#*with the possible exception of post-jfa edgeworth but it's hard to compare between them

[the-great-rat-attorney]

y'all keep putting great stuff in the tags so pray forgive the discourtesy of making a batch reply to things you clearly didn't intend me to reply to ❤️

@lnstallationwizard he is proving himself to be wifey material one trial at a time, despite himself, and in my heart i know it will pay off one day. ALSO THANK U FRIEND i am trying to spread my specific strain of brainworms

@aexvii exactlyyy. he's using his sassy attitude and condescending snark as a cover... as much for himself as for anyone else. atp (1-5) it's like he's said to himself "okay, i like him, so i've got to get even more racist. then the problem will go away." and it's not even working 🥰 but it's hard (for us mere mortals) to tell that that's what's going on in his strange little head till 2-4 when he basically admits it

@cogneartive the push and pull, yes! he's caught between two emotional responses... he's always going to act with integrity as a lawyer though, and since ryuu is like that too, it starts to look like the hate is lip service and the cooperation is what he really wants. and yeah um... with all due respect to the other prosecuties barok is handily the best at his job. whether his rigorous ethics and clear-headed pursuit of justice would have been rewarded so amply by the powers that be if he was NOT easily manipulated for stronghart's gain, i do not know, but he deserves his fame. without the stigma

there are points where barok seems to be knowingly coaching ryuu along. if you get too caught up in his general demeanour of grouchiness, it looks like he's just knocking down ryuu's arguments, but he's actually teaching ryuu a bunch of stuff ryuu would've learned if he was a real lawyer (lol). example:

ok, so he's just demanding the rules of the court be followed, because graydon being at the scene would complicate barok's case. but ten minutes later...

ryuu has fulfilled the task barok set him to (or a closely adjacent one) and now barok is taking the initiative to request the appropriate testimony. barok isn't even vaguely surprised. his attitude is almost like "good job. here's your next task." and there's very little hostility in any of this (by barok standards). he has a pretty clear idea of where this is going; he doesn't care if it ultimately means he loses; he wants to maneuver ryuu into performing his role as the defence correctly.

and i think it's really sweet how barok is lowkey taking care of ryuu('s career development) despite his surface efforts to hate ryuu :3