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

[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]

[immediately he regrets doing that to her. the look on her face makes him feel like a cad, and his expression softens with an unspoken apology.] There may be. But...as far as I've been able to tell, no one has found it yet. Occasionally people will disappear with no explanation. It's assumed they're taken back to their homes by whatever it was that brought them here in the first place. I think there have even been a few who were pulled back and forth multiple times.

...Oh.

[suddenly she feels her dad's and Polly's absence more keenly than she has since she arrived; shoulders slack, she stares into her tea for several moments, quiet]

[Edgeworth's chest aches dully as he watches the realization dawning in her expression and slumped shoulders. he's felt that pain many, many times since he was first dragged here, and he feels it again now at the reminder that he may never see his home again.]

I'm sorry.

[she remains quiet for a few moments longer, thoughts of home boring a hole into her heart. she thinks of Daddy and how he must be missing her, too; thinks of how there's no one there to take care of him; thinks of what he'd say if he saw her looking so sad...]

[she has to be strong!]

[suddenly determined again, she sets her cup down and stands] W-well, we're just gonna have to make the best of the situation and not give up hope! Alright, Mr. Edgeworth? [balling her fists] There's got to be some way to get out of here on our own...

[the change in her is stunning. she's a child, alone and scared, yet when unexpectedly confronted with the idea that she may never see her father again she didn't crumble or give up hope. Edgeworth stares at her in open shock.]

[suddenly it's much easier to believe she truly is Wright's daughter. an expression of excitement alights on his face, one that's usually reserved for Wright alone. he will eagerly accept her challenge.]

Whether there is or there isn't, we'll never stop searching for a way. I can promise you that.

[nods firmly] Good! And who knows? We might not even need to search that hard. [she smiles brightly then, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes] Daddy's not the only one who's got a lucky streak, you know!

[he lifts his cup from its saucer in a graceful salute.] If you possess even a fraction of his legendary luck I'll welcome it gladly. I seem to have a dearth of my own lately.

[read: for most of his life. not that he truly believes in luck or fate or anything other than man's own ability to govern his own actions, but there have been a few, undeniable times where Wright has forced him to question that certainty.]

You just need something to reinvigorate you! The first part of luck is a good state of mind, after all. [flopping onto the couch again, she raises her own cup in salute] Tonight we'll get a good night's sleep, and in the morning... we investigate!

[a bit of a firmness enters his tone.] In the morning, we make all the arrangements necessary for you to stay safe and comfortable while you're here. At least as safe and comfortable as I can possibly make you. If we're done early enough then and only then will we consider our next moves.

Huh? [the look she gives him is clearly perplexed, and then she remembers: she's only staying here for the night, isn't she? crestfallen, her spark leaves her for a moment] Oh. Right... Um. Well... [what was it Daddy told her? "when it doubt, beg"?] W-Well, I'm safe here, aren't I? And this couch is pretty comfortable. And I can cook and clean!

[oh god, what has he done? his eyes widen comically.] No, I...I'm sure we can find somewhere much more suitable for you, somewhere with a more...pleasant roommate. I know several very capable people who live closer to the center of the city, where it's safer and more comfortable. I'm sure one of them would be willing to open their doors to someone in need.

[he finishes awkwardly] Besides, there's not really enough room here for two. [he neglects to mention that a mansion wouldn't have enough room for two if he was one of the pair. Edgeworth hasn't shared his home with another soul since he moved out of the von Karma family manse, and he has no intentions of changing that.]

But you wouldn't even know I'm here! As a professional magician, I can make all manner of objects disappear--including myself! [without giving him a chance to respond, she continues, almost in the same breath:] Oh please, Mr. Edgeworth... Even if you don't know me yet, I know you, and we always get along fine where I'm from! Or...

[all of a sudden, she looks much smaller and much younger as she shrinks away, exhibiting the most pathetic puppy dog eyes imaginable] ...Or is it just that... you don't want me around?

Edited 2014-06-15 06:30 (UTC)

[oh God, he almost groans with the fear and guilt that's rolling through him. he shrinks back from her in turn, wincing and setting his cup down on the saucer in his other hand with trembling fingers. he can't meet her eyes when he answers her.]

Miss...Wright. I assure you, this has nothing to do with you. You seem like a very...nice girl, and I'm sure you'll prove to be a delightful roommate for one of my associates. It's not that I don't want you around. It's that I don't want anyone around. I prefer to live alone.

... [the sad eyes endure]

[the Demon Prosecutor, scourge of the courtroom, is wilting in the face of those puppy dog eyes. but he must endure! his loner's lifestyle depends on it!] Really, it's as much for your benefit as it is for mine. I'm being completely honest when I say I would be an infuriating person to live with. I can only assume you haven't spent that much time with me if you can assume otherwise.

[he gives her what's meant to be a self-deprecating smirk but mostly comes off as pained.] I'm rather a selfish, cranky old man at heart.

[ah-ha! her keen eyesight sees right through that sad smile: it's not that he doesn't want her around, it's that he's afraid she won't want to be around him! at least that's what her gut tells her]

[sitting forward, she gives him a serious look] That's not true, Mr. Edgeworth! ...At least not entirely. Maybe you're old and maybe you can be a little cranky, but you're not selfish! [she lowers her gaze a moment, and when she looks back up, there's an earnest plea in her eyes] I know you could probably find someone nice for me to stay with, but the truth is... my daddies always taught me that trust is important above all. I trust you, Mr. Edgeworth! You're the only one I know here, even if you're not the same Mr. Edgeworth I know back home. You always seemed to try your best when Daddy needed help taking care of me... A selfish person wouldn't do that.

Edited 2014-06-15 21:58 (UTC)

[as he listens in stunned silence, his emotions run the gamut from offended to uncomfortably flattered to flat out uncomfortable. there's so much information for him to pick out of her words, but the most shocking of all renders him speechless.]

['You always seemed to try your best when Daddy needed help taking care of me...']

[at that point he tries to convince himself that this girl is not actually a part of his future. surely she's from some alternate version of his world, a version where he isn't the cold, damaged man he is now. the thought brings him pain and relief simultaneously.]

[but all of that is neither here nor there. the most pressing matter still has to be decided, or rather, the girl has to be convinced that the decision is what's best for her. because it is what's best for her. dealing with his surliness, his temper, his fits of moodiness and brooding, his nightmares...that's no life for a child. and pretending to be anything he's not is no life for him. what she's suggesting couldn't possibly work. he averts his eyes, sets down his tea, and curls in on himself a bit, fidgeting with his sleeve. for a long time he considers the situation; when he finally speaks, his voice is tired and holds a note of defeat.]

I'm sorry, Miss Wright. Truly sorry. I can't be the man you need me to be. But I can promise you I won't force you into any situation with which you're not completely comfortable. We will find someone you can fully trust. You are welcome to stay here until then.

Edited 2014-06-15 22:06 (UTC)

[there's a protest in her expression, just waiting to be voiced... but she manages to reel herself in at the last minute, giving a short, resigned nod instead. she can't very well force her way into Mr. Edgeworth's apartment if he truly isn't comfortable with it. that wouldn't be fair to either of them]

...Alright. I trust you to find somebody good. [she looks up at him again] But since I can stay here until then, can we investigate tomorrow? I'm sure we'll be able to find something! I've gotten really good at investigating since Polly joined the agency. Sometimes I'm even able to see stuff he misses!

[with her apparent acquiescence Edgeworth is able to breathe again. he gives her a weary smile at this new glimpse into the life of this other Phoenix Wright. his daughter seems to have joined the ranks of chipper assistants on someone else's 'payroll.'] I don't doubt that. I gather your father also relies quite heavily on his young assistants during his investigations. I sometimes wonder if they aren't more competent than he is. Other times I'm quite sure they are.

[there's something else he wants to ask--has been meaning to ask for a while now. but first thing's first.] As for our plans tomorrow, things aren't quite settled yet. I'd like to go into town for some supplies, and there are a few people I want you to meet while we're there. After that, we'll see what we have time for.

[tries not to look too disappointed at that. aren't lawyers supposed to be all about investigating? maybe Mr. Edgeworth has become a little too used to his life here...]

Alright...

[Mr. Edgeworth has become used to his life here only in as much as he knows the first priority here must always be staying alive. the food and new clothes for the girl that he plans to pick up tomorrow will help them do just that.]

[and the people he introduces her to might turn out to be sources for information or, eventually, protection for the girl. yes, his plans for tomorrow could prove to be crucial. with a trace of smugness he retrieves his tea.]

Now that that's settled, perhaps you can tell me a little more about yourself. You said you're a magician?

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject