I'm keeping you.

Karin: I know how to DNA sequence AND use LA-ICP-MS Tobirama: [weeps with joy]

Suigetsu would be great at blood splatter analysis. ...I think I read somewhere that blood spatter analysis is actually over in 'fake science that's pushed by cops and media but actually doesn't work' BUT apparently it’s in the Ace Attorney games so we’re going to ignore reality a bit. We’ve already got dogs and rabbits and centipedes as witnesses, what’s a bit of blood spatter?

He's also probably really good at cause of death stuff? Like looking at corpse and figuring out how long it took the victim to die, which blow did it, whether any damage was inflicted post-mortem, etc.

Sasuke is usually too busy playing Belligerent Witness but sometimes goes to join Taka for... uh... reasons.

Juugo: [takes the stand] Lawyer: Hey, uh, why's that Uchiha guy with him? The witness-- Judge: No, no, we need Uchiha Sasuke on hand when questioning Expert Animal Handler Juugo. Lawyer: ...why? Judge: Property damage.

(Sasuke as a work partner with Juugo, also moonlighting as a witness/suspect in Danzo's murder.)

One time they need Juugo but can't find him even though court is already in session and he said he'd be here, turns out he was lured away by Kakashi's army of dogs. Kakashi didn't notice until he turned to ask Pakkun if he could help find the missing expert.

Juugo is a decent lab assistant, I think?

Anyway.

Tobirama taking on Team Taka as his forensics team while Orochimaru is... hm... traveling the country to promote his new autobiography, which is outselling the newest Icha Icha to Jiraiya's ire.

Sloane suggested “a case where it's all the Sannin as suspects in a murder. They would be THE WORST, say... the murder of Hanzo.”

To which I suggested “The Sannin are all suspects but the people on trial are the Ame trio, maybe?”

Which garnered the response of “It could be a surprise upset IN COURT that the trio should be on trial.”

We love a court upset.

Suigetsu finds out that the cause of death was actually an entirely natural heart attack, but while he was determining this, the rest of the team and the lawyers found like eight conspiracies by Zetsu, three by Danzo, four by Orochimaru, and an entire network of nonsense by Sasori.

INO IS THE PSYCHIC. I know her thing in canon is reading minds but pls. Ino is Maya. The Spirit Medium.

Is the judge: 1. Hiruzen 2. Hashirama 3. Hagoromo 4. Mifune 5. The Daimyou

(Old dude with authority, optionally easily distracted/questionably competent. I'd have gone for impressive facial hair but only Mifune and Hagoromo have more than like... Hiruzen's weird soul patch.)

It's not a soul patch but I don't know what facial hair is called and I can't just call it a goat beard

Response commentary was as follows: The Daimyou would unfortunately be closer to the personality of the ace attorney judge, more blindly agreeing with things that sound good :joy: Hiruzen could be fun if only for the competing facial hair for a beard, yes xD Hagoromo would possibly be most buckwild tho WELCOME TO MOON COURT

I managed to get this far with like... NO idea who the judges were except “IDK maybe Kakashi?” but consider:

...HashiMada rival lawyers

Dropping over to Izuna vs. Touka for when Hashirama and Madara inevitably become suspects of something or other themselves and have to be witnesses.

(Tobirama's too busy running blood tests, Anija, let Touka handle it, she's better at people anyway.)

...Hashirama is like. Marginally more put-together than Madara, right? So that... makes him Edgeworth... somehow... That feels wrong but Madara as Edgeworth feels even more wrong.

Madara is very into screaming OBJECTION

ALSO consider: Friction when a doctor from a nearby hospital gets called in to provide expert testimony on something because Karin is like "no hey I should be the one doing this" and then she sees how cute Sakura is.

But also at some point Kakashi vs. Gai for a nonsense case. Their personalities are both VERY FUN for this sort of thing.

62 notes · View notes

jeminy3 · 4 years

Text

Titanic AU Snippet - A Not-Quite-First Meeting

Another casualty of my ambitions. This was fun to think about and poke at when I was first getting into Miles/Phoenix, and dealing with a very stressful cross-country move and living out of hotels for a month. But watching the Titanic film and reading its script to rewrite it for this feels a little too daunting to tackle now, especially with others also doing this AU in art or written form. My only unique contribution is adding in Miles' and Phoenix's canon-compliant childhood friendship, and this "first" meeting actually being an unexpected reunion that revives their friendship, then blossoms into something more. Read on Google Docs.

Read on AO3

+Phoenix, Miles and Larry knew each other as children in grade school in America. Like canon, Miles suddenly moved away when his father died in an accident (possibly revealed later as a setup by Manfred Von Karma).

+Miles was taken in by the Von Karmas, a wealthy and influential German family. He is in an arranged marriage with Dahlia Hawthorne for financial and social benefits for both families. They're sailing to New York to hold the wedding in Dahlia's home country.

+Phoenix has been traveling the world as he's studied art, partly in an effort to track down Miles. He reveals later that he played a poker game for Titanic tickets because he overheard that the Von Karmas, and therefore Miles, would be aboard.

+During the first evening, Miles attends a party in the First Class ballroom with the Von Karmas and Hawthornes. He has no affection for Dahlia or any of his current circumstance, and becomes overwhelmed with depression as he feels the weight of the horrible future stretching before him and the potential happiness he could’ve had if things were different. He excuses himself to go out for some fresh air.

---

In a daze, Miles finds himself walking briskly along the deck – not in any particular direction besides Out and Away. This leads him to the ship’s stern, where the inky blackness of the night sky and dark ocean is most visible. To any passersby, Miles seems like a fairly calm, collected man taking a brisk walk in the night air, and nothing more. No one pays him much mind.

In his mind, he is collapsing. To him, he is this sobbing, wailing, miserable creature, racing through the endless misery that is his current reality, scrambling blindly against walls that don't exist for purchase he will never grasp.

He finds himself stumbling against a large anchor lying on the deck here, heaving with great breaths, trembling all over. He lifts his head, looks out at the dark sky and darker ocean stretching before him, just past the ship’s railing. He looks, and looks... and suddenly has an idea.

He feels... a great calm all of a sudden, a crystal-clear clarity. (I can escape this,) he thinks. (I can leave it all behind.)

He straightens himself, and starts taking off his jacket and removing his shoes, as slowly and calmly as if he’d just arrived home from a long journey. Down to his waistcoat and socks, he walks toward the stern’s railing and leans against it, looking out into the churning waters below.

(I’ll just… disappear. They’ll blame it on an accident. Just a slip and fall. They’d never find me.)

He carefully climbs up and over the railing, darkened from the lack of lights on this edge of the ship, balancing himself with the nearby rigging. He lowers himself on the other side until his feet find purchase on the very edge of the platform. He turns, grasps the railing behind him and leans out over the water.

(Just a little cold, and it’ll all be over. Finally. Maybe... maybe I'll see Father again-)

“Don’t do it!”

Miles flinches, whipping his head around toward the direction the voice came from – and sure enough, standing a few meters behind him is the man who’d just called out to him.

He seems young – probably no older than Miles himself. He’s of a somewhat stocky build, and wearing a worn and dusty jacket over clothes of muted colors. Probably a third-class passenger. But what’s striking is his face – there’s something strangely familiar to his features… dark, spike-like hair, sharply-cut eyebrows, eyes mismatched in color…

Most of this doesn’t fully register in Miles’ mind right now, however, as his grim resignation has given way to sheer panic.

“S- stay back!” Miles shouts. “Don’t come any closer!” (Dammit- I didn’t think to make sure no one was following me…)

The man stretches out an arm, extending his hand. “Come on- give me your hand, I’ll pull you back over.”

”No! Stay where you are!” Miles says, looking frantically between the man and the waters below him. “I- I mean it! I’ll let go!” (All I have to do is… do that. Ugh- Where did this man come from?!)

Miles turns his attention back to the water. Despite his mind screaming to end it all, his hands hold fast to the railing, and he can feel his resolve crumbling at the idea of attempting this while this innocent man was still watching – and even worse, trying to help him.

The man, meanwhile, makes some worried sounds behind him, trying and failing to form more words. Then he clears his throat and falls silent.

When Miles looks, he sees out of the corners of his eyes that the man was taking a quick drag from a cigarette. He holds it out, making unsure eye contact with Miles when he notices him looking, then he awkwardly steps forward. He tosses the cigarette over the railing and into the water in one swift motion.

Miles follows the cigarette’s trajectory with befuddlement – when he looks again, he sees that the man’s steps have now put him nearly side-by-side with Miles, his hands now tucked into pockets, leaning into a faux-casual pose.

“...No you won’t,” he says, matter-of-factly.

Miles suddenly feels, metaphorically, knocked off balance. (Wh- What?)

“Wh- What do you mean, ‘no I won’t’?!” He exclaims, offended. “Don’t presume to tell me what I will and won’t do! You don’t know me!”

The man shrugs. “Well… if you were serious, you would’ve done it already.”

“I- I am serious! Y- you’re just distracting me! Go away!”

Miles turns his attention back to the water, but he still can’t get his hands to let go. He feels a confusing mess of anger, guilt and embarrassment. This whole thing has quickly gone so terribly, terribly wrong.

“I can’t,” the man replies. “I’m involved now.” He heaves a great sigh, and when Miles looks again, he’s started removing his outer coat. “If you let go, I’m gonna have to jump in after you.”

Now, Miles was more shocked than anything. (Is- is he serious?!)

“Wh- Don’t be absurd! You’ll be killed!”

The man has completely shrugged off his outer coat, and is now bracing a raised leg on the nearby anchor to unlace his boots. He lifts his eyes momentarily from this to flash Miles a smirk.

“I’m a good swimmer.”

(He can’t be serious.) “The fall alone would kill you!”

“It would hurt. Not saying it wouldn’t,” the man says, again with that damnably nonchalant tone – he seems very practiced at forcing it for stressful situations like this. “...To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more concerned about that water being so cold.”

(Cold…?) Miles looks back to the water, and finally notices how much he’s wet and shivering from the combination of the night air and sea spray. His socks are becoming damp, and his teeth are starting to chatter. It’s taking some effort to keep his jaw clenched. (I knew it would be cold, but if just this mist is making me shiver like this…)

Miles swallows, and looks between the man and the water again.

“...How cold?” he asks.

The man looks at him, then out over the water. “Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over.”

Miles contemplates this as the man finishes kicking off his boots.

“You uh… you ever been to Wisconsin?”

Miles looks at him with the most incredulous look he can muster. (What?) “...What?”

The man keeps speaking, looking out the middle distance. “Well, they have some of the coldest winters around. We used to go up there all the time to visit family, when I was growing up.”

(What is he...)

“I remember when I was a kid, me and my uncle - we sometimes went ice fishing out on Lake De Soto.” He glances at Miles. “Ice fishing is, y’know-”

“I know what ice fishing is!” Miles groans. (This can’t be happening right now…)

The man spreads his hands. “Sorry. You just, uh- seemed like more of an indoor kinda guy.”

Miles glances down at his waistcoat and suit pants, now also becoming damp from the mist. (That is… fair, I suppose.)

“Anyway,” the man continues, “I uh- I fell through some thin ice one time.”

He folds his arms over the railing, leaning onto it. “And lemme tell you, water that cold? Like down there?” He jerks his chin toward the water below. “It hits you like a thousand knives, stabbing all over your body.”

Miles follows his gaze back to the water, swallowing lightly. (Knives…?)

“You can’t breathe, you can’t think- At least, not about anything but the pain.”

Miles gulps again. (...Oh dear…)

“...And that’s why I’m really not looking forward to jumpin’ in there after you.”

When Miles looks, the man was now taking off his jacket, exposing his shirt and suspenders. He catches his eyes again and shrugs. “Like I said – I don’t have a choice now.”

And then he smiles – it’s a very nice smile, Miles must admit – and he extends his arm again. “So I guess I’m hoping you’ll uh, come back over the rail and get me off the hook here.”

Miles looks between him, and the water again. “You’re crazy,” he says, because it can only be true at this point.

The man lowers his arm and laughs a little. “Yeah, that’s what everyone tells me. But, uh…” He steps forward and leans in, close enough to be heard as he lowers his voice. “...With all due respect, mister, I’m not the one hanging off the back of a ship here.”

Miles looks at him, then at the water again. And he feels another wave of clarity.

(He’s right. What am I doing? Wait… Right…)

Something about that thought, that word, feels like a gear clicking into place within his mind’s clockwork, still grinding away in their efforts to remember why this strange man’s face, voice and mannerisms feel so familiar to him.

He thinks he’s in the midst of an epiphany, but he’s momentarily distracted as the man’s hand appears at his side again.

“Come on. You don’t wanna do this.”

Miles looks at his hand, then at him, feeling something flutter in his mind and somewhere in his chest.

“Okay,” he whispers, and finally pries his right hand from its grip on the railing, reaching over to accept the man’s offered hand. It feels warm, strong, rough but not callous. He realizes how cold and clammy his own hands are.

The man supports Miles as he carefully turns around on the railing, until they’re facing each other directly, and Miles can see the man’s face much more closely and clearly than before, his head and hair haloed by the light of the nearby lamps.

(...Right… Wright?)

The man seems to be having a similar revelation at the same time, as his mismatched eyes light up as he looks him over.

“Well I’ll be damned,” he says, almost breathlessly. “It really is you.”

Miles feels his eyes widen and the corners of his mouth lift of their own accord. “...Phoenix?”

The man, who he now remembers to be Phoenix Wright, someone Miles never dreamed he would see again even in his wildest fantasies, smiles so brightly it’s nearly blinding to behold.

“Miles Edgeworth,” he says, and Miles can’t quite stop himself from grinning back. “God, after all these years… looks like I finally got to pay you back after all.”

Miles blinks at him. “Pay me…? For what?” (I don’t recall him owing me anything…)

Phoenix just shakes his head, laughing softly. “Ah, I’ll tell you later. Let’s get you back on the ship first. Now, up-”

He holds Miles’ hand with one arm, steadies his shoulder with the other, and carefully urges him up and over the railing. It goes smoothly, up until Miles remembers, too late, that he’s not wearing shoes and his socks are now almost completely soaking wet from sea spray. As soon as he attempts to step down off the railing, his foot slips, and he finds himself tumbling down and onto the deck – and onto Phoenix.

“NGOH-!” “ACK-!” goes the chorus of the resulting shouting and squawking. When Miles recovers his senses, he finds himself sprawled on the deck with Phoenix’s prone body mildly crushed beneath him.

---

#wrightworth #narumitsu #narumitsu titanic au #wrightworth titanic au #titanic au #jeminy writes #edgewright #cw suicide #tw suicide #cw suicide attempt #tw suicide attempt

26 notes · View notes

marithlizard · 4 years

Text

Ace Attorney: Rise From the Ashes (Day Two, Trial Former) (part two)

I feel like screenshots would add zing and be helpful, but it’d be a pain to do my own for technical reasons. Does anyone know of a good image gallery for RftA? Google didn’t turn up much.

Anyway. Day Two, and it’s time for the trial of the already-confessed suspect.

"How did the investigation go yesterday?" Lana, you could tell us something yourself. Even if you're lying through your teeth it'd give us something to work with.

Ooh, barbed little exchange between Lana and Phoenix. "Never believe your client, they're probably a lying scumbag." "See, being a defense attorney requires some basic faith in humanity. Unlike Mia, you don't appear to qualify."

Huh. We’re given an upfront ambiguous warning from Edgeworth, right in front of the court. Yes, yes we know personal feelings are icky and you don't want them near your tailored waistcoats, but why do you feel the need to disallow them right now? Phoenix has no personal emotional stake in this case. Unless...Edgeworth thinks the proceedings are going to rebound on him.

Ema, this is not the time for sexy cross-examination fantasies. You can go home and write fic after your sister is safe.

The dominatrix lunch lady is a "professional" witness? Edgeworth I hope you didn't mean that the way it sounds.

Edgeworth is unmoved by your rice. Take that, lunch lady. (If only the judge had as much dignity.)

OH I misread that completely. She's a former detective! (And Jake Marshall is a demoted detective. Connection?) And while Edgeworth accords her due respect by calling her work first-rate, she's openly hostile to him.

And she arrested Lana herself? If this crime was as staged and performative as I suspect, was that all part of the act? Yeah, I don't think you were alerted by a sense of destiny or your finely honed instincts, lady. Or that you were there to bring lunch to your boyfriend.

Would the stabbing have been as easy as Angel Starr describes it? Didn't Goodman put up a fight at all? Sadly our autopsy report has all of two sentences in it.

Ooh, she just opens fire on Edgeworth with both barrels. And she offers a motive, the first one we've heard so far, that Goodman was killed for knowing too much about corruption of evidence.

My goodness. Evidence is sacrosanct, but sexually propositioning the judge while giving testimony is fine? Got it. (Phoenix at least tries to call out her obvious bias.)

Here’s a photograph, which the lunchlady so very thoughtfully took. Lana with a bloodstained trenchcoat draped over her, wearing gloves, seemingly about to close the trunk of the car. This was clearly taken after the stabbing. But...if you witnessed the crime itself, and arrested the suspect on the spot, would you really have had time to take this picture? You'd be busy trying to reach Lana, surely. (Smartphones were not a thing yet, were they? Did Angel just happen to be carrying a camera? ....She did. A lunchbox camera. Perhaps for spying on prosecutors.)

Edgeworth why do you even own a knife like that? And how did Lana supposedly get ahold of it?

Yes, thank you, that cannot possibly be a photograph of the moment of the crime, given the lack of either victim or weapon in it.

"Are you trying to test me? I sell box lunches for a living, you know." The translation team was having SO much fun with these.

Aha, so the knife was in the trunk. Unless Lana knew it was there, she didn't have a weapon prepared, which seems off for a premeditated murder.

...actually why aren't we hearing Lana's own confession account on the stand instead of the lunchlady's? I know, I know, it works better for the game to force us to reconstruct it all from clues, but what's the in-story reason?

"Mommy, are prosecutors bad people?" Yeah, this whole thing is definitely at least partly staged to smear Edgeworth's reputation. (also why are small children in the audience for a murder trial)

It doesn't seem to have affected his spirits, though, since he can make lunchbox jokes. And oooh, he's firing back at Angel. He doesn't care if it's premeditated or not, but she does. (Why does she care so much? it's the death penalty either way in this system, isn't it?)

Wait why is she testifying about Lana calling Goodman out to the Prosecutor's Office? She has no personal knowledge of that at all. (Indeed, it turns out there is no evidence it even happened.) Annnd here we go, she's perjuring herself. Purple prose about "plunging the knife in again and again" that directly contradicts the autopsy report. She hates Lana so much it's really clouding her judgment.

Edgeworth is holding Angel strictly to account on her testimony even though it favors his case. And he's getting distinctly sardonic about her lies. It's nice to see that the truth does matter to him.

Ooh, he points out the contradiction with the autopsy report himself, stealing Phoenix's thunder! That would never have happened in previous AA games. He's really changed, or perhaps he feels so under threat that there's no point holding back.

She...thought she saw repeated stabbing because Lana had a red scarf on? That doesn't make a particle of sense. And wait, in the photograph Lana wasn't wearing the scarf at all. Why are we listening to a thing this woman says?

For the second time in a row, Edgeworth interrupts and takes over Phoenix's objection for himself. He's demolishing her quite satisfyingly. Perhaps it's not a desire for the truth so much as finally getting to strike back, after having people speak ill of him for years.

"After the murder, the suspect attempted to run behind the partition". Yeees, that absolutely fits with your picture of a cold-blooded (yet enraged) stabber committing premeditated murder in a public place with evidence all over.

You climbed a nine-foot chain link fence, in your negligee, fur coat and heels (you are definitely wearing heels), so fast that you were able to apprehend the fleeing suspect after stopping to take a picture first. Riiight.

Lana said "muffler"...like the car muffler? On the phone? That means Ema has lied twice now - first she hid the fact that her sister called her right after the murder, then she claimed her sister hung up without saying anything.

Ah! So Lana wasn't attempting to hide at all, she was attempting to make a phone call. Like you do when you've discovered a body.

Hah! Phoenix points out that Angel just claimed to be able to look straight through the concrete partition. I didn't actually pick that up. And he's no longer taking anything she says at face value - he believes her statement that she saw Lana try to use the wall phone only because it's a pointless detail that no one would bother to lie about.

...So he's willing to believe she saw what she says, but from a different location? I have to agree with Edgeworth, that also sounds pointless. Why claim to be standing somewhere else? "Where" isn't hard - she must've been in the pointedly-mentioned and clearly labeled security room, looking down from above. Why not say so?

And the judge FINALLY chastises her for lying, if only mildly. She freely admits she'll say anything to take down Lana. And it sounds like she has a reason, beyond personal hatred. (A justified reason?)

Good for Ema, she points out there's no obvious benefit to the location lie. And Phoenix is the first to say the p-word. What benefit would be worth that?

"I swear it on my finest plastic spork!" A bible would surely be redundant.

Yes, five minutes between murder and arrest is a TON of time. Lana could easily have escaped if she'd wanted to. Angel surely made enough noise to alert her, running around and even taking her picture. And Lana just apparently stood there? Why?

YES boot her off the stand, judge! Don't let the caviar lunch sway you!

Court is adjourned, but there are still so many questions. We still don't know what- huh? Angel isn't ready to stop talking yet?

"I... might be able to save you." Now isn't THAT an interesting statement. It sounds like she's offering to save Edgeworth himself somehow, not just his case. Even though she hates his guts.

The judge very politely tells her to feed her new claim of "decisive evidence" to someone else. I approve, though of course she'll end up having her say anyway.

NOW you bring up a bloody shoe? Which was, I'm going to bet, not in the police investigation report? Why do you have Lana's shoe, and what does blood on it prove that the blood on her coat and gloves doesn't?

I was right, Edgeworth did not know about the shoe. And he brings up "evidence law", that new evidence can't be introduced without the approval of the police department. Which is weird, because I certainly remember Phoenix producing all kinds of new evidence during former trials. Not infrequently hidden or stolen from the police. (Does that mean the victim's ID card which Phoenix pocketed is inadmissible? I bet it does not mean that. Edgeworth just doesn't want to accept evidence from this annoying person who hates him.)

Too bad for him, because she got it approved by the police department on her own...today? I know Edgeworth is the opposition here, but that does not seem fair to him. People who are not Phoenix need time to prepare their cases. (Mostly because, unlike Phoenix, they actually have cases.)

Huh. I don't know if this will be called out as a plot point, but a fundamental difference in approach just struck me here. Edgeworth claims there could have been some bloody footprints that just didn't happen to be in the picture. He doesn't know, because unlike Phoenix he doesn't go to crime scenes. He relies on the police reports given to him. That seems like it could come back to bite him in a much bigger way than just this shoe.

Lana kicked over a water-filled oil drum while struggling with Angel. ...Apparently no one but me finds this highly implausible. Oil drums are heavy! Even when empty, kicking one over is a stunt for a martial artist, and when full...I can't picture it.

"Ah, yes, I will perform this feat of strength to wash away the bloody footprints, removing all the evidence against me. Except for my bloody coat, gloves and shoes, the murder weapon, the body, the eyewitness, and the photo." Edgeworth why does this seem logical to you? I an almost see Lana rolling her eyes in the prisoner's dock.

Hah. At the moment of failure, Ema stumbles on the one sure way to get Angel Starr pissed off enough to derail the trial again - accuse her of being on the side of a prosecutor in any way, shape or form. She obviously *is*, in that she and Edgeworth want the same verdict, but she can't stand to hear it said out loud.

NOW of all times, she produces a photo of the body?? ...I guess proof that she withheld even more evidence from Edgeworth, against both their interests, is supposed to be proof that she isn't on his side?

The ghost of Mia appears in Phoenix's mind, telling him not to give up. And indeed, that photo shows something sticking out of the car's muffler. I was right, Lana meant that when she said "muffler" on the phone.

The trial has to be suspended while someone goes and looks to see what the thing in Edgeworth's car muffler is. (Which really should've been noticed by any competent police investigators. As should the fact that the suspect's shoe was missing on her arrest, and nowhere to be found. Is the cowboy not actually very good at this?)

Next time: trial part 2, in which the judge is hopefully so stuffed as to no longer be susceptible to lunchbox bribery.

#ace attorney #rise from the ashes #ace attorney spoilers

10 notes · View notes

youngbounty · 4 years

Text

Five Reasons I Won’t Watch the Anime, But Will Watch the Movie

I don't have many good things to say about the Ace Attorney anime and have my reasons for why I refuse to watch it. Admittedly, I have watched a few clips here and there to see how its version of some, if not many, of my favorite scenes from the game compare. As expected, it continually disappoints. Had it been just Manfred Von Karma adopting Miles Edgeworth that I hated from the anime, I would've watched it regardless. Even during the days I was into Yu-Gi-Oh, I was still willing to watch the worst season of that show, Capsule Monsters, because it still felt like Yu-Gi-Oh no matter how poorly done it was. The same can be said for Ace Attorney. If it feels like Ace Attorney, I will watch it regardless.

The Ace Attorney anime did not give me the same type of excitement the game had. Much to my amazement, much of the reasons why I absolutely refuse to watch the anime version of Ace Attorney is the opposite reasons why I am more than excited to watch the live action movie adaptation. Even when watching some of the spoiler clips of the live action movie, including some of the changes made, gives me the joy and excitement I never got when watching the Ace Attorney anime. To understand this, I will give you my list of reasons for why I refuse to watch the Ace Attorney anime and how the live action Ace Attorney movie differs from those reasons.

Changes From the Game

In any medium, changes are necessary in order to fit the medium. The Danganronpa anime, for instance, makes certain necessary changes during the day breaks. Instead of seeing Makoto meeting with each character and being given their underwear, after unlocking five or three friendship events, it mostly cuts to important scenes. Of course, this does mean sacrificing what bond he's made to the other characters, but that sacrifice is necessary in order to keep the story going. Some scenes from the game are cut from the anime for timing purposes. The Ace Attorney anime doesn't do either of those things.

I have complained about the anime's change in having Miles Edgeworth be the adopted son of Manfred Von Karma, but that's just the tip of the ice berg of changes done in the anime. Other changes I've also seen will go from giving Miles a dog named Missile – who was actually Dick Gumshoe's dog in the game, to having Maya gain the bullet from Gregory by stealing it from Von Karma's office – because that is totally not illegal or destroys the sacrifice she made to gain that bullet in the game, to making Celeste Inpax Adrian's older sister – yeah, because that doesn't destroy the symbolism of Miles Edgeworth's suffering, to the biggest disappointment of no psyche-locks, aside from that tease in Farewell my Turnabout that felt like the creator was sticking their tongue at us. There are more stupid changes, besides these, but I'd rather not list them all.

There were changes in the anime that I did like, but they were mostly additions that broadened the story and most of it was from the first season. Come to find out, the first season of the anime was done by a different studio, while the second season changed studios. It's pretty clear that the first season at least was putting love and care into the show, whereas the second season felt more like a lazy cash grab with no real potential. I'm not asking for an anime adaptation of Ace Attorney to be by the books, but I am asking for heart and the anime didn't feel like there was any heart. I felt more love for the show in Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters and even The Last Airbender live action movie than I did with the Ace Attorney anime. Not to say there wasn't anyone working on the anime that weren't Ace Attorney fans, but the ones that did work their best were not the ones in charge of orchestrating the project. I will say the voice actors and those in charge of the music did put their heart into it.

The live movie adaptation of Phoenix Wright do have changes from the game, but unlike the anime adaptation, these changes do feel like necessary changes in comparison. One of the major changes in the live action movie is the setting of DL-6, which is the Evidence Room and not the elevator. Because the film was low budget, it's understandable why they may've had to change the setting. Also, it would be hard to film in a closed space. While Miles passing out makes little sense in the movie, it also can be left up for interpretation such as maybe the shock of thinking he shot his father by accident. Another change was having Gregory wear his trench coat from Miles Edgeworth Investigations 2, which I find to be an excellent Easter egg. Another change was how Phoenix Wright obtained the bullet shot in Gregory Edgeworth, that being from inside The Thinker clock/statue. While it belittled Maya's sacrifice in the anime, in this one, it creates a connection between Maya's and Edgeworth's trial that is necessary for the film adaptation. A film cannot work in the same way as a game, since a movie needs to follow a single plot line. It also doesn't sacrifice Maya's sacrifice, since the tasing scene is still in the film, but at a different location with different circumstances.

Not to say the film won't have any flaws, but it's clear there was more heart put into it based on the changes. It never tries to change the relationships between the characters from the game, make characters do things they normally wouldn't do in the game or give things that originally belonged to another character. The live action movie kept to the game as much as it could. Because of how much heart was put into the live action movie, I had thought it was a fan movie at first. Heck, there are scenes where we see Edgeworth stand from the Defendant's Bench to defend himself. Sure, the anime had that too, but not until the very end. Even then, it wasn't as good as the live action movie, where Edgeworth is heavily involved and not just sitting in his bench twiddling his thumbs, while Phoenix is cross-examining a bird. Not to say the game had Edgeworth do anything until the end, but there weren't enough graphics to see him respond to anything. Anyone that does an anime or movie adaptation is expected to show more than what the game provides. When you compare the responses from the characters in the anime and the movie, it's clear the movie shows much more responses from the defendant and the entire gallery, while the anime does not.

As I said, changes are sometimes necessary when doing adaptations to other mediums and the movie's changes feel much more necessary, while the anime's changes feel aggrivating.

Semi Futuristic, Conducting Trials and Presenting Evidence

The anime adaptation has a very lazy way of showing us that Phoenix Wright takes place in a semi futuristic world with 2000's technology. It does this by... showing us technology we already have in this day and age? Imagine if someone were to make a Back to the Future reboot where Marty McFly goes to 2015 and instead of seeing a Utopian future full of jaw dropping technology and hover boards, we get technology we use today. Sounds kinda boring, doesn't it? Well, that's what the Ace Attorney anime feels like.

There's nothing amazing or uniquely different about the Ace Attorney anime that catches the viewer's eye. What I liked about the game was that it introduced us to certain kinds of tech that were amazing and made us feel we were in another world. We were introduced to new ways of development and magic. Fingerprint analysis could be used by common people, you could analyze pieces of evidence without touching it, you can record data in a court record before the police arrive and, because magic also exists in this world, people treated it as something that commonly happened. In the anime, we get to see screenshots of evidence on TV, have Phoenix handling evidence even though he's not allowed to do that and watching a not Utopian future that feels too much like the real world today. Yay.

The Ace Attorney live action movie not only makes it known that this is a semi futuristic world, but shows it to us. You have evidence in holographic screens the Defense or Prosecution can pull up and push to the person they're showing it to. When the Defense wins, holographic confetti is released toward the gallery, which I find much more satisfying than Gumshoe throwing it. This makes it to where the Defense doesn't have to handle evidence and present it much more efficiently. Because trials are expected to last no more than three days, you really feel the pressure from Phoenix Wright. It feels like something that exists only in this world and not ours.

What the live action movie did was something asked and expected by the fans. They want Ace Attorney to feel like a semi futuristic world. They want the trials to feel pleasant to look at. The anime did do a good job with adding some wind effects to the objections, but that was the only cool thing done. There wasn't anything fresh and new beyond that. Also, no psyche-locks, which I felt was one of the biggest disappointments. It felt like a missed opportunity with what the anime could do with the animation in using the magatama to break the psyche-locks. Well... that and showing Phoenix throwing his phone to Edgeworth in Farewell my Turnabout in animation. Co'mon, am I the only one that wants to see the epic phone throw in animation!?

Pet peeves aside, with what I've seen the live action movie provide with presenting evidence, I am looking forward to seeing what else they bring to the table. Perhaps hinting the magatama?

Easter Eggs

The anime showing Easter eggs or not is irrelevant, because I see non. I asked someone, who had only seen the Ace Attorney anime if Gregory is ever seen with Raymond Shields or have any discussions about IS-7. The answer was no. We get nothing out of IS-7.

The live action movie gives us Gregory with his trench coat he used when investigating IS-7. It gives us Apollo Justice's Objection song that is used at the end of Phoenix's Objection song. The movie ends with Farewell my Turnabout, letting us know it's not expecting a sequel, but tells us that Phoenix Wright does not end with Turnabout Goodbyes either. The live action movie makes it clear there is no sequel, but shows us there is more to look forward to. This is something I never got from the anime.

The anime only tells the story it wants to tell us and no more. Many people ask for an anime adaptation of Apollo Justice, but I don't want there to be one. There was a huge split in the game, so in order to do an anime adaptation, that would mean the creators will have to put love and heart into it. Unfortunately, I never got that from the anime. Not even a hint of what's to come or even the events of Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies or Spirit of Justice.

You want to talk about change, how about instead of Miles Edgeworth being adopted by Manfred Von Karma, he's adopted by Raymond Shields? Then, when Miles gets older, he leaves to work for Manfred Von Karma and we get a heartbreaking scene of Miles saying hurtful words to Raymond Shields. Heck, how about instead of Phoenix giving Miles a dog named Missile, it's named Pess. Not only would it be showing love for the show, but acknowledging the creator's idea for the character. Another change fans would love is Miles Edgeworth eating a swiss roll with Gumshoe and Kay in Turnabout Beginnings. Maybe have Phoenix read a Newspaper about Miles Edgeworth revealing the Yatagaratsu to being Calisto Yew.

Again, going back to Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters, the idea 4Kids came up with was based on a game introduced in the manga. While the monsters were replaced by Dual Monsters, the game play was still the same. It may've been the worst season, but it at least was aware of what the fans wanted and looked forward to. The same can be said for The Last Airbender live action movie. Granted, it sucked and the characters were blander than a cardboard box, but it at least kept story and characters consistent with little to no changes in the flow of the plot and characters. I never got that from the anime.

I will admit, I liked how the creators did base many of the expressions from the sprites, but it felt like that these additions were from a simple google search. You can find sprites of the characters. You can also search on wiki for the summery of the game play and walk through. Again, the first season did feel like they were trying to follow the plot and characters, while giving the fans what they wanted. Though, afterwards, the animation and everything just stood on a straight line instead of improving.

If I had to choose, I will always be thrilled to watch an adaptation that feels like it was made with love and care by fans and for fans.

Cheap and lazy

The anime is lazy with its animation and what they can do with it. There was a clip of when Godot threw his coffee at Phoenix, then we see it magically disappear in the next scene. There were some people that thought I was nitpicking when I complained about it, but it had nothing to do with realism. It was because it was lazy. I would have preferred Phoenix turning the coffee into a rope and whipping Godot than using cheap tricks like that. That's aside from the fact that the animation feels cheap when compared to the game.

I know that with animated series, it is treated differently than a cartoon movie, because it's continual, but that's not an excuse when you consider what the live action movie did on a low budget. Cheap and lazy is different from low budget film. Despite being on low budget, the live action movie worked their hardest to make the movie as exciting as possible. Sure, there were goofy moments, but they were done for comedic effects to distract us from the dark elements. The characters showed much stronger emotions when compared to the anime adaptation.

Now, Maya's character in the film was one thing that felt like a fail and I would agree with that, but the rest of the characters showed such strong emotions that worked naturally off each other. Just from the trailer alone, I could see that the actress that played Maya tried her hardest to put so much emotion into her character that lost her sister and dealt with the hardships of a spirit medium. Phoenix Wright deals with the pressure of being a Defense Attorney and shows the emotions of losing his mentor, then is about to lose his best friend he worked so hard to become a Defense Attorney to save. You see the intense emotion and pressure with being accused of murder by his own mentor he worshiped like a god. Again, there's a reason why I thought this film was fan made.

The intense emotion shown in the live action movie reminded me of a stage play done at an Anime Con on Farewell my Turnabout where Phoenix is talking with Shelly De Killer. There's a moment he has with Edgeworth where he is in tears, because of Maya's situation, then hearing words of wisdom from his friend to not give up. That tugs my heartstrings and just watching the trailer of the live action movie did the same to me. Seeing Phoenix watching the ghost of his former mentor pulled on my heartstrings compared to the anime's version of it. Also, no I did not watch the live action's scene of Maya's ghost before the anime's; it was the other way around. Seeing Phoenix in the live action version looking like he's about to cry and struggling not to is much more heartbreaking than watching the anime's Phoenix on the ground in the middle of the courtroom doing the same thing and looking like a fool.

When you see a low budget movie touching hearts by doing their very best with what they have, it shows they're not just showing cheap tricks. I feel the anime could've done much more instead of using cheap tricks. Going back to my no psyche-locks complaint, when you have a two second scene of psyche-locks breaking in an imagery that shows more dimension than the game, it feels more like a middle finger than an Easter Egg. I don't want to see cheap parlor tricks, I want to see the best freakin' adaptation to a beloved game the world has ever seen.

Love VS Money

As I have stated, I do believe that the Ace Attorney anime was originally planned by those that genuinely loved the game. Many of the ideas placed into it like the Signal Samurai and giving Edgeworth a dog feels like something brought by a genuine fan. Though, at some point, the anime lost its way and it makes me wish it was like the Danganronpa anime and just stuck to one season. That being said, I don't think it was full of people that didn't care about Ace Attorney. There were certainly fans of the game in the development team, but there were those that I suspect cared more for money than love for the franchise.

The live action movie felt like it was done by fans. Even those that didn't know the game seemed excited about working on this project. I'm not going to say that people that work on a good movie adaptation are going to be full of fans, but it needs to be driven by fans. It's not going to feel genuine otherwise. The Ace Attorney anime didn't feel genuine and perhaps it's because Season 2 was done by a different studio.

Think of it this way, what if there was a trailer of a live action adaptation of Yu-Gi-Oh? Wouldn't you want to see holographic images projecting from a duel disk or watching the characters going inside a holographic box that projects different climates or environments with monsters that look realistic and 3D looking? What if instead of that, you got TV screenshots of the play cards and monsters in 2D pixels fighting and defeating each other as if you were at a Yu-Gi-Oh game Anime Con? Wouldn't that be disappointing?

I think you guys get the idea. In any anime adaptation of a game, I expect it to feel like it came straight out of the game itself. That's what the live adaptation of Ace Attorney feels like. It feels like they took the game out of its cartridge and placed it in the real world. Sure, there are changes, but they don't feel like a disappointment or missed opportunity. The Ace Attorney anime feel like there were too many missed opportunities and changes no one asked for.

In any case, I look forward to watching the live adaptation of Ace Attorney, because it feels genuine, it feels like the kind of movie I looked forward to as a fan. When I finished the trilogy, I remember nagging about how Ace Attorney would be the perfect movie for Hollywood to adapt to live action, because there wouldn't be many scenes to shoot and the only chapter of the game to focus is Turnabout Goodbyes. If they want to go farther, then Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Goodbyes with the other ones brushed to the side. Apparently, I wasn't the only one asking for this, because the live action movie did exactly that.

If there is any chance to give Ace Attorney another chance for a live action adaptation, I'd like there to be little to no changes and to give something to the fans that they look forward to.

#Ace Attorney #ace attorney anime #Phoenix Wright #adaptation #Ace Attorney movie

19 notes · View notes

zigtheeortega · 4 years

Text

day 24: loss | liam x mc (au)

title: disruption

pairing: liam x mc

@choicesfebruarychallenge | @bi-cookie ; @cxld-play

warnings: angst, smut, n*sfw, (18+)

word count: 5,764

song inspiration: if i ever feel better - phoenix

author’s note: first off, i’m not good at naming characters like at all, so elliott is just a placeholder bc i knew mc would look weird. second, i haven’t written an au choices fic yet, so i’m a lil nervous to post this! I’ve also never written liam before, much less smut for him, so i’m also nervous bc of that! this will probably be my only trr fic bc there are sooo many trr fics out there. lmao anyways, hope you enjoy this angsty smutty sad fic !

“We’re almost there, Elliott,” Bastien called to the backseat, startling her out of her sleep.

She rubbed her eyes and stretched, slipping her coat she’d been using as a blanket over her shoulders, zipping it up to her chin.

Lythikos had an intense frigidity to it, one that Elliott couldn’t forget. She only visited monthly for short periods of time, but the stinging sensation of the snow on her bare face never left her memory.

She checked her phone, her heart fluttering at the pseudonym that appeared on her phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey. I’m finishing up my last obligation, but I shouldn’t be longer than an hour.” His voice warmed her heart. It was the first time in weeks she’d heard it over the phone, not on television in a rehearsed speech.

“Okay. I brought some of my work with me if that’s alright with you. I’d love your feedback,” Elliott smiled to herself, treasuring her lover’s genuine interest in her new profession.

“Of course,” she could hear him beam through the phone. “I love you.”

“I love you too. See you soon.”

He hung up, and she sighed. Sneaking around was getting so tiresome, but she’d do anything and everything for Liam.

After Elliott and her friends couldn’t locate Tariq, the wedding went on as scheduled. It took her months of hiding out in Cordonia with her best friends to get herself together. Hana stayed by her side consistently, consoling her until she figured out a game plan.

She thought she’d be able to find a solution and live out her fairytale, but she was too late. She’d never be able to fully have Liam like she wanted, but Madeleine offered her a compromise to keep everyone happy.

She’d brought it up to Elliott before everything went to shit, and Elliott rejected it. She saw being a ‘mistress’ as an insult, because she knew she could find a way out of the mess she was in.

Months later, Madeleine, Liam, and Elliott ran a tight ship with friends to keep the affair under wraps.

Elliott could only meet with Liam once a month, under the guise that he had important monthly meetings to attend at Olivia’s home. They could only meet for a weekend at best, and a few hours at worst.

They rarely contacted each other between their meetings. It was depressing, but necessary to keep them a secret. Liam had a burner phone, and Elliott had to save his number under an undetectable moniker. When they spoke, it was short and sweet, and they couldn’t use each other’s real names.

She flew to Cordonia monthly, usually having to go to great lengths to disguise herself from the paparazzi.

It was emotionally draining and everything leading up to the rendezvous was stressful and tense, but all worth it when she saw Liam’s face light up when he first saw her.

Bastien pulled into the driveway behind the castle, easing up next to a side entrance that Elliott was all too familiar with – she knew Olivia would be waiting behind the large door.

She fixed her wig, pulling her beanie over the top of it, and hid her purple-rimmed eyes behind huge square sunglasses.

“Olivia informed me that you can go to the door. I’ll bring your bags in later. There aren’t any paparazzi in sight, so you’ll be safe,” he smiled at her through the rearview mirror, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

“Thank you so much, Bastien. I could never repay you for what you’re doing for Liam and I,” she replied gratefully, apology laced through the tone in her voice.

“Anything you need, I’m here. Don’t feel guilty. The only time he’s happy is when he sees you, and I’d never get in the way of that.”

Her heart swelled at the thought. She waved to him, stepping out into the blizzard.

The door cracked open, and Elliott spotted the fiery hair before her expression.

“Come in, come in,” Olivia frowned at her messy disguise. “That wig’s a mess, Elliott. If you’re gonna opt for a cheap, frizzy wig, at least hide a pocket knife in it.”

Elliott shrugged, grinning at Olivia’s annoyance. “Why should I do that when I have my best friend here to protect me?”

Olivia scowled, a hint of a smile on her lips. “You’re lucky I’m your ally.” She turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway, leaving Elliott scurrying to catch up.

Elliott had gotten pretty familiar with the underground tunnels of Lythikos over the past year. Olivia secretly renovated an unused area to make an apartment-like cluster of rooms, so that Elliott could stay safely in the tunnels with everything she needed, and she wouldn’t be bothered by anyone.

It was an ingenious idea, and Elliott had no idea how to pay her back for her generosity. Honestly, Olivia probably did it to avoid controversy, like most every noble was doing. Elliott wasn’t sure if Olivia was doing it for the sake of Cordonia’s image or the sake of her friends’ sanity.

Olivia pulled out a skeleton key and unlocked the door, turning on the lights. “I added a more comfortable bed, some more decorations, and got Bastien to fully stock the fridge, so you can cook pretty much anything you want.”

She walked over to the living room area and pointed at the T.V. “I didn’t have to get a 60 inch flatscreen for you, but I know how much you love binging horror movies that I had to help scare you somehow.” She smirked, and pulled out a few drawers from the T.V. stand. “I ordered a hundred or so movies in case you get bored. I have no idea how long you’re gonna be here.”

Elliott shifted her weight, sighing. It was too painful to stay longer than a couple of days. “I was gonna leave on Sunday like I usually do –”

“How asinine. You’re taking a 9 hour flight on a Thursday night to get here by morning, and you take another 9 hour flight back on Sunday morning? You’re wearing yourself thin for no reason, Elliott,” she shook her head at Elliott, confusion lining her expression.

“Liam usually can’t spend more than 2 days at a time with me.”

“You have other friends in Cordonia, you know that right?” She narrowed her eyes at her, crossing her arms.

“After all that happened, I can’t show my face here. My reputation is tarnished, and even being seen here is a scandal waiting to happen. It gets riskier and riskier every time. I can’t risk any of my friend’s well-being for the sake of my secret relationship,” Elliott plopped onto the couch, defeated.

Remorse flashed through Olivia’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. “None of this is your fault, Elliott. We know the truth.”

Elliott shook her head, a lump forming at the back of her throat. It didn’t matter that Justin and Adelaide were ousted as terrorists, and that Elliott’s friends were able to stop them from assassinating Liam and Madeleine.

Tariq was never found, and King Constantine was killed before he could clear her name. No one would believe Bastien, and Penelope was too afraid to publicly admit her wrongdoing, so Elliott didn’t have enough evidence to be exonerated.

“Sometimes… I wish everything were different. Maybe if we’d split up and searched on our own… or if I tried a little harder…” She struggled, her throat burning, a sign of tears to come. She didn’t want to talk about this situation any more than she had to, which was every time she visited.

Her new life was pretty much an escape from the events of the past year, but she was forced to face her past trauma head on every time she stepped foot on Cordonian soil.

“Elliott…” Olivia trailed off, and reached towards her, but dropped her hand. “I’m sorry I brought it up. I guess I’m still seething over the whole ordeal. I’m pretty defensive since I know we’re right but no one else knows that.” She sat down, leaning back onto the couch, crossing her legs. “You shouldn’t feel like you’re risking our social standing or anything. All of us know exactly what we’re risking to help you and Liam, and we’re okay with it. You’re our…” She whispered the last word and Elliott couldn’t quite hear her.

“I’m your what?”

“...friend.”

Elliott threw her arms around Olivia, relishing in the rare vulnerable moment. Olivia seldom showed her true feelings, but when she did, it was like watching a shooting star. It was beautiful, fleeting – a great memory nonetheless.

“Get off of me, you sap,” Olivia patted Elliott’s back with the tip of her fingers.

“Thank you for everything you’re doing. I seriously can’t thank you enough. If there’s ever anything I can do to repay you all, please tell me. I owe you a lifetime of favors.”

“Well, first, you can actually spend time with Hana, Drake, and Maxwell. They won’t shut up about you.” Olivia rolled her eyes.

“Deal. I never got to see Cordonia on my own time, so maybe you could give me a proper tour of Lythikos next time I’m here. You know, when I’m not banished to the cellar.” Elliott grinned.

Olivia laughed once, a delightful noise. “Sure, but you’ll need better snow gear. And take a self-defense class or two before you do so.”

Elliott quirked a brow at her friend, then shook her head. “I won’t even pretend to know what you have planned for me.”

Olivia stood up, and headed for the door. “You have no idea.” She opened it, and before leaving, she said, “Liam should be here soon. Let me know when he’s in the room so Bastien and I can keep watch.”

“Be careful, Liv.”

“Don’t call me that,” Olivia smirked, and closed the door.

----

Elliott spent the next hour working in her notebook, editing and rewriting paragraph after paragraph. An animated movie she’d seen a million times played in the background, prompting Elliott to hum along to her favorite song.

After another hour, she started to worry. She aimlessly flipped through the collection of DVD’s, not really paying attention to the titles.

Where’s Liam? She thought, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

After hour three, she read a little from a book she’d brought until her eyes started getting heavy.

She awoke to a sequence of 5 sharp raps on the door, followed by a pause, then 3 more.

Our secret knock, She thought. She shot up from the couch and ran to the door, happy tears already welling up on her bottom lids.

She fumbled with the lock, anticipation causing her to shakily rip open the door.

And there Liam stood, holding a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne, and a neatly wrapped present. His perfectly tailored suit laid perfectly on his arms and torso, his muscles just barely concealed. He beamed, his eyes glistening as his eyes grazed over her face.

She grabbed him by the lapels, pulling him inside hastily. “Whoa,” he said, nearly losing balance.

Elliott blushed, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his face close to hers. She pressed her lips softly on his, a picture perfect moment she snapshotted and tucked away in her favorite memories.

All of the anxiety she felt traveling in disguise melted away the moment she touched Liam.

“I missed you,” he murmured against her lips.

“I missed you more,” she breathed, snuggling into his neck.

After a sweet moment, she pulled back, and snatched the champagne from his hands. “What’re we celebrating, love?”

He grinned, and locked the door behind him. “It’s a momentous day, Elliott. It’s been a year to the day since we first met.”

Elliott looked at him lovingly, hugging the bottle to her chest. “A whole year?”

He nodded, setting the flowers and present on the table, and gathered Elliott in his arms, hugging her to his chest tightly. “A whole year. I know this situation isn’t ideal, but I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, Elliott.”

He used a finger to tilt her chin to him, and he pressed a soft kiss on her bottom lip. “You’re everything to me.”

“I love you so much, Liam.” She giggled, shaking her head. “From waitress to mistress. Same suffix, different job title.”

His smile wavered, and he exhaled a long breath, obviously uncomfortable with the joke she’d told. “I wish you’d stop putting yourself down like that. Marriage is just a title. Madeleine and I are just business partners. You’re my soulmate, Elliott.”

She pulled back, fiddling with the top of the champagne. “I know. I just wish we didn’t have to be so secretive.”

He gently took the bottle from my hands and popped it open. “I’ve still got local historians and lawyers on my payroll, and they’ve been extensively researching Cordonian laws. I don’t know if they’ll find anything, but I’m determined to keep looking. I don’t want to lose hope.”

Elliott pressed her mouth into a line, then quirked it to the side, processing everything he’d said. “I want to be hopeful that we’ll get out of this eventually, but I’d rather just enjoy the time I have with you, baby. Stress free.”

He poured them two glasses of champagne, and handed one to her. “Of course. My apologies.”

They sat at the kitchen table, and Elliott picked up the flowers, taking a deep whiff of the bouquet. “You really outdid yourself this time, Liam.”

The cluster of sunflowers, lavender, and white roses contrasted beautifully, and smelled even better. “They reminded me of you, so I had to pick them up.”

“Along with a gift?” She lifted a brow, challenging him.

He sipped his champagne, trying to hide a smile. “I think you’ll like it. Open it.”

She ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a plain white box. She lifted the top off, revealing an assortment of toys on top of a lacy lingerie piece. Her cheeks heated, and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“I love it,” Elliott said, nibbling at the skin on her lip.

Liam eyed her lips, a playful look in his eye. “I thought we could try something new this weekend.”

The blush on her cheeks stayed, despite her eagerness to get in bed. “I like the sound of that.”

She gulped down the rest of her champagne and snatched the lacy piece, running to the bedroom.

“Hey!” Liam called, about to stand from the table.

“I’m trying on the lingerie! Stay where you are! It’s a surprise!” She yelled through the closed door.

Elliott emerged after a few minutes, peeking her head out of the door. “You ready?”

“Beyond ready, my love.”

She stepped out, and Liam’s breath hitched in his throat. She could plainly see him shift his legs, desperately trying to conceal his bulge.

“You look… stunning. Absolutely gorgeous, Elliott,” he said, his mouth agape, eyes hungrily roaming across her body.

The strappy lace piece fit like a bikini. The bottom was closer to a g-string than a thong, and the crotch was cut out, making it for easier access. The lace was sheer, barely covering her nipples and folds. She should’ve felt sexy, but was more out of place than anything.

“This is so corny, Liam. You bought me something that you’re just going to strip off of me, and I look absolutely ridiculous in it,” She said, crossing her legs to cover the lack of cloth around her opening.

He stood from his chair and crossed the room to touch her. He laced his fingers through her hair and draped his other hand across the small of her back. He tilted her head back, kissing her neck and nipping gently at her exposed skin.

“You’re right. I want to rip this off of you, but I can’t even begin to describe to you how arousing this outfit is. You never have to wear something that you’re not comfortable in, but I assure you it’s a pleasurable experience on my end,” he breathed into her ear, tightening his grip around her waist.

“Oh fuck,” She whispered, his bulge rubbing against her, causing her to gasp in repsonse. “Please, let’s talk later, and fuck now. I need you now, Liam.”

“Say no more, beautiful.” He swept her up and brought her to the bedroom, slamming the door behind them with his foot.

He dropped her onto the bed, and shimmied off his coat jacket, hanging it on the back of the wall.

“You’re so adorable, Liam. In the midst of a heated moment, you still have the mind to hang your coat up carefully so that it doesn’t crease before fucking my brains out,” she giggled.

Liam scrunched his nose up in confusion. “I can be reckless.” He threw his coat on the ground, but after a few seconds of eye contact with Elliott, where she could tell how absolutely tormented he was, he snatched it by the lapels.

Elliott howled with laughter as Liam hung it up carefully, brushing off the dirt.

“You always manage to be right, Elliott,” he softly smiled, unbuttoning his top buttons slowly. “But I don’t mind.” His arms flexed as he rolled his sleeves up. “As long as you don’t mind that I’m a little reckless in private, that’s all that matters.”

Her heart raced as he left the room and returned with the box of toys. Although she’d committed Liam’s body and their sexual encounters to memory, she still found herself enthralled with him like it was the first time they met.

He sat on the bed next to Elliott’s lace-clad body, and tucked a hair behind her ear. “Are you okay with me trying some of the toys out on you? I want to make sure you’re completely comfortable with it before trying anything.”

She smiled, nodding. “Yes.”

He pulled a small handheld vibrator out of the box, just small enough to fit on a finger. “First things first, I want to taste you.”

Her lower stomach clenched and ached as he grabbed her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the bed, parting her legs. Before she could throw out a sexy quip, he had taken advantage of the crotchless design by plunging his tongue into her folds, stroking relentlessly.

She moaned and dug her hands into his hair, tugging at his dark strands. He in turn rumbled against her clit, sending shockwaves through her body.

“Liam, please,” she breathed, feeling his hand on her stomach, holding her bucking hips in place.

He knew exactly what she wanted; he always read her cues perfectly. He slid a finger into her, curling it the way Elliott loved. He moved his hand and tongue in unison, the similar paces bringing her close to the edge.

Just as she was about to release, he pulled away, slipping the vibrator on his fingers. “Is it alright if I try this out on you now?”

She nodded, her body eager for his touch. He massaged her clit slowly with his fingers, keeping in time with the laggard pace of his other fingers pumping in and out of her.

The strong vibration mixed with the pressure of his fingers sent Elliot into another world. Her eyes rolled back, and she focused on the image of Liam’s naked physique, his head between her legs…

Before she knew it, her legs were shaking. Liam kissed her softly, and reached into the box again, but she placed a hand on his wrist lightly. “We have all weekend to play with them. I need you in me now.”

His pupils dilated even further, and he nodded, standing up to slip off his clothes. Although she’d seen him bare numerous times, it never failed to amaze her that the man whose heart belonged to her was so breathtaking. His body looked as it was crafted by the gods themselves, chiseled to perfection, undoubtedly due to his strict fitness and diet regimen.

He grabbed a condom from the box of toys, but before he could tear it open, she stopped him. “Could we… go without one this time? I’m on birth control.”

She wanted so desperately to tell him the whole truth, but she decided she’d wait until the time was right. It would sound like an irrational decision to him, but she had thought it out nearly every day since she left Cordonia for the first time.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but… I’ll pull out. Just in case.” He looked unsure, but lowered himself onto the bed next to her anyways.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I just thought,” she shook her head. “Nevermind.”

“No, please continue. Don’t ever feel like you can’t be honest with me, Elliott.” He touched her cheek softly.

“The only time we had sex without protection was our first time in the garden, remember?” She smiled softly, reminiscing.

“Of course I remember, my love. It’s one of my favorite times that we’ve been together.”

“Oh, so you’re ranking them now?” She smirked.

“Definitely not. Every time is special, but that one was even more special to me.”

“I was thinking we could kind of recreate the night.”

His eyes twinkled, full of love for the woman he could never fully give himself to. It was depressing, but Elliott pushed those thoughts behind her horniness and flipped on top of him.

“I love when you take charge, El,” he said, his voice verging on a growl.

“You’ve never used that nickname. What gives?” She tried joking, but his bare shaft pressed between her legs was distracting to say the least.

“I don’t know, I thought it was cute,” he shrugged. “I won’t call you that if you don’t like it.”

“No, I love it,” she breathed, and began grinding her hips against his. His grip on her hips tightened, and she leaned forward, kissing him deeply.

He grabbed his dick and rubbed his tip against her opening, teasing her. “You’re a tease.”

He pressed his hips upwards, entering her. Her body shuddered with pleasure as her walls adjusted to his size.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he groaned, as her hips moved lazily against his.

“It’s so weird hearing you curse, King Liam,” she whispered in his ear, kissing his neck.

His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips. “I’ve never been aroused by a title before, but I have to say that ‘King Liam’ sounds delectable coming from your lips.”

He moved his hands to grip underneath her ass, lifting and lowering her the length of his shaft. She mewled in response, her legs tightening their grip around his middle. “I’ll call you whatever you want as long as you speed it up,” she purred.

He picked up the pace, deepening his thrusts. All of her worries of the future were a fading blip, her sole focus on pleasuring and being pleasured by Liam.

Before she knew it, he’d flipped her, raised her hips, and pounded into her from behind. “Oh,” she cried, her guttural moan muffled by the thick down pillow.

He sped up, his skin smacking against hers relentlessly, the sounds of ecstasy filling the room. She turned back to gaze at him through half lidded eyes, and was met with Liam’s sultry concentrating face. She’d seen it many times before, when discussing security issues with Bastien, but never in this context.

She felt herself getting wetter and wetter at the sight of him getting off inside of her. She was the one pleasuring him behind the scenes. She was the one exploring parts of him the public would never see, much less Madeleine. She got to see a side of Liam that not a single soul would ever experience. It gave Elliott a new sense of security, despite the harrowing situation they were in.

He reached into the box again and grabbed a handheld vibrator she hadn’t seen before. “I’m close, my love, and I want to make sure you’re there with me,” he panted, before switching it on.

He tried handing it to her, but instead, she guided his hand between her legs. “Oh fuck, El,” he cursed, sweat trickling down his clean shaven chest.

He leaned over her, keeping his fast pace, and placed the quivering toy between her folds. She arched her back in response, pushing herself further into the pillow.

The sensation of the vibrator mixed with getting fucked brought her to the edge quickly, and she released, her body convulsing beneath Liam’s. She shrieked his name, clutching the sheets. “Oh, Liam, fuck.”

He quickly followed her, his pace becoming more jerky as he came with her. “Fuck, I love you, Elliott,” he shouted. The deep commanding bass of his voice reverberated off the stone walls.

When they could finally move, Liam plopped next to her, spooning her while peppering soft kisses across her neck and shoulders.

She couldn’t have imagined herself anywhere else in that moment but Liam’s arms.

----

After they cleaned up, Elliott threw on a robe and flopped onto the couch, turning on the TV to browse through channels.

He sat next to her shortly after, clad with sweats and a plain t-shirt. “This might be a terrible time, but we need to discuss something rather difficult.”

“That phrasing definitely scares me, but go ahead,” she joked, turning the TV off.

“We’re being pressured to pursue producing an heir,” Liam shook his head, pain and regret dripping off of his every syllable.

“Wh… What?” She forced out. Her knees wobbled, the air knocked out of her lungs. She knew it was coming, but not this soon after the wedding.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his hands balled into fists at his side.

“Why? You just got married! I thought we’d have a couple years at least!” she said, her voice hiking up an octave.

“With Constantine passing away and the terrorist attacks, there’s still some uneasiness within the people and nobles. They’re not sure that we’re still stable as a country. It’s more for the benefit of our image than anything. Trust me, I’ve held off as long as I could.” He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Are you going to have to fuck her?” Elliott’s voice quivered, her breath unsteady. She didn’t know if she was ready for the answer.

His eyes widened. “No, Elliott, I would never. We don’t have feelings for each other like that. The public doesn’t need to know that we’re not having intercourse.”

Elliott’s chest loosened a bit, but she was still cautious as she waited for him to continue. “We’re either opting for adoption, or artificial insemination. There’s not a fertility issue with either of us, but we’re both not capable of sex with each other. It just can’t happen.” He held her gaze, pleading with her to understand.

“I–I can’t continue this if you’re going to have a child with her, Liam. I’d be a homewrecker. I can’t let you be that kind of dad to your kid,” Elliott shook her head, tears freely falling.

His jaw dropped, and he staggered back. “Elliott, my love, I–”

“I know you love me, and I know that I love you. I know that life is going to be so fucking hard without each other, but I can’t do this to your future kid,” she sobbed, sinking into the couch. “You and Madeleine may have consented to our relationship, but your child didn’t sign up for this. Imagine if they found out about us? He’d think so little of you. I can’t have that.”

Her shoulders shook, her breath heaving in and out of her lungs shakily. She was experiencing a loss like she’d never felt before. She could stay with the love of her life in order to satiate her desire to be with him, but at the expense of horrendous guilt, knowing she could possibly break a family up and warp Liam’s future child’s perception of him.

If they stayed together, and the public found out about them, he’d be painted as the bad guy, even though Madeleine encouraged the affair. She’d throw him to the wolves, and he’d be absolutely obliterated by the press.

There wasn’t a winning solution to this problem. They were going to have to do what was best for everyone else, instead of what they truly wanted.

“I’m so sorry, Liam, but I can’t do this. I love you, but I can’t do this anymore,” she repeated and the excruciating pain in her chest continued.

“Elliott, we can figure it out, I know we can–”

“We can’t, Liam! This is it! This is the last time you’re going to see me!” She shouted, her voice trembling and unstable.

“We can still be friends,” he said softly, kneeling next to her trembling form on the couch. “I still want you in my life no matter what, Elliott.”

Anger flashed through her disjointed train of thought. Before she could gather them together, she unleashed her momentary rage on him.

“You’re really that selfish, Liam? You’re that fucking selfish that you could want to maintain the picture perfect life and get everything you could ever want, while keeping me on a short leash? To be there for you emotionally, physically, sexually, but I get nothing in return?” She stood up, pushing an accusatory finger into his exposed chest.

“I have to work under a pen name because of everything that happened. You can’t even Google my government name without reading about how much of a whore I am. I risked my whole life and career to be with you, and you didn’t have the decency to publicly defend me. You just sided with everyone else except for the woman you supposedly ‘love’,” Elliott continued, pushing a tormented Liam closer and closer to the door.

“I have to fly back home when you’re done with me and leave all of my closest friends. This is my real home. I have people who love me and care for me here. I fell in love with Cordonia, its people, and you. But I’m pretty much a prisoner in a dungeon every time I come over,” she rolled her eyes, refusing to shut her mouth and let Liam speak. “All for sex. All for a quick fuck and less than 48 hours of your time before I’m shuttled off back to the cold, heartless city of New York.”

Liam opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Elliott suddenly cackled, cutting off any attempt of him speaking.

“I forgot to tell you that I landed a book deal with a huge publishing company in the city. They want a few novels out of me. They loved my first rough draft of my book so much that they offered me a multi-book deal,” she smiled, shaking her head.

“That’s incredible, baby–”

“I was excited to tell you and instead all I can think about is how by the time I get my first book printed and released, you’ll have a kid. A family,” Elliott walked away from Liam, and sat at the kitchen table, taking a long swig from the champagne bottle.

After a long moment of silence between them, Liam finally spoke. “I know it seems like the universe is fighting us tooth and nail. I know that this situation is the worst we could be in. But Elliott,” he sat down across from her and lifted her chin up with his finger, “You’re the only woman I’ll ever love, and I won’t give up on this unless you tell me to leave you alone.”

“You know I don’t want to tell you to leave me alone. That’s the last fucking thing I want to do, but that’s how it has to be. You’re being selfish right now, Liam. You’re allowed to be selfish sometimes. This whole situation was selfish, but I guess it was okay since Madeleine okay-ed it,” she took another deep drink from the bottle. “But your child is completely innocent. They don’t deserve to be caught up in your selfish decisions.”

He flinched, and his form deflated. “I think… you might be right, El.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyes glistening. “I guess it was absurd to think this affair would last forever.”

She smiled sadly. “It was fun while it lasted.”

“I’ll always love you, El. I’ve always been truthful about that. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love.”

She leaned forward to cup his face in her palm. “I’ll never love anyone the way I love you, Liam.” She took another gulp of the alcohol. “I guess now that you’re confessing, I’ll have to confess, too.”

His brows furrowed as he waited for her to continue.

“I have an appointment with my OBGYN next week. I’ve always wanted one, but I’ve been seriously contemplating a hysterectomy for months now. Since you married Madeleine, really.”

“What? Why?” His eyes widened in surprise.

“I can’t see myself with children, but I can with you. You’re the only man I could ever picture having children with,” her eyes filled with tears. “It’s not a punishment to myself. I just know in my heart I’ll never want children again.”

His eyes brimmed with tears threatening to spill. “I’m so sorry, Elliott.”

Her chin wobbled as the truth of the situation finally set in. She was no longer his, and he was no longer hers. The crown disrupted the fate of the lovers, and there was no amendment.

----

#choicesfebruarychallenge #trr #the royal romance #king liam #liam rhys #n*sfw #jade writes choices fics

24 notes · View notes

nsmama · 5 years

Text

The Littlest Narumitsu Shipper Chats about Bridge to the Turnabout

After a three-day weekend apart, I was back with my 5-year-old client, the Littlest Narumitsu Shipper. He always asks me how the game is going after a weekend and this time in particular he knew I was going to take time to play it on my birthday. But I swear I am not the one who brings it up; he is.

I decided to write down our conversation as we talked about Bridge to the Turnabout. It’s LONG so it’s behind a click.

Warning: Spoilers! It's all spoilers all the way through!

This kid is ADORABLE and he keeps asking about Miles and Phoenix. HE DOES NOT PLAY THE GAME. HE IS FIVE YEARS OLD. He is smart and cuddly and bloodthirsty and he ships Narumitsu.

The Littlest Narumitsu Shipper: Did you play the lawyers game?

Nsmama: Yes, I did. See? Here is a picture I drew of Miles Edgeworth zooming.

Can you tell me what happened in the story?

Oh my goodness, a lot happened!

Just tell me some of it.

What do you know about what happened before?

I don't remember... oh yes. A nine year old was lost, and Phoenix Wright was alone in the cold.

Okay. And do you remember that he was scared because he heard a big boom and then screaming?

Yeah! I do! What was that from?

I had to stop playing then, right?

Yeah, 'cause you had to come pick us up.

Right. So I was kind of scared--

Why?

Because I felt like I was Phoenix. When I play the lawyer game I feel like I'm in it with the people. So Phoenix Wright and I were alone and scared and cold. And who did Phoenix Wright wish were there?

Miles Edgeworth. He was doing something else and he didn't admit it.

What didn't he admit?

That he actually cared about Phoenix Wright.

Yes, that's true. And he was far away. Do you know how far away Europe is?

No. Is it on my map puzzle?

No, it's so far away it's not on your puzzle.

Wow! Is it on the other side of the earth?

...Kind of. Not quite that far.

So Miles Edgeworth was on the other side of the earth?

...That's about right. So then Phoenix heard a huge bang. And you don't know what the huge bang was?

No. What was it?

It was thunder.

Then where did the screaming come from? Seriously, where did the screaming come from?

It was a person about my age who went out in the snow and saw someone she knew pulling a sword out of a dead person and blood went everywhere.

Eww! Ew!

Right?

And why was she screaming? Oh, 'cause it was creepy to see that.

Right. And then-- do you know what fainting is?

Yes, just falling to the ground randomly.

Pretty much. But this wasn't random.

So it wasn't fainting? Which person? The one about your age?

Yes. Her name is Bikini.

What kind of fainting did she do?

She fainted because she was so scared. She screamed and fainted.

Then what? Is this what you did on your birthday?

Yep.

So yesterday you played it. THEN WHAT?

Then, Phoenix Wright went out to see what the screaming was about.

And what happened to him?

He stepped on Bikini.

What?!

He stepped on her with his foot because she had fainted on the ground. It was dark.

And stormy.

Right.

What else?

Well, Bikini woke up.

With Phoenix Wright standing on her hand?

No, he had gone past her by then.

Was it the 9yo? The dead person? Was it?

No, it was a grown-up named Elise Deauxnim.

That was dead?

Yes.

Then what happened? What was like the other lawyer doing? Miles Edgeworth?

Actually at that time, I think he was asleep or getting ready for bed. [I'm horribly wrong here, obviously, because Europe and time zones.]

Oh, that makes sense. Then?

Then, Bikini told Phoenix to call for help. But he didn't have his phone --

WHAT? He left it with Miles Edgeworth?

No, he just forgot it at home.

Oh. And he would have called Miles Edgeworth, right?

Yes, he would have, but he had to call the police first about the murder.

But how could he do that? Were there any roads?

He walked down a path to a public phone. Do you know what that is?

Yes, it's a phone in a box.

Okay, yes. This phone wasn't in a box but it had a little roof so it would keep working in the snow.

Then?

Then, when he got near the phone he saw someone.

Who? WHO? WHO?!

He saw Larry.

Who's Larry?

Larry is Phoenix's and Miles's friend from when they were little kids.

So he saw his old friend. How do you know they were friends?

The game told me a long time ago that they were friends.

What if my first name were Miles and my last name were Edgeworth? I'd be Miles Benjamin Edgeworth!

You would! [And now I headcanon that middle name.]

He hadn't seen his friend in a long time, right?

Actually, Larry was staying at the same place in the mountains that Phoenix was.

WHAT?

It was a coincidence!

WHAT?!

I know.

Was Larry cold and scared too?

No, Larry had a coat and he wasn't scared.

Phoenix didn't have a coat. You drew him with a t-shirt. Did he have shoes?

You know, I don't know! He was inside so he wasn't wearing shoes when he heard the bang and the scream. He ran right outside. Do you think he stopped to put on his shoes?

No! He was so fast!

So he had no shoes on. [New headcanon again.] I guess Bikini didn't get quite so hurt then.

He had socks.

Okay, he had socks on.

Then what happened?

He saw Larry near the phone. And guess what else was near the phone?

What?

A bridge! Do you remember the suspension bridge at the Ima Hogg house at Bayou Bend? The one that bounces when you walk on it?

Yes! I like it! But you don't.

No, I kind of hate it.

Did the nine year old fall off the bridge?

No, it has ropes on the sides so you can't fall off. Although it also has broken boards and holes in it so you could fall through the bottom. But I don't think the nine year old went on the bridge.

Yes, she did! Before this!

...No, I think only Phoenix and his friend Maya went on the bridge. The little girl is named Pearl and Maya is her big cousin, an older teenager like Pixel. Maya needed to go across the bridge for special training to learn to do some cool stuff. The place they are at is called Hazakura Temple and it has two parts, the main part where Phoenix and Larry and everyone are staying, and also the Inner Temple part where it's even colder and there's ice to sit on, where Maya went. But the only way to the Inner Temple is across the horrible bridge.

What does she sit on an ice cube for?

Um. She is learning to let spirits come into her body and talk with her mouth.

Oh. How do you do that?

I think you have to be very cold. She had to sit on a big block of ice all night.

So what happened then?

With Maya and the ice?

No, with Phoenix Wright. He saw Larry. Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry. That is a fun name to say. Larry... Larry... Larry...

Actually, Larry wants to change his name to Laurice.

Laurice. That's not as fun to say as Larry. Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry.

[laugh]

Phoenix Wright saw a bridge.

Yes! But it was on fire!

WHAT?

It was! The big boom he heard was lightning striking the bridge and setting it on fire!

Phoenix doesn't like the bridge because when he goes across it I bet he gets really scared.

Right. It's a horrible bridge that's all broken and scary. And now it's on fire.

Because of the lightning.

Yes.

So does he call Miles Edgeworth?

No, he has to call the police first because of the murder.

So he calls the police.

No, because he is afraid that the murder person went across the bridge to where Maya is, and he needs to warn her to be careful. So he asks Larry to call the police and guess what he does.

He goes across the bridge!

But it's on fire!

He can do it if he goes really fast.

That's what he thinks. So he goes. But guess what happens.

...Does he fall off?

The bridge breaks and he falls into the fast dark cold river far below!

And that is the end for Phoenix Wright.

It should be!

He dies because the river is so fast and cold.

But he doesn't die!

HOW DOES HE NOT GET DEAD?!?

He is very lucky.

And he is a really good swimmer.

That sounds logical.

A really, really good swimmer.

And also I think Larry comes to look for him, after he calls the police.

Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry.

Larry finds him near the edge and pulls him out of the river.

And he is okay? How is he okay?!?

He's not okay. You can die from being too cold and he is very, very cold.

...So he dies?

No, the police get there in time and someone takes him to the hospital so he can get better.

Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry. Can you please play the lawyer game today? With me? Larry... Larry... Larry... Larry...

[I have not finished Bridge to the Turnabout. It's taking me FOREVER. The Littlest Narumitsu Shipper asks me how it's going frequently. He always wants to know if I have finished the game or the anime (the answer is: neither). Y'all, I have lots of interesting and possibly over-creative theories, but I tried to stick to facts with the kid. Reading back through it I realize that I could be wrong about some of the stuff I told him, because Phoenix and Miles and I are still investigating. Please forgive any inaccuracies that I don't know about yet!]

#ace attorney #bridge to the turnabout #in progress #collaboration with a 5yo #larry... larry... larry...#so that is the end for phoenix wright #the littlest narumitsu shipper #wrightworth #edgewright #narumitsu #mitsunaru

96 notes · View notes

icecreamvi · 5 years

Text

Miles Edgeworth Investigations 2 suit review

skipping ahead a bit to do this game, thank you @fam-account

6/10

now this is a nice suit, with fairly good colors. except for the fact that the buttons on the suit are set too low. if you notice they hang around the crotch to bellybutton area, where they should instead be in the bellybutton to chest area. plus there is NO DARTING ONCE AGAIN. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER EDGEWORTH. and the waistcoat. eehhhhhhhh. once again improper amount of buttons, and honestly it doesnt need lapels but its not too terrible of a style.

im pretending that the crabot doesnt exist okay. it doesnt exist

6/10

now time for the daddyworth

for a trench coat.... this isnt the best....

first off, trench coats should be slim cut, there should be no bulk since the style is made to make you look sleek. this coat is just slightly too big which you can tell thanks to the sagging around the belt area. also lets talk about the belt area. since where??? is his belt buckle???? wha- no just no, thats flimsy it will fall apart faster without one.

and with a heavy heart i must say that there is an improper amount of buttons

again

“but vi” you cry “what if its just the style!” if if was the style it wouldnt need a belt, since it has a belt it needs at least 2 more buttons below the belt for it to be proper

i added a point for managing to pull off a fedora

8/10

ayyyy now we are talking! god i can see why edgeworth is drawn to phoenix, he has the same style suit as his father! It looks to be really well tailored (and it has a properly done tie! nice!) the suit looks so smooth i just want to touch it ooh nice. The only issue i can see here is that the sleeves are just too big. you can tell by the way they dont pull back when gregory lifts his arm (this is the opposite of klaviers problem) even still its a nice suit

8/10

as an added bonus here is dead gregory! because i forgot about him last time

lmao

now its hard to see with all the blood and the fact that its in greyscale, but from what i can see this is a fairly good suit! its seems well cut, the style suits him, the pockets are properly done, i dont really have anything to complain about besides the dead body, its times like these where I wish the most that Manfred didn’t kill him

7/10

Speaking of manfred, he also appears in this game. Now why? you ask might i rate this lower than his last incarnation despite it being nearly identical. Well I do what I want thats why, and my standard for suits has risen too. The Lapels on this are huge and the details confuse me. Are they part of the fabric? Are they embroidered? What are they? Plus I still have no clue as to how the vest functons whatsoever,,,but added points for having an actual jabot and not edgeworths fake ass one.

Why does he look like an evil Beethoven

0/10

I want to die. Please god, take your cruel hand and strike me down where I stand.

Its so....muscley. Thanks! I hate it! Like? purple and orange, on a suit, tailored so tightly that you can see every individual muscle. what deviantart fetish artist designed this. Its so long too, and not in a good way like miles’s dd suit but in a bizarre dress like way. I hate it

5/10

eeeeeeeuuuuuuuughghhhhhhhhhh

ok first off, why roll up your sleeves that high with your suit jacket still on? just take off the jacket jfc. you’re gonna damage the suit. secondly, that cummerbund is waaay too high. it fucking hits his nipples oh my god. local dumbass has pants all the way up to his armpits, more at 10. At least he has the sense to wear a shawl lapel, looking as hes going for a white tie leaning style, and as an added bonus hes actually wearing a corsage that matches!

7/10

I love that tacky ass tie more than i should but its still ugly as all hell. and yet! the rest of the suit is good. crisp tailoring, proper amount of buttons (especially on the sleeves) the pants look perfect and i love the added pop of color by having the shirt be teal instead of white. this suit is so stupid thanks to the tie but i will die on this hill dont @ me alright. also he has!!!! a belt!!!! technically suits shouldnt have a belt since if they were tailored properly they wouldnt need one, but shut up i like belts

7/10

Yay! another corpse!!! alright so this is basically the same as the previous one, added point for nicer color scheme, removed point for lack of darting in the jacket

stop shooting the nice suits

5/10

oh come on. the suit is nice enough, very horse-ridingish but the main problem here is that its too large all over. the shoulders slouch, the jacket is too long, the pants too baggy, you really shoulnt have to roll up your sleeves that far. why is everyone allergic to darting here oh my god. plus the corsage(?) is in the wrong place, it should be in the area where they got shot at, i have no idea how she would even be wearing it unless she just tacked it on with safety pins and grit.

and boots arent my specialty, but those look uncomfortable as hell

a moment of silence for those who didnt count as suits enough to make the cut

as a special bonus

view her in all her beauty

my heart says 10/10 but my mind is giving her a 7

let me explain why. although the cloak is very nice (it seems catholic inspired, specifically based off of bishops and cardinals cementing her place as a holy figure of respect) the chest area is rather tight. since her appearance is based around nuns and bishops we really shouldnt be seeing so much of her chest details. the purpose of robes like these is to cover thy self as a form of modesty out of respect for god (to be fair she worships a different god than we know) but my point still stands. the rest of her outfit is fine, but her chest, as much as i like it, is not. my only other complaint is that im not sure how the sash stays up with how much its tilted to one side. all i can imagine is her hiking that thing up all day.

#justine courtney #miles edgeworth #gregory edgeworth #manfred von karma #ace attorney #thank you fam-account

305 notes · View notes

pinkwatchblueshoes · 6 years

Text

Garvez Fluff

Just a little quick fluff that I desperately need to see but wont. Margaritas and Mix Ups Penelope Garcia told herself not again. After an intense but platonic relationship with her best friend Derek Morgan, she knew she couldnt care so deeply for another person when they could, and eventually would, just up leave her. Penelope often beat herself up for feeling this way because she loved Savannah and little Hank but her heart could only take so much after all the losses the team had gone through. She already had enough worry for her family and team as is. Newbie was trying his hardest to chip away at her "fluffy armor" as he called it. What killed Garcia was that she found everything he tried so endearing but she always stopped herself before she got in over her head. On top of everything SSA Luke Alvez was another gorgeous strong superhero, just like Derek, yet totally different. His smile knocked her off kilter, but a man like that would never look at a woman like her she lamented. After a particularly hard case Garcia was staying late to finish paperwork so she could spend the entire weekend focused on de-stressing and relaxing, NOT thinking about the young women of this case. She was pulled away from her computer screen with a knock on her lair door. "Still here?" A familiar deep voice asked. "Obviously." She snarked back but Luke only smirked at the feisty blonde. "I would ask if I could join you but you'd just say no so I'll just take a seat anyway." Penelope only snorted knowing he was just as stubborn as she was. When she finally finished up and shut down her computer and its many screens she found him intensely studying one side of her office that held pictures of friends and family, even hand drawn pictures from Henry. Garcia could see the sadness behind his dark eyes. Was this case just as bad for him? Or was he missing someone, his family? The offer flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Do you want to go get a drink?" Luke turned to her surprised. "Really? I-I would love that." "Good lets go." Penelope grabbed her purse and Luke followed closely to the elevators. As they descended to the garage level in the elevator Luke's stomach growled loudly. "I'm sorry about that." He said embarrassed. "Do you think we could go somewhere with food also?" "Soo needy Newbie." Penelope groaned but smiled letting him know she was kidding. Little did he know she was starving as well. "Well lucky for you I know a little Mexican joint with the best margaritas and they serve dinner late." When they arrived the hostess recognized Penelope right away. "Oh Miss Penny!! So good to see you. Your table is available." Penelope blushed. "Come here often?" Luke chuckled quietly. Once seated the server arrived right away. "Your usual Miss Penny? Peach Margarita and the veggie fajitas?" Penelope's face got even redder but nodded yes anyway. The server turned to Luke expectantly. "You know what? That sounds delicious. I'll have the same." Luke turned to see Penelope's shocked face. "Hey it must be good if you come here often and have a usual. I trust you." Penelope couldnt stop the warmth that the statement "I trust you" put through her, even if it was just a food choice. Plus she knew Luke ate meat and drank beer so he was going outside his comfort zone for her. "So how is miss Roxy?" Penelope started with a subject she loved. "She's good. I'm leaving her at the sitter's tonight since its so late. She misses you though. I swear she knows who the dog cookies are from when I give them to her." "Well as long as she enjoys them I'll keep making them." Penelope said with a smile. There was a silence but Luke was just smiling at her, then the food arrived breaking the moment. The conversation was surprisingly easy and comfortable for Penelope. She laughed hard when Luke told her about helping out a older neighbor with some chores who then came on to him. Being the nice guy Luke was he was stuck dodging her advances until all the chores were done. "I think I like Mrs. Corgin." "Of course you would. You'd love anyone who gave me a hard time." "True." The teasing was light and fun. Penelope appreciated his sense of humor. But what really touched her was when they accidentally got on the topic of work and this last case, he listened patiently as she described having to go through the victim's lives intimately to only see them dead in the crime scene photos feeling like a failure for not saving them. Luke reached over and held her hand as she wiped her tears with her other hand. "Its never easy when we lose victims but I know those women will be remembered because of you Garcia. You are the most caring person I know and the heart of the team. You keep us going time and time again." Penelope just stared at him with awe. After a few minutes she realized they were still holding hands and oddly she didnt want to let go. As it got later the pair reluctantly parted ways. She left him with a quick hug because if she held on longer she might not let go. Penelope spent the rest of the weekend replaying the night and actually looking forward to Monday morning. When she arrived at work she put down her purse and coat in her office and headed to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. She saw Luke talking to JJ and Spencer but as she approached with a smile Luke's eyes grew wide. Even before Penelope could say good morning Luke mumbled gotta go and quickly left. Penelope visibly deflated but quickly recovered so JJ and Spencer wouldnt ask. The snuff hurt her more than she cared to admit. "How was your guys' weekend?" JJ told her about Henry's soccer game and Spencer rambled on about a new book he read and wrote a paper on for fun. Later that morning JJ visited Penelope in her office, she leaned against Penelope's desk and asked how she was. "Fine." "Uh huh." JJ wasnt convinced. "And how was your weekend? You left before I could ask." "Fine." "Okay spill." "Its nothing." "Its not nothing." "Oh yes it is. Clearly from Luke's reaction this morning, the completely meaningless dinner we had together was nothing." "Oh sweetheart." "Please dont oh sweetheart me JJ. I know. I know that I got my hopes up and I knew it was stupid to do so yet here I am again. A guy like that would never be interested in a girl like me. Dont worry JJ, I'll be fine." "You need to talk to Luke." Before Penelope could respond her computers and her phone chimed indicating a case. Penelope gave the team the details of the case. Prominent local figures were being kidnapped, killed, and left in public areas in Phoenix, Arizona. Penelope managed to ignore Luke, even when he asked a question she answered addressing the group rather than him. Prentiss closed the meeting with the traditional order of 'Wheels up in 30'. Penelope quickly headed back to her lair but with the high heels she was wearing Luke easily tracked her down. "Hey can I talk to you real quick?" "You're on limited time Newbie." She replied not looking him. "Garcia stop. Stop please." Luke gently put his hand on her elbow halting her. "Please listen. I want to apologize for this morning." "Why? Nothing happened." "Penelope look at me." Penelope did but showed no emotion except annoyance. "I, uh, well I just wanted to say." Luke stumbled over his words and rubbed the back of his neck. "Damnit I wanted to do this better." Penelope was now confused. "Luke its fine. You better get to the jet." "No its not fine. Let me explain. I ducked out this morning because you walked in on me talking to JJ and Spencer about our date." "Our date?" "Yeah well, no I mean it wasnt a date per se but I was wondering if we could go on one? Together I mean. A date." Penelope's confusion faded away to giddiness. She'd never seen Luke Alvez so inarticulate and it was because of her! "Are you asking me out, Newbie?" "Yes." Prentiss appeared down the hall. "Alvez, let's go." Luke looked bummed but moved towards the elevators. "Dont answer yet, just think about it." Penelope was sure she looked like a fish with her mouth gaping open. Later in the day after the team landed in Phoenix she got a text from JJ. -Told you. What are you going to say? -I'm so confused. -Why? Dont you like him? -Well yes but what was going on this morning? -Penelope you're a smart girl. He was embarrassed, nervous to talk to you. Now call him and tell him you'll go out with him when we get back. Even though Penelope had trouble believing that Luke Alvez was nervous around her she took JJ's advice, well sort of. She didnt call him, but he called her pertaining to the case. After she finished answering his questions about the victims' backgrounds she stopped him from hanging up. "Wait Luke." "What no newbie?" Luke chuckled nervously. "Were you serious?" "Very serious Penelope. Why do you think I've been trying so hard to get you to like me? I loved spending time with you just us Friday night. I have to admit I wish I wouldve been much more smoother with it all." Penelope finally let out a breath and laughed. "Well that was pretty bad." She teased. "Yes it was, but I'm glad you know now. Anyway I better get back to the team." "Hey Luke." "Yeah?" "I can't wait till you get back." Penelope couldnt contain her smile. "Is that a yes?" "See you soon Luke Alvez." "See you soon Penelope Garcia."

#garvez #criminal minds #penelope garcia #luke alvez #garcia x alvez #penelope garcia x luke alvez #fluff

82 notes · View notes

atlantaartisticweddings · 3 years

Text

Honor and Family: The Beautiful Symbolism in Chinese Wedding Traditions

As you all know by now, the Atlanta wedding photographers at Atlanta Artistic Weddings love to learn about new cultures and traditions. We see so much diversity in our line of work, which is an awesome thing. To continue this series of blogs, this week I want to tell you a bit about the Chinese culture and their wedding traditions.

When a Chinese groom wishes to propose, ancient custom dictates the parents of the bride and groom negotiate the terms of the marriage and ceremony, including the date, which must line up with a day of luck on the Chinese calendar. Once the proposal is made and accepted, the groom’s family will present the bride’s family with gifts of food and cakes. The bride’s parents will then send these cakes, known as “Double Happiness Cakes”, to relatives and friends, along with invitations, to announce the engagement. These invitations are usually placed in a red envelope inscribed with the Chinese symbol for “double happiness.” The bride’s family, in turn, will provide a dowry list, comprised mainly of items befitting the bride’s social status, that the groom would acquire and present to the family. The day before the wedding, the marriage bed is installed by members of the grooms family who are “lucky”, meaning they have many children and a happy marriage. The bed is then scattered with seeds of various fruits to ensure a “fruitful” marriage.

Like many other cultures, the bride and groom each have a “getting ready” ritual that is performed the morning of the ceremony. During the “hair dressing” ritual, the bride bathes in cleansing oils, then sits in front of lit candles in order to cleanse bad spirits from her system. While she sits in front of the candles, a “lucky” female family member with a happy marriage fixes the brides hair in a style that indicates she is a married woman. This can end up being a very sweet moment between the bride and her mother, who is often a great choice for this position. Likewise, the groom performs a “capping ritual” where he is dressed in traditional attire and kneels at the family altar, a table found in many Chinese homes that is set up with photos of deceased family members where living family members go to pay their respects. While the groom kneels, his father places a ceremonial cap made of cypress leaves onto his head. The groom then bows to the family altar to gain the blessing of his ancestors.

In recent tradition, Chinese brides change outfits multiple times throughout the festivities. It is tradition for the bride to wear a red dress to the ceremony, as red represents luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The bride wears a dress called a qipao (cheongsam), with a mandarin collar, or a dress called a Longfeng Gua as well as a coronet with a red silk veil that covers her face. The embroidery on the qipao often includes imagery of a phoenix, a popular symbol for “bride” in China. The bride changes into a different dress for the Tea Ceremony. This dress is still traditional in style, yet more brides are opting to wear the color white for this ceremony. Then, the bride may even choose to change a third and fourth time during the banquet and goodbyes at the end of the night. The groom wears a traditionally black long silk coat over a blue robe with a black cap that has red tassels. Like the bride, the embroidery on the grooms robe contains a dragon, a traditional Chinese symbol for “groom.” Like the bride, he may opt to change for the reception banquets. The couple has generally changed into more traditional attire for these last changes, but in recent years some have opted to change into the traditionally western gown and tux for the end of the night.

Once the bride and groom have both gotten ready, the fun and games begin. The groom will lead his friends and family in a procession from his house to the brides house to pick up his bride and bring her to her new marital home. Most of the time they will walk, although if the brides house is too far, the procession will drive, with the groom in the lead driving a car he decorated himself. On the way, the groom and others in the procession will set off fireworks and bang gongs to ward off evil spirits. Once he gets to the brides house, her bridesmaids will stop him at the door and set him a series of tasks he must complete to prove he is worthy of taking the bride from her parents and childhood home. This can include the groom paying the bridesmaids money in little red envelopes, called “hong bao,” until they are satisfied with the price, answering trivia questions about the bride, or reciting a love vow for her. Once he completes his request, the bridesmaids give up the bride.

The actual marriage ceremony is usually very simple and very small, with only relatives in attendance. The officiating of the marriage usually takes place at the town hall or other small, intimate venue, such as a family altar. During this ceremony, the couple will exchange rings and drink Tsao Chün tea from the same cup while linking arms, and then offer the tea to the parents of the bride and groom. This tea has two lotus seeds or two red dates inside it to aid the couple in having children and the sweetness of the tea represents the hope for a sweet life for the couple. To close the ceremony, the bride and groom bow to each other as a promise of mutual respect in the marriage.

One of the most important aspects to include in marriage festivities in China is the serving of tea multiple times. Tea is seen as a symbol of respect in China, so serving it to loved ones is a way of showing your appreciation of them. The morning of the wedding, before the groom comes with the procession, the bride will pour and serve her parents tea, holding it with two hands, as a thank you for raising her and providing for her. Then, immediately after the officiating of the marriage, the bride and groom hold the Tea Ceremony. This is where the bride and groom pour Tsao Chün tea, with dates and lotus seeds as before, and serve it with both hands to the elders of the family, as a way to show respect and appreciation for the family they have just joined. The bride and groom will kneel while the people being served usually sit in chairs and males are typically on the right while females are to the left, which means the bride serves the males while the groom serves the females. The groom’s parents are served first, then it goes by family seniority, which means the grooms grandparents are next, then his aunts and uncles with siblings and cousins being served last. In return, those being served each give the couple a lucky red envelope, which typically contains money for the couple.

In the Chinese culture, there can be many wedding feasts for a number of days after the wedding. However, it is typical for the bride and grooms family to each throw their own wedding banquet to celebrate the couple after the wedding, with the grooms family hosting theirs on the day of the wedding after the Tea Ceremony. These banquets usually have five to ten courses, with the couple changing outfits around course six. All of the food served is meant to symbolize well wishes for the newlyweds, such as lobster representing joy, fish representing a plentiful life, and fowl meaning a peaceful life. Also at this banquet, guests check in by signing the guest book and handing a red envelope with money to the attendants, which may be bridesmaids or “lucky” family members with happy marriages. The attendant counts the money, making sure the amount of cash is an even number for luck, and records it in another book. This is so that, if the bride and groom are invited to the wedding of their guests, they can give a larger amount of money than they received, showing their generosity. Sometimes, a “chinese lion dance” will be performed at the wedding banquet. This is where a couple of dancers dress up in an elaborate, colorful lion costume and perform a ritual dance that is believed to bring joy and happiness to the couple.

On the wedding night, after the festivities of the day, the bridal chamber is lit with two candles, to represent the bride and groom, and the new couple will drink wine from two cups tied together with a red string, to symbolize their union. The candle represents good luck on the couple’s first night as husband and wife. The bride then must eat raw dumplings to commit herself to her new family and her hopes of having children. The bride and groom must stay in this room, sometimes up to three days after the wedding, and relatives can come by and tease the couple. The day after the wedding, the bride awakes at dawn and pays tribute to her ancestors. This is where she is formally introduced to the grooms family. As she is introduced, older relatives will each give her a small gift and they will proceed to give the bride a formal title within their family based on her husbands birth order in the family. After this occurs, she is officially part of the family. Three days after the wedding, the bride and groom visit the bride’s family, where she is welcomed as a guest instead of a relative, now that she has joined a new family. The groom typically brings meat to cook and the newlyweds dine with the brides family.

The more I learn about these cultures and their wedding traditions, the more I realize just how important they are to keep one connected to both the past and the future. Their symbolism is often so beautiful and really heartfelt, and these traditions are no exception.

Thanks again for reading this blog and I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the many meaningful wedding traditions in the Chinese culture!

#chinesewedding #indianwedding #sangjit #wedding #malaywedding #doublehappiness #paitu #shuangxi #weddingstuff #teapaygift #malayweddingguide #paikeceng #weddinggift #chineseweddingstuff #teapay #phangteh #chineseweddingtradition #malaysiawedding #teapaigift #weddingday #wedding #bride #love #weddingdress #weddingphotography #weddingday #weddinginspiration #photography #weddingplanner #makeup #prewedding #fashion #bridal #bridetobe #weddingphotographer #weddings #groom #engagement #party #like #instagood #weddingideas #makeupartist #mua #casamento #instagram #photooftheday #flowers #indianwedding #bhfyp #Atlantaartisticweddings #atlantaweddings #atlantaevents #atlantaweddingphotographer #atlantaphotographer #georgiaweddings

#Atlanta wedding photographers #atlanta wedding photograpehr #Atlanta wedding photographer #wedding photograpehrs #Atlanta wedding photography

0 notes

furederiko · 6 years

Photo

Countdown Counter: 11. Kyuranger 38 is a martial art fan-service fest! And a story of a Commander and his hesitation regarding his chain of command...

- The downside of having a large team is that every now and then, several members would be eclipsed by the others. Such is the case for Commander Xiao who unfortunately happens to be NOT Red, thus his leadership is being overshadowed by both Reds. Tsurugi is calling the shots to the operation, and Lucky gets to lead one Away Team. Xiao (and his rigged Kyulette) is definitely ignored! - There are some neat little things in the opening scene. Though it's disappointing that all of them are seemingly male, we get to see the 4 Barrier-breaking Sages in Tsurugi's story. I don't know about you, but I would love to see more of the 88 Warriors of the past, like these guys and also Kuervo whom we'll see more in the episode. And then there's that bit with Lucky taking off his new white royalty coat, and exchanges it with the usual Rebellion jacket. He might be a King he says, but when he heads out for mission, he's a regular Kyuranger like everyone else. No special treatment. Nice excus... I mean attention to details! - The team is split in two as they head towards different directions. Tsurugi, Garu, Naga, Hammy, Raptor, and a slumped Xiao head to the Yin-Yang landscape of Planet Atchaalk in the Cepheus System, while Lucky and the others depart to play video game Planet Ghem in the Perseus System. The latter team immediately runs into a newly upgraded Mecha-Madako. She's now the Menaster of the system and is exclusively tasked to stop their mission. Hmmm... first Akyanba, now Madako, Toku designers sure are obsessed with mechanical boobs, huh? - Team Tsurugi arrives at the Kyulin Temple. In the past, Tsurugi and Kuervo had to overcome the Nine Trials of Cepheus before they could gain the trust and assistance of its warrior. This time around, the Kyurangers need to defeat Menaster Deathgong, if they ever want to move ahead to locate the Constellation's power. Let the trials begin!!! Fun fact: Setting for Kyulin Temple is a commonly used Chinese-themed location in Tokusatsu. In Super Sentai alone, it has been used plenty of times, most notably in the wushu-themed "Engine Sentai Go-onger vs Juuken Sentai Gekiranger". Then again, I think pretty much every scenes involving Gekiranger's Rin JuuKen practitioners were filmed here! As for the 'Trials', it's obviously just another playful use of the number 9, and doesn't have anything to do with mythology. In the Greek stories, it's Herakles who had to undergo 12 Labors, and none of those was even related to King Cepheus. Sure, the demi-God hero DO know of a King by the same name, but he's a completely different person unrelated to this Constellation. - 1st Trial - 'Hellish Chamber'. The team needs to defeat 99 Indavers in just one minute. Phoenix Soldier takes care of this in a zippy, by Phoenix End-ing more than 1/3 of the army. Gotta love Garu's reaction to being outmatched by Hammy. LOL. Draco Commander's back gets in the way, so he only gets 5 Indavers. Ouch! Tsurugi tells Xiao to don't mind that, because Kuervo also scored the same number back then. Team encounters the first crossroads, so they pair up and split into three groups to take on challenges in separate paths. - 2nd Trial - 'Muscle Building Chamber'. Basically, they need to perform 9999 sit-ups. Tsurugi gets to deliver another sweaty shirtless fan-service scene, while Raptor... cheers. Yep, lately the extra member seems to be in charge of shirtless fan-service spree, and Tsurugi firmly joins Zyuohger's Misao and ToQger's Akira in this category. To be honest, what he's doing is a little cheating, because a proper sit-up requires to lean a liiiitle bit lower. This is more in the line of abs-crunching. But I guess there's no definite rule for this trial, and it's still a demanding task nonetheless. Hold on... I wonder why Raptor doesn't take this challenge instead? She's an android, so doing repetitions like this shouldn't be 'exhausting' for her, right? - 3rd Trial - 'Kitchen Chamber'. Hammy and Garu are tasked for a cook-off and impress the Indaver-judges. This one is another cheat, because they immediately contact Spada for clue despite being star systems away. Hammy whips up the Pisces Kyu Globe, and the two serves... fresh SUSHI to win the trial. For the record, making Sushi isn't as 'easy' as this episode suggests. But it's reasonably quick, and can be done by people with limited cooking skill and utensil knowledge. So uhm... you get the point. LOL. - 4th Trial - 'Game Chamber'. Red Light, Green Light. I'm personally not familiar with this game (we don't actually play it in my country... but I'm an introvert, so who am I to say XD), but once again, the team has an upper hand in Naga's ability. Xiao and his weak back might not be up for this posing game, but that's not a problem for Naga's freeze glare. - 5th Trial - 'Dance Chamber'. The title says it all, as the team unites for a quick rock n' roll... I mean Kyulette the Chance 'Just Dance' session. Daang, I wish this scene is muuuch longer. Seriously producers, we need a Kyuranger Musical!!! - 6th Trial - 'Resilience Chamber'. Hammy partners up with Raptor for... a nice hot spring bathhouse challenge! Yep, we finally get the ladies moment, and it's totally fan-service. Aaaawwww.... *v*. But really, I wish this scene plays out muuuuuch longer too. Not because I'm pervy or anything, but because we rarely see the female members in this show hug... I mean hang around casually like this. I could be mistaken or anything, but we haven't had that annual girl-power trope episode so far, have we? By the way, I'm surprised that Raptor can endure this challenge without getting... rusty. Oh well, carry on! - 7th Trial - 'Funny Face Chamber'. Garu and Naga engage in a staring fight against the Indavers, a challenge that even yours truly would lose pretty instantly. It's a nice callback to the fact that neither of them knew the Indavers are wearing masks! Naga is hilarious, and it's even moreso because he doesn't realize it. LOL. - 8th Trial - 'Shooting Chamber'. Tsurugi steals Xiao's thunder all over again, by blasting all the targets away... with his SHIELD-BLADE. I did NOT know his armaments can do that. Even Deathgong sees Tsurugi as the only major threat of this group, a premature assumption that would backfire very harshly. - Before they head to the last one, Xiao and Tsurugi have a sweet heart to heart moment that pretty much serves as the highlight of this episode (at least for me). Ignoring how or where Tsurugi can even obtain those canned coffee, it's a surprisingly stark metaphor to real life situation. In all honesty, Xiao is like an old man whom his family slowly ignores the more they grow up, while Tsurugi is that hip trendy outsider who just recently becomes a new addition to the pack. This sweet intimate moment gives Xiao a chance to reflect on his limitations, but also allows Tsurugi to prove his kindness and wisdom. "You assembled the brightest stars in the universe into a single team", he praises. To which he also reminds Xiao that the Commander has his own way of handling thing. As in, everyone has their own role and place in the world. That's a strong message right there! - 9th Trial - ''Infighting Chamber'. Expecting a Jark Matter MotW to play fair and square would be a fever dream. Deathgong has captured Garu, Naga, Hammy, and Raptor as soon as they completed their challenges, and now pits them against the Cold-Sleep Duo. This is where the Menaster learns that underestimating Xiao becomes his fatal error. True to his words, Xiao knows each and every Kyuranger thoroughly (most of them at least... am I right, Naga?). It doesn't take long for him to realize that the seemingly-controlled Kyurangers attacking them are nothing but FAKES. This is how he's be superior than Tsurugi, because he has the power of perceptive! Aside from spending more time with the team to know that their reaction feels off, of course. LOL. - Freed from Deathgong's clutches through Xiao's signature sleazy trick, the four Kyurangers get to perform wushu-style attacks against the Indavers! Aquila Pink uses #81 Grus, Chamaeleon Green uses #85 Lynx, Ophiucus Silver uses #65 Hydrus, and Lupus Blue gets to shuffle (to genuine hilarious effect) both #52 Canis Majorand #66 Canis Minor Kyu Globe. Totally neat! Too bad Tsurugi doesn't get a part. He could've used the Bird of Paradise or Peacock constellations, if you ask me *grins*. - Draco Commander closes the curtain with a flashy end though. In a neat wushu-showdown serving as a cool homage to "Gosei Sentai Dairanger", Draco Commander utilizes his 'RyuKenpou' and blasts Deathgong to defeat with a Kameham... er, Dragon Ba... I mean, Energy Ball! - A fun trick is also utilized in the mecha battle. Ryutei-Oh has always been limited as a three-people robot. By borrowing Phoenix Voyager's rocket booster components (that form the hands of Kyutamajin), Draco Commander turns it into a FIVE-people combo. While benching out Phoenix Soldier on the ground as a cheerleader passive spectator. LOL. It's a nice change of pace that probably only toy collectors are aware of. I do hope we'll get to see this form more often, but that likely won't be the case and just a one-off thing. - On the other planet, Mecha-Madako uses a special controller to trigger Champ's malfunction. A not-so-mysterious person handed it to her earlier. Things are only starting to get serious there, but that will be our story for next week. On the bright side, the Kyulin Temple's Head Monk (at least, he looks like one?) is freed. As a token of gratitude, he grants the Constellation System's power to create the #54 Cepheus Kyu Globe. That means TWO down, and two more to go...

Overall: This episode was Goofy Fun! I'm a little disappointed, because I was expecting it to be 'crazier' and MORE comedic. But overall, it had truly fine fan-service heavy moments that once again, would've been even awesome had they played out a little bit longer. Garu and Naga were the MVPs, they stole the scenes and made me LOLed real hard. The warm interchange between Xiao and Tsurugi also worked in favor of elevating this rather hectic episode into a different level. Yep, this was a fantastic focus episode for Xiao, that smartfully harkened back to his early dilemma in the series. Being a hero is what Xiao had always wanted, so it's only natural that he started recognizing his own limitations and doubted if he's even right for the job. I think we can all safely say that this was a nice wrap to Xiao's personal arc. Next week: Fight on R.P.G. Knights, and reclaim your Champ!!!

Episode 38 Score: 7,8 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: November 22nd, 2017 - Version 3.06. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#tokusatsu #SuperSentai #kyuranger #uchu sentai kyuranger #uchuu sentai kyuranger #review #Just for Fun

9 notes · View notes

simplyrali · 6 years

Text

Hope Chapter 5 (Jameron fanfiction)

Chapter 4 --> https://simplyrali.tumblr.com/post/167732216645/hope-chapter-4-jameron-fanfiction

Chapter 5

A black Porsche 911 stopped in front of the Phoenix’s building. Today Joe decided to drop off Cameron for work on his way to SF University. He killed the engine and looked outside through the window. There were only four other cars at the parking lot and honestly the place looked dull from the outside.

So much history was behind these walls – excitement, happiness, tears, hope, broken dreams, memories. Nothing lasted here, no business survived for long and yet all of them kept coming back. He listed in his mind every company that saw its end on these grounds – Mutiny, CalNect, Comet, and now Phoenix was here. But for how long? His life has been a string of failures in this business, everything grew so fast and passed so quickly that made it impossible for someone to be at the top for long. But in exactly this deadly environment the magic happened, ideas were born and progress was made, not only in technology but for people and their way to each other.

The thing that gets you to the thing.

Did he believe in Cameron’s vision and talent? Yes, of course. What she created was unique and had potential to grow in many directions. Joe was more worried that her shortsightedness and stubbornness at the moment might be the things that will bring her down. AI was more than just games. To be honest he had his doubts about Phoenix’s future, but he would never tell her that. Right now her bubble was still intact and that was what mattered, as Gordon had said before all there is is now, he’ll let her enjoy the ride.

Joe handed to Cameron her bag from the back seat as she was fixing her hair in the review mirror.

“Got everything you need?” Joe asked.

“Yep. Thanks for the ride.” Cam put her bag on her shoulder with one hand and with the other she held her steaming coffee. One last look in the mirror and she was ready to go.

A new car parked next to them. A red Toyota Tercel’95. From her got out a plump man with baby pink T-shirt and dark sunglasses. He almost passed them but stopped in his tracks and turned completely towards them, took off his glasses, his jaw dropped and a loud gasp left his mouth. He opened it a few times trying to say something but no words came out. The man pointed with two fingers at his eyes and then pointed Cam with them in a gesture that spoke “I see you”. What followed could only be described as a small happy dance which included a series of uncoordinated movements with his arms. He then burst into laughter and hurried up the stairs.

“Oh boy, here we go…” Cam was not looking towards the explanations she’d have to give inside after this spectacle.

Joe looked at her with amusement.

“A colleague, I assume.”

“Yes, that was Jerry from Graphic Design. He’s genius in his field but the guy loves to gossip way too much,” Cam shook her head. “That was so not what I wanted after skipping work for two days.”

“He seemed cool, I liked his shirt.” Joe gave her a smirk.

“He is. Anyway, good luck today with your interview! ” She kissed him on the lips, a quick peck.

“Thank you, you too with your…” he waved a hand at the building, “ …thing. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes, bye. Oh, and call me to tell me how the interview went. Love you.”

“Sure. Love you too.”

Cam stepped out of the car, closed the door after her and inhaled deeply before heading towards the entrance.

As he watched her climbing the stairs Joe started the engine again.

Time for new a start.

The black Porsche drove down the road leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Catherine Howe hated explaining herself, she was never good with words or with people for that matter. And as she stood in front of the door of her company, she knew she had to do exactly that. She could already hear muffled conversations from inside followed by a series of laughter and whistling. Damn Jerry!

Let’s do this.

She opened the door and every pair of eyes in the main hall fell on her. All conversations died and suddenly everybody was super busy.

“So, the lady boss is finally back! How was the vacation? Did you get some… rest? Met someone new?” Jerry spoke with a big smile on his face and gave a high five to the guy next to him – Nathaniel.

Someone laughed and badly tried to cover it with coughing.

“None of your business. Everybody back to work!” Cam took off her coat and passed them. Although she really couldn’t hide the growing smile on her face.

Cam walked in her office and plopped onto her chair. Her glass doors closing behind her. Actually she kept all the glass from Comet’s days. She liked it, it gave transparency to things. There were no barriers like before in Mutiny. Her six employees were all in the main hall with desks put in a circle. That way there was always communication, sharing ideas and obviously… gossip.

She sighed.

A knock on the door.

“Can I come in?” It was Mike, her assistant. He was in his late 20s, tall with short brown hair and he always dressed way too formal for their laid back work environment.

“Sure.” He was already halfway in.

“You didn’t tell us you’re going to take some days off.” He started.

“Oh, that… yeah, I wasn’t really planning it. Did anything important happen that I should know about?” She asked him as she sipped from her coffee.

“Well, Simon Cornwell called to discuss the new marketing strategy, a few calls - none of them of importance… Oh, miss Emerson called Monday morning.” Mike answered as he looked at his notepad.

“Donna? Did she say anything?”

“To call her back. Also she said if you didn’t come to work that we shouldn’t disturb you and you’d probably show up soon… Now we know what she meant.” He grinned and raised his brows meaningfully.

Cam gave him a look. “Not you too, Jerry is bad enough.”

Mike raised his hands defensively.

“Hey, we’re all happy for you. I don’t think I ever saw you with someone or heard of you being in relationship. Honestly I thought you had no social life, with all this work and deadlines… ”

“Well, thanks. I guess.” She turned on her computer. “Hey, did you fix the bug with-”

“Yes, we did.” He gave her a proud smile.

“You’re awesome.” She returned the smile. “Which reminds me, give this to Yuki on your way out,” she handed him a disk. “That’s the new upgrade, I finished it Saturday, it should run smoothly but she can double check it.”

When Mike opened the door to leave, Jerry popped his head inside with a grin on his chubby face, which now was red from all the laughing, his eyes glistening.

“Hey, boss… I saw his Porsche! I didn’t see his face but he looked like a catch!”

“Don’t you have a job?!” Jesus, he was so annoying.

“I’m waiting for Nathaniel to finish the coding for the new features so that I can continue... and in the meantime… When will we meet him?”

She sighed loudly.

“Probably soon.”

“Is he hot?” Jerry made a fanning motion with his hand.

“Out! Now!”

John Bosworth was a happy man. These days he enjoyed every minute of every day and grabbed with full hands of what life had to offer him. The married life was better than what he remembered from his first marriage, or maybe the person was better. He and Diane had clicked right away, they both knew what they wanted, had their priorities straight and were ready to find someone with whom to share life.

It wasn’t easy, but nothing in life ever is. Diane was strong and powerful woman and the fact that she did better in business than him hadn’t helped but at the end none of that mattered. It took a tragedy for them to realize that they had no time to waste and life was too short to worry over meaningless things. They had to enjoy every second of what they had left. So he stopped fighting to stay in the business and found pleasure in his retirement. Bos had a good life, not everyone got a second, a third and even a forth chance like Bos did. And along his journey he created connections with people he now was proud to call a family.

Bosworth was driving to Cameron’s house, he was singing along to Conway Twitty’s “Red neckin', love makin' night” and tapping with fingers on the steering wheel.

Well it's a red neckin', love makin' night You ain't had much 'til you been touched in the moonlight You feel it the most when you get real close and you hold on tight It's a red neckin', love makin' night It's a red neckin', love makin' night

Stars in your eyes, the wind in your hair Oh, what a down home love affair

Hell, he still missed Texas. All of the traveling in the last couple of years made him a little homesick, maybe he and Diane should visit his son soon…

John finally arrived and parked his truck. What he saw next surprised him, right next to Cameron’s car was Joe’s shiny black Porsche. What was he doing here?

Oh, well, past is always lurking behind us…

Bos wasn’t expecting anyone to be home, he knew Cam must be at work, but that wasn’t a problem since she’d given him a key a long time ago. Last week she asked him for a favor and of course he agreed, that’s way he came.

He got out of the car and took his tool box from the trunk.

Bos knocked on the front door.

Joe opened.

Pause.

“John?” Macmillan was visibly surprised by the guest.

“Well, hell… glad to see you too.”

“Um, yeah… Cameron’s not here but if you want I can give her a call.”

“That’s alright, that’s alright. I didn’t expect her to be home. She asked me to take a look at the bathroom on the second floor, it kept drippin’ she said. ” Bos explained lifting his tool box.

“Oh.. come in then.” Joe stepped out of the way.

Bos made two steps inside and took a look around.

“Beer?” Joe asked, obviously not very comfortable with the whole situation. They saw each other at the dinner for the Haley’s birthday but never really had a chance to talk.

“Sure, sure.” Bos took of his jacket and watched as Joe opened the fridge. The younger man was wearing jeans and a loose white t-shirt. He looked… at home. “So, you two…?”

“Ah, I guess…” Joe handed him the beer.

“Heh…” Bos shook his head. “I’d tell you I’m surprised but not really. Life has a funny way, you know, you think something’s over for good and then it turns back right at you and bites you on the ass. Didn’t take you long, did ya? ”

“It’s hard to live just with pictures and memories, John. It wasn’t easy for either of us…”

“I’m sure… ” Bos gave him a look. “Listen, Joe, I know you and I know Cameron. Things with you are always complicated but you care for each other. I told you before, you’re a changed man. I know why you let her go, you didn’t want to hold her down, did ya? You wanted things but she looked in different direction, so you let her pursue her carrier. Now, I didn’t like the way you did it, because I know how hard it was for her, but I get it.”

“I wasn’t ready to… not after… I needed time…”

“Hey now, I know. It hard to stay and it’s hard to go, but you make choices and live with the consequences. It comes a time when all you can do is to hope it will get better and at the end you make compromises with yourself… I’m glad you’re not a stranger, Joe.” Bos smiled and patted Joe on the back. They never were best buddies, but behind the tough mask Bosworth could recognize his good soul.

“Yeah, you want things but in chasing them you lose what you already have... It was hard to let go of the future that I wanted, that’s why I searched other ways to fulfill this… need, but it was harder to live without her. So, you’re right, you learn to make compromises with yourself and put your needs aside and hope this time it will work out. And I’m not getting any younger so…” Joe said and clinked their bottles.

“I wouldn’t go that far. You both just needed time because back then you were at different places. Now… it’s different. Time changes people and age has a way of tempering us all. So who knows… maybe she’ll surprise you. ”

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Joe gave a sad smile. “Cameron will always be Cameron, she’s a free spirit and I always loved and admired that about her. Maybe it was wrong of me to try and put her in a box…”

“Well, Joe, time will show. For now enjoy the present and deal with problems one at a time. You know what recursion is?” Bos asked as he put down his bottle on the kitchen table.

“Yeah…” Joe took his last sip of the beer.

“Great. But just so you know, I don’t care how much she loves you, if you hurt her again or force her into doing something that she doesn’t want, I’ll break your legs.” Bos patted his tool box. “Come on now, let me see that bathroom. I miss the old days when the water pipes used to be high quality, what they do now…My God!” he shook his head with disapproval.

Bos started climbing the stairs. “You know anything about plumbing, Joe?”

“No, not really.”

#halt and catch fire #fanfiction #jameron #joe macmillan #cameron howe #john bosworth

5 notes · View notes

writestufflj20 · 7 years

Text

When 27 meets 49

Friends, old and new, describe Francis as very approachable, smart, caring, and charismatic. A slender man of medium height and caramel brown skin, Francis is always the one asking his peers deep, philosophical questions like, ‘What happens when we die’ or ‘Does it bother you that today’s education system is all about memorizing, instead of, actually engaging us and teaching us something valuable?’ His interests are anime, anything fantasy-related, PlayStation and Role Playing games, and philosophy.

Shortly after dropping out of the University of Phoenix in Pittsburgh, Francis and his parents and sisters returned to their hometown in Los Angeles, California, after residing in Pittsburgh for 15 years. At age 25, Francis was a supervisor at a candy shop in Hollywood and looking to make new friends at a place he once called home.

Until recently, Francis hadn’t had the greatest luck with women. His last relationship was his first one ever and evidently, also his first time being cheated on -- only several days later since he asked the girl out. Yet, Francis experienced another failed attempt at love with his best friend since high school, Sheila. ‘We were inseparable. I’d always hang out with her during and after school, on weekends – I even slept over at her house. Her family would joke that I was their third child,’ Francis said. They were so close that Sheila would shower with the door opened, hold hands with Francis, and even, cuddle with him. However, when Francis mustered up the courage to confess his love for Sheila and take their relationship to the next level, she kindly rejected him and said, ‘You’re like a brother/best friend to me.’ And in that moment, Francis felt confused by her unrequited response, convinced that she showed signs of attraction and courtship. The harsh reality of Francis’ failing love life cut deep into his tendered heart and friend zoned him indefinitely. But, Francis did not accept defeat. Much of Francis’ patience for love was soon to be rewarded.

At the stroke of midnight on January, 1, 2015, Francis, at age 27, shared a passionate, first kiss with his co-worker, Lauren, at the management’s New Year’s party at Buffalo Wild Wings. A beautiful and busty woman with freckled, ivory skin and a youthful smile grabbed the frolicking, singled Francis and pulled him into her arms for an unforgettable kiss. Lauren had successfully mended Francis’ broken heart – a feat other girls failed to accomplish.

In all romantically serious relationships, Francis had hoped that his parents loved her as much as he loved her and vice versa. Fortunately, Lauren and Francis’ mother shared two things in common: they were 49 years old and both married.

Lauren had also moved to California about 7 years ago. She was a determined accountant, juggling two jobs with her husband to support their two children. She realized she had growing martial problems about three years ago before she began working at the candy store in August of 2014.

Francis met Lauren while working together at the Hollywood candy store. ‘We were always flirting with each other and one thing led to another and it just kinda happened.’ At first, Francis did not think much of it, but since the party, they both noticed a newfound, undeniable attraction towards each other. The fated kiss had surely permitted them to explore this tantalizing curiosity on a proper “date.”

A couple days after the New Year’s kiss, Francis and Lauren had begun texting each other daily and ending the night with texts of, ‘Goodnight and sweet dreams.’ A week later, Lauren asked Francis if he would like to accompany her to the horse stables because she was shopping for new horse shoes. They would later grab lunch at a Brazilian Bossa Nova Cuisine. Afterwards, they hiked up a horseback riding trail and sat on a bench that oversaw the coastline. The sunset gleamed with a lukewarm mirage, coating the city below with memorizing oranges, reds, and purples. Francis took this precious and peaceful moment to stretch his arm over Lauren’s shoulder and rest his hand on her side. Lauren gazed into Francis’ promising eyes and kissed him. Their heads rest on each other as they watched the sunset fall. ‘I never formally asked Lauren out, but I guess this was the day that made it official – that we were a thing,’ Francis said, reminiscing.

About 7 months of dating, Francis and Lauren decided to move into a cozy two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. They have the essentials: a modern, charcoal couch, a white living room rug and black coffee table, a bookshelf with a decent number of books and a couple photographs of themselves, and a 65” Samsung television set, along with Francis’ PS4, which was a Christmas gift from Lauren. They share a King size bed in one room, while the other is vacant. ‘We plan to make that room an office,’ Francis said.

They have been dating for a little over two years and they are coming to know each other’s flaws and weak spots. During the early stages of their relationship, Francis expressed concern over Lauren still wearing her wedding ring (in which, Lauren no longer wears). Meanwhile, Lauren accused Francis of being interested in her only for a short while. Though these problems did not hinder their love for each other, Francis is learning what it means to truly be in a loving and respectable long-term relationship. ‘We’re complete opposites and I think that’s a good thing. She’s very passive and holds all her problems inside, while I’m very persistent and straight forward. I never want to end the day with an argument, so I always try to get it out of her – whatever’s bothering her. And I’m like, “See, that wasn’t so bad,”’ Francis says. Francis believes that they are healthier because of it. Nowadays, the only problems that arise are of Francis procrastinating on things he says he will do, like getting his driver’s permit and license, and Lauren complaining that he should go back to school. Francis is adamant about not returning to school until he figures out what he wants to do with his life. ‘School is so stupid nowadays. We are taught at a very young age to go to college and get a well-paying job. We are not taught how to appreciate and live life to the fullest. I don’t want to go to school because that’s what is expected of me. I want to go when I feel like it – not because it’s what I’m supposed to do,’ Francis says.

About a year of dating, Lauren felt comfortable enough for Francis to introduce her to his friends. It was around February, 2016 when Francis took Lauren to meet his friends. Francis went to a friend’s condo in Culver City. When they arrived, the condo was dimly lit by scented candles. The setting was intimate and accommodating. Seven of Francis’ friends were present, who are all in their late twenties. When Francis and Lauren entered, they were greeted with welcoming handshakes, hugs, and smiles. After having dinner and enjoying some Mario Kart on Wii-U, they all retired to the couch and inquired about Francis and Lauren’s relationship.

While Francis retold their unique story, Lauren smiled and listened to his and his friends’ responses. They shared laughs and stories about past and present relationships, which made Lauren feel very comfortable because no judgements were verbally made. Lauren gently held onto Francis’ biceps and rested her head on his shoulder as she listened to the love of her life recount their ups and downs. It was the best introduction two lovers could have ever asked for.

Nowadays, Lauren frequents to the Francis’ household. Francis’ parents couldn’t have love a better person for Francis. ‘Lauren really puts Francis on check,’ Francis’ sister says. Lauren is Facebook friends with Francis’ mother and sister. A typical conversation they have with each other is: Francis’ sister liked one of her photos with her brother, “Too much of his face! Not enough of yours!” Lauren gleefully responds, “Haha.. Intentionally done (Face With Stuck-Out Tongue & Winking Eye emoji) I am not the main character lol.” Francis has also met Lauren’s children and mother. They refer to Francis as ‘Mom’s co-worker friend.’ Although compared to Lauren’s visits, Francis does not frequent Lauren’s other home as much. Lauren’s two children are content with Francis’ company and appears to not have any suspicions or even any knowledge of their mother’s intimate relationship with him. ‘She will tell them when the time is right,’ Francis says.

I ask Francis what their plans are for the future. He responds optimistically, “Once the divorce is finalized, we’ll probably get married. She tells me she wants to make a beautiful caramel baby with me. We have to have it soon because of her age. So, I’m saving up for that and hopefully, I’ll get a promotion at work.”

Francis has gotten her a promise ring to prove his eternal love. Lauren has gotten him a laced necklace with her first initial in silver. “She’s the only person who gets me and puts me at ease. I can actually have intellectual conversations with her, unlike the girls my age. She’s sexy, loving, beautiful – I love everything about her.” In my last conversation with Francis, he says, “When two adults love each other why should age matter. I proudly hold her hand and kiss her in public – it doesn’t matter what people think because it doesn’t involve them. And at the end of the day, I know that I have found love.”

-- Sure Oeng

1 note · View note

marithlizard · 4 years

Text

Ace Attorney: Rise From the Ashes (part 1)

A couple of people expressed interest in a writeup as I play through the game, so I thought I’d give quasi-liveblogging a try. It might have come out to be too detailed - let me know if the result is amusing enough to go through the next part.

(I knew this already, but wow liveblogging is a lot of work. And it must take twice as much effort to do this for a show and to include screencaps.)

(I’ve tried three times now to put proper line breaks/spacing in, and they’re just not displaying, at least on desktop. I’m sorry.)

A brief, stylized opening designed not to give away much, except that a creepy-looking doll is involved.

Two months? Phoenix, you haven't taken a single client since Maya left? a) are you depressed, and b) how are you paying rent on the office?

Ookay, you're not going to tell us why you've been moping around. I don't think it's that you have a crush on Maya. Are you just not able to function without a partner? That's not great for your ability to survive, but I can sympathize.

New perky assistant, right on cue. (A partner who isn't a young girl would be a nice change now and then. (But not Larry. Anyone but Larry. In fact, I take it back, this girl with the pink sunglasses will do just fine.))

Oof, Phoenix still not being able to say out loud that Mia's dead.

In the first two minutes pink-glasses girl has asserted that he's his female boss, the coffee boy, and 'better than nothing'. Aha! The problem with all the clients he turned down was that they didn't insult him enough.

Kid, you can't be more than sixteen, and you have silly face buttons on your lab coat. You are about as much a scientific investigator as Photography Girl last episode was a journalist. ...But apparently you have a future job lined up in forensics, so you're more organized than she was. And this world certainly could use more competent crime scene analysis.

"I promised her I'd bring Mia Fey". Huh. Is Mia's murder not well-known to the public, then, even though the Edgeworth case apparently got famous enough to earn Phoenix a bit of a reputation?

A murder charge with an eyewitness, and an assistant who "kind of hates" her sister the defendant. Sounds hopeless, let's do it! Off to the Detention Center.

...Did we just overhear the defendant threatening their terrified guard with a pay freeze? Is she their boss? And if she's someone that high up, why doesn't she already have a better defense attorney?

I like Lana Skye's character design. She looks as though she should be starring in a Takurazuka revue show, swearing eternal star-crossed love to a princess.

She insists she did it. By genre convention we know that can't be the case; my first assumption is that she's being forced to cover for someone, blackmailed or coerced by someone higher up in the system. But it would certainly be interesting if it turned out she was covering for Ema.

Must....resist...plotbunnies...

Oookay. A prosecutor should certainly know ways to commit murder without getting caught, and this sounds like the opposite of those ways. WHY does she claim she did this? You're not even going to ask her, are you? *headdesk*

Ema: "Please ignore that totally gay statement by my sister, because I certainly plan to!"

Lana: "No don't help me, go away go away go away go away go awa-oh fine."

Hmmm. From Ema's description of the behavior change, Lana has been being blackmailed or coerced for a long time now.

Time to go investigate the underground parking garage.

Attorneys aren't supposed to examine crime scenes, and defense attorneys aren't entitled to a copy of the police investigation reports. What does a "normal" defense attorney in this world do for their clients then? Always assume a loss and try to negotiate a plea bargain? I wonder if we'll ever get to see one in action.

It's...a cop with a cowboy fetish? Do police not have dress codes here? Maybe they're waived above a certain level, and some people take pride in cultivating a unique style to show off that they can. It would explain Edgeworth.

You are dramatically pretending to shave in front of us. Also you just called Ema a baby cow. Although you know her and seem sympathetic - I guess Lana brought her little sister to the office sometimes? Not sure what I think of you, Jake Marshall.

I am revising my stance. Being Phoenix's partner on a case requires precise and narrow qualifications. Specifically, just enough sense to stop him from doing something breathtakingly stupid, but not enough sense to take the badge firmly away from him and do the job themselves. Ema fits the bill perfectly.

Ooh, new mechanic! And an ID card number for a Bruce Goodman who dresses like a white-hat agent in Spy vs Spy. (I was trained on games that would require you to write that number down and remember it later, but AA will certainly be more forgiving.)

Using the new mechanic on Phoenix's attorney badge, I deduce that at some point this game it will be stolen.

It doesn't explain Lana's supposed actions, but that red sports car does kind of scream "My owner is a jerk, stuff a body in my trunk." Instead of a chalk outline, they seem to have outlined the hanging body with string? Is that actually a technique, and how do they get the rope to stay put in precise outline?

And the cowboy gives them a hint. So he's on their side but constrained by rules?

Lady put the boobs away. Why are you selling sushi in a negligee under a fur coat, at a crime scene? And why would anyone trust food from someone whose nickname is "the Cough-Up Queen"?

Angel Starr, dominatrix lunch lady. It says something that this is not the weirdest witness in an AA game so far.

She hates prosecutors, and therefore especially Lana. Not a trustworthy witness. But it's probably no fun to cater for a group of (relatively) wealthy and powerful people you despise. Especially if they're smugly giving awards to each other as they eat lunches. (Eeeevil lunches. She probably coughs on them.)

"The rhythmic beat of Lana Skye's knife"... very poetic, but didn't Lana say the victim was stabbed only once?

We can't get back to the car, phooey, so up to the prosecutor's office we go.

Pink...everywhere...no question whose office this is, even if one of his outfits wasn't framed on the wall. (why do you frame an outfit?) I see a very ugly trophy on the sofa, so he's the one who won the award.

Ema: "this is the kind of room that just screams 'I can do the job'. Actually it screams 'I don't need to pretend to be heterosexual', but the two aren't unconnected.

Is it just me or is that trophy broken off at the top?

Edgeworth did you just roll with being insulted and make a joke about it? I'm so proud of you, you've clearly relaxed since your murder trial!

BWAHAHA of course it was Edgeworth's car.

Wendy the security guard from the Steel Samurai case is sending Edgeworth expensive presents?? a) that's both funny and a little sad, b) how can she afford it, and c) he keeps and displays them which is very courteous.

WAIT did you - did this game just heavily suggest Gumshoe hangs out in the office a lot? Twice, once when you look at the shelves and again when you look at the desk? I don't ship it, but this is the point where I start to see why people do.

Awwww he's embarrassed about the trophy, that's cute. So he's the one who "devours the evillest lunches of all", hmm? I wouldn't have thought the Cough-Up Queen's weird not-even-fresh lunches would appeal to Edgeworth's refined tastes.

Ema actually has a bit of a crush, from the way she's rhapsodizing about Edgeworth sleeping on the sofa. d'awww. And I definitely want to know the story behind the outfit. Made by his mom and too precious to wear?

Edgeworth, no one thinks you did it. Sheesh. He certainly doesn't sound happy about having to prosecute Lana, even though he believes she's guilty. His car, his knife... it almost seems like this is a plot aimed at him, or perhaps a plot against Lana with a healthy dose of fuck-you-too-Edgeworth to it.

Huh. Maybe it *is* aimed at him. I've been assuming all this time from his behavior on the stand that Edgeworth has indeed been messing with evidence to convict obviously innocent people, and also assuming that it's common practice in this corrupt justice system. (Much as it is in Japan and in the US). But the way he's talking about rumors right now, it sounds more like he's being slandered. And he thinks the award he was given was out of mockery. Ouch.

So yes, the trophy is broken. (In RWBY, you assume everything is a gun; in AA, you assume everything is a murder weapon. It probably broke when it was used to hit someone over the head.)

Evidence transferal day, huh? Was the murder timed to draw attention away from a case being closed? And Edgeworth parked his car only three minutes before Goodman was stabbed and thrown into its trunk? No way. He was there for the murder, or more likely that's not when the murder happened. (Is he being coerced like Lana? I don't think so, but it's possible.)

Enter an idiot mailman with a bandaged hand. And exit, with sniveling. What was that about?

And a hint to go investigate at the police station. Is Edgeworth being friendly, attempting to signal something, or merely aware that the most efficient way to get rid of Phoenix is to give him a clue to chase?

The police department entrance, with some sort of plywood jester figure in front of it. We're offhandedly informed that it took 30 minutes to get there from Edgeworth's office, which means that will be important later.

This is the creepy doll from the intro! It's clearly meant to be a mascot. Was it made by the sniveling mailman? There's a certain resemblance...

No, I should've guessed that Gumshoe made it. I mean ... mechanically it's pretty clever for someone who's not a craftsman or engineer? Moving articulated limbs and all. It's just the aesthetics and design he shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near.

Yes, yes it is odd that only the top-ranked people are being allowed to work on the case. Are they all in on it? A patrolman in charge of the crime scene instead of a detective - that suggests Marshall is part of the conspiracy. I'm thinking the dominatrix lunch lady is too.

Gumshoe is so happy about the prosecutor's award - Edgeworth probably didn't have the heart to say that for him it's a mockery. Daww. (Also there's something endearingly cheerful about his hopping-caterpillar eyebrows.) He's also being much more helpful than his superiors would want, probably just because he thinks of Phoenix as an ally in general now.

Back to the parking lot, with a letter of introduction in hand this time.

I genuinely can't tell if the lunch lady is a sex worker, if she actually has multiple boyfriends, or if that's code for her professional contacts in whatever she's really doing here. (And that's an interesting cultural bit, isn't it - any of those options seem possible, and I'm not expecting any of the characters to question her competence or morality because of it, not even in court. If this was a US-made game my expectations would be...different.)

"Good men always die young"...I see what you did there, Marshall.

Autopsy report confirms one stab wound. Lana and the victim worked together on "a case a few years back", ding ding ding. Someone didn't want the evidence for that case transferred. Or looked at.

Marshall used to be a detective but got demoted? And he's lying about why he was assigned to the crime scene, and telling us Gumshoe is off the case because he's friends with Edgeworth. The police chief, whoever he is, is now at the top of my suspect list.

Happily, the game will let me do dumbass things like show off Goodman's ID card without consequences. Marshall seems very uninterested in it and why it was found so far from the spot of the murder, which I take to mean "we have our official narrative, don't go messing it up with facts or evidence."

Finally we can examine the car! First up, Lana's cellphone. The whole business about hitting redial and somehow not knowing that Ema's phone rang was weird. Phoenix’s lie couldn't possibly have fooled Marshall, who is bizarrely claiming there's no way to know who the last call was made to. It's an odd thing to conceal, even given the “no facts please we have our narrative” stance. Maybe he's trying to protect Ema somehow?)

Marshall said the rumors about Edgeworth came from Lana. And we have a note found in the trunk: 6-7S 12/2, on a piece of Goodman's stationery.

Er, yeah, Ema, why didn't you mention your sister called you 3 minutes after the claimed murder time? If Lana hung up right away that's hardly incriminating for either of you.

End of Day One! We are, as usual, completely unprepared for tomorrow morning's trial.

#ace attorney #rise from the ashes #ace attorney spoilers

9 notes · View notes

falcon6 · 7 years

Text

Turnabout Design: Franziska and the von Karma Legacy

Hello, and welcome back to Turnabout Design, a novice’s look at character design using the Ace Attorney series as a base. I am the foppish fool Falcon who flounders and fawns for fictional females, and let us begin. Spoiler Warning: This is going to be covering a character specifically, so there will be story points gone over, mostly from Justice for All.

Even though there’s still a few points I could talk about regarding the first game, I feel it’d be better to go ahead and continue on with the second game of the Ace Attorney series: Justice for All. Considered by some people to be the weaker entry of the trilogy, with a fairly meh first case (Phoenix gets amnesia, whoaaaa) and a - in my humble opinion - lukewarm third case, it still etches itself up to good quality with a pretty good second case and one of the most memorable final cases in the entire series.

And part of that is due to the main characters and their arcs continuing. New characters pop up, old characters get new tidbits to them (Gumshoe having a crush on Maggey while also being a big hero...I should probably get to him at some point), and our main lead has a veritable moral crisis on his hands at the end.

But that’s not what we’re going to talk about today.

So I elected to put off on talking about Manfred von Karma, the first game’s final antagonist (aside from Rise from the Ashes) because, aside from his terrifying presence, he’s actually not a very grand design. To me, at least. I am aware that his design is actually an adaptation of the original design idea for “the rival prosecutor” (Edgeworth), but he never struck me as a very memorable design. A memorable character, yes, but his actual design layout didn’t strike me.

Not to mention, a lot of the deal with Manfred is that his actual character, in a lot of facets, is used to fuel motivations of other characters. He’s the opposing force for Gregory Edgeworth in the past which was needed for his murder, his involvement with DL-6 caused Miles Edgeworth to live with him and eventually set himself down the road to becoming a prosecutor. His involvement with DL-6 is what eventually (non-intentionally) led Mia Fey into law. His role as a prosecutor is used to be the “final boss” for Phoenix for the fourth case. The man’s actions reverberate throughout the original trilogy and beyond, in a lot of respects, but there’s not much to him beyond the need for a perfect record and a calculating, cold megalomaniac.

His child, on the other hand, bears a few of those characteristics along with a lot of time to grow beyond them into her own staple of the series. I’m talking, of course, of Franziska von Karma.

You ever wonder if she ever intends to....draw blood? No? Just me?

You liars.

The Design

So I’ve spent the last few times talking less and less about the actual facets of her design, so I think it’d do to try and fix that. First off, let’s see her silhouette.

A lot of the best parts about Franziska’s design is the lively actions she is able to produce in court. This is mostly due to including the whip into the picture. The whip is one of the most important parts of her design, both due to her character and due to the added action poses it can create. If a character can be defined by the tool they use, that’s a very good thing to consider when designing their poses. You can tell that, when you take the whip out of the equation, you’re still able to tell who she is in a list of Ace Attorney characters, but it’s not as clear if you throw other franchises in.

A lot of times, an external item like a weapon is almost as integral as a piece of clothing for a character. Of course, relying entirely on that for a character’s design isn’t prudent, as the weapon needs to be integral to the design. For example, if Link from the Legend of Zelda series were to not have a sword available, the clothing is still very distinctly him. The hood in particular is almost instantly recognizable, even with every other feature blacked out. And, forgive me, but even the Master Sword is still just a sword to a silhouette.

However, we look at Samus from the Metroid series, we end up having two ‘states’ of Samus. One with her Power Suit on and one without. (I count the Power Suit as a weapon, fight me) With her Power Suit, she is the same Samus we know, who is able to go into the unknown and fight whatever comes her way but without it, not only does the silhouette change but the actual gameplay changes. She can’t go in and fight aliens the same way without her weapon. The lack of her suit makes the encounters she faces more aligned on the side of cautionary, because she can’t deal with space pirates and monsters the same way as if she did have her suit.

Lot of talk to amount to “her whip is important”, huh? It’s a very distinct trait for her design that speaks of her character. She’s aggressive and wishes to dominate her opponent with nothing short of perfection in her case. She uses it to force her will through the court. She uses it for “reward” once with Detective Gumshoe, too. (poor Gumshoe)

When you look at her design, you can see that there are elements of Manfred in her. Compared to Phoenix, her design is more regal looking with a nice big bow and a stylish suit. Her gray hair masks her actual age, to the point that you’d have to hear it from her to find out that she’s actually a young prodigy. Her posture intimidates in court, with animations ripped from her father, yet her fragile ego causes her to lose her cool very fast, which includes a few distraught emotions in her sprites.

She builds up a cool facade with her whip and her dressed-to-impress confidence that she attempts to exude. To her, the impression she leaves is most important, which makes sense because have you ever gotten hit by a whip? She cares about the mark that’s made and aims to make sure her presence is known. And to a passerby, that is exactly what happens, because outside of context she looks like a very scary lady who will absolutely dominate you, in court.

Franziska is obsessed with perfection and control, even moreso than her father was. This is due to having not one, but two individuals she has to live up to. She lives up to her father in terms of name, but she must also live up to her “little brother” Edgeworth in terms of legacy.

Legacy

Now obviously when I say “legacy”, I bet you would say “but wouldn’t she get that from her father, as well?” Well, only tangentially. I personally believe that Edgeworth left a more lasting impression on her character than her father, and it’s mostly due to Mr. Phoenix Wright.

See, Franziska grew up with her father’s shadow looming overhead. To be anything short of the genius prosecutor that Manfred was would be considered a blight to her name. So she focused her energies on doing so, even though she personally admitted to herself that she’d never get to the same level of genius as her father. Still she studied and persisted, earning herself the title of “the Prodigy”.

Soon enough she heard of her father’s defeat at the hands of Phoenix Wright, but that alone did not set her off. In fact, she couldn’t care less about her father’s defeat. It was learning that the defendant was Edgeworth, then finding out that Phoenix had already beaten him twice before despite HIS perfect record, and then learning of Edgeworth’s disappearance (Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death) that set her off on her travels to Japanifornia.

Because she wasn’t facing against Wright for revenge of her father. She was going to prove herself against someone that Edgeworth lost to.

When I think of a “legacy” character, I consider a character that has a torch passed down to them, much like a family line of superheroes. In some ways they retain the same spirit as those who came before them, but they have their own spirit about them. Take, for example, DC Comics icon - and man with most elaborate basement under parents’ house - Batman. A few years back when Bruce Wayne had “died”, Dick Grayson took up the mantle of Batman. While Bruce was more stoic and cold in his style, Dick was more loose in his demeanor. He cracked more smiles and was more talkative. More relaxed. He couldn’t replicate Batman himself, despite how many years he studied under him as Robin, because he realized that he couldn’t do so. He instead took his own take and, depending on who you ask, succeeded in doing the role justice. He lacked confidence as Batman but was more than able to fulfill the role as Gotham City’s protector regardless.

Why I find legacy characters fascinating is the little bits of what is brought from the past into the role of the present and how that can mix well, can clash with other elements, and even be forgotten. Even Edgeworth did this, to an extent, when he was the antagonist of the first game. You didn’t know it until the fourth case, but everything that Edgeworth did was due to what was displayed to him by his teacher, Manfred. Winning at any cost. He sets that aside after the first game and finds his own path as a prosecutor, yet he still retains some elements of his mentor, such as his outfit’s similarities to Manfred’s and his posture when at the bench. Naturally, some elements would have to stay because of his iconic design, but even 7 years later in Dual Destinies, Edgeworth is still using the same posture, and his big change is that he also has an unbuttoned coat and wears glasses out of court.

So going back to Franziska, her main motivator for Justice for All is to “defeat Phoenix Wright”. She goes through the same methods as her father before her, but also took in Edgeworth’s forwardness in understanding the entire case, no matter the absurdity. She studied the Kurain Channeling Technique and even introduced it in the second case in order to prove that, even with something supernatural like channeling spirits which is beyond normal law, Maya would have still done the deed and is still guilty under law. She puts up a potentially damaging photo for her prosecution just to back Phoenix in a corner. In the third case she focused her energies on making sure Phoenix wasn’t getting any evidence she didn’t know about, which ended up costing her the case when she forced Acro out of the room before he could dispose of the murder weapon. And in the time she was involved in prosecuting the final case, she made explicitly sure that Adrian Andrews knew that she didn’t have to testify.

All of this was to defeat Phoenix Wright, who had inadvertently brought himself up as a target for all of her ire. The one who defeated her father and adoptive brother before her. All to stoke her ego.

But, of course, she didn’t.

Try as she did, she wasn’t able to defeat Phoenix. She got shot on the way to court to the fourth case and had to let Edgeworth do the job for her. Even then, she took it upon herself to get the decisive evidence to court just in time to give Edgeworth the win. Finally, Phoenix lost and it was because of her!

And yet, when Phoenix was so happy even after losing his first case (for a reason she didn’t know), she broke. She didn’t understand why he was so happy about it. She tossed her whip aside and left for the airport, to fly far away.

But then Edgeworth came to her with her whip. He spoke to her about what he found out on his trip. About how win records were meaningless. About how Manfred was wrong, and how a prosecutor’s job is to find the truth. She was still a prosecutor, but if she wanted to give up, then he would continue forward and leave her behind.

Handing the whip back to her was an important gesture, because as mentioned, the whip is a symbol of control. When she had it, she had always felt like she was in control of her situation. It was much like a security blanket for her. Handing it back after she tried to toss it away signifies that Edgeworth understands that prosecution is important to her and she needs to find her own path forward like he did.

Telling her that she’d be left behind is also important. It may have been cruel, but Franziska is a character who went through all that effort to overcome her own faults in order to try and surpass those who came before her. She was obsessed with it, in order to stoke her own ego, but she wouldn’t be able to do so if she gave up. Edgeworth knew she didn’t want to do that. She still needed someone to fight against, and being the doting little brother that he is (still like 7 years older), he took it upon himself to stoke that fire again.

And she vowed, in a show of sobbing emotion, that she would return and defeat Phoenix Wright and to become a better prosecutor than he.

Franziska is a great character even though her role as a prosecutor was done because the designers didn’t want to have Edgeworth continue to lose fights due to his popularity. She was brought in as a flawed and fixated prosecutor to further the prosecutor’s role as an antagonist while solidifying that which Edgeworth had proven before; that the prosecution is merely an antagonist, not a villain.

Her emotional weight is believable and sympathetic. Her personality in court is perfect for the role of making you detest her because of how many times she’s able to one-up Phoenix (you) as you go through the cases. And yet her overall character is someone you can’t help but feel for once it’s all over. She’s in a dogged pursuit of proving herself as better than those before her, and Phoenix (you) proves to be an obstacle she can’t overcome.

After Justice for All, she learns to pursue her goals for herself and not for any legacy she was supposed to inherit. She works with Interpol and assists Edgeworth in his own games, but she hasn’t seen much action since. Now that we know what Maya’s been up to in Spirit of Justice, I really want to see what Franziska has been up to in the years since next.

I want to know if she sued Larry for the use of her likeness in his children’s book, “Franzy's Whippity-Whip Trip“.

Conclusion

Wow, she’s tipping Gumshoe $5. That’s probably the nicest thing she’s ever done for him.

Even though her inclusion was the designer’s intent to keep Edgeworth from losing all the time, Franziska was a worthy entry in this series as an antagonist. Her flaws helped elevate her as an egomaniac that eventually made you empathize with where she’s coming from. She’s not perfect and can’t be the same level as what her father was, but that’s exactly what makes her such a good character.

Because true perfection doesn’t exis-

Okay, stop that. Get outta here.

Thank you very much for reading. It was fun to look more into Franziska and remind myself why I really like her. Most of these thoughts are just my thoughts, of course, so if you have any thoughts about her yourself, let me know!

Until next time...

You foolish fools.

#Turnabout Design #Ace Attorney #Franziska von Karma #Blog #Ace Attorney: Justice for All #Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All

28 notes · View notes