Posts That Aged Like Fine Wine

due to recent events... i have been inspired

CECILSWEEP BABYYY

"Omnia mors aequat. "

Anyways I think this is my favorite adition to Damian's character in a long while

instructions extremely clear

ACE ATTORNEY IS IN THE NEWSPAPER AS QUEER (wrightworth)

ACE ATTORNEY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE!! (Wednesday June 2nd 2021)

(Article below- left>right plz read before commenting)

The rumor come out- Does Phoenix Wright is gay?!?!

Yes, according to this article, in the SF chronicle newspaper, Phoenix Wright (bisexual) and Miles Edgeworth (gay?) shipname: Wrightworth is essentially ‘canon in all sense aside from legal’ this article makes me so happy to see!

Happy Pride Month Ya’ll!!

FUCKING FIIIIIIRE

designs for a zine piece! enjoy some background story my illustration never needed under the read more (fair warning I did NOT edit this at all):

newbie mage apprentices Sam and Tucker who became friends bc they're kinda… the ones at the bottom of their class and struggle the most, for different reasons. they become besties over time and practice together!

except one night, something goes terribly wrong. they spent the last few nights preparing for a project, a bigger spell that needs an intricate circle with precise measurements to work. but when they try to activate it, well… 

oops. they summoned a demon.

which is, for one, extremely illegal. only certified demonologists are allowed to summon demons because they're so dangerous. anything less than a perfect binding circle and thoroughly researched info on the demon, including their true name, is even remotely safe.

but, weirdly enough… the demon seems just as surprised as they are. as Sam and Tuck frantically try to figure out how to dispel the demon, they realize–oh god, did their circle actually sufficiently bind the demon? it can't leave. they watch the demon tentatively poke it's claws into the air around the boundary, and watch it fizzle, retreating back with a strained hiss.

okay. okay, they can do this. without death looming over their heads, they can figure out how to send the demon back. it's cool, it's fine. except while they leaf through their books, they notice the demon watching them. it looks kind of… curious. timid. interested in what they're doing. it catches them noticing his staring, and it. apologizes? it seems flustered?

weird, okay. they keep looking, and the demon starts talking. at first, little comments to itself. mumbles that soon get just loud enough to hear. little “ooh, is that a telescope?" and “is that what fire looks like up here?" and “that must be for making charcoal…”

Sam is the one brave enough to be like "are all demons as chatty as you??” and the demon gets flustered again, apologizing. says he's just never been topside before, he's only read about humans in tomes. oh wow is that the moon outside? it really IS blue up here! is it always blue? what are you doing up? I thought humans slept at night?

Sam and Tuck can't help getting pulled in with the demon's genuine curiosity. they're wary though, since they know demons can be clever, conniving. there's a number of ways a demon can get the upper hand on a summoner who has them bound. if he gets their full names, gets them to smudge and break the circle… there could also be ways they aren't aware of. so they consider their words carefully, but engage in some chatter while they research.

it's almost morning by the time they find a way to send the demon back–but as they prepare the spell, the demon says WAIT WAIT and they stop, uncertain. the demon starts stammering out how this is weird but like… he really had fun tonight. he doesn't get to just hang out much, especially with anyone his age.

Tuck is like “how do you know our ages??" and the demon points out "oh, you said something about Paulie’s 18th birthday party, so I thought…” and they're both like oh shit we didn't even notice we did that?

“Paulina" Sam corrects in her dumbfounded stupor. 

“Right, Paulina!" the demon snaps his fingers, but quickly loses his confidence when Sam and Tuck continue to stare at him like they're not sure what's going on. he coughs and fidgets and says “um, well, I was just wondering, I guess… if you wanted to summon me another time, I wouldn't mind. you see those circles there? yeah, that's what summoned me. the candles helped too I think. oh, it doesn't need all those runes though, probably don't want to redraw all those.”

Sam and Tuck are practically gawking, but… for some reason, this demon looks so sincere. so much like them, awkward and lonely and genuinely curious.

it's a bad idea. a terrible one, even. the demon probably noticed they're newbies and not demonologists. it could be hoping they make an error in their circle, or mess up a candle, or reveal their names on accident. 

But, well. They're stupid. they're also eager for anything to help them in school, and too empathetic for their own good. they send the demon off with a yeah, no. they then think about it for a week, and end up summoning the demon against their better judgment.

the demon is shocked and so happy, they can't help but be a little endeared. they lay down some ground rules, take care to be as safe as possible… and soon, this demon that introduces himself as “Phantom" becomes a nightly visitor. they talk about their worlds, find out they share a lot of common interests, and help each other in their studies. which, hello, demons also study? bro are you serious??

they play games, laugh till their ribs hurt, and open up to each other on a far deeper level than anyone expected. over time, Phantom becomes a true friend.

Sam and Tuck quietly begin to lament the fact Phantom is stuck in that damn circle. they want to take him places, let him see the human world he seems so interested in. they want to paint his stupid claws and noogie him between his dumb horns and hug him.

but it's an astronomical risk. it's legal for a demonologist with a proper permit, but it's still considered a grave taboo to grant access to a demon outside a circle. there's just too much at risk. demons can be dangerous enough to lay waste to entire towns, take multiple teams of military-rank mages to take down.

they wouldn't risk it… if they hadn't snuck into the library’s restricted section and copy a page from a demonologist book that gives them good framework for a contract. they make some edits to it though, giving Phantom at least a little wiggle room to protect himself if need be. and allow him use of transformation magic so he can hide somehow. but they spend weeks making sure they have airtight wording to ensure Phantom can't cause anyone or anything any substantial harm. 

when they finally bring the contract to Phantom, he's stunned. he cries. nothing needs to be said, they all know the gravity of their proposal. even if they ask for proof of Phantom's trust in turn, first. they ask for his full name, so they can bind him. just temporarily. but in that moment, they'll have full control over him. they could instead tell Phantom to serve them, force him to obey their every order. even if it's just for a moment, giving them his full name with the proper circle and incantation, is putting his life in their hands. 

Phantom, with tears still in his eyes, smiles warmly and nods. with only a breath to steel himself, he gives them his full name. Daniel James Fenton.

magic sparks in the circle, and Sam and Tuck finish the incantation. ethereal chains sprout up to wrap around Phantom's arms and legs, which makes him jump–but the unwavering trust in his eyes makes the two humans choke up.

they release the binding. all that's left is to break the containment barrier in the circle, so Phantom can walk free.

“Uh, about that…” Phantom laughs sheepishly… then proceeds to step outside of the circle, merely wincing when the barrier zaps around him.

Sam and Tucker gawk. Phantom scratches his neck. “Y-yeah, so… your barrier circle was already broken that first night. It's, uh… right over there. You missed a spot.”

abject horror overcomes them because this entire time Phantom's been visiting, he could have broken out? EASILY?? THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD.

Tucker falls to his knees, but soon starts to laugh. it's kind of hysterical at first but slowly, he and Sam are genuinely laughing. they're so STUPID, and Phantom is the most un-demonlike demon they've ever HEARD of. Phantom is still flustered, stammering out apologies because he wasn't trying to deceive them or anything! he just didn't want to scare them! without a proper containment circle they technically couldn't send him back either, so he just… went back using his own magic each time they “dispelled" him. 

once they've calmed down, Phantom morphs his body into a human form–which shock Sam and Tuck, because uh, only elite demons are capable of that. they were expecting an animal, or straight up going invisible. Phantom laughs it off, says he just, spent a lot of time practicing bc he's so interested in the human world (not a lie, but). he proceeds to adopt the nickname Danny, and they all have FUN WONDERFUL SHENANIGANS

(and sometime in the near future, when faced with something truly threatening he needs to protect them from, Danny reveals that. well. their contract also had some holes in it. and he's had access to his full demon power this whole time. whoopsie! it's a good thing he genuinely loves them and doesn't want to hurt anyone, or their asses would be SO dead lol)

they're about as normal about his full demon form as you'd expect from me btw:

Jason: *Posts a super low-quality image to the group chat*

Duke: if I had a dollar for every pixel in that meme, I’d have 15 cents

Jason: If I had a dollar for every ounce of rage I felt in my body after I read this text, I would have enough money to buy a cannon to fire at you

Tim:: actually I did the math, Duke would have $225, not $0.15.

Duke: bruh i’m right here....

Cass: If I had a dollar I would buy a can of soda :)

Damian: while you’re there could you buy me an apply juice please?

Cass: Sorry I only have a dollar

Damian: >:/

Dick: Hey I just realized Tim's wrong, Duke would have $22,500 because it's a dollar for every pixel, not a cent

Tim: fuck off

Cass: If I had $22,500 I would buy a can of soda and an apply juice :)

Dick: You can buy anything you want with $22,500

Jason: Yeah and she wants soda and apply juice

Tim: apply juice to what

Cass: Directly to the forehead

Dick: Great chat everyone

thoughts about link click and its great characters (major spoilers)

I think what I really like about Link Click is the emotional maturity of its characters. Granted, our protags are all adults, and so we expect them to react to serious situations with more emotional intelligence than a child or teenager (even if they are goofy in other circumstances), but I really liked how Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang never truly blamed each other for their actions. If this were a more generic/trope-y story with teenagers as the protags, we would probably see the two split and monologue dramatically about their ideologies and how the other is wrong (Lu Guang for focusing too much on the “big picture” of events, and Cheng Xiaoshi for being too emotionally invested in each client’s life). But besides Cheng Xiaoshi’s (justified) outburst of pain and anger after what he experienced from eps 3-5, he never blames Lu Guang for trying to be neutral, because he understands deep down that Lu Guang is right to a degree, and that they can’t fundamentally shift the past if they want the world to exist as it is now. Cheng Xiaoshi is also responsible enough to see and acknowledge the negative consequences of taking independent action from Lu Guang’s instructions while in the photos. He never uses the differences between him and Lu Guang to create a rift between them, because he trusts Lu Guang, has a deep friendship with him and Qiao Ling during a period of his life when he had no one else, and knows that Lu Guang is ultimately looking out for his (Cheng Xiaoshi’s) safety. There’s no drama and misunderstanding for the sake of drama and misunderstanding, because they have the same goal of helping their clients and friends to the fullest degree possible. 

Additionally, Lu Guang, despite looking like the trope of “cold/detached/cruel white-haired boi who is juxtaposed with his emotional dark-haired counterpart,” is very much empathetic and driven by his emotions himself. When Xu Shanshan goes missing, he immediately takes the lead to find her, because he knows Cheng Xiaoshi is in a terrible emotional state and doesn’t want him to get hurt. Lu Guang isn’t above being silly and enjoying Cheng Xiaoshi’s and Qiao Ling’s company. He always tries to protect Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling, just like Cheng Xiaoshi always tries to protect everyone he meets. And his reserved nature seems to stem from loneliness and the burden of seeing the inevitability of outcomes in the clients’ photos rather than “edginess.” I think a nice example illustrating his personality is in the chibi specials: 

Even though it’s a silly episode, like all the chibi specials, this is a nice microcosm of all the stress that Lu Guang needs to take on whenever he looks into a photo. He needs to be the calm one who guides Cheng Xiaoshi through the photos, because he knows Cheng Xiaoshi will be experiencing all of the unwanted turmoil of whomever he possesses. Even when he sees the misery of others, Lu Guang has to push that aside in order to ensure that he can at least save one person (the client or whomever he knows can be saved within the photo’s timeline). And considering how quiet he is by nature, Lu Guang has likely kept this burden all to himself. Yet Lu Guang never turns his back to helping someone when it is possible for him to do so.

That is to say, I fucking love Link Click and its wonderful characters - the writers, VAs, animators, etc. really knew what they were doing and they honestly deserve so much more credit for this show