#for the record I don't think Mia meant it this way

[aceof-stars]

Is it just me or is this piece of advice from Mia, "for a lawyer, the worst of times are when you have to force your biggest smiles", really sad?

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing inherently sad about it. I get that it's about not giving up, pushing through impossible odds and rock bottom for your client. Because for most people, being a lawyer is a just a profession.

But for someone like Phoenix? Someone who hides their pain behind saving others, who never talks about their trauma, who (subconsciously or not) considers being a lawyer not just a job but their entire identity...? All of a sudden, Mia's advice isn't just about the courtroom anymore, because for Phoenix being a lawyer was always about being good enough and able to save people. To Phoenix, Mia's advice is about pretending you're fine, not letting anyone see how you truly feel or else you can't save anyone.

[rallamajoop]

Did Ethan play the piano?

There are a bunch of little hints scattered through these games about Ethan's character. He seems to have a love for the retro ‒ at least, his drawer is full of jazz CDs and he drives a 1971 Dodge Challenger. As Rose notes, he's clearly a wine drinker. And he may have played he piano.

I don't want to overstate the hints RE7&8 give us on that last part. Resident Evil is, after all, a universe where apparently being able to bang out a full sonata at a moment's notice is just a basic life skill for anyone who might want to infiltrate a suspicious facility (though just jamming a few bars of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star may also do in a pinch).

There's a piano in the Winters' home, but then, maybe Mia's the one who plays, or maybe the BSAA set them up in an already-furnished house ‒ who knows? You can't actually interact with it as Ethan, nor does Rose comment on it. But Rose does wonder out loud if her Dad played any instruments (after he jokes about whether baby Rose banging her spoon to the Miss D. record suggests she's going to grow up to be a musician) ‒ and that at least primes you to notice that piano, if you hadn't already.

There are also two different pianos you can interact with in the Baker property ‒ one in the guest room, which will slam shut if Ethan reaches for the keys, and a second in Lucas' room that merely prompts the message 'it's broken'.

It's not until Dimitrescu's castle that Ethan himself finally gets to make like all those other Resi heros, and bash out a quick solo to open a mini door in the piano, in which you'll find a key that will open another door... look, you've heard this one before.

There's an argument to be had whether any of the puzzle solutions in a video game like RE should be taken as truly diegetic. But if nothing else, this does at least suggest Ethan can read sheet music. Here's the asset for the sheet, by the way (and again with the bit you actually play highlighted). You can hear someone play the full song ("Sogno" ‒ which means 'Dream' in Italian ‒ by Francesco Paolo Tosti) here.

There's even a version with lyrics, though I doubt they necessarily meant much to whoever picked this piece for the game: more likely it was chosen for being a song with a very simple treble clef (so the player doesn't have to do too much work to solve the 'puzzle') but a much more complicated bass (so it still sounds sophisticated when played). Regardless, you can hear it sung here.

There's also one other little clue that might suggest that someone in the Winters' household has some real musical leanings: one of the CDs you can find in that drawer is titled 'Jazz Standard Theory'. Which sounds a lot more like an instructional CD than easy listening (though they're certainly not winning any prizes for those other titles).

Actually, while we're talking Ethan's CD collection, here's the asset for that Miss D & the Pallboys CD too! Surprisingly, it has a back as well, suggesting that at some point you might have been able to pick it up and examine it. The text is all pretty illegible, however.

(I've talked before about the theory that 'Miss D' is actually Lady Dimitrescu, but if you want the short version ‒ given that she's not from the village and is 'descended from a fallen noble', this one's surprisingly plausible!)

Hilariously, a love for jazz might just be one thing Ethan has in common with the Bakers, given you can find some records lying around the rec room upstairs.

Mind you, even RE2R managed to work a jazz festival flyer into this one puzzle solution...

Does someone in the team at Capcom have a thing for Jazz? Evidence is starting to stack up...

But getting back to our original topic, does Ethan play the piano? You can make a case either way, as the game never tells us explicitly. But there's enough here to point that way that I'd like to think he does, anyhow.

Which only makes the implications of this so much more tragic.

[perfectlyfinespacebacon]

everything now netflix

some spoilers!! and apologies for the long post.

i honestly really enjoyed it! it was almost like a skins/euphoria but imbued with like a heartstopper/sex education vibe in the sense that it dealt with serious teenage issues/mental health but light enough that it doesn't weigh down on you. my character thoughts:

mia was so infuriating almost at all times. obviously under the circumstances, it makes sense but there's this level of likeability that was missing for me. maybe it was the writing or the acting who knows but in my mind it's like this: im making an albeit an unfair comparison to effy from skins or even rue from euphoria, but they were battling their demons and making all the wrong choices but there was still this level of “i want to root for them” that's missing with mia personally.

in a similar vein with alison, she is meant to be this popular rich mean girl archetype who surprises you but obviously in the first half of the season she's supposed to be kind of unlikeable but i found her very endearing. as for the relationship, alison and mia DO NOT belong together. like at all. i am not rooting for them. alison in a way forced a relationship with mia and then also mia was like too scared to say anything about it. its clear that alison liked mia waaaaay more than mia liked alison. like carli says in the last ep as well, “to learn to not be a fantasy to each other”, alison needs to take mia off this pedastal she has for her. i'm very interested to learn more about her character outside of mia though if they hopefully continue the show. i have a feeling that we are supposed to think that she and cameron hooked up at the end or something but i'm rlly hoping its a red herring.

carli is also a character i would love to learn more about. she definitely has more chemistry with mia and i love her for standing her ground against mia, as she needs to help herself before she can be in a healthy relationship. but i will say it was pretty shitty stringing cameron along.

speaking of cameron, i didn't quite expect to like his character as much as i did. in a way his arc in the season is battling toxic masculinity as he kinda seems to come off as this laid back, bro kinda guy but he cares and loves so deeply. it wasn't right calling bec a "sket". i'm not british but obviously its like equivalent to slut, and im very glad he owned up to it. i'm also really interested to know more about his family and stuff.

i love bec as well. she deserves all the happiness in the world. im glad she was able to air out her things with mia, albeit in a very treacherous way and i also love how her mom was supportive of the abortion. i'm honestly kinda tired seeing the mom kicking out the daughter for getting pregnant trope so it was nice to see a mom just being supportive. bec is just such a wonderful friend and mia honestly has a lot to make up for. re not telling mia about her and cam, it was honestly frustrating seeing mia be so petty. i understand that its a big secret and she felt like everyone was hiding things from her but its also right to have secrets amongst friends, idk that really stuck out to me.

will for me had the weakest arc as in it wasn't the most interesting to me. don't get me wrong, i love the character but it just wasnt giving a whole lot to me. i recognize him as more than the comic relief but also at the same time he was stirring the pot in a lot of the arguments / blowups the group had, consciously and unconsciously. though i will say will x theo <3 but comedic duo of the century is will x alison. the little song they did for mia's birthday is stuck in my head.

tldr; great characters and great show. it's really hard to find a show about teens as a 25yo living in a 16yo body that i enjoy and don't find annoying. i just love how each character was able to be so nuanced despite being an ensemble cast.

but knowing netflix's track record it's gonna get cancelled because a) it's good b) has wlw content... but i really hope not.

[aviculor]

It's the last day of my vacation and I'd be remiss if I didn't watch a movie.

I don't know when MaXXXine got its digital release, but here it is in full HD rather than a camera recording with "WIN REAL MONEY AT SLOTS.NET.RUS.EXE" plastered on it. I've heard middling reviews about this, but I loved X and I respected the vision for Pearl so I've been looking forward to finishing the trilogy. We're following Maxine Minx, the final girl from X who's trying to get her big break in Hollywood several years later and there's a serial killer on the loose. I can probably guess the twist based on the "Pearl and Maxine are basically the same person" concept of X and the fact that Pearl was all about Pearl killing people for allegedly being in her way of stardom. I'm sure Mia Goth has given another stellar performance if nothing else. There is a new Dead Meat Podcast ep about this, so I'll be checking that out afterwards.

As you would expect, the arc phrase "I will not accept a life I do not deserve" is back. We see a young Maxine doing the Pearl dance, which is a connection that just raises further questions. Is it a real dance move? Is it a reference to something? Is it meant to imply that Maxine actually is a long-lost relative of Pearl and being played by the same actress wasn't just a narrative parallel? Or maybe it was just meant to highlight that Pearl actually was just floundering around like a small child at her professional audition. Another call-back is that Maxine has dyed her hair blonde, while the talent scouts in Pearl were looking for an "All-American Blonde". That's a real juicy piece of environmental storytelling considering we're following Maxine struggling to become a "real" actress after having already made a name for herself in the adult film industry. A career move she has come to regret and resent.

Oh, well, now I have a different theory about where this is going.

"The Texas Porn Star Massacre". Clever.

It was certainly a creative decision to have the detectives' final standoff against Maxine's dad be entirely offscreen.

I'm noticing a lot of...passiveness from Maxine despite ostensibly being a confident girlboss movie star with X factor. She just stands there silently while her director or her co-star or whoever else is there basically monologues at her. She follows orders and directions from people without question. In order to keep her role in the film, she was literally told to just obey whatever she was told. She stated verbatim to the director that she would do whatever she says. Then she essentially stumbled into other people solving her problems for her without much action on her part. The PI chases her into the Bates Motel, but does she kill him in a scene homaging Psycho? No, he gets stopped by security before he can enter. When the PI was lured into the alley and Maxine was facing him down in a car, I thought for sure she was going to run him over as a nod to the end of X, but no, her agent and the bouncer are the ones who got their hands dirty on her behalf. Then the climax comes and the detectives save her from her father rather than her saving herself, and she's not even present when her father is mortally wounded. When the police show up, it *looks* as if she had taken matters into her own hands and acted with agency, but she actually just happened to be in that place at that time. I feel like all this is clearly deliberate. I'm looking forward to hearing other people's thoughts and if they picked up on this too.

I'm not sure what to make of the ending. I'm glad everything worked out in the end? I'm glad nothing bad happened to her or her career after she blew someone's head off with a shotgun while surrounded by police helicopters telling her to drop her weapon? Was any of that even real or was Maxine still fantasizing?

I think I did like this film. The way people were talking about it, I was worried. It wasn't outstanding, but it was a lot better than I was led to believe. There were hints towards the "fear of aging" theme of X, but they definitely could have made it more prominent. If they did a better job of tying together what X and Pearl had going, the ending might have been a little stronger.

[vaguely-functional-directions]

This is (probably) the last I will say about this. But I spent last night watching clips of mean girls (2024) on youtube and I mean. Like it was fine I guess. I think it's just like if you're going to make a movie musical, then it should be a musical and I really feel like it just didn't have the spirit. It seemed to be half a tentative musical, and half a remake of the original movie. Like in the lunchroom at the beginning, by taking out Here's Where You Belong made it feel like a remake, as well as them verbally introducing Gretchen and Karen. And then Regina appears and starts singing her part of Meet the Plastics but the thing is, is that comes across as awkwardly placed because there was no other song in that scene. If you're making a musical, it should be unapologetically musical. It should have been a huge moment of introducing the plastics with the full version and instead it was just Some Other lunch table with nothing special about it that would have drawn Cady's attention towards it. If I'm expecting a musical I want to see so much singing and dancing just embedded into the plot, but here it almost seemed awkward. And I just Did Not enjoy Revenge Party. That whole sequence of people being in the hallway with the bright colours and what was meant to be a party vibe honestly made me feel like I was watching a weird TV commercial. I did like though how in the candy cane part the camera was angled as if to be Glen coco, so we never actually see Glen coco. That moment gets my stamp of approval.

And I do think it makes sense for the whole setting to be modernized with the addition of social media etc that obviously wasn't in the original movie. But I personally didn't enjoy having the 'phone screen' sequences, like in Cautionary Tale, the beginning of Sexy, and all the clips of people like recording their own comments on things throughout. I just don't enjoy that kind of thing and just wasn't for me. Actually. The only time I did think it worked and added something was in revenge part when all the girls are filming themselves with the dripping eyeliner look to be like Regina. That was valid.

I said it before but I also just really did not enjoy the pop versions of the songs. I don't like it when the inflections (is that the right word) change while singing cover versions just to be different and there was so much of that. It was especially prevalent in Apex Predator and just made it not enjoyable. I liked the part though when Regina saw some girl sitting with the guy Gretchen liked and was like absolutely not, and got her to leave. I was like aw she does care. That was cute. And I take back my previous comment about liking this version of Sexy because (update) I am not a fan. Not even just because of the phone thing at the beginning but hearing it again I was like this is not the right vibes. One song I really like is I'd Rather Be Me, and this is one that I think wasn't changed too much from the original but, again, it just didn't have the feel to it like I was watching a musical with the way it was filmed/choreographed/blocked/you know what I'm trying to say. And in that scene as well, it did feel very remake-ish but I think too that when you have such iconic part like the 'she doesn't even go here' it's difficult. Because in the original movie it's partially so unexpected which is why it hit so hard and now for a remake, everyone is anticipating it happening so it would be really hard for it to not fall short. That girl though who doesn't go there being at the school for a track meet makes so much sense though and I applaud them for that. In the original, literally who is that girl.

But yeah. See, in musical movies like mamma mia and hairspray and enchanted, the aspect of it being a musical is really leaned into. The characters start singing and dancing spontaneously but it's done in an unapologetic and fun way. It's just part of that movie's universe that That happens and everyone is on board and goes along with it. It's real, everyday life for the characters. Where in this movie it seemed calculated and awkward. I think with it being half remake half musical is where it got lost because if they had leaned all the way into it being a musical it would have worked so much better. Include ALL the songs so that the plot is enhanced by the music. The plot and the songs should be walking hand in hand. Here it was like a movie with some songs sprinkled throughout. I should not have listened to the soundtrack wondering what happened to all the songs and why it was so short. That was red flag numero uno.

In conclusion, this was much longer than intended.

[ladykailolu]

Gyro, Godot, and Jake Marshall: dating each other

Johnny Joestar, Mia Fey: -_-

Rina, and Lana: Now y’all know how we feel

(Watching the person you’re meant to be with fuck someone else)

Meanwhile my OCs M&M and Blondie are just drinking wine in the corner like: B/ 🍷

Ok so first off: Mia is dead. She's been dead for years now. Don't you think that she would want Godot to be happy and stop hurting himself for her? I think so. Of course, it's a long road to healing, and when he meets Gyro and Jake, he feels like he's loved again.

Second off: Gyro was a jerk to M&M!! Not appreciating her enough and even going around and flirting with other people behind her back! And even after she became the mother of his son. Well, we know Gyro doesn't have a good track record with respecting women (we are at 4/4 with the women he's had turned baby mamas). M&M deserves better than Gyro Zeppeli.

Third off: Wasn't Lana "intellectually attracted" to Mia or did I read that wrong? If anything, I think Angel Starr would be the salty one here lol. Lana and Jake may have had a thing, but it was over before Jake met his current boyfriends Gyro and Godot.

Fourth off: Doesn't that free up Johnny to be with Rina??? In any case, even when Johnny is with Gyro, he's still friends with Rina.

Fifth off: Didn't Blondie get rejected by Godot because he was still grieving Mia? Lol

GyroxJakexGodot is the only way that we can achieve harmony here.

[navree]

How was Aegon's relationship with his sister-wife and the rest of his brothers in the book?

We don't know a whole lot about his relationships in the book, because as always, it's meant to be a historical record, and those will rarely record feelings and emotions unless they're relevant to the historical events being described. But with what we can tell, and what I remember from Fire&Blood (it's actually been a while since I honest to goodness read it, though I do know how to look stuff up in it to get quotes I need to prove points), they actually all seem to have a pretty good relationship.

Aegon and Helaena's relationship actually seems to be pretty stable up until Blood and Cheese. We don't know a whole lot about it, just because it's not something that's remarked on and because Aegon only becomes a character the book focuses on once the Dance starts, and Blood and Cheese happens early on. We know that Aegon was unfaithful, since when Alicent sends people to find him in Helaena's rooms she quite bluntly says “He is not in my bed, you may be sure. Feel free to search beneath the blankets.” But at the same time, there is an expectation that if someone were looking for Aegon, they'd find him with Helaena and with the kids, which speaks to enough a routine that they're together on a regular basis. Additionally, it seems that, rather than the typical way royal couples sleep apart (like we saw with Alicent and Viserys, for example), Helaena and Aegon did share a bedroom. It's specifically noted that Aegon and Helaena started sleeping separately in separate rooms after Jaehaerys was killed, apparently in defiance of their regular custom of not doing that, now that Helaena was having a breakdown and they were both heavily grieving.

Aegon's relationship with Daeron is incredibly hard to parse out due to how vague it is and just how little we know about Daeron. Their relationship seems to have been fine, if a bit distant, due to Daeron's time at Oldtown and also the fact that he's the youngest and apparently wasn't really considered much of a force by either of his brothers. But Daeron is described as "the gentlest" of Alicent's sons, which might have lended to him and Aegon getting along, and notably, Daeron's participation in the sack of Bitterbridge is explicitly said to have been brutal and unmerciful on purpose as revenge for how Maelor, Aegon's youngest son, died. That does speak to enough of a closeness to Aegon, and likely Helaena as well, that he's willing to take what happened to Maelor so personally and decide to burn an entire town for it.

Aegon's relationship with Aemond also seems like it's pretty stable and probably better off than in the show. There's nothing to suggest that Aemond was bullied in the book, or that Aegon was any sort of ringleader in any behavior, and that the two seemed to have a pretty normal brotherly relationship. And again, in the book, Aegon's the only one who isn't upset with Aemond for killing Lucerys, and literally throws him a party in his honor once he comes home. He also trusts Aemond not just as a fellow dragonrider and battlefield soldier, given that they both participate in Rook's Rest, but also as a leader and as an ally, in spite of Aemond's ambition. Aegon does explicitly name Aemond as his regent, so clearly he thinks that's the best option (you don't need to be related to the king to be a regent, he could have picked Criston or Otto if he really wanted). And Aemond, for all of his "the crown looks better on me" ambition, is very careful to never try and overstep on Aegon's turf, never calls himself king but only Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm while Aegon recovers, and he does fight incredibly hard to continue securing Aegon's claim even when he goes MIA, ultimately dying specifically in a battle he sought out in order to eliminate what he perceived as the biggest threat to Aegon's rule (Daemon). That does speak to the idea that Aemond did value his brother, and did want to do right by him, and did respect him as king and leader of their faction in the war.

All in all, it's hard to figure out where a lot of these relationships are emotionally, because that's just not information we're given in the book, but the hints we have about the kind of people they all were, and the way they interacted, seems to speak to the fact that they've all had pretty good and stable relationships with each other, and were certainly able to coalesce around each other as a unit and fight for each other in times of crisis.

[purenguyening]

Some assorted thoughts now that I'm making a bit more progress replaying Ace Attorney 4 and Ace Attorney Investigations:

(Warning none of this is really organized and most of it might not make much sense).

Ema specifically says "And I hear he gives up the defense attorney life", the wording suggests that Phoenix quit. But I don't think Phoenix lied to Ema, rather, I think if he did talk to Ema at that point he just said something more closer to "I no longer practice law." and Ema came to that conclusion on her own. I personally think Ema came to the conclusion Klavier is connected to Phoenix's disbarment in 4-3 and that adds more fuel to her disdain (on top of her own frustrations with her personal career).

I mean, on top of the fact Phoenix is keeping her in the dark about the circumstances to how he got disbarred, I start to really understand with a lot more clarity why Ema is so irritable.

Something I forgot about is that in 4-1 there was a reveal that Phoenix recorded his phone conversation. It just invokes a similar feeling to Phoenix using a recorded conversation between Mia and Maya during 1-2. I can't help but always look at Phoenix's actions in the 4th came in context to Mia.

It really feels like he's invoking a lot of the same decision making that Mia did with her investigations but with an higher level of paranoia and caution because of how deeply scarred Mia's death weighed on him. I think even when Trucy mentions she had to change schools a lot in 4-2 is also Phoenix's paranoia acting up, trying to avoid having Trucy make too many close connections because of fear. I also feel like the him being in borderline poverty might be a bit more deliberate as a form of "laying low", but I think this might be still a stretch, but I'm more than willing to buy into this is his thinking.

(Basically, I'm willing to buy a lot more into Phoenix's behavior compared to the average fan, I was like this before, but now that it's fresher in memory, it feels like that's how I should read it, but I digress).

On that matter, I wonder if the reason Apollo has a hard time buying into the idea Trucy and Phoenix are daughter and father is because the game wants the player to presume that Trucy is his biological daughter of Phoenix. Which you really cannot presume from the way Phoenix speaks. He just simply say that Trucy is his daughter but never elaborates any further. It hits differently give that Spirit of Justice reveals Apollo's been living in various foster homes. It feels like in retrospect Apollo knows what a fostered dynamic looks like because he's experienced it and he senses something's "off". It feels like it's meant to mislead the player into thinking he is a bad father (I'll be the first to admit Phoenix makes some really questionable choices in allowing what his daughter to do), but I wonder whether or not in context to just Ace Attorney 4, you were just meant to have doubt Trucy is Phoenix's biological daughter.

The rough overarching theme of the first Investigation Theme feels like a broad one, about how the law is bound by arbitrary constraints but logic and truth do not recognize those boundaries.

It's a little hard for me to pinpoint but the fact that Prosecutor Portsman tries to cover up his own crime, a murder taking place on an airplane as its in transition from three different countries, and how Earnest Amano uses his influence to obfuscate Lang and Edgeworth's investigation, feels like that's what the game tries to get at.... I do roughly remember the gist of the fourth and fifth case and both required a lot of effort such as the reveal the Yatagarasu has a member in the Prosecution, Defense Attorney, and Detective (to make for the three legs)....and in context to the fifth case diplomatic immunity becomes a roadblock to get at the truth in the fifth case....

And finally, I have mentioned it before in another post, but I'm kind of convinced Lang is illiterate. Often times he has Shih-na reading documents for him and when he pulls out a scroll, his face is specifically covered so you never get to see his eyes actually scan the page. This might be my most insane interpretation if I'm being honest....

[keikakudori]

Akiko walked in the halls of the fifth with a stack of paperwork in her arms meant for its highest ranking officers. Thanks to both her captain and lieutenant being currently MIA (last seen with lieutenant Matsumoto), she is the one that has to do the deliveries/heavy work.

After setting the documents on Hinamori's desk, she turned to greet captain Aizen... Only to walk right into one of said desk's edges out of shock. Her poor hip is going to be purple for days.

"Ex-excuse me, captain Aizen, " she barely wheezed out while clenching her side, "but, that-that thing on neck-" Is that a fucking hickey? / thorneheiress

aizen was seldom far from the division unless he was out upon a mission or a patrol; such duties were expected, of course. each division would rotate in who would go out to where, so that everyone could gain in experience -- and the unstated reason of ensuring that no one squad in particular would suffer too high of an attrition rate. but that one went unspoken. today, however, he had returned recently from one of those lunches he favored with gin. those lunches were happening less and less frequently, the public distancing of them growing in return as a result of those moves and tugs upon strings, all to help ensure that when the time came, everything would be truly believable with the actions that would be taken. he had thought again of one of those sly little quips thrown at him in that drawling, but his mood today was particularly fine. indeed, he'd just set a record onto the turntable and had just started to get to work on his own stack of papers as the door of the office was left to be nudged open all the more and the strains of a string quartet began to fill the air, only for him to glance up when he hear the smack of body against wood. ❝ are you alright, akiko-chan? that sounded like it was painful. ❞ but what really drew his attention was the squeaking of the words as his neck was brought up. aizen made no move to lift his hand towards the dark blemish on his throat, the result of a bite and sharp teeth, of fingers in his hair and tugging at his head. he'd earned that bite and aizen didn't cover up those marks the way he often had with him, a result of being scolded more than once for leaving them for the eyes of others to take in. scolded -- because he didn't see any reason to hide them. because he wasn't ashamed of them, at first -- but he had been made to feel shame for them thanks to his captain's behavior. ( don't leave marks. ) the ones left by his viper were worn openly, freely, just as he knew the ones he inflicted were worn with casual grace, a daring for anyone to comment upon them. instead -- he smiled now, gentle and genial. ❝ just a mosquito bite, ❞ he demurred. ❝ you should likely go get some ice for your hip, though; i think you likely put a dent in poor hinamori-kun's desk from the sounds of how hard you ran into it. ❞

❝ thank you for bringing in the paperwork. ❞

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

Don't Leave Me This Way

Warnings- angst, marital spats, language, a hint of spice

A/N- After a decade together, Honey and Leon have come undone. But on the anniversary of the day their lives changed, Leon decides to mend that. For @forenschik

Part One:

Honey was, in a word, incensed. That Leon would even think about the two of them going out on a weekday bothered her. Then again, at this point in their busy lives going out on ANY day bothered her. But that, Leon told her, was the problem. It was eat, sleep, work, kids, eat, sleep, work, OCCASIONALLY have sex. Throw in Sunny’s growing powers and the odd alternate universe traveller for good measure. That was the rhythm of married life she responded rather dismissively.

Leon took the club scheduling book out of Honey’s hand and held it high above his head where he knew Honey couldn’t fathom reaching it. “How about fuck off with this rhythm of life.”

“LEON!” Honey both whined and raised her voice at her husband as she scrambled to her feet and attempted to climb him. When that didn’t work, and he simply laughed at her and held the book higher, she stood on the desk chair. “How about you go fuck yourself?”

Leon threw the date book. Honey jumped to go after it, but he blocked her move. He held her tight in his arms so she was made to stand still. “Fuck’s sake, I was asking for a date. Now I’m telling you. You’re gonna go upstairs and get ready and put on that sexy purple dress. I’ve packed up The Littles. We’re taking them to your parents, and then we are going to that Italian restaurant you love on Mulberry Street. Then we’re coming home, and you’re getting a right good seeing to.” Before she could protest Leon clamped his hand over her mouth, “Now.”

Honey shockingly obeyed her husband. Her face crimson with anger as she held her chin in the air, arms crossed in front of her chest before throwing up the double finger. In the shower she realized something. It had been so long, and their lives were so busy, that Honey couldn’t discern being mad from being turned on. A lump formed in her throat because she was ashamed. Or disappointed? When was she ever NOT enamored by Leon? Maybe this date was exactly what they needed.

---

“I don't know, I think we should maybe homeschool Sunny. He's not going to have a handle on anything until he's come to the end of what he can do. Maybe we can communally teach him? Selina is fine, she always will be. She could use other normal kids. I think she and Sun are too dependent on each other. They're only six and seven. Usually that level of codependency comes later in life. Like you and Jonathan. I don't know, what do you think?”

Leon watched as his wife took her first breath since their dinners arrived. She swallowed most of her wine before chasing a tortellini around her plate. Her head in one hand like an insolent child instead of a woman in her thirties. Honey looked at Leon expectedly. He took a breath of his own, but she interjected just as he was about to speak.

“They might resent us if we separate though. Sunny needs to feel as normal as possible. They're in Montessori school, so all those kids are bound to be a little strange too. I guess if they were homeschooled you would have to cut back on your classes, and we would have to scale back on bookings.”

Leon clenched his jaw between sips of his bourbon. He stabbed at his dinner, chewed and swallowed while simmering. He sat back with the expectancy that Honey would continue, uninterrupted the same way she had for the last decade. He could feel the simmer start to boil just below the surface while, sure enough, she kept on.

“Punk is just taking off. I know CBGB is where it's at, but Hilly’s been a mensch sending us Patti, Debbie and The Ramones. I know we're still stuck in folk, but I REALLY think it can turn around into rock. There's this outrageous glam or metal or whatever band from LA. Oh! Did you get to hear that demo from the Irish band? Klaus said they're like, one of the biggest bands in the world. I don't know if that would be in our timeline too, but he's onto something. Get in while we can. But who wears sunglass-”

“αρκετά!!” Leon yelled. ENOUGH!

He banged a fist on the table which drew attention from nearby diners. His nostrils flared with anger and embarrassment. While the outburst mortified Leon, he also wouldn't take it back. It was his only means of getting Honey’s attention. And it did.

She sat back with her arms crossed. One eyebrow arched in challenge. Honey was no shrinking violet. She did tend to her grudges like a little garden. If she had to add Leon to it for a little while, so mote it be.

Leon’s face softened, his shoulders sank while he bit into his lip. Then he sat up straight, an air of defiance about him. Before she knew what was happening, Leon slid Honey around the booth with ease so that they sat side by side. He made a bold move when his wife turned away from him.

Leon snuck a hand inside of Honey’s bare thighs. He knew her. Knew she wouldn't be wearing any panties. It wasn't even meant as a tease. She just couldn't with this particular dress. He took advantage of that.

Letting two of his fingers delve inside of his wife, Leon slid them as painfully slow as possible. Her body reacted. It became instantaneously wet allowing him to slip in with ease. He continued in Italian.

“Tesoro mio, non stai zitto da dieci anni. Hai chiesto la mia opinione e io ne ho una.” His fingers pumped faster. One found her clit for a brief moment before abandoning it “Ora sii una brava moglie e lasciami dire la mia.”

My sweet, you haven't shut the fuck up in ten years. You asked for my opinion, and I have one. Now be a good wife and let me have my say.

Honey swallowed oxygen and choked on it. Her heart pounded in places she forgot carried a beat for the man beside her. Her hips shifted forward while she spread her legs to accommodate Leon.

“I'm.. sorry..” her breath came out choppy. “What.. what do you think?”

Leon removed his fingers and draped his arm along Honey’s shoulders. It curled around her neck but with a gentleness. All of the anger dissipated seeing his wife submit to him so easily. That sexual reminder he had as much agency in this marriage as she did.

“I think,” Leon lifted Honey’s chin so her face drew closer. Instead of her lips he kissed her forehead and caught her gaze, “It's time to send the Littles away without us.”

Honey inhaled ready to release a protest. Leon clamped a hand over her mouth. “For longer than a few days at the lake. Or a weekend down at the shore with your sister's kids. Or overnight at your parents place. It's time Yía Yía takes them to Greece.”

Leon felt his wife’s body start to tense. He knew she was processing what he had to say but was prepared to fight him every step of the way. He kept on, “We can take the kids to London, stay a day or two. Then the two of us are going away together for the first time. Not a weekend here. Or a day there. PROPER vacationing just us.”

“We-”

He cut Honey off with a kiss this time. “We can afford to close the club for a while. I love you, and I bloody love our kids. The three of you are my whole fucking world. Don’t you think we’ve gotten a bit lost? It hasn’t been just us since the 60s. You don’t even know what day it is, do you?”

Honey blanked. Her eyebrows knit together as her brain searched back through time to what she may have missed. Why a random day at the end of August was so important. Leon stared at his wife, willing her to remember. He knew she maybe just took it for granted that this instance had always been there. Neither could remember a time when it wasn’t.

Honey’s body deflated. “Oh, Leon.” Hot tears sprang to her eyes which she angrily wiped away. “When HAVEN’T I loved you? I don’t think I was ever able to boil it down to our last time away together. Has it really been ten years? I always thought the moment I saw you was the moment I fell in love. I held you at bay didn’t I?”

Leon used his thumbs to brush the tears away from her cheeks. One traced along her bottom lip before he pushed her hair off her shoulder to kiss it.

"Gracie, look at me." He lifted her chin again so their eyes met. She sniffled. "I think you know that little bits of me and you could scatter across the cosmos, and we would always find one another. It's why we need to get away, the two of us. C'mon, wanna go for a walk?

He stood, laid more money down than necessary, and reached for Honey's hand. She took it but rebuffed the rest, "Leon, it's midnight. It's the hottest summer on record. And someone is murdering women with dark hair and their lovers."

"So?!" She frowned. "Oh bugger off!" he teased. "Klaus said his name's David Berkowitz, and he never goes outside of Queens. I just want to hold my missus's hand and walk beside her a little while. That's all."

How could Honey resist?

Part 2 coming next week 💋

@elliethesuperfruitlover @magic-multicolored-miracle @maerenee930 @nightmonsters @neuroticpuppy @firstpersonnarrator @frogs--are--bitches @rob-private @bisexualnathanyoung @super-unpredictable98 @messengeronthemoon @a-ghoulish-tale @love-is-dirty-baby @vonkimmeren @duck-noises @feed-davis-and-steve @ghouls-buddy

[recurringwriter]

💫 :D

:D thank you for the ask!

here's a fragment of the next chapter of the eh-u, while ingrid helps felix get ready before attending mia's brother's wedding as her plus one:

"Don't scowl like that at the party," Ingrid said, twisting his hair up behind his head.

"I'll try."

"You make it sound like a battle or something," Ingrid laughed. "I guess for you it might be. For the record, Felix--whatever you and Mia want to do, I'm here for it. I do get why neither of you would want to do something traditional."

"Hm."

Ingrid started plucking pins from his kitchen table, one by one, and securing whatever she'd done to his hair. "But I also know that you're a romantic at heart."

Felix tried to turn around and shout at her, but there were now almost a dozen pins pulling at his scalp as well as Ingrid's hand. "I am not!"

"You are," Ingrid said, ending the argument. "And I bet Mia knows it, too."

Bristling, Felix didn't reply, because there was nothing he could say that wouldn't incriminate him somehow. Maybe Mia did think he was romantic and stupid and all that crap, with the dumb way he'd confessed that he loved her and their ridiculous dance practice that they would never in a million years try to do in front of other people at the wedding.

Then again, maybe it also meant that Mia was a little romantic, too. After all, she'd talked about singing together with him and put up with his demands, and got that look on her face when they kissed.

"Your secret's safe with me," Ingrid said, no doubt seeing something in his expression or in his silence that incriminated him even further.

"I should hope so," Felix barked, making Ingrid laugh and lightly smack his shoulder.

"Text me when you want a ride home, I know you're planning to drink."

"Yeah, I know," Felix said. "And thanks. Hey--"

Ingrid stuck one final pin into his hair. "Yeah?"

"Do you think that--I mean, could anyone really put up with someone like me forever?" Felix was thinking about the kind of couple that died together, days or hours apart. It didn't seem realistic at all.

"Yes," Ingrid said, without hesitation. "But don't worry about that all today. Just try to have fun with Mia, okay?"

"I will," Felix said.

[iammarylastar]

1. Alone amongst brothers.

"Cal! Hey mate where are you?" Snowballs clicked his fingers under his nose, startling him.

Bad idea. Never startle an ex cop ex Marine who hadn't slept for years.

Chris -his real name was Chris- came out of his reverie and offered a poor smile to his brothers. Obviously missing his goal to reassure his squad.

Who was he kidding?

He hadn't been here for years. For 3 years. 3 fucking years.

He hadn't been the same since he came out of prison. Since his brother, his real brother fled to Canada, to never return.

Since Oyster, his little brother killed that asshole in a bar.

Thinking about it, all this shit had started after their mother died.

Big, huge mess she had left behind.

He reluctantly came back to the world, that world without his mom nor his brother, that world where he's a useless piece of shit, forbidden to serve his country in any way.

Reverie couldn't have been more inappropriate. Living nightmare would have fit better.

"Next round on me." Jaeger announced with too much enthusiasm.

"Same?" He quirked an eyebrow at Cal, who just nodded, not bothering to say a word.

He didn't need another beer. Alcohol free. Taste free too. He'd been nursing the same bottle since he settled his ass in the bar, mind absently scratching the corner of the label with his nail.

He had been sentenced to 6 years and spent 3 at Pittsburgh Correctional Institution. He got a release, good behaviour. He'd been lucky, somehow, half of the prisoners were there because of him. Death had waited for him at every corner, but freedom hadn't tasted better.

A lot had happened in 3 years. Life had gone on whilst his had stopped behind the bars.

Snowball found his soulmate Carlo, Jaeger finally got Claire back, they married last year and were expecting their first child. Milk spawned two boys, fuck he'd been out for a long time.

Brotherhood meant leave no one behind. He had Oyster's back, he did what had to be done to save his brother from jail. Sentencing himself, ruining his own life.

He got nothing left. No wife, no family. Sure, his bros had always cared, hanging out, working out, having him in for all their kids birthdays, family barbecues, even last Christmas when Claire and Jaeger announced the good news.

They all exploded, hugging Claire and clapping Jaeger's shoulder, whooping and cheering like madmen.

He was genuinely happy for both of them and tried to ignore the stab in his guts.

For once he wanted and was in the mood to celebrate. Till his eyes landed on the blessed couple's wedding pic pinned on the wall, then spotted another showing his brothers in uniform, proudly posing with the groom.

Stab.

He wasn't there and it killed him.

Claire told him they got a seat settled in his honor and it hurt more deeply.

He had missed so many events, so many people.

Oyster.

He had spent most of his miserable life to raise his little brother -half brother but who cares?- kicked his ass every morning to have him secured at school, kicking his own ass to quit both grief and booze and pass his exams to assure them a future.

Look what future both fucked up.

If only he could have the slightest news of him, knowing his brother was fine and safe somewhere in Canada, a letter, a call, an emoji on whatever social media... but no. The cops were still looking for Oyster for Ben Daley's murder and as a cop -ex cop- he knew he and his mates have been under surveillance since day one.

Oyster had been MIA for 3 years with no chance of brightest days.

And he was left alone with nobody to care for and nobody to love.

His sentence had him kicked out from the police department, along with his staff sergeant status. No job. No rules to give rhythm to his days. No incomes but a few light works here and there in the neighborhood. The people he knew always put in a good word about him and hopefully people didn't ask for his criminal record before hiring him for fixing their roof, painting their fronts or uprooting a tree stump.

Yeah he had a lot to add to his resume: by-the-book cop, dauntless staff sergeant in the Marine corps, 2 rounds in Iraq, baby sitter and groundskeeper. Impressive.

"Man, look at this chick over there." Milk nudged him. "She's been eyeing you like she's willing to drop her panties for you."

Cal finally lifted his eyes and glanced at the girl in question. Thin, sexy, a blouse full of goodies, gaudy red lipstick, prying eyes.

Maybe he needed to get laid. He hadn't had sex since he came out of prison. His mates planned a party to celebrate his freedom and got him a working girl for the occasion but he wasn't in the mood.

He hadn't been interested in sex, not after what has happened in prison, not even a quick handjob while watching a porn. No. Scratch that. He's been forced into lame and painful wankings when his balls threatened to explode, but it was no fun at all. Far, far from it.

A slight nausea invaded his throat of the reminder and he forced the thought out.

Double sentence. If he hadn't suffered PTSD after what he did and witnessed in Iraq, then he got his trauma.

He might never use his cock again. Playground out of order. Broken.

"Nahhh... She looks cheap. Guys I don't need another blind date, you know. Your Tracy girl was crazy, she scared the shit out of me with her earlobe-licking... fetishism." Cal rubbed his earlob with a disgusting frown on his face, having all his skwad laughing out loud, wiggling all tongues out.

"Listen Cal. You need to get laid. You need a good fuck to come back to life. You're hot stuff still, you just need to pick up some gorgeous chick and have some fun! Before your dick just deceases from dehydration." Jaeger joked, hilarity ensued.

He looked around the crowded bar, tired. Tired to pretend he could be interested in that kind of date.

He didn't need a one night stand. He didn't need some cunt to fuck. He needed someone to love. And be loved in return.

Like the ol'time when he lived with his mom. Or with Oyster. He needed someone who cared.

"Thank you guys but I'm tired. I better go home and get some sleep. Need to wake up early and..."

His lame excuses got cut off by an angry Milk.

"Oh yeah, because you do have so much to do tomorrow, don't you? Cleaning up the house and walk Mrs Riley's pet? That's why you're leaving your brothers now? Cal, when are you going to get rid of this shit and be alive again? It's been 3 years already, move on for fuck sake!"

Cal didn't blink. He deserved to be scolded by his gang. He's been no fun, nothing more than a burden for them. A big piece of shit, whining about all he'd lost. Poor thing. Soon he'd lose them.

He was whining again. He's got the best friends he could dream of, people he could call his brothers, who were totally devoted to him, heart and soul.

His family. His home.

Those guys made it all easy for him while his time in prison. Paying him a visit each week, twice a week when they were off. They paid for his lawyer, his loan for the house so he wouldn't be homeless when he got out of prison. So he didn't have to break into his savings and get ruined in 6 months.

They did it in a heartbeat, without thinking nor asking for his permission. They told him it was the right thing to do. The same way Cal had them home, safe and sound after their tour in Iraq. Beside Jaeger's leg, abandoned there. How guilty he had felt, and still.

He owed them... everything.

He leant on his elbows and rubbed his face. He considered staying and trying to relax and have some fun, but his mood was definitely shitty.

Time to shake his thoughts and his big ass. He survived the war, survived in jail, he could survive this night.

"OK fuckers. But I don't want to bury my future here." He emptied his drink, slammed it loudly on the table.

"Let's get home and shake the walls!"

He grabbed his other beer and clinked glasses with his mates, and chugged it whilst his bros cheered and downed their own drinks.

"Last one at my mailbox is a loser!" Cal jumped on his feet and started running through the door.

"Ohhhh, you bastard!" Milk shouted, running after him, quickly followed by an enthusiast Snowball.

Jeager rolled his eyes and took out his wallet to pay the bill. He wouldn't win anyway, his fucking metal leg was no match for those big machines.

The three guys were messing around by the front door, playfully wrestling to pass first.

Cal jammed Milk's head in between his bulging biceps and disheveled his neat hairstyle, having him struggling even more for his freedom, grunting with rage. Snowball was stuck against the wall, the two heavy guys struggling were keeping him to head towards the door.

In a joint effort to get free, Snowball and Milk pushed Cal with all their strength until he popped out like a Champagne cork, sent flying against the wall. Just as the door opened on someone coming in.

Cal ended up glued to them, pinned on the wall, crushed against his broad chest.

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! What the hell?" A muffled voice came from underneath Cal's body.

"Holy shit, I'm sorry!" He apologized, peeling his body from a smaller and thinner one.

His hands flat against the wall, each side of a face. A beautiful face. Still blurry, he was too close to focus.

Never too close... he thought. Her smell itself made him stop.

"I'm sorry!" He uttered, forcing a step back. Finally able to focus on delicate features.

"I'm fine, I'm fine...uh, hey... I'm Jessica. " She said in a big grin as she rearranged the strands of hair away from her face.

"Nice to meet you..." She started, inviting him to introduce himself.

"Milk, nice to meet you gorgeous." The bastard spoke first, getting on Cal's business, more than happy to embarrass his mate.

"And this is Snowball" he continued, shamelessly stepping on Cal's toes and bluntly pushing him to the side.

"Ma'am!" Snowball bowed before an amused Jessica, glancing at the three boys with a smirk. "Please, accept our sincere apologies. I hope this giant idiot didn't hurt you when so roughly trying to get your attention."

Jessica let her eyes wander at the big stud's body and face, making sure it didn't turn into a stare. The man was built like a brick house, huge arms, solid chest, his short hair suggested he was a cop or a soldier, his handsome face obviously annoyed by his friends' demeanour. His gorgeous self nodding his head while pressing his so soft looking lips together. She felt her heart stop and her inside melt when they locked stares. His blue eyes were captivating and something slapped her in the face. Through his hilarious expression and attractive features, he looked so... sad and lonely. So much she wanted to pull him in in a hug and never let him go.

She forced her eyes back at the two dummies still making the show for her.

"And this!" Milk nudged his pal, "this is Chris Callahan, the man you need.

The thoughtfulness itself, well, when it's not nearly killing you, this guy is not only strong, courageous and handsome, thanks God he's also single."

Cal wanted nothing more than vanish from embarrassment after getting rid of that motherfucker of a so called best friend. On a definitive way.

But the more Milk was blurting his shit out, the more Jessica looked amused and kind of interested in him.

Eyeing him. The cutest smile on her lips. Which she bit when she finally was caught staring.

"This big sweet heart is to take darling, and you'd be a fool not to try your luck with him."

Milk got a little closer and lowered his voice "I heard he's got amazing skills, like... look at the size of his feet!"

The 2 guys barked a laugh, clunching at each other while Cam just chuckled and sighed, more uncomfortable than ever. Jessica shared the guys big laugh then winked at Cal, before glancing down to judge their size by herself.

Milk wiped the tears from his face, oh Lord he loved making fun of his mate so very much. Calming down his panting, he stepped back, still hooked to an exhilarated Snowball.

"If you want to excuse us mylady, we're up for a male race contest, where the loser will have to walk butt naked the entire week." He said, bowing out at Jessica, then stepping out of the bar with renewed loud laughs.

Cal just shifted uneasily on his spot, figuring out a way to stop looking like the dumbest guy on Earth.

"Sorry... That was... pretty awkward, wasn't it?" He shyly tried, mentally kicking in own ass to not have found something clever to say.

"Found it very funny actually, you guys made my day!" Her genuine smile cheered him up a little.

"Those guys are total weirdoes, please do not believe a single word of what they say." Cal flashed one of his best smile, pretty sure it would work for him.

"Seems your friends think very highly of you. The resume they made of you is quite appealing, you know." She made it sounds like a joke but couldn't help wondering about that nice guy, nice looking guy all in embarrassment in front of her.

And the size of his... feet.

"Yeah... Well, wait to meet them once they're not drunk and you might hear a different story." Cal shoved his hands deep in his pockets. Looking so cute.

"So... Cal, I'm looking forward to hang out with your smartass group of friends, and hear all kind of stories about you, I bet each more embarrassing than the last!" Jessica's fingers were playing with a strand of her hair against her will, flirting.

And it seemed this didn't get unnoticed, by the way Cal's stare lingered on her delicate features.

"I... I've got to go and look after those drunken asses before they get into more trouble. I won't stop hearing of it if I don't beat them tonight. It was so nice to meet you and again, apologies for so rudely bumping into you."

Chris scratched the back of his neck, torn between two options. Stay and risk to embarrass himself more and more, or leave and risk to never see her again.

"It's OK, Chris I'm fine. We would find a way to make it up for nearly knocking me down earlier. Go get them, we could meet another time. I'm new in town but I'm here for some time, let's catch up later!"

Chris chuckled, mumbled a cocky "sure!" through an enormous grin, dared to throw a wink at her before turning heels and walked out of the bar.

"I hope you lose!" She shouted at him as he reluctantly started to jog towards his mates.

"Thank you...?" Chris turned to face her again, walking backward, wearing an astonished expression. That was not the kind of support he expected.

"I may not know much about you, but I figured seeing you walk up the streets butt naked could be fun!"

Chris couldn't help the large grin taped on his face to turn into a big smile, that charismatic pant-dropping smile that had been MIA for years was finally back.

As he jogged back to his drunken brothers, in absolute no hurry, a light in heart, he felt like that stupid smile wouldn't leave his face for quite a while.

[soap-stains]

Trials and Tribulations time!

We started pretty much immediately when we left off of Justice for All. It's only 12, so we thought we might as well.

(Turnabout Memories)

"Who is that? Oh, is that Phoenix? God damnit Phoenix."

???: *ahem!* "That's you. You're gonna see who it is, and you're gonna be so mad. . ." "Huh?" *Grossberg appears* "NOOOO! NO!" *has to take a minute to cry*

"His name is Doug Swallow?"

"Totally didn't commit a murder... Haha... Ahaha... Ha. . . . ."

I,,, she literally already knows what happened, and we're on Nick's second testimony. She guessed that Nick is covering for Dahlia(since she knows how much I hate Dahlia)

GOD DAMN THIS LADY. "Pharmacist... Poison. Sorry, that just popped into my head. It makes sense though, right? And his necklace, like we saw in the anime(I made the mistake of showing her a clip of the anime), that could hold some? Like, he could make. . . Oh, drugs. That's it. Nevermind." She's already got it all, almost! Ugh, I'm so stupidddddd... I shouldn't have talked about Dahlia as much as I did.

"Sorry! I just felt like hurting someone!" "I look for that in a woman." (she's v gay for Mia. I'm fine with it, though, since now my gayness for Franzy feels validated.)

"Feenie is a babey. Must be protected." "HE IS BABEY. In the anime, he's just annoying, but in the game he is a BABY."

"Miss Fey, I will hold you in contempt of court for badgering the witness. . . Fuck you. . ."

"Mia's cool, she's just weird sometimes." "She's weird, but she's a queen. Like all women." "...if she breathes, she's a thOOOOOOT!"

"Every time we see Grossberg, you end up crying." "I'm not crying yet."

"Am I gonna end up gay for [Dahlia]? I feel like [some of] the murderers end up being really attractive."

"What voice are you gonna give her?" "I already have one." "You're going to be voicing all but two characters, is that okay-? Oh, you always do that. Haha, nevermind."

*Mia pushes her hair aside* "Awe, that was adorable." *She says some confident line* "I... Oh." *dies of cuteness*

*says judge line while drinking milk* *ahem* "Sorry, i was drinking milk. Don't ask where i got it from. But it was that pink haired... Star." "Who are you talking about??" "Oh, right, this is in the past, I forgot. Um."

"They're all very fond of their drugs." "Me too. Ah, wait, I wasn't supposed to admit that in court. Uh, Bailiff! Strike that from the record, or I'll have your pay reduced by... Oh, I forgot, Edgeworth isn't here at this time. Time travel."

*gasp* "Does he take off his shirt???" "I- I'm sorry?" "Does he take off his sweater, like throw it off in sadness when this case is over?" "No!" "Aw." (she's very ahead of this case, man)

*as Dahlia* "Boys will be boys!" "Boys will be bugs. Y'know, because they're vermin that should be squashed under our feet."

Haven't typed in a couple hours, but,,, she went from "Dahlia's kinda cute!" to "God, she sucks so so much."

(The Stolen Turnabout)

[something where I screw up my words and said 'fuck' a couple times in Maya] "Hey! Watch your fucking language! Was that a fatherly thing to say? Sure."

Idk how but she already called which character is the murderer- Luke Atmey. She saw him and went "ew, I thought the Murderers were supposed to be hot"

"So you're saying that even though on one came...- wait, what? Even though on one- what is that saying? So you're saying that even though on one came through those doors last night... That makes no sense!" "I think it's supposed to say 'no one.'" "...oh."

Ron DeLite is babey. He is best boy and has best relationship with his wife.

"I need you to go to my hideout!" "Well, I meant my secret base..." "Your house. You mean your fucking house."

"He makes up for it in other ways." "That... Can be taken in such a wrong way." "I- wh?? Dude!" "What?!" "Other ways...?" "See! Phoenix thinks it, too!"

Mask DeMasque = Mark DeKiller, according to her

"I shouldn't have trusted you!" "What the fuck, Pearls?!" "Do you want to be thrown out like Maya?"

This music,,, is kinda sad,,, huh.

*Adrian appears* "She looks like she just had sex."

Larry appeared and she screeched in aggravation, I laughed because I forgot he was coming

"Women... I don't trust them anymore!" "So you're telling me you're gay now? Cool."

"She chose Hollywood over me!" "Sounds about right."

Pearl pronounces Godot like God-it because I want her to. As for her, she is stupid sometimes and pronounces it wrong

She already hates Godot, which I knew would happen. He's annoying most of the time, tbh. I like him only because I believe he and Mia should've been happy together, but that's really it,,, Godot is the only character I knew for a fact she wouldn't like.

"I know more about this thief than anyone! Well, other than maybe his mom!" "Well, his wife probably knows a lot." "No, she doesn't." "That's,,, That's very fair."

*About Gumshoe* "He looks like an angry puppy who couldn't actually hurt you."

"Is that Godot's theme? I don't really like it,," "Me neither, it sounds like elevator music."

"This game gives me Dyslexia, I swear."

"I don't know how I could ever repay you!" "I dunno, maybe with money?"

"[Godot]'s hot." "He's an attractive male, just an annoying person." *he smiles and she makes a weird kinda giggle* "He's so adorable." "Dang, I kinda wanna hug him. I don't appreciate that."

We've been listening to the Lordly Tailor Department Store theme just itself for a while, it's really nice! ^^

"He's so honest, he wouldn't even steal a glance!" "A glance at what?" ". . . Oh. Haha. Took me a moment."

"'PLEASE, STOP IT!' He screamed." "Wow, you sounded just like your husband. Can you do me next?" "No." "Actually, wait, no, don't. I slapped the last person who did that."

Headcanon: Ron DeLite is trans

"I can't think of [Grossberg] without thinking of hemorrhoids, now."

"I'll do whatever it takes to save my man!" *slight squeal* "Okay, I'm sorry, but I love them and their relationship."

*Maya sits in chair* "Ooh, I feel like a real CEO!" "It'd be funny if they just added in like a stick figure of Maya in the chair while she sits there. That'd be funny."

"It's a THICCC binder." *trying not to laugh* ". . .It's not funny. That's not funny." "You don't know how happy I am that you found that funny."

"[the body] fell out of a safe?!" "At least it wasn't a trunk." "I mean,, yeah, but,"

"I can't fit in these shelves!" "Maybe you could if you didn't eat so many hamburgers..." "Dang, you didn't have to come for me like that." (she proceeds to make me say 'you didn't have to come for my weave like that' in Miles' voice)

"...If you've got insomnia." "I do, actually! Sometimes." "You're not Shinsou." "Wow. I can't believe it. My life has been a lie up to this point." "Wow. You're not a purple haired loser- oh, wait. Oh, you actually are now(I dyed part of my hair purple a couple weeks ago) Okay, guess you're Shinsou now."

"I swear I want to change my ways, but I just don't have any interest in men!" -Larry Butz

(my brother talking to me) "Gotta tell you, [sister], your voices are a little one-note sometimes." "Yeah, I know." *hands me a doctor pepper* "See what I did there? Parenting technique. I insulted you and then I gave you a reward. You wanna die now?" "A little." "Good." (don't worry, he mostly didn't mean it)

"Are you calling Pearl not sane???"

*sees Ron on screen, he's giving his Testimony* "Who's this bitch. And why's her name Tess-tim-onee?" "His name's Ron." "Really? That's his name? Of course it is..."

@ Godot; "We get it. You're e d g y."

@ Godot; "Shut the fuck up~~"

"Wow Godot, didn't know you could be so feminine." "Call me feminine again, and I'll kill you." "Uhh... Judge? I'm being threatened..."

Welp. Uh. I guess she knows almost everything about Godot. I'm big stupid. Yikes. Also she might just be lowkey in love with him too but I just love his relationship with Mia. . .

I hate this "one chance" thing ughshxbdhvdn

We were both (well, mostly her) waiting for Mia to say something to Godot but it didn't happen so now I'm sad... Welp. That's it for this trial.

(Recipe for Turnabout)

"I really wanna see Mia in a maid uniform."

"Maybe he realized he's got strong feelings for you, Nick!" "I'm sorry, what?" "I really don't reciprocate. . ."

*screws up several sentences in Maggey's voice* "god daNGIT, WHY CAN'T I SPEAK WORDS?!" "She's just as annoying as I remember."

"If there's no pestering child by me, that's not me. If there's not a child yelling 'what's that?' 'can I have that?' 'look at that!' then it just isn't me. See?"

"Ugh, [Maggey's] positivity. . . Ew."

"Can I just say 'Backwards Phoenix' [rather than Xin Eohp]?"

*sees Pink Badger* "What the heck??" *a moment passes and then she sees it too* ". . .What the heck?! That's really stereotypical, the blue and pink. But it's kinda cute, like cotton candy."

"Maya says Respect Pronouns."

"Yes! Mia!!! Take a screenshot!!!"

*Godot appears* "Ugh, so hot, but so annoying."

"His metaphors get so weird at times. . ."

"I'll be squaring away (okay I don't remember what he said)!" "That's,,, very intimidating, coming from [Gumshoe]." "I'll be squaring away for your arrest!" "At least he's not squaring up." "You right."

"You really know how to drive a man nuts." "That,,, can be taken many ways. Wow, this case is... So gay."

"All he had was 58 cents?!" "That's not enough to buy chicken nuggets..." "I can't believe you."

Okay so Viola appeared and left (honestly I really like her lol) and then Armstrong did a weird thing and she was like "aHK I saw his p*nis!!! Ew!!!" And now that's our joke. That's it. P*nises.

Poor Viola ;~;. She didn't deserve what Tigre did to her!!!

godot is such a hecc sometimes

(Turnabout Beginnings)

"Awe!!! Look at Miles (on the title screen)!!! Such a boy!!!"

(about Terry) "He's such a baby!!! I just wanna hug him!!!" "You're gonna wanna hug him a lot more after this case."

"Did he just call her Kitten?? That's so adorable-" "I ship it s o m u c h hnnnnn-" *starts crying* (yes I did actually start crying)

"God, I just wanna kiss [Diego]."

"I like Diego a lot more than Godot."

"Ew, it's this guy(the judge) again."

*Miles appears* *both of us eeeeeeee*

*giggles at Edgeworth, I don't know why, I never do that*

"Stop calling me 'kitten', it makes me not think straight. . . Except it is straight."

"(Miles) looks so smug uwu. I usually hate that in a person, but I'm just in love with him."

"When Gumshoe told us Mia cross-examined him, he forgot to mention this." (he was flirting with Mia)

"Mr. Edgeworth, I'm not sure I like you... Oh, there's more-"

"I came to testify for her!" "Oh, really? Are you a magician? Or, wait, what is it called..." "A psychic?" "No, I don't think, that's what it is... Uh... Oh, yeah, a psychic!"

My dad finished up his work for the night about the same time we were finishing this case up- he was there from when Terry came to the stand to the end 😬. Then we went to bed, having finished two cases in a day. When we get downstairs in a bit, we're going to start the next case, and jfc, we're almost done with the original trilogy! It's going to be weird, moving from the Switch to my DS for Apollo Justice, but we'll adjust. And then after that... I dunno. Maybe I'll buy Dual Destinies & Spirit of Justice? Not quite sure, yet. But I have thought about it. Anyway, sorry for rambling, I just wanted to put my thoughts down, here.

(Bridge to Turnabout)

Barely into the case and we've already planned Maya's death

I've got her thinking Iris is Dahlia; good.

"I think maybe his salary has been cut a little too much?" "Y'think?" "I don't think he's getting paid at all."

"Haha, Godot's going to think it's Phoenix he's going up against, but nope!" "You know, Godot against Edgeworth is something funny I'd like to see." "I mean, you're going to see it." "...fair point."

Now that Miles is the protagonist, I'm voicing like literally every character.

Franziska appeared and she threw the controllers in anger lmao

"I was hoping [Miles] would wear blue, but okay."

God, I'm so glad to be doing Franziska's voice again UwU

"It's a do or be done in world, after all!" *snorts* "I- Hm." "Phoenix is a Done In, Miles is a Do." "Pff- there is no longer Top or Bottom, only Do or Be Done."

"I love Edgeworth as a defense attorney." "The difference between Miles & Phoenix [presenting wrong evidence] is funny. Phoenix is like 'This statement contradicts this evidence!' and Miles is like 'The statement is clearly a contradiction to this evidence!' 'No it's not?' 'Yes it is!'"

*doing the 👉👈 motion* "...[Franziska] you fucking fuck..."

*gets a call* "Hey, it's from Washington D.C." "You,,, might not wanna answer that,, Wait, please don't-" *she answers it* ". . . Eh, they hung up immediately." "I was gonna say, you might not wanna answer a call from D.C. with everything going on right now." "Well, yeah, but it's not like I have social media." "Yeah, I know. You're not at any protests or anything, but I still don't want the FBI storming my door." "Ah, yes, 'This person answered a call from Washington D.C., must be suspicious, send the FBI.'"

"God, my theories are good sometimes, better than this game's [lore]."

"They just asked Larry if he was high!" "I wouldn't be surprised [if he was]."

"Nick, you dooooooog!" "..." "..." "Go ahead, say it." "Say what?" "The joke I always make, say it." "Wh- What are you talking about? What joke?" "Oh my God, I'm so offended... What joke do I normally make?" "I dunno, sex jokes?" *sigh* "... OH! He's my husband!!!"

"That led me to finding a beautiful crystal sphere half-buried in the snoooOOOHHH-" "...?. . . Oh shIT!" (there was blood on the sphere)

"(She does look kinda cute...)" "Woah woah woah. That's okay for [my name] to say, but not you, Phoenix! You're dating her brother!"

"No whipping, you sick!" "The sick."

"[Franziska] Von Karma says Consent is Everything."

"[Godot says something along the lines of 'what's weird is the angle at which Trite is pointing his index finger']" "Excuse me, are you threatening to bite my finger off??!" "What? Why would- no!" "[something along the lines of 'sticking your finger in a socket would be better than having it bitten off IDK I can't remember']" "..." "You doubted me??"

"Why does [Godot] have Dahlia's files?" "Hm, good question. Well, actually, thinking about it. Edgeworth went digging[on Dahlia], so if Godot asked, he probably would've given it to him." "Why would Godot ask?" ". . ." *i take a pause as i think about her asking this question and the consequences of my answer* ". . .good point. Anyway-"

God I love the animation of Dahlia leaving Maya's body, the whole sequence is so good!!!

hnnn I'm starting to cry because i know godot's objection is coming hnnnnnng nooooo i might end up crying later hnnnn

"There's plenty of time for crying later." "...Really, because I'm cRyInG nOw-" "I can see that."

"She looked like she had horse feet, and I was so confused. I'm still so confused."

(Honestly, I would prefer that Iris was found Guilty than Godot be found Guilty...)

(She's choosing Godot as the murderer I'm starting to cry oh no oh no oh no oh no oh god oh fuck oh no)

"I was right, I'm happy! I didn't think I was right. You're being really silent, you're making me doubt myself. Was I right?" (No, you're not wrong, I just don't wanna say it... Honestly, it'll never not be sad for me. I love this case, but I just wish Godot would've let Iris be claimed Not Guilty and left it at that. I mean, it was his job, he couldn't let it slide. Even if it was him.)

"Awe, [Godot] did it all of good will... I can't hate him, now..."

"By the way, when I yelled[while you were in the bathroom]... I yelled 'take off your shirt!'" "I- at who?" "Godot. Anyway, if your parents or brother are awake, they would've heard that. I'm sorry."

It's Over, Isn't It? with Diego/Godot

*Iris is telling Nick how it was actually her who dated him* "Dang, even the Judge is invested."

*at Larry* "Shut up! You're beautiful, and creative, and adorable! Fuck you!"

Here we are, at the end of the trilogy. We started on March 22nd, and now we and, at 2am on June 11th. It's been a long road. Voice acting mishaps, a heck ton of notes. It's been almost 3 months. Some things have happened, but we're still going strong. Oh, but don't expect us to stop, oh no! I bought Apollo Justice! So we will be back someday. But unfortunately(for us), it won't start tomorrow. She has to go home. And maybe we'll buy Dual Destinies & Spirit of Justice? Who knows. Anyway, haha, I'ma stop typing now since we're reviewing voices. Bye!

"That was just dumb-shoe. I- I meant to say Dumb Gumshoe-"

[ravenoustaurus]

July 3, 2022 || SUN [07:23 am]

So I never got around to writing about this until now. I got fired the week after Mac's wedding. It came as a big ass shock to me because from the beginning of that week, our manager was praising me and even the Vice President complimented my work. But I'm mostly over it at this point. I vented about it to Mia when we drank gin i think last Saturday or was it two weeks ago? I can't remember very well when it happened. Other than that I attempted to work for a different company the very week after I got fired that paid more. But the work required took too much from me mentally and emotionally. It was energetically draining. I really am not meant for work that requires talking 99%. So I quit after first day of training. I've been trying for other companies since. But no luck so far. I did have an interview last night though, for a discord moderator position. I feel like it went well for the most part. I hope I do get that job. If not I'll force myself to start that business that I've been planning for years. I'm trying to meditate but whenever I feel like I'm mentally ready to do so, I'm too sleepy and I just end up sleeping. But right now, after I finish this entry I intend to meditate, since I'm not very tired. The reason I'm mentioning meditation is because I feel and know that I really need it and it'll really help me kind of unravel what exactly is holding me back. I feel like I only have a vague idea of what it is that's keeping me bound. So I want to dive deeper and figure things out. Brother and I had a talk about panic attacks and hearing voices when we aren't hyper fixated or preoccupied by something. There are a lot of similarities with what we feel and experience, and we both came to the conclusion that we might actually have ADD/ADHD. Which I think we obviously do have. It's also pretty evident with dad and geen and gourdo and mom. So like, I guess it's a genetic thing. Also Brother was saying that we might be experiencing these kinds of things due to PTSD. I haven't mentioned psychosis to him. But then again I feel like it's too complex for me to even try and hypothesize.

I met a really nice guy (I think) on bumble. He started really strong and asking me out so many times and giving me ideas on where we could go out to eat but then he just stopped talking to me. It's been two weeks since he last messaged me today. I feel like I may have said or did something weird? I don't know. My optimist side is ofc telling me that he's just busy. But then again come on, I'm not that stupid anymore. This probably ain't it just yet. But maybe, hopefully, I'm getting close. I'm getting sick of talking to so many guys and imagining futures with them. That's actually one of the main things I feel like I need to debunk. I feel like it affects my life severely and in a negative way. I need to find something else that would keep me from spacing out and hearing voices that would keep me preoccupied like painting or doodling or something. I feel like I should keep a list of things to do when I start getting lost in my head. I'm gonna do that right now before I meditate.

Other than that, apparently Cai and Mac are having a baby girl and she's due this august 6th. I and so very happy for them. Gel and I have seen each other 3 times since the wedding (including that weekend). Ryan and Chuck got covid recently but I think that they're getting better now. I've been recording some songs, too. Right now I just feel like I don't give a fuck about what anyone thinks of me. Not even the people that I have a little crush on. I just feel like I shouldn't act in any way. If my natural self scares or creeps or freaks people out then fuck them, I'm not changing anything about myself other than my toxic traits, or anything that needs growth. But my quirks? Fuck no. The world just has to fucking deal with it.

**note: something of significance might happen this July 27th. **

[pipersky]

Hey! I've been meant to ask this for a while, sorry if you think this is a weird question haha! How does a non-english speaker get into the 1960s? I read in your bio you've been into it since you were younger so I'm curious, how did you manage to get into it when you were younger and perhaps couldn't understand english? I don't know if this makes sense haha! But for me, it was all about reading about it, the lyrics, bio stuff, anecdotes and such! Have a good day! :)

Hey there! Not weird at all, I’m actually more surprised about getting an ask at all! 

I get what you mean, mostly because getting into the 60s and having very specific cultural references was a very “lonely” experience for me.

But honestly, I guess it’s just a matter of perspective? I know you didn’t mean it, but it’s a bit of an anglo-american point of view: my first obsessions when I was a child / preteen were actually Italian related things, and probably it’s what I’m more attached to even now - my blog is just a small portion of everything I like. Through Italian 60s bands I got to love foreign music, also because a lot of famous Italian songs were covers of english famous (and very often not-so-famous) songs, it’s something we used to do back in the day - my favourite song of my childhood years was one called “La mia vita con te” which is a version of a pretty song called “Reputation” by Shy Limbs, not exactly a popular song in its original version.

Sounds like a cliché, but it was more than words: my very first non-Italian obsession was, like many other kids who went through that step, the Beatles: at that time not only I knew nothing of English other than those very basic things you can learn at school (and I was barely out of primary school anyway), I didn’t even have an internet connection and my parents were not into technology. So, books, VHS, CDs and DVDs made it for me, because the Beatles are like, the most famous band in the world so everything came with Italian subs. I started to practice english thanks to that, to lyrics books and translations belonging to my parents (they also love music and don’t know a word of english like most people of their generation, so books with lyrics and translations were so popular amongst them!!) - then I got into the British Invasion, then I got into American Folk Rock (The Byrds were my first American love), then British Psychedelia and so on… Even without lyrics, music had such an impact on me, I always tried to find documentaries and stuff available in Italian. I was lucky my parents had so many VHS, DVDs and books about music which were obviously in Italian. Learning English was a very natural consequence, really.

Sorry if this is long but there is another thing I want to add: I think the 60s were more intersectional in terms of languages, cultures and music than what we are left with now. Now with brexit, with nationalisms, with each country closing themselves, this closure also reflects on art. The 60s were peculiar because they truly disrupted those borders, and I think it was out of necessity in a time of progress and cultural and political revolutions, after the horrors of WWII. It wasn’t unusual to see foreign bands recording in Italian (The Rolling Stones did,  The Yardbirds did, The Cowsills did etc), to have a British band becoming one of the most popular bands in Italy, singing in Italian (The Rokes, who were British) Italian prog bands still being loved outside of Italy or, I don’t know, foreign directors making movies so hugely famous in the U.K or in the U.S (Antonioni with Blow Up, or the French Godard making a documentary about the Stones etc) - I don’t know, that this makes sense? Everything wasn’t so separated as it is now where there is only a dominant culture and we have no idea about each other anymore. It was sense of connection, that really stayed with me and went way beyond languages.