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renegadewangs · 3 years

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Van Zieks - the Examination, part 7

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: (see Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I’m outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - I’m using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what’s said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesn’t matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Back to the second game we go for The Return of the Great Departed Soul! (Part one, this is another two-parter case)

Episode 2-3: The Return of the Great Departed Soul

So now, chronologically, six months have passed since The Unspeakable Story. Susato returned to Japan at the end of the first game and hasn't returned yet. Ryu was reprimanded for all the perjury and the questionable McGilded defense, so he had his right to stand in court revoked for now and instead had to focus on studying English law some more. He's done so quite patiently and now he feels he's ready to return. He just needs to get Stronghart's permission first. Meanwhile, the Great Exhibition is happening in Hyde Park, pulling in visitors and scientists from all over the world. Exciting! (S)Holmes hands Ryu a newspaper with an article on the exhibition, talking about how the brighter things shine, the darker the shadows cast behind them. By now, Ryu is fluent enough in (S)Holmes speak to know this means he should flip over the newspaper. There, we find an article of an entirely different sort.

So not only was Van Zieks apparently attacked, Ryu shows horror and concern at the notion. No hard feelings from our wholesome boy! (S)Holmes explains that London's finest criminals often find ways to get acquittals from trials through bribery, threats, sham witnesses... We saw this in McGilded, of course, so we know all too well how dangerous that can get. But since the Reaper and his curse are immune to such tactics, when a ringleader or fellow ends up being 'taken' by the curse, retaliation can occur. So it's established that this isn't the first time Van Zieks has been attacked by a group of thugs. Fortunately, Van Zieks is an “accomplished combatant” who doesn't take these attacks lying down. Unfortunately, the thugs were carrying guns this time. Uhoh.

This warms my heart, it really does. Van Zieks has been a terrible scumbag, but Ryu doesn't think he's gotten his comeuppance at all. He's genuinely concerned for this man and intends to find out more about his condition. So since he was planning to meet with Stronghart and ask for attorney permission anyway, it's the perfect opportunity to also ask about Van Zieks! Iris decides to tag along because she wants to visit the Great Exhibition. Let's shove the newspaper in Stronghart's face as soon as the game allows it.

The phrasing of “number one prosecutor” is interesting, but then... We never learn of any other (living) veteran prosecutors in this country, so of course Van Zieks would be number one. Stronghart says there's no need for concern; Van Zieks would not be so easily dispatched. Street ruffians are no match for him, since he's a very capable fighter. Seems like that sword he carries around isn't just for show after all. As for why he was attacked this time... Well, a month ago Van Zieks prosecuted a leader of a criminal organization. Nice to know he didn't just return to retirement and instead got back to work like a normal person without cherrypicking his cases based on what Ryu's doing. The defendant was acquitted, no doubt thanks to large sums of money being shifted around behind the scenes, but he still met a dramatic end just yesterday during an accident at the Great Exhibition. The man in question was Odie Asman, and the one now being detained on suspicion of murder without a defense attorney is Professor Albert Harebrayne. Albert's case has just been assigned to Ryu, so we're sure to find out more about Asman as we go. As as final touch, Ryu asks Stronghart why he continues to use Van Zieks as a prosecutor. Since the criminals are becoming fearful of the curse and attacking him, it's dangerous to Van Zieks himself. Stronghart explains that he has two reasons: Firstly, Van Zieks is the best prosecutor in the capital, bar none. And secondly, any deaths that have occurred outside the courtrooms after his trials have nothing to do with him. (S)Holmes alluded to the same thing, saying that Van Zieks had a rock-hard alibi for each and every mysterious death.

“So he will continue to prosecute on behalf of the Crown. ...Unless he wishes otherwise, of course.” With that, Stronghart admits he needs to get going since he's already 11 hours late to his next appointment (fsdkjfls). Ryu asks where he might be able to find Van Zieks and is told to head to his office. So even after being told that Van Zieks is just fine, Ryu is still concerned and wants to discuss the matter with the man himself. Let's gooo! Naturally, the first thing out of Van Zieks's mouth when he catches Ryu and Iris in his office is to wonder what the heck they're doing here.

So there's several things of interest in the office, with the game automatically addressing the biggest one: Van Zieks has an apprentice now! It's a mysterious, rigid dude wearing a hood and a mask who is absolutely not familiar to us, nope. We don't know him. Gosh, what a mystery. Van Zieks doesn't seem to know who he is either, instead just referring to him as his apprentice and nothing more.

Ryu sees this as an opening to ask about the attack on the Reaper that was in the newspaper. Van Zieks admits that he too is very interested in the true identity of the Reaper. “Assuming, that is, such a fabled fiend genuinely inhabits our great courtrooms.” The conversation halts for a moment so we can examine the office and this is the best opportunity for humanizing traits we've gotten so far, so LET'S DO IT! The enormous portrait in the back is the first thing to peek at.

Iris says whoever painted it exaggerated the subject's handsomeness, which in turn is reminiscent of Napoleon ordering the painter to make him look more attractive. That's super vain and not an attractive quality in a person at all. I laughed the whole way through that bit of dialogue and Van Zieks, who was in earshot the entire time, gets his feathers ruffled.

When Ryu asks who it is then, Van Zieks doesn't reply. BACKSTORY ALERT! Examining the chalices and bottles on the left leads to Van Zieks explaining the hallowed bottles are filled with the finest grapes from the finest vineyards he visits (so it is grape juice!!!) and he personally oversees the chalices being made by the finest crystal craftsmen in the world. Right, so not only is he filthy stinkin' rich, he's a perfectionist. Iris points out that Van Zieks throws the chalices and bottles around like they're worthless, to which Van Zieks says:

“Before you open your mouth next time, you should consider the poor artisans whose work you defile.”

As it turns out, passive aggression is contagious now. Ryu replies with a “So it's my fault? Silly me! How could I ever have thought otherwise?” and honestly I love that he's got enough guts to say this out loud. Our boy is growing a spine. Examining the wine casks has Ryu and Iris theorize about how there might be dead bodies in there, which once again ruffles Van Zieks's feathers.

Snrk. Examining the big diorama in the middle of the room has Ryu and Iris wonder whether Van Zieks can't go to the Exhibition in person and this is his way of dealing with that, which has Van Zieks snap that it's obviously an investigative aid. He even has pets of sorts in his office, in the form of a couple of bats hanging from the curtains. Alright, so the game's definitely humanizing this poor man now. No matter how many crazy stories Iris and Ryu come up with about him, there's usually a very innocent explanation to debunk the eerie myths. Something particularly interesting happens when Ryu shows Van Zieks his defense attorney armband. Van Zieks asks what the reason is for showing it to a British prosecutor, to which Ryu admits that he doesn't quite know. Van Zieks is silent for a bit, then says that he understands. “There's merit in reminding yourself of who helped you become what you are today.”

As he says it, he reaches for his prosecutor's badge and if you're aware of the backstory, you'll know he's thinking of Klint. More importantly, this conversation puts Ryu and Van Zieks on the same level. Ryu is always thinking of Kazuma, who 'helped him become who he is today' and the armband signifies this, along with the sword. Similarly, Van Zieks lost someone very close to him and he's walking the path of prosecutor in his brother's memory. Ryu thanks Van Zieks for understanding and it's very significant that Van Zieks understands in the first place. Remember, in the first game he was under the impression that a Japanese person could never understand a British person and vice versa.

Showing Van Zieks the newspaper article has him looking a bit embarrassed, pointing out that a reporter must've been nearby and he'd been careless to let himself get photographed. Either way, all the thugs responsible have already been apprehended. The investigation into Odie Asman's activities meant that their arrests were already imminent anyway, and some hoped to kill Van Zieks before that happened. Much like McGilded, Asman used his wealth to buy his way towards an acquittal in court, but “he got his comeuppance in the end.” Which is strange, right? Very suspicious. Van Zieks asks whether Ryu believes he has some sort of divine ability to make an accident like that happen. Ryu admits that would be far-fetched, and thinks to himself that even if Van Zieks were the Reaper, he'd have to be innocent of this particular death. We also learn that Van Zieks is familiar with Professor Harebrayne, the suspect in the Asman incident. When told that Ryu will be taking on the defense, Van Zieks is shocked.

Van Zieks goes on to explain that he knows Albert quite well. They were at university together. While he's lived in Germany for quite a few years, Albert is actually from a respectable British family. And despite Albert being in the science faculty and Van Zieks in law, they got along quite well. Now he's in pretty hot water for that Asman accident.

Hm. I don't quite know what to make of this reaction. I think what's going on here isn't that Van Zieks is rattled because Albert is being defended by a Japanese person, but because he's being defended by a rookie attorney who was just disbarred for six months for accidentally encouraging perjury, false witness and crime scene tampering in a court of law. Yes, Ryu has won his trials every single time, but it came at a price. Aside from this, there's one other thing Van Zieks knows about Ryu: he'll pursue the truth, no matter what. This means that if Albert indeed didn't succeed at inventing teleportation, it'll be revealed in court because exposing shams is Ryu's whole deal.

We learn that Van Zieks will be the one to prosecute Albert tomorrow, which is curious to say the least. Ryu wants to know why he'd do something like that, with Iris pointing out that so long as the Reaper is the prosecutor, Albert is doomed. Van Zieks replies that he's a Crown prosecutor and a mortal like any other; he's no demigod. In other words, he doesn't believe the curse to be a real curse. Iris points out that everyone who's been prosecuted by Van Zieks has died (which is already objectively wrong), to which Van Zieks replies that he usually prosecutes the vilest wretches of society.

… Harsh. Ryu points out that Soseki wasn't a vile wretch though, with Iris chiming in that Gina's also turned her life around and she's working very hard now. Van Zieks admits that things have changed ever since meeting Ryu- which of course has to do with Van Zieks's need to face Ryu in court even in mediocre trials rather than pursue his usual corrupted targets- but the point is that if any of those vile wretches died in mysterious circumstances, it was “at the hand of their own kind”, not Van Zieks's. So basically, he believes that they were killed because they were dubious people engaged with dubious activities, not because of the Reaper's curse. Not only that, but ever since the rumors of the Reaper began, the number of serious crimes in London has decreased significantly. Even the most hardened criminals can be made fearful of their lives. Therefore, if his pseudonym of the Reaper can serve a useful purpose, he'll “adopt it gladly and with honour”. Ryu repeats that which he already told Stronghart; that it's putting Van Zieks in danger.

He really is a prosecutor on the edge with nothing to lose, huh. So what Van Zieks is basically saying is that he doesn't care if he dies, so long as he spends the rest of his life serving the 'useful purpose' of carrying the Reaper moniker to intimidate the vilest of society. But is that really all there is to it? (Spoilers: It's not)

There's a bit more talk about the mysterious apprentice here, with Van Zieks explaining the man was placed in his care under Stronghart's orders. He's wearing a mask on Stronghart's orders and also doesn't speak to anyone from outside the office on Stronghart's orders. HM. Van Zieks claims that Stronghart isn't one for “meaningless follies”, therefore he must have a good reason. This implies that Van Zieks believes in Stronghart's judgment almost blindly. To round up the conversation, Van Zieks asks about “that Nipponese man. The one arrested twice in succession six months ago. With the stoop. And the moustache. And the jitters.” Looks super offensive at first glance, but I gotta admit, after six months I wouldn't remember Soseki's name either. Better to describe him than to guess the name and get it wrong. Still though, just because it's not super offensive doesn't mean it's not offensive. Just saying “the one you defended six months ago” would've done the trick. Either way, Ryu says he's doing just fine and a letter from him arrived by post just the other day.

So this is interesting. Earlier, Van Zieks claimed in his own words that he doesn't believe in the curse and those who died had it coming to them, but he's still inquiring after Soseki. Perhaps not so much because he's worried about Soseki himself, but because he's curious whether this man has successfully escaped the curse so far. He would know that for a fact about Gina, but the only way to verify Soseki's status is to ask Ryu about it.

Time to leave this glass cage of exposition and meet the defendant in person! Albert spouts a whole lot of dialogue about how his machine is treated differently depending on whether the case is treated as an accident or as murder. If it's murder, it can be examined up close and that's what Albert doesn't want. It has to be treated as an accident so that it'll be protected from prying eyes through The Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act (wow that's a mouthful). Of course, that's not entirely what we're interested in. Let's ask about his friendship with Van Zieks! Ryu asks what he was like back in his university days and the answer surprises him.

HAH, wonderfully written exchange, this one. Albert goes to describe him as “the little darling of the Van Zieks family, with all its great aristocratic origins”. So Van Zieks has some very noble blood in him. We could've already guessed this from his title of Lord, but apparently it's a bit more serious. I could derail here with wild theories about his family originating from the Netherlands and having migrated to the UK around the time the first king of the Netherlands, Willem I van Oranje Nassau, rose to power in 1813. Willem changed the way nobility works to some degree in the country and not all noble families would've agreed with his way of doing things. But anyway, point is, Van Zieks is a big shot. Albert says that it was kind of a shock to him when he came back to Britain and discovered 'what Van Zieks had become'. He heard that there was 'a very big event' that completely changed Van Zieks after his graduation, but doesn't know what it was because he was already in Germany at the time. So here we have some more traces of that backstory and we have enough pieces to start sticking some things together. We know Van Zieks was once betrayed by a friend and we now know he was a very modest, pleasant gentleman when he was young. Whatever happened must've been very harsh indeed to turn him into such a sour lemon. Either way, Albert doesn't seem to know yet that Van Zieks will be the prosecutor and Ryu doesn't have the heart to tell him.

So let's investigate the crime scene! Here, it's confirmed that Gina Lestrade is indeed just fine and now in training to become a detective with Gregson. Cute! So eventually we get to talk to Gregson about Van Zieks and how he's acquainted with Albert. Gregson is overdramatically shocked to find out that the two of them are old buddies.

Remember when Van Zieks took a five year hiatus and nobody had to mysteriously die from the Reaper's curse? Those were the days, eh Gregson? Now he's even prosecuting his own friends willy-nilly. Gregson states he has no idea what goes on in Van Zieks's head (a sentiment we've heard before in 1-4) and goes on to bring up the newspaper article about Van Zieks being attacked. When told that our good old pal the Reaper is just fine, Gregson utters a very uncomfortable “glad to hear it” which honestly had me wondering whether he'd preferred Van Zieks to die.

Up until a certain someone gets killed and stuffed into a suitcase, I'd reckon. Gregson says that Van Zieks is a top class prosecutor, but not even he can always push the right verdict through. “Sometimes justice can't win.” Gregson explains that naturally, Scotland Yard suspected Van Zieks at first and assumed he was taking matters into his own hands. There was a very thorough investigation and the outcome was that Van Zieks was in no way related to the mysterious deaths. So that's three people now who all insist Van Zieks couldn't possibly have committed the murders. Gregson says he's willing to stake his reputation on it, even. Of course, Gregson would know for sure, wouldn't he? But the narrative is telling us over and over that Van Zieks himself isn't the Reaper, with even Van Zieks himself implying he'd like to know just who the Reaper is. There's a conspiracy happening that Van Zieks is the centerpiece of, with the narrative really pushing the mystery aspect of it. The writers want us to care about the truth of the Reaper for sure.

OOOH that's meta! Ryu, being nosy and overly invested in Van Zieks's life, asks Gregson whether he knows about the 'incident' which changed Van Zieks after graduation.

Okay he clearly knows. Even a first time player can tell from this single reaction that Gregson's lying. The mystery thickens! At the end of the conversation, when Gregson's gone off, Iris recommends asking (S)Holmes about it instead. Safe bet, since (S)Holmes continuously knows more than he's letting on. To the house of wax we go! When asked about it, it's clear that he does know something (and is described as suddenly clamming up), but before he can explain there's a distraction in the form of Madam Tusspells and we have to sit through a mostly-unrelated Joint Reasoning segment. It leads into a conversation about a mass murderer known as the Professor. Ten years ago, there was a series of murders which rocked the capital right around the time Van Zieks graduated from university. Five people were killed before the man was caught and executed. This fifth victim was Klint van Zieks, Barok's older brother.

I really, really dislike this phrasing because Van Zieks was already studying law to begin with. He'd just graduated as a prosecutor; his brother's death had nothing to do with him pursuing that path. Anyway...

OOOH that's meta! So remember way back in the first essay when I said the backstory is optional? Well, here it is. The Great Ace Attorney is going all in for it. It's being tied to the ongoing plot, just as pretty much all the main prosecutor backstories are. Edgeworth's backstory is tied to Von Karma being the final boss, Godot's backstory is tied to the Fey lineage, Klavier's backstory (I say this lightly) is tied to Phoenix's disgrace... Now Van Zieks's story is tied to the serial killer who ruined so many lives a decade ago. And technically, we already have all the puzzle pieces we need for the next twist; we know Van Zieks was betrayed by a Japanese person who was his friend. So really, we can now say with absolutely certainty that the man arrested and executed back then was a Japanese buddy of Van Zieks.

The investigation segment is pretty much over, but the game has one more scene for us. This is something Ryunosuke won't witness, but the scriptwriters deemed it so important that we're ignoring Ryu to focus solely on the two characters involved. And cutting away from our main character is something that usually doesn't happen in Ace Attorney. Even when characters like Phoenix or Ryu are out of commission for whatever reason, a new 'main character' takes over for a second and we see everything from their point of view. I can think of only one other scene viewed without Ryu there, which happened in 1-5 just before Susato had to leave London. So what we have here is a very private moment between Van Zieks and Albert.

AWWW... The scenes in the office were great and all, but this right here is perhaps the most humanizing exchange we'll ever see with Barok. The reason for that, I think, is precisely because Ryu isn't there. He's alone with an old friend now, which means he can let his guard down more than he usually would. Even so, it's worth noting here that he doesn't look directly at Albert. He stands with his back to him the entire time and I'm certain this is intentional, because they could just as easily have rotated him into that sideways view that's often used in dialogue and courtroom scenes. He made his way down to the gaol to speak with his friend after ten long years, but is reluctant to look right at him. The conversation itself feels rather distant as well. Albert is delighted to see Van Zieks, but the sentiment isn't returned vocally. Van Zieks points out that they're meeting again “in prison of all places” and that the court will decide Albert's fate tomorrow. When Van Zieks raises a warning, Albert says he already knows his friend will be prosecuting and doesn't appear bothered at all at first. He does try to raise a question in the form of “Are you really...?”, but ultimately drops it and says that he knows Van Zieks has his best interests at heart. Van Zieks says he wouldn't entrust the trial of his friend to anyone else, and Albert thanks him for that. So my first guess upon taking in that dialogue is that Albert wonders for a brief moment whether Van Zieks really is the Reaper/really is cursed, only to shake it off because he considers the man his friend. Van Zieks seems to know it's risky to prosecute Albert, but deems it more important to handle the case himself than to let someone else do it. This, as we learn later, has to do with the Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act and the protection of Albert's scientific secrets.

Next day, we're at the Old Bailey! In the defendant lobby, Ryu is once again told by Albert that the true goal to aim for in this trial is to protect his scientific hypothesis. So hypothetically speaking, the ideal outcome here would be to prove the death was accidental and that the kinesis was a success at the same time. (S)Holmes and Iris don't believe Albert's theory to be sound though, instead saying it couldn't possibly be done. In the courtroom, Ryu faces off against Van Zieks once more for the first time in six months! The judge is quick to point out that Odie Asman is a name familiar to him; a man who was prosecuted only a month ago by Van Zieks. When he asks whether this death is the work of the Reaper, Van Zieks instead describes it as “divine retribution”, but also “a direct result of the actions of the accused, Professor Albert Harebrayne”. The prosecution asserts that the instantaneous kinesis demonstration was a success. He himself can't say for certain whether it's a sound theory, but it's being investigated by the British government since it was deemed to have potential and the prosecution's case aligns with the notion that there was indeed instantaneous- You know what? Let's just call it teleportation. That's easier to type.

Unfortunately, Van Zieks doesn't want to follow the accident angle. Instead, he outright accuses his old friend of murdering Asman using the totally-functional-teleportation-machine-which-totally-worked to be the sole benefactor of a scientific grant. Harsh. Very harsh. I don't entirely understand why he didn't pursue the accident angle instead, but then, I don't quite know enough about law. My guess is that as the prosecution, he's not allowed to. Scotland Yard found enough evidence at the scene to substantiate a murder plot, especially that damning screwdriver that Ryu so graciously handed to Gregson, so that's what the prosecution has to go with, maybe? It's up to the defense attorney to debunk that down to an accident, then, so in essence Van Zieks is counting on Ryu to 'defeat him' and prove the murder aspect wrong. It would align with the conversation Albert had with Van Zieks in prison, where he said that 'it was a terrible accident and the young Eastern man acting as his defence assured him that he can prove it'.

So speaking of that screwdriver, Albert tries to discredit it himself by saying that if he had stabbed Asman on the stage, there would've been a whole lot of blood. Van Zieks pours himself a glass of wine and 'congratulates' his friend on a good rebuttal.

“Here's to you, Albert!”

Albert laughs it off sheepishly, saying he's nothing compared to “Barok” (awww, first name basis), but a chalice is immediately flung. Van Zieks says Albert neglected to mention one crucial possibility, which is that the lack of blood is explained by the notion that the screwdriver remained in the victim's chest to plug the wound. Therefore, since the demonstration was totally a success, the screwdriver was teleported along with the victim. Ryu thinks to himself that he had no idea the victim had been stabbed and wonders whether Van Zieks kept that information to himself to keep the upper hand on purpose. This whole thing jars me a little, because the screwdriver is brought up relatively early in the trial during the very first cross-examination. Is not mentioning it during the opening statement and waiting for Gregson to bring it up three minutes later really the same as 'keeping it to himself to gain the upper hand'?

Either way, Ryu counters, saying that the screwdriver was found at the stage and therefore didn't teleport at all, with Gregson serving as an official witness to this location. It's pretty clear from the next dialogue that Gregson never told Van Zieks where that screwdriver was found.

“That you contravened the Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act?”

Gregson is immediately up in arms, but it's fine. There was no investigation needed to find a screwdriver lying in plain sight. So now Ryu decides to tighten the screws. He claims that if the prosecution can't explain the inconsistency (the screwdriver being found on the stage but no blood being there so clearly it must've plugged the wound), the testimony is unreliable. Van Zieks doesn't reply and Ryu thinks to himself that he looks stumped, but uh...

He just looks annoyed to me. The person to object next is not Van Zieks, it's Albert. He says that metal can't be teleported with the machine, so it only makes sense the screwdriver stayed behind and there's no inconsistency at all. Van Zieks suggests: “Clearly we should hear the accused's explanation. … Or should I say, this brilliant scientist's explanation?” And I think here in these two sentences we have the crux of the issue. Albert wants to be treated as a legitimate scientist above all else. Even if that means he's branded a murderer, so long as his hypothesis is protected and the confidentiality stands, it makes no difference to him. This was likely discussed with Van Zieks the night before as well. Albert is apparently willing to die for the sake of his scientific principles and... Well. I'm sure Van Zieks can understand. He's willing to die for the sake of serving the Reaper purpose. In a way, this means the defendant and the prosecution are in cahoots together, which is another first in Ace Attorney history. The two of them are fighting to keep the hypothesis of teleportation intact and if Ryu manages to prove that it was an accidental death, then great! Unfortunately, the second that screwdriver was discovered, the chances of that became slim to none. It was murder, plain and simple. On a sidenote, I found this little gem:

I'm counting this as humanization, because the underlying sentiment here is that despite his haughty better-than-thou attitude, Van Zieks is still friends with someone so very scatterbrained, his name is forgotten sometimes. Even Ryu is taken aback by the purity of the friendship.

Heh heh... Time to cause some more havoc by informing the court that Asman's metal-rimmed glasses were still on his face and since Albert already said metal can't be teleported, his hypothesis is a load of tosh. The jurors go up in arms about it, saying the machine should be stripped down and examined. The game gives Ryu the option to either raise an objection or 'wait and see', but this is another one of those fake choices. Waiting and seeing just leads to a bit more dialogue between the jurors before Ryu steps in of his own accord. He says Albert would have no reason to build such an elaborate fake machine and put on a public display for murder, but Van Zieks counters with the very good reason: Money. The jurors are even more outraged, calling him a fake scientist who's only in it for the guineas, and Albert begs them to believe that his science is built upon a sound hypothesis. Van Zieks comes in to 'save the day' (sort of).

“The fact remains that the victim was transported instantly to the Crystal Tower. Which means that the experiment... was a success.”

And I gotta say, this next bit is just very enjoyable to me. The way it's written is so great.

HEH HEH.... Van Zieks has some more witnesses to summon who saw the incident from some 'very special seats', but let's end the essay here for now and pick it back up next time!

#dgs #dgs spoilers #tgaa #tgaa spoilers #barok van zieks

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askaceattorney · 3 years

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Dear 91teivos,

Mod Vera: Thanks! Everyone in the world is going through some kind of existential crisis, so it made sense for the AA characters to join the party! (And since it was another follower who gave us the idea, we might just keep that idea in the think that after all...)

Dear dawsongfg,

Mod Vera: No need to apologize! We like to space out letters from specific people a little, but we’ll answer as many as we can!

(Referenced Letter)

Dear Bluedragoncody,

Co-Mod: Don’t worry. I doubt they’ll have much luck against the Ace Attorney crew, even without the Proto Badger. They have the ultimate weapon against despair in their arsenal, after all.

...They’re doomed, aren’t they?

I can’t make any promises, but if I ever gain enough skill in the art of animation (which has been a dream of mine for a long time, it turns out), I’ll keep that idea in mind.

Dear skibot99,

Mod Vera: Probably Tumblr bein’ weird. (What else is new?)

Dear sheeeesh,

Mod Vera: Mods get brought on as needed, as you can see with the arrival of Mod Edgeworth! Also, DGS2 is one of the few AA titles I’ve never played, but rest assured. Where there’s a letter, there’s a Mod who can answer it!

Mod Edgeworth: To add to Mod Vera, even if you weren’t accepted during any mod applications, that doesn’t mean you have lost all chances. I applied early January and lost to Mod Vera. Regardless, Co-Mod informed me that, even though I was rejected, he saw my potential and kept me in mind for if I was ever needed. Now, here I am.

Just because you get rejected, that doesn’t mean it’s game over. Show that you have potential and make yourself known by sending letters to us. That is what I did, after being rejected. I made myself known to the mods by sending letters. We do read them and they tell us how much you know the characters and games of AA more than any application. Of course, you must also follow the guidelines. That just goes without saying.

Co-Mod: I think my actual words were something like “Don’t tell anyone, but you were my second choice.” But yeah, what they said is true -- becoming a Mod here, like many things, may or may not happen to you, but you can definitely increase your chances by waiting patiently and demonstrating your potential.

As for DGS2 letters, I’m afraid those are still off-limits unless you know of a way to play or watch the game in its entirety, translated into English. I guess I could check to see if the Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 channel finished translating...

(Translation: Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! ...D-Don’t tell me?!)

...Okay, looks like I have some watching to do. Don’t know how I missed that.

So, uh... That part in bold was what I was going to say. Now that both games are finally getting an official English version, all I can say is, hang tight!

(Previous Post)

Dear Inferno again,

Co-Mod: Yeah, I agree. I was just joking around. For anyone who didn’t catch it, that was a reference to Sbemail #108.

The event’s technically over, but we’ll answer the rest of the April Fools’ Day letters when they reach the bottom of the queue. I’m as eager to see Trucy’s reaction to the news (after the stunned silence) as anyone else, after all.

(Video in Letter -- Strong Language Warning)

Dear Ella,

Mod Edgeworth:

I can’t see the first link and....

How did you find this masterpiece and where can I play this game?

Co-Mod: We don’t check for direct messages on Tumblr, if that’s what you’re referring to, so it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway. You can always send links in your letters, of course.

(Previous Post)

Dear Inferno,

Mod Edgeworth: That mad lad would be me and thank you.

I like to put my heart and effort when answering these letters. With this one, I figured you wanted to see Trucy in costume, so I just searched up an image on Google for the Ancient One’s costume, a sprite of Trucy and a bald head to put on her. The rest I photoshopped on GIMP.

We’re still going through letters from January. Hopefully we will get the rest of yours soon enough.

Mod Edgeworth: Thank you very much. Your support and the others’ support that have liked, commented and reblogged it mean a lot. As you have stated, a majority of the fandom seem to consider him the worst. I’d like to think it’s because how AA had created this villain of a character to be universally hated was pure genius. Not even the Phantom gets this much hate… and that’s saying something.

Unfortunately, I’d like to keep my real identity outside this blog a secret. I write a lot of letters here and I don’t want to break the spell for anyone. Think of it like a Disney theme park. The cast that play the characters will never admit their true identities, outside of family and close friends, to prevent the experience from being ruined. I want to do the same as a Mod. I don’t want to break the spell of writing to your favorite AA characters. This blog had helped me through my tough times and I want to help everyone else as a mod.

However, I will answer your letters and, if you post anything on your account, a mysterious friend I know may linger and give you a like ;)

(Previous Letter)

Dear Ali S. Fakenamington,

Co-Mod: Beautifully so.

(Previous Letter)

Dear Sinyove,

Mod Edgeworth: That letter was made in 2012 before AA5 and AA6, which was WAY before I became a part of the AA fandom. I’m certain a lot of us were not here when this letter was made, except maybe Co-Mod, but you’ll have to speak with him about this. I will say that the mod that answered this is no longer working here... I think. At the very least, I haven’t heard from him.

That being said, AA4 or Apollo Justice was the first AA game I’ve ever played. Despite all of the hate I saw towards that game, I still loved it regardless. Though, having not played the trilogy, playing the tutorial of AJ was a pain in the ass. I remember going to YouTube to find out how to beat it, because it was so hard. I also played it on PC.

I do see where The Mod was coming from. Had the two sequel games never existed, Apollo Justice would have more holes than my brothers’ socks. My only critique is that Phoenix wasn’t any better either with having Mia babysitting him during almost every trial AND investigations. Hell, Phoenix needed Mia to know how to talk to a kid, talk to a perverted old man, almost gave up in most of his trials in the first game and never conducted a trial without Mia until Turnabout Goodbyes when Maya literally couldn’t summon her. For the most part, Apollo was doing fine on his own without Phoenix, with only Trucy assisting him for the two middle trials, only almost giving up once and Phoenix having assisted him during times when Apollo was not in a normal situation (like when the criminal turned out to be his own co-council/mentor or when he had to lead a trial that included the Jury System). That’s more than Phoenix ever did on his own in the first two games and I think Apollo deserves more credit than he got in that letter in my opinion.

For me, Apollo Justice is one of those games you either like or you hate. I love it for what it is. My least favorite AA game would have to be Ace Attorney Investigations, the first game. The second one is my absolute favorite.

Co-Mod: Sadly, I haven’t seen or heard from the Mod in a while, so it may be time for us to declare him MIA again.

Erm... Sorry, poor choice of words.

I’m fairly certain I wasn’t around 5 years long ago, but I have to say, Capcom did a great job of making Apollo and his story more interesting over time. He may not be Phoenix, but he certainly carried his legacy forward pretty well, both as an attorney and as an Ace Attorney protagonist.

Now, WHAT ABOUT ATHENA ALREADY!?

Dear BDC,

Co-Mod: It fits like a glove, if you ask me...although it also kind of reminds me of 101 Dalmatians. And thanks for that bit of info! I never get tired of watching people enjoying the fun dialogue and plot twists of Ace Attorney, so I might have to look him up.

I’m not sure I feel the same about watching Dahlia’s voice actress, though. I’m sure she’s a nice person and all, but the thought of hearing that voice for so long... *shudder*

(Previous Letter)

Dear dawsongfg again,

Co-Mod: I wasn’t trying to say that natural deaths can’t happen in the Ace Attorney universe, just that most deaths aren’t what they seem. I knew right away that Archie Buff’s death was no accident, for one thing. Waaaaay too much of a coincidence, know what I mean?

-The Mods

#91teivos #dawsongfg #bluedragoncody #ajanisapprentice #skibot99 #sheeeesh #Ella #moonlitgraffiti #Ali S. Fakenamington #sinyove #Mod Post #Mod Vera #Co Mod #Mod Edgeworth

15 notes · View notes

gyakutengagotoku · 3 years

Text

GS4 vs AJ:AA - Turnabout Successor, Part 3

Hey, guys, I’m back. It just had to take the announcement of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles to bring me back into the AA fandom and back to work on this blog. No big.

I’ve gone back to add a few more entries to the last project update too (at least the lack of updates makes it easier to find those posts), so please check it out if you’d like. Now, I can finally move on into the infamous flashback case of this game.

Since this is a bit of a shorter one, I think I can get in the next part shortly before the end of tonight (I’m on PST), so look forward to that too! I’ll split up the posts ‘cause they’d be a bit long together.

> Phoenix Wright's case 7 years ago

> Court Lobby

<???> あ、パパ！　おはよう！ Ooh! Morning, Daddy!

<Enigmar> おお。よく来てくれたな。 Ah, I'm so glad you came.

<???> パパ‥‥大丈夫？いじめられてない？ You OK, Daddy? They picking on you?

<Enigmar> はっはっはっはっはっはっ。モチロン、大丈夫さ。 Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I am fine, as always.

今日はね。このオジちゃんが、パパを助けてくれるからね。 This old boy is here to help me, after all.

<Phoenix> （“おニイちゃん”だけどね） (That's "young man" to you.)

Note: Shadi Enigmar = Nanafushi Kagerou (last, first)

He calls him "ojichan" and Naruhodo corrects him with "onichan".

> Courtroom

<Judge> それでは、これより奈々伏　影郎の法廷を開廷します。 Court is now in session for the trial of Shadi Enigmar.

<Phoenix> 弁護側、準備完了しております。 The defense is ready, Your Honor.

<???> ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ ......

<Judge> 検察側。どうかしましたかな？ Is the prosecution ready?

<???> ‥‥いやあ。こんなものか、って思ってさ。 I was just thinking, is this what all the fuss is about?

ちょっと、ガッカリしてたトコ。 Bit of a buzz-kill, really.

<Judge> “こんなもの”‥‥？ "Buzz-kill"...? Is this some new kind of crime?

<???> 《サイバン》っていうから、もっとこう‥‥ One of the worst. This is a trial, ja?

ハートにビリビリ来るかと思ってたのにさ。 Where are the sweaty palms? The pounding hearts?

これなら、ガリューウエーブのギグのほうが、よっぽどスリリングだね。 A Gavinners concert's got ten times the thrill this gig's got.

As expected, the judge isn't that dumb in the original script. Kyouya here expresses a bit of disdain for "this kind of thing" and the judge asks what he means.

<Judge> あの‥‥あなたは‥‥？ Who... were you, again?

<Klavier> 牙琉　響也（がりゅうきょうや）。 Klavier. Klavier Gavin.

法廷をアツくするために来たオトコだよ。 I came... to get the party started. Legally, ja?

<Judge> あなたが、あの。牙琉　霧人弁護士の‥‥？ Gavin? Defense Attorney Kristoph Gavin's...?

<Klavier> やれやれ‥‥こっちの世界じゃ、アニキの方が有名、か。 Ah, figures my bro's more famous in this part of town.

"Let's get the party started" reference, GET!

<Phoenix> （牙琉　響也‥‥か） (Klavier Gavin...)

（デビューと同時に大ブレイクを　果たした、超人気ロックバンド） (Lead singer for the megahit band, the Gavinners.)

（《ガリューウエーブ》のボーカル。　場ちがいなボウヤだな‥‥） (You're out of your league, rock-boy.)

<Klavier> “場ちがいなボウヤ”‥‥おおかた、そんなふうに思ってるんだろ？ I know what you're thinking: "You're out of your league, rock-boy."

<Phoenix> ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ ......

<Klavier> デビュー曲《恋の禁固刑・１３年》が、いきなりミリオンセラー‥‥ True, my debut single, "13 Years Hard Time for Love", went platinum overnight...

そっちが遊びなんだ。ぼくにとっては。 ...but that's just a hobby to me compared to this, ja?

<Phoenix> ‥‥よくしゃべる検事さんだ。 ...Talkative, aren't you? I like your affected Euro-rock accent, by the way.

<Klavier> いずれ、わかるよ。 ‥‥成歩堂弁護士さん。 I'm just getting warmed up, Herr Attorney Wright.

Sad to say, Naruhodo doesn't comment on any "American" or foreign accent he may have. Interestingly, his voice actor in all the promotional materials does speak with a distinct style that easily distinguishes him from his fellow Japanese, even if it isn't a different accent or dialect. It's a very subtle difference in how he intonates, I think. (If anything it's all the more disappointing that the US locale team didn't bring in a voice actor with a "Euro-rock" accent for Klavier in DD. They're the ones who came up with it! Maybe just couldn't get someone else for some reason?)

> Enter 1st Witness

<Klavier> ‥‥で。ダレ？　きみ。 ...And you are?

<Gumshoe> ‥‥そういう聞き方をされたのは初めてッス。 Hey, you were the one who called me up here... sir.

自分は、糸鋸　圭介（いとのこぎりけいすけ）ッス。 Name's Dick Gumshoe.

所轄署の、殺人事件の捜査を担当する刑事ッス。 I'm a homicide detective down at the precinct.

Haha, it's one of those things that can't be translated well, but Kyouya speaks to the detective in a way that reminds me of how stereotypical celebs talk down to their backstage staff. So Itonoko comments about how "This is the first time anyone's called on me like that."

<Gumshoe> とにかく。引退した天斎は、ここ１年、入院していたッス。 Anyhow, the retired Magnifi's been in the hospital for the last year.

なんというか、ええと。 Hmm, what was it?

か‥‥“カンゾーにテンイ”した ‥‥その。 A mall-ignorant tutor or something.

あ。“アクセーシュヨー”に‥‥ ええと。“ナントカ”まれて。 Doing something to his liver, I think. Yeah.

<Judge> “むしばまれて”でしょう。 A "malignant tumor", perhaps?

<Klavier> “悪性腫瘍”‥‥つまり、ガン、だね。わかりやすくいえば。 In other words, he had liver cancer.

どうやら、余命３ケ月‥‥ といったところだったらしいけど。 He had only three months left to live, in fact.

Aw, Itonoko trying to speak in scientific terms feels like a kid trying to learn words. He ends it with "something-marete" as if trying to cite the doctor, so the judge corrects him with "Was it spoiled, perhaps?" By that, I mean that it was adversely affected.

<Judge> ふむう‥‥ Hmm...

たしかに、事実関係はシンプルかもしれませんが‥‥ The facts do seem simple enough.

なんとなく、スッキリしませんな。 But... something's not right.

<Klavier> ‥‥ほんの３ケ月ほど待っていれば、被害者は、天に召される運命だった。 ...The victim was already climbing a three-month stairway to heaven.

‥‥なぜ、それを待たず、 “射殺”したのか？ ...Why not wait for him to knock-knock-knock on heaven's door? Why shoot him?

<Phoenix> （そうなんだよな‥‥こういう　言い方も、アレだけど） (I wouldn't have put it quite so lyrically, but it's true.)

"Stairway to Heaven" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" references, GET!

In JP, Kyouya also puts it rather poetically, and Naruhodo comments on how the way he says it is a bit "out there".

> 1st Witness Testimony, press 3rd statement

> Check photo presented, select "shot something else", point to clown doll

> Press new statement (6th)

<Phoenix> そのヒタイ‥‥“ピエロの人形” だったのかもしれません。 But... it might have been the clown's forehead he shot.

<Gumshoe> ピエロで練習してみてから、被害者も撃ったかもしれないッス！ OK, so he practiced first on the doll, then shot him!

<Phoenix> 夜の病院‥‥いつ、だれが来るかもわからないのに、練習を‥‥？ He "practiced" in the middle of the hospital? Anyone could have come in at any moment!

<Gumshoe> でも。ジッサイは、ダレも来なかったワケッスから。 Yeah, but no one did come, did they, pal?

自分のモットーは《イシバシを叩いてコワす》ッス！ Besides, it's what I woulda done. "Always look before you shoot," I say.

In JP, his motto is the old Japanese idiom of knocking on a bridge before crossing it; aka be super cautious. The way it's written in English here, though, makes it sound like "Oh, yeah, I'd practice shooting in a hospital."

> Press 4th statement

<Gumshoe> はああ。あいかわらず、なーんにも知らないッスね。アンタは。 What pile of sand has your head been stuck in all this time, pal?

《ザックとバランの早撃ち》ッスよ！ You never heard of "Zak & Valant's Quick-Draw Shootem"?

<Phoenix> なんですか？　それ。 Huh? What's that?

<Gumshoe> 被告人の得意芸ッス。 One of the defendant's specialties.

真ん中に、女の子をはさんでザックとバランが撃ち合うッス！ Zak and Valant stand on either side of a girl!

すると、フシギッ！ Then, they shoot!

魔法の弾丸は、女の子をスルリと通りぬけて‥‥ But the bullets don't hit her!

ステージの上のあらゆるモノを撃ちぬくッス！ Instead, they hit everything else on stage!!!

そのとき、ステージで使われていたのが、このピストルッス。 This was one of the pistols they used in their show.

トクベツなデザインで、チビっ子に大人気だったッス。 Got a great design, huh? The kids love it.

<Klavier> コイツにあこがれて、警察官をめざした少年少女も多かったとか。 Many boys and girls joined the police because of that pistol, I hear.

<Phoenix> （なんだよ、“とか”って‥‥） (You know, that would explain a lot about the police force.)

In the source, it goes more like:

Kyouya: "Like how many boys and girls joined the police because of it." Naruhodo: "(What do you mean "Like how"...?)"

> Press 5th statement, acquire pistol

> Present pistol at 6th statement

<Phoenix> ピストルの弾丸は、カンタンには手に入らない。 Oh? Where did he get the extra bullet? They're not so easy to come by, you know.

被告人が“用意した”と主張するのならば‥‥ If you claim the defendant "had one ready"...

その入手経路の立証を要求します！ ...then prove to us how he got it!

<Klavier> ぐっ‥‥！ Urk...!

‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ クッ‥‥クックックッ‥‥ ...... Heh... Ha ha ha...

さすがに、これで決まっちゃあ盛り上がらないからね。 I had a feeling this wasn't over yet.

それに、ぼくにしてもね。このまま終わったら‥‥ No... this party's just getting started.

ただのチャラチャラしたお調子者のニイちゃんだし。 And I haven't proven anything yet, beyond my good looks, and startling record sales.

<Phoenix> （自覚してたのか‥‥） (And utter lack of humility.)

Kyouya: "Figures, it wouldn't be exciting if it just ended here. Besides, I can't let it end like that... Or I'd just be some jangly sucker who rides off on praise." Naruhodo: "(At least he admits it...)"

Catch you all later in the next one.

#gsvsaa #gs4 #ajaa #turnabout successor #part 3

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mythgirlimagines · 3 years

Photo

I hope that you like this more obscure talentswap! This fast-talking mile-a-minute lass lives for all there is to do with justice, for she is Myth, the Former Ultimate Stenographer!

-——————————————————

BACKSTORY AND TALENT

Being born to two hard-working pervayors of justice (attorneys, in fact), Myth always witnessed her parents getting justice served to the people who deserved it, and always wished to follow in their footsteps, so she would always write what her parents said in the court, so she could use it as future reference. Some of the court officials noticed this, and offered to give this girl a position as the court’s professional stenographer, and you better believe she wears that title like a badge of glory, and performs to the highest of capabilities. Myth’s supreme skill in stenographing earned her a spot on the Hope’s Peak roster as the Ultimate Stenographer, and even in her adult years, she is still working hard every day to record the words uttered by the justice system that she holds ever so dear to her heart. But her best friend forced her to take the next couple of weeks off, and chaperone this years Ultimates and Jr. Ultimates.

——————————————————-

RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Kickboxer

Despite being only two inches taller than their friend, Wyre dominated foes way bigger than them, thanks to their strong and wild kicking, which is enough for them to be considered a champion and caused them to earn their position as the Ultimate Kickboxer, and they are still going strong in their adult years. Despite their rough appearance and her equally rough demeanor and behavior, their criminal record is squeaky clean, and for that reason, Myth and Wyre have been only the best of friends for years and years. Wyre is also the only one who can understand Myth’s fast-talking and shorthand speech, and the only person who can stop Myth from over working herself and stressing herself out over minor details.

Outfit: An orange and sleeveless hoodie over a bandage-wrapped chest, chains on her neck and wrist, sweatpants that match her hoodie, nothing on her feet.

Anon Scar, Ultimate Puppeteer

As the mastermind and creative genius behind famous horror web series told exclusively through expertly-crafted marionettes and props, and a creepy voice acting as the narrator, Scar commonly calls herself ”The Narrator”, “The Disembodied Voice”, or, most notably of all, “The Puppetmaster”. Oddly enough, despite puppeteering for specifically in the horror genre, and wearing clothes that would be right at home on a cursed and possessed Victorian-era doll, Scar is actually quite the softie in real-life, often acting like a concerned mother to the other Kibo-Con attendees. Scar’s creepy appearance immediately scared Myth away, much to the dismay of the puppet enthusiast.

Outfit: A red beret on her head, cracks drawn on her face making her resemble a haunted doll, a black and white gothic-Lolita style dress, black and white striped stockings, brown platform heels.

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Waiter

Garnering fame all around his hometown for his ability to hold several plates of food all at once, while roller-skating simultaneously, Fusion is a waiter at the “Squeaky-Clean Spoon”, a 60s style diner run by his parents and grandparents, that is famous for their chili dogs and selection of songs on their personal jukeboxes. With their shared love for punctuality in their respective duties and their shared concern for their conmates, you would think that the two would get along perfectly. However, Myth caught wind of a certain skeleton in Fusion’s closet, and hasn’t forgiven Fusion since. Fusion desperately wishes to reconcile with his senpai, even if he is siding with an acclaimed thief.

Outfit: A white dress shirt, a red, yellow, and blue striped tie, a red and white apron, white gloves, red and white four-wheel roller-skates, glasses and pants from his original design.

Fusion Anon II, Ultimate Thief

As a youngster, Fusion II was born and raised on the streets, and had to steal and loot from any house and store that she happened upon, in order to survive in this dog-eat-dog world. Her natural stealth and clever mindset helps her evade her captors and makes her only the perfect thief. However, a couple of months prior, Fusion II was caught stealing from The Squeaky-Clean Spoon by the owners, and was offered a place to stay at the diner, in exchange for working as one of the diner’s chefs. Because Fusion II and Myth are on opposite sides of the law, they both have a massive grudge against each other, making Fusion II the person Myth gets along with the worst.

Outfit: A black-leather jacket over a pink undershirt, blue-ripped jeans with the same apron as Fusion tied over it, tall black boots, sunglasses from the original design.

Just Anon, Ultimate Tutor

Tired of his constant truancy, in spite of his stunning genius, Janon’s teachers have forced him to tutor his kohais, as compensation for all of the school days he missed and as a way to learn what actual work feels like. Because Janon can memorize entire textbooks worth of information, he uses all of this knowledge in order to tutor the school children of his neighborhood. While he does equally as well of a job with students older than him, Janon is notably harsher on them, compared to children (his one weakness and soft-spot). Janon shows zero respect for any of his senpais, particularly the stick-up-her-butt stenographer. Myth is oddly intrigued by Janon’s quick retaining of info.

Outfit: The same formal wear that he wears underneath his hoodie from his original design, with a long pink scarf wrapped around his neck (which was knitted by one of his kohais), reading glasses.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Tap Dancer

The famed star of the Spectacular Sparkling Spotlight (or Troupe S3, for short) Dance Troupe, Sparkle and the other girls of her dance-oriented musical theatre troupe are all skilled at all sorts of dance styles, but as her title would suggest, Sparklw (and the rest of her troupe) mainly specializes in tap dancing. A combination of her loud voice, style and grace on the stage, and the sheer amount of knowledge on the world of performing and theatrics, made Sparkle the perfect person to lead her troupe into worldwide stardom. At first, Myth was scared off by Sparkle’s loud and commandeering tone, but eventually (even if she won’t admit it), the skittish stenographer has warmed up to Sparkle.

Outfit; A black and white tuxedo with a matching hat/headband on top of her hair, white gloves, black and pink tap shoes, a sparkly black and white cape, a cane she carries at all times, glasses from her original design.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Graffiti Artist, and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Tailor

Egg and Wet Sock are a pair of twins best known for their differently-applied artistic genius. Egg, the older and more physically-gifted (but not particularly bright or sensible) of the two, specializes in colorful and eye-grabbing graffiti, with or without permission from commissioners. Wet Sock, the more brooding and withdrawn (yet equally as cursed) of the two, specializes in custom-made and fitted clothes, particularly those of the emo subculture. Egg’s jokey nature and morally dubious talent puts them at odds with Myth, meaning that, out of the twins, Myth gets along better with Wet Sock, despite their strange and frightening attachment to knives and regularly pulling them out.

Egg’s Outfit: Green-tinted goggles, a splattered bandana covering their nose and mouth, a black tanktop, green cargo pants, black gloves, spray can holsters and boots.

Wet Sock’s Outfit: A simple black and white tuxedo, accessorized with sewing supplies.

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Soccer Player

The otherwise ragtag soccer team of Star Summit Co-Ed Middle School has a secret ace up their sleeve, and that ace’s name is Curious Anon. Curious‘s sheer leg strength combined with his strategic mindset and game-breaking power made them popular among soccer fanatics everywhere and makes them truly earn the title of Ultimate Soccer Player. Despite their stoic and permanent game face frightening opponents, as any of their teammates would tell you, Curious is surprisingly kind-hearted and is easy to get along with. Curious’s honest and upfront nature seems to help calm Myth’s nerves, when she chooses to interact with the easygoing middle school soccer star.

Outfit: A green and white soccer uniform with black cleats.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Skateboarder

On the other end of the jock scale, we have Anon Nerd, the jerkish and hyper-aggressive Ultimate Skateboarder, and the eldest of the Kibo-Con roster. Because of his less-than-stellar and hyper-violent upbringing, Nerd took it to the skatepark to vent his frustrations with half-pipe tricks. All the time spent at the skatepark made his skateboarding skills escalate and escalate, until he became a pro-skateboarder in his teen years, and eventually the Ultimate Skateboarder. Because of their close-to-opposite personalities, Myth and Nerd don’t get along well in the slightest. Unfortunately, they’ve both developed feelings for each other, that they’ve never experienced before.

Outfit; Hair in a Mohawk with red and black dyed tips, a black tank-top with a bloody skull illustration on the front, black cargo shorts with sheered bottoms, black socks and white sneakers, tattoos on his arms.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate Public Speaker

Wanted to wake up the gullible sheep in the world, Eldritch quickly mustered up the confidence (thanks to several online confidence seminar marathons) to go in front of a crowd, and scream at them about all the terrible state the world is currently in, and how they’re all mindless corporate zombies, to let all of those atrocities slide. Despite his reputation as an overzealous Debbie Downer by many of his detractors, he has many fans for his loud and passionate voice and his regular use of peer-reviewed facts, making his speeches far more reliable than they seem. Eldritch’s anti-government attitude puts him at odds with Myth’s heavily pro-government mindset.

Outfit: Neatly combed hair, a black polo shirt with a green pixel design on the bottom, an orange tie, black pants and matching loafers.

Dream Anon, Ultimate Cadet

Despite her sunny and positive attitude clashing heavily against her strict and stoic military family and the rest of her squadron, no one can deny that Dream is a spectacular cadet towards her squadron. She can also play quite the mean bugle. With Dream and Myth opposite temperaments and interactions with others, you‘d be surprised to learn that they have two common point: their shared love of war history and respect for the government. They often like talking about war strategy and re-enacting old wars throughout history, using Dream’s collectible toy soldiers. These activities are one of the few times Myth‘s walls are let down in front of anybody, apart from Wyre.

Outfit: Hair in two small pigtails, a dark green and light green army helmet, black facepaint, a jumpsuit that matches her helmet, black boots with yellow soles.

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Cellist

Ever since she was little, thanks to her musician parents (a guitarist father and a violinist mother), Iris has been exposed to music, and eventually chose to follow in her parent’s footsteps with her favorite instrument: the cello. Unfortunately, because of her dislike of crowded spots, Iris couldn’t join an orchestra like she (and her parents) wanted to, so she opted to simply play her cello from home and upload her music online. Regardless of her fears and anxieties, Iris always tries her best to remain positive. Iris may not understand what the hell Myth is even saying, but she always tries her best to strike conversation with her senpai, in hopes that the stenographer can open up.

Outfit: Silver music note hairpins, a blue denim jacket with silver music note buttons over a black dress with white string designs in the middle, dark grey leggings, dark blue Mary Janes, glasses from original design.

Purple Anon, Ultimate Class Representative

Purple is a student from one of the most prestigious and high-class schools in all of the country, and despite her timid personality, thanks to her strong work ethic and her kind-hearted nature, she managed to secure a position in the school’s hierarchy as the representative of her class. Because of her overly formal and heavily outdated mode of speech that’s more at home with the other students at her uppercrust school, she usually requires a translator (usually Fusion) to make her speech comprehensible to the middle-class conmates. Myth and Purple quickly bonded in true incomprehensible glory, and regularly have conversations that no one but Wyre and Fusion can understand.

Outfit: A black overcoat over a white dress shirt and a red tie, a purple skirt, dark grey stockings, and red Mary Janes, topped off by a red armband on her right arm.

The series centers around the skittish stenographer learning to give potential criminals the chance for redemption.

——————————————————-

PERSONALITY

Stenographer!Myth is renowned upon the justice system for her efficiency in the court and the stoic face she puts on, upon entering a court environment, able to capture speech right down to the tiniest of breaths. But off of the court, she’s the complete opposite, for her speech is about as speedy, jumbled, and incomprehensible as her writing, often requiring Kickboxer!Wyre to translate for her. Stenographer!Myth is often very jittery, when interacting with others, and almost never relaxes or slows down to take a breather. She has zero time for playing or joking around, for a stenographer’s work is never done, and justice never sleeps. Her moral compass and sense of justice is practically removable, which makes sense, considering the environment she lives in. This puts her at odds with people such as Theif!Two. She’ll never admit it, but Stenographer!Myth really cares about each and every one of the Kibo-Con attendees, but she’ll never admit it, for fear of being made fun of or being taken advantage of by a potential criminal hiding amongst the crowd.

——————————————————-

APPEARANCE

Stenographer!Myth has brown hair that reaches her tailbone and wears the same uniform that she wears to court. The uniform consists of a pink headband with a heart pin given by her mother, a blue jacket over a pink dress shirt and a gold pendant with an amethyst in the center, a skirt that matches her jacket, black leggings and ruby red Mary Janes. She carries a stenography machine with her, at all times.

——————————————————-

Phew! I’ve finished this week’s quota! I hope you like this talentswap! Let me hear your opinions on this AU!

-Fusion Anon

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xcactusarto · 3 years

Text

Heaven Help Me

an Aoyama Yuga x Iida Tenya university au fic

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33615358

Summary:

What would happen if you found out the person that ordered art prints from you is the guy you’ve been interested in and lives 2 dorms away from you?

Poor Aoyama is denying his feelings from all the times boys broke his little heart, but this guy seems different and became even more special after Aoyama finds out this dude is a big fan of his art! Will he deliver the art prints himself or just leave the package at his door?

Part 1 / ?

Chapter 2 -

Aoyama was anxious to spill the tea on what had just happened to Bakugou once he could go back to his dorm. Even if he was excited to spill the beans, his stomach was not in good shape. He knew this feeling all too well.

He wanted it gone.

Aoyama arrived 5 minutes late after having to change routes and hiding between the bushes next to the art building to throw up dramatically. Thankfully his teacher was late so he could calm down and sit down. Aoyama felt seasick despite only having butterflies. Throw up could happen or the shits. ‘Not in this outfit’ Aoyama thought as he gripped his phone. The class only lasts 30 mins. Since his teacher was late probably less. Maybe he could text Bakugou about how sick he felt maybe they could walk together to the dorms.

Baku dear! My stomach is being very bitchy ~(>_<~) could you pick me up???

5 mins passed and Bakugou didn’t answer. Nor did the teacher show up yet. Aoyama looked around and his classmates looked confused as well. Aoyama looks a little to his right and whispers to his classmate.

“Dear, uh do you know if we had class today?”, his classmate looked at him and whispered back.

“Gurlie I’m not gonna lie, this is the first time in the semester I have come to class”, The classmate giggled and said,” Oh, but dude your outfit is hella cute”. Aoyama smiles at his classmate. A girl with a pink afro, a pink headband that made the knotted ends look like horns on her head, and hazel eyes.

“Oh thank you! But I gotta say you look absolutely dashing! Love the colors!”, Aoyama looked at his classmate up and down scanning her outfit. A blue tie-dye crop top with purple spots that went down to her chest. A black bralette under and some pastel yellow sweatpants that gave Aoyama the idea that she could be a dancer. White sneakers with colorful shoelaces. “What’s your name dear?”, Aoyama asked smiling. A small link formed and it was the start of a very nice and stylish friendship.

“Mina Ashido! And you?”, Mina said excitedly as she almost jumped from her seat. She could see this dude could be a great way to pass the class without having to show up. “Yuga Aoyama. Pleased to meet you.” Aoyama and Mina chatted as they waited for their teacher to show up. Slowly the people around them would get up and leave or just chat with each other. The silence of the room cleared up as Mina and Aoyama laughed and talked about their passion for fashion and their hobbies. Aoyama’s perception of Mina was right, she was a Dance major. She was currently doing ballet because she didn’t want her parents to know she was an underground street dancer. On the other hand, Mina learned Aoyama was a digital artist and even got to see some of his pieces. Both were very passionate and frankly, they could be each other’s moral support.

“Hey how about we exchange numbers?”, Mina said and quickly looked around. They were the only ones in class. The classroom was empty and the clock ticking at the front of the class. The class had just ended. Maybe coming to class wasn’t so bad since Aoyama was here. They both looked at each other and laughed. Aoyama’s butterflies were gone and Mina took away his anxiety of shitting himself.

“Yeah that would be wonderful”, Aoyama and Mina then tapped their phone and so they could now talk to each other without having to be in class. Maybe even hang out sometime. As they walked to the door and parted ways Aoyama could notice Bakugou never replied, but his bitch ass left Aoyama on seen. Aoyama was used to it and knew Bakugou would come. Bakugou often forgot to reply , but would do stuff Aoyama texted him to do or asked.

Aoyama waited outside the building for a while. He then sat down and looked at his phone. Scrolled down on his Twitter and Instagram timeline for some time. Aoyama then let out a sigh and got up. He then plugged in his earphones and as he was about to walk away his dorm neighbor called out to him. “Aoyama-kun! Wait up”, A slightly freckled buff guy with green fluffy curly hair called out to him. He wasn’t very stylish , but was always kind to Aoyama. Even though at one point our little Aoyama stalked him because he wanted to be friends with him. I mean he needed a reference for his styling assignment and he was perfect for the outfit. Aoyama stood there and waited for him to catch up to him. “Did class just finish for you too?”, The green-haired hunk asked Aoyama. Aoyama looked at him and explained his situation of waiting for Bakugou.

“Ah, Kacchan didn’t come to pick you up? I can walk you then since we are going to the same dorms!”, his dorm neighbor was always a lifesaver. “Denki is probably at our dorm so I can text him if he can check if Kacchan is there”.

“Please Midori! I’m worried he is oversleeping again. Which I doubt it...He’s probably working out”, Aoyama said as he locked arms with his neighbor. Midoriya Izuku or as Bakugou called him, ‘Deku’, shared a room with Denki Kaminari. Both Midoriya and Denki were his dorm neighbors and often came to watch movies or just help Aoyama with styling assignments. Midoriya was known by the fashion majors as the guy that wore weird shirts. Today he was wearing a pastel blue pullover that had ‘tiny weenie baby’ on it. Aoyama wanted to chuckle , but decided to hold it in. Midoriya’s boyfriend could probably say that was true. They walked to the dorms and as soon as Aoyama got close to the door he slammed it open.

“BITCH YOU HAD ME WAITING FOR 20 MINS OUTSIDE!”, Aoyama said hand still on the door. Midoriya looking over Aoyama’s shoulder. They had caught Bakugou at a...uh special moment.

“CAN’T YOU KNOCK?!”, Bakugou shouted back as he was making out with a purple-haired dude that looked exhausted. Bakugou was still in pajamas while the other was dressed like an e-boy that had just come out of hot topic after his mother had given him an allowance of $10 to spend on my chemical romance merch. That emo boy was Shinso Hitoshi, Bakugou’s boyfriend, and Aoyama’s ex-boyfriend which actually ended well with no heartbreak. I mean they lasted 1 week. Midoriya sneakily walking away then bumped into Denki who was joined by his dark-haired friend. Aoyama looked behind him and immediately then pulls Midoriya as to show proof in an Ace Attorney game.

“I can’t believe poor little Midori had to take time out of his day to walk me back!” Aoyama said as he hugged Midoriya with puppy eyes.

“W-Well uh technically I was walking back so might as well accompany him, right?” Midoriya nervously smiled as Denki walked into the room and held in the laughter he had from seeing Bakugou slightly flustered from being caught getting it on with Shinso. Bakugou then of course starts arguing with Deku as if Deku was the one at fault. Oh well, Aoyama needed to spill the beans on the guy he saw and interacted with so he gathered Denki, Shinso, and Denki’s friend who was just watching the chaos happening in a room full of gays. Except for Denki he had a girlfriend. I mean he isn’t straight, but bisexual so yeah a gay too. Aoyama shoved them to the other side of the room onto his bottom bunk. They all proceeded to sit down and let Aoyama sit cross-legged in the middle while he held a pillow.

“Oh my gosh, guys please help me snap out of these feelings I’m having! I’M GONNA DIE!”, Aoyama said as he swung his arms around dramatically.

“Is he gonna scooter ankle or is he being dramatic?” Denki’s friend leaned over and whispered in Denki’s ear.

“No Sero, he is just being dramatic about something .”, Shinso said as they looked at Aoyama giving them puppy eyes. Sero Hanta, Denki’s friend who was wrapped up in this situation. Sero is a black-haired dude with a nice wide smile. He often just wore pullovers and looked like those dudes that sits right in front of you in computer class and just watching memes or editing Shrek on Ronal McDonald’s body. Those dudes are pretty chill once you start talking to them.

“Just let him spill the tea guys. I wanna know what made him so anxious”, Denki said as he nudged both of the boys to listen.

“So I was walking to class alright?? And then and then I bumped into this guy while I was checking the time on my phone! And then bam this dude was holding me so sweetly and he was so strong might I add!!”, Aoyama said excitedly as he gripped the pillow close to his chest. The boys on the other hand looked at him. Maybe he’s being dramatic, Denki thought. The room of course was still noisy while Aoyama spilled his feelings on the hunk of a man that literally held him as if it was a shojo manga.

“And then he even HELD MY HAND!! MY PRECIOS HAND TO HAND ME MY PHONE!! He also told me to be careful and walked away as if nothing happened!!”, Aoyama sighs after this and just lets his body lay on the boys legs as he dramatically puts his left arm over his face.

“Well, that was something. How did he look like wey?”, Sero asked as he held Aoyama’s arm away from his face. Denki and Shinso nodded. Aoyama then puts a finger on his lips and thinks for a little. “Mind if I sketch him out?” Aoyama says as he signals Shinso to pass him his sketchbook.

After a few minutes, he then shows the boys as he had decided to sit between Denki and Sero. “He looked like this!! He had some weird eyebrows that looked like the Nike symbols!”, Aoyama pointed at the drawing. The boys felt like they had seen him before. They just couldn’t find this dude’s name in the glossary of their minds.

“Isn’t that Iida-kun?”

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plaidbooks · 3 years

Text

Best Friends - an EDL Bonus

A/N: This is just a collection of Devon and Sonny bonding--I wanted them to be close, but there was nowhere to really put it in the main story. This chapter references “Sheltered Outcasts” and “Intersecting Lives/Heartfelt Passages” (yup, Mike dies in this one--I very briefly mention it). This takes place in the middle of chapter 15, but does not spoil anything for that chapter. Also hey! The dude who threatened Barba in the show is here!

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tags: normal SVU stuff, mentions of death

Words: 2497

Taglist: @the-baby-bookworm @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @stardust-fray @permanentlydizzy @glowingmess @ben-c-group-therapy @infiniteoddball @whimsicallymad @averyhotchner @mrsrafaelbarba @dianilaws @detective-giggles @evee87

SVU Department

Friday, March 18th. 12:05pm

Devon made it into the 16th precinct, looking for Detective Fin, maybe Detective Rollins or Sonny…anyone but Liv. She glanced around, trying to find any of the detectives when her eyes locked with the Lieutenant’s. Devon tried to hide behind a passing officer, but to no avail.

“Really, Dev?” Olivia asked, coming over to the agent.

Devon smiled sheepishly at her friend. “I’m sorry, Liv. But now that Rafael’s back to work, I’m just going crazy at home. Are you positive you don’t have anything I can help you with?”

“Can you lift your arm over your head yet?”

Devon nodded, then demonstrated, lifting her left arm gingerly upwards until it was as high as she could normally reach. The physical therapy was going well; she had her full range of motions back. The muscular strength, though….

Olivia, sensing this, commanded, “lift that stapler over your head.”

Devon turned to Sonny’s desk, staring at the stapler sitting innocently on the hard wood. Detectives Fin, Carisi and Rollins had come back from whatever they had been doing and were watching now. Not wanting to appear weak, Devon took the stapler in her left hand. She got it off the desk and made it until about chest height before she dropped it, hissing in pain.

Olivia sighed, stooping to pick up the stapler. “If you knew you couldn’t lift it, then don’t hurt yourself, Dev.” Her eyes softened as she replaced the stapler on the desk. “Go home. Relax. Take this time to reconnect with yourself.” Devon ducked her head, not making eye contact, and nodded. “Carisi, could you give Devon a ride home, please?”

“Sure thing, Lieu,” Sonny replied, coming over to Devon. Defeated, she followed the detective out to his squad car. But before they got in, Sonny gestured to her, getting her attention. “Hey Dev, can I talk to you about somethin’?”

Curious, Devon replied with, “of course, you can. What’s on your mind?”

Sonny seemed a little nervous, shifting on his feet before he started. “It’s just…I just did an undercover in a shelter, with sex offenders…posing as a sex offender. And, I don’t know, I just don’t think I’m cut out for the whole undercover thing.” He stopped there. Devon watched, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath, then continued, “ya know, I went in hating those guys, thinking that 20 years was them getting off easy. But now, after spending so much time with ‘em, it’s hard to not feel…to not think that they may have changed since they were arrested.”

Devon nodded. “You saw them as people, rather than the criminals you normally see them as.”

“Exactly! That’s exactly it. And I just…I don’t know how to…” he trailed off.

“Sonny, don’t feel guilty about it; they are still people. Sure, some of them are the worst of the worst. But a lot of them do go to therapy, go through rehabilitation. It’s just that loud, violent minority that overrides the ones that do make it.”

Sonny shifted again, looking at the ground. “I’m just…I’m scared that the next time I’m interrogating a sex offender, that I won’t be able to do it well.” There it was, his real fear.

Devon took her time thinking about her words before answering. “Hey,” she started softly, waiting until he looked up at her. “Like I said, there’s a loud, violent minority that doesn’t get better, that are horrible rapists. If you want to help the victim, then you have to treat your perps like they are that minority. It’s sad, and it may be unfair, but that’s just how it is.”

He nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. “God, I don’t know how you do undercover so much,” he grinned.

Devon smirked back. “Undercover is rough; it’s not for everyone. Plus, I get to go into sex trafficking rings and drug busts, not therapy sessions.” She tapped her hand on top of the car before going to open the door, but Sonny had frozen, his eyes locked on the spot her hand tapped. “Uh, you alright there, Sonny?”

Slowly, his bright blue eyes shifted to hers, and a grin broke across his face. “Did I just see a ring on your finger?”

Devon’s eyes widened and her face split into a matching smile. “Ah, did Rafael not tell anyone that he proposed?” She shook her head at her fiancé’s silence, but Sonny was already coming around the car, sweeping her into a huge hug, singing his congratulations and dragging her back into the precinct to show everyone else.

Apartment of Rafael Barba and Devon Motely

Friday April 8th. 1:35pm

Devon was lounging on the couch, watching the Mets game when she got a call. Looking at the ID, her brow furrowed, seeing Sonny’s name displayed there. They were already friends, but ever since their undercover talk, Devon and Sonny grew closer. They had an understanding of each other, and Sonny felt like he had someone to talk to about tough cases, someone that wasn’t on the force, or his priest. And talking to Sonny about SVU cases gave Devon something to do; she was still barred from going to the department, but she could at least give some advice. Consultations, as Barba called it.

“Hey, Dev. I’m just calling to give you an update. Someone threatened Barba, so we have a protection detail—” Sonny started. Devon could vaguely hear Barba yelling something in the background, something that sounded like, “is that Devon? Are you insane??” But Devon had stopped listening, her stomach dropping.

“I’ll be right there,” she replied.

“No, no, it’s fine. See, I’m just calling to let you know that it’s all taken care of—” Sonny was backtracking hard; Barba’s voice could still be heard in the background, calling him an idiot.

“I’m on my way.” Devon had turned off the TV, grabbed her glock and badge, and was making her way to the door.

“Wait, Dev—” Sonny started but she hung up, already out the door, hurrying down the steps and waving down a cab.

Office of Rafael Barba

1 Hogan Place

Friday, April 8th. 1:52pm

Devon almost sprinted to Barba’s office, pushing past the crowd of attorneys. Two officers were stationed outside his office, set up by Carmen’s desk. The officers attempted to stop her, but she shot them a glare, showed her badge, and pushed past them. Sonny was still inside, as was Detective Rollins. Barba, who was standing by his chair, hands on his table, groaned when he saw you.

“Dammit, Carisi; now my injured fiancée is here, in danger,” he glared at the detective, who put his hands up in surrender.

“I’m sorry, Barba. I didn’t think she’d come. I just wanted to let her know what was happenin’,” he explained.

Devon crossed the room quickly, wrapping her arms around Barba’s shoulders, kissing his cheek briefly. “What’s this about you being threatened?”

Barba placed his hands on the arm across his front, leaning his head against her chest for a moment before he broke away. “It’s nothing, mi amor. Nothing worse than before. Besides, I got a protection detail on me already. You should be home, resting.”

Devon clucked her tongue at him. “I’ve been resting, for months. I’m getting tired of it, honestly. Plus, I still got one good arm; if I recall, I was able to protect you before with only one arm.” She smiled faintly, remembering those early days, when their only worries were the Aces, and not the NYPD, or anyone that they felt like they could hire. “Does this have anything to do with that CO your prosecuting?”

“Probably,” he muttered. Right then, both detective’s phones went off. They glanced at the message, then at each other.

“Gotta go,” Rollins said as they both hurried out.

Devon watched them leave. “That sounded bad.” Barba nodded in agreement.

Apartment of Rafael Barba and Devon Motely

Friday, April 8th. 9:37pm

“I still don’t know why we need an unmarked outside. They realize that I live here, right?” Devon said, leaning against Barba’s frame. They were on the couch, the news on in the background, but neither of them really watching it. It was simply on for noise; the air was too tight in the silence.

“Just for protection, Cariño,” Barba replied, pulling her closer against him. They were both waiting, though neither mentioned it. Sergeant Mike Dodds, on his last day with SVU, was shot on the job. He was in the hospital right now, and they were waiting to hear from Olivia, or any of SVU, on his condition. They both wanted to be there, but Olivia barred them, saying it was safer for them to stay home. So, home they were. At least until tomorrow, then they’d visit, safe or not. If he was still alive, though neither one acknowledged that thought. He had to be alive…he had to be.

“I cannot believe I had to hear that you were threatened through fucking Sonny, again,” she huffed, though she wasn’t really mad. She knew why Barba didn’t say anything. And while she was incredibly grateful that Sonny did, she also knew that there wasn’t much she could do in her condition. Plus, if she was planning on retiring from the Feds, then she wouldn’t be able to do anything, anyways. And she was going to have to get used to that, as much as she didn’t want to.

“Remind me to strangle him next time I see him,” Barba muttered under his breath and Devon chuckled.

“I’d love to see you reach that high,” she smirked.

Barba shot her a glare. “I’m taller than you.”

“Yes, but I’ve been trained to take down people bigger than me. If I remember correctly, I’m the one that taught you how to throw a punch.”

“And you’re a good teacher. That’s why I know I could take Fordham down.”

This made Devon laugh out loud. Just then, Barba’s phone went off, and Devon’s laughter came to an abrupt end, waiting to hear the news.

“Barba.” He waited while he listened. “What?” He waited again, then sighed. “I’m so sorry, Liv…. Do you want us there?” He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Devon sat up to look at him, concern blossoming in her chest. “Okay, we’ll be there first thing in the morning. Thanks for calling. Get some sleep, okay? Bye.” He sat there for a moment after he hung up. He took a deep breath, “Mike Dodds just died.”

Devon’s heart stopped. “What? How? I thought Liv said he woke up, was doing fine?”

“He had a massive stroke, couldn’t recover.” Barba couldn’t go on.

Devon felt the unspoken words. This could’ve been her, when she was shot just a few short months ago. This could’ve been her fate. Devon leaned back against him, head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, bringing her close to him.

“I love you, Dev. I love you so much,” he whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head softly.

She stroked his arm with her fingers gently. “I love you, too, Rafael.”

Forlini’s

Saturday, April 9th. 3:35pm

The bar was packed with officers in their dress blues; everyone in there was celebrating the life of Sergeant Mike Dodds. He was a good man, and he had touched all of their lives in one way or another. Devon had only met the man once, maybe twice, but he was nothing but kind, professional. She had an instant like of him and was sad that she never got to work with him, really. She was more there for support of her friends at SVU, and for Barba, who knew the man more than she did. And while she listened and laughed with those who told stories of the Sergeant, she couldn’t help but feel an uneasiness…a guiltiness. She felt it the most when was gave her condolences to Chief Dodds, Mike’s father. He had been polite, cordial. But she could still feel the animosity…or was that in her mind? Was it survivor’s guilt, even if she wasn’t involved in the shooting? Even now, sitting at the bar with Barba and Sonny, she could feel the Chief’s eyes on her, questioning why she had lived while his son had not.

SVU Department

Sunday, April 10th. 9:30am

“He looks so much smaller in there,” Barba said as the men in the lineup were led away.

“Any chance I could get 10 minutes alone with the guy?” Devon asked, still glaring at the man who had threatened her fiancé. Ten minutes was a long time, and she’d make every minute count. Barba smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her from the window.

While Sonny walked with them, he said, “Felipe was paid $250 each time he talked to you, counselor.”

“$250, that’s it? I should be offended,” Barba scoffed. “Who paid him?”

“Wouldn’t say, but we’re keeping the protection detail on ya.”

Devon perked up, “again, just 10 minutes with the guy. I can get it out of him.” Though, she shuddered when she remembered Barba’s face the last time he watched her interrogate someone.

Barba just squeezed her tighter before he turned to Sonny. “You still want to be an ADA?”

Sonny shifted. “I’ve been thinkin’ about it, yeah.”

“I’ve heard there’s an opening in Brooklyn. I can put in a good word for you.”

Sonny looked touched at the offer, but declined, saying, “I took an oath to serve and protect. ‘Sides, after what happened, it just doesn’t feel like the right time, ya know?”

Barba nodded. “I get it. In the end, we’re all just passing through…. How’s Benson doing?”

“She’s…taking it pretty hard,” Sonny mumbled. Weren’t they all? Barba used his free hand to pat Sonny’s shoulder before he led Devon out of the precinct.

Once they had made it into the back of a cab, Devon said, “let’s get married sooner rather than later.”

Barba raised an eyebrow. “Scared I’ll run off?”

She smiled at him, giving his chest a light smack. “No, I just—life’s too short, ya know?”

That sobered Barba’s mood as he nodded. “Think June is too close?”

It was early April now; that gave them about two months to plan everything. That seemed doable to Devon, but it still gave her pause; having a date in mind made everything real. She still had to leave the Bureau, figure out what the hell kind of wedding they were even going to have. Though, if there was one thing she knew about Barba, it was that he was an amazing planner. She didn’t know, however, how well his court planning’s would translate to wedding planning.

“June sounds perfect,” she replied, leaning in to give him a sweet kiss. He returned it, grinning against her mouth.

#rafael barba x oc #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfic #everyone deserves love #edl bonus #fanfic #my writing

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ranma-rewatch · 4 years

Text

Episode 1-The Strange Stranger from China/Enter Ranma

Alright, time to really start this thing off with the first episode, “The Strange Stranger from China”. I...don’t remember that being the name of the episode, but it has been about a decade since I last saw the series.

I feel like I remember what happens in this episode pretty well, it should just be an introduction to (some) of the main cast and kick of the dynamic between the two leads, but I could be wrong. Let’s see after the break, once I have rewatched the episode!

Okay first things first, the Opening. Musically, this song has always sat in a weird spot for me. It’s really freaking catchy and memorable, but it’s also kind of annoying? Like, there is a fine line between a great ear worm and a song you actually want out of your head, and “Don’t Make Me Wild Like You” by Etsuki Nishio is like right on that line. There are parts of it I think are adorably entertaining, like the whistle, and other parts where I kind of cringe. It’s not my favorite opening song of the series, but it’s not bad either.

Visually, it is Okay with a capital O. There is a reason Mother’s Basement has never done a feature on it. It is mostly just the cast running in place over pastel backgrounds, and some of them have the coloring that’s very different from what would end up being used later on once they appeared. That said, I have to give infinite props to Akane’s little snapping dance, because it is freaking adorable and I love ever frame of it.

Also, the title. What I said it was earlier, “The Strange Stranger from China”, was what Hulu has it listed as, and from what I can tell that was what it was listed as on DVD. From what I can tell from my expert translator, Mr. Google Translate, it’s kind of similar to the Japanese title, which says it is “He's from China!! A little weird!!”. But in the episode, the dub says the episode is “Here’s Ranma” which is what I remember it being. So...yeah. Apparently at some point they wanted to retcon the english title of the episode, but never changed the dub track to match.

So, what’s the episode about? Hell, what is this show even about? Well, the episode starts with a feminine person with red hair fighting a panda in the street, arguing about being betrothed to someone against their will, while onlookers watch in confusion. Then the panda knocks them out, and carries them away. Cut to the Tendo family estate, where Soun Tendo has received news that Ranma Saotome and his father Genma will soon be coming, and gathers his three daughters to explain the situation.

You see, in addition to being fairly well off in general, Soun is the owner of a dojo for the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, and his best friend and fellow practitioner of the same art, Genma, made an agreement years ago to bind their families in marriage. Thus, Ranma will marry one of Soun’s three daughters. From oldest to youngest, they’re Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, who is the only one of the three to practice martial arts herself. When Soun reveals he has never met Ranma and has no idea what he’s like, his daughters are kind of pissed that their dad promised one of them would have to marry him, which is pretty fair.

Instead of the middle-aged man and teenage boy they expected, the red-head from before is dragged in by the panda, and they explain they are Ranma Saotome, to everyone’s confusion. Based on their body, everyone assumes Ranma is a girl, and Ranma and Akane actually become fast friends, sparring in the dojo. But after Akane has a surprise bathroom encounter with a very masculine Ranma that involves him seeing her naked, and vice versa, they learn the truth.

See, Ranma and his dad were in China training when they visited Jusenkyo, a seeming hot spring tourist trap, only to each fall in a different spring while practicing fighting there. Turns out all the water there is cursed because things kept drowning in the springs a long time ago. Now they’re both cursed. They each transform when cold water is poured on their heads, into a feminine body for Ranma and a panda’s body for Genma, and turned back with hot water.

Once that’s all out in the open, everyone except Ranma and Akane thinks that, since Akane doesn’t like guys, she would be the perfect fiance for Ranma since he is ‘half girl’. Akane is still upset with Ranma, both because she has a lot of issues with men and feels betrayed that Ranma never said he was really a guy, and also because he saw her naked. Ranma claims it isn’t a problem because he can look at himself anytime and he’s more stacked, and the dynamic of Akane hitting Ranma for the asshole-ish things he says is born.

So, lots of stuff to talk about for an analysis. I think I’ll go with a compliment sandwich, bundling up what was rough for me around what I liked or thought was particularly interesting. To start with, aside from a few places where there was clear corner-cutting of reusing animation and kind of needless flashbacks, I liked the animation. The original mangka, Rumiko Takahashi, has really great character designs, and I love seeing her personal art style brought to life by the animation of Studio DEEN, a group I am not super used to complimenting.

In terms of plot, I think it’s a pretty strong opener. It introduces a lot of the main cast, even if some of them are depicted fairly broadly and not shown as the characters they’d one day become. This might sound odd, but I also really appreciate how female nudity is handled. Maybe it’s just because, if anything, the way most anime handle ‘fanservice’ has just gotten more and more over-the-top as the years go by, but the way Ranma 1/2 handled it feels like a breath of breath air.

See, in most modern anime, full blown nudity of either sex is never shown. Instead, feminine characters’ bodies are incredibly sexualized, with lots of emphasis put on the breasts and other body parts, without ever giving the full game away. By contrast, this episode contained several example of the feminine form shown completely nude, but it wasn’t treated like some mind-blowingly sexy thing, it was just kinda shown without much fanfare. I’ve currently watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam, which came out around the same time, and it actually does the same thing a few times. It feels more similar to how nudity is treated in, say, paintings or sculpture, more tasteful, and I just kind of think it’s neat.

What is definitely less neat...is the music. If I had to throw out right away my biggest gripe with the show, it is the OST. Not all of it, there are a few bits near the end of the episode that are actually really good, they’re the kind of music I remember being in the show. But the more silly, goofy tracks more common in the first half of the episode really don’t work for me. They remind me of the generic ‘Silly Person’ theme songs from the Ace Attorney games, and maybe it’s just me, but those kind of background music always take me out of the experience and grate on my nerves. That’s actually my only big issue so far, but it did make both times watching this episode genuinely hard to get through at points, it annoys me that much.

Now, I will say right now that I will be referring to Ranma using male pronouns regardless of whether he’s in his cursed form or not, and I won’t call him a ‘girl’ or a ‘woman’. If you didn’t know, sex and gender are not actually the same thing, so even if his physical sex is changed to fit someone who would be Assigned Female at Birth, his internal gender doesn’t change. No matter how Ranma looks, he thinks of himself as a man.

Corollary to that, it was this time going through this episode that I realized something that I’d never thought of before: Ranma’s experience in this episode, and in some ways throughout the series, is actually a lot like that of a transgender man’s. Ranma shows up at the Tendo’s estate and they all see him as a girl because of how he looks, only for him to reveal his actual gender. When he’s hanging out with Akane, and she thinks he is actually a girl, and they’re getting along, there’s a part where she tells Ranma that she’s so happy he turned out not to be a boy, and you can see Ranma’s facial expression, he doesn’t want to hear that. Clearly, yes, you can read that as Ranma wincing at the fact that she’s in for a rude awakening later on, but it also gives off the same kind of vibes closeted trans people experience when they’re misgendered by people they know.

In fact, when you think about how his curse really affects Ranma, when he’s in his cursed form, he effectively is a trans man. He still identifies as a guy, but his body has been changed so that it no longer represents who he sees himself as inside. It just felt like an interesting real life parallel in this episode, and I’m interested to see if I feel it shows up more later on. But for now, let’s move on to character spotlight.

For the first spotlight, I thought I should center on the titular Ranma Saotome. Obviously this won’t be the only time I focus on him, he’ll get more spotlight pieces as the series develops, so right now I’ll try to focus on the Ranma we see in just this one episode.

To start with, who plays him? Well, that’s a funny story, actually. Not only does Ranma, due to his curse, have different voice actors in each language for his cursed and non-cursed forms, but in the English Dub they recast his masculine body’s voice actor after three seasons. I’ll talk about that voice actor, Richard Ian Cox, once we get to when he actually becomes Ranma’s voice actor, so let’s start with the masculine form’s VA’s.

Now, the Ranma I first met when I was a teenager was Sarah Strange, a Canadian Voice Actress who is not known for much else. Her Ranma has mostly been the one I think of in my head when I think of the character. A little nasaly, her take on the character is very average joe, very ordinary high schooler. There’s some brashness to it, sure, but it’s actually kind of a subdued version of Ranma. Looking at it now, I actually feel like both of Ranma’s masculine form’s voice actors don’t quite fit the character, but for opposite reasons. Sarah Strange’s voice is so normal sounding that it dampens the more extreme parts of his character, Ranma at his most arrogant and egotistical. Like I said, I’ll cover Richard Ian Cox when he takes over the role, but I’ll say in brief here that his version of Ranma is the polar opposite, too over-the-top and aggressive.

In contrast, his original Japanese voice actor, Kappei Yamaguchi, feels a lot better to me, at least so far. Again, this is basically my first time seeing the series subbed, so I’ve only heard him for one episode as opposed to the 3 seasons I had with Sarah Strange. Still, Kappei’s take on Ranma is just as normal sounding as Sarah’s, but I felt like I could already hear a little more of the more emotional side of the character I felt Sarah never quite managed to capture properly.

As for Ranma’s cursed form, I was kind of confused, because the voice I was hearing in the episode wasn’t the one I remembered. For a while, I thought she must have just grown into the role over time, but it turns out that is not the case. For the first six episodes of the show, he was played by Brigitta Dau, who was then replaced with Venus Terzo. Now, I did not know this until literally right now, as I am typing this, so I feel like I don’t actually have much to say about Brigitta. Her performance felt a little off to me, but not bad. Venus, though, really owns the role once she takes over. Her performance as red-headed Ranma has always felt perfect for me, selling the idea that this is a teenage guy in a feminine body, and she’s really good at selling Ranma at his most dickish.

In Japanese, this form of Ranma is played by Megumi Hayashibara. Now, I would never ever say she did a bad job, but from what I saw of her in this episode, I don’t know how much I actually like her as Ranma. Maybe it’s just the pitch of her voice, but she doesn’t sound quite to me like a guy in a feminine body, but just like a very emotional teenage girl. Of course, I do not speak Japanese and it’s a lot harder to really judge acting in a language you don’t understand, so I could be spouting utter nonsense, but that’s my thoughts on her as of this episode.

In terms of Ranma’s character, they don’t really give much away with this first episode. We know he’s a good fighter, has a difficult relationship with his father, doesn’t like his curse and wants to get rid of it, and has enough stubbornness to butt heads with Akane and stand his ground. I also felt like they did a good job telegraphing Ranma’s general fighting style during his sparring match with Akane. He spent the entire time dodging her attacks with incredible ease, which emphasizes his speed. Generally speaking, I’d describe Ranma as a very agile, thinking-on-his feet kind of fighter, but that’s something we’ll see more of in later episodes. I was going to do a big thing about his personality, but I feel like anything more than what I’ve said hasn’t really borne out in what we have, so I’ll wait for another time to do that.

Like I said in my Introduction post, I will be ranking each episode as they appear, and as this is the only one I’ve seen in the rewatch, it is both the best one and the worst one so far. The real question is how it will stand up next time, when I’ll be able to compare it to the second episode, “School is No Place for Horsing Around”. See you then!

#episode 1 #here's ranma #the strange stranger from china #ranma 1/2 #ranma saotome #akane tendo #lgbtq #anime analysis #anime rewatch

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batsaboutbats · 3 years

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2021 Reading

I used the Calendar spread for this reading. While it’s not exactly how you’re supposed to use it, I make each card a corresponding month to predict the year and the events of each month. You start from left, and go around in counterclock wise direction. The center card predicts general influences on the inquirer. So let’s get started to see what a shitshow 2021 is going to be.

Card 1/January: ACE OF SWORDS reversed (could also be personality of the inquirer in traditional reading.)

FORCE, is the nature of this card. And not in a good way. Injustice, wanton abuse of power, misunderstandings, and malice abound. Mental stress and anxiety are going to be the name of the game in January for me. This tracks, especially considering the pandemic, the piece of trash littering the oval office, and our senate doing it’s best to murder and subjugate us. Fuck them, I’m too spiteful to die.

Card 2/ February: PAGE OF CUPS (money, possessions, material concerns)

Pale, fair haired with blue eyes, the Page of Cups is a gentle young person with kind heart and mind, both loving and artistic. They are also insightful. If female, somewhat tomboyish. They can be emotionally vulnerable and need affection to thrive. I’d suppose that it’s referring to myself as the physical description fits, and it means to be more concerned about emotional wealth rather than the kind valued by coin. God knows in this current climate that kindness is sorely in shortage. I’ll try to be understanding of others and not let my anger rule me.

Card 3/March: JUDGEMENT reversed (short journeys, siblings, learning.)

Opportunities will be ignored, and I might fall victim to stubbornness-- such as refusing to move on from a position. Fear of death, illness, and refusal to change when it is vital to do so. This card can delay outcomes.

Hm. I’m gonna hedge a bet that it means covid-19 might explode beyond imaginable grief in this month, due to the fact that it’s around this time that regular people should be getting access to the first round of the vaccines. I have little faith in people’s patience right now, so I have a feeling they’ll think one shot is enough and try to go back to life as before the virus hit. 9_9 Guess I need to be diligent and stay on my toes. Be flexible and roll with the punches!

Card 4/April: THE TOWER reversed (home life, childhood?)

False accusations, imprisonment, or oppression.

Definitely a volatile month full of trying challenges. I’ll most likely initiate a change of attitude that may shock or dismay those around me. Basically, I’ll become a rebel. Deal with it, I guess. Since this is focused on home life, I’m guessing that my family and I are going to be butting heads, a lot.

This is most likely the month I may have to finally have a showdown with my father-- who has shown himself to be brain damaged. Yes, really. He had a stroke a few years ago, and I don’t care that he’s still able to walk and talk just fine, he *changed* after it. His personality became a complete stranger to me and I don’t even recognize him anymore. The vile shit he says casually makes my skin crawl and I really worry about my safety sometimes.

April may be the month I have to decide what to do about my dad. Be it taking Power of Attorney, or placing him into a retirement/nursing home... It really is up in the air. I just know it’s going to be a bad month.

Card 5/May: THE WORLD reversed (Romance, leisure, fun, and children.)

Success has yet to be won in this month. Insecurity might be the thing standing in my way, while I’m lacking vision. I’m probably going to be too focused on what is, and not what could be.

Maybe my battle with my family will spill into this month, and my gentleness is going to fuck me over. I need to harden myself and do what is necessary even if people don’t like it. There’s no time for leisure of fun in this month it seems.

Card 6/June: KING OF SWORDS reversed (work, habits, health matters.)

The King is a distrustful, suspicious man. He plays mind games, and double deals to spite those around him. Sounds like it’s talking about my dad, here to ruin my birthday. Jesus fucking Christ.

Seems like his health and needs are going to take up most of my attention, while I’m in the middle of balancing work and trying to keep my sanity balanced. I will have to be careful of my own health and not allow him to drag me down into depression. This is going to be a rough month.

Card 7/July: 4 OF CUPS (partnerships, business or personal.)

BOREDOM is what this card means.

Stability will be achieved in this month. What more can be achieved anyway? Familiarity breeds contempt during this month. Which is to say, my Dad is still going to be his terrible self and there’s nothing I can do to change him. Most likely I’m going to accept that the father I thought I had doesn’t exist anymore...just take my fate for what it is.

To heal myself I’m going to need a new start-- either with a new activity or a few new friends. Maybe both.

Card 8/ August: 5 OF SWORDS reversed (sexuality, shared resources, inheritance, investments.)

DEFEAT is what the card means. Stubborn pride, and refusal to give in when all is lost. Most worrying is that this card more often than not signifies a funeral. Is this the month my father leaves the mortal coil? Possibly. I’m going to be careful of being too bullheaded, and learn to cut my losses.

I may need to keep an eye on my retirement funds this month.

Card 9/ September: 7 OF CUPS (Distant travels, religion, philosophy)

CHOICES is the meaning of this card. Important decisions will have to be made, with numerable options to choose from. I’ll have to be careful and pick the right one though. Doorways will open for me, but I must walk through the correct door. I’ll need to be extremely intuitive here. I’m guessing that I might inherit something after all, and will have to decide what to do with it wisely.

Card 10/October: THE SUN (career, status, direction)

SUCCESS is the meaning of this card. Oh thank fuck. Finally, some good fucking content. While glory is overrated imo, I’ll take happiness and achievement. It seems I really did pick the right choice in September afterall. Good news will come this month, and a possible birth of a child may come to my family. My sister? Might be the one it’s hinting at here, but as far as I know, the good news is probably financial related. Hot sunny places might be in my future. Is this the month I begin to prepare to head to Australia? Either for a visit or a new life? Not sure.

Card 11/ November: 6 OF SWORDS (friends, social life, hope for future)

TRAVEL is what this card denotes... Movement away from danger, discretion is the better part of valor here. I should move in company of others in similar circumstances, and luckily my immediate problems will be solved in this month, whatever those may be. There is only one direction to go in, and it’s thankfully positive! Hm. Maybe this is going to be the start of something more permanent.

Card 12/ December: THE FOOL (secrets, hidden enemies, where you may be your own worst enemy.)

NEW BEGINNINGS is what this card holds for me. Nothing can harm me anymore, no matter what I do. I can take a risk and start a new chapter of my life without fear. I should take the unexpected as it comes with open arms and embrace change. Unconventional people could enter my life and be what I need to finally be happy. I no longer have to look over my shoulder in fear that the other shoe is going to fall. The worst is over. Perhaps Covid-19 is finally tamed and the world is settling down again.

This is a good sign, and tracks so far with the others. I like seeing gradually progression in readings because it gives me confidence that it’s going to be a slow ease into change and I can roll with it all better.

Center Card/General influences on me, the inquirer: 9 OF SWORDS

Cruelty is what this card means. Refusal to accept help or feel that improvements cannot be made. However their is light at the end of the tunnel, I just have to learn to adapt and rely on others sometimes. Not everything is horrible and there is good in the world. I just have to look for it a little harder is all.

2020 has left deep scars on me. I just have to remember that the future will be ok as long as I’m positive and believe in myself.

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leonawriter · 7 years

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I Burned So Long, So Quiet

Gods AU fic masterpost

Fandom: Ace Attorney

Characters: Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Trucy Wright

Ships: Phoenix/Edgeworth

Summary: The words are said in the silence of night, while they both could have been sleeping, and Phoenix's fiery warmth surrounds them. An answer comes so long that Miles starts to wonder if they were in the process of being forgotten.

...

I slept there the night you said ‘I think I’m falling in love with you,’ igniting a great unendurable belongingness, like a match in a forest fire.

I burned so long so quiet you must have wondered if I loved you back. I did, I did, I do.

Everyone I Love is a Stranger to Someone, Annelyse Gelman

...

It's years - only one or two, really, but in some ways it feels both longer and shorter - after he's admitted to Edgeworth, albeit in not the easiest nor best way, that he isn't human. That sometimes he thinks of what it would be to choose to no longer exist. Although those thoughts have been coming less frequently, as of late.

They're at Edgeworth's place, when it happens.

He'd always remember what it had been like not long before, either - him and Miles on the couch, with Miles even leaning into him in a way that he'd have never imagined might be possible before this - before everything - before his world was turned upside down, and everything was taken away. You win some, you lose some, had come the thought, although he'd winced slightly, just a little, at the reference to gambling when he was nowhere near the Borscht, and they didn't play poker at Miles'.

Trucy's sat in a plush armchair, fast asleep, swamped in it. He could see the soft rise and fall of her chest and the relaxed look on the girl's face from where they were.

...

Phoenix and Trucy were staying the night. It had been decided only within the week, only in the amount of time it had taken their most recent landlord to decide that they weren't paying enough rent, that they weren't doing enough. It would take time to find a new place, if they didn't want to just start living out of the Agency offices - which Miles was still opposed to on principle - but for now, they were treating it like a... sleepover, was what Trucy had called it.

Trucy had her own room in his place, from the sheer amount of times her father stayed out so late in his 'job', and the times when he didn't come back for days due to independent investigation. He'd even given her a key, just in case of something like this happening - or if there was an emergency and she had nowhere else to go. He'd seen her off to bed a while ago after they'd woken her up to tell her that she'd get aches if she slept in the chair all night, comfortable at first or not. He should know.

The habit he and Phoenix had gotten into of the both of them sleeping in the same bed was something that they had fallen into both gradually and all at once, both of them feeling more at ease and more rested because of it, and because of that, not wanting to stop.

As for his own reasons, Miles had even admitted to Phoenix's face that part of what helped was the fact that Phoenix tended to be so warm. Never enough to overheat, even in summer, but always warm.

This isn't the height of summer. It's autumn, and there's rain drizzling down outside. Even though his own central heating was enough to stop the cool breeze from bothering either of them, one of Phoenix's arms was drawn around him, and the comparison between Phoenix and a bird extending its wing wasn't lost on him, and given that his friend's name was more than a little literal, it had probably come into his head for good reason.

With Phoenix's warmth around him, the nightmares that still came on other nights from time to time faded away into merely bad dreams, unable to have any real hold on him.

He found himself thinking of the way that Phoenix would look when he woke up, sunlight streaming through the windows and making it seem as though for just a moment Wright had just forgotten to shave and hadn't brushed his hair.

Remembered that it wasn't his imagination showing him these things, because he'd lived through those mornings, too many times to count, now, too many hotels when they weren't even at home in America.

His mind wandered from that realisation to the smile he'd seen Phoenix wear when they'd been in London just a few weeks ago, the one he'd worn when he thought no one was looking, when they'd taken Trucy to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studios for her birthday and she'd started giggling when they'd found the animatronic of Fawkes. How he'd leaned in and said, with all seriousness, that they'd had a few details wrong in the feathers and beak, but not to tell Trucy herself.

He remembered with fondness the various exasperated and frustrated expressions Phoenix wore whenever they'd sat in on a trial that had a jury, whenever they'd argued the points of how it worked and how it failed.

Miles sighed, content, a feeling settling somewhere in his chest. Something that was hard to put words to at first. And then, when he had, it was obvious.

"I think," he said, more of an under-the-breath mutter than fully spoken words, "I think I'm falling in love with you."

And the moment he's said it, he freezes, unsure if Phoenix has heard, despite it being the dark and silence of night when spoken words hurt the ear, and unsure if he wanted them to have been heard - not at all, no, but yet, maybe not yet - and there's nothing he can do either way.

Phoenix's breathing hitches around him as though maybe he has heard, which doesn't help Miles' stress levels, but he doesn't say anything, and eventually, they both sleep, Phoenix's warmth still encompassing him all around.

This is what it must feel like, Miles thinks. Love. It's warm.

...

Phoenix wakes up to the warm feeling of sunlight against his face, and a coolness that means Miles is already up, as well as the sounds of both birdsong and coffee being made.

The words he heard the previous night still ring in his head, like a chant or prayer he'd heard long, long ago that had given him power from belief - but unlike then, this is making him heady from just one person, from one person's words.

I think I'm falling in love with you, Miles had said.

Phoenix's breath hitches, the fire of his heart rising and burning brighter, and he looks up when Miles puts his head through the door of his room - their room, it could be said, when he comes to stay with Trucy, but he hadn't wanted to assume too much - and says that breakfast is getting ready, and Trucy is waking up as well.

Miles, who looks at him warily, cautiously.

They don't talk about it over breakfast, not with Trucy there, and they don't talk about it when Miles drives Trucy to school and drops her off at the gate, hugging both him and Miles before heading off.

It's an awkward thing to bring up as Edgeworth's driving to work, and certainly not in the car park under the prosecutor's office where they part, Phoenix in his hoodie and sandals surrounded by displays of wealth in the form of expensive cars and suits worth more money than he's ever had to his name - in this lifetime, at least.

It's a few days and nights later when Miles sighs and looks away, caught between some fear and longing he hasn't yet put into words, and maybe won't ever will.

"I didn't know if I should say anything," Phoenix says, sitting safely on the edge of the couch, beanie in his lap and hair ruffled, looking up into his friend's startled eyes. "I knew what I felt, after all. I didn't know how you felt, not until you said... that." If anything, the look on Miles' face was becoming more anxious, not less, which wouldn't do at all. "You weren't the only one. Falling, I mean."

Which was ironic, wasn't it? He was a bird, he was fire, and fire rose up - it didn't fall. But then, he was more than a bit human as well, especially right now and after all this time, and falling came all too easily to gravity-struck humans.

Somehow, despite the fact that he was the one sitting down right now and Miles was standing up, it felt more like Miles was the one looking up at him.

"I wondered. I - you didn't say anything. I wondered if perhaps you hadn't heard. Or you were pretending that you hadn't."

Phoenix is up in a single moment, looking Miles dead in the eye.

"I did hear. I did - I always did love you, even when I don't think we'd realised that's what it was yet. And I do now. Gods, I love you." He laughs. It isn't the bitter laugh that he gives to other people nowadays, but it isn't entirely unbroken, either. "I was more worried that you'd start to think I wasn't the man you once new."

Miles shrugged, hands upturned in the air, smile far warmer than when he'd ever been in court.

"And how many times have we both changed? Wright - Phoenix. When I said that, the other night... I meant all of you, not just the presentable parts."

...

AN: I'd been going through Doctor Who fanfics after rekindling my love of the fandom after several years, and found a work that referenced the poem, and said that it'd been doing the rounds on Tumblr, which made me curious, which made me want to look it up, and when I did... I had an almost immediate mental image of the middle scene. One that I absolutely had to write out.

Timeline wise, set not long after 'Once, We Were Gods'.

#ace attorney #narumitsu #once we were gods au #phoenix the phoenix #Leona fic #aw look we finally have some narumitsu in this au!#at last!#also slightly helped by axoioti saying nice things about the au as well!

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ladyloveandjustice · 7 years

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The Great Ace Attorney Replay: Apollo Justice, Case 4 Part 1

Dramatic stuff happened in Ace Attorney and now I'm seven years before the game is set playing as Phoenix in the trial where he got disbarred. It's nice and familiar to be him again even if I know I'm destined to lose.

"They say the new prosecutor is the best ever but there's like one of those every year" haha that's true. Phoenix is so jaded but so correct. Literally every prosecutor introduced in each new game is supposed to be the best prosecutor ever.

u know if Maya was here I am positive this whole thing would have been avoided

she would have been like "Nick maybe lets not assume evidence some random child hands us is real"

or "Nick it's sort of fishy our client is telling us it will be impossible to declare a verdict. like that's kinda weird"

THIS IS WHY MAYA SHOULD NEVER LEAVE.

awww i forgot we got to see Gumshoe in this flashback. i missed u. where have u gone.

"Today's the day, pal! I'm gonna win and you're gonna lose!" Well. he's not wrong.

they even switched back to the music from last game for this trial. so retro.

I have to show this evidence even though I know it's fake. but the most amazing thing is they give you a option NOT to show the evidence...and you can click it...then Phoenix shows it anyway. OKAY THEN.

i'm gonna show them my attorney's badge instead of this fake evidence

shockingly this did not work. Phoenix is doomed.

We lost our badge. AND NOW WE'RE IN THE INTERNET. this part is so weird it's like Phoenix is talking directly at the player but if i recall correctly he's actually talking to the jurors. who i guess get to investigate the case using some futuristic technostuff??? who knows.

"And when all the questions have found their answers... ...the final trial will begin. But first, you must chase the truth through then and now. Think of it... as a game." GET IT. SO META.

I'm Phoenix again but i don't have my attorney's badge in the court record anymoooore. NOW WHAT WILL I SHOW PEOPLE. Life has no more meaning.

oh jesus christ it's mike meekins i forgot he was in this part too He doesn't even remember Phoenix? it was literally two years ago. ok. Apparently he's been demoted somehow and is bailiff. Phoenix doesn't care enough to find out what happened.

ok never mind he did ask. he lost his case files three times in four days and they fired him. but he's still wearing his police officers uniform. illegally.

"You know, I think this is the lobby I was in for my very first case. This plant has seen be grow from a rookie, to an ace....to a has-been. I hate you, plant. ...Just kidding." Phoenix. sweetie.I'm sure the plant isn't offended.

"I've seen this painting a bunch of times. I guess I never really looked at it because my head was so stuck in trials. I never had time to stop and appreciate art. I have time now. Ok. Let's appreciate. ....it's pretty lame." PHOENIX. PLEASE. his inner monologue right now is bitter depression central, omg. (this is even more hilarious when you remember he was an art major)

as much as i'm enjoying the Phoenix Wright depression show i should probably go to bed. ttyl!

luci: reading these

i believe in phoenix. maybe he wont lose this time if i believe

Me: ace attorney again. going back to Phoenix's office seven yrs in the past before he just gave up and let it become a complete disaster area.

The whole story with Trucy is just so sad but also really sweet on Phoenix's part. Basically he met her during the trial where he got disbarred because she was his clients daughter. She was also the person who unwittingly gave him the forged evidence- she was like eight and someone else told her to deliver it. But anyway, when Phoenix was framed for forging evidence, her dad just...literally vanished in the middle of court (he was also a magician) and abandoned her with Phoenix.

so now I'm at the office and she's just been staying with Phoenix I guess and he's calling around and finds out she has no living relatives. So he's like "well, you can live with me if you want. Of course if you don't like it we can find somewhere else."

Like how many people would just automatically adopt a random child who was left with them by someone who completely screwed them over. Especially if that child inadvertently cost them their job. But Phoenix doesn't have any resentment about it and realizes she's been abandoned way worse than he has and needs someone and is just like "GUESS I HAVE A CHILD NOW" it's so cute.

Trucy: "So you'll be my family now?"

Phoenix: "Yeah I guess. (This is so weird)."

Trucy: "What should I call you"

Phoenix: Oh. uh. You can call me Nick. I mean, if you ever wanted to, I'm fine with you calling me dad, I mean obviously you don't have to do that right now or anything..."

Trucy: "Okay, daddy!"

Phoenix: Wow, that was quick.

then

Trucy: You got fired from work, right, Daddy? Don't worry, I'll work twice as hard. We'll make it through this.

Phoenix: ...how old are you again, Trucy?

Trucy: I'm eight! But don't let appearances deceive you. I'm a young professional. Stick with me and you'll do just fine, Daddy!

Phoenix: Ah. Thanks. (Why do I feel like she's already in charge?)

I love them so much they're so cute.

luci:*reading scrollback*

that sounds cute

id make a reference to the presige but i didnt understand that movie at all

awww

can phoenix adopt me too

Caitlin: there was actually a case in game 6 that was just like the prestige

he seems to at least unofficially adopt everyone younger than him he meets so there's a good possibility he would if he met you

ok time to examine my office again

"My mentor's favorite plant, Charley. I guess watering Charley's my only real job now. WAIT I HAVE A CHILD NOW. SHE'LL PROBABLY NEED MORE THAN WATERING".

awwww so there's that poster in the office and for the last three games he always says something like "this was Mia's favorite movie. apparently it was the first one that made her cry. I'll have to see it sometime."

but now it's "I finally saw that movie after the longest time the other day. Cried my eyes out. " Of course u did.

"...just remembering it is making me tear up right now. ...maybe I should show it to Trucy when she's older.Wait...what was it called again?" too relatable.

luci: omg this is too cute

"My desk. Not that I have any reason to sit there anymore. Trucy can use it for her homework I guess... Ack! I'm not crying! Just got dust in my eye!" THIS IS SO SAD. SOMEONE GIVE PHOENIX A HUG. MAYA WHERE ARE YOU.

"I actually don't know much about anything besides law. or even much about law, if you ask some people." omg phoenix. i mean u did literally just admit you never read any of these law books.

luci: ffs phoenix

theyre only 3 pages each

#sailor queuepiter #the great ace attorney replay

7 notes · View notes

salty-dracon · 7 years

Text

ace hang plays drv3 prologue and ch1 (spoilers)

(I want to write these little scripts for the entire game as I work through it. I won’t be doing any of the Free Time segments, just the main story. For reference, Val’s the one who knows the most about the game and the series. Lily’s only played Ultra Despair Girls and the v3 demo.)

Val: So I discovered something about the character speech controls.

Lily: What is it?

Val: *plays around with it*

Game (in random character voices): “Danganronpa-Danganronpa-Dangan-Danganron-Danganronpa v3! Dang-Dang-Dang-Dang-Danganronpa! Danganronpa-Danganronpa v3!”

*Val abruptly stops when they hear the sound of something hitting a wall*

Val: *squishfaces and presses the button again*

“Danganronpa v3!”

*A larger thing hits the wall*

----

A Kid Bear: “AAH! Father just transformed into a Super Monokuma God Super Monokuma!”

Another Kid Bear: “That’s only possible when six Monokumas of pure heart are gathered together!”

Val: *stares at the screen like he’s been betrayed*

Lily: Wh-

Val: They. Fucking. Referenced Dragonball and Kingdom Hearts in the span of two lines of dialogue and I’m gonna... I... I don’t know how I feel.

Lily: You looked like that meme. Like, the black woman crying and the white guy blinking. You looked like a cross between those two memes.

Val: That’s... pretty much how I feel.

----

Lily: Shuichi looks like you minus the hat.

Val: Well, Tenko looks like you with pigtails.

Lily: ...Touche.

----

Val: So what are we nicknaming all of these characters?

Lily: Chopsticks, Cryptid, Hatman, Professor Layton, Terrorist, Squishface, Beep Boop I’m Bastion-

Val: WOAH WOAH WOAH who said you could decide all that on your own?!

Lily: 9C, That one chick from.... fuck, which game was it? Peko Pekoyama, Tumblr Feminist, Tiny Edgelord, Catholic-

Val: Catholic?!

Lily: Lenny Starbuck or whatever the fuck his name was from Gyakuten Saiban 5, Sass Master, that one I forgot.... fuck, who’d I forget? Balls of Steel-

Val: Please, shut the fuck up-

Lily: .... shit, I can’t remember who the last one was.

Val: Son of a bitch...

Lily: Inventor bitch!

Val: Let me have this... Inventor Girls Make Do.

Lily: .... God, I love you, man.

----

(Shuichi leaves to go do something)

Lily: Noooooo, Hatman, don’t leave the roooooom-

Val: Are you really that attached to him?

Lily: Listen, I cried when Nanako died in Persona 4. I’m allowed to cry over this guy.

Val: He’s not even- okay, you go clean stuff, Kaede... is this like a bad stereotype about women or something? That they clean when they’re stressed?

Lily: Not to my knowledge.

Val: We’re gonna hear a scream any moment- oh, thank god, he’s back.

Lily: .........

Val: Don’t. Don’t say anything. I’m a man, I am not allowed to feel things.

Lily: Well, I too am a man. Let us not feel things together.

Val: ...

Lily: ...

Val: Thank god he’s alive.

----

(Kaede and Shuichi urge Tenko and Kaito to follow them into the room)

Val: This is it. Three people need to see the body. Someone’s dead. Robot’s dead.

Lily: I kind of thought it would be Ryoma.

(Rantarou’s death scene)

Val: No. No.

Lily: AWWW COME ON!

Val: You were the most fucking Nagito-esque- you were the mysterious one! Why the fuck did you die first?! The mysterious ones never die first!

Lily: Cryptid boi had the BEST SHIRT. And the best overall design. And was just super cool and shit. And weird. But he had the best shirt.

Val: That’s all you care about? His shirt- hey, death by balls. He got ball’d to death.

Lily: That’s what you’re supposed to think.

---

(Class trial)

Lily: Shut the fuck up, Kokichi. God, I underestimated how annoying he’d be. He’s a little bitch. He’s adorable, but he’s a little bitch. He’s an adorable little bitch.

Val: Yeah, basically. Any thoughts on the culprit?

Lily: Given the evidence, I’d say either Corn Pussy, Fuck Physics, or-

Val: Translation?

Lily: *sigh* Inventor, Hatman, or Cosplayer. Or Entomologist.

Val: ... wait who’s corn pussy

Lily: Unless it’s Goth Mineta. Or it could be Misandrist. Or Lenny Starbuck or whatever.

Val: ... you have no clue, do you?

Lily: Whoever it is, I’m gonna cry.

---

(in the middle of some random scene)

Lily: SOLOMON!

Val: Dude.

Lily: Solomon Starbuck. That was the astronaut from Ace Attorney 5. It wasn’t Lenny.

Val: I liked Lenny better for this perv, just sayin’.

---

Kokichi: “Well, what do you think? To believe or not to believe... Kaede?”

Val: Bye.

Lily: You’ve already seen the worst of it. Sit the fuck back down.

---

“Pick someone to implicate as the murderer!”

Val: Fuck. Who do we pick?

Lily: We have to pick ourselves, right?

Val: Why?

Lily: Because all the “evidence” points to us.

Val: But wouldn’t it be Shuichi?

Lily: But we sort of lied to prove that he didn’t do anything.

Val: But wasn’t Miu the one to set up the cameras?

Lily: We have to implicate ourselves....

Val: *stares at Lily*

Lily: *stares at Val*

Val: *boops Lily’s nose*

---

Val: Awwww, we’re playing as Hatman now? He needs a different nickname.

Lily: ... How about... shit, what was the name of that guy from...

Val: I nominate Seth Everman as Kaede’s new nickname.

Lily: Hey, that’s not what I- Satoru.

Val: What?

Lily: From ERASED.

Val: Never seen it.

---

Val: So who entered the library between the time Kaede and Shuichi stopped messing around in there and the time Rantarou entered? I got no clue.

Lily: Maki...?

Val: We’ll never see it comiiiiiiiin-

Lily: Or that dude, Solomon.

---

(Explaining how Kaede’s the culprit)

Val: Okay, seriously though? This is one of the biggest plot twists the series has thrown at us.

Lily: They played us like a goddamn fiddle.

Val: No, really. This is like, the first case where the protagonist is the culprit. Well, not really, but... like, where we’re actually the culprit. Where we actually killed someone.

Lily: GAWWWWD the promotional material fuckin’ trolled us. So is she gonna come back or is she just gonna die?

Val: Who the hell knows?

---

(Execution)

*they just stare. Lily just looks incredibly sad*

---

#ace hang #danganronpa

0 notes

gyakutengagotoku · 4 years

Text

GS4 vs AJ:AA - Episode 3, Part 3

Lately, I’ve had a terrible time setting a posting schedule that keeps conflicting with my folks’ plans. I’m like the resident errand girl... Now, especially now, I understand the pain of Nick and his pupils when the court makes them do whatever because no one else wants to.

Anyhow, I’m back and back on schedule. No more mess-ups dragging me back to a previous post, no sirree! Oh, and again, don’t mind the extra entries I through in there just for sharing. I got at least one viewer who has yet to play through the English versions of these next games.

If only I knew how to be funny when I have nothing to say, though...

> Wright Anything Agency

<Trucy> なんていうか。ナゾが多いって、ワクワクしますよね！　なんとなく。 It's another mystery, Apollo! I love mysteries.

<Apollo> オレはしないケドね。 I don't.

そういえば‥‥成歩堂さんは？意見を聞きたいんだけど。 Speaking of mysteries, what's Mr. Wright up to? I wouldn't mind asking his opinion.

<Trucy> あ。そういえば、パパ。最近、見ないですよね。 Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Daddy around.

<Apollo> おとうさんを、 “のらネコ”みたいに言うなよ。 What, is he some kind of stray that just wanders in and out at will?

"Don't treat your dad like some 'stray cat'."

Ah, so he's a cat?

> Examine: photo

<Apollo> 古そうな写真に、みぬきちゃんが尊敬する魔術師が写っている。 A faded photograph showing one of Trucy's favorite magicians.

みぬきちゃんは、毎日この写真に向かって手をあわせているみたいだ。 She talks to it daily for good luck, I hear.

<Trucy> あ！今日の“お祈り”忘れてました！ Ack! I almost forgot!

えーと。偉大な魔術師になれますよーに！ Umm... I hope I become a famous Grand Magician!

あと、ついでにオドロキさんが、リッパな弁護士になれますように！ Oh, and I hope Apollo becomes an Ace Attorney!

‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ これで、よしっと。 ...There! All done.

<Apollo> （まあ。ご利益があるかどうかは、　ナゾだよな‥‥） (I suppose if you're going to talk to inanimate objects, a photo isn't so bad.)

Aww, Trucy. Yeah, this is more of a custom you'd find in Japanese households and offices, since they're pretty big on praying to their family members beyond the grave or certain lucky Kami for good fortune and all that. 'Tis an Asian thing, really.

Odoroki: "(Eh. Who knows if it really works or not...)"

> Examine: silk hat

<Apollo> やっぱり。ボウシから、色々なものを出すんでしょ？ That's one of those hats you pull things out of, right?

<Trucy> もちろん、やりますよ。みぬきのボウシも小宇宙ですから！ Of course! My hat's like a little universe! Bigger on the inside than on the outside!

<Apollo> 小宇宙か‥‥なんだかスゴイね。 “ギャラクティカ！”ってカンジだ。 Hmm... That reminds me of a sci-fi show I used to watch.

Odoroki actually gives that sci-fi show by name: "Galactica!", which is most likely referring to Battlestar Galactica itself.

> Examine: spaghetti

<Apollo> ロウ細工じゃなくて、ホンモノの料理を置いてるお店もあるよね。 I've seen some restaurants that set out real food to show what's on the menu.

<Trucy> そういうのって、なぜか減ってることありません？ I have, too! But I noticed something strange...

喫茶店のサンドイッチの具だけが、なくなってるの見たことあります！ One time, there was a sandwich without any lettuce!

あれはあれで、フシギです！ Like it had disappeared... by magic!

<Apollo> ‥‥ダレかが、ツマミ食いしただけじゃないの。 ...I'm sure someone just swiped the lettuce and ate it.

<Trucy> あ！　あのサンドイッチ、もしかして‥‥ Wait, that sandwich... You didn't...!

オドロキさん。いくらおナカがすいたからって、カラダ壊しますよ。 Apollo, you shouldn't eat sample food, no matter how hungry you are!

<Apollo> 食べないよ！ヒトを“のら犬”みたいに言うなよ。 Just how hard up do you think I am!?

Last two lines: "Odoroki-san, if you're always keeping yourself hungry like that, you'll hurt your health." "I didn't eat it! Don't treat others like a 'stray dog'."

Ah, so he's a dog. Btw, yes, it is still a sandwich with lettuce from a coffee shop in the JP script.

> Examine: hula hoop

<Apollo> けっこうジャマなんだよな、それ。 You know, that ring kind of gets in the way.

この前も、依頼人がつまづいて転んでたし。 Our client the other day tripped on it and fell on the floor.

<Trucy> そのあと、外までころがったリングを探すのもタイヘンでしたね。 ...Sending my ring rolling out the door! You know how long it took me to find it?

<Apollo> 怒った依頼人をなだめる方が、もっとタイヘンだったよ。 You know how long it took to calm down the client?

けっきょく、依頼もらえなかったし。 ‥‥少しは、片付けようよ。 And in the end, they walked out without hiring us. Could you clean up a bit?

Oh, I would pay a private eye good money to find who this client was based on, out of the staff who wrote the original script. Any ideas, guys?

> Talk: Yesterday's Trial

<Apollo> 今日の法廷で‥‥ラミロアさんは、ハッキリ証言した。 Lamiroir dropped a bomb in court today...

《犯人は、ダイアンさんだ》って。 "It was Daryan"...

<Trucy> ラミロアさん。一度、聞いた声はゼッタイ忘れないんでしょ？ Lamiroir said she's never forgotten a voice, right?

なんか、カッコイイですよねー。 That's so cool!

<Apollo> うん。まあね。 Um, I guess.

<Trucy> なんていうんでしたっけ、アレ。 What's that called again?

ええと。 “じごくみみ”っていう‥‥ Um... Elephant ears...? I bet that's what they're called...

<Apollo> ちょっとちがうぞ、それ。 ...Somehow I don't think that means what you think it means.

In JP, Minuki uses the word "jigoku mimi", which is a metaphor like "ears so sharp they could hear into hell itself", or so it sounds. It can refer to one of two kinds of people: 1) those with the special ability to remember something forever after hearing it once, or 2) incredibly nosy people who'd dig into others' secrets without permission.

Also, I just learned that "elephant ears" can be another name for taro.

> Talk: Interpol

<Apollo> 国際警察の捜査官‥‥かあ。 An Interpol agent... hmm.

<Trucy> で？　なんですか？ “こくさいけいさつ”って。 I was wondering, what is "Interpol" anyway?

<Apollo> え！　そ。そりゃ、アレだろ？ Huh? Interpol?

国際犯罪のハンニンをつかまえるんじゃないか。 They're the guys who catch international criminals.

<Trucy> なんでも“こくさい”をつけりゃいいワケじゃないと思いますケド。 Why can't they just call them "International Police" instead of making up some silly name?

Minuki: "I don't think just throwing 'International' onto anything has an excuse, though."

Unfortunately, they don't have the rights to name themselves "Justice League of Nations" yet, so "Interpol" will have to do.

<Apollo> ‥‥やっぱり、アレかな。ラミロアさんを調べていた、とか？ Yeah... ...Anyway, you think he was investigating Lamiroir?

<Trucy> えええ！　ナニ言ってるんですか！ Whaaaa--!? Why would anyone do that?

ラミロアさんが犯罪者なワケ、ないじゃないですか！ She's not a criminal! She couldn't be!

<Apollo> いやいや。ヒトは見かけによらない、って言うぞ。 Don't be fooled by appearances is all I'm saying.

<Trucy> コドモの純真な目はゴマかせない、って言うじゃないですか！ But remember I'm a magician, Apollo! I can spot a palmed coin at fifty paces!

<Apollo> 自分で言うなよ。 If only it were that easy.

Last three lines: "Sorry, but like they say, 'You can't judge a book by its cover.'" "Don't you mean, 'You can't fool a kid's true-seeing eyes!'" "Don't make up your own saying."

(Fyi, I do sometimes hear this saying about how "kids aren't so easily fooled" in both English and Japanese, but I wanted to make a pun of my own.)

> Enter Valant

<Apollo> はあ。どうも‥‥ Ah, um, nice to meet you. Who... are you?

（ニヤニヤ笑いながら、　言われてもなあ‥‥） (And could you please stop smirking like that?)

<Trucy> ああああッ！　あ。あ。あ。あ。あ。あ‥‥あなたはッ！ Ah. Ahhhhhhh! It's you!!! Uncle Valant!

<Apollo> なんだよ。やっぱり、トモダチか？ Uncle Valant...? He's your uncle!?

<Trucy> ナニ言ってるんですか！ No, silly!

或真敷（あるまじき）バランさんですよ！ It's the Great Gramarye, Valant Gramarye!

あの。大魔術師のッ！ The Grand Magician!

<Valant> さよう‥‥テレビでおなじみ、あの有名な或真敷　バランです。 Yes, it is I, the Great Valant Gramarye. As seen on television.

<Apollo> （ニヤニヤ笑いながら　言われてもなあ‥‥） (And could you please stop smirking like that?)

Btw, it's only in English that Trucy calls him "Uncle". In JP, she simply calls him "Valant-san". Oh, and that "t" at the end is supposed to be silent.

<Apollo> あの‥‥ Um, I hate to intrude, but...

いったい、大魔術師さんが、オレたちになんの用ですか？ What is a Great Magician doing paying us a visit?

<Valant> ‥‥おそらく。用があるのは、あなたたちの方でしょう。 I believe it was you who wished to see me?

なんなりと、聞いていただいてけっこう。 So, be quick with your questions!

このバランに乱反射する‥‥ And do not quail, quake, or quiver. I am quite tame.

ビッグスターのオーラを、恐れることはありません。 Though my stardom may sear the sight... I'm quite down to earth when need calls.

<Apollo> （‥‥たしかに、あるイミ、　恐るべきオーラがマブしいな） (He does have a certain aura to him, it's true.)

"(...Yeah, in a way, he does have an impressively shining aura.)"

> Talk: Troupe Gramarye

<Trucy> あの。もしかしてオドロキさん。 Wait, Apollo...

《或真敷一座》を知らない‥‥ なんてコトはないですよね？ Don't tell me you don't know about Troupe Gramarye?

<Apollo> あるまじき‥‥ なんていうか、その。 Troupe Grammarie... huh? No.

どこかで聞いたような気はするんだけどね‥‥ But it does sound kind of familiar...

<Valant> おお。まさに、あるまじき青年というべきかな。 Oh, lost life! Lamentably listless lad!

今をトキめく大魔術集団をご存じないとは。 To not know of the greatest troupe of magicians on the planet!

<Apollo> （或真敷　バラン‥‥ 　思い出してきた） (Valant Gramarye... The name began to surface in my mind.)

（たしか、オレが小さいころ、　テレビによく出てたような‥‥） (It was a name I'd heard on television as a child.)

<Trucy> そうですよ！ You bet you've heard the name!

ゴウカ客船を消してみたり、遊園地をバクハしてみたり、 He made a cruise ship disappear, and blew up an amusement park...

銀行の金庫から金塊を消してみたり、あげくの果てに、 ...Oh, and he made all this gold disappear from a safe!

閉じこめられた刑務所から脱走してみたり！ And then escaped from a high security prison!

<Apollo> ‥‥なんだか‥‥ Um...

大いなるゴカイを生みそうなプロフィールだな、それ。 ...You said he is a magician?

"That kind of profile could lead to some big misunderstandings."

(Ok, honestly I only kept this bit in because I love how colorful they made Valant's lines and they are worth sharing.)

> Talk: During the Show

<Apollo> あの‥‥もしかして。 So, I was wondering...

この歌の途中で起こっている “フシギ”は‥‥ That stunt in the middle of the song there...

<Trucy> フシギ‥‥？ I didn't see a stunt...

<Apollo> ラミロアさんが消えたり現れたりしてるじゃないか！ What about Lamiroir vanishing and reappearing!?

<Trucy> あ。ああ‥‥見なれてるから、フシギだって思いませんでした！ Oh, that? I guess I'm so used to seeing that happen I didn't even notice.

<Apollo> （さすが、魔術の子‥‥） (So young to be so jaded...)

"Oh, that... I'm so used to seeing it that it's no mystery to me!" "(As expected of a young magician...)"

<Valant> ‥‥さよう。かの、ささやかなステージこそ。 A simple slight-of-hand, a petit prestidigitation.

この或真敷が仕掛けた魔術なのです。 A modicum of magic from me... to you.

<Trucy> やっぱり！　バランさんが、コンサート会場にいたのは‥‥ So that's why you were at the concert!

<Valant> ご想像のとおり。 Yes.

このバランのトリックを見届けるためだったのです。 I was there to watch my trick take to the air...

<Apollo> じゃあ‥‥ラミロアさんが消えた、そのシカケ‥‥ご存じなんですか？ So you're the one who knows how it was all done.

<Valant> トーゼンでしょう！我こそ、ステージの神。 Of course. I am like a deity, with the stage as my domain!

ステージ上で起こるすべてのフシギを操る‥‥ I suffer no mystery upon those floodlit boards not grasped tightly twixt my fingers.

そのフシギなチカラこそ神たるゆえんなのですから。 It is a potent, primeval power I possess.

Someone give this man a medal for "Ascending the Astral Apex of Alliterative Ability" at once.

<Apollo> あ、あの！よかったら‥‥そのシカケ。 Um... Well... Do you think you could...

教えていただけませんか！ ...tell me how it was done!?

<Trucy> おっと！ Hey now!

<Apollo> み。みぬきちゃん‥‥？ Trucy...?

<Trucy> 魔術師にシカケをたずねるのはルール違反ですよ、オドロキさん。 That's like, totally against the rules, Apollo!

<Apollo> ナニ言ってるんだよ！殺人事件の捜査だぞ！ Not during a murder investigation, it's not!

<Valant> そういうワケにはまいりませぬ。或真敷の秘術は、或真敷だけのもの。 Mais non, for my illusions are mine alone, m'sieur.

And he speaks French! ...Well, actually that's not so surprising. His name is very Frenchy in the first place.

Also, I just wanna mention how he's one of the few AA characters to use the '-nu' form of negation to some words. So far, I think only two others have used such colorful or cultural language, and that would be Luke Atmey and Victor Kudo.

> Present anything

<Valant> ほほう。この私に‥‥ただで、キセキを要求するというのですか。 What's this? You would ask me for a miracle? Free of fee?

いいでしょう。その証拠品を、消せばいいのですね？　永久に！ Then thy wish be granted! Thy will be done! Thy evidence evicted into the ether!

<Apollo> いやいや！　やめてください！ Ack! No evicting, please!

（‥‥魔術師って、　こんなのばっかりなのか？） (...Are all magicians like this, I wonder?)

From my experience? Yeah, quite a lot of them like to make things disappear right from people's pockets. Usually they return them to people, though. I still remember that one lady who was still screaming after the show about the autograph she got from Penn & Teller after volunteering in an act...

Sorry, I feel nostalgic for the ol' Vegas days. Anyway, this is just another entry to share.

> Finish talking

<Valant> ‥‥それでは、みぬき嬢。バランはこれにて失礼いたしますぞ。 ...I, Valant Gramarye, now make my leave, Miss Trucy.

<Trucy> バランさん！　もう少し、ゆっくりしていってくださいよー。 There's no need to rush, Uncle Valant! You should stay a while!

<Valant> そうもまいりませぬ。 I am afraid I cannot. I may not. I shall not.

捜査に協力を求められているゆえ、現場に戻らなければ。 I have been asked to assist with an analysis and so I shall slink back to the scene.

<Apollo> じゃあ‥‥今日は、あのコンサート会場に？ So... you'll be at the concert venue today?

<Valant> さよう。このバランに話があったら、あのコロシアムへどうぞ。 Correct. If you would call on me, come to the Coliseum!

ではッ！　いざ、さらばッ！ See you later, crocodile.

<Apollo> （サッソウとマントを　ひるがえして‥‥） (With a whirl of his cloak, and a wink of his eye...)

（ドアからフツーに出ていったな） (...he turned and walked out through the door. Normally.)

...I don't know why "See you later, crocodile" irks me so much. It's either "See you later, alligator!" or "Been a while, crocodile!" Not both mixed up! This scene does remind me of the "dancingly descended through the front door" boys back in the day, though.

> Move: Detention Center

> Examine: camera

<Apollo> 監視カメラがこっちを見ている。 That security camera is looking at me.

カメラを向けられると、ついポーズを取りたくなるな。 Why do I feel this sudden urge to make a silly face?

"Suddenly I feel like making a pose before that camera."

> Present: anything

<Machi> ＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥ ＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥

<Trucy> “コトバが分からず、話せないのが　残念です。美しいお嬢さん‥‥” I think he said...

<Trucy> ‥‥ですって。 "I am sorry I cannot speak your language. You are very beautiful, fair maiden."

<Apollo> ‥‥勝手なホンヤクをするなよ。 ...This is why I never trust a translator.

Screw you, Apollo. I didn't make this blog to ask for your opinion. >:(

Anyway, it was just: "...Don't make up your own translation."

> Move: Sunshine Coliseum

> Examine: blimp

<Trucy> あ！　飛行船ですよ！ Look! A blimp!

<Apollo> となりには、バルーンもあがってるね。 Those balloons next to it have ad banners on them.

<Trucy> えーと‥‥《大安の日セール・大安売り》ですって！ Let's see... "Big Sale, All Shirts 50% Off."

<Apollo> なんだ。となりのデパートのバルーンじゃないか‥‥ Oh. It's an ad for the department store next door.

It doesn't specify what kind of sale it is in the JP, so I guess it's officially a clothing shop sale. That said, it does say it's a "Lucky Day Sale - Huge Bargain Deals!" I'm not sure exactly how common it is among the Japanese to honor particular "auspicious" days of the year (though, they do have a lunar calendar for these kinds of events), but you'd definitely see these events affect the seasonal shopping cycles.

> Examine: coliseum

<Apollo> 《県立国際ひのまるコロシアム》か。やたらとビッグな名前だね。 Sunshine Coliseum sure is living up to its name today.

<Trucy> おっきいですよねー。 It's huge!

こんな大舞台に立てるなんて‥‥ うー。牙琉さん、うらやましい！ And Mr. Gavin got to play on that enormous stage... I'm so jealous!

みぬきもいつか！このコロシアムで、デビュー戦を！ Someday, I'll fight my first battle on this stage!

<Apollo> なんだよ。“戦”って。 Battle?

<Trucy> だって。なんか“コロシアム”って、格闘技のイメージがありませんか？ Well, yeah, it's a coliseum, isn't it?

<Apollo> 語感が、“コロシアウ”に、似てるからじゃないかな。 Um, they don't do gladiatorial contests at these places any more, Trucy.

<Trucy> そっか！　さすが、オドロキさん！ナゾが解けました！ Really? I had no idea! I wonder why they stopped.

<Apollo> （そんなに、感心されると、　訂正しづらいな‥‥） (Sometimes I worry about her.)

Last four lines: "Well, when I hear 'Colosseum', it makes me think of duels to the death, right?" "Maybe the nuance of the word comes from 'koroshiau'." [mutual killing] "Really? Nice, Odoroki-san! We solved the mystery!" "(With how much she's admiring me, it's hard to correct it...)"

> Examine: costumed mascot

<Apollo> なんだ？あのイヨウな人物は‥‥ What's that... creature there?

<Trucy> わあ！　警察局のアイドル、等身大「タイホくん」だ！ Oooh! That's the police mascot, the Blue Badger!

<Apollo> え！あれが等身大なの？ Eh? It's life size!

<Trucy> 知らないんですか？　よく見ますよ。夜の街をパトロールしてるところ。 Haven't you seen them around town? Patrolling the streets?

暮らしの“安心”を願う、正義のマスコットキャラクターなんです！ Yes, now even law and order has a mascot!

<Apollo> ‥‥それは、アクニンもゼンニンもまとめて逃げ出すだろうね。 ...I'd run from that thing even if I wasn't a criminal.

歩くたびにグラグラするアタマが“不安”なカンジだし。 Why does its head wobble like that when it walks? It's freaky.

<Trucy> オドロキさん！モンクが多いですよ！ I don't think you're showing true Blue Badger spirit, Apollo.

It was just "Odoroki-san! You're complaining too much!"

To be honest, though, I kinda agree with him. I love the Badgers, all of them, but it didn't take AAI to make me question whether they'd be cute or creepy... At least the official Tokyo PD mascot Pipo-kun actually looks cute, kinda like a mouse or teddy in uniform.

...Manly Pipo scares me, plz make it go away.

> Move: In the Wings

> Examine: piano

<Trucy> おっきなピアノですよね！みぬき。弾いたことないんですよね。 That's one big piano! I've never actually played one.

<Apollo> ふうん。成歩堂さんに習えばいいのに。 Heh. You should get Mr. Wright to teach you sometime.

<Trucy> あー、ダメダメ。パパ、弾けないから。 No good, he can't play either.

<Apollo> （これだけソンケイされてない　パパもめずらしいな） (I kind of feel bad for the guy now...)

"(It's not too often that I'd find a dad who is respected this little.)"

> Examine: electronics

<Apollo> いろいろなキカイがある。音響装置だろうか。 Look at all the electronics. They must be sound-related.

<Trucy> こういう機械を見ると、どうにもいじり倒したくなりますよね。 Doesn't seeing a bunch of machines like this make you want to just fiddle with 'em?

いじり倒していいですか？オドロキさん！ Can I, Apollo? Please?

<Apollo> “いじる”だけじゃダメなのかよ。やめとけよ。コワれるから。 No, no fiddling! You'll break something.

<Trucy> でも。コワれることをおそれてちゃ、何もイジれませんよ！ If you're going to make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs!

パパがいつも、言ってます。 “カタチあるもの、みなコワれる” That's what Daddy always says.

<Apollo> ‥‥そこまで悟ってコワしても、怒られるの、オレだからな。 These eggs look kind of expensive.

"But if you're always afraid to break things, you'll never get to fiddle with them! Daddy always says, 'Anything with form will eventually be broken.'" "...Even if you understand and still break it, I'm the one who'll be blamed."

> Examine: tower

<Trucy> このステージの塔の上に、レタスさんとマキさんが‥‥ I still can't believe we found Machi and Mr. LeTouse up there...

<Apollo> アレはさすがに驚いたよ。だから、高いところはキライなんだ。 Yeah. I used to not like high places. Now I hate them.

<Trucy> それ、高さはあんまりカンケイないと思いますけど。 It's not like it would have been nicer if we found a dead body closer to the ground.

‥‥そういえば。パパもニガテですね。高いトコ。 ...Though that reminds me. Daddy's bad with heights, too.

<Apollo> へえ。そうなんだ。 Huh, no kidding.

<Trucy> こないだ。遊園地でカンランシャに乗ったんですよ。 He took me on a Ferris wheel ride a while ago, you know!

パパ、途中からカオが “もすぐりーん”になってました。 Halfway through, his face got all green and he mumbled "objection" over and over.

<Apollo> （‥‥成歩堂さん、かわいそうに） (...Poor guy.)

"Moss green", she says. Thank you, Minuki-chan, for that very detailed description.

> Examine: instrument case

<Apollo> 巨大な楽器のケースが置いてある。 Now that's a big instrument case.

<Trucy> それ、コントラバスっていう楽器のケースですよ。 That's a case for a contrabass, I think.

<Apollo> ちょっとしたバイオリンなら２０個は入りそうなイキオイだ。 You could fit twenty violins in there, I bet.

<Trucy> カタチは似てますけど、ゼンゼンちがう楽器ですっ！ It may look like a violin, but it's a completely different instrument!

<Apollo> みぬきちゃんなら、５人は入りそうなイキオイだ。 You could fit five Trucys in there, I bet.

<Trucy> もう！　ワザとやってるでしょ！ Hey! Are you comparing me to an instrument!?

みぬきとしては、あのビミョーな “半開き”が気になります。 Hmm. I wonder who left it sitting open like that.

Second to last line: "Hey! You're doing that on purpose, aren't you!?"

> Examine: ladder

<Apollo> 昨日、塔の上にのぼったハシゴが置いてある。 That's the ladder we used to climb up the stage tower.

‥‥あれは、キョーレツな体験だったな。 ...Not a moment I'm likely to forget any time soon.

<Trucy> うーん、たしかに。アレは見モノでしたよね。 Me neither...

みぬき。《へっぴり腰》ってコトバの意味、ハッキリわかりました！ I'll never be able to climb another tower again without thinking about it, you know?

<Apollo> ‥‥だから、ニガテなんだよ。高いところはさ。 ...I'll never be able to climb a tower again, period.

Second to last line again: "I now understand what they mean by 'weak knees'!"

(Literally, it's "bent back", but has the meaning of that. Though, it definitely puts a smile on my face picturing moss-green Nick with his bent back again.)

> Talk: Valant Gramarye

<Valant> ‥‥あなたの考えていることはわかります。 I know what you are thinking in that head of yours.

『“或真敷”‥‥ああ。そういえば　ムカシ、テレビで見たっけ』 "Gramarye, yes," you say. "I recall seeing him on television."

おおかた、そんなトコロではないでしょうかな？ Something of that sort?

<Apollo> え‥‥ええ。そのとおりです。 Um, actually, yes, you're right.

<Trucy> これがウワサの “読心術”かもしれませんよ！ Wow! He just read your mind, Apollo!

<Apollo> ‥‥ウソつけ。 ...Or everyone tells him that and he made a good guess.

"So this may be the rumored 'mind-reading technique'!" "...I'm not buying it."

> Talk: Magnifi Gramarye

<Valant> 天斎とザックの亡き、今。私のねがいは、ただひとつ。 Now that Magnifi and Zak are gone, I have but one wish.

残されたこの私が、天斎の奇跡をステージによみがえらせるッ！ Let it be I, Valant Gramarye who brings the Gramarye miracle back to the big stage!

<Trucy> みぬき。応援してますから！ I'm rooting for you!

<Valant> みぬき嬢。早く大きくなることです。あなたのウデっぷしが必要なのだ。 Miss Trucy, you cannot grow up quick enough! I need your skill by my side!

<Trucy> はいッ！　このウデっぷしで！ One skill, coming up!

<Apollo> （やれやれ。ものすごいスピードで　話が事件からそれていくな‥‥） (How do we manage to get off the topic of the case so quickly all the time?)

Interestingly, the "skill" he mentions refers to physical strength? Was he expecting Trucy to help him move some loads backstage or something? Well, times have been tough on the troupe, so I guess stage workers are short...

> Present: attorney's badge

<Valant> ほう‥‥それが、あなたが弁護士たる“証”ですか。 Ah... The proof positive of your profession, yes?

<Apollo> ええ。そうです。 Um, yeah.

<Valant> ‥‥ふむ。少々、拝借してよろしいかな？ Might I... have a look?

‥‥おや。消えてしまいましたな。 Oh! What's this? It is gone!

<Apollo> うわわっ！　何するんですかッ！ Ack! What'd you do with my attorney's badge!?

<Valant> はっはっはっはっはっ。あわてずともよいですぞ。 Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Don't be alarmed.

みぬき嬢！　その腰のトピットの中をごらんなさい。 Miss Trucy! Take a look into your topit, if you would.

<Trucy> きゃっ！　こんなところにオドロキさんのバッジが！ Eek! It's your badge, Apollo! What's it doing in there?

スゴいです、バランさん！フシギですよねー。オドロキさん。 That was amazing! Wasn't it, Apollo?

<Apollo> （そんなコトより、みぬきちゃんの　腰についてるポシェット‥‥） (He called that pouch at her waist a "topit"...?)

（“トピット”っていうんだ。　‥‥魔術師用語か？） (Is that some kind of magician speak?)

So I had to search it up, and apparently a topit is a hidden sleeve or pocket that a magician uses to hide objects during an act. So it is indeed magician-speak. Normally, these topits are hidden in a jacket or outfit or somewhere and not out in the open like Trucy's pouch, though... If anything, her topit is stuffed with a certain Mr. Hat already.

> Move: Backstage Hallway

> Examine: Gavinners' dressing room door

<Apollo> こっちは、《ガリューウエーブ》の楽屋だ。 That's the Gavinners's dressing room.

今、ガリューウエーブのメンバーは捜査でいそがしいはず‥‥ They're all out on the investigation.

おそらく、誰もいないだろうな。 Being backstage isn't half as glamorous without a band here.

Funny seeing this coming from Apollo of all people. For reference: "There's probably no one in there."

> Examine: Lamiroir's dressing room door

<Apollo> ラミロアさんの楽屋‥‥ 事件現場のドアだ。 That's Lamiroir's dressing room... and the scene of the crime.

殺人事件の現場にしては、警備がウスいよな‥‥ It's kind of lightly guarded for being a crime scene.

<Trucy> いいじゃないですか。入りやすくて。 I'm not complaining! Makes it easier for us to go in!

それに、みぬきたち。アカネさんも公認ですから。 And Ema gave us her OK, right?

堂々と入って、これでもかとひっかきまわしても大丈夫ですよ！ We can wander in and do as we like!

<Apollo> （‥‥なんだか、アカネさんが　心配になってきたぞ） (How is Ema doing, anyway...?)

（カリントウ食べすぎて　虫歯にならなきゃいいけど） (I hope she's not getting cavities from eating all those chocolate Snackoos...)

"(...I get the feeling Akane-san is gonna worry.) (Ah well, as long as she doesn't get cavities from eating so much karintou.)"

> Finish talking

<Lamiroir> 連絡はそれを使っておりましたから。ないと困るハズなのですが‥‥ We use it for communication. It would be quite inconvenient should it go missing.

<Apollo> わかりました。オレたちが預かっておきますよ。 We'll hold on to it for you then.

牙琉検事に会ったら、言っておきますから。 We'll give it to Prosecutor Gavin when we see him.

<Lamiroir> そうですね。では、おねがいできますかしら。 Yes, that's best. Thank you.

<Trucy> あ！　じゃあ、ソレ。みぬきがつけておきますね！ So, can I put it on?

< > 《ヘッドセット》をみぬきちゃんに取りつけた。 Headset attached to Trucy.

<Trucy> プラモデルみたいに言わないでください！ "Attached"? I'm not some kind of robot, Apollo!

Or a plastic model, as per the JP.

> Move: Lamiroir's Dressing Room

< > ‥‥さくさくさくさく‥‥ ...MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH...

<Apollo> う‥‥‥ Uh oh...

このキョーレツなニクシミをこめてカリントウを噛み砕く音は‥‥ There's only one person I know who can munch with such... venom.

<Ema> ‥‥ナニしに来たのよ。 ...What are you doing here?

<Apollo> あいかわらず、フキゲンそうですね。アカネさん。 Hello, Ema. You're looking as grumpy as ever.

<Ema> そりゃそうでしょ。 Oh, am I supposed to be happy?

法廷でアンタにやりこめられて、牙琉検事にバカにされちゃうし。 You give me the second degree in court, and Prosecutor Gavin makes me look like a fool.

Heh, I like both the descriptions with "venom" and the "intense crunching noise" from the JP. Thinking about it, for someone to munch so loudly even with a closed mouth, that is a pretty impressive level of intense.

> Examine: crime scene

<Apollo> あれ。ここ、カーペットが切り取られてるぞ。 Look, the carpet's been torn up here.

<Trucy> 今日の法廷で《のみとーる試薬》をふりかけたトコですね！ That's the part we did the lunimol testing on in court!

<Ema> “ルミノール試薬”よ！ノミを取ってどうするの！ "Loony mall"? What's "Loony mall"!? It's "Luminol"! Get it right!

<Trucy> ‥‥‥！ ...!

アカネさん、カガク捜査のコトになると、コワい‥‥ Ema's kind of scary when it comes to science.

<Apollo> ‥‥みぬきちゃんも、そろそろキチンとおぼえようよ。 ...Best learn the word and not incite her wrath again.

Heh, she mistakes it as "Nomitol", and Akane-san snaps at her about "Why would I be catching fleas!?" since "nomi" is "flea" and "toru" is to "take" or "pick up".

> Examine: bullet holes

<Apollo> こんなに厚いカベが、ぺっこりヘコんでいる。 Look at the way those bullets tore through this thick wall.

ホントに、オソロシイ威力のピストルだったんだな。 That revolver really was something else.

<Trucy> マキさんみたいに小柄なヒトでも、撃てるものなのかなあ。 I wonder if someone as little as me could even fire it?

<Apollo> 肩がハズれちゃうかもしれないね。しばらくピアノなんか弾けないよ。 Dislocating your shoulder would kind of put a crimp on your stage career.

<Trucy> あ。じゃあ、ウチのパパの肩コリも吹き飛ばしちゃうカモ！ Daddy always has stiff shoulders, maybe that could loosen him up!

<Apollo> やめてくれよ。ホントに撃ちそうだぞ、あのヒト。 Don't even mention it. I'm afraid he might go out and actually try it.

<Trucy> たぶん、ないと思うけどなあ。そんな度胸。 Nah, he doesn't have the guts to pull the trigger, I bet.

Haha, Odoroki's second to last line: "It might dislocate your shoulder. You wouldn't even be able to play piano."

> Examine: bowl

<Trucy> きゃあ！　フルーツですよフルーツですよフルーツ！ Look! It's fruit! Fruit, Apollo! Fruit!!!

<Apollo> ‥‥１回多いよ。 ...I heard you the first time.

これだけあるのに、スイカをひとクチかじっただけとは‥‥ It sure is a lot of fruit. I doubt anyone would miss a bit of watermelon...

<Trucy> メロンを瞬間移動させましょうか。 ‥‥みぬきのおなかに。 I know, I'll make it vanish! Into my stomach!

<Apollo> やめておこうよ。ベンショウさせられるかもしれない。 Better not. They might make you pay for it.

そんなおカネがあったら、事務所のカベを塗りなおそうよ。 And if you have the money for that, you should probably repaint the office first.

<Trucy> メロンって、そんなに高いんですかっ！ Watermelons are that expensive!?

<Apollo> まあ、よく知らないけど。 *shrug* These could've been imported from some exotic locale, for all we know.

Nice shoutout to Japan's exotic fruit market. There are indeed such things as square watermelons and exquisite canteloupes that can go for as high as 10-15,000 yen per melon (~$95-143 these days).

Also, Minuki mentioned she'll have some of the canteloupe to herself, which is why Odoroki warned her about how expensive it'd be.

> Examine: bouquet

<Trucy> “ゴウカらんらん”な花が飾ってありますね！ That's one heavy-duty bouquet there.

<Apollo> ワルいけど、“けんらん”だぞ。 I have trouble thinking of flowers as being "heavy-duty".

<Trucy> えー！　でも！“ゆうきりんりん” って言いません？ But they call lots of things heavy-duty!

<Apollo> それは言うけど。 Not flowers, they don't.

<Trucy> “るんるん気分”とか。 What about a "heavy" scent?

<Apollo> たしかにね。 I think you mean "heady".

<Trucy> 事務所のトナリのメガネ屋さんは “れんれん”だし。 What if the flowers were plastic?

<Apollo> お。苦しくなってきたな。 They still wouldn't be heavy.

<Trucy> “ろんろん”は‥‥‥‥‥‥ないや。みぬきの負けですね！ OK, what if they were made out of metal?

<Apollo> じゃ、満を持して “けんらん”ってコトで。 What, like a magnolia made out of steel?

<Trucy> はいっ！ Exactly! Though I hope all my fans don't start throwing metal flowers at me.

Once again, we have a case of Japanese wordplay that couldn't make it through translation. Here it is:

"There's some 'gouka ranran' flowers here!" [splendid-fiery] "Sorry, but that should be 'kenran'." [gouka kenran = luxurious] "Huh? But don't they always say 'yuuki rinrin'?" [full of vigor] "That they do." "And 'runrun kibun' too." [exuberant mood] "That's right." "And even the glasses shopkeeper next to the office is 'renren'." [attached to /

fond of] "Oh, now you're starting to grasp at straws." "And for 'ronron'... I can't think of any. Well, I'm out!" "Then, you can accept that it's 'kenran'." "Okay!"

I respect the ref to Steel Magnolia, though.

> Examine: wigs

<Apollo> 美容院なんかで見かける、パーマをかける機械だ。 That's one of those permanent dryers you see in hair salons.

<Trucy> そういえば、これ。正式な名前はなんていうんですか？ Is that what they're really called? "Permanent dryers"?

<Apollo> パーマをかけるキカイだから ‥‥《パーマ機》？ Do I look like a beautician? I just know they dry your hair and give you a permanent...

<Trucy> “機”だけニホンゴってカッコ悪いです！ It just doesn't sound very glamorous, you know?

<Apollo> じゃあ‥‥ちょっとコジャレて《パーマシーン》‥‥？ OK, how about a "permachine"!?

<Trucy> シンプルに《パーマー》とか。《ドライヤー》のノリで。 Or you could go more simple, like "permer"!

<Apollo> ‥‥けっこう遊べるね。《正式な名前を考えよう》って。 ...This isn't a bad game, thinking up official names for things.

その時点で“正式”じゃないけど。 Not that it makes the name actually official or anything.

As it happens, it's not too far from the original script, even including a bit of Japanese wordplay: "It's one of those machines you'd see at a beauty salon that gives you a perm." "Say, what is the official name of those things?" "Well, it's a machine that gives you a perm, so... 'perma-ki'?" [kikai = machine] "It sounds weird just leaving that 'ki' in there!" "Then... to keep it trendy, how about 'permachine'?" "Or keep it simple like 'permer', kinda like 'dryer'." "...We sure can play around with thinking up official names for things. Not that it makes the name actually official or anything."

> Examine: presents

<Trucy> ラミロアさんへのプレゼントですね。 A stack of presents for Lamiroir.

さすが、大スターのプレゼントはどれも大きいですよねー。 Stars always get the biggest presents.

ね。ね。オドロキさん。みぬきも受付中ですよ。プレゼント。 You know, you could give me a present, Apollo.

<Apollo> ‥‥じゃ、はい。アメ玉。 ...Here, have a piece of candy.

<Trucy> わあい！　ありがとう！ Gee! Thanks!!!

<Apollo> （喜んでくれたのに、なんで　こう、ムネがいたむんだろう） (She must not get a lot of presents... Poor girl.)

(I'm happy for her and all, but why do I feel so bad?)"

I guess it can go two ways: he's sorry that she doesn't get many presents, or he's upset he had to give away some of his sweets.

> Talk: Yesterday's Trial

<Ema> とにかくね。あのちっちゃな子にダマされてたと思うと、くやしくて。 It just bugs me to think that little kid outsmarted me.

<Ema> 目が見えたんなら、よけいにアヤシイんじゃない？　あの子。 And it makes him even more suspicious now that we know he can see!

天井の通気口も見えたワケだし、ピストルも撃てたし。 He could have seen the air duct, and he could have shot that revolver.

<Trucy> でも‥‥ラミロアさん、そうは証言していませんよ。 But that's not how it sounded in Lamiroir's testimony.

<Ema> ああ。現場で、ハンニン‥‥ 眉月刑事の声を聞いた、ってね。 You mean her saying she heard Detective Daryan's voice at the scene? Hmm...

<Trucy> そうですっ！ That's right!

<Ema> もう。なんでワケのわかんない事件ばっか起こるのよ、この国は！ Why can't we have a normal, straightforward killing once in a while in this country!?

<Apollo> クニのせいにしないでくださいよ‥‥ I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

Ah, here's the legendary Ema quote! It's pretty similar to the original: "Ugh. Why is this country just full of cases that don't make sense at all!?" "Please don't blame the country, it's not at fault..."

> Talk: Song Lyrics

<Ema> ここまで一致していると‥‥ グーゼンとは思えないよね。 It is kind of hard to chalk it up to coincidence, hmm.

<Trucy> ですよねっ！みぬきが見つけたんですけど。 I know! And I found it.

<Ema> これって、やっぱり。ハンニンがやった‥‥のかなあ？ You think the same person did all of this?

<Apollo> オレに聞かないでくださいよ。ハンニンじゃないし。 Don't ask me. I didn't do it.

<Ema> あたしだってちがうよ。あの通気口、入れないし。 Neither did I! I couldn't fit through that air vent anyway.

<Trucy> ‥‥え！　みんな‥‥ みぬきを疑ってるんですかっ？ What... You all think I did it!?

<Apollo> （ダレも言ってない） (Sometimes I worry about that girl.)

"(No one said anything about you.)"

This here is some fine Among Us logic, yessiree.

> Talk: Something Odd

<Trucy> ‥‥あの。ナニか見つけたんですか？ ...So what did you find?

<Ema> まあね。ちっちゃくて、きのうは見落としていたんだけど‥‥ It's so little I must have passed over it yesterday.

あの、ソファの下に、コイツがね‥‥ I found it under the sofa.

<Trucy> ‥‥なんですか。コレ。 ...What is it?

<Ema> 何かの機械の部品、みたいだけどね。サッパリわからないの。 Part of some device, I think. I haven't a clue what.

ハジっこについてるキカイ、見覚えがあるから調べてみたら‥‥ The bit sticking out from the end looked familiar, so I had it examined.

どうやら《アンテナ》みたい。 Turns out it's an antenna.

<Trucy> アンテナ‥‥ Ooh, like on a beetle?

<Ema> だから。電波に反応するのかな、って思って。 Like on a cell phone. This device must use an electronic signal of some sort.

<Trucy> 電波、か。ココロ当たりあるような‥‥ないような。 An electronic signal, you say? Hmm...

Hm, I wonder if Trucy likes collecting beetles. Otherwise, I have no idea where that line came from.

> Finish talking, examine crime scene again

<Trucy> ‥‥ちょっと、気になったんですけど。 You know what I couldn't stop thinking?

このカーペット、誰がベンショウするんでしょうね。 Who's going to pay for this carpet?

<Apollo> オレたちじゃないコトはたしかだけど‥‥ As long as it's not us...

やっぱり。ハンニン‥‥じゃないかな。 Maybe... the shooter?

<Trucy> うーん。それじゃあ、悪いコトするときは‥‥ I guess it's true what they say.

ヒトにメイワクがかからないようにしないと。 Crime doesn't pay!

<Apollo> ‥‥ベツのルートからそこへたどり着きたかったね。 I would hope that carpet replacement costs weren't the only thing holding you back.

The last three lines: "Hmm. It's like, 'When you do something wrong... don't cause trouble for others too.'" "...I wished we could have come to that through a different way."

> Move: Sunshine Coliseum

> Meet Daryan, finish talking

<Daryan> どう思ってるんだよ。ホントのトコロは。 What do you really think happened? Really?

‥‥オレがやった‥‥なんて考えてないだろうなあ？ You don't think I did it, right?

<Apollo> そ。それは‥‥ W-Well...

<Daryan> なんか、たよりないからな、おまえさん。おぼえておいてくれよ。 Great. Way to instill a guy with some confidence.

事件が起こった瞬間。オレはステージで、暴れてたんだぜ。 Just remember, I was ripping it up on stage when it happened, OK? Ripping!

<Apollo> ‥‥‥！ ...!

<Daryan> あの“歌姫”とかいうおばさんの言うことに、ダマされるなよ。 Don't get led astray by some siren song, eh?

さもないと‥‥ １年ぶんのハジをかくことになるぜ。 Get this one wrong, and you'll be eating humble pie for a year. I'll bake it myself.

<Trucy> なんか‥‥感じ悪いですね。 Let's... not talk to him anymore. Alright?

<Apollo> （眉月　大庵‥‥刑事、か‥‥） (Detective Daryan Crescend... He's one stone I'd leave unturned if I had a choice.)

Heh, nice. It was plainly "Don't be fooled by that 'songtress' lady", but made the perfect opportunity for a reference to siren songs. Ngl, I was half-expecting the JP script to run off of her Goddess title in some way...

> Move: Prosecutor Gavin's Office

< > ‥‥ピッ‥‥ ...*beep*...

<Klavier> やれやれ‥‥こんなときにこそ、ダイアンが必要なんだけど。 It's times like this when I start to miss Daryan...

‥‥ん？ ...Huh?

<Apollo> あ‥‥どうも。 Erm, hiya!

<Trucy> えへ。来ちゃいましたあ。 Tee hee! Just thought we'd drop in. Hope you're not mad...?

<Klavier> ‥‥“えへ”とこられちゃあ、怒るワケにもいかないな。 ...How could I be? There's not enough "tee hee" in the world, in any case.

まあ、座りなよ。 Have a seat.

<Apollo> （意外にココロの広いオトコだな） (Prosecutor Gavin, the philanthropist.)

<Trucy> オドロキさんも見習うんですよ。 Watch and learn, Apollo!

"(He's a lot kinder than I thought, this guy.)"

> Examine: guitars

<Apollo> すごい数のギターですね。こんなに持ってて、どうするんですか‥‥ Look at all the guitars! Why so many?

<Klavier> 何本あったって、困らないさ。ギターは、ぼくの恋人だからね。 You can never have too many guitars. They are like... my lovers.

<Apollo> （なんだかハラの立つセリフだな） (I didn't just hear him say that.)

"(Feels like he's saying that just to rub it in my face.)"

<Trucy> オドロキさん、知らないんですか？これは、予備のギターですよ。 They're backup guitars, Apollo. Don't you know anything?

“ろっくんろーる”は、ギターを壊してナンボの世界ですから！ Rock 'n' rollers always smash their guitars at the end of a show!

<Apollo> どんな世界だよ‥‥ No wonder it's so hard to make it as a musician.

"What kind of wacky world do they live in..."

<Trucy> ほらほら！　オドロキさんも、 “ろっく”してみてくださいよ！ You know what, you should try rocking a little, Apollo.

<Apollo> ‥‥持ち主の目の前でそれは、さすがにロックすぎるだろ。 And breaking his guitars while he watches? That might be a little too rocking.

<Klavier> はっはっは。でもね。ぼくは、そーいうのはやらないんだ。 Ah ha ha ha. Of course, I would never do such a thing.

言っただろ？ギターは、ぼくの恋人だって。 Did I not say, they are like my lovers?

ぼくが、恋人にそんなことをするオトコに見えるかい？ Do I seem like the kind of man who would do such a thing to ones he loves?

<Trucy> いいえ、まさか！　見えませんよ！さすが、ガリューさんですね！ No, no! Not at all! I mean, you're Mr. Gavin, upstanding prosecutor!

<Apollo> （おいおい‥‥“ろっく”な　世界はどうしたんだよ） (What happened to Prosecutor Gavin, god of rock?)

"No, no! Not at all! It's you we're talking about, Garyuu-san!" "(Hey... what happened to that world of 'rock' you were on about?)"

> Examine: window

<Klavier> どうだい？すばらしい眺めだろう？ The view is exhilarating, ja?

いつも、ここで夜景を楽しみながら、曲の構想を練るんだ。 I sit here, gazing down upon the city, writing my songs.

<Apollo> 検事の仕事をしましょうよ。 Try working on cases.

<Klavier> 曲を考えることと、事件の推理をすること‥‥ It is the same thing.

ぼくにとっては、同じなんだよ。 I write lyrics the same way I corroborate evidence.

どちらも大切なのは、ロジックと感性のハーモニーだからね。 It is a harmony between the logical mind, and the primal spirit within!

<Apollo> （言ってることはカッコイイけど、　ごまかされている気がする‥‥） (Is it so hard to admit that you like staring out your window and daydreaming?)

"(He may have put it in a cool way, but I bet he's just trying to deflect...)"

Do prosecutors have a habit of just staring out their windows for some reason? I know that frilly guy does it because he's got a bit of time at this time.

> Talk: The Case

<Klavier> ああ‥‥そうだ。今日の新聞を見たかな？ Ah, that reminds me, did you see the paper today?

<Trucy> はい！ Yes!

テレビのページだけはみぬき、毎朝チェックしてるんですよ！ I always read the TV section.

<Klavier> それはエラいね。おデコくん、キミは？ Good girl. How about you, Herr Forehead?

<Apollo> オレも、４コマまんがはチェックしてますけど。 ...I read the funnies.

Ah, something we can agree on, Apollo. Then again, with how Odoroki mentions the 4koma, I can't help but picture those on Gyakuten Tsuushin and now the joke is super meta.

<Klavier> ‥‥コイツを見たまえ。 ...Then you will not have seen this!

<Apollo> 《悪魔のしらべが惨劇をもたらす！　～二枚目検事のキケンな歌声》 "Concert of Tragedy -- The Prosecutor's Deadly Song!"

<Trucy> え。今夜、そんなドラマ、ありましたっけ？ Ooh, is that a new show? I haven't heard about that one.

<Klavier> ドラマじゃないよ。れっきとした、記事の見出しさ。 It's not a show. It's an article. News, you know?

<Trucy> あ‥‥もしかして。みぬきたちの‥‥ Oh, does this have anything to do with the case...?

<Klavier> 法廷から帰ってから、ぼくの電話は鳴りっぱなしだよ。 Since getting back from the trial, my phone has been ringing off the hook!

Second to last: "Oh... so it's about us...?"

> Finish talking, get the replica

> (optional) Move: W.A.A., present replica

<Trucy> レタスさんは‥‥ コレを調べていたんですね。 So this is what Mr. LeTouse was after...

<Apollo> うん。国際警察がコレを追いかけていた、ってことだろうね。 It's international smuggling. That's why Interpol was involved.

（今回の事件とどう関わるのかは、　まだイマイチ分からないけど） (I'm still not sure how this ties into our case, though.)

<Trucy> ちっちゃいのに、すごいんですね、コレ！ Wow, how could such a little thing be so important!

<Apollo> たしかに‥‥ まるで、みぬきちゃんみたいだね。 In that way, it's a bit like you, Trucy.

<Trucy> ！‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ オドロキさん！ ...Apollo!

みぬきは、ちっちゃいんじゃなくて、まだ若いだけです！ I'm not small! I mean, I am, but I'm still growing!

<Apollo> （‥‥一応、　ほめたつもりだったんだけどな） (It was intended as a compliment.)

<Trucy> オドロキさんこそ、前髪で身長かせいでるじゃないですか！ Well you cheat your height by sticking your hair up like that!

<Apollo> （こ、これは別に、そういうんじゃ　ないんだけど‥‥） (Hey, it's called fashion.)

"(H-hey, I just like it this way. I didn't mean it like that...)"

> Move: Sunshine Coliseum, In the Wings, then Hickfield Clinic

> Move: Detention Center, present replica

> Talk: The Cocoon

<Trucy> この“マユ”‥‥ いったい、なんなんですか？ What is this cocoon, anyway?

<Machi> ＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥ ＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥

<Lamiroir> 『マユ、糸‥‥特効薬』 "The cocoon, the silk, is a potent cure."

<Trucy> とっこうやく‥‥？ A cure...?

<Apollo> 何かの病気に効く、ってコトかな。 It must cure some disease.

<Machi> ＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥ ＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠＠‥‥

<Lamiroir> 『《チリョーレス症候群》‥‥』という病気に効くみたいですわ。 It's a cure for "Incuritis".

<Apollo> チリョーレス‥‥ A cure for Incuritis?

Ughhh, it literally is just "Chiryoles" (chiryou + less = cure-less), aka "Incuritis". And here I was expecting it was just the loc team having a brainfart once in a while.

#gsvsaa #gs4 #ajaa #turnabout serenade #part 3

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