#because iris is soft and kind and edgeworth is... edgeworth but i think it makes sense when you think of it from this lens

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

Thinking about the shared Feenie and Iris sprite again. I know I made fun of it a little before, and I still find it funny, but it's the idea of it, y'know? That of all their "lovey-wuvey" moments, the strongest impression she made on him was with her eyes staring straight ahead, clear and open, refusing to avert her gaze from whatever she was faced with. That when Dahlia's facade dropped in court, and he was faced with the seemingly irrevocable truth that she used him and tried to kill him, he held on to those eyes -- so much so that he imitated their gaze -- and said no, that wasn't her. That when he met her again, years later, it was those same eyes that really told him that they'd met before, because he knows those eyes. It's the idea that, yes Iris is kind and compassionate and gentle, but what Phoenix probably really fell in love with was her strength. And it's the reality that that's one of the few sprites that she and Dahlia don't share, that that firm, focused gaze he knows so well belongs solely to Iris. It just comes back to that final line exchanged between them, doesn't it? She really was the person he always thought she was.

[iturbide]

If you don't mind multiples can I please ask for Brady and Phoenix Wright? And if I recall you have not played much Binding Blade, but if you feel comfortable enough with the character to answer, Idunn please?

Of course I don’t mind multiples also excellent choices

How do I feel about this character? 

BABY BOY.  I love Brady so much with his scary face and intimidating scar as the rough exterior over an incredibly soft heart and boundless compassion.  I love how gentle and kindhearted he is, I love how he talks like an absolute gangster but wants to use the violin to express how he really feels, and I love that he gets teary over the small miracles in the world like flowers growing in difficult places.  He’s a delight and deserves to be popular with the ladies.

Who do I ship this character with romantically? 

Nobody, really!  I don’t have any real romantic ships for the second gen Awakening characters -- usually I joke that I ship them with happiness, because it’s what they deserve after everything they’ve suffered through.  Just so long as he’s in good company with people who appreciate him for who he is, I’m happy for him.

Who is my brOTP for this character? 

OWAIN.  But honestly Owain is my answer for any and all second gen brOTPs because Owain is great.  The fact that he appreciates Brady as he ought is just icing on the cake.  I also really love him and Yarne, especially for him actually helping the scaredy bun to toughen up (and undoubtedly offering healing support so that Yarne doesn’t go extinct).

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character? 

Brady is underappreciated and it’s a crime.  He’s so good but he’s one of those characters that gets passed over for kids like Inigo (who has predatory tendencies and is also a huge jerk in multiple supports) and Severa (who is manipulative bordering on abusive and also a huge jerk in most of her supports).  I legitimately do not understand why people don’t appreciated the soft-hearted gangster so I will instead love him that much more because they won’t (which is why I got him to +10 in Heroes).

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon? 

I really, really wish that he’d gotten a chance to play his violin for his mother in their support chain.  I know that in his chain with his father she tricks him into playing it, but I really think it would have been incredibly poignant if Brady had traded all those attempts at learning Maribelle’s hoity-toity speech and just played from the heart, something so profoundly touching that she came to realize it’s not the words that are important.  Yes, their supports are funny, but...I really would have liked something more heartwarming for them.

How do I feel about this character?

I love Phoenix Wright so much.  I love his snark, I love his improv, I love how he literally rolls with everything no matter how ridiculous even if he does kick himself mentally when he does.  The man interrogated a parrot on the stand, literally what is there not to love about him.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

Miles Edgeworth.  That’s honestly it.  I do see him as bi and I do think that he loved Iris while she was pretending to be Dahlia, but that was a long time ago and they’ve both grown as people to the point where they can (and I think should) remain friends, just not romantic partners.  I have a major soft spot for him and Edgeworth though, it’s my hands-down favorite ship in the entire franchise (even though I put them through the wringer in fic).

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Does Maya count?  Because I absolutely see him and Maya being like siblings, with Phoenix as the long-suffering older brother and Maya as the occasionally obnoxious younger sister.  I can’t see their love for each other as anything other than familial, so them as a brOTP just makes sense to me.  Iris, too, if we want to get technical: their romance ended, but I like the idea of them being able to maintain a friendship.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

He’s more of a realist than people give him credit for.  Fandom loves to joke about Phoenix being dumb or unobservant, but while he certainly can (and does) leap before he looks, he’s smart and his incredibly wry internal monologue heavily implies to me that he’s most often rolling with the punches rather than blundering blindly into them and reeling into success through luck alone.  He’s pretty savvy in my view, and it irritates me that fandom likes to play him as the eternal butt of the joke (since they also like to forget Larry exists -- apparently Phoenix is the one they substitute in for him).

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

To be honest...I kind of wish the events leading into AA4 had never happened.  That timeline legitimately breaks my heart because I love Phoenix, and seeing him so broken -- even if it is in part an act to trick the one who set it all in motion -- is more than I can bear.  I really wish we could have just gone forward with Phoenix staying a defense attorney and succeeding, bringing Apollo on as a successor and teaching him in much the same way he learned from Mia, rather than piling yet more trauma onto a man who has never deserved it and who has already lived through too much of it after three games.  

And while it’s true that I haven’t played Binding Blade, I do still love Idunn in Heroes, so:

How do I feel about this character?

This sweet child did not deserve this and I am going to protect her at all costs.  Similar to Grima in how she suffered at the hands of others, only her abuse came from dragonkind first before humans sealed her and Zephiel turned her into a weapon to achieve his own ambitions -- only heartbreakingly they stripped her of her very soul, making her a shell of her true self.  So I love her, I want her to be safe and cherished, and I want to see her recover from all she’s gone through.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

boy I’ve said this a lot tonight but no ships!  Idunn...well, first off she’s still trying to recover her personal autonomy, and second of all she got sealed very young and so has a lot of growing to do mentally once she does.  She’s not really a character I’m comfortable shipping at all until she’s gone through a significant amount of therapy, and since that needs to come first and foremost rather than setting some romance as an end goal (which would be creepy), I’m just not even thinking about it.

Who is my brOTP for this character?

FAE-FAE.  BEST TINY BABY SISTER A DRAGON COULD ASK FOR.  Fae seems like the perfect dragon sibling and I love the idea of them having a sweet sibling bond where "big” sister Fae is taking the lead while "little” sister Idunn follows her lead and learns from her.  Also the Grimas, as both guardian figures and fellow victims of heavy-handed cruelty; having their grounding influence for stability, especially when she slips in her recovery, would be very important, and the more of herself she gets back the more I think she would appreciate that unspoken concern.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

are there any popular opinions about Idunn out there?  I don’t see her too much sadly but I’ll just go out on a limb and say that she enjoys flowers and all things colorful and still struggles with doing things on her own unless someone asks her to directly; deep down, she also really likes being taken care of, told stories, and taught new things like making simple crafts and flower crowns, because none of it is a real responsibility falling to her that she has to see through.  It’s just a quiet kind of relief that comes with such low-stakes activities.

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

Probably the big thing is I wish canon would have given us more of a resolution for her.  You only have a chance to save her in what amounts to a secret ending in Binding Blade, and her fate remains pretty heavily in question from what I understand?  I wish canon had given us more.  Tell us if she recovered, and what she was like if she did.  Tell us what she ended up doing, whether she stayed with Fae in her village or left it at some point, or if they eventually left to travel the world together when Idunn started doing better.  Basically tell me that my dragon daughter ended up happy.

Give Me a Character

[rivalsforlife]

For the fanfic ask: F, K, S, X, Y (whichever ones you feel like answering) <3 Love your work!

Alright, thank you!!

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

oh no. Uhhh I’m probably going to think of something else like five seconds after posting it haha, but at the moment one of the dialogue scenes I really like is the dinner scene near the end of chapter 4 of The Catch-Up Game (linked here for easy reference). The... whole thing is pretty long and I like a lot of it, so I’ll just share a (relatively?) short snippet form it here:

“You did more than enough, Edgeworth,” Phoenix insisted. “If it weren’t for the Jurist System — founded upon your research — I would’ve never been able to clear up my scandal. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten my badge back at all.”

“The badge wasn’t all there was to it.”

“... Maybe not,” Phoenix admitted. “It’s not like we can change that. And it’s not like I would’ve wanted you to do more. It was difficult enough to accept help as it was. Besides, you’re — you’re here now, aren’t you?”

“Phoenix,” said Edgeworth.

It’s not like it was unheard of for Edgeworth to say his first name. It just… happened so rarely, Phoenix could count on one hand the times he’s heard it since grade school. Only when it was just the two of them, never when they were in some sort of public place.

But… Phoenix really liked the way Edgeworth said his name. It wasn’t like he pronounced it differently, or anything. There was just a sense of hesitance to it, like it was something precious he was holding in his mouth, and speaking it too forcefully would cause it to shatter. His name was all soft syllables, in Edgeworth’s voice which rarely softened anything, and it made Phoenix feel like he fell back into deep water after he’d just regained his footing.

“So much has changed,” said Edgeworth. “Hasn’t it?”

“Mhm, tell me about it,” said Phoenix, sinking back into his chair, trying to stay afloat. “Maya’s the Master of her village, Pearls is looking into college, Apollo’s running his own firm while Athena’s taking on more cases by herself, Trucy’s off on tour… and you, Chief Prosecutor.” He let out a faint, self-deprecating laugh. “Meanwhile it feels like I’m stuck in place. Still the same attorney I was when I started out.”

“I don’t think that’s true, but even if it were, there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” Edgeworth asked. “I hastened towards my position, as it was the best vantage point from which to eliminate corruption. I know I’ve made great changes. I don’t regret my choices, and wouldn’t choose differently, if I had the chance to do them over. But…” He gazed at Phoenix for a long time. “There are things I missed,” he continued, barely audible. “In some ways I’m still stuck, as well, and the thought of moving forward… terrifies me.”

“... I think I know what you mean.”

“Do you?”

Phoenix didn’t answer, lowering his gaze to where Edgeworth’s hand rested almost halfway across the table. If he wanted to, he could reach out to hold it. Broad hands that he would trust the world in. But he still didn’t know what it would feel like in his, or what expression would cross Edgeworth’s face if he had the courage to take it.

Edgeworth stared at him with an unreadable expression, almost curious. “Well, you don’t have to say anything,” he said. “What matters most is that I can be here with you now.”

“... Yeah,” said Phoenix. “I agree.”

One of the major difficulties I have in writing, especially writing dialogue, is being Even Remotely Subtle at any given point, because I am an extremely unsubtle person who does not pick up on social cues! This scene though, actually most of this chapter, has to sort of subtly set up the big event at the end of chapter 5, as well as make all of Phoenix’s motivations seem sort of plausible before he actually gives the explanation a little later. Reading it over it wasn’t actually very subtle but for me I think it was a huge step in the right direction haha. 

Mainly: Phoenix fears that Miles is going to leave him again, along with everyone else he loves in his life, since everyone is starting to move on ahead without him. He’s only just gotten Miles in his life in a semi-permanent way and is terrified of losing that. Miles, meanwhile, has been so focused on his career his whole life and is just now starting to realize the other aspects of life he’d been missing out on, namely developing his relationship with Phoenix, which he’s slowly starting to work up the courage to make a move on. And they’re both aware now that they love each other (even if Phoenix can’t fully admit it to himself yet), but scared to actually take that step forward, so they tiptoe around the subject even though they both know they’re discussing it... and end up taking wildly different conclusions away from the conversation as a result, which leads to the disaster at the end of chapter 5.

Also I just kind of like how pretty some of it managed to sound, somehow. The description of how Miles says Phoenix’s name is probably one of my favourite lines in the fic haha. Overall, I feel proud of myself any time I think I can pull off a dialogue scene where people don’t say what they mean haha.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Hmm prooooobably the Iris Wright Ace Attorney AU which is the one where Phoenix ends up killed by Dahlia, and to atone, Iris helps put her in jail and then takes on Phoenix’s path as an attorney... which I haven’t really written much for yet, but talked about here a little while ago. 

It’s fun and angsty because Iris has to deal with a lot of guilt of pretty much being the downfall of the two people she cared about the most, but you’ve also got Miles, who has his realization that maybe what he’s doing isn’t great so much harder and faster because the realization comes with “when you ignored the truth, it set off a chain of events that caused the death of your childhood friend.” 

Phoenix and Miles don’t end up as close in this AU by virtue of Phoenix being dead before they even meet, but Miles learns Phoenix became an attorney to save him -- and was in the courthouse when he met Dahlia because he was studying to become an attorney -- and even though Miles hadn’t spoken to Phoenix in ages, he was still Miles’ first friend and someone he held dear to his heart all those years they were separate (which I do think is true in canon too, but seeing him as an opponent made that less apparent in AA1-Miles), so news of his death indirectly because of Miles hits him pretty badly.

I did write a fic about Miles responding to Phoenix’s letters in this AU during the events of JFA as a way of trying to work through his grief. I was going to post it during the AU day for narumitsu week this year but ended up not doing that since The Catch-Up Game was stressful enough for people haha.

... I can probably come up with angstier stuff if pressed but AA isn’t one of the fandoms I crave a lot of angst for. 

OH WAIT NO I looked through my fic ideas doc and saw one that’s basically a DL-6 But Worse AU where Miles dies instead of Gregory -- kind of like The Illusion of Control, which broke me, but plot-related stuff would probably be different. A key part is them somehow managing to solve DL-6 in seven years, so that there’s the thematic parallel of Gregory then taking in Franziska (and raising her well!)

(S I already answered here!)

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

... Apparently Miles Edgeworth? I don’t necessarily like making him suffer, I just think that you can explore many interesting aspects of his character... through his suffering... and given my fics, he’s the one I make suffer the most, so. Does it count as making him suffer if it’s canon that did it first?

Y: A character you want to protect.

Mostly the kid characters who have suffered so much more than they deserve: namely, Pearl and Trucy. Especially Trucy at the moment considering the repulsive stuff people have been writing about her in the aa ao3 tag recently. 

[healing-hanyou]

Salty Ask List - 1 for Ace Attorney or Danganronpa, 3, 6 for Ace Attorney or Danganronpa, 9 for Ace Attorney, 11 for Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, 12 for Nancy Drew ('arc' meaning 'game'), 16 for Ace Attorney, 20 for Danganronpa, 27 and 26 for AA

Okay, let’s separate this into fandoms...

Ace Attorney:

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Not to be Extra Salty, but Phoenix/Maya??????? I?????? Don’t???? Understand???? At all?????? In all honesty, Phoenix/most people is a big nope for me. Also, Klavier/Ema and Apollo/Juniper.

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

No. I have a blacklist, and I am not that petty.

Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Nope. There are reasons why I dislike certain ships, and, once I dislike it, it’s very hard to make me like it.

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

I’ll not bother with the villains since they’re an obvious pick (hear me yelling “FUCK BLAISE DEBESTE” from all the rooftops near you), so... Ma//ya Fey (watch me get hate for this), Pe//arl Fey (in DD, she’s alright), Iris... I’m also kind of meh about the Skye sisters. I do feel for them, just as characters, I don’t particularly care.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

Clay Terran (although I feel he’s quite liked), Robin Newman, and my trash son, Wocky Kitaki. Honestly, I don’t know why they’re unliked, it depends on the person, but I suppose people just don’t care much because they’re not popular, or minor characters.

If you could change anything in the show, what would you change?

Capcom pulls its head out of its ass, and a) releases AAI2 and DGS in English, b) returns Kay and Sebastian to the series, c) puts Maya in the obscurity where she belongs. As for actual rewrites of the plot, Clay goes to space, like he fucking deserved.

Most shippable character?

I think Edgeworth, of all people, gets around the most. Really, none of them are super shippable... Athena and Trucy could also work with plenty. Also, Clay??? He could work with most of the ladies.

Least shippable character?

Surprisingly, Phoenix. Also, Apollo. There is no way that boy is this open to be shipped much.

Danganronpa:

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Mainly Toga//fuka and murderer/victim ships.

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

^ see my answer in the AA section. Same applies.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

Is Gundam Tanaka unpopular??? Either way, people should love that boy more. I also think the fandom doesn’t give Celes and Akane enough appreciation.

What is the purest ship in the fandom?

My brain says Toukomaru, because how it progresses is beautiful and adorable, but my delusional heart also whispers Tanapeko. Twist it as you wish, but two awkward people bonding over the love of soft animals is freaking adorable.

Nancy Drew:

Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

I think that most of the fandom dislikes certain games for a reason. Like, people dislike CRE, RAN and TOT, all with good reasons - they were bland, Nancy seemed dumb, the setting was meh, or there wasn’t much to do/much of a mystery, or the puzzles were unbearable. There’s not much to like there. However, one game that I quite like and often see as one of the least favourites of people is CLK (Secret of the Old Clock). I don’t know if it’s nostalgia or good memories or what, but I like that game a bunch.

Thank you for asking, this was fun!

[sage-nebula]

narumitsu/wrightworth for the otp meme!

Who made the first move

Phoenix. It probably wouldn’t be a grand gesture—no anguished declarations of love, or spontaneous kisses, or anything like that. Rather, I think that Phoenix would simply ask Edgeworth out to dinner, and when Edgeworth accepted (provided he had nothing else going on/his schedule was free so he could accept), Phoenix would probably take the time to clarify that, well, Edgeworth knows that he (Phoenix) means this as a date, right? Like, a romantic one. And Edgeworth would stare at him for a second, silent, before saying, “Is that clarification really necessary, Wright?”

“I just wanted you to know what my intentions were, so if you didn’t feel the same way—”

“Obviously I do, so I don’t see wh—”

“You do?!”

Edgeworth just pinches the bridge of his nose.

Who said ‘I love you’ first

Phoenix once again. While I don’t think he would ever revert back to how he was when he was dating Dahlia(/Iris), simply because he’s older and more mature now, I think he’s still the one who is the softer, more romantic one of the two—the one who puts more stock in verbal affirmations of love, rather than the smaller gestures that Edgeworth would employ. So I think he would be the one to say it first, and Edgeworth would be taken aback a moment before he would say, “Obviously,” and Phoenix would have about half a second to be miffed at this before Edgeworth kissed him (soft, gentle, every word in the action rather than spoken aloud).

How often they fight

This depends on what you mean by “fight.” They have little bickerspats frequently, because verbal spars are entertainment for them. It’s not serious, neither of them is honestly angry or even annoyed, but bickering back and forth is both a form of communication and play for them. As for serious fights, I don’t think they have those too often, and certainly not as they grow older and more used to each other/their relationship. Serious fights are reserved for the courtroom, really, or are otherwise settled before they can escalate too far.

Whose big spoon/little spoon

Phoenix is typically the “big spoon,” but sometimes Edgeworth surprises him by being cuddlier than expected.

What their nicknames are for each other

Edgeworth has never been one for nicknames, and Phoenix has mostly grown out of that stage of his life. That said, even after they’re seriously committed to each other they’ll often still call each other “Wright” and “Edgeworth”, and in a way those are nicknames, given that they mean it rather playfully. (So then, when things are serious, that’s when they switch to given names.) Phoenix will also sometimes call Edgeworth “babe,” if only because Edgeworth tends to get a bit flustered when he does—only for Edgeworth to fire right back with “love,” turning the situation on its axis.

Whose the better cook

Edgeworth. Cooking was part of the von Karma curriculum growing up, because even though the manor in Germany did have serving staff, it was imperative that von Karmas learn to be independent and thus know how to cook (perfectly) for themselves. Edgeworth can cook a variety of dishes and does so rather skillfully, even if he’s very much one for following the recipe to the letter (and thus his meals often lack imagination). Phoenix, on the other hand … well, his meals are all very simple, and usually pasta based. He does know how to grill up a mean hamburger, though. It was kind of necessary once Maya became his assistant, because honestly, the local burger joint was bleeding him dry otherwise.

Their song

Hmmm, I don’t think I have one for them, actually!

Who remembers their anniversaries

Both! Phoenix is a little surprised on the first one, when Edgeworth shows up with a gift and everything. Edgeworth is offended that Phoenix thought he would forget. (But don’t worry, it’s a mild offense, at least.)

Their favorite thing to do together

Courtroom reality shows are a guilty pleasure they both share. Often times they’ll turn one (such as Judge Judy) on, and argue the case as it’s presented—i.e., who they think should win, whether or not the judge is making the correct decision, et cetera. Sometimes these debates can get rather heated and last longer than the length of the episode. Edgeworth is also the DM for a D&D style campaign that, at the moment, is being played by himself (obviously), Phoenix, Gumshoe, Maya, Pearl, Kay, Trucy, Apollo, Athena, and Ema. (Well, Maya was gone for a long time due to her training in Khura’in, so her character was temporarily put on a bus—but it was always understood that she’d be back later.) They have a lot of fun with that, too, though Edgeworth can be a downright unforgiving DM at times.

How they would get engaged

Well … this is really hard to say. I used to have a headcanon for it, but with the newest DLC case I think that this is something that just … isn’t in the near future for them, given Edgeworth’s current views on marriage and the fact that Phoenix now knows better than to bring it up. I think that Edgeworth would need to be the one to propose, but this isn’t something that is going to happen for several years down the road without some kind of intervention, given Edgeworth’s current canonical stance on it.

What their wedding would be like

If/when it happens, it would be a rather small affair, I think. Just family and close friends. They don’t have a priest; His Honor is the one who ordains it instead. :D

How many kids they’ll have

They already have two, and their names are Apollo and Trucy. It just so happens that no one but Phoenix knows that Apollo and Trucy are siblings yet. =P

[ailuronymy]

Guest Warriors-ify: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (original trilogy)

(There will be spoilers!!! These games have a billion characters so I narrowed it down to the most important ones. Sorry if someone you were hoping to see isn’t in here!) 

(I might come back for Dual Destinies…)        

Phoenix Wright: Dark blue mackerel tabby tom. Thick, medium-length fur that has a tendency to stick upright. Others make fun of him for this. Zealous with an overactive imagination. Clingy with his friends, becomes lethargic when ignored or abandoned. Never, ever gives up. Highly unpredictable. Direct and confrontational, even to the point of yelling in the face of much bigger cats who he knows are dangerous. Keeps managing to fake his way through tough situations in ways that make him look like a prodigy. Because of this, he’s been struggling to maintain this reputation - and keeps barely scraping by. (name: Dovestorm) 

Miles Edgeworth: Dark ginger classic tabby tom with a wavy white splash on his chest and on his tailtip. Sleek-furred shorthair. Resting grumpy face. Convinced that his father’s death was his own fault; lashes out his over this guilt by enforcing the warrior code a bit too fiercely. Apprentice-hood friends with Dovestorm; they grew apart when his father died. An actual prodigy who views Dovestorm’s brash rise to fame with contempt. After learning the truth about his father, he’ll go on a long journey to become a much nicer, calmer cat. (name: Sorrelheart) 

Dick Gumshoe: Big, stocky tom. Dark brown spotted tabby with a pale underside. Long, scruffy, unkept fur. Sorrelheart’s loyal  henchman  right-hand man. Far from intelligent but loyal and loving to a fault. Doesn’t have one single bad bone in his body - but has been known to do bad things when ordered to because he’s too naive to fully realize what he’s doing. Jumps to conclusions. Deeply affectionate. (name: Buzzardflower) 

Manfred Von Karma: Loud, intimidating blue-silver mackerel tabby tom. Long, elegant fur that’s grayed quite a bit with age. Vicious and egotistical. A bitter, abusive perfectionist with a nasty habit of attacking anyone who disagrees with him - verbally and physically. Has even been known to order the leader around (who, to be fair, is kind of a coward). Sorrelheart’s manipulative former mentor. Killed Sorrelheart’s father and, thanks to Dovestorm, will one day be banished for this. (name: Ashclaw) 

Franziska Von Karma: Equally loud, equally intimidating blue-silver mackerel tabby molly. Long, elegant fur that’s still young and beautiful. The spitting image of her father. Perfectionist to the point of intense self-critique. Lashes out violently in response to her insecurities. Does not yet realize that her father was abusive and is bitter over his banishment. Torn between respect for him and sisterly love for Sorrelheart. (name: Birchclaw) 

Mia Fey: Black smoke shorthair molly with a long tail. As she is smoke, her mackerel stripes show a bit on her chest and legs. Tall and beautiful. A remarkably just and outspoken warrior who is highly respected for her sense of duty. Murdered by a dangerous rogue she’d been tracking, much to the devastation of her former apprentice, Dovestorm. (name: Sootheart) 

Maya Fey: Smoke tortoiseshell shorthair. Has an adorable bushy tail. Supposed to be a medicine cat apprentice but she keeps slacking off. Mischievous molly who is cute enough to pass as innocent, which she uses to her advantage. However, heavily spiritual and mature when she needs to be. Teams up with Dovestorm after her sister, Sootheart, dies. They hunt down that rogue together and become friends in the process, having many more misadventures together afterward. (name: Duckpaw - later Ducktail.) 

Pearl: Classic lilac-silver tabby longhair. Very tiny. Much more durable than she appears, both physically and mentally/emotionally. Likes to play matchmaker with the grown-up cats. Another medicine cat apprentice, as it’s normal for this clan to have more than one. Very gifted in her connection to StarClan. (name: Mousepaw - later Mouseleaf.) 

Dahlia and Iris: Identical sisters, both lilac tortoiseshells of medium fur length. Both lithe and beautiful. Able to easily pass as each other. One is a violently toxic individual with dreams of revenge; the other is shy and helpless when faced with her sister’s manipulation. (names: Yewfur and Fallowpelt) 

Diego/Godot: Originally a handsome dark brown mackerel tabby longhair, poison killed most pigmentation in his body. His nerves (including vision) have been severely impacted as well. Now he’s white with unfocused red-pink eyes. Sootheart’s mate. Was unconscious for quite some time after being poisoned. Sootheart died while he was in this coma, which is a source of much rage and grief for him. Was once cool and collected, difficult to provoke. Now, he lashes out with petty revenge schemes, primarily against Dovestorm, who he blames for letting Sootheart die. Arrogant. Likes to think he’s mysterious but he’s actually just a jerk. (name: Tigercloud - changed to Whitefur) 

Larry Butz: Ginger ticked tom of medium fur length and white underbelly. Unpredictable. Has horrible luck; keeps getting in trouble with authority through little fault of his own. Always optimistic, always loud, always dumb. When something goes wrong, he’s usually at the center of it. Nobody likes him and yet he somehow keeps getting dates. (name: Honeystorm) 

The Judge: Once-chocolate longhair tom who’s almost completely grayed with age. Supposedly has a strong sense of justice…but easily swayed by threats and sob stories. Pushover. He’s technically the leader but he hardly leads. This guy’s been around forever. How many lives does he have left? Will he ever lose all of them? We just don’t know. (Batstar - once Batfur.)   

BONUS: Rise From The Ashes DLC! 

Damon Gant: Massive longhair ticked ginger tabby tom. Graying heavily with age but still young at heart. A selfish sociopath who passes as a fun-loving, generous senior warrior. Despises non-clan-cats with a passion. Soft spot for warriors who go above and beyond the call of duty. You are either terrified of him or he’s your best friend. Or both. Most likely both. (name: Lionwhisker) 

Lana Skye: Chocolate burmese molly. Shorthair. Deputy but forced into being Lionwhisker’s figurehead. Eternally stoic. Used to be much more gentle and friendly before Lionwhisker started blackmailing her over a murder that her sister was almost framed for. After that, she started to block people out of her life to protect them. (name: Ottercloud) 

Ema Skye: Chocolate burmese snowshoe molly with one white paw. Shorthair. Not even remotely stoic. Passionate, ambitious apprentice. Smart but a little too ahead of herself, often missing details and jumping to conclusions. Angry with Ottercloud for growing distant with her, however, is nevertheless determined to get her back as a sister. (Minkpaw - later Minknose.) 

Jake Marshall: Pale brown mackerel tabby tom. Long, thick fluff around his neck/chest but otherwise very smooth-furred. Acts laid-back but is actually bottling up his emotions. Useful in a crisis but not very good at long-term planning. Suspects fowl play in his brother’s murder, convinced that it wasn’t a rogue like everyone thinks. (name: Volestripe) 

Neil Marshall: Pale brown ticked tabby tom. White tux markings that skip his chin. Very short fur. Eager and hardworking. Former deputy, murdered by Lionwhisker. Minkpaw was originally framed for his murder; Ottercloud found his body, thought her sister had done it, and begged for Lionwhisker’s help to make it look like a rogue did it instead. Ottercloud became deputy in his place. (name: Deerclaw) 

Angel Starr: Gorgeous longhair calico with very little visible ginger. Soft, fluffy fur, especially on her tail and around her chest. Highly ambitious and intimidating warrior; however, she knows this and shows off a little too much, which sometimes makes her hard to take seriously. Volestripe’s mate, teamed up with him to investigate Deerclaw’s murder. Deeply despises Ottercloud. (name: Sheepfang) 

Bruce Goodman: Black-and-white van tom with medium fur length. Once a reluctant member of Volestripe and Sheepfang’s investigation trio. However, he made the mistake of politely asking Lionwhisker to help them, which got him killed in a fit of panic. (name: Swanpelt) 

Mike Meekins: Pale gray-brown shorthair tom. Long-bodied, long-legged, and lithe. Young cat who probably wasn’t ready for the promotion to warrior yet. His main duties include screaming at inappropriate times and annoying Sorrelheart. Looks up to Buzzardflower as a personal hero. (name: Snailfoot) 

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

Okay. Let's talk about Kay in The Forgotten Turnabout.

I've mentioned in a post before how I think Kay doesn't have a purpose in AAI2 (as in, AAI was all about the Yatagarasu which is her story, but AAI2 generally has nothing to do with her, and you can see this change just by looking at how she's positioned in the promotional material for the two games:

[left AAI; right AAI2.] In the left poster, while she's at Edgeworth's back, it's clear that they're both the main focus. In the right, though, she's on par with Gumshoe).

And I think the result of her slight lack of direction in the game culminates in what happens to her and her character in Forgotten.

From the beginning of AAI2, you can kind of tell that Kay was written to a bit different from how she was in AAI. She's still fairly consistent with how she was there, but the game kind of bounces between her original characterisation and her newer one, where she's slightly denser (see her calling the laser pointer a mole in Target, when she should definitely have known what it was; and them explaining to her what a prison is in Imprisoned like she wouldn't know??) and less concerned with maintaining formality around Edgeworth, although they haven't interacted since the end of AAI (see her partner opening line changing from "Yes?" to "Yeah, what's up?"). She also seems more eager for his approval (there are a few times when she questions/asserts her effectiveness as an assistant when I don't remember her ever doing that in AAI), and, overall just a little more like Maya.

In Imprisoned, when she freaks out, Kay hits Ray, which is notable because we've only seen her resort to violence before on purpose and as a child (whereas Mia/Maya have both hit people out of emotion). I'm not going to go through the whole game, but I bring it up because there's an argument to be made that they're trying to replicate the Phoenix-Maya dynamic and push the Dadworth interpretation in AAI2 -- probably because they realised it'd be popular with the fans -- and this comes to the forefront in Forgotten.

First, just a note about AA's amnesia cases. The thing about these cases is that they're usually done to explore some formerly unseen aspect of a character (as is with Phoenix and the one in DGS), BUT they're always true to the nature of the character (as is most clearly observed with Thalassa). This is... not so in Forgotten.

The parts about Kay that appear to remain in Forgotten are her politeness and sense of honour, both of which get dialed up to 11 and both of which we already know she possess. Everything else about her personality, though, is altered and has always reminded me of Iris (if you made a parody of Iris's soft and seemingly delicate nature). That's mostly because (1) they have similar sprites

and (2) because they're rehashing Edgeworth's mini arc in T&T (which I don't mind because T&T did leave room for that concept to be explored further) where he acts as the defence for, you guessed it, Iris. Looking at it more closely, though, I can definitely see bits of Maya mixed in, too.

The most obvious parallel to Maya, and by extension Phoenix, here is that you act as a... not-prosecutor who defends their assistant from murder charges that even they think they might be guilty of (Reunion, and Turnabout, anyone?). Just like Reunion Maya, Forgotten Kay has poor self-esteem (albeit to a greater, comedic degree), thinks of herself as weak and useless, and becomes reliant on Edgeworth for both her emotional and situational needs (this is not a dig at Maya; she was in jail after having her first big channeling session result in death. Her reaction was natural).

Another less serious but obvious alteration made to make Kay seem more like Maya here is her relationship with food -- which I know sounds ridiculous but!! It's really what tipped me off to her Maya-fication to begin with!!!

You see, in Forgotten, there's a point where Kay talks about hamburgers:

Kay: Umm... OK. I remember a faint scent... It was a wonderful smell coming from the counter of a food stall... I followed the fragrance, only to find a perfectly sculpted burger, resting on two golden buns... The tender and juicy patty made my taste buds sing with joy... Yes, I can remember what I thought at that moment! ...I want seconds!

The thing about this that stands out to me is that you never get a line about food like this from Kay in AAI; and I know this, because not only is the only time Kay ever brings up food in AAI with regards to Swiss rolls (which are notably her favourite treats), you have the option of presenting food to her, which gives you this dialogue:

Kay: It's a box of Samurai Dogs, right? Ah, but see, I'm a Jammin' Ninja fan! So, while I would love to have one... I'm going to be strong and resist the urge!

She would have one but she'll refrain. It blatantly goes against how she acts in Forgotten, and it's so obvious that they only did that to make her more like Maya!!! They even use burgers!!!!

So why am I even getting all uppity about this? There's nothing wrong with being like Maya is there? She's a great character. And, yeah, she is, but the point of Kay is that she's meant to be a foil to Maya... and Edgeworth.

Both Maya and Edgeworth lost their parents at a very young age. So did Kay. But, unlike Maya and Edgeworth, Kay was specifically written to have had the emotional support and strength she needed to move on from her father's death. Her character was created in a way that shows how you can still love and respect a dead family member (and choose to continue their legacy) without being held back by grief and trauma the way Edgeworth largely is. By making amnesiac Kay behave in a way that is so self-deprecating and reliant on other people for her emotional needs, you are implying that this has been who she is deep inside all along and diluting that message of being able to move forwards while still holding onto your love for the people you've lost. It undermines the resilience that has been a part of Kay's core as a character from her conception, and basically flattens everything that makes her... Kay.

Now, this is obviously not great, but what really gets to me about this is that they didn't need to do this for the case to still work. They could have given Kay a milder form of amnesia, where she has a gap in her memory regarding why she was up on that roof and what happened, and the story would have largely functioned the same way. The only reason I can think of for why they do a complete 180 on her personality is because they wanted to use her to develop Edgeworth's character.

Because think about it: we've seen Kay put in a position where she's been accused of murder before, and that didn't affect our or Edgeworth's desire to save her. That drama and the feelings invoked by placing Kay at such risk would still exist; the only thing that would change is Kay's reaction to it. We know from Ablaze that she wouldn't just fold and rely on Edgeworth's help; she would fight back. Her behaviour in Forgotten just doesn't quite align with her usual character (aside from being extremely honourable and polite), which makes me wonder why they did it. And the only answer I can find is that it gives Edgeworth someone to 'save' in the greatest sense of that word (because, remember, she's also extremely emotionally vulnerable and dependent on him here) and furthers his development as a character.

You remember at the beginning when I said Kay didn't have a purpose in this game? I think the developers felt that, too, and they decided that her purpose would be to make Edgeworth a better person and strengthen his arc by giving him someone to protect, without really considering what this would do to her character. This case was never about Kay; it was always about Edgeworth. And, honestly, that should have been obvious from the very moment you realise that Kay is being granted an amnesia plotline, because that whole thing about amnesia in AA being used to reveal parts of a character previously unseen? Yeah, that was never going to work with Kay. Because Kay doesn't wear a mask. She is who she is... until she isn't.

Honestly, I've said pretty much everything I wanted to say about Forgotten and Kay, so thank you if you've read this far. I really appreciate it 💝💖💕 The rest of this is me basically talking about how this change affects my feelings on the game and this interpretation of the Kay-Edgeworth dynamic, so you can stop reading now if that doesn't interest you and still get the basic point of this post.

I suppose I'll start by reiterating that I do like AAI2 despite what it may seem. The characters it introduces are some of my favourites in the franchise, and, in fact, the actual plot of Forgotten with the PIC is my favourite part of the entire game. I thought it was brilliant, but I just needed to get this out because... I don't know, it was bothering me for some reason hskdhdj Like, AA has some amazing female characters, but I know better than to go into it expecting some kind of boundary-pushing piece of new feminist media, believe me; it doesn't surprise me that they used Kay to push Edgeworth's character forwards. It is his game, after all. But I guess it's just a little frustrating to see after they genuinely achieved something great with her characterisation in AAI only to... there's no less inflammatory way to put it, infantilise her? a little? for the sake of developing a male character?

(Especially when I don't think Edgeworth even needed it?? Like, I'm pretty sure he would have been just as adamant about saving her if she had been her normal self so mmm???? It was likely just done to make him seem liked he'd be a good father and up his popularity a bit more, honestly. As if he needed it).

Again, I have no issues with anyone who enjoys the father-daughter (or brother-sister) dynamics pushed by this case; it's literally in the text, I can't say you're wrong for it and like. My opinion shouldn't matter to you anyway! It's fandom, do what makes you happy. But I personally can't get past what is actually being suggested when the game, or fanworks, echo the traits grafted onto Kay in this case within them. Like what it means when she's essentially made to take a few steps back so she's less as at peace with her father's death than she was when we first met her, or less independent and self-assured than she usually is -- especially when this is done only for an older male character (most likely Edgeworth but it could be anyone) to come in and either see themselves in her, thus coming to a conclusion that helps them better themselves in some way, or take on a "fatherly" position that lets them comfort her back to a level of confidence she would usually be at anyway, while simultaneously coming across as being such a good person (which is usually the focus/point of these kinds of things).

And, like, if you don't see a problem with Kay's characterisation in this version of their relationship, that's perfectly fine! If you think I'm reaching and do enjoy the Dadworth dynamic for what it is, then please don't let me rain on your parade. My main thing is that I want better for Kay, and this case just didn't satisfy my need for that.

Anyway, yeah! That's pretty much it. Thank you so much for everyone who read all of this, and I hope you got some amusement out of it if nothing else. Feel free to tell me your thoughts, too!