Phoenix Wright ([info]attorney_at_lol) wrote,
@ 2001-09-23 11:20:00
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Current mood: curious
Entry tags:#ooc, #ooc: essay, #ooc: plottiness

[OOC: The Magatama and You]

The Magatama and You


I thought I'd take a little time to write about the magatama (pictured above!). For those of you not familiar with Phoenix Wright canon, the magatama can be best described as a charm used by spirit mediums to unlock the secrets in people’s hearts. WHY a spirit medium needs that kind of ability I have no clue, but ignoring logistics… Maya entrusted her magatama to Phoenix early in the second game and he’s carried it with him ever since. Charged with energy thanks to Pearl, the magatama allows Phoenix an edge while conducting investigations and gives him a little insight into the human psyche.

Why am I bringing this up all of a sudden? Well, I’ve always wanted to do something with the magatama, but it’s not a plot device you can just throw into an RL without warning. Realistically, if your character is actively keeping a secret from Phoenix, he would be able to tell. That’s not to say he would do anything about it, however.

The games never mention whether he takes advantage of it outside of investigations, but I’ve established that he doesn’t unless he feels it’s necessary, otherwise he’d be using it, like, several times a day, seven days a week. I’m sure there have been times that he was tempted to take advantage of it (which I touched on in an RL with Edgeworth—he actually did take advantage of it then, but to no avail; his only reward was an overwhelming sense of guilt and some emotional drainage), but for the most part, Phoenix is a smart guy and realizes that everyone has their secrets and their reasons for keeping them.

How does the magatama work, exactly? There have been a few contradictions in-game, but from what I’ve been able to gather, it’s activated when a person is actively keeping a secret, either by lying or being avoidant. When that happens, Phoenix is able to see it—the secret manifests itself as ‘psyche locks’ that only the holder of the magatama is able to perceive. The deeper the secret is buried, the more psyche locks appear.

For a better understanding, see this video. (at around 1:35)

The way Phoenix gets rid of these psyche locks is similar to the way he drags the truth out of people in court: presenting evidence that contradicts their claims. If he uses it for too long, however, and doesn’t have any evidence to present, the magatama can be physically and emotionally draining to the point of being harmful. Like Pearl said to him in the second game:

Pearl:
You must be careful, though,
Mr. Nick. If you make a
mistake, it will hurt you.

Pearl:
If you don't think you have
the proof you need, you must
have the courage to stop.

It’s worth noting, though, that the magatama does not work online. It will only work in person.

SO! With all that in mind… Does anyone wanna plot with me? :3

(48 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Lumin on a dressing room journal
[info]thetempestsync
2008-09-23 07:09 pm UTC (link)
I am interested. xD

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:08 pm UTC (link)
Sweet. :3 Do you have anything in mind?

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[info]wingsoffate
2008-09-23 07:15 pm UTC (link)
You know, I've always thought it would be awesome if he used that sometime. XD;

So I'm interested? 8D

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:09 pm UTC (link)
Me too! He has used it in DDD a couple times, but I mean... I've been here for almost a year! That's nothing!

Great. Do you have any ideas? :3

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[info]wingsoffate
2008-09-23 09:24 pm UTC (link)
Yush~! Needs moar magatama. 8D

And... n-not at the moment? But I'll think about it when my brain isn't falling asleep. I need to go to bed soon. XD;

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:25 pm UTC (link)
Haha, okay. XD I'll try to think of something, too, but not knowing ToS very well, I maybe be useless. XD;;

Sleep well!

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[info]wingsoffate
2008-09-24 08:27 am UTC (link)
Thinking of secrets isn't a problem. It's having a reason for Kratos and Phoenix to meet that's the problem. XD; I'll try and get him to talk to Phoenix more, maybe it'll lead up to something? 8D

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[info]smilingtransfer
2008-09-23 07:41 pm UTC (link)
I'd offer up Itsuki but for the fact that I doubt Phoenix would actually be able to actually get much out of him, so it would probably end up being a bit of an exercise in futility. xD

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:19 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, and then Phoenix would pass out and die. :|

Although, Phoenix has started talking to Kyon a little, so who knows... Maybe he'd be able to piece something together.

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[info]smilingtransfer
2008-09-23 11:10 pm UTC (link)
Haha, I'm up for it if you ever think Phoenix would pick up on enough clues at some point to start putting things together. |Db

Of course there's always the chance Itsuki will keep lying his ass off even if Phoenix got it right, so...

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:24 am UTC (link)
That's perfectly all right. It might create some conflict, but character conflict = much fun, y/n/pie?

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[info]smilingtransfer
2008-09-24 03:25 am UTC (link)
It is fun! You would not believe how happy I was the first time someone managed to make Itsuki angry. xD

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:33 am UTC (link)
...does he have angry icons? XD

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[info]smilingtransfer
2008-09-24 03:36 am UTC (link)
...I think this one is the closest he comes. xD It's his srs bzns face icon, but it can do double duty.

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[info]shovel_sick
2008-09-23 07:56 pm UTC (link)
I've been wondering what that was!

I'd love to plot with you, but I don't know who with or what about. XD

We still have to do the mentally regressed movie date with Apollo and Phoenix, though. :3

Edited at 2008-09-23 07:56 pm UTC

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:22 pm UTC (link)
Haha! Maybe we can come up with something later. XD People are ALWAYS keeping secrets, after all!

fslkdjfls I'm so sorry! I'll get that up either later tonight or tomorrow! I've sort of been failing at tags for the last couple days. XD;;

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[info]re_formed
2008-09-23 08:10 pm UTC (link)
Unfortunately, Bourne's already let Phoenix in on his BIG SECRET. :P

But you know, whenever the get together, if Feenie mentions that whole broken computer thing he'll find out that was a lie. /lame little subplotty thing

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:24 pm UTC (link)
They need to get together soon! I'm sorry I haven't started that, yet. ;-; What's with all these backdated threads I suddenly need to do? XD I'm thinking they should go get coffee... I know I said otherwise because Cori will be taking Bourne and Edgeworth for coffee, but this will be different! It will be a non-scheming coffee date!

I'll keep the computer thing in mind, though I don't know how it would come up... XD

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[info]bitofagypsy
2008-09-23 09:29 pm UTC (link)
I told you to take your time~ I don't mind backdating.
And yes, coffee free of ulterior motives is good!

Well, just in case. :P

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:31 pm UTC (link)
Okay~ ;~;

...haha, that just gave me a vision of someone about to take a drink of coffee, looking in the mug, and then gasping, "THIS COFFEE HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES."

yeah, i don't know

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[info]bitofagypsy
2008-09-23 09:33 pm UTC (link)
♥~

Hahaha! XD

You don't need a reason for that.

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[info]smilingtransfer
2008-09-24 03:38 am UTC (link)
Totally threadjumping to say... now I can't stop imagining Godot doing this, and as a result, can't stop laughing.

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[info]maraihi
2008-09-23 08:45 pm UTC (link)
I still think it could be interesting, considering how often Maraich hides things.

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-23 09:24 pm UTC (link)
But some of the things Maraich hides could ruin their friendship! D: ...it would be interesting, though.

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[info]maraihi
2008-09-23 09:37 pm UTC (link)
Well, Maraich HAS told him a lot of his secrets.
I'm not too sure how much he has left that could put their friendship in jeopardy.

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:24 am UTC (link)
That's true. Well, what kinds of things do you have in mind, then?

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[info]maraihi
2008-09-24 03:25 am UTC (link)
Well, he does lie sometimes because he thinks Feenie won't like him, but that's usually smaller lies.

I didn't have anything specific in mind for him to uncover.

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:35 am UTC (link)
Yeah, but Phoenix wouldn't press unless he thought it was important... But if it happened repeatedly, he might just be like, "Fine. What is this secret you're hiding!?"

And then be like, "...that was it?" I dunno. XD;;

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[info]maraihi
2008-09-24 03:56 am UTC (link)
That'd be pretty funny, actually.

"OHNOES, HE HAS A DEEP DARK SECRET."


"...That's it?"

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[info]know_sacrifice
2008-09-23 10:49 pm UTC (link)
...That one icon of yours suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Fffff I'd offer to plot but Mikaela's the only one of mine who actively interacts with Phoenix, and probably her biggest secret is there's some people on the community she wants to bang really, really hard, despite being happy with Sam.

lol she's such a teenager XD

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:26 am UTC (link)
What, this one? XD

...Now I have this mental image of the subject coming up, the magatama reacting to it, and Phoenix just being like, "...er, okay. Not going to press that issue. *tactlessly changes the subject*"

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[info]darkmirror_vr2
2008-09-23 11:15 pm UTC (link)
My sister tried explaining that thing to me last week. Now I understand what she was talking about! XD

It sounds like fun! I'd totally plot with you but I really doubt he's talked with Cori nearly enough to suspect anything. >:

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:27 am UTC (link)
Yay! that means I did it right! XD

Well, that just means that they should talk more! ;D

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[info]darkmirror_vr2
2008-09-24 06:04 am UTC (link)
Whoo! Go Idgie! 8Db

They really should~. But I'm gonna feel kinda bad for Phoenix if he actually does manage to pull anything out of him. XD

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[info]roll_soul
2008-09-23 11:18 pm UTC (link)
I'm up for it! It could always be how Giro finally tells Phoenix about what he does xD ^^

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:27 am UTC (link)
True! Although, Phoenix would need a reason to press the issue...

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[info]burine_ame
2008-09-24 03:31 am UTC (link)
Hmm.... Aha! I think I have it. What if Phoenix brings up this entry in Giro's journal and the psyche-locks are activated when Giro starts being cagey about the truth? The entry certainly sounds like a warning of sorts, so that might explain why Phoenix would continue pressing him on it.

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:36 am UTC (link)
...I must have missed that entry, because Phoenix totally would have commented on that. x.X *made of phail, whoo*

They'd have to talk about it in person, though. Like I said, the magatama doesn't work over the internet.

RL tiems? XD;;

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[info]burine_ame
2008-09-24 03:41 am UTC (link)
XD It's not too late? There's always backdated comments, if whatever Phoenix wanted to say isn't covered in the unlocking.

RL works for me XD ^^ Maybe it's initialized by Phoenix needing a delivery made? That is, unless you've got a reason in mind for their meeting ^^

Oh! Just in case further evidence is needed, I submit this entry. Because Z in that entry is the same one who posted the first one I linked xD

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[info]redlightqueen
2008-09-23 11:54 pm UTC (link)
omg, have fun with I-No here. I think she'd have locks like Kristoph, though...

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:29 am UTC (link)
ho shi-

I really wanted to break Kristoph's locks. I was sorely disappointed that it wasn't resolved! It would be interesting for the PSYCHE LOCKS O DOOM to show up, though. Phoenix wouldn't know what to make of it and he might just press on principle alone. XD

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[info]redlightqueen
2008-09-24 03:37 am UTC (link)
Oh god me too. I was so tempted just to go through that case again just so I could see if I could break them and obviously I could not and I was so fiercely disappointed. :|

ANYWAY, yeah, she's so hateful and terrible that her locks would be nasty. I think poking her would be fun. Since she's a worldhopper I think he might be able to catch her there sometime? Probably in some crazy black dress with smoking a kretek in a cigarette holder with Marlene strapped to her back. I'd love, love, love for him to break them eventually!

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[info]bluespring
2008-09-24 02:11 am UTC (link)
::waves::

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[info]burine_ame
2008-09-24 03:27 am UTC (link)
...That is an awesome icon.

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[info]attorney_at_lol
2008-09-24 03:32 am UTC (link)
sup karen

I think there's enough evidence for Phoenix to suspect that something's up. We just need to trigger those psyche locks somehow!

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[info]shinra_pwnsjoo
2008-09-24 11:50 am UTC (link)
\o/ You know I am always here, bb.

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[info]sun_cutie_plz
2008-09-24 11:05 pm UTC (link)
>:

I'd so want to.

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[info]lightning_larx
2009-03-06 03:26 am UTC (link)
I'm not sure what he'd be able to do with Larx now that the justice committee thing's over(?), but if you've got anything~

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