The Turnabout Voicetest

[bewrightback]

This is a voice test for Phoenix Wright of Ace Attorney fame! Feel free to throw people here.

Some general guidelines:

-I'm primarily testing him with a Dual Destinies canon point. I still am welcoming of a few prompts for earlier time periods and possibly AUs, though, as long as they don't dominate. (Except that I don't think I can brain Hobo!Phoenix at this time)
-Nothing really explicitly shippy; I don't think I even have any shipping preferences with him just yet. But general fluff is fine.
-I'm not exactly sure about specific kinds of scenarios I'd like to play beyond one: working to unlock someone's Psych-Locks? And maybe emotional canon talks.
-Feel free to plunder the Random Scenario Meme for ideas (Leaving out sex of course)? I also welcome generic jamjar scenarios and text message threads.

Court is now in session!

Comments

[spiritofjustice]

Let's see... It's been almost a year since then, I think. [Which is a very convenient timeframe, because the incident in Nine-tails Vale didn't take place until April and it's now late December.]

Time sure flies when you're on the run from a guy who stole your identity.

[bewrightback]

A whole year, huh? [He's trying to sound casual instead of suspicious; he just has to keep Bobby talking until he can find a solution. He tries to subtly set some of the grocery bags down on the ground, so that at least one of his hands can be free.]

Come to think if it... Have we ever really met before?

[spiritofjustice]

[Subtle? Not so much. Bobby's eyes flicker to Phoenix's hands to make sure he isn't up to any funny business, then back to his face.]

Nope! This is the first time, so... It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lawyer! [You wanted your hand to be free, Phoenix? No dice. He's grabbing it to shake it with both of his own.] I'd introduce myself, but... Heh, I guess you already know all about me, huh?

[bewrightback]

[Well that was definitely quick. And with the hearty handshake comes the unsettling chill of being alone with a killer who's walking free. Looks like he'll have to wait until another opportunity to try sending a text..]

Your reputation definitely precedes you... [And so does your trail of lies.]

And you seem to already have a good idea of who I am. I wouldn't have expected you to come back so soon. [You know, if he had believed for a minute this wasn't just another ploy.]

[spiritofjustice]

[Honestly, he's surprised Wright hasn't pointed out the obvious yet. There's a reason everyone believes the real Bobby Fulbright to be dead, after all. Not that he hasn't got an explanation for that one too. His trail of lies is endless and isn't paved with lies at all. As long as he believes hard enough, they're truths.

He just laughs out loud.] Why wouldn't I? This place is my home!

[Still shaking that hand..]

[bewrightback]

[Such a firm grip, Mr. Fulbright. Wright lamely keeps up his half of the handshake while trying to balance what groceries are in the other hand.]

Because, well, maybe you liked Borginia? [The obvious contradiction is fresh on his mind, too. He might not be trying to take him on at the moment, but he knows it will look weird if he doesn't bring this up at some point.] But I wonder if you could clear up something for me. See, at last week's trial, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth might have said that you died a year ago...

[Maybe in part, he's morbidly curious to see what he comes up with next. So far he's been as bombastic and energetic as he was before the trial. But now that that's over with, Phoenix can see all of that so much more clearly for the disguise that it is.]

[spiritofjustice]

[Theeeere it is. Honestly? The fact that Edgeworth could retrieve that kind of information was carelessness on his own part. Carelessness that ultimately exposed him in court, but things are different now. This time, he can use it to his advantage, because anything that would expose the Phantom would be the real Bobby Fulbright's salvation.]

Hm? You actually believed that? And here I thought you were smart, Mr. Lawyer. I guess you're not as good as they give you credit for after all. [He finally releases Phoenix's hand to fiddle with his aviators instead.] Don't you remember why the Chief Prosecutor came to the conclusion that I was dead?

[bewrightback]

[His hand, his beautiful hand. It's free! It might not be time to take action yet, though, so Phoenix just shrugs his shoulders.]

It was a previously unidentified body was found to have fingerprints. Your fingerprints... the fingerprints belonging to you. [He explains flatly.]

[spiritofjustice]

[Geez, stop saying "fingerprints".]

Right! Now, really stop to think about it. Why would a professional spy kill someone to take their identity and then leave the fingerprints intact? In fact, why leave a body to be found at all? If he'd really killed me, he would've just made me disappear without a trace!

[bewrightback]

I can't say that's not logical. Except that if that's the case, how did that body end up having your fingerprints?

[spiritofjustice]

I don't really know. Maybe it was a record glitch of justice! [...] Or maybe one of the Phantom's enemies was keeping a close eye on the trial and figured the truth out before you did. No offense to the police department, but the archives are pretty easy to hack.

[bewrightback]

[Says the guy with the handheld hacking device...]

I'll have to take that issue up with Edgeworth sometime. I could even call him up right now!

[spiritofjustice]

[Nice try, Wright. And by 'nice' he means 'terrible'.]

You could, but I don't see how much good it'll do. What's done is done. As for the archive security, I'll be sure to bring it up next time I'm at the Criminal Affairs department. [He shrugs, then shuffles his feet.] Anyway, I should be going now. It was nice meeting you!

[bewrightback]

[He can tell he didn't win any favor with the detective...

Oh no. He's losing him - and if that master of disguise gets lost, there's not telling what the consequences could be. Think, Phoenix, think! There has to be some way he can keep holding him off. Some weakness in his armor. How do you stop a nearly emotionless killer... Wait. Nearly emotionless. That's right... There was one emotion he did fear during the trial.]

Wait a moment, Detective! There's one thing I just don't get. How can you feel safe just walking around town like this?

[spiritofjustice]

[The only way for Wright to win favor would be to just accept this guy is Bobby Fulbright and walk away. Deep down, even he knows that won't happen.

He was just about to turn away when Phoenix launches that question out into the open. A frown, a tilt of the head, then he fiddles with his aviators.]

...Hm? Why wouldn't I?

[bewrightback]

Because... [He thinks it over; how does he play on that fear without escalating the conflict?

As long as he's trying to be Bobby, he'll have to play off of Bobby's mindset.]

Everyone only knows Bobby Fulbright as the mask worn by the Phantom anymore. So there's bound to be plenty of enemies targeting you for that. You know what kind. [Assassins? How does he make that sound more Fulbright-compatible?] ...Enemies of justice.

[spiritofjustice]

[Yup, Phoenix has a point. A point that he took into consideration before he even hit the streets, which is why he decided to get this over with as soon as possible and not draw attention to himself.

Sure enough, the reaction he gets is exactly what Phoenix would expect; shock and horror. Not heartfelt, because he has no reason to fear assassination just yet. This may change if Phoenix keeps badgering him and wasting his time, but the assassins hadn't opened fired on Bobby Fulbright based on suspicions before, so why would they do that now?]

Hah? But... If it's the Phantom they want, it's the Phantom they should be targeting! He's still recovering in the hospital, right? There's really no reason for them to be hanging around here and think I'm him, right?

[bewrightback]

[It's definitely a Fulbrightesque reaction. His acting skills are in top form again... it's almost like going back to part one of the trial all over again. But what if things could go differently this time? There had to be an easier way to bring Fulbright to justice.]

I'm afraid there might be more reason than you think, Detective. Even if he was found guilty, the trial revealed how truly skilled and relentless the Phantom could be. I wouldn't doubt his ability to slip out of the hospital... Maybe he could have even found a way to leave a double in his place.

If that's true, that you may have even more to worry about. Between his enemies and the Phantom himself... How will justice stand up against that?!

1/2

[spiritofjustice]

[A long pause. First he continues to look shocked. Then he looks conflicted. He seems to really be debating the matter.]

No, but... Surely Interpol wouldn't let their guard down around someone like him. [Except that they would, and they had.] I mean... He was shot, so there's no way he could just get up and- [Yes, he would, and he had.]

Justice... Justice is stronger than the Phantom, isn't it? Unless...

[And maybe, just for a split second, Phoenix might see a flicker of psyche-locks. Not entirely there, because the debate waging in his heart isn't quite concrete, but the implication is there.

Justice is not stronger than the Phantom, because the Phantom is playing a hero of justice like a puppet.]

2/2

[spiritofjustice]

[Really, Wright, you thought you were bringing about some sort of turnabout? You thought you were getting through to him? If so, that would be naive. All you did was walk right into his trap, because now you've given him a perfect excuse to run off and have it be absolutely justified.]

Gadzooks! I have to get home! [HE IS DASHING OUTTA HERE. CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN, WRIGHT.]

1/3

[bewrightback]

[Oh no. No no no. Why did this happen? How did have to come this, of all things?

Why, why, why, did it have to come down to...]

[bewrightback]

[...RUNNING?]

[bewrightback]

[Things went awry quickly. And here he did think he almost had reached a breathrough. Psyche-locks...

Phoenix will at least make an old college try at running after Fulbright, abandoning the grocery bags he had set on the floor and already breathing heavily after running just a few yards. He still has one grocery bag in one arm, and with his free hand, with all bets off, he grabs his cell phone to try to send a frantic, typo-ridden text to Edgeworth. And if Fulbright is still in hearing range, he'll make one last attempt to try to call out to him.]

Hold on! Are you sure this is... is the most just way?

[It's multitasking to the max, but in the end, will it even matter?]

[spiritofjustice]

[Can't hear you, too busy sprinting!

He really, really wished it wouldn't have come to this. He was already suffering from distractions that painkillers couldn't quite quell, but now that he's pushing his body to such extremes, those distractions are becoming downright agony. He's fairly sure his wound is opening up again beneath those bandages, too. He can't keep running, but maybe he can shake Wright anyway.

With a fairly good distance between them, he suddenly turns a corner to dash into a store. A clothing store. One of those huge, crowded ones that has several floors. So many disguises, so little time.]

[bewrightback]

[Phoenix had tried to pick up speed as much as he could, abandoning the last grocery bag, but he was out of breath already. Sure, it seems that Edgeworth had gotten his message, but with Fulbright on the move, no one would be able to pin down a concrete location for him. He could still get away.

Phoenix hurried to try to turn the corner after the detective and found no sign of him. Stopping for a moment to catch his breath, he surveyed his surroundings at the same time. I'm no runner, but he can't have gotten so far ahead that I can't see anything.] Could he have retreated indoors? The one possibility was a clothing store. A very busy-looking one. It might not have been likely, but... Phoenix sighed and quietly entered the clothing store.]