(no subject)

[tobeproud]

Who: Quatre, Edgeworth
What: A virus strikes! Quatre and Edgeworth are forced to stay within proximity of each other, lest they become terribly ill.
Where: The Maganac's village and base of operations.
When: Some random point in time.
Warnings: None!

The sun peaked through the curtains of the window, slowly bathing the small bedroom in light. It was a quiet morning; the only sounds that could be heard were those of men and women setting up shops at the market down the hill, and those were only faint echos at best.

It was a day to sleep in--not that Quatre normally did. There was something about this place, though, something peaceful and safe. Everyone knew who he was, just as they did nearly everywhere he went these days, but the Maganac Corps were like family, and so was everyone in the village by proxy. He could forget about politics and disarmament, at least for a moment, which was why--when a sliver of sunlight positioned itself directly over his face--the young man simply winced and rolled over with nothing more than a groan.

He could afford a moment more.

Comments

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth would have appreciated another moment himself. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The boy's stirring roused him, and from there that treacherous sliver of sunlight made sure he would wake enough to register his unfamiliar surroundings. Then that cruel, cruel sunlight caught fine blonde hair on the pillow beside him, picked out the details of a frighteningly young face, and sent Edgeworth careening off the bed with a sharp curse. He hit the floor with a resounding thump, and more cursing followed, a steady stream of muffled invectives that rolled over the side of the bed as he lay beside it, covered only in his boxers and the corner of the bedding that had gotten tangled up in his legs.

Not again.

This will totally win him points.

[tobeproud]

The loud thump was more than enough to stir Quatre from his sleep. He bolted upright and rolled out of bed, going for the handgun hidden beneath his pillow on instinct. Before his feet hit the ground, he had the gun trained on his intruder.

Then his eyes became impossibly wide, as his mind caught up with the rest of him. He lowered the gun to his side and balked. "...Mr. Edgeworth?"

Oh sure. Look what it did for the last guy to point a gun at Edgeworth.

[samuraiprosecutor]

"Mr. Winner. Good morning," Edgeworth quipped as he struggled to free himself. For all the sarcasm lacing his words, he still kept a wary, even nervous eye on the gun until the boy lowered it.

They were BFFs, right? 8D?

[tobeproud]

Quatre sensed the man's nervousness and followed his line of sight to the gun. "Ah, sorry," he said, looking somewhat shamed as he placed it back under the pillow. His brow furrowed somewhat as a wave of nausea suddenly hit him, but he gave it no second thought and turned his attention back to Edgeworth.

The prosecutor was in a state much like his own, wearing only boxers and looking a rumpled mess--though Edgeworth was much worse for wear, he had to admit, and so were the sheets.

"Here..." Quatre leaned forward in an attempt to help.

Yep! They were so close Edgeworth even got a car out of the relationship!

[samuraiprosecutor]

The attempt was met with an acidic glare. Edgeworth leaned back out of the boy's reach and paused to make sure his point was well made before he set about extricating himself from the sheets.

"In case it wasn't obvious enough, this is a virus." He grunted as the sheets finally released him, then climbed gracefully to his feet, dragging the fabric up with him like a security blanket. He staunchly refused to look anywhere but at the boy's wide eyes. "Most likely we're stuck with each other for the foreseeable future."

Quatre could afford a car...

[tobeproud]

Quatre took the hint and backed off, then nodded at the man's words, a hint of resignation on his face. "I had a feeling it was due to the community. Although, we don't seem to be attached in any way...?" He backed away from the bed to demonstrate, not yet equating his increasing discomfort with their proximity. He splayed his hands, as if to show Edgeworth he was free to leave.

[samuraiprosecutor]

He glanced at Winner's splayed hands as if the gesture was a cruel trick. There was no bond connecting their wrists, no red string (thank God), no visible signs that this was anything more than an inconvenient trip out of Edgeworth's way. As far as he could tell, both he and the boy were even acting in a normal fashion, as evidenced by their mutual shock over waking up in...

Edgeworth's stomach gave a slight lurch. He sat down heavily on the bed, pulling the sheets up to his chest with one hand and massaging the bridge of his nose with the other.

"'Seem' is the operative word here. The community rarely sets up a game of musical worlds only to let the players call an end to it." He turned away, glancing at the window where full sunlight was now cutting through the crack between the curtains. "But I suppose there's no harm in going through the motions, at least until it asserts control again. If I could use your computer..."

He glanced over his shoulder and gave his companion a sheepish look. "And perhaps some...clothes." He finally looked the boy over with a skeptical eye; anything of his would never work.

[tobeproud]

"Ah, yes, of course." The request seemed to spur Quatre into action, as the last of the sleep haze and shock wore off. He grabbed a shirt hanging from the chair near the foot of the bed and shrugged into it, giving Edgeworth a contemplative glance as he buttoned it up. "I'll... see if Rashid wouldn't mind lending you something, for now. We can head underground after that."

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth seemed to relax a bit once the boy had made a move toward modesty. The sheets pooled in his lap as he settled back against the headboard.

"Underground?"

Switching to script, per your permission~ ;)

[tobeproud]

Mm? [glances at Edgeworth as he internally debates whether or not it's appropriate to put his pants on while they're still in the same room] ...Oh, this village serves as a home base for the Maganac Corps. They're, ah-- well, it's a bit complicated right now, but you have my word that they're good, trustworthy people. ...Excuse me for moment.

[he steps out the door to quickly put his pants on and returns a few seconds later, watching Edgeworth from the doorway.] Their base is underground, and so is Sandrock. My Gundam.

Yay~

[samuraiprosecutor]

[bites back a derogatory comment about the kind of people Winner thinks are trustworthy, just nods as the boy leaves. he folds his arms across his chest and starts to take in his surroundings, but the boy doesn't give him much time to absorb it all. he returns only a few seconds later, mercifully clothed.]

[cocks his head at all the information he's suddenly fed. he doesn't recognize any of it, but he remembers enough from previous conversations (namely that the boy is or was a soldier) to make some sense of it, except for...] Gundam? I don't believe your predecessor ever mentioned the term.

[tobeproud]

That doesn't surprise me. [it's said with a somber smile] I wouldn't have mentioned it, either, were this another time, but... there's no need to keep it secret, anymore. [he shakes his head] I'll explain when I come back with your clothes.

[turns to leave but first glances over his shoulder]

Is there anything else you need?

[samuraiprosecutor]

[coolly] No, thank you.

[he waits for the boy to leave, then waits a bit longer before getting up and moving to the window. after a moment he pulls back the curtain and is surprised to find the village they're in appears to be in a desert--the buildings and the clothing on the people passing by look vaguely Middle Eastern. he muses over the things Winner said as he watches them.]

[it seems likely this Gundam is an element of their war, as are the Maganac Corps. since neither seems to be a carefully guarded secret any longer, the war has probably ended (or he hopes so, for his own sake as well as the sake of the participants). he wonders where on the timeline this Winner falls in relation to the one he once knew.]

[tobeproud]

[returns roughly fifteen minutes later, carrying a small bundle of clothes and looking noticeably ill; he places the bundle on the bed and runs a hand across his pale, sweat-slicked forehead]

[he smiles despite his condition] You can change in here, if you like. I'll be just outside.

[samuraiprosecutor]

[Edgeworth is also looking considerably rougher than he did when the boy left. he's nauseated, flushed, strands of hair matted to his forehead. worst of all, it's a familiar feeling. he's starting to suspect the true nature of this virus, and isn't at all pleased. before Winner can leave the room he comes closer, under the guise of retrieving the clothes, and is rewarded with an unmistakable lessening of his symptoms.]

[heaves a long-suffering sigh and retreats to the other side of the bed.] I won't be long.

[tobeproud]

[nods and closes the door as he leaves]

[the way his symptoms noticeably lessened as Edgeworth came closer hadn't escaped his notice, and now that he thinks about it... they had gotten worse the further he went, hadn't they? he'd nearly been doubled over by the time he'd gotten to Rashid, and with the way the older man had looked at him, Quatre was almost surprised to be let go so easily. it's too coincidental not to be the virus.]

[he quietly stands by the door, mulling over this, as he waits for Edgeworth to finish]

[samuraiprosecutor]

[predictably, the clothes turn out to be very similar to the ones he'd seen on male passersby when he looked outside. not so predictably, the clothes were large on him, and hung loosely at his hips and shoulders. this Rashid must be a bear of a man...a potentially worrying prospect, considering whatever relationship he might have with Winner and the state Edgeworth and the boy found themselves in when they woke. perhaps he could avoid the man...]

[as soon as he's done he meets the boy in the hall. the roiling in his stomach instantly calms down, confirming his fears.] We can visit that base, but I don't think it's going to help as much as we hoped. I'm fairly certain you're stuck with me for a while yet.

[tobeproud]

And I'm fairly certain we've come to the same conclusion as to why. I suppose we might as well confirm our suspicions. [glances at him and blinks, doing a double take] ...Ah, would you like a belt?

[samuraiprosecutor]

[color tinges his cheeks and his fingers tighten a bit on his hip.] I would appreciate that, yes.

[hesitates. getting a belt would most likely mean meeting this 'Rashid.'] I'll wait here. By the time you get back, we should both know for certain whether this is the virus I think it is.

[tobeproud]

[sensing Edgeworth's hesitation, Quatre smiles in an attempt to allay whatever his fears may be] No need for that, unless you really require the evidence. [disappears into the room and begins rifling through one of the dresser drawers] I should have a sash in here...

I literally have no non-Ryslig icons but my default now fml

[samuraiprosecutor]

Against all of his expectations, the rest of his first day in Winner's world passed in relative peace. Aside from a somewhat awkward introduction to Rashid, who turned out to be every bit as intimidating and overly protective as Winner had warned, Edgeworth's interactions with the rest of Winner's associates went surprisingly smoothly. (True, that may be chiefly attributed to Edgeworth's efforts to keep to himself as much as possible, but it was still better than he had anticipated.)

Winner's crash course in business took up a sizable chunk of the morning and included a sort of rehearsal where Edgeworth was required to sit in on some of the boy's conversations in preparation for the upcoming trip. When there were no other demands on Winner's time, there were hours of (not unpleasant) conversation to be had. Edgeworth allowed himself the freedom to delight in (and, perhaps, over-indulge in) the household's culinary offerings--rich, comforting, and seasoned to perfection. Even the coffee and tea rivaled anything he had found on his own world. As forced sabbaticals went, this one could certainly have been worse.

And given what the next few hours promised, it might get even better.

A little twinge of nervous anticipation snaked its way through his stomach. Relaxing dream vacations were not the community's forte. At least not where Edgeworth was concerned. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was merely being set up for an unpleasant fall. He tried to force himself to release some of the tension suddenly creeping up his back and shoulders as he fell into step beside Winner. The shuttle was just ahead, and beyond that, space. It was time to put his concerns on the back burner and enjoy the ride.

What a travesty. My account expired, too 8(

[tobeproud]

As they made their way to the shuttle, Quatre looked to the sky with a faint smile. Returning home elicited complicated feelings at the best of times. He loved space, of course, and space was home.

But home was also Winner Enterprises and all of its associated baggage. As rewarding as yesterday's conversation had been, the wounds it reopened were still healing, and he had spent much of the night thinking about his father. While the sleep he managed did leave him in better spirits, he knew this was going to be a long shuttle ride.

At least he had friends to distract him, though. His smile brightened as he looked to Rashid, Ahmad, Abdul, and Mr. Edgeworth in turn. Though the latter was probably a long way from returning the sentiment, Quatre was at least confident that the man didn't hate him. That was more than he could have said before yesterday.

"It's a lot like an airplane," he offered, hoping to dispel some of the anxiety he was sure Edgeworth was feeling. Even seasoned pilots got nervous about first times in space. "In fact, the inside is nearly indistinguishable."

Did you renew it (while you were renewing mine because you're the best wifey)?

[samuraiprosecutor]

He wasn't aware that he may have been giving too much away again until Winner reminded him. A slightly sour, pinched expression flashed across his features for an instant before he tamped down on his habitual anxiety over such exposure. It wasn't the boy's fault he couldn't keep his own emotions in check. At least he seemed to have misinterpreted the source.

Of course, in doing so he gave Edgeworth something else to be anxious over. He hadn't spared much thought yet to what the reality of space travel was going to be like...particularly on a world which still didn't seem to have cell phones or laptops which weren't bulky and awkward.

Stop being foolish, he snapped at himself. If it was that dangerous and unpredictable, they wouldn't allow unqualified, untrained people to do it.

'...a lot like a plane.' He forced a rueful smile on his lips and shrugged. "I have had ample experience with planes, at least."

:3c

[tobeproud]

Contrary to what Edgeworth might think, very few emotions were noteworthy. Having long grown used to their fluctuations, he kept talking as if the flash of increased anxiety had gone unnoticed. "Being from the colonies, I'm actually more experienced with shuttles. My first time on a plane was only a year ago." As he said this, a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Which reminds me... Obviously, there are some key differences you should know about."

^3^<3

[samuraiprosecutor]

To think, flitting around outer space was mundane for him long before his first experience with a plane. If Edgeworth had his timeline right, even the boy's fledgling flights in his war machine would have come before his first steps on Earth. He wondered briefly if Winner had anticipated his first plane trip with any of the anxiety he was feeling now as they approached the shuttle. However, he discarded the notion almost immediately. Surely experiences on such a massive scale would make something like a plane ride seem unspeakably banal.

Their life experiences and perception may not be mirrored, but he could at least try to maintain an equivalent level of grace. Edgeworth made an effort to steady his thoughts, nourishing the excitement slowly building in his chest and scattering the threads of anxiety as best he could. "Please, elucidate. Forewarned is forearmed, after all."