Application.

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:23:01 GMT

[Character] Godot (Diego Armando)
[Age] 33
[Canon] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Trials and Tribulations)
[Point of time in canon from which the character is taken] The 5th case, after the bridge burns down and before the temporary bridge is put up

[Background info]
Diego Armando was an expert defense attorney with Grossberg Law Offices; he was responsible for helping Mia Fey, Phoenix Wright's mentor, with her first case as a lawyer. The case unfortunately ended badly, with the defendant killing himself before Mia could prove him innocent. Even after the trial ended, however, both Mia and Armando continued to investigate the true culprit, a girl named Dahlia Hawthorne, hoping to bring her to justice. Dahlia realized they were on her trail and so, several months later, arranged to meet with Armando in the courthouse cafeteria, and poisoned him.

Most people thought him to be dead, but he was actually in a coma, thought not expected to wake up ever again. Surprisingly, he actually does wake up five years later, though not unscathed. His central nervous system took a beating from the poison, turning his hair white and making his general health pretty shaky. He also lost his eyesight, and now has to use a mask in order to see.

Also waiting for him when he woke up was the shock that Mia, whom he had come to care deeply for, had been murdered while he was unconscious. Because Phoenix was her student at the time, he blamed Phoenix for not being able to protect her, and now bears a large grudge against him for it. He came up with two goals in his new life: 1) To protect Mia's sister, Maya, and 2) to defeat Phoenix Wright in court. To accomplish this, he rejoined the world of law, this time as a prosecutor, and changed his name to "Godot."

Several months later, Godot discovered a plot by Maya's aunt to kill her for control of the Fey family line. To protect Maya, he enlisted the help of her long-lost mother and a previously unknown cousin, and they came up with a counter-plan. When the time came, however, the plan did not go as successfully as they had hoped; Maya's mother channeled the spirit of one Dahlia Hawthorne (yes, the same one), and Dahlia tried to kill Maya using her mother's body. In order to save her, Godot was forced to kill "Dahlia" -- which, in turn, killed Maya's mother, the medium.

At the point I'm taking him from, Godot has already killed Maya's mother and cleaned up the crime scene. The bridge to the temple where the crime took place has burned down, so he and Maya are stuck on an "island" in the mountains until a temporary bridge can be created. He also has an injury hidden under his mask, a slash wound gotten during the struggle with "Dahlia."

[Personality]
Godot is an excellent lawyer, whether working the defense or the prosecution, and he knows it. He's extremely confident in himself -- you could say cocky, and perhaps sometimes arrogant. However, he greatly admired Mia for her ability to have faith in her clients until the end, and for being a "true defender of the people." He cared for her a great deal, and blamed Phoenix for her death. He makes no secret of his hatred for Phoenix, even though he doesn't reveal the reason behind it until the very end of the game.

In fact, as he finally realizes in the end (meaning from this app's point in canon, he hasn't yet, but he still can), it's not really Phoenix he blames. He really blames himself for being unconscious and unable to protect someone he cared about, and directed his anger at Phoenix so he wouldn't have to admit how he really felt. His mask is metaphoric in addition to allowing him to see: not wanting to face Mia's death, he ran from it, changing his name and his job, and using a mask to hide from the world. He only realizes his true feelings after seeing Mia's "spirit" in Phoenix during the trial... so it might take him a little extra time to manage it in LSG.

He is completely obsessed with coffee. He drinks massive amounts of it, constantly, and uses it to measure the length of trials -- a day's trial should be no longer than 17 cups. He uses rather a lot of metaphors referencing coffee, usually its darkness or bitter taste. When he's surprised, he spits out coffee, and when he's annoyed, sometimes he throws his mug at Phoenix's head :D

[Abilities] Very intelligent, possesses awesome lawyering skills, and is able to drink massive amounts of caffeine without adverse side effects.

[Other important facts] Even with his mask, he can't see the color red. It's a minor problem in court, as he often misses bloodstains on evidence if no one tells him they're there. He also enjoys giving people nicknames, and saying "cheesy proverbs and illogical metaphors", as Phoenix puts it.

[Sample post]
What is this, a train? Last time I checked I was still stuck up on that mountain, not cruising down the tracks back to the city. That's probably not going to end too well...

Last stop, huh? Last stop for what, I wonder... hey, bird! That's my coffee you're making off with!

Ha...! ...Fine, I'll fill out the paper, just give me back the thermos.

Application form for Last Stop Gakuen transfer students

Human or freak: That would depend on what you think a "freak" is, wouldn't it? I died, once, you think that counts?

Meat or vegetarian: Neither is as satisfying as the darkness at the bottom of a mug of steaming coffee.

Screaming or crying: I don't do either.

Homicidal or boring: Ha! Well, I wouldn't want to be boring, but it's my job to put killers in jail, not to kill people myself.

You're accepted! Please ask the parrot for further information!

All right, Feathers, I filled out your form. The coffee, if you don't mind. There's plenty of time for me to play your little game after a cup or two.