skullman2033 said:
breakdown is when the culprit realizes they cant weasel their way out of their situation, and they promptly respond by FLIPPING THE FUCK OUT, their personality traits going into overdrive

so for awake-san the accurate thing would be her doing godots coffeemug throw, turned up to eleven where she's throwing cups of joe at everyone, screaming anti-hypnosis propaganda

Psi said:
For Awake-san... I imagine her "worried/cornered" animation being all nervous, sweating and checking her alarm clock, looking around and gritting her teeth.
Maybe an extra one for fake confident/smug attitude where she's trying to sip coffee but her hand shakes a lot and one eye is twitching.
Negative reaction/small breakdown has her crushing the coffee cup in her fingers.
For the breakdown, her alarm clock goes off with a super loud RRRIIIIINNNG and she shakes violently with a terrified O_____O expression. Then she slomps on the stand with the face of someone who just woke up having slept very little.

crazyman said:
....
HOLY SHIT

skullman2033 said:
THAT.....WAS THE SICKEST THING....AND I APPLAUD YOU. like you went above and beyond the call

EoD said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULollvRGcKs

All the breakdowns from Spirit of Justice for context on how they should play out.

Obscenario said:
I feel like a breakdown would be fairly hard to do in a vacuum, because in Ace Attorney they have a lot of buildup and context that a breakdown by itself would lack. There are whole layers of lies, plots, and murders to get through before you can have a proper breakdown. That said, I'm going to give it a shot, Skypenotized style. I mean no offense to Zko, and love all of his characters.

spoiler

Phoenix Wright slammed his desk. This was his chance. Whatever else this girl was, she was lying and he knew it. She had to be. All the facts were there, now all Phoenix had to do was figure it out.

He stood in the courtroom, in his usual position as defense. At his side was Apollo Justice, a young attorney much like Phoenix was, who'd decided to help out. They'd both thought Apollo's unique skill would help win the day, but it had soon become clear it was more hindrance than help.

Opposite him stood the prosecutor, Franziska von Karma. Back from her stint at Interpol, the whip wielding maniac had returned with a fire in her eyes. Though the two days of the case so far took their toll on her, she still looked ready for action. The whip was out, and tired of lies. Now more than ever, Franziska wanted the truth.

Between them was the witness stand, and the person on it chilled Phoenix to the bone. She was a young girl, with pink hair and blue eyes. Under normal circumstances she'd be cute, but the expression on her face was anything but. Pheonix could only describe the grin as evil, like she could pounce at any moment. No one could resist her, and she knew it. Apollo should have been able to see through her, perceive the change in tension when she lied, but try as he might she was always a coiled spring. It didn't help that she was still in costume. Somewhere between the white wings and revealing outfit was the truth.

The murder was three days ago, one day after the con had ended. The body of a convention worker had been found, impaled on a prop in a nearly empty storage room. Naturally, the one who'd been using that storage room was the magician Trucy Wright. Police immediately arrested Phoenix's adopted daughter, and what followed was a circus of tricks, traps, and revelations. Now, though, Phoenix was rapidly homing in on the true killer. This girl, Crystal, had to be it.

"Hold it!" Phoenix called. "That last statement wasn't part of your earlier testimony. I request that you please add it, and repeat your testimony to the court."

Crystal smiled coyly. "Of course, sweetie. I said I couldn't have gone to the storage room because I was busy playing a video game with a friend of mine at the time."

"What video game?" Phoenix asked curiously, a hand on his chin.

"Objection!" The voice that shook the room was crisp and concise, punctuated with the crack of a whip. "Is this foolishness really necessary?" Franziska asked, grinding her teeth. "What possible relevance could the witness' taste in games have?"

"I agree," the calm voice of the judge interjected. Situated opposite the witness stand, the same old judge sat where he always had to preside over the case. "Mr. Wright, is this line of questioning going somewhere?"

"It's going everywhere, Your Honor," Phoenix bluffed through his teeth. "The video game the witness was playing is central to this case!"

The judge seemed to sigh without moving his mouth. "Very well," he grunted. "I'll allow the question."

"It was Team4Dress," Crystal shrugged. "I main Soldier."

"Objection!" Phoenix shouted, finger pointed in accusation. He produced a piece of paper from his pocket and began to swat at it thoughtfully. He had no idea what Team4Dress was, but luckily someone did. Thank you, Maya. "I happen to have the results of a match played at the time of the murder right here. Your online alias is 'Crysteel,' correct? According to this, Crysteel was indeed playing a match of Team4Dress at the time. You always play Soldier; however, that Crysteel was playing Spy!"

"So?" the judged asked, confusion visible on his face. "What are you suggesting, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix flashed a confident grin. "I'm suggesting that the witness had someone play for them so they could have an alibi while they met with the victim. Look at this, your honor. The Crysteel in this match played horribly. Zero points, er, kills. This lack of skill surely cost them the game! What do you have to say to that?"

Crystal seemed surprised, but recovered quickly. "I was having an off day," she shrugged.

"It was a ranked game," Phoenix countered. "Whoever was playing that day kept going despite loss after loss, almost like they had to. No competitive Team4Dress player would willingly destroy their rank like that!"

For a split second, Crystal froze. Her eyes locked forward, staring at nothing even as her fists balled. "My...rank," her words came out haltingly. Then it was over, and the smug smile returned. "So what?"

"There," Apollo said suddenly. His stare shifted from Crystal's features to Phoenix, and a grimace crossed his face. "I think I'm starting to get it," he said seriously. "My bracelet hasn't stopped reacting since I first saw her, and I think I know why. Most people tense up when they lie, or have a temporary nervous habit I can pick up on. But this girl is always tense. It's a constant. Mr. Wright, I think Crystal's fighting a battle. There's something else inside her."

Phoenix blinked, immediately taken aback. "What are you talking about, Apollo?"

Apollo shook his head, seemingly for his own benefit. "I know it sounds crazy. Remember, Athena couldn't get a read on her, either. Why would that be? There's a conflict here. Think back, consider every possibility; what could make someone like this?"

Phoenix nodded, closing his eyes. There were too many mysteries surrounding Crystal. He needed to review the facts of the case, everything he knew about this witness. First, the murder scene. The victim was found in the room Trucy was using to store props for her magic show. Why that room? It must have been to frame Trucy. There were other rooms available, so why Trucy's? Trucy was a rival.

That's right. Crystal met Trucy earlier that day, because both were doing hypnosis shows, and Crystal's unscheduled demonstration was before Trucy's. Crystal volunteered as a subject for Trucy after hers was over, but broke the suggestions and disrupted the show. How did Crystal avoid getting hypnotized? She was already hypnotized. Crystal could have been hypnotized by someone else, making Trucy's triggers ineffective.

Then there was Athena. When they first called Crystal as a witness, Athena tried to use widget and the Mood Matrix. Normally, the Mood Matrix could detect a person's emotional state during testimony, but this time there was interference and it didn't work. There were too many emotions for one person. Why would that be? Crystal has two personalities.

Right. If Crystal has two personalities, who is the other one? During the con, Crystal was cosplaying a fictional succubus named Aima, and never once broke character. In fact, she's still in character right now. Why hasn't she broken character? She can't.

CRYSTAL IS HYPNOTIZED TO THINK SHE IS AIMA

Phoenix jerked upright, eyes going wide. His jaw hung open, while his entire body went slack with surprise. His thoughts were swimming. If he'd just figured it out, it meant...

"Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked. "Are you okay? What did you just figure out?"

"Is the defense finished making a fool of himself?" Franziska asked wryly, extending a hand. "I would like to continue with this case."

"Yeah," Phoenix responded, still recovering. "Just a few more questions."

The girl blinked seductively. "You have something to ask me, sweetie?"

"No, I want to talk to Crystal," Phoenix said as a confident grin crept up his face. "Because you're Aima, right?"

The girl's smile disappeared. "How could you possibly-"

"What was that, Mr. Wright?" the judge interrupted. "I'm not sure I understand your question."

"It's simple, Your Honor," Phoenix began to explain. "This isn't Crystal. The girl we're talking to now is Aima. Or hypnotized to think she's Aima, anyway."

"Of all the ridiculous, foolish..." Fraziska bites her tongue to start again. "You can't possibly be suggesting that-"

"I am," Phoenix smiled awkwardly. "Trucy does hypnosis shows all the time, after her magic shows, so I know a little about it. That, and I kinda had an experience with some silver bells. It would explain why the decoy Crysteel was playing so badly."

"You can't prove that," Aima hissed, her smile replaced by a deathly glare.

Phoenix straightend up. "I can, and I'm going to break your hypnosis. I want to talk to the real Crystal. The one you've been keeping locked up."

"I've had enough of this," Aima growled, reaching into her pocket. When she withdrew her hand, she was holding a smartphone, a pink spiral already forming forming on its screen. Phoenix tried to look away, but it caught his attention and held him. Thoughts grew muddled, and a peaceful expression crossed his features. He dimly heard Aima's next words. "You're all going to Fall for Me, your new mistress."

There was a loud crack, followed by a second as the smartphone hit the floor. And then a third as the whip swiped across Phoenix's face. A fourth. A fifth.

"There is only one mistress in this courtroom," Franziska snapped. "And it is not you. Please wake up, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I want to see where this foolishness leads."

Phoenix groaned, rubbing his face. "Ow, uh, thanks, Ms. von Karma. Let's keep going. Aima, stop me if you've heard this one. A succubus lures an unsuspecting man into her lair with charm spells. Unable to disobey, he follows her, and can't resist as she drains him of life. In the end, there's nothing left but a shriveled corpse."

The faint hint of a smile touched Aima's lips, but she continued to glare. "Just a story. Something of a cliche, even. She has no reason to kill a useful toy."

"The succubus doesn't always kill because she wants to," Phoenix answered. "Sometimes, it's because she has to. Let's switch up the story a little. A little after the man encounters the succubus, he finds a good witch who casts a spell of protection on him. Now he can resist the charms, and suddenly the toy isn't so useful anymore. The succubus doesn't have time to undo the witch's magic, not while the man is confronting her. She has to kill him before he can stop her plans."

"Hm?" the judge grunted, grasping at his beard. "Succubus? Witch? Mr. Wright, why are you telling fairy tales in my courtroom?"

Phoenix continued unabated. "Let me explain, Your Honor. Aima was using her hypnosis to take advantage of people. Several photographs were taken of the event, but most thought it was all part of the show. In reality, she was tricking them into giving her all of their money, among other things. But Trucy was doing a similar show later, and figured out the trick.
Trucy tried to help people during her own show by hypnotizing them back, so they would wake up if someone else was controlling them. The very same tactic Aima used to break Trucy's suggestions. So when Aima tried to steal the audience, she got more than she bargained for. The victim realized what she was doing and confronted her, threatening to expose her crimes. She couldn't deprogram him quickly enough, and had to silence him permanently. How's that for a fairy tale?"

"It's just that," Aima spat. "Can you prove it, mister?"

"Gladly." Phoenix produced two photographs from his pocket, slapping them idly. "Take that!" he shouts. "I'd like to present these two photographs to the court. The first depicts the victim during Trucy's first show, a magical act. Please direct your attention to this spot right here. For those who didn't watch the show, Trucy has an act where she steals a volunteer's wallet. She gives it back, of course, along with a free chain to prevent theft. You can see here, the victim is attaching his new chain."

"Photo two. The victim at Aima's show. See anything different? Look here. Something's missing."

"Hey!" the judge exclaimed. "I see the chain, but where's his wallet?"

Phoenix grinned. "I'd also like to present this chain as evidence. It's made to foil not just pickpockets, but magicians. It's impossible to steal without notice."

"Very well," the judge nodded. "I'll accept these into evidence. But what does it mean?"

"It means, Your Honor," Phoenix explained, "that the victim's wallet was stolen during Aima's show. This chain can't be undone by a thief without someone noticing. The only way to get a wallet off of one of these is with the wearer's cooperation. Or, as the victim learned, with a hypnotist of Aima's caliber!"

Aima buckled, her lips curled back in a snarl. One hand grasped her face, covering an eye, while other held onto her costume. In the visible eye, a pinprick of pink was visible within the blue iris. "That doesn't mean anything. I didn't kill him!"

Apollo reacted, his gaze intensifying even as he gripped his wrist.

"It means everything," Phoenix responded. "Only a hypnotist could have taken that wallet, and there were only two in the building. One of them was protecting wallets. But I've got one more piece of evidence to submit, if it pleases the court."

Quite a bit smaller than a piece of paper or photo, Phoenix brandished it confidently. Plastic, with a removable cap that covered the delicate electronics inside. On the outside, two words were written in marker.

"The victim's flash drive?" Franziska interjected. "The investigation found nothing relevant in it. It consisted only of pictures of the victim in...a state of undress. It was not noteworthy, only being addressed to someone that- tch." the prosecutor stopped, her jaw slamming shut as she stepped back, arms crossed defensively.

"That's right," Phoenix nodded, handing over the drive. "I'm not talking about the pictures. It's the information written on the side that's important. Information that was overlooked because we didn't know the culprit's true name."

"Why," the judge breathed. "This says 'to Aima'!"

"Exactly!" Phoenix exclaimed, finger extended. "The victim brought this with him on the day of the murder, when he was going to meet someone in an empty room. It's clear why: before he broke free, this was a gift to his mistress. There's only one person he could have been meeting that day, and that's you!"

Aima slumped, her head lolling downward and her eyes fixed on the ground. A few tremors shook her shoulders, knocking the costume's wings around. Whispers swirled around her like a haze, steadily growing in volume. "You can't," came the murmured reply, before a horrific noise wrenched its way out of the girl's throat. Laughter. It couldn't be anything else, issuing forth in a steady stream of hacking breaths.

"You can't!" Aima's head snapped up, her mouth showing teeth in what was anything but a smile. Pink light shone behind her eyes, huge and ragged. "Don't forget, 'sweetie,' there's someone else in here! You don't even know her. Are you going to condemn sweet, innocent Crystal to prison? Death?! We're one and the same, you can't touch me!"

Phoenix and Apollo faced one another at the same time. A nod passed between them. Apollo spoke first. "It's more tension than I've ever seen. The battle's hitting a critical point. Get her, boss."

Phoenix turned to face the girl, standing up straight with a confident smirk. "You've already been caught, Aima. I've got to commend our police force, they managed to catch someone that doesn't even exist."

The choking laughter slowed to a stop, and the bright points of light in Aima's eyes focused that much tighter, until only the pinpricks remained. "What did you say?"

In an instant, Phoenix's vision darkened, and Aima stood out as the sole point of light. The sound of chains filled the air, shortly followed by the real deal. The chains wrapped around Aima never quite touching her, and then they finally manifested. The locks. The black locks that bound the chains together, five in total, appeared in the space between Phoenix and Aima. Right on cue.

They weren't physically there, of course. Phoenix had known for a while that he was the only one that could see Psyche-Locks. It was thanks to the artifact he held, the Magatama, that he could see deep into a person's heart and divine the secrets they were keeping. Normally, the locks were red, secrets a person was consciously keeping. Black ones were different, something akin to a secret someone hid even from themselves. They required a more delicate touch to unlock without emotional trauma.

"Aima, I mean," Phoenix continued. "She isn't real. She's a character from an anime Crystal likes. That's why she went to a convention in full cosplay. Went to some pretty impressive lengths to stay in character, too. I think I've got a poster laying around somewhere. What do you think, Your Honor?"

"Oh!" the judge said in surprise as he unrolled the paper Phoenix handed him. "I must say, the resemblance is quite striking. You have a very good costume, young lady."

"You think this costume defines me?" Aima snarled, threatening to tear a wing. "You think you can tell me I'm not real? I own this body now. Crystal is nothing to me!"

"Crystal created you," Phoenix points out. "Her and some dangerously irresponsible hypnosis. It's no wonder you turned out like this. How do you think the real Aima would react to being a small part of another person, not even the whole package?"

"The real Aima?" Aima spat. "You think Aima isn't real, make up your mind! I am the real Aima!"

Phoenix grinned. "That would be the one on the poster. The immortal one with charm spells and powerful magic. You're a figment of a young woman's thoughts, an imitation with a smartphone app that makes spirals. You know you're not on top of anything, so you make Crystal pretend. One Aima could conquer the world if she wanted to. You barely managed a con, and lost it all when a real magician showed up."

Apollo crossed his arms and spoke up. "I think on some level Crystal liked to pretend. She wanted to be as powerful as Aima. That's why she let you take control. But you started to take it too far, and Crystal realized she didn't want to be like you after all. So she started fighting back. You had to work harder to keep control, and Crystal started bleeding through. Part of why I couldn't see your nerves is because you were suppressing them, but that wasn't the whole story. You don't have any tells, do you? You don't have anything that makes you a real person."

Phoenix took back the reigns, slamming his desk. "When I said I was going to talk to Crystal, I meant it. She's listening, because you're one and the same. The only difference is that Crystal was always in control, even if she didn't know it. My daughter once told me something interesting. 'All hypnosis is self-hypnosis,' is how it went. You can't force Crystal to do something she truly doesn't want to do, but you could trick her with something other than force, make her think she was too weak to stop you. There's a reason people are more than the subconscious, and the reason is you. The truth is that she was always stronger."

Apollo threw his arms up and balled his fists at his sides. "There's only one thing Crystal needs to do now, and that's shout at the top of her lungs, 'I'm fine!'"

Phoenix stood to his full height, throwing himself into his pointing finger. "Crystal, you don't have to pretend anymore. I believed in Trucy's innocence, but I also believe in yours. Aima can't beat you, and never could. If you really don't want this, shut her down!"

The sound of rattling chains once again filled the room from Phoenix's perspective. The formidable black Psyche-Locks shattered one by one, the chains receding into the ether. In the end, Aima stood at the witness stand looking for all the world like a young girl in the throes of despair.

Her mouth became a thin line, her gasping breaths suddenly cut short. The pink flame in her eyes smoldered. Her body went still, the tremors wracking her body long since halted. "Stronger, than me?" she whispered. "Her? That hypersuggestible sub? The natural slave is stronger than me?" The haze surrounded her once again, the wings of her costume extending outwards. She looked up, staring at the ceiling. "No," she said simply. "This body is mine. MINE. It belongs to me! It all belongs to me! Not her!" Her eyes burst into pink flame, spiral forming in the inferno. "You all belong to me! I'm your mistress! Fall for Me. FALL FOR ME."

She continued to shout, repeating "FALL" over and over again. She rose, appearing to fly as she stood straight, her wings consumed in burning wrath. Then, she began to droop. "Fall," she said again. "fall." By the time her wings had burned out to nothing but a wireframe, she could barely stand. "fall for me," she said one last time, as her legs fell from under her.

It took several minutes for the judge to calm the gallery, banging his gavel and shouting "order." Once the room had gone back to normal, the judge shook his head. "I have no idea what just happened," he said sternly. "However, one thing is clear to me. This court finds the defendant, Trucy Wright...NOT GUILTY."

Phoenix sighed in relief, then rushed to the witness stand where the young girl was just getting up. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around. "Huh? How did I get here? What's going on?"

"She doesn't remember anything," Phoenix observes. "You were in some trouble, but everything should be okay now. Do you want to go home?"

Crystal yawns. "I kind of want to play Overwatch."

Obscenario said:
I feel like a breakdown would be fairly hard to do in a vacuum, because in Ace Attorney they have a lot of buildup and context that a breakdown by itself would lack. There are whole layers of lies, plots, and murders to get through before you can have a proper breakdown. That said, I'm going to give it a shot, Skypenotized style. I mean no offense to Zko, and love all of his characters.

spoiler

Phoenix Wright slammed his desk. This was his chance. Whatever else this girl was, she was lying and he knew it. She had to be. All the facts were there, now all Phoenix had to do was figure it out.

He stood in the courtroom, in his usual position as defense. At his side was Apollo Justice, a young attorney much like Phoenix was, who'd decided to help out. They'd both thought Apollo's unique skill would help win the day, but it had soon become clear it was more hindrance than help.

Opposite him stood the prosecutor, Franziska von Karma. Back from her stint at Interpol, the whip wielding maniac had returned with a fire in her eyes. Though the two days of the case so far took their toll on her, she still looked ready for action. The whip was out, and tired of lies. Now more than ever, Franziska wanted the truth.

Between them was the witness stand, and the person on it chilled Phoenix to the bone. She was a young girl, with pink hair and blue eyes. Under normal circumstances she'd be cute, but the expression on her face was anything but. Pheonix could only describe the grin as evil, like she could pounce at any moment. No one could resist her, and she knew it. Apollo should have been able to see through her, perceive the change in tension when she lied, but try as he might she was always a coiled spring. It didn't help that she was still in costume. Somewhere between the white wings and revealing outfit was the truth.

The murder was three days ago, one day after the con had ended. The body of a convention worker had been found, impaled on a prop in a nearly empty storage room. Naturally, the one who'd been using that storage room was the magician Trucy Wright. Police immediately arrested Phoenix's adopted daughter, and what followed was a circus of tricks, traps, and revelations. Now, though, Phoenix was rapidly homing in on the true killer. This girl, Crystal, had to be it.

"Hold it!" Phoenix called. "That last statement wasn't part of your earlier testimony. I request that you please add it, and repeat your testimony to the court."

Crystal smiled coyly. "Of course, sweetie. I said I couldn't have gone to the storage room because I was busy playing a video game with a friend of mine at the time."

"What video game?" Phoenix asked curiously, a hand on his chin.

"Objection!" The voice that shook the room was crisp and concise, punctuated with the crack of a whip. "Is this foolishness really necessary?" Franziska asked, grinding her teeth. "What possible relevance could the witness' taste in games have?"

"I agree," the calm voice of the judge interjected. Situated opposite the witness stand, the same old judge sat where he always had to preside over the case. "Mr. Wright, is this line of questioning going somewhere?"

"It's going everywhere, Your Honor," Phoenix bluffed through his teeth. "The video game the witness was playing is central to this case!"

The judge seemed to sigh without moving his mouth. "Very well," he grunted. "I'll allow the question."

"It was Team4Dress," Crystal shrugged. "I main Soldier."

"Objection!" Phoenix shouted, finger pointed in accusation. He produced a piece of paper from his pocket and began to swat at it thoughtfully. He had no idea what Team4Dress was, but luckily someone did. Thank you, Maya. "I happen to have the results of a match played at the time of the murder right here. Your online alias is 'Crysteel,' correct? According to this, Crysteel was indeed playing a match of Team4Dress at the time. You always play Soldier; however, that Crysteel was playing Spy!"

"So?" the judged asked, confusion visible on his face. "What are you suggesting, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix flashed a confident grin. "I'm suggesting that the witness had someone play for them so they could have an alibi while they met with the victim. Look at this, your honor. The Crysteel in this match played horribly. Zero points, er, kills. This lack of skill surely cost them the game! What do you have to say to that?"

Crystal seemed surprised, but recovered quickly. "I was having an off day," she shrugged.

"It was a ranked game," Phoenix countered. "Whoever was playing that day kept going despite loss after loss, almost like they had to. No competitive Team4Dress player would willingly destroy their rank like that!"

For a split second, Crystal froze. Her eyes locked forward, staring at nothing even as her fists balled. "My...rank," her words came out haltingly. Then it was over, and the smug smile returned. "So what?"

"There," Apollo said suddenly. His stare shifted from Crystal's features to Phoenix, and a grimace crossed his face. "I think I'm starting to get it," he said seriously. "My bracelet hasn't stopped reacting since I first saw her, and I think I know why. Most people tense up when they lie, or have a temporary nervous habit I can pick up on. But this girl is always tense. It's a constant. Mr. Wright, I think Crystal's fighting a battle. There's something else inside her."

Phoenix blinked, immediately taken aback. "What are you talking about, Apollo?"

Apollo shook his head, seemingly for his own benefit. "I know it sounds crazy. Remember, Athena couldn't get a read on her, either. Why would that be? There's a conflict here. Think back, consider every possibility; what could make someone like this?"

Phoenix nodded, closing his eyes. There were too many mysteries surrounding Crystal. He needed to review the facts of the case, everything he knew about this witness. First, the murder scene. The victim was found in the room Trucy was using to store props for her magic show. Why that room? It must have been to frame Trucy. There were other rooms available, so why Trucy's? Trucy was a rival.

That's right. Crystal met Trucy earlier that day, because both were doing hypnosis shows, and Crystal's unscheduled demonstration was before Trucy's. Crystal volunteered as a subject for Trucy after hers was over, but broke the suggestions and disrupted the show. How did Crystal avoid getting hypnotized? She was already hypnotized. Crystal could have been hypnotized by someone else, making Trucy's triggers ineffective.

Then there was Athena. When they first called Crystal as a witness, Athena tried to use widget and the Mood Matrix. Normally, the Mood Matrix could detect a person's emotional state during testimony, but this time there was interference and it didn't work. There were too many emotions for one person. Why would that be? Crystal has two personalities.

Right. If Crystal has two personalities, who is the other one? During the con, Crystal was cosplaying a fictional succubus named Aima, and never once broke character. In fact, she's still in character right now. Why hasn't she broken character? She can't.

CRYSTAL IS HYPNOTIZED TO THINK SHE IS AIMA

Phoenix jerked upright, eyes going wide. His jaw hung open, while his entire body went slack with surprise. His thoughts were swimming. If he'd just figured it out, it meant...

"Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked. "Are you okay? What did you just figure out?"

"Is the defense finished making a fool of himself?" Franziska asked wryly, extending a hand. "I would like to continue with this case."

"Yeah," Phoenix responded, still recovering. "Just a few more questions."

The girl blinked seductively. "You have something to ask me, sweetie?"

"No, I want to talk to Crystal," Phoenix said as a confident grin crept up his face. "Because you're Aima, right?"

The girl's smile disappeared. "How could you possibly-"

"What was that, Mr. Wright?" the judge interrupted. "I'm not sure I understand your question."

"It's simple, Your Honor," Phoenix began to explain. "This isn't Crystal. The girl we're talking to now is Aima. Or hypnotized to think she's Aima, anyway."

"Of all the ridiculous, foolish..." Fraziska bites her tongue to start again. "You can't possibly be suggesting that-"

"I am," Phoenix smiled awkwardly. "Trucy does hypnosis shows all the time, after her magic shows, so I know a little about it. That, and I kinda had an experience with some silver bells. It would explain why the decoy Crysteel was playing so badly."

"You can't prove that," Aima hissed, her smile replaced by a deathly glare.

Phoenix straightend up. "I can, and I'm going to break your hypnosis. I want to talk to the real Crystal. The one you've been keeping locked up."

"I've had enough of this," Aima growled, reaching into her pocket. When she withdrew her hand, she was holding a smartphone, a pink spiral already forming forming on its screen. Phoenix tried to look away, but it caught his attention and held him. Thoughts grew muddled, and a peaceful expression crossed his features. He dimly heard Aima's next words. "You're all going to Fall for Me, your new mistress."

There was a loud crack, followed by a second as the smartphone hit the floor. And then a third as the whip swiped across Phoenix's face. A fourth. A fifth.

"There is only one mistress in this courtroom," Franziska snapped. "And it is not you. Please wake up, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I want to see where this foolishness leads."

Phoenix groaned, rubbing his face. "Ow, uh, thanks, Ms. von Karma. Let's keep going. Aima, stop me if you've heard this one. A succubus lures an unsuspecting man into her lair with charm spells. Unable to disobey, he follows her, and can't resist as she drains him of life. In the end, there's nothing left but a shriveled corpse."

The faint hint of a smile touched Aima's lips, but she continued to glare. "Just a story. Something of a cliche, even. She has no reason to kill a useful toy."

"The succubus doesn't always kill because she wants to," Phoenix answered. "Sometimes, it's because she has to. Let's switch up the story a little. A little after the man encounters the succubus, he finds a good witch who casts a spell of protection on him. Now he can resist the charms, and suddenly the toy isn't so useful anymore. The succubus doesn't have time to undo the witch's magic, not while the man is confronting her. She has to kill him before he can stop her plans."

"Hm?" the judge grunted, grasping at his beard. "Succubus? Witch? Mr. Wright, why are you telling fairy tales in my courtroom?"

Phoenix continued unabated. "Let me explain, Your Honor. Aima was using her hypnosis to take advantage of people. Several photographs were taken of the event, but most thought it was all part of the show. In reality, she was tricking them into giving her all of their money, among other things. But Trucy was doing a similar show later, and figured out the trick.
Trucy tried to help people during her own show by hypnotizing them back, so they would wake up if someone else was controlling them. The very same tactic Aima used to break Trucy's suggestions. So when Aima tried to steal the audience, she got more than she bargained for. The victim realized what she was doing and confronted her, threatening to expose her crimes. She couldn't deprogram him quickly enough, and had to silence him permanently. How's that for a fairy tale?"

"It's just that," Aima spat. "Can you prove it, mister?"

"Gladly." Phoenix produced two photographs from his pocket, slapping them idly. "Take that!" he shouts. "I'd like to present these two photographs to the court. The first depicts the victim during Trucy's first show, a magical act. Please direct your attention to this spot right here. For those who didn't watch the show, Trucy has an act where she steals a volunteer's wallet. She gives it back, of course, along with a free chain to prevent theft. You can see here, the victim is attaching his new chain."

"Photo two. The victim at Aima's show. See anything different? Look here. Something's missing."

"Hey!" the judge exclaimed. "I see the chain, but where's his wallet?"

Phoenix grinned. "I'd also like to present this chain as evidence. It's made to foil not just pickpockets, but magicians. It's impossible to steal without notice."

"Very well," the judge nodded. "I'll accept these into evidence. But what does it mean?"

"It means, Your Honor," Phoenix explained, "that the victim's wallet was stolen during Aima's show. This chain can't be undone by a thief without someone noticing. The only way to get a wallet off of one of these is with the wearer's cooperation. Or, as the victim learned, with a hypnotist of Aima's caliber!"

Aima buckled, her lips curled back in a snarl. One hand grasped her face, covering an eye, while other held onto her costume. In the visible eye, a pinprick of pink was visible within the blue iris. "That doesn't mean anything. I didn't kill him!"

Apollo reacted, his gaze intensifying even as he gripped his wrist.

"It means everything," Phoenix responded. "Only a hypnotist could have taken that wallet, and there were only two in the building. One of them was protecting wallets. But I've got one more piece of evidence to submit, if it pleases the court."

Quite a bit smaller than a piece of paper or photo, Phoenix brandished it confidently. Plastic, with a removable cap that covered the delicate electronics inside. On the outside, two words were written in marker.

"The victim's flash drive?" Franziska interjected. "The investigation found nothing relevant in it. It consisted only of pictures of the victim in...a state of undress. It was not noteworthy, only being addressed to someone that- tch." the prosecutor stopped, her jaw slamming shut as she stepped back, arms crossed defensively.

"That's right," Phoenix nodded, handing over the drive. "I'm not talking about the pictures. It's the information written on the side that's important. Information that was overlooked because we didn't know the culprit's true name."

"Why," the judge breathed. "This says 'to Aima'!"

"Exactly!" Phoenix exclaimed, finger extended. "The victim brought this with him on the day of the murder, when he was going to meet someone in an empty room. It's clear why: before he broke free, this was a gift to his mistress. There's only one person he could have been meeting that day, and that's you!"

Aima slumped, her head lolling downward and her eyes fixed on the ground. A few tremors shook her shoulders, knocking the costume's wings around. Whispers swirled around her like a haze, steadily growing in volume. "You can't," came the murmured reply, before a horrific noise wrenched its way out of the girl's throat. Laughter. It couldn't be anything else, issuing forth in a steady stream of hacking breaths.

"You can't!" Aima's head snapped up, her mouth showing teeth in what was anything but a smile. Pink light shone behind her eyes, huge and ragged. "Don't forget, 'sweetie,' there's someone else in here! You don't even know her. Are you going to condemn sweet, innocent Crystal to prison? Death?! We're one and the same, you can't touch me!"

Phoenix and Apollo faced one another at the same time. A nod passed between them. Apollo spoke first. "It's more tension than I've ever seen. The battle's hitting a critical point. Get her, boss."

Phoenix turned to face the girl, standing up straight with a confident smirk. "You've already been caught, Aima. I've got to commend our police force, they managed to catch someone that doesn't even exist."

The choking laughter slowed to a stop, and the bright points of light in Aima's eyes focused that much tighter, until only the pinpricks remained. "What did you say?"

In an instant, Phoenix's vision darkened, and Aima stood out as the sole point of light. The sound of chains filled the air, shortly followed by the real deal. The chains wrapped around Aima never quite touching her, and then they finally manifested. The locks. The black locks that bound the chains together, five in total, appeared in the space between Phoenix and Aima. Right on cue.

They weren't physically there, of course. Phoenix had known for a while that he was the only one that could see Psyche-Locks. It was thanks to the artifact he held, the Magatama, that he could see deep into a person's heart and divine the secrets they were keeping. Normally, the locks were red, secrets a person was consciously keeping. Black ones were different, something akin to a secret someone hid even from themselves. They required a more delicate touch to unlock without emotional trauma.

"Aima, I mean," Phoenix continued. "She isn't real. She's a character from an anime Crystal likes. That's why she went to a convention in full cosplay. Went to some pretty impressive lengths to stay in character, too. I think I've got a poster laying around somewhere. What do you think, Your Honor?"

"Oh!" the judge said in surprise as he unrolled the paper Phoenix handed him. "I must say, the resemblance is quite striking. You have a very good costume, young lady."

"You think this costume defines me?" Aima snarled, threatening to tear a wing. "You think you can tell me I'm not real? I own this body now. Crystal is nothing to me!"

"Crystal created you," Phoenix points out. "Her and some dangerously irresponsible hypnosis. It's no wonder you turned out like this. How do you think the real Aima would react to being a small part of another person, not even the whole package?"

"The real Aima?" Aima spat. "You think Aima isn't real, make up your mind! I am the real Aima!"

Phoenix grinned. "That would be the one on the poster. The immortal one with charm spells and powerful magic. You're a figment of a young woman's thoughts, an imitation with a smartphone app that makes spirals. You know you're not on top of anything, so you make Crystal pretend. One Aima could conquer the world if she wanted to. You barely managed a con, and lost it all when a real magician showed up."

Apollo crossed his arms and spoke up. "I think on some level Crystal liked to pretend. She wanted to be as powerful as Aima. That's why she let you take control. But you started to take it too far, and Crystal realized she didn't want to be like you after all. So she started fighting back. You had to work harder to keep control, and Crystal started bleeding through. Part of why I couldn't see your nerves is because you were suppressing them, but that wasn't the whole story. You don't have any tells, do you? You don't have anything that makes you a real person."

Phoenix took back the reigns, slamming his desk. "When I said I was going to talk to Crystal, I meant it. She's listening, because you're one and the same. The only difference is that Crystal was always in control, even if she didn't know it. My daughter once told me something interesting. 'All hypnosis is self-hypnosis,' is how it went. You can't force Crystal to do something she truly doesn't want to do, but you could trick her with something other than force, make her think she was too weak to stop you. There's a reason people are more than the subconscious, and the reason is you. The truth is that she was always stronger."

Apollo threw his arms up and balled his fists at his sides. "There's only one thing Crystal needs to do now, and that's shout at the top of her lungs, 'I'm fine!'"

Phoenix stood to his full height, throwing himself into his pointing finger. "Crystal, you don't have to pretend anymore. I believed in Trucy's innocence, but I also believe in yours. Aima can't beat you, and never could. If you really don't want this, shut her down!"

The sound of rattling chains once again filled the room from Phoenix's perspective. The formidable black Psyche-Locks shattered one by one, the chains receding into the ether. In the end, Aima stood at the witness stand looking for all the world like a young girl in the throes of despair.

Her mouth became a thin line, her gasping breaths suddenly cut short. The pink flame in her eyes smoldered. Her body went still, the tremors wracking her body long since halted. "Stronger, than me?" she whispered. "Her? That hypersuggestible sub? The natural slave is stronger than me?" The haze surrounded her once again, the wings of her costume extending outwards. She looked up, staring at the ceiling. "No," she said simply. "This body is mine. MINE. It belongs to me! It all belongs to me! Not her!" Her eyes burst into pink flame, spiral forming in the inferno. "You all belong to me! I'm your mistress! Fall for Me. FALL FOR ME."

She continued to shout, repeating "FALL" over and over again. She rose, appearing to fly as she stood straight, her wings consumed in burning wrath. Then, she began to droop. "Fall," she said again. "fall." By the time her wings had burned out to nothing but a wireframe, she could barely stand. "fall for me," she said one last time, as her legs fell from under her.

It took several minutes for the judge to calm the gallery, banging his gavel and shouting "order." Once the room had gone back to normal, the judge shook his head. "I have no idea what just happened," he said sternly. "However, one thing is clear to me. This court finds the defendant, Trucy Wright...NOT GUILTY."

Phoenix sighed in relief, then rushed to the witness stand where the young girl was just getting up. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around. "Huh? How did I get here? What's going on?"

"She doesn't remember anything," Phoenix observes. "You were in some trouble, but everything should be okay now. Do you want to go home?"

Crystal yawns. "I kind of want to play Overwatch."

skullman2033 said:
i aint letting this die until kaalinda's breakdown

JksAccount said:
LET IT DIE, LET IT DIE, LET IT SHRIVEL UP AND- Come on, who's with me!?

JksAccount said:
LET IT DIE, LET IT DIE, LET IT SHRIVEL UP AND- Come on, who's with me!?