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characteroulette · 8 months

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A study on prosecutors -- (previous) (next)

Second, Franziska.

Franziska is a really, really interesting case. Not only is she someone who is coloured by our experiences with our two previous prosecutors (Edgeworth and Manfred), she's also the prosecutor we spend the least amount of time in trial against. Her debut game has her headlining only two of the four trials. She gets exactly one more trial in the next game and even then, it's a single day and not even against Phoenix. She has the least amount of time to make her impression on us, and so every single moment she's onscreen has to count.

And boy, do they ever make it count!

Gumshoe is, once again, our introduction to her presence. I find it a bit weird that they leave enough room for ambiguity on whether or not Manfred's kid is his son or something. Playing with the player's expectations, I guess? It's weird but I guess it's brushed over completely once Franziska is revealed, so it's not too much of a sticking point.

But then we meet her in court and she is as absolutely as much of a menace as advertised. She's as much in control of the proceedings as her father, using her whip instead of his iron fist, and focused wholly on perfection. You get a real bases on what growing up as Manfred's protege would be like from her mannerisms; she acts like a princess, like the only person in the room with any importance, and she wears it proudly. You can't help but admire how much of a bastard she presents herself as. She's willing to get in there and do the work herself rather than relying on anyone else; what a first impression to make.

This is, of course, helped along by her dubiously legal steps. She hides the existence of the second photo, she presents a completely illegal photo only to then claim that it's not actual evidence she's presenting. Her brazen display of dirty tactics is infuriating, it's a reflection on her father's own ruthlessness. It even puts into perspective Edgeworth's own ruthlessness, though he certainly never stepped this far past the line of legality. At least, the way he was presented to us, it never felt like he actually did anything illegal.

The key point, though, is that she makes us feel helpless. About as helpless as Manfred did (and maybe Edgeworth in 1-2, though your mileage may vary on that one). Our immediate response should be to treat her just as hostilely, to suspect her of falling to some sort of ruin just the same as her father.

But then, day two of the trial arrives. And instead of fighting tooth and nail, Franziska starts to go along for the ride.

You might not think anything of it at first. Phoenix certainly doesn't. She's still biting, still snapping and forcing you to prove every argument you throw out there. She isn't one to yield so easily, she demands perfection even when you're unravelling her supposedly perfect case. And yet, with each push, she gives in just enough to allow you footholds. She sees your logic and doesn't discount it. She even follows along, agrees with you as you piece together this mystery.

She's more willing to work with you than you ever expected considering her demeanour in that first trial day. She's just as interested in figuring out the whole truth as you are. It really surprised me, going back to this game and seeing just how willing she is to follow your working out the mystery. She's so agreeable that second day that it speaks of some knowledge, some spot of light in her that flares up in defiance of every method Manfred ever used. She's still too close to the line of illegal, she's still willing to get into some dirty methods herself, but she's not willfully blind to the truth. She's able to understand that what you're proposing makes sense.

She's still a child. She's barely an adult and it shows that she's in far less danger than Manfred or Edgeworth were to that looming darkness.

(Is it her inexperience? Is it her headstrong defiance of falling into the same trap her father did? No matter the reasoning, it makes her less of an antagonist than she should be seen as. It makes it clear that we can reach her, that she's not someone to condemn in the same way we did Manfred.)

We can't really begin to trust her. Not yet. She's a wild card, she's still threatening to crush us under her heel.

But she has more humanity by the end of this trial than Edgeworth or Manfred displayed at the end of their first appearances. And before we know it, we're susceptible to being endeared to her as someone we could form an allyship with.

Case three is kind of a mess overall, but I appreciate Franziska's presence in it keeping these crazy clowns on track. For the most part, at least. She whips even Phoenix into staying focused when Ben, Trilo, and Moe would force us into a detour. Perhaps it's a smart choice in contrasting her with these characters, as it makes her a lot more reasonable looking after her introduction. Yeah, she did something pretty illegal to prove Maya's spirit channelling technique, but she's also taking no nonsense from these clowns and it goes a long way towards me appreciating her presence here in this case. (Anything to get through this painful first day, really.) I really can't blame her for manipulating Moe's testimony because she would have to be crazy to let him explain to the court how he saw the culprit fly off into the sky.

And then we run into her at the crime scene during the investigation and her motivations become loud and clear.

There was a sort of suspicion from the beginning, of course. Phoenix and Maya both told her that seeking revenge for her father made no sense and each time she made no comment towards it. She simply brushed it off and continued on as if they never mentioned her father.

But here, she explains it's not for her father she's doing any of this. It's for Edgeworth.

Edgeworth, whom she believes can't be dead.

It's a brilliant moment, really, tying her in a sibling rivalry sort of dance with our previous rival turned ally. It really informs how her mannerisms and her approach to trials can be so similar and yet so different to Manfred's. How she can be so obsessed with perfection and yet allow us to figure out the truth to each case. She's a perfect blend of both of them and suddenly she's the little sister, the one left behind, the one chasing after something that no longer really exists.

It's almost tragic, really. I started liking her in this moment; understanding a character can go a long way towards endearing you to them.

The second day of the trial is much the same as the second day of case 2's. Franziska is far too willing to allow us to theorise on what happened, challenging us enough to make us prove what we're saying. Her incredulousness at the reveal of the actual method of murder is warranted, but she can do nothing else but acquiesce to the truth of it all.

She's a sore loser. Another flaw in her perfect veneer. Where as in the second trial it was infuriating, this time it's enough to make you feel sorry for her. Someone overstepped her authority, she shot herself in the foot by figuring out the truth and trapping the true culprit in an unwinnable scenario. It was Edgeworth pulling some strings, but she still went right along with it, convinced she was absolutely right.

Thus, we come to the final case of her debut.

It should have been suspicious, looking back, how much of her we saw during the initial investigation. She's running herself to overdrive in order to win this case. Her previous two losses sting far too much; she's willing to fire Gumshoe for it, to charge recklessly ahead, to make a deal that could have killed a woman just to get her victory. Her complicated relationship with Edgeworth comes out in full force with his appearance and oof there is so much good stuff there with him and Phoenix in this scene. (As an aside, I really love how this case portrays Phoenix barely holding himself back from having a panic attack when Maya is kidnapped. It's so good how it portrays his vision going, how it portrays him freezing up, how he can barely hold himself together. Chef's kiss, delicious, I love it, that's got nothing to do with Franziska's character portrayal lol.) She is continually running away from us in this investigation and it shows how doggedly she's working on setting up all her pieces just to topple us.

And, hey! You know the quickest way to endear us to someone we're nearly convinced on? Just have them get shot!

In all seriousness, it is a shocking moment, hearing that De Killer's "gift" to us was having her shot. It sets up an immediate reversal of roles; yes, we never planned for this, we didn't even ask for this, but we're the ones employing the barely legal tactics now. We're the ones who have some dirty methods clinging to the backs of our minds in our efforts to win at all costs.

Being cast in the same light as she was in that second trial is another great moment of understanding. Suddenly, you can't fully blame her for what she does. Condemning her would mean condemning ourselves, even when the circumstances are vastly different. At least, that's certainly how I felt. I can't blame her for her illegal tactics when I'm out here with a gun to my head. It's the same sort of pressure, isn't it? To be hounded by an perfectionist who accepts only victory. To be hounded by an assassin with a noose around our girl's neck.

Clearly, Phoenix also understands this on some level. Otherwise, why would he take her flowers when going to visit her in the hospital? (Phoenix is such a kind person he's even willing to make nice to someone who whipped him into unconsciousness. Another point towards endearing Franziska to us, really.)

The ending of this case and Franziska's big damn hero moment really seal the deal. She comes in at the last second with everything we need both to prove Engarde's guilt and save Maya from De Killer. Her inability to understand our joy afterwards also speaks of a want for growth, a want to chase this light we've shown her, but her headstrong nature won't allow it. Her conversation with Edgeworth at the airport really seals the deal, too. She's become our ally, whether she wanted to or not.

Honestly, I think she's all the more fascinating for her stalwart refusal to admit that she's as endeared to us as we are to her. She's the type of character I've grown to love writing, so she definitely made her impression on me with this.

Her appearance in the next game is such a triumph, too. She's the same headstrong, defiant wild card, but she's accepted her position as our ally. She speaks of crushing Phoenix, of finally having her chance to battle against him and Edgeworth, yet it's undeniable how much fun she's having while we walk around with her. It's undeniable how she's working with Edgeworth in the same manner she did on the second day of her trials when fighting Edgeworth in court. She's here and she's going to make it our problem in an affectionate way.

Anyway yeah I love Franziska she's such a fun character.

#Momo writes stuff #Ace Attorney #Franziska von Karma #Essay time for Momo #Anyway I wanted to write this but went on a 2k Edgeworth rant lol #I LOVE FRANZISKA SO MUCH #SHE'S A FUCKING TERROR CHILD #I am a big fan of terror gals #Clearly lol #Here's my 2k words Franziska rant lol #She's so much fun believe me pls #JFA spoilers #Some spoilers #Character analysis be like #Literary analysis be like #Literary analysis brain goes brrrrr

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waywardtrek · 10 months

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On the rare occasion when i see sunnyblr like “oooooh i hope rcg never witness how much we macdennis truth/go hard for sunny/meta til our eyeballs bleed on here etc. EMBARRASSING lol” like have you seen rcg? watched the sunny podcast?

those are the three most beautifully unhinged, undiagnosed adhd-iest, different-zones-of-the-autism-spectrumiest, neurodivergent motherfuckers i have ever had the pleasure to witness up close. like the holy neurodiv triumvirate lol. hell, they’re probably all already on tumblr, relentlessly liking/reblogging posts of sunny memes and other hyperfixations lol. good for them

^^posting this today, in light of certain updates, but pinkie promise you it sat in my drafts - without useful tags - for an entire three weeks (thanks, adhd and anxiety LOL). Anyway, good for rob for talking about it and being brave enough to do a whole podcast about it, very inspiring.

#rcg #rob mcelhenney #charlie would have a film blog obvs #rob is all about sweaty hogs and macdennis #and glenn would soak up every single drop of glennis juice and savor it like the queen he is #oh and also macdennis on the downlow hahaha #no but jokes aside though #rcg are the exact brand of unhinged to belong on here #and they know it's more fun to stay anon from your irl persona #and this is a hill i will die on #ps don’t come at me for neurodiv stuff because i am RIGHT THERE with ya pal #clearly lol #i think I have approximately three ppl who follow me for Sunny stuff anyway amongst my usually slew of random shitposting haha

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random-mdzs-thoughts-dumpster · 5 months

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Since people who hate JGY love thinking about all the things he could have done, why do they always ignore the fact that he didn't actually do them and the implications of that? Yes, he could have killed JL but he let him live for 15 years (and would likely continue that way if he hadn't died). Think of all the opportunities he had for it that he didn't take. If he wanted his son to be his heir so much that he tried killing his nephew (but he accidentally killed his son. BTW that kidnappers must have been very stupid) why didn't he have another child (even by remarrying if you keep enough of his canon personality for him to be disgusted by being in an incestuous relationship) and kill JL later? He had plenty of time to wait and all the different ways to kill him so it wouldn't be suspicious, people would just pity him for losing both his son and his nephew. I'm sure if people tried to look at his actions as they were and not the worst possible version of what could have been (and going yeah, he did that), they wouldn't hate him so much.

#It's like JC and WWX getting mad at JZX for theoretically cheating on JYL #People can have their HCs of course #But imagine someone saying #NHS spread the rumors about MXY being in love with JGY because he knew #JGY wouldn't tolerate that specific kind of rumors and kick MXY out #Thus isolating him and placing in an abusive environment #Which would make it easier for NHS to manipulate him into commiting suicide #I'm free to have it as a HC but I understand that it isn't even remotely close to what the text is trying to say #Anyway thinking about how poeple love imagining JGY as some kind of tyrant #And how plato said tyranny can't survive without war #What did JGY do?#Oh yeah achieve 10 years of peace #I guess he was waiting for people to forget how to fight after the sunshot #To kill them easily #That's the most logical explanation #ANYWAY #That post got on my nerves #Clearly lol

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bookishjules · 1 year

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we sat there idling, until the snow collected in drifts between our seats, until the frost that crept up our legs became thick as ice. and then we were no longer waiting--we simply were, painted into a state of being, fated from the very first flake

#poetry #i guess #my plane is stalling on the tarmac and the roof started leaking #and i thought wouldnt it be such a cool picture if it started raining in the plane cabin? or if it started snowing??#and then i got here #dont know why theres water falling from the ceiling still...#trying not to think about it🫡#clearly lol #words

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agentwashingcat · 10 months

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The announcement reminded me that the one time I tried to watch Zero, I was floored that despite all the changes, they decided to keep the RVB tradition of “women are all hyper-competitive hardasses that need to lighten up” alive. Here’s hoping some of the season 11-17 style of writing women is present in the last season!

YEAH I think I watched like 3 episodes of zero before I tapped out I couldn't do it anymore man

I am holding Carolina hostage until Burnie proves he can be trusted with her for real

#Anonymous #zero was just terrible all around lads we can only go up from here lmao #I say hopefully #I have faith in Burnies storytelling skills it's the women I'm worried about #clearly lol

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separatist-apologist · 1 year

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Breeding schmink is the jam to my peanut butter. Hottest schmink imo.

It's mine, too.

#CLEARLY LOL

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werewolfcafe · 13 days

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just started smallville... and im like how am i supposed to believe that lex luthor will be a bad guy?

#like he is a good guy #anyways ive watched 1.5 episodes so im an expert #clearly lol

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abracadaze · 2 years

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i feel so bad for nikola tesla like imagine spending years beefing with a guy who has conned the public into believing he's some sort of supergenius when in reality it's his overworked employees developing all of his world-changing inventions and you end up dying broke and starving and alone and then 100 years later another guy cons the public into believing he's some sort of supergenius when in reality it's his overworked employees developing all of his world-changing inventions and he's doing it all IN YOUR NAME. he must be rolling in his grave like a fucking rotisserie chicken

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inkskinned · 11 months

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the thing is that they're so fascinated by sex, they love sex, they can't imagine a world without sex - they need sex to sell things, they need sex to be part of their personality, they need sex to prove their power - but they hate sex. they are disgusted by it.

sex is the only thing that holds their attention, and it is also the thing that can never be discussed directly.

you can't tell a child the normal names for parts of their body, that's sexual in nature, because the body isn't a body, it's a vessel of sex. it doesn't matter that it's been proven in studies (over and over) that kids need to know the names of their genitals; that they internalize sexual shame at a very young age and know it's 'dirty' to have a body; that it overwhelmingly protects children for them to have the correct words to communicate with. what matters is that they're sexual organs. what matters is that it freaks them out to think about kids having body parts - which only exist in the context of sex.

it's gross to talk about a period or how to check for cancer in a testicle or breast. that is nasty, illicit. there will be no pain meds for harsh medical procedures, just because they feature a cervix.

but they will put out an ad of you scantily-clad. you will sell their cars for them, because you have abs, a body. you will drip sex. you will ooze it, like a goo. like you were put on this planet to secrete wealth into their open palms.

they will hit you with that same palm. it will be disgusting that you like leather or leashes, but they will put their movie characters in leather and latex. it will be wrong of you to want sexual freedom, but they will mark their success in the number of people they bed.

they will crow that it's inappropriate for children so there will be no lessons on how to properly apply a condom, even to teens. it's teaching them the wrong things. no lessons on the diversity of sexual organ growth, none on how to obtain consent properly, none on how to recognize when you feel unsafe in your body. if you are a teenager, you have probably already been sexualized at some point in your life. you will have seen someone also-your-age who is splashed across a tv screen or a magazine or married to someone three times your age. you will watch people pull their hair into pigtails so they look like you. so that they can be sexy because of youth. one of the most common pornography searches involves newly-18 young women. girls. the words "barely legal," a hiss of glass sand over your skin.

barely legal. there are bills in place that will not allow people to feel safe in their own bodies. there are people working so hard to punish any person for having sex in a way that isn't god-fearing and submissive. heteronormative. the sex has to be at their feet, on your knees, your eyes wet. when was the first time you saw another person crying in pornography and thought - okay but for real. she looks super unhappy. later, when you are unhappy, you will close your eyes and ignore the feeling and act the role you have been taught to keep playing. they will punish the sex workers, remove the places they can practice their trade safely. they will then make casual jokes about how they sexually harass their nanny.

and they love sex but they hate that you're having sex. you need to have their ornamental, perfunctory, dispassionate sex. so you can't kiss your girlfriend in the bible belt because it is gross to have sex with someone of the same gender. so you can't get your tubes tied in new england because you might change your mind. so you can't admit you were sexually assaulted because real men don't get hurt, you should be grateful. you cannot handle your own body, you cannot handle the risks involved, let other people decide that for you. you aren't ready yet.

but they need you to have sex because you need to have kids. at 15, you are old enough to parent. you are not old enough to hear the word fuck too many times on television.

they are horrified by sex and they never stop talking about it, thinking about it, making everything unnecessarily preverted. the saying - a thief thinks everyone steals. they stand up at their podiums and they look out at the crowd and they sign a bill into place that makes sexwork even more unsafe and they stand up and smile and sign a bill that makes gender-affirming care illegal and they get up and they shrug their shoulders and write don't say gay and they get up, and they make the world about sex, but this horrible, plastic vision of it that they have. this wretched, emotionless thing that holds so much weight it's staggering. they put their whole spine behind it and they push and they say it's normal!

this horrible world they live in. disgusted and also obsessed.

#this shifts gender so much bc it actually affects everyone #yes it's a gendered phenomenon. i have written a LOT about how different genders experience it. that's for a different post.#writeblr #ps my comments about seeing someone cry -- this is not to shame any person #and on this blog we support workers.#at the same time it's a really hard experience to see someone that looks like you. clearly in agony. and have them forced to keep going.#when you're young it doesn't necessarily look like acting. it looks scary. and that's what this is about - the fact that teens #have likely already been exposed to that definition of things. because the internet exists #and without the context of healthy education. THAT is the image burned into their minds about what it looks like.#it's also just one of those personal nuanced biases -#at 19 i thought it was normal to be in pain. to cry. to not-like-it. that it should be perfunctory.#it was what i had seen.#and it didn't help that my religious upbringing was like . 'yeah that's what you get for premarital. but also for the reference #we do think you should never actually enjoy it lol'#so like the point im making is that ppl get exposed to that stuff without the context of something more tender #and assume .... 'oh. so it's fine i am not enjoying myself'. and i know they do because I DID.#he was my first boyfriend. how was i supposed to know any different #i didn't even have the mental wherewithal to realize im a lesbian . like THAT used to suffering.

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onlyformywriting · 6 months

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i'm giving myself 3 months to decide whether this part-time job thing is going to work out for me. i am being very negative about it. it is my instinct to be this way about things that i am uncomfortable with and about. i HATE being the newbie. i HATE learning new processes because i want to do everything perfectly from the get-go, which is an unrealistic expectation i have on myself. but until i can make more money in my full time job then i have to have a part-time job. it will be a good way to get out of the house and make some money. it can be temporary. it does not need to be life or self-defining. it is just a season of my life. it's okay.

#re-parenting myself currently #clearly lol

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