So I’m playing the second case of Apollo Justice, investigating Phoenix’s hospital room when I notice something a little disturbing.
What we have here is a potted plant. What’s the big deal? In Japan, bringing someone in the hospital a potted plant is a huge faux pas. It’s mostly a no-no for people who are hospitalized due to illness, because a potted plant has roots which is seen as a wish that the patient’s illness will “take root” and be there to stay. But I’m pretty sure it’s still seriously bad form even if the patient is there for an injury.
Then it occurs to me, “wait… are those freaking spider lilies???”
Spider lilies are a symbol of death in Japan. So basically someone gave him a gift that sends the very clear message of “I hope you never heal and end up dead.” I’d suspect Kristoph if he weren’t in jail.
Even if he’s not superstitious and doesn’t believe in or care about symbols and stuff, surely knowing someone feels that way about you doesn’t feel good. But instead of throwing the “gift” away, Phoenix displays it prominently, as if to say “mmm I love gazing upon the hatred of my enemies. My sprained ankle feels better already.” Like… what a power move, damn.
self care is drinking 17 cups of coffee and swordfighting the spirit of a woman who tried to kill you on a mountaintop during a thunderstorm in the middle of the night
I think it’s really neat how the original trilogy lawyers and the new trilogy lawyers think about secrets differently.
On one hand, you have Phoenix and Edgeworth. To them, secrets are an item, kept in a box and locked within your heart. In order to figure out what it is, you have to locate the box, find the key, and unlock it. Whether that’s with evidence and bluffing (psyche-locks) or logic and contradictions (logic chess) you use concrete details to unlock the truth.
On the other hand, there’s Apollo and Athena. They view secrets as a feeling, hidden behind a wall. Something that you repress but still seeps through, however small. They use more subjective tactics based on psychology and an understanding of people as emotional beings. They find the cracks in the wall, and they knock the wall down. Perception finds where the nervousness slips through, and the Mood Matrix sees a person’s emotions as they truly are, not as they intend them to be.
I haven’t quite worked out how this relates to their characterization and worldview yet, but I know it makes sense in Edgeworth’s case, having been raised in a household where emotions were a weakness, evidence was everything, and logic and perfection always ruled.
midnight-in-town 