#about manfred

[godofprosecution]

I've been curious about this for a while: how was Manfred like while he was working on the IS-7-case?

Well, many things were different at the start of it. They were more confident, for one, as a result of having so many years of unchallenged victory behind them. They had just adopted their two daughters, and was somewhat stressed over the newly-found burden of parenthood, but in general, they were able to balance out the facets of their life quite well.

However, as the pieces of the case came together-- or rather, didn’t come together, in the case of the missing body-- they began to crack under the pressure. Eager to put it all behind them, they accepted the forged autopsy report without further question. The past year had certainly taken a toll on them, but unfortunately, that held little water in comparison to what the future had in store.

Over the course of the investigation, which stretched from December of 2000 to December of 2001, they experienced many ups and downs, often becoming exasperated with the inability of the police force to provide the definitive evidence to support their case that they required. So, too, did they find themself baffled by the sheer determination of Attorney Edgeworth, as he insisted on defending his client to the end. In some other universe, they could have possibly developed a grudging respect for their courtroom rival, born out of appreciation for his skill, resourcefulness, logical thinking, and gentlemanly manner-- but sadly, this was not to be. Any respect Manfred had for Gregory was dashed at the moment that Chief Prosecutor Ichiyanagi called to inform them of their penalty, and replaced with bitter rage and confusion.

In considering the circumstances of the events that led up to the DL-6 incident, it is best to take into account the fact that Manfred’s strings were being pulled throughout the entirely of that fateful year. Certainly, yes, they could have made better decisions (to put things lightly), and they are most definitely to blame for their actions after the deed itself was done. However, had someone made an attempt at reasoning out the situation and realized that they hadn’t forged evidence after all-- perhaps even going so far as fighting to have the penalty overturned-- things might have gone very, very differently.

[godofprosecution]

Emotions: Anxiety and disgust

Anxiety:

Manfred is often anxious, as is natural for someone who Literally Cannot Allow Themself To Lose, At Anything, Ever. Their usual scowl is a result of this, as is their tendency to squeeze at their sleeve. They may become impatient, as well. Nobody ever really taught them what anxiety was, or how to deal with it, and so they simply chalk it up to Fear and Weakness-- aka, bad things that a von Karma should not be feeling.

In summary, their default state is Old and Afraid. They also hate themself for this.

Disgust:

Here’s something they definitely are not afraid to express. If they are disgusted by something (or someone), they will make their disgust very clear, verbally and otherwise; their nose will crinkle up, their mouth will form a grimace, and they will glare at the offending party until it decides to get its act together.

This hasn’t really worked so far with dirty dishes.

[godofprosecution]

Exhaustion Enthusiasm Excitement -Fire

Exhaustion:

Manfred usually adheres to a strict schedule, one that has been fine-tuned over their many years. However, the law waits for no one, and at times they’ve been forced to spend entire nights poring over evidence or interrogating suspects.

They will never listen to anyone’s attempts at coaxing them into taking a break, as their entire being revolves around their career, and they will always place their work at a higher priority than their physical and mental well-being. Therefore, their response to exhaustion is basically to just. Ignore it, until they literally pass out.

Enthusiasm:

Now, this is an emotion that they rarely experience anymore-- however, when they were much younger, simply being in the courtroom would bring a sparkle to their eyes. They felt true happiness each time they won in court.

Sadly, this raw eagerness to engage in work has slowly dulled into a sense of obligation. Sometimes, though, the thrill of the trial kindles a small flame in their chest, bringing a smirk to their face and a strength to their stance-- the remnants of their once-brightly burning passion.

Excitement:

(#abuse and anti-autistic #ableism mention below the cut)

Being autistic, Manfred has quite a lot of natural physical responses to excitement-- when they were much younger, they would flap their hands and tap their feet when the feelings were too much to just keep inside.

Their parents, unfortunately, felt that this was an improper way to act, and took it upon themselves to “correct” their child’s natural behavior. As a result, Manfred has been forced to quash their positive emotions. Even after all these years, they can’t seem to shake the lasting effects of their parents’ abuse.

If something occurred that was exciting enough, though-- something life-changing and earth-shattering-- they just might be able to break out of their shell and express themself freely. 

[godofprosecution]

How can we make them smile?

Making them smile is easy-- just inadvertently prove them right in court. There’s nothing like a defense attorney’s case falling through to bring a good smirk to Manfred’s face.

A genuine smile, however-- one born of true happiness or contentment-- is an extremely rare thing indeed, and so far, the only people who have been able to manage such a daunting task as making the God of Prosecution smile are their children. 

That being said, as of the period in time that this blog mainly takes place in, they have not truly smiled in a very, very long time.

[godofprosecution]

If someone told Manfred that they admired him and actually explained why ("you're brilliant, a genius etc), how would he react?

It really depends at which point in time one would be giving the compliment. Pre-DL-6, they would most probably accept it, feeling a sense of pride in their accomplishments-- they would believe that the admiration was warranted, and be happy about it.

If one were to tell them that post-DL-6, however, they would feel extremely guilty, and like they were somehow deceiving people. They would put on an air of nonchalance, most likely not reacting much at all. They wouldn’t really know any other way to react.

After being incarcerated, they are incapable of taking praise seriously. They truly believe that the world would be better off forgetting them and instead focusing on their daughters, who are in their opinion the true heirs to the von Karma name. A short, dry laugh is the most one would get out of them, at that point, and there’s almost nothing one would be able to do in order to make them believe that one was being sincere. Not only that, but even if one managed to convince them of one’s sincerity, they would be incapable of comprehending why.

[godofprosecution]

how does manfred feel about the ocean and aquatic life? have they been to an aquarium

When they were very young, it was a special interest of theirs, but they weren’t really permitted to indulge in it. Therefore, as an adult, they don’t really. Care much about the ocean. It doesn’t usually bear much relevance to their job, after all.

They’ve been to aquariums on cases, and. That’s it, really. They don’t usually go out and do things for fun. And when they do, it’s not for their fun-- it’s for their children’s.

[godofprosecution]

↖ - The diary entry from the day our muse’s met. (with fulbright, please!)

“17th of May, 2015

A rather uneventful day, altogether. The crime scene that I investigated held little in the way of compelling mystery; it was simple to piece together the evidence and come to the obvious conclusion that the criminal had holed himself up in the shed, only a few dozen yards from where the body was found. It was a miracle, or perhaps a misfortune, that none of the police thought to actually look in there until instructed.

This case will be open-and-shut, that much is certain. I expect a quick verdict tomorrow afternoon, after which I shall return to my office and finish my work for the day. I will, of course, make my weekly call to Franziska and Linda. I will be pleased to hear their voices, as I am sure they will have much to discuss with me, as they always do. I must confess, at times I wish we could have made the move to America for good. Having my only family residing an ocean away only serves to further the divide between my temporary residence and my original one.

Sentimentality aside, a few things of interest did occur today. I was acquainted with a few new members of the police force, including one that I expect will be a regular face-- a Detective Fulbright, if memory serves me correctly. It seemed to have been one of his first investigations-- he couldn’t have been older than twenty-five, and seemed quite giddy at the prospect of serving under, and I quote, “a prosecutor of such fame and esteem as yourself, sir!” (The exclamation point was necessary, to illustrate the enthusiasm behind his words.)

Though new blood is sometimes a hassle to work with, the fact does remain that I would rather have a bumbling, yet eager-to-please detective on my side than a somewhat competent, yet obstinate and unruly one. 

(I shan’t name any names, for the sake of civility, but both I and a certain Tyrell Badd know to whom I am referring.)

It is now precisely ten o’clock, so I believe I shall now retire to bed. If everything goes as planned tomorrow, I’ll treat myself to some chocolates after the trial is over. God knows I deserve them, after all I put up with.

-Prosecutor Manfred von Karma”

[godofprosecution]

I read in one of your posts that you'd be happy to answer any questions regarding OCPD. I am a bit curious- do you mind telling me about it?

Is there anything specific you’d like to know? I would be more comfortable answering specific questions, but I suppose I can give an overview of what it’s like.

Basically, a person with OCPD (like myself) needs to have control over their environment and everything in it. They are a perfectionist, needing everything to be the way they envision it. They strictly follow their own moral code, and feel as though everyone else should do things the “right” way; also, they have a tendency to hoard useless objects.

When I first looked up these symptoms, my immediate reaction was, “that is me, exactly. I do all of these things.” I had previously thought that my need for control over everything around me was entirely due to autism, but now I believe that it is partially due to OCPD. This behavior runs in my family, on my dad’s side.

Another thing to note is that OCPD is not OCD. With OCD (which i also have), a person has intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors that a person feels they must carry out (compulsions). OCPD has more to do with perfectionism and control.

It’s fairly easy to see why Manfred can and should be viewed as having this. It fits in exactly with all of their behavior, from needing everyone to do what they believe is correct (making sure all of the prosecutors carry their badge in their pockets, for one instance), to being preoccupied with perfection, to placing their work above everything else. If one understands OCPD, they may begin to understand Manfred.