(no subject)

[frilliance]

Characters: Edgeworth and Ryoji and later Edgeworth, Diarmuid and Franziska. Both close.d
Setting: Floor 100 then stairs
Format: Action unless you want otherwise!
Summary: Edgeworth confronts Ryoji again after his talk with Diarmuid. Then Edgeworth is under effects of the Heart for a Heart event.
Warnings: include any warnings; please keep this updated if anything unexpected happens

Dorm corridors, late January - open to Ryoji]
[Damn it. Lucifel was gone and, as far as Edgeworth was concerned, he had to use the stairs again if he wanted to use any other method of transport without resorting to the elevators.

…Well, technically, he could ask Diarmuid for help but that would involve being carried up and downstairs like a damsel in distress….again.

Were Edgeworth sensible when it came to his issue with his phobias, he would have buckled it up and gone to Diarmuid anyway. However, since he was not sensible, he decided to use the stairs, taking even longer than the elevator to get down there.

Hopefully he won’t run into any monsters either.

As the prosecutor was about to make for the stairs, he suddenly saw a familiar young boy near the elevator, one whom he had not seen for a while..]

Ryoji?


[14th February, Floor 100 - open to Franziska and Diarmuid]


[Phoenix and Maya were gone. Back to their destroyed world where they could possibly be wandering around, alone, for eternity.

Perhaps they deserved this fate? That wicked, insufferable defense attorney and his terrible assistant, the daughter of that fraud…

And it was not just them. Franziska too. Every time Edgeworth thought about her, his heart filled with utter rage and contempt. She deserved to be back in her dead world too. It was the best type of justice that his adoptive sister could have.

As to why Edgeworth suddenly started to despise his two friends and his sister, he did not know. In fact, he did not even question it. All the prosecutor ‘felt’ was that they were dark and wicked people who deserved to have justice brought upon them.

Diarmuid and Franziska can find Edgeworth on Floor 100, staring at the place he missed the most.

It was his father’s study. When he was young, Miles would, after school, sit on the lap of his father, Gregory, while Gregory told his son about which court case he was working on, whom he was defending and how the case was progressing. Miles would sit and listen in awe and wonder, taking all this information in so he could be a defense attorney like his beloved father.

A father whom he now despised the most of all.

Edgeworth’s fist clenches.]

Comments

Floor 100

[oathshackledbird]

[Hearts. Bears with stolen hearts. Diarmuid can't believe that is what he is looking for, but looking for them he is. Since he is still not at fill strength after his injury and switching collar fluids, he decides to start his search on Floor 100. It's a safe floor and shouldn't be too hard to search, just a little time consuming.

Can the bears possibly hide behind the illusion each person is shown?

Diarmuid is a little surprised when he realizes that there is someone else on the floor. Edgeworth. He walks up to his roommate and bows his head to the man in greeting. It would be rude to ignore that he is there after all, no matter how pressing his search might be.]

How are you today, Edgeworth?

Re: Floor 100

[frilliance]

[In normal circumstances, Edgeworth would have bowed back because lol he's from Japanifornia.

Instead, when he turns around, he raises an eyebrow in suspicion.

Again, this is another person the prosecutor 'despises', which is why he looks slightly wary at the moment.]

I didn't expect to see you here, Diarmuid. [Despite his calm demeanor is a hint of disdain and anger in his voice.]

Re: Floor 100

[turnaboutlegacy]

[This entire business with bears and hearts was nothing but foolishness, but in the previous months, she'd learned the hard way that the so-called 'Moderators' in charge of the tower were people who demanded respect. When they did not get it, they acted like the foolish fools they were and lashed out like children. As much as it pained her, after her talk with Edgeworth she had decided to play along (for now), until she could crush the moderators under her boot.]

[Unfortunately, that meant that she had no choice but to look for the bear hearts, lest something unfortunate happen again. That brought her to floor 100, where her brother and the strange dog-eared man from the research team were speaking. Something seemed different about Edgeworth, and she wouldn't admit it, but it did worry her.]

Is something troubling you, dear brother?

[oathshackledbird]

[Edgeworth's tone immediately puts Diarmuid on guard. Perhaps it wouldn't normally since the other man is usually rather distant, but considering how many 'heartless' people he has run into already, he can't help but wonder...

He is just starting to look for that tell-tale heart mark when Franziska walks in and distracts him from the search. It's been a while since he last saw her, so Diarmuid bows politely, smiling slightly as an amusing question floats across his mind.

Will she even recognize him with out the dog ears and tail?]

It's good to see you again, Lady Franziska. I hope you have been well.

[Diarmuid then turns back to Edgeworth.]

She is right. Are you okay? You seem...tenser than usual today.

[frilliance]

[So Franziska was here too. Edgeworth really did not want to run into either her or Diarmuid. There was nothing he could do to punish them for their deeds and he would not kill them. He was not going to hide his resentment, though.]

Heh. Nothing is bothering me at all.

Well, nothing except the obvious, anyway.

[turnaboutlegacy]

And what would this 'obvious' thing be?

[The 'obvious' thing would be the Tower itself, but even after he had been killed, his demeanor hadn't been like this. There was something else affecting his mood.]

[oathshackledbird]

[The answer is typically evasive. If not for the tone, Diarmuid might have been convinced. However, even Edgeworth had his limits when it came to being prickly and this is starting to cross them.]

Yes, why don't you explain the 'obvious' for the rest of us just to make sure we are all on the same page.

[As he speaks, his eyes start searching Edgeworth's exposed skin for the little heart he is sure is there somewhere.]

[frilliance]

[And there goes his patronising finger wag. Diarmuid and Franziska may or not be able to catch a glimpse of his right handignoretheiconshowingthatitshislefthanditshisrightinthemaingamesok?]

I don't feel the need to explain myself to a pair of criminals.

[turnaboutlegacy]

[She dropped her guard the tiniest bit; her brother wasn't much one for petty insults, and he certainly wasn't one for accusing someone without evidence. There was also something peculiar about his right hand, but she wasn't entirely sure what yet.]

Oh? I thought you, brother, would know better than anyone the importance of presenting evidence before accusing someone of a crime.

[oathshackledbird]

[Franziska might not realize what the mark is, but Diarmuid immediately recognizes it and shakes his head, sighing in frustration. There is the proof he had been looking for.]

They got you too. My list of people with missing hearts that need finding is getting longer and longer. You haven't seen any bears around this morning, have you Franziska?

[frilliance]

Tsk tsk tsk. I find that odd, coming from a prosecutor who only seeks a perfect win record in court. [He ignores what Diarmuid says because he has no idea what the other guy is talking about. It's probably something malicious though.]

[turnaboutlegacy]

That is a foolish accusation made up of nothing but foolish foolishness!

[She recoils back, and it's pretty easy to tell how hurt she is by the comment.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid sighs and reaches up to rub at the bridge of his nose.]

Edgeworth, still yourself before you say more you will regret. Franziska, try not to let what he says hurt you. He doesn't mean it. There is some game of Ruana's afoot that is causing people to say terrible things to those they care about because their hearts have been 'stolen.'

[He points to the mark on Edgeworth's hand.]

See that? Everyone with that mark has had their hearts taken.

Dorm Corridors

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji's been scarce around his dorm room as of late. With everything that's gone on, he's been wanting to avoid contact with people he knows, even if Diarmuid and Lancer were there and understood why Ryoji had to do what he did. He doesn't come back to the room until late at night, and leaves early, hiding out on unoccupied floors and leaving immediately as soon as he recognizes someone.

Someone like Edgeworth, for instance.

He had thought the elevator would be safe to wait for, since there was no one in sight, but then his name was called. Ryoji already looks frightened when he turns to see who called, and when he sees Edgeworth, he backs up into the waiting elevator, hoping the doors will close on him before Edgeworth can catch up.]

Re: Dorm Corridors

[frilliance]

[Oh no you don't, Ryoji.]

HOLD IT!

[And Edgeworth starts running after him, just stopping a couple of metres away from the elevator because like hell he's going in there!

He needs to make sure Ryoji doesn't escape, though.]

[notsogrimreaper]

Edgeworth-san? I-I... um...

[Ryoji just freezes in the middle of the elevator, making no move to close or hold open the doors, nor does it look like he's going to leave the elevator any time soon, too shocked and nervous to think properly.]

[frilliance]

Thank you. [He doesn't seem to be about to use the elevator? Thank god. Edgeworth would lose his chance to catch him otherwise.]

I think this farce has gone on long enough, correct?

[notsogrimreaper]

I… farce? I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, Edgeworth-san. I-I actually have to go right now…

[He slowly starts reaching for one of the floor buttons, torn between being polite and keeping his secret.]

[frilliance]

Ah....!

[He can't let Ryoji go. They can't keep avoiding each other forever. It's too awkward when they are in the same room.]

Ryoji, you don't think I would realise by now how the tower controls people?

[He thinks that the boy has been attacking people because of the tower, not because of Ganondorf.]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji pauses for just a moment, but then shakes his head.]

The tower had nothing to do with it. It was my fault this time. I was selfish… I was too trusting, and I had to pay for that.

Goodbye, Edgeworth-san.

[He hits the button and waits for the doors to close.]

[frilliance]

Hold it!

[Oh no...] D-don't you DARE leave!

(Selfish...? Too trusting? What on earth...?)

[notsogrimreaper]

[The yelling intimidates Ryoji, but he isn't sure whether to walk out of the doors or hold them so Edgeworth can get on. He doesn't want his only escape to disappear, but it seems that Edgeworth is nervous around the elevator anyways.

After a while he finally exits the elevator, looking a bit like a scolded child.]

What do you want?

[frilliance]

First, come away from the elevator. (Because I'm not getting on that bloody thing!)

[notsogrimreaper]

...Okay.

[Ryoji takes a few steps away from the elevator, but stops a fair distance away from Edgeworth, still nervous.]

[frilliance]

That's better.

Perhaps we should both find a quieter place to go?

[He's not sure what Ryoji means by being 'too trusting'. Did someone in the tower make him attack his friends? If so, who?]