boxolawyers | Once upon a time, when we thought of joining adstringendum...

The year I come from...? [she frowns; wow, he definitely must have amnesia! Poor Mr. Edgeworth...] It's twenty twenty-six, and my daddy's name is Phoenix. Phoenix Wright? You two were fearsome courtroom rivals back in the day!

[it's more shocking than her being Larry's child. worse than that, too, though he hadn't dreamed anything could be worse than another Larry Butz roaming the Earth. Edgeworth's features go slack with total shock and he stares at her, unable to make himself speak for an uncomfortable length of time. finally he manages to swallow hard against the lump in his throat.]

Miss, ah... [did she tell him her name? he can't remember now. his mind's gone blank. but he can't call her... ] Has anyone explained to you yet the nature of this place?

What do you mean? [the odd way he's suddenly looking at her doesn't escape her notice, nor does the way he has to swallow before speaking; she peers at him curiously] I know we're far from home and something's keeping us here, but --oh! Are you trying to say it really does mess up your memory!?

No, it... [he hesitates, still puzzling it out himself from what he's managed to glean of the world's workings in the short time he's been here.] As far as I've been able to gather, this place was normal once, but then something went awry. Now people and...parts of various worlds are being drawn here at random. I haven't learned why yet, but I have heard that other people have encountered other versions of themselves or people they know.

[dramatic pause!] When I was pulled here only a month ago, I came from the year 2019. The Wright I know doesn't have a daughter. I am only High Prosecutor. ...I do have the red car, though I doubt it's the same one. I'm sure by now this is all sounding completely ridiculous to you. I can only tell you what I know, outlandish as it may seem.

[no more outlandish than Wright having a preteen daughter in seven more years. how is that possible?]

[silence ensues as she thoughtfully taps her chin] ...2019? That's when I went to live with Daddy. [she turns to him then, a curious frown on her face] So you don't have amnesia then? You just don't remember me because... because you haven't met me, yet?

[his mind stumbles again over the new information. 2019. she's...so soon? how could this...? for one mad moment he thinks Wright had an illegitimate daughter he failed to mention. then a slightly less ludicrous possibility presents itself.]

[dazedly] ...Something like that. Are you... Uh, Wright...adopted you...in 2019?

[he's never been very good at tact.]

[the news is disappointing, although she tries not to show it; she's been missing her daddy and Polly terribly for the past week, and hearing that Mr. Edgeworth was here had lifted her spirits. now it seems she's alone all over again...

ah, well... it's not like she can't get to know him all over again, right? she nods, quickly brightening again] Yup. He took me in when I was eight years old, and he's been my Daddy ever since!

Generous of him.

[pain stabs his chest from an indecipherable source, momentarily twisting his features. he can't imagine any scenario that could possibly lead to Wright making such a drastic decision mere months from 'now,' but knowing his dearest, oldest friend's life might be on the verge of changing so completely is a shock to the system. suddenly feeling lightheaded, he lets his eyes drift back into his meager apartment.]

Ah. I'm sorry. I think this is a conversation best conducted while sitting down. Preferably with a good, strong cup of tea. Would you care to come in?

[he pulls back to clear the doorway. the apartment beyond is moderately small and sparsely furnished with a few pretty knick knacks and ostentatious furniture that's well past its prime. everything looks like it came from some dingy, little antiques shop in rural England, but it's neat and tidy and as clean as anything ever can be in this place. everything is worn, from the thin spots in the sofa's upholstery to the wood shelves set in the far wall, and even the bindings on the books that dot a few of the shelves. between them all the apartment and its contents must have seen years of use.]

[she curiously notes the odd way his features twist, but the observation goes unremarked. with a nod, she quickly bounds through the doorway, taking in the scenery with awe. it's not the nicest apartment she's ever seen, but it's certainly better than a lot of the rundown places she passed along the way]

Your place is really cute, Mr. Edgeworth!

[he stands in the doorway with his hand still on the door for support, staring blankly at the strange, young girl as she enthusiastically looks his pathetic living quarters over. when she finally speaks, he blinks as if seeing her for the first time.]

[dear God, pull yourself together, man.]

I'm afraid there's only so much one can do in an environment like this. [he gestures for her to take a seat on the sofa and crosses to the electric kettle and box of Twining's sitting on an old sideboard at the back of the room.] Would you like a cup of tea?

[she flops onto the sofa, glad to find it's comfier than it looks. bouncing a couple times as she settles into place, she turns her attention back to Mr. Edgeworth]

Yes, please! Oh, and some sugar, if you have any.

[nodding, he busies his hands with the work, as his mind rolls this confounding new situation over and over and comes back to square one. finally he joins her, sitting in the armchair across from her and setting a lacquered tray on the small table between them. he leaves her to prepare her own cup while he prepares his.]

Did you just arrive here?

Edited 2014-06-13 02:46 (UTC)

Mmhm. [she diligently prepares her tea like one who's done it many times before, spooning in what seems like a haphazard amount of sugar but is actually a very precise measurement in her world] Just a little over a week ago. --Oh! [suddenly she stands, tea momentarily forgotten, and looks determinedly down at Mr. Edgeworth] I almost forgot! If you don't know me yet, I have to introduce myself.

[cup and saucer still in hand, he blinks up at her. surprised yet again... a trace of a smirk crosses his lips, and he lifts his teacup towards her in salute.] That would be helpful.

[idly he wonders if someone taught her to prepare her tea with such care. not Wright, surely.]

[tipping her hat at him, she smiles] Trucy Wright, ace magician and CEO of the Wright Anything Agency, at your service! Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Edgeworth. ...Um, again, that is!

[quite a long introduction for such a young girl. he sets his drink down to give her a sort of half bow from his seat.] Miss...Trucy. The pleasure is all mine.

[he wants to ask her so many things, but first thing's first. retrieving his cup, he frowns down into his tea.] Has someone been taking care of you since you arrived here? The city is quite dangerous, especially on the outskirts.

[flopping down on the couch again, she reaches forward to stir her tea but stops short to pout at his next words]

Taking care of me? Mr. Edgeworth! I'm not a little kid, you know! [she sobers quickly, tearing her gaze away to concentrate on her task] ...But no, I've been on my own the whole time, except for meeting some people in the city. I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to go...

[the vehemence with which she protests being considered a child is so childlike that he has to smile. he doesn't allow it to last long.] No one should be on their own here, regardless of age. And as much as I've tried Wright's generosity in the past, if I allowed any harm to come to you he really wouldn't be able to forgive me this time. Nor could I forgive myself.

[a soft, resigned sigh, his gaze drifting down to his cup once again.] You're welcome to stay here tonight...if you wish. In the morning I'll see what I can do for you.

[cup poised at her lips, her eyes light up with surprise--and, to one paying close attention, a trace of relief] Really? You wouldn't mind?

[there's a trace of stiffness in his jaw; he not entirely comfortable with having someone intrude on his sanctuary. still, it can't be helped. at least the girl seems sufficiently grateful. he shakes his head and smiles softly.] No. Unless you'd prefer to spend the night out there with the monsters? [teasing, gentle but clear. he takes another sip of his tea.]

[frowns disapprovingly] It's not nice to try to scare people, Mr. Edgeworth! [lifts her chin] Lucky for you I stopped being scared of monsters a long time ago, even though Daddy still tries to tease me about scum goblins to get me to clean the toilet... [clearly, she hasn't heard as much about the city as one would think in a week's time. most of the people she's met have been surprisingly unfriendly and unhelpful. it took lots of stubbornness and sheer luck on her part just to get any information about Mr. Edgeworth]

[she finally takes a sip of tea, and her eyes light up happily] ...Oh! Earl grey! My favorite.

[one of his dark grey eyebrows shoots up his forehead. he's not sure which is more surprising: that she's been there an entire week and still hasn't heard about the creatures in the wastes or that she can recognize Earl Grey by taste. there's no chance Wright taught her that. offhandedly] That's fortunate. The tea selection is rather limited around here.

[growing more serious] Please give me some credit. I'm well aware you're too old to frighten away from dangerous locations with mere fairy tales. There are things out there, on the edges of the city. Things I could happily have lived my entire life without seeing. We're far enough in to be relatively safe here, but you should be aware of the potential threat.

[she pauses mid-sip, his serious tone making her wary. Mr. Edgeworth isn't prone to joking as it is. for him to insist like that...]

[slowly she lowers her cup] W-what do you mean? What kind of potential threat?

[with deceptive calm] The sort of threat monsters usually present: the threat that a terrible, most likely painful fate may befall anyone who runs into them.

[perhaps it's a bit of a harsh way to speak to an impressionable child. he may very well have just sentenced himself to a restless night of being awakened by her nightmares instead of his own, but it's vital for him to teach her to stay out of the Wastelands. besides, he doesn't believe in condescending to children.]

There are many different types of monsters out there, most of which are hungry and dangerous. Some of them are like our own myths and legends brought to life, while others don't resemble anything I've ever heard of.

[she shrinks into herself more and more with every word he says, then looks beyond him back to the door, as if she can see out into the Wastelands from here; a small shiver passes through her]

...There must be some way to get back home, though. Right? [she looks to him imploringly]

Once upon a time, when we thought of joining adstringendum...

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