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Kristoph x apollo will always make me kind of uncomfortable because in the game, i interpreted their relationship as more parental or at least very teacher/student-ey – what do you mean you unironically and seriously earnestly ship them?? Even if Kristoph wasn’t abusive or manipulative in the time apollo was working under him, I don’t see the appeal tbh
I hope you don’t mind if I answer earnestly!
The appeal with toxic ships in general is that ambiguity and tension in the relationship. It’s the conflict, like any other conflict in a novel or other story, the strife between what the characters might want, vs what’s right, vs what’s easy. The idea that not every relationship we’ll have in our lives is a healthy or a fulfilling one– and that unhealthy, unfulfilling relationships can be much more interesting to write about and explore in fiction than they are to have in reality.
With Kristoph and Apollo specifically, I can only speak to my own feelings and headcanons. It comes from exploring that mentor/protege relationship which, in the canon– seems very genuine!
Kristoph never hurts Apollo or betrays him– he’s one of the few people who Kristoph hasn’t hurt in any way, aside from disappointing him by being a criminal.
Apollo, meanwhile, is a character who has a lot of abandonment in his past, and with that you can read in attachment issues and an eagerness to please and to receive praise– which Kristoph supplies!
So at the outset you have a relationship that is somewhat unbalanced, because Kristoph is perhaps controlling but he does mean well to Apollo! and Apollo is somewhat dependant and overly attached, but he is an adult person in his own right.
Then you throw in the reveal of Kristoph’s true nature, and it throws an amazing wrench of conflict and heartache into the relationship!
You get to explore what Kristoph’s true feelings toward Apollo are– whether they’re sincere like they appear, or warped like everything else.
And you get to explore how Apollo feels about the situation, because again–
Kristoph hasn’t betrayed Apollo. He’s done other bad things, but he never hurt Apollo specifically.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Wright deliberately used and manipulated Apollo the first time they met.
So there’s the tension. There’s the heartache. There’s the conflict!
And maybe– maybe there’s real love there.
or maybe it was all just an illusion.
And That’s krispollo to me. 💖
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