Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!
Dick Gumshoe - Akita dog. Gumshoe’s daemon was one of the first ones I figured out. He had to be a dog, because he just exudes that energy, and there’s a nice bonus for this dog in particular since it’s the same breed as Missile. Akitas are stocky, strong dogs, and males can often weigh up to 100 pounds. Gumshoe’s a big guy. They tend to be aggressive towards other dogs and have a strong prey instinct, which isn’t quite as fitting for Gumshoe, but he does have a tendency to get up in peoples’ faces sometimes especially when first meeting them - and in any case, with careful socialization they aren’t as aggressive. Akitas are very loyal and eager to please, bred as guardians and hunters, and they have a strong work ethic. Once Gumshoe is on your side, he’s there for good, and although he isn’t necessarily the cleverest man, if you put him to a task he will work tirelessly at it and has multiple times saved the day with his efforts. There’s a famous myth about an Akita named Hachiko whose owner died; he would wait every day for his master at the train station he usually took home for nine years. This felt very fitting for Gumshoe to me, and really the number one reason I chose this breed was for that reputation of enduring loyalty and love.
Ema Skye - Coconut octopus. My first thought was that Ema needs a daemon that uses tools. Her passion for forensic investigation, and using scientific tools in particular, demanded it. Coconut octopodes are famous for picking up coconut shells and carrying them around as mobile homes, or wearing them as ‘hats’ to provide protection from predators. In order to move about effectively in this manner, they also walk on only two legs, which is an unusual and notable behavior. They’re a relatively small species, but still have the usual octopode abilities to change color and release ink. The ink especially made me think of Ema’s luminol, so I loved that. But octopodes in general are very intelligent and in captivity are known to escape their tanks and play pranks, or throw things out of their tanks when annoyed, which is great for Ema. This species spends a lot of its time hidden and darting out to get food; when it does hunt it tends to ‘forage’, wandering about and catching whatever is handy, rather than stalking prey. Ema works with a lot of different people and is in general very adaptable, but as an adult she’s generally a bit more withdrawn/not interested in socializing with everyone all the time. She also snacks all the time so I liked the ‘foraging’ for that.
Jake Marshall - Mule. My initial thought for Jake was actually a coyote, and I’m still a little torn on this one. I knew whatever he ended up with had to be something to fit his whole Wild West theme, which both do. Still, while I think a coyote would be fitting too, in the end I leaned more towards mule for a couple of reasons. First, Jake’s cowboy act is mostly that - he’s actually from LA and there’s no indication he’s ever been to Texas, let alone grew up on a ranch or anything. The stereotypical image of a cowboy is of course riding a horse - so this would be another example of him not quite matching his whole attitude. (Because yes, he would saddle up his daemon and ride her around town.) However, many people actually prefer mules over horses. They’re very intelligent and sure-footed, have excellent endurance and resilience, are relatively calm, and in general are known as an example of 'hybrid vigor’, often gaining the best of both their parents’ traits. When treated well, they are actually quite trainable and willing to work. However, they tend to have a stronger sense of self-preservation than horses and can balk when asked to do something dangerous. Also, if given a negative environment or one without enough mental stimulation, they can develop bad behaviors and be hard to manage. I think all of this fits pretty well for Jake - as far as we know, he was a willing and eager detective, and did his job well at the time. However, since getting demoted he lost all motivation for his work, and developed a lot of bad habits. He also is surprisingly astute and confrontational - if it weren’t for the handprint locks, his break-in would have worked completely, and he realized that there was shady stuff going on and confronted Lana about it.
Angel Starr - White Bengal tiger. Angel may act sweet, but only ever for so long. She’s a hunter at heart. She has a lot of boyfriends, all of whom are useful strategically; Bengal tigers are a polygynous species, with one male mating several females. Though she certainly seems like she can work well with others when needed, Angel strikes me as more of private person. She will spend time with people but not necessarily open up deeply to them, and tigers for the most part lead solitary lives. They are also stealthy predators, often waiting till dusk and camouflaging themselves. They also tend to quietly approach their prey from the side or the back - all of this ‘ambush and stealth’ style seems a fitting match to the way Angel plays sweet and then abruptly lashes out with such ferocity. Originally, I just gave her a regular tiger, but then I thought about it a little more and I actually like the white morph for her. It matches her color scheme and fur jacket, which is a nice detail, and white Bengal tigers are very rare in nature and considered very beautiful. Angel uses her beauty to disarm people, so it just seemed fitting.
Shi-Long Lang - Northwestern wolf. Lang Zi says, “Obviously he’s a wolf! There was never any doubt!” I mean, the amount of wolf references is off the charts with this guy. Wolves, of course, are pack animals, which fits his huge team of subordinates that he clearly knows well. Northwestern wolves are the largest wolves in the world, which is another great reference to that. They’re a bit stockier than some other wolves, adapted to high altitudes, and packs often hunt large prey like elk. Lang goes after some pretty major targets, so that’s a nice nod too. Wolves are intelligent and playful, with complex social dynamics and distinctive howls. They are excellent hunters and can travel for long distances after their prey, as well as just roaming large territories. I mean, I could go on, but of course he’s a wolf so it’d all just be reiterating what we already know.
I have no self control so I made an Ace Attorney AU with dӕmons in it. Have a ficlet!
---
They’ve barely made it back out into the defendant’s lobby when Larry’s dӕmon screams and tries to tackle Phoenix’s.
Luckily, Dawn’s used to this kind of thing, and goats aren’t really built for the kind of tackling that Artemisia was attempting. She manages to get in an awkward, floppy headbutt before Dawn sort of sighs and starts circling around her. It’ll take a second, but if the usual patterns hold true, Dawn will end up sitting on her to get her to calm down. That’s usually what’s worked in the past.
“That was a close one!” Mia says cheerfully, drawing Phoenix’s attention away from the dӕmons’ antics. “I was almost ready to kiss that Not Guilty verdict goodbye.”
Phoenix winces in embarrassment. “Oh, come on…”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, boss,” Dawn says dryly, while Artemisia performs a complicated parkour maneuver off her shoulder. The piteous bleating and clip-clop of goat hooves are almost deafening with the lobby’s acoustics.
From Mia’s shoulder, Archimedes laughs. “She’s joking,” he says, ignoring Mia’s look of betrayal. “She’s joking, don’t worry. We knew you had it handled.”
Phoenix relaxes. “Oh, well, I guess—”
“I mean you had to have Payne handled,” Arc goes on. “If you can’t trounce the Rookie Killer, there’s no hope for you.”
“Thank… you?” Phoenix tries.
“Why is it so hard to tell a compliment from a criticism with them?” Dawn wonders, just loud enough to be heard. Mia covers her mouth elegantly against her laughter, but the pigeon dӕmon on her shoulder has no such reservations. Before Phoenix can think of a follow-up to that, Larry falls upon him in hysterics.
“Nick! Nick, what am I gonna do? My Cindy-windy’s gone, how is life worth living?”
“Larry, she was a—oh, never mind,” Dawn mutters.
It takes a minute, and some digging through the court record, but eventually Dawn sits on Artie until she stops wiggling, and Phoenix assuages Larry’s agony over whether or not his late ex-girlfriend loved him. Dawn lets Artie up off the floor and takes the last-minute headbutt to the chin like a champ, and Larry and his dӕmon finally leave. They’re definitely not getting paid for any of this.
Dawn shakes the rest of the confetti out of her fur and returns to Phoenix’s side, tail wagging like a banner. “Well, that could’ve gone a lot worse.”
“Oh, we’ve had more frustrating clients before, believe me,” Mia says, and something about her pointed smile tells Phoenix exactly which client she’s talking about. Dawn’s tail stops wagging for a moment.
“Hey, don’t knock Larry,” Phoenix retorts. “He’s part of the reason why I became a lawyer in the first place.”
Mia’s eyes widen in surprise. “My, you’ll have to tell us that story sometime,” she says. “Harry Butz, the inspiration for your legal career.”
Phoenix exchanges a glance with his dӕmon. “Well…”
“A small part,” Dawn amends. “About thirty percent of the reason, tops.”
It’s the part that’s the easiest to explain, anyway. Mia has never been shy about her opinion of cutthroat prosecutors, so how is he supposed to tell her—
how wrong it was, seeing pictures of the so-called Demon Prosecutor in news and magazines, tired and angry and weighed down with misery that nobody else seems to notice, with a dӕmon that’s said to show her claws to anyone who moves too close—
“Phoenix?” Mia’s voice brings him back to the present. “Still with us?”
“Yeah, yeah, just… thinking about things,” he says. “You’re right, I’ll have to… tell you about that.”
“Later this evening, maybe,” she says. “Why don’t we get together for dinner? You did just win your first trial, after all. I think that’s a good reason to celebrate.”
Dawn’s drooping tail springs up again and wags, like she can be any more obvious.
“Yeah, sure, sounds good,” Phoenix agrees, praying that his dӕmon won’t start prancing like she’s actually begging for a treat. Mia notices, obviously, and grins in spite of his best efforts to salvage his dignity. Sometimes there are disadvantages to having your soul walk around in the form of a fluffy white dog the size of a miniature horse.
“Phoenix?” she says.
“Yeah, Chief?”
Her amused grin softens to a more genuine smile. “Archimedes meant what he said before.”
“We really did know you could do it,” says Arc.
“To be honest, we’ve known you’d do well since you first told us you were changing your major,” Mia tells him.
Dawn’s tail wags faster. “Okay, now I know you’re fibbing,” Phoenix says. “Twenty-year-old me was an airhead.”
“Was, he says,” Mia’s dӕmon remarks.
“Archimedes,” Mia chides him. “We’re not kidding, Phoenix. It’s all in your dӕmon.”
Phoenix blinks, then exchanges another look with Dawn. “Me?” Dawn asks. “But… I was the same, back then. It’s not like…” Her voice catches. “It’s not like I noticed anything wrong with Dollie and Cassius and—”
“You believed in them,” Arc says gently. “That’s one of the most important parts of being a good defense attorney: trusting your instincts and believing in your client’s innocence.” He cocks his head to one side. “But that’s not what we’re talking about. It’s the very shape you’re in, Dawn.”
“A… dog?” Phoenix frowns. “Man, that’s not what the kids in middle school said.”
“Meh-meh-meh, Phoenix has a dog dӕmon, he’s gonna be a bellboy when he grows up,” Dawn mutters mockingly.
“Seriously, Rudy Bruzer used to throw his backpack at me and tell me to carry it for him. That thing was heavy.” Phoenix stops before he gets too deep in the teen angst of years past. “Anyway, everybody says dog dӕmons are the submissive, authority-following type, so I don’t really see your point.”
“Well, you didn’t look very submissive at the defense bench just now,” Mia points out. “And besides, I’m not talking about her being a dog. I’m talking about the kind of dog she is.” She raises an eyebrow at him. “Don’t tell me you never looked it up.”
“We never really thought about it,” Dawn admits. “I guess I kind of look like a Pyrenees?”
“Precisely.” Arc flutters down from Mia’s shoulder and lands on Dawn’s back. “A Great Pyrenees. That’s a breed from the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. A guardian breed, to be exact.”
Dawn twists her head around to look at him. “So now I’m a guard dog? What does that have to do with being a lawyer?”
“Not a guard dog,” Mia says, keeping her eyes on Phoenix. “A guardian. They were bred to watch over herds and flocks in the mountains.” She tilts her head with a smile. “You have the soul of a protector, Phoenix.”
“Gentle with the lambs and fierce against the wolves,” Archimedes adds. “I can’t think of a better dӕmon for someone who defends the innocent.”
“Oh,” Phoenix says faintly. Mia’s nice enough to pretend not to notice how choked up he is. After all the dumb-dog-go-fetch comments he’s heard in every school he’s ever attended, this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about Dawn’s shape.
***
Hours later, he kneels on the floor of Mia’s office, choking back tears as he searches her corpse for clues. Archimedes is gone, dissolved into Dust the moment Mia’s heart stopped beating. Dawn noses her cold hand; it’s safe for his dӕmon to touch her now that she’s dead.
You were wrong, Chief, he thinks, staring blankly at the bloody name scrawled on the back of a department store receipt. I couldn’t even protect you.
Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!
Manfred von Karma - African crowned eagle. I talked about this in the prosecutors post, but I think eagles would probably be the expected daemon for the von Karma family. And this one takes the cake. The crowned eagle is widely considered the world’s strongest eagle/most dangerous bird of prey. It’s one of the largest eagle species as well, and has a distinctive crown of feathers on top of its head that can flare up slightly. (Franziska’s harpy eagle daemon takes after it in those details.) It is a fairly passive hunter, preferring to sit and watch/listen for prey. It’s good at hunting on the ground and very maneuverable through trees. All of this feeds into Manfred’s skill as prosecution, as well as his image of himself as the picture of perfection. Another good detail for that in particular is that they tend to be rather loud birds - just like he brags about himself all the time. But, funnily enough, despite being more of an ambush predator, crowned eagles can be a ‘rather nervous species’. They tend to get restless and aggressive. Fits well with his complete loss of composure over losing his win record, I think. They are very intelligent but do not like working with people at all - again, fits beautifully. They have usually two eggs, and only one lives. The females (which his daemon would be) take care of their chicks for an unusually long time. Normally I’d interpret that as more caring in the person, but in this case it just reads controlling.
Damon Gant - Saltwater crocodile. With his love of swimming, Gant had to have a daemon at home in the water. All crocodiles are powerful predators, but saltwater crocs are not only bigger than most other crocs (females usually 8-10 feet long and 168-227 lbs), but also more solitary. They're more territorial than other kinds. Crocodiles are cold-blooded, which has connotations in speech that do line up with how ruthless Gant can easily be. It also means that this species spends most of its time pretty lethargic, floating along in currents to travel. They’re still more active than a lot of species of croc, and spend less time on land except when basking, sometimes at sea for weeks. Gant manipulated the system to place himself in a position of utmost authority, where he could just ‘bask’ or ‘drift’ and let things carry along the path he chose, but he didn’t hesitate to act when his control was threatened. Saltwater crocodiles are willing to eat just about anything, and are quite aggressive, with the strongest bite of any living animal. But, like other crocs, their muscles for opening their jaws are relatively weak and can be held shut relatively easily. I think there’s something to be said for the fact that Gant has trouble letting things go. And of course the aggression can match too. A final detail that swayed me towards a crocodile early on is the phrase “a crocodile grin,” meaning a friendly or jovial front masking a predatory nature. That’s peak Gant, right there.
Matt Engarde - Orchid mantis. Insects are often the deadliest hunters, after all. I think it’s a necessity for Matt’s daemon to fully show his “split” nature, to keep up the front of being sweet and harmless just like he does. So, it looks like a pretty flower! Orchid mantis can even change color to match their environment - not to a hugely detailed level, and not super fast, but it’s still a neat ability that can match his acting. This species of mantis hunts by finding a good spot and waiting to attract its prey to it, sometimes swaying gently to catch the eye. I think Matt is one of the coldest villains in the series, and this more deliberate approach is fitting in that sense. It’s carnivorous and will go after just about anything of the right size, including its own kind.
Morgan Fey - Chimpanzee. The number one trait I was looking for in Morgan’s daemon was territoriality. Chimpanzees have a patriarchal and rather strict hierarchy, which is an equal-opposite match for the matrilineal hierarchy among the Feys. Male chimps are very territorial and can often get into dominance displays or sometimes fights when another chimp has been gone for even a relatively short time. Misty was gone... a long time. Chimps will get into wars with other tribes over territory, as well. All lining up well for someone so obsessed with maintaining what is hers (and gaining more). Male chimps aren’t usually as close to their children as females, but they have been known to practice infanticide on baby chimps that aren’t related to them. Which is pretty much exactly Morgan’s primary goal, so that fits too. Chimpanzees are very intelligent and communicative. While not so much the latter necessarily, Morgan does come up with some pretty convoluted plans and manages to maintain her cool most of the time. Overall, I think a male chimp is a pretty good match for her.
Kristoph Gavin - Coastal taipan. The ‘Coolest Defense in the West’ would of course want to be a coldblooded animal. I actually initially didn’t think he fit as a snake though, because despite his control most of the time, he does tend to get very emotional and lash out in more of a panic. His crimes aren’t necessarily super meditated at the time so much as he overthinks and obsesses about them after the fact. But then I decided that can work, actually. Most people can’t interpret snake body language well, so they look more ‘calm’ or unreadable. This particular species is extremely venomous. It hunts mammalian prey, holding very still before lashing out quickly with one or several bites. Then it retreats and allows its prey to stagger away, waiting until it is dying to follow it down. That struck a chord with me, since Kristoph likes to set his enemies up and wait for them to bring about their own fall (even if they... don’t end up doing that). The coastal taipan stays out of a straightforward fight, just like Kristoph wouldn’t openly admit to hating Phoenix for seven years. The other main reason I chose this snake is that it’s regarded as the most dangerous in Australia because it is so nervous and aggressive around humans. It doesn’t tend to waste much time warning people who have gotten close, instead lashing out to bite before escaping. It’s so fast, it can sometimes deliver several bites before the person even sees it. I think that fits really well with Kristoph’s tendency to lash out and get paranoid.
Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!
Winston Payne - Stump-tailed macaque. So, fun fact... there are only a few animals in the world that naturally experience baldness with age the way many human males do. This is one of them! Both male and female can go partially bald (on the head) as they get older, which is a hilarious detail. However, that’s definitely not my only reason for choosing this monkey. Stump-tailed macaques aren’t very large (females average 17-20 lbs.) and spend most of their time on the ground. They’re actually pretty clumsy climbers, although they’re agile enough on the ground. Winston’s whole reputation is built around being a ‘Rookie Killer’ but he loses every case against player characters. If we infer them as being more skilled than most rookies, then every time he tries to ‘climb higher’ so to speak, he’s shown up. Stump-tailed macaques eat mostly fruits, with some frogs and birds and such. Still, generally small prey if anything alive, which also fits. This species also has a social dynamic built around clearly expressed hierarchies, and I found a couple notes about them being especially skilled at exhibiting submissive behavior (such as teeth-chattering) to avoid fights with more dominant monkeys. Winston acts very arrogant around those he considers beneath him (generally, defense attorneys) but tends to get nervous and cower very visibly when outmatched or around ‘superiors’, so this whole dynamic fits him well.
Gaspen Payne - Common cuckoo. Cuckoos are a parasitic species; everyone knows the story of them laying their eggs in other birds’ nests, and of the chicks often pushing the other chicks out of the nest to kill them so that they get all the food. Well, that was one of the main reasons I chose this daemon for Gaspen. He is very willing to use dirty tricks in court, and willingly signed up to be a prosecutor in a country where he knew if he won his opponents would be put to death (not to mention, delighted in the lack of opponents this law created). He cares about personal gain, more than any moral code. The patterning of cuckoos tends to mimic sparrowhawks, thus making other birds more reluctant to chase them away from their nests or attack them. Gaspen likes to get people in positions of power on his side when possible. Cuckoos are migratory, and Gaspen certainly doesn’t seem like the type of person who is able to curate goodwill for long, based on him being ‘forced’ to actually migrate to Khura’in. And of course, in speech “cuckoo” is associated with crazy, or “cloud-cuckoo-lander” for someone with their head up in the clouds. Gaspen isn’t exactly the most calm and stable person, though I wouldn’t say he’s actually insane, so much as he gets full of himself and loses sight of/doesn’t care about the facts.
Marvin Grossberg - Wombat. I liked having a marsupial for Grossberg because he’s shown to have had several subordinates and to think fondly of them even years later. Raising their young in a pouch for a long time seemed fitting to someone who enjoyed being a mentor. At the same time, wombats have only one young and are generally a solitary species; of all his employees, none of them actually survived and remained in contact with him for long that we know of. Wombats are generally nocturnal and spend their days in expansive underground tunnels - Grossberg also has a habit of vanishing a lot so I liked that. Wombats have poor eyesight, are herbivores, and generally travel slowly and peacefully. Grossberg definitely doesn’t seem to have much of a killer instinct or emotional investment in his cases. However, he did establish a great reputation because he was a skilled lawyer, and wombats can run as fast as a person and have sharp and strong claws to do some damage when they want. Despite his reputation/the money he’s clearly earned, we soon learn that Grossberg is in some ways a symbol of corrupt attorneys who have lost sight of protecting people. He’s not an evil person, but he’s done wrong. Wombats are famous and certainly cute, but more often seen as annoying pests by people actually living near them. And finally, in a nod to his infamous hemorrhoids, wombats are also known for a rear-end oddity: their feces is a distinctive square shape.
Lana Skye - Great horned owl. This one gave me a lot of trouble, but I think I like where I ended up. Owls are traditionally associated with wisdom, and Lana is a very intelligent person. They are silent and powerful hunters, which I think matches Lana’s quiet, deliberate way of speaking most of the time, and her skills as a detective and prosecutor. She usually thinks things through and is careful about how she acts. The exceptions to this are of course when she’s protecting Ema. Great horned owls maintain and defend their territory, and when the chicks hatch, the female stays with them and the male delivers food for several weeks. They’re known to be aggressive and dangerous to anyone approaching their nest. I knew Lana’s daemon needed to be a nurturing or protective parent, so I liked that. Another detail I enjoyed was that this is one of only a couple species confirmed to have been used in falconry, though they are apparently challenging to work with and don’t especially enjoy it. Felt like a nice nod to Lana being blackmailed. And a minor fun detail in the way Lana always turns away, and owls can turn their heads nearly all the way behind them. No real importance but it amuses me.
Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!
Phoenix Wright: Honey badger. I like honey badger for Phoenix for several reasons. Firstly, honey badgers are very difficult to kill. Their skin is very thick and tough (enough to resist machetes, spears, etc.), and it’s also loose, allowing them to twist around and bite back at something holding them. That seemed fitting to me in both the joking “Phoenix is immortal” sense, but also in the courtroom when prosecutors think they have him pinned and he turns the situation around to his benefit. They are excellent diggers, which you could link to Phoenix’s relentless search for the truth/investigative abilities. They eat pretty much anything, including snakes and scorpions, and have been noted as being resistant to venom. Seeing as Phoenix’s worst personal foes are both linked strongly to poisoning, I thought that fit well too. They are very adaptable and intelligent (able to use tools), which is pretty self-explanatory, but have poor vision and smell, possibly representing Phoenix’s tendency to sometimes miss or overlook flaws in those he cares for/relevant details at first glance. Honey badgers are known for their strength and ferocity, hunting down or driving off animals much larger than themselves. Their claws are very powerful, as is their bite. Phoenix is fearless and can be very aggressive once provoked, but he’s fairly easy-going most of the time. If you don’t know about honey badgers, his daemon might not look like too much to worry about until it’s too late. Alternatively, people recognizing Phoenix’s daemon and waiting for him to be aggressive or intense are gonna be very surprised - until they meet him in court.
Apollo Justice: Scarlet dwarf dragonfly. I knew I had to give Apollo a dragonfly, even though it might not look like the toughest animal. Dragonflies have possibly the greatest success rate when hunting prey, estimated to be around 95% successful. They also have incredible eyesight, which of course is a must for Apollo. Their vision is nearly 360 degrees, they can probably see ultraviolet and it’s likely they can see colors we can’t. I chose a red dragonfly because c’mon, I had to, but I also learned there is a famous Japanese children’s song “Akatombo” (”Red Dragonfly”) whose lyrics make me think of Apollo feeling nostalgic for his childhood, so that’s a nice bonus. I chose this particular species to be Japanese in nod to the symbolism there (they are associated with victory) and also because giving him a teeny tiny daemon appeals to me. He’s short, yes, but also an itty bitty bug might seem like a contrast to his loud nature and all... but his daemon is actually more intense.
Athena Cykes: Eurasian lynx. I strongly considered a barn owl for Athena, since owls are associated with the goddess Athena, and barn owls especially have fantastic hearing, with their whole faces built like a satellite dish. (Actually, if I’d been going for best hearing in the animal kingdom, it would’ve been a moth.) But in the end a bird just didn’t feel right for her. She is strong, tactile, clever, and alert - a cat just fit. Eurasian lynx live across huge swaths of Asia and Europe, which was a nice nod to Athena’s habit of peppering in bits of various European languages. Males (as her daemon would be) in particular tend to hunt over large areas. As far as cats go, they have pretty excellent hearing, with the distinctive tufts on their ears being supposed to aid with that. They hunt using both hearing and sight, typically by ambushing prey. There is no animal equivalent to Athena’s ‘therapy’ technique but I think ambush is a decent enough analogue, since it too takes prey by surprise and can send them into a panic. Lynxes are skilled predators with a great jump, and just look muscular and I find that a great fit for the very active Athena.
Trucy Wright: White rabbit. I thought about what to give Trucy but just kept circling back to the classic magician’s animal. I think it fits beyond that too, though. Rabbits have a wide field of vision, as well as great hearing and sight. Makes sense for a prey animal, but also for Trucy with her (albeit unutilized like Apollo) eyesight. Rabbits are long associated with trickery, which is an excellent nod to her magic. Rabbits have also been associated with good luck, with the rabbit’s foot the most-known example; I think that lines up nicely to how she became a spot of joy and hope in Phoenix’s life after he was disbarred. Rabbits are quite intelligent, social, and sweet - but also can be total brats if they want. They tend to chew through everything (carpet, wires, etc.) if you don’t keep them away, which reminds me of Trucy taking over the office with all her magician mess. And lastly, a small detail, Trucy’s annoyed sprite involves her shoulders going down in a way that looks a little bit like she’s stomping, which reminds me strongly of a rabbit.
Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!
Larry Butz - Flame bowerbird. Larry is a very rare case of his daemon being the same gender as him. And no, it’s not related to sexuality or anything like that - it’s just that he absolutely had to be a bird with an elaborate courtship display, and those are all male. I chose bowerbirds pretty quickly too, because the thing they are famous for is building elaborate structures to attract a female. This species constructs an ‘avenue’ out of twigs and sticks for her to walk through, and clears and decorates the area around it with rocks, berries, and pretty much any colorful and beautiful materials they can find. They’re very precise and if their bower is disturbed they will build it back to nearly exactly its former shape; they can spend most of the year working on these, by the way. Even then, they still do a courtship dance once the female arrives. Larry is a creative guy, from sculpting, clockwork, acting in a mascot suit, to writing/drawing children’s books. He needed a daemon who could match that - and the intensity of his emotions, too. He throws himself all in on love, is devoted and devastated often. Not just love, also his reactions to everything tend to be intense, but that’s a bit harder to find a representation for in the animal kingdom. I also like the flame bowerbird specifically because its colors are somewhat of a match to his own, and part of its courtship dance involves hugely dilating and expanding its pupils. That reminded me of Larry winking all the time, so I liked it.
Wendy Oldbag - Groundhog. I initially wanted a very vocal animal for Oldbag, but none of the birds or bugs or howler monkeys I was looking at seemed quite right. I came around to rodents because a lot of the behaviours seemed fitting to me. Groundhogs are decently sized, solitary rodents who live in burrows. Oldbag doesn’t seem to have strong connections with anyone. They also can be quite territorial and make threat displays - there was a groundhog living in a park near my house as a kid that would come out and yell at anyone passing within 20 ft. of its den. They make several distinctive sounds, and a variety of noises in general. So that all seemed a good match to Oldbag’s rants. But despite that aggressive behaviour, she’s not actually a dangerous person or anything and gets intimidated and upset, and that fit for a rodent that spends most of its time hiding away, I thought. Another fun detail is that groundhogs are also called woodchucks, which is part of an actual tonguetwister/how fast can you say it challenge: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.” Which just... seems fitting. I can picture that scrolling across the screen at lightning speed as you try to ask Oldbag something.
Lotta Hart - Shetland sheep. I wanted to do a farm animal for Lotta, just because of her whole ‘heart of the heartland’ shtick. Sheep are usually pretty friendly/gregarious and Lotta is definitely an outgoing and friendly person. Of course, rams can be aggressive and dangerous. Lotta can get caught up in what she’s doing and be hurtful to others without thinking about it (such as when she hid evidence at first). Not to mention, she does have a temper. Shetlands are a relatively small breed but provide excellent wool. Lotta isn’t exactly the most intelligent or thoughtful person, but she somehow manages to catch a lot of important moments on camera through a combination of determination and luck. Not exactly the same, but it reminded me of that detail. Plus, when the colors match that’s always a fun bonus. Also, sheep are often seen as weak-willed or easily fooled/embarrassed. “Sheepish” or “sheeple” and such terms. I think that works well for how Lotta tends to get caught up in hoaxes and believes in the paranormal, etc.
Adrian Andrews - Guinea pig. Adrian is a person who tends to rely heavily on others and doubts herself a lot when she is alone. While she does begin overcoming some of this eventually, I thought a guinea pig was a really good match to that tendency. They’re very social animals and usually need to be housed with at least one other guinea pig. They’re also shy/startle easily and spend a good bit of time hiding - despite whatever front Adrian puts up, she feels shy and doubts herself around people a lot. Guinea pigs are pretty clean and like routines, and they are actually smarter than a lot of people think, able to memorize complicated routes to food. Adrian is such a detail-oriented person, dedicated to her goals, that this felt fitting. As rodents, guinea pigs spend a lot of time eating and chewing things, and this also reminded me of Adrian’s ceaseless work ethic. A final fun detail is that male and female guinea pigs don’t really look any different (apart from a slight size difference), which seemed like a fun nod to the whole thing where Adrian was mistaken for a man based on her name.
