Empatheias Application
Sep. 28th, 2014 11:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiritofjusticeWARNING! If you haven't played Ace Attorney Dual Destinies yet and still plan to... What are you doing looking at this post? Do you really wanna read a detailed application for a character from this game? Here there be spoilers!
⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Meowzy
Contact:madonnya | ![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Meowzy
⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Bobby Fulbright.
Age: 34, but: (highlight for spoilers) This age is based on the real Bobby Fulbright. The Phantom’s true age is unknown.
Canon: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies.
Canon Point: Case 5, the Cosmic Turnabout. Highlight for spoilery details: During his breakdown, right before getting shot by the sniper.
Background:
Bobby Fulbright first appears in the first investigation day of The Monstrous Turnabout, which is also where he first meets Athena Cykes and Apollo Justice. As the detective in charge of the investigation, he’s initially reluctant to let the duo examine the crime scene, but relents for the sake of ‘justice’. Bobby’s also the first witness in the trial, as it’s common for the prosecution to have the detective in charge of the case testify on what supposedly went down.
Next up is Turnabout Reclaimed, in which Bobby once again appears as the head detective on the case. Because the death of Jack Shipley was ruled to be accidental and not a homicide, no further investigation was done and no autopsy was performed on the body. However, at the insistence of Phoenix Wright and Athena Cykes, Bobby agrees to let the lawyer duo investigate the scene anyway and tries to get in touch with the prosecutor office to see if the incident could be taken to trial anyway. By the time the attorneys have managed to find proof that Jack Shipley had been murdered, Bobby’s found a prosecutor willing to take on the case: Simon Blackquill. He continues to head the investigation until at last, the true culprit’s been found.
Turnabout Academy follows this case. When a Professor is found murdered at Themis Legal Academy, investigation starts and before long, Bobby Fulbright appears to apprehend the suspect, Juniper Woods. As usual, he continues to lead the investigation and testify in court.
Bobby is also the lead investigator in the fourth case, The Cosmic Turnabout, though this case is interrupted after the first day (December 16th) by the Turnabout Countdown case, in which Detective Fulbright was not involved (or so we first assume). The trial continues on December 20th, where the defense attorneys continue to try and uncover the truth behind the death of Clay Terran and the mysterious Space Center bombings that took place that very same day. It’s revealed that Bobby Fulbright was present in the Space Center as well that day, as part of a special team that was assigned there to dissuade the bomb threat. He aided with the evacuation when the bombs went off and was one of the first to stumble upon the dead body of Clay Terran. It’s during this case that Bobby truly begins to ‘warm up’ to the lawyers and simultaneously worries about Blackquill’s mad desire to catch this elusive Phantom. The case ends with Fulbright providing the decisive evidence to prove Solomon Starbuck’s innocence, but in doing so, he shifts the blame to Athena Cykes.
The last case is Turnabout For Tomorrow, also known as ‘the one where shit hits the fan’. Most of this case consists of standing inside the courtroom, as Aura Blackquill takes hostages and demands a retrial for the UR-1 incident, for which her brother was convicted. Bobby Fulbright doesn’t play such a vital role until Simon Blackquill’s innocence is proven and the trial reaches the point where they’re back to the recent murder of Clay Terran. Phoenix Wright realizes that only the Phantom, a person who could feel no fear, could have escaped the crime scene by making a twenty foot leap onto an unstable emergency ladder. A ladder that was placed there by none other than Bobby Fulbright, who headed the evacuation. Bobby is then dragged into court to testify on the matter, as the defense attorneys do what they do best; find a contradiction and milk it for all it’s worth. After it becomes apparent that Fulbright was involved in the death of Clay Terran, he claims that the real Phantom was blackmailing him and soon after comes the claim that he’s an undercover agent. Both these claims are lies to cover up the fact that he truly is the Phantom, and even as Athena proves his emotions (and lack thereof) are highly irregular, he continues to stand by his odd statement. Finally, Edgeworth delivers proof that the real Bobby Fulbright died over a year ago and this man has been impersonating him all along. Simon Blackquill manages to create a gash in the Phantom’s mask, but it’s removed to reveal another mask, and another, and another… The Phantom continues to impersonate other characters as the questioning continues, until finally they drag the truth out of him: When he was stabbed by Athena Cykes seven years ago, some of his blood got splattered on the moon rock. Unable to take it with him, he hid it inside the Hope Capsule and it was launched out into space. However, it returned around the time of the HAT-2 launch, so he took drastic measures to get it back and used the courtroom bombing that was the main focus of Turnabout Countdown to destroy the rock once and for all. However, as Phoenix points out, a piece of rock is found in the debris between the bomb fragments, jeopardizing his true identity. He becomes afraid- so afraid that he suffers an emotional breakdown and immediately after, a sniper takes an attempt on his life. None of this vital organs were hit, but it’s unclear what’s to become of the Phantom after that.
It’s never said what the Phantom was up to in those six and a half years between the moon rock incident and taking the identity of Bobby Fulbright. Nor is it explained what sort of life he lived before the moon rock incident, or even before taking on his unique profession and lifestyle. I have headcanon of course, but even if another character were to ask, the chances are small that he’d tell them.
Personality:
As a first impression, Bobby comes off as being a very energetic person. Most of the time, he’s in a very upbeat mood, especially when he’s doing what he loves most; investigating crime scenes. As a self-proclaimed hero of justice, he’s eager to catch criminals and have them face judgment in court. Furthermore, he comes off as being very emotional. He can go from a broad grin to a disappointed pout in a matter of seconds, even downright crying when he’s especially upset. He’s also a bit overly-confident at times, especially near the start of the game, believing that he would never make a false arrest. This is an aspect that’s toned down after case 2, where he’s realized he can make mistakes. In the next case, which is chronologically the DLC case, he even goes out of his way to help the lawyers prove there was a homicide at the Shipshape Aquarium as opposed to accidental death caused by an animal. Bobby’s a bit of an idiot and even a child at times. An especially notorious example is what happens when you show him your defense attorney badge. He retorts by showing off his own police badge and somehow turns it into one big ‘contest’. Another great example is that when he hears the fingerprints on the lighter aren’t Solomon Starbuck’s, he rushes over to the courtroom to present the evidence without actually reading the results of the fingerprint analysis. Or how about that time Phineas Filch managed to steal his shoes right off his feet without him noticing? Priceless.
Of course, being a detective who works so closely with the prosecutor office, he’s suspicious of the Wright lawyers at first. He’s reluctant to share evidence and information, but Athena can ‘trick’ him into spilling the beans in the name of justice. Once Bobby’s convinced that the defense attorneys are seeking to aid an innocent person, he mellows out and becomes far more friendly and helpful towards them. Heck, by the time you reach case 4, he’s even offering to have snacks delivered while the attorneys investigate the crime scene. There is, however, one moment when psyche-locks appear on Bobby’s person, letting Phoenix know that he’s hiding something and it takes a bit of a showdown with evidence to force the truth out of him. As it turns out, there’s a moral conflict going on. The fact that the police department was aware of the bomb threat but told everyone to keep it under wraps and proceed with the HAT-2 launch despite the dangers is something that weighed heavily on Bobby’s conscience.
Meanwhile, when it comes to prosecutor Blackquill, he’s willing to do just about anything. From retrieving evidence that’s requested in court to feeding the guy’s hawk, there’s no errand he won’t run. There are times when the two are perfectly in sync and he knows what the prosecutor needs from him without actual words being spoken. Bobby’s convinced that Blackquill can be ‘reformed and turned into a valuable member of society’, so he sticks by the guy’s side and tries to watch out for him. Not that that stops him from performing his duty, though. As supervising detective over the convict’s actions, he’ll still use force when Blackquill seemingly steps out of line. Aside from that, when he suspects that Blackquill may have a personal grudge against Solomon Starbuck because of possible ties to the ‘Phantom’, he begins to question the man’s judgment and instead provides even more additional help to the defense attorney team. Suffice it to say, it’s hard to say who’s got who on a leash when it comes to these two.
-
Now, take everything I just wrote up there and consider it a lie. Or rather, it’s more of a facade. The man just described- the one who’s present throughout the entire game and the one I’m writing this application for- is not really Bobby Fulbright. He’s the Phantom, an international spy sent by an unknown country to gather information from the Space Center seven years ago. He’s the one who killed Dr. Cykes in order to steal the moon rock. He’s also the one who caused the first HAT-1 incident with a bombing. And he’s the one responsible for the HAT-2 bombing and the murder of Clay Terran, all in order to get his hands on the moon rock. Then he produced an incredibly convoluted plan to cover it up. He’s also the one responsible for the explosion in courtroom no. 4, which blew said moon rock to bits, and tried to pin the blame on Ted Tonate. ...Plus numerous other crimes.
The Phantom never cared for Simon Blackquill, the lawyer trio or anyone else he met along the way. His only goal was to get the psych profile so that he could destroy it, using any means necessary. Detective Fulbright, who was assigned to be by Blackquill’s side, was the perfect victim to impersonate. Furthermore, when the Hope Capsule finally returned to Earth, he decided to get his hands on the moon rock and dispose of it. All of this was done to protect his true identity and erase any evidence that could link him to the murder seven years ago. The Phantom cares only for himself, no one else.
The Phantom has a rather unique personality in the sense that he doesn’t have one. He lives his life impersonating others, to the point where he’s forgotten his own self and even his own face. Mind, his impersonations are uncanny. From people like Phoenix to someone as insignificant as Professor Means, he’s got them all down to a tee. It’s logical to assume that the real Bobby Fulbright was just as the Phantom portrayed him for a whole year. This is also why he’ll continue to assume the identity of Bobby Fulbright within Empatheias. He has nothing else to turn to- no ‘real self’ to be.
What’s also interesting is the one time the magatama responded to ‘Fulbright’s’ hidden secrets. Clearly, the Bobby Fulbright that Phoenix had been interacting with for so long had many more secrets hidden inside his heart- a lot of what he said was a lie. There should’ve been psyche-locks all over the place, especially during the last two cases of the game. However, the only time the magatama ever responded was when Bobby Fulbright was hiding something- not the Phantom, but Bobby himself. After all, would the Phantom really have cared that deeply about how ‘injust’ it was that the police department kept the bombing under wraps? It’s logical to assume that with how deeply the Phantom was caught up in his own charade, his lies became truths and the only secret he harbored inside his heart was something that the real Bobby Fulbright would’ve harbored as well. Similarly, Apollo’s bracelet only responds to the Phantom once- that is, when they’re questioning him about the lighter and he subconsciously starts fingering his gun holster. The ‘tick’ that he develops then is a direct result of knowing that the lighter is actually a gun, but in no other scenario (when Apollo is nearby) do his lies cause a subconscious physical reaction.
What’s most important to note, especially within the context of Empatheias is the fact that he can experience virtually no emotions. No happiness, no sadness, no surprise… The exact wording of the psych profile is as follows: "Emotional output of this voice extremely weak compared to typical voices. Subject deemed to have unique psychological makeup with almost no emotional fluctuation." The first time Athena uses the Mood Matrix on him, no emotions are registered at all. The Phantom believes that there’s ‘nothing inside’, but that’s not entirely true. The second time Athena attempts to analyze him with the Mood Matrix, his emotions are suddenly all over the place, constantly changing from this to that in a matter of seconds. It’s heavily implied, both by the dialogue and the fact that the Mood Matrix only responds to actual emotions, that the Phantom is forcing these feelings to seep through. Whatever emotion he wants, he can produce. They won’t be truly genuine, as they aren’t a reaction to his surroundings so much as a lie to cover up his apathetic nature, but they’re emotions nonetheless. Presumably, this is a result of his training.
However, the more flustered he gets, the more he gets his emotions wrong. As Phoenix corners him in court and presents more and more evidence, the Phantom’s facial expressions stop corresponding with the fake emotion he’s trying to convey. It gets to the point where he burst into very odd, loud laughter even as he seemingly cries bitter tears. Apparently, it takes a lot of effort for him to keep the façade going and force his feelings. Plus, there’s one emotion that keeps coming back in the Mood Matrix, despite the jumbled mess he’s using to cover it up: Fear. Much as he insists that he can’t feel a thing, the Phantom is actually deeply afraid of being assassinated for slipping up and revealing his identity. So afraid that when he does finally allow it to overtake him, he suffers an emotional breakdown. It’s logical to assume that if the Phantom is capable of genuine fear, he would be capable of other true emotions as well. Provided he allows these emotions to seep through, of course, which I suspect is something he’d actively fight for a long while, regardless of emotion drops and amulets. Lucky for him though, I believe that any emotion that would seep through would create larger emotion drops than for a regular person, as it would have a far greater impact on him personally.
Abilities:
I wouldn’t call this an ability so much as a personality trait, but… due to feeling virtually no emotion, he has no restraints either. For one, he could leap twenty feet from a moving corridor to a small emergency ladder without feeling any fear for his life at all. Lack of emotion is what makes him such an incredible spy. It’s what allows him to impersonate others flawlessly too. Because he suppresses true emotions, he can produce fake reactions and facial expressions based on what his current persona should be feeling.
Other abilities he’s likely to have include several forms self-defense. Hand-to-hand combat, using an assortment of guns, disabling one’s opponent… He’s very physically fit, as evidenced by that twenty foot jump, and seemingly very good with technology. If you can hack into a custom-made program that analyzes emotions just by twisting a dial on a watch, you’ve got some incredible skill. Considering he impersonated a detective for over a year, it’s safe to assume he knows the legal system inside-out too.
Alignment:
Piphron. Bobby's catchphrase is "in justice we trust", and the concept of trust is a recurring thing in his character. He trusts even people like Simon Blackquill, who's a dude who was convicted of murder. Once the defense attorney team gains Bobby's trust over the course of the game, he starts to give them information about crime scenes more freely. Of course, that's all just one big lie, because on the flipside we have the Phantom. The Phantom actually doesn't trust anyone and because of that, he hasn't got a single ally. Because of that, he constantly lives in suppressed fear. In a way, distrust is the cause of all his issues.
Other:
Nnnnope.
Player: Meowzy
Contact:
madonnya | Character: Bobby Fulbright.
Age: 34, but: (highlight for spoilers) This age is based on the real Bobby Fulbright. The Phantom’s true age is unknown.
Canon: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies.
Canon Point: Case 5, the Cosmic Turnabout. Highlight for spoilery details: During his breakdown, right before getting shot by the sniper.
Background:
Bobby Fulbright first appears in the first investigation day of The Monstrous Turnabout, which is also where he first meets Athena Cykes and Apollo Justice. As the detective in charge of the investigation, he’s initially reluctant to let the duo examine the crime scene, but relents for the sake of ‘justice’. Bobby’s also the first witness in the trial, as it’s common for the prosecution to have the detective in charge of the case testify on what supposedly went down.
Next up is Turnabout Reclaimed, in which Bobby once again appears as the head detective on the case. Because the death of Jack Shipley was ruled to be accidental and not a homicide, no further investigation was done and no autopsy was performed on the body. However, at the insistence of Phoenix Wright and Athena Cykes, Bobby agrees to let the lawyer duo investigate the scene anyway and tries to get in touch with the prosecutor office to see if the incident could be taken to trial anyway. By the time the attorneys have managed to find proof that Jack Shipley had been murdered, Bobby’s found a prosecutor willing to take on the case: Simon Blackquill. He continues to head the investigation until at last, the true culprit’s been found.
Turnabout Academy follows this case. When a Professor is found murdered at Themis Legal Academy, investigation starts and before long, Bobby Fulbright appears to apprehend the suspect, Juniper Woods. As usual, he continues to lead the investigation and testify in court.
Bobby is also the lead investigator in the fourth case, The Cosmic Turnabout, though this case is interrupted after the first day (December 16th) by the Turnabout Countdown case, in which Detective Fulbright was not involved (or so we first assume). The trial continues on December 20th, where the defense attorneys continue to try and uncover the truth behind the death of Clay Terran and the mysterious Space Center bombings that took place that very same day. It’s revealed that Bobby Fulbright was present in the Space Center as well that day, as part of a special team that was assigned there to dissuade the bomb threat. He aided with the evacuation when the bombs went off and was one of the first to stumble upon the dead body of Clay Terran. It’s during this case that Bobby truly begins to ‘warm up’ to the lawyers and simultaneously worries about Blackquill’s mad desire to catch this elusive Phantom. The case ends with Fulbright providing the decisive evidence to prove Solomon Starbuck’s innocence, but in doing so, he shifts the blame to Athena Cykes.
The last case is Turnabout For Tomorrow, also known as ‘the one where shit hits the fan’. Most of this case consists of standing inside the courtroom, as Aura Blackquill takes hostages and demands a retrial for the UR-1 incident, for which her brother was convicted. Bobby Fulbright doesn’t play such a vital role until Simon Blackquill’s innocence is proven and the trial reaches the point where they’re back to the recent murder of Clay Terran. Phoenix Wright realizes that only the Phantom, a person who could feel no fear, could have escaped the crime scene by making a twenty foot leap onto an unstable emergency ladder. A ladder that was placed there by none other than Bobby Fulbright, who headed the evacuation. Bobby is then dragged into court to testify on the matter, as the defense attorneys do what they do best; find a contradiction and milk it for all it’s worth. After it becomes apparent that Fulbright was involved in the death of Clay Terran, he claims that the real Phantom was blackmailing him and soon after comes the claim that he’s an undercover agent. Both these claims are lies to cover up the fact that he truly is the Phantom, and even as Athena proves his emotions (and lack thereof) are highly irregular, he continues to stand by his odd statement. Finally, Edgeworth delivers proof that the real Bobby Fulbright died over a year ago and this man has been impersonating him all along. Simon Blackquill manages to create a gash in the Phantom’s mask, but it’s removed to reveal another mask, and another, and another… The Phantom continues to impersonate other characters as the questioning continues, until finally they drag the truth out of him: When he was stabbed by Athena Cykes seven years ago, some of his blood got splattered on the moon rock. Unable to take it with him, he hid it inside the Hope Capsule and it was launched out into space. However, it returned around the time of the HAT-2 launch, so he took drastic measures to get it back and used the courtroom bombing that was the main focus of Turnabout Countdown to destroy the rock once and for all. However, as Phoenix points out, a piece of rock is found in the debris between the bomb fragments, jeopardizing his true identity. He becomes afraid- so afraid that he suffers an emotional breakdown and immediately after, a sniper takes an attempt on his life. None of this vital organs were hit, but it’s unclear what’s to become of the Phantom after that.
It’s never said what the Phantom was up to in those six and a half years between the moon rock incident and taking the identity of Bobby Fulbright. Nor is it explained what sort of life he lived before the moon rock incident, or even before taking on his unique profession and lifestyle. I have headcanon of course, but even if another character were to ask, the chances are small that he’d tell them.
Personality:
As a first impression, Bobby comes off as being a very energetic person. Most of the time, he’s in a very upbeat mood, especially when he’s doing what he loves most; investigating crime scenes. As a self-proclaimed hero of justice, he’s eager to catch criminals and have them face judgment in court. Furthermore, he comes off as being very emotional. He can go from a broad grin to a disappointed pout in a matter of seconds, even downright crying when he’s especially upset. He’s also a bit overly-confident at times, especially near the start of the game, believing that he would never make a false arrest. This is an aspect that’s toned down after case 2, where he’s realized he can make mistakes. In the next case, which is chronologically the DLC case, he even goes out of his way to help the lawyers prove there was a homicide at the Shipshape Aquarium as opposed to accidental death caused by an animal. Bobby’s a bit of an idiot and even a child at times. An especially notorious example is what happens when you show him your defense attorney badge. He retorts by showing off his own police badge and somehow turns it into one big ‘contest’. Another great example is that when he hears the fingerprints on the lighter aren’t Solomon Starbuck’s, he rushes over to the courtroom to present the evidence without actually reading the results of the fingerprint analysis. Or how about that time Phineas Filch managed to steal his shoes right off his feet without him noticing? Priceless.
Of course, being a detective who works so closely with the prosecutor office, he’s suspicious of the Wright lawyers at first. He’s reluctant to share evidence and information, but Athena can ‘trick’ him into spilling the beans in the name of justice. Once Bobby’s convinced that the defense attorneys are seeking to aid an innocent person, he mellows out and becomes far more friendly and helpful towards them. Heck, by the time you reach case 4, he’s even offering to have snacks delivered while the attorneys investigate the crime scene. There is, however, one moment when psyche-locks appear on Bobby’s person, letting Phoenix know that he’s hiding something and it takes a bit of a showdown with evidence to force the truth out of him. As it turns out, there’s a moral conflict going on. The fact that the police department was aware of the bomb threat but told everyone to keep it under wraps and proceed with the HAT-2 launch despite the dangers is something that weighed heavily on Bobby’s conscience.
Meanwhile, when it comes to prosecutor Blackquill, he’s willing to do just about anything. From retrieving evidence that’s requested in court to feeding the guy’s hawk, there’s no errand he won’t run. There are times when the two are perfectly in sync and he knows what the prosecutor needs from him without actual words being spoken. Bobby’s convinced that Blackquill can be ‘reformed and turned into a valuable member of society’, so he sticks by the guy’s side and tries to watch out for him. Not that that stops him from performing his duty, though. As supervising detective over the convict’s actions, he’ll still use force when Blackquill seemingly steps out of line. Aside from that, when he suspects that Blackquill may have a personal grudge against Solomon Starbuck because of possible ties to the ‘Phantom’, he begins to question the man’s judgment and instead provides even more additional help to the defense attorney team. Suffice it to say, it’s hard to say who’s got who on a leash when it comes to these two.
-
Now, take everything I just wrote up there and consider it a lie. Or rather, it’s more of a facade. The man just described- the one who’s present throughout the entire game and the one I’m writing this application for- is not really Bobby Fulbright. He’s the Phantom, an international spy sent by an unknown country to gather information from the Space Center seven years ago. He’s the one who killed Dr. Cykes in order to steal the moon rock. He’s also the one who caused the first HAT-1 incident with a bombing. And he’s the one responsible for the HAT-2 bombing and the murder of Clay Terran, all in order to get his hands on the moon rock. Then he produced an incredibly convoluted plan to cover it up. He’s also the one responsible for the explosion in courtroom no. 4, which blew said moon rock to bits, and tried to pin the blame on Ted Tonate. ...Plus numerous other crimes.
The Phantom never cared for Simon Blackquill, the lawyer trio or anyone else he met along the way. His only goal was to get the psych profile so that he could destroy it, using any means necessary. Detective Fulbright, who was assigned to be by Blackquill’s side, was the perfect victim to impersonate. Furthermore, when the Hope Capsule finally returned to Earth, he decided to get his hands on the moon rock and dispose of it. All of this was done to protect his true identity and erase any evidence that could link him to the murder seven years ago. The Phantom cares only for himself, no one else.
The Phantom has a rather unique personality in the sense that he doesn’t have one. He lives his life impersonating others, to the point where he’s forgotten his own self and even his own face. Mind, his impersonations are uncanny. From people like Phoenix to someone as insignificant as Professor Means, he’s got them all down to a tee. It’s logical to assume that the real Bobby Fulbright was just as the Phantom portrayed him for a whole year. This is also why he’ll continue to assume the identity of Bobby Fulbright within Empatheias. He has nothing else to turn to- no ‘real self’ to be.
What’s also interesting is the one time the magatama responded to ‘Fulbright’s’ hidden secrets. Clearly, the Bobby Fulbright that Phoenix had been interacting with for so long had many more secrets hidden inside his heart- a lot of what he said was a lie. There should’ve been psyche-locks all over the place, especially during the last two cases of the game. However, the only time the magatama ever responded was when Bobby Fulbright was hiding something- not the Phantom, but Bobby himself. After all, would the Phantom really have cared that deeply about how ‘injust’ it was that the police department kept the bombing under wraps? It’s logical to assume that with how deeply the Phantom was caught up in his own charade, his lies became truths and the only secret he harbored inside his heart was something that the real Bobby Fulbright would’ve harbored as well. Similarly, Apollo’s bracelet only responds to the Phantom once- that is, when they’re questioning him about the lighter and he subconsciously starts fingering his gun holster. The ‘tick’ that he develops then is a direct result of knowing that the lighter is actually a gun, but in no other scenario (when Apollo is nearby) do his lies cause a subconscious physical reaction.
What’s most important to note, especially within the context of Empatheias is the fact that he can experience virtually no emotions. No happiness, no sadness, no surprise… The exact wording of the psych profile is as follows: "Emotional output of this voice extremely weak compared to typical voices. Subject deemed to have unique psychological makeup with almost no emotional fluctuation." The first time Athena uses the Mood Matrix on him, no emotions are registered at all. The Phantom believes that there’s ‘nothing inside’, but that’s not entirely true. The second time Athena attempts to analyze him with the Mood Matrix, his emotions are suddenly all over the place, constantly changing from this to that in a matter of seconds. It’s heavily implied, both by the dialogue and the fact that the Mood Matrix only responds to actual emotions, that the Phantom is forcing these feelings to seep through. Whatever emotion he wants, he can produce. They won’t be truly genuine, as they aren’t a reaction to his surroundings so much as a lie to cover up his apathetic nature, but they’re emotions nonetheless. Presumably, this is a result of his training.
However, the more flustered he gets, the more he gets his emotions wrong. As Phoenix corners him in court and presents more and more evidence, the Phantom’s facial expressions stop corresponding with the fake emotion he’s trying to convey. It gets to the point where he burst into very odd, loud laughter even as he seemingly cries bitter tears. Apparently, it takes a lot of effort for him to keep the façade going and force his feelings. Plus, there’s one emotion that keeps coming back in the Mood Matrix, despite the jumbled mess he’s using to cover it up: Fear. Much as he insists that he can’t feel a thing, the Phantom is actually deeply afraid of being assassinated for slipping up and revealing his identity. So afraid that when he does finally allow it to overtake him, he suffers an emotional breakdown. It’s logical to assume that if the Phantom is capable of genuine fear, he would be capable of other true emotions as well. Provided he allows these emotions to seep through, of course, which I suspect is something he’d actively fight for a long while, regardless of emotion drops and amulets. Lucky for him though, I believe that any emotion that would seep through would create larger emotion drops than for a regular person, as it would have a far greater impact on him personally.
Abilities:
I wouldn’t call this an ability so much as a personality trait, but… due to feeling virtually no emotion, he has no restraints either. For one, he could leap twenty feet from a moving corridor to a small emergency ladder without feeling any fear for his life at all. Lack of emotion is what makes him such an incredible spy. It’s what allows him to impersonate others flawlessly too. Because he suppresses true emotions, he can produce fake reactions and facial expressions based on what his current persona should be feeling.
Other abilities he’s likely to have include several forms self-defense. Hand-to-hand combat, using an assortment of guns, disabling one’s opponent… He’s very physically fit, as evidenced by that twenty foot jump, and seemingly very good with technology. If you can hack into a custom-made program that analyzes emotions just by twisting a dial on a watch, you’ve got some incredible skill. Considering he impersonated a detective for over a year, it’s safe to assume he knows the legal system inside-out too.
Alignment:
Piphron. Bobby's catchphrase is "in justice we trust", and the concept of trust is a recurring thing in his character. He trusts even people like Simon Blackquill, who's a dude who was convicted of murder. Once the defense attorney team gains Bobby's trust over the course of the game, he starts to give them information about crime scenes more freely. Of course, that's all just one big lie, because on the flipside we have the Phantom. The Phantom actually doesn't trust anyone and because of that, he hasn't got a single ally. Because of that, he constantly lives in suppressed fear. In a way, distrust is the cause of all his issues.
Other:
Nnnnope.
