can't always get what you want [closed]
Characters: Nodoka Miyazaki, Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright
Setting/Location: First district inn.
Date & Time: Day 0, early afternoon.
Warnings: None!
Summary: Nodoka goes to Edgeworth to share some information about herself that might be of some use in "protecting" the distressed foreigners.
( if you try sometimes you get what you need. )
Setting/Location: First district inn.
Date & Time: Day 0, early afternoon.
Warnings: None!
Summary: Nodoka goes to Edgeworth to share some information about herself that might be of some use in "protecting" the distressed foreigners.
( if you try sometimes you get what you need. )
He was standing near the stairwell when the girl came in, and he heard her ask for Edgeworth. That meant it was as good a time as any to introduce himself. Phoenix cleared his throat uncomfortably, stepping forward and holding out his hand.
"I'm Phoenix Wright, the one who sent you the message?" he could only hope she wouldn't be upset or offended that Edgeworth wasn't here to greet her personally. Some things just couldn't be helped. "I'm an...associate of Edgeworth's. He said you had some information that might be useful to our investigation."
There, that almost sounded official. Like what a real detective would say, not that Phoenix had had very much experience with real detectives. At least, not with good ones. Sorry, Gumshoe.
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"It's nice to meet you, Wright-san! I am Nodoka Miyazaki." She replied quickly, stumbling over her words a little. Nervous didn't really cover how she was feeling. But at least he answered the question of his relationship with the man she had spoken to before. "Um... It's not quite information, but... I could help with it, I think? I'm not sure how useful it will be to you..." In fact, she wasn't entirely sure it would be useful at all. She could only hope, rather desperately.
Looking around again, Nodoka fiddled with her junogram. She didn't know if it was safe to talk about it here, even though it was in a quiet inn. Spotting a quiet corner, she turned and smiled meekly at Phoenix, a soft blush licking at her cheeks lightly. She bowed again, shy as she opened her mouth to speak again, quiet and gentle.
"Would it be possible t-to speak over there? It's... This is, ah, personal, and it's quieter and... Perhaps better for secrets?" She felt ridiculous, dragging the poor man into a corner, but she had to try and keep it as secret as possible. Yes, it could help somewhat, but she didn't want everyone knowing.
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"That's fine," he assured her, starting slowly toward the corner, then waiting for her to follow. "I'm really sorry Edgeworth couldn't make it. But... We work together, like I said. And I'm sure he wouldn't have asked me to meet with you if he didn't think what you had to share might be important."
There, that much should reassure her, at least, that Phoenix intended on taking her seriously. And that he definitely wasn't going to go blabbing about her secret to just anyone. He'd never say this aloud, but he was kind of shocked that their informant was a young girl. What kind of information could she have? Unless... Maybe she knows something about the kidnapping. That would certainly explain her current...attitude. Not to mention her concern about being overheard.
Phoenix leaned his shoulder against the wall, glancing around to make sure there wasn't anyone watching. But, just like most of the people Phoenix had encountered during the day here, no one seemed particularly interested in the doings of a couple strangers.
"So... What is it, exactly?" he asked, peering at Nodoka curiously. "You can whisper if you want. I don't think anyone's listening."
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"Thank you very much." Nodoka replied quietly. "Oh, that's alright! I-If Edgeworth-san sent you, it means he trusts you. It... It was me that asked to meet him, though. I didn't want to just... Say it, in case someone was listening." Nodoka wasn't paranoid, she was just careful. It wasn't just her secret that she was protecting, and that was what was important.
The girl took a deep breath and attempted a rather weak smile. She did feel reassured, though it was only a little, and she glanced around nervously. No one seemed to be paying much attention to the two strangers; was that because they were used to it or because they were expecting foreigners to appear? She wasn't sure, and she realised that it was another question that needed to be added to her long list of mysteries. Hopefully they'd be answered sooner rather than later.
"I... It's not information, exactly. It's a way of helping!" Nodoka breathed out quickly. "I have a power, um. I-It means that I can read minds, but -" She paused. She hoped that Wright-san didn't think that she was lying, but she knew she had to risk it. "- it seems that, here, wherever we are, it doesn't work properly. I-I can only get... A small idea of people's thoughts. But it would help to see if someone was dangerous, wouldn't it? I... When Edgeworth-san said he wanted people to help protect others, I thought..."
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Not that he was complaining. It was merely that wherever Phoenix seemed to go, girls with mystical powers seemed to follow. He ought to have been more surprised, perhaps, but this girl reminded him a little of Pearls--incredibly shy, extremely polite, and possessed of certain powers that most people would scoff at. Which was why he was inclined to believe her right away, without asking for any kind of a demonstration. Or at least, it was easy for him to accept the information at face value. He didn't believe in giants, but he'd had enough experience with mysticism to know there were things he couldn't dismiss out of hand.
"That... Sounds like a pretty useful thing to be able to do, actually. Does it work on everyone?" Phoenix asked, trying to do what Edgeworth would do in this kind of situation--get more information.
Nodoka's claim also reminded him of the magatama in his pocket. If it came right down to it, Phoenix still had the ability to tell whether other people were lying or not...didn't he? And no Psyche-Locks had appeared around Nodoka, so that had to mean she was telling the truth, right?
He couldn't help but wish just a little that Edgeworth would wake up soon. Not that he couldn't handle this on his own, but he was growing slightly concerned. And he had a feeling Edgeworth would know what to tell Nodoka, he'd probably had a plan all prepared--until that giant caravan started shaking the earth, that was.
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This was all part and parcel of the peculiar, even singularly surreal, luck that dogged Wright's heels. (If it could even be called that.) Whether he'd caused it intentionally or not was of no concern. Wright was behind this, in some way or another. That much was even clearer now than it had been before--when he was not quite thinking clearly, despite his best attempts.
Edgeworth's head ached as though he'd hit it, and the unfamiliarity of the room made it worse, an acute pressure right at the temple. He lifted his hand to it, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed; and, as he recalled the incredible events that caused him to find himself here, in this position, he felt his face grow warm.
It was a stroke of luck, then, that he found himself alone, with just enough time to compose himself. He would not let anyone see him like this--anyone else, rather. The rest was in the past. It could not be helped or amended in any way, and to agonize over it was to fall prey to those petty insecurities that once threatened to compromise his morality.
Then, of course, he could afford to waste no more time. If Wright was not here, then he was elsewhere in the immediate vicinity--obsessed as the man appeared to be with Edgeworth's well-being, he couldn't have gone far. For the time being, perhaps, Wright had no one else to worry about. All that would change soon enough. There was more than ample choice of substitutes.
Edgeworth closed the door behind him, and descended the inn stairs, adjusting one of his cufflinks as he did so.
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"It's worked on every single person I've tried it on so far! Even a ghost!" Though, admittedly, it had been difficult. "A-All I need to know is a person's real name - not a pen name or a false name they want us to think is their name. But I have a way of finding that out too!" Hesitant to share all her secrets so quickly, Nodoka left that small aspect of her power for now. There was only so much she was willing to share, no matter how much it could help protect others. Negi-sensei's secret had to be kept, and explaining how she came across all the items that gave her these powers would be difficult without his part of the story being explained in a suitable amount of detail.
The girl clutched the small card to her chest, sadness overcoming her for the slightest of moments. This card was the only thing left that connected her to Negi, and she had tried the telepathic communication that came with it more times than she could count. Nothing worked; Negi Springfield was not near enough to be reached. The thought pulled at Nodoka's heart and tempted her to tears.
Pushing away the negative emotions quickly and with a bit of effort, Nodoka jumped at the sound of someone descending the staircase, shifting her hands to hide the card behind her back. She couldn't tell if the newcomer was someone she should be worried about, but he didn't seem like a local. Perhaps he was another outsider, another poor foreigner that was stuck in this place until they found their way out?
"I... Is that...?" The girl asked softly, motioning at the man close to reaching the bottom of the staircase. If he was a foreigner, there was a good chance that this was Edgeworth-san, the man she had made the arrangement to meet with in the first place.
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The card didn't exactly escape his attention, though. Poor timing, perhaps, but he only recently finished trying a case that involved a calling card. This one didn't appear to have a seashell on it though, so he was probably safe. Probably.
"You've talked to ghosts before?" Phoenix asked, not able to overlook that small detail. There's no way he ran into another spirit medium by accident like this. Then again, she probably would've mentioned that first if it was her specialty. It wasn't a good idea to be comparing her to Maya anyway, because that would only lead to thinking about Maya and that's--definitely too much of a distraction right now.
Before Nodoka could answer, however, her attention fell onto someone just over Phoenix's shoulder. It took Phoenix a minute to realize what was distracting her, though when he did, he turned to look over his shoulder.
Edgeworth was coming down the stairs. And he didn't appear to be shaking, or on the verge of collapse. Good. That was definitely a good sign.
"Edgeworth?" Phoenix nodded reassuringly in Nodoka's direction before going to beckon over his friend. And also to surreptitiously see if he was feeling better. Was friend the right word? That probably wasn't important right now. "The shaking seems...less now. And--this is Nodoka."
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He was not, however, so distracted by the circumstances that he'd forgotten the plans he'd made--prior to fainting, that is. What an unfortunate word, yet clearly the most accurate one he had.
"Nodoka." He glanced to her, only to discover she was not entirely what he'd been expecting. She seemed...younger, somehow, and it was difficult to imagine himself calling on her for assistance when it was becoming more and more clear that it was perhaps beyond even his ability to manage, with maturity and gravitas, each pitfall that awaited him. "I see."
And, by means of explanation: "I was heretofore...indisposed."
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"Good afternoon, Edgeworth-san!" The girl said quickly, bowing. He seemed like the type of person that would appreciate formality, no matter how different it was from what he was used to. All the girl could do was smile meekly.
"Oh, t-that's alright! I was happy to tell everything to you friend!" At least, she assumed they were friends. Associates were friends sometimes, right? That's how it worked. Friends. "I-I could explain it all again if you would like me too, I don't mind!" Having no idea that Edgeworth was questioning her maturity, Nodoka offered and bright smile to him once more.
The bunny backpack probably didn't help things either.
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And this girl was wearing a stuffed animal on straps around her shoulders.
It was clear all at once that his momentary respite--whether he'd planned it or not--had done nothing to improve the situation. And of course it had not. Burying one's head in the sand, ignoring what was happening altogether in order to avoid its consequences, never worked miracles. It was cowardice that inspired such behavior, and such cowardice had no rewards.
He pressed his forefinger to his temple, briefly, to ward off the return of his headache. The dull throbbing at the back of his head--caused by an incident earlier that morning--would fade with time; it was nothing more serious than a bruise, but it was annoying nonetheless.
"If you find it difficult to speak about it a second time, I will trust that my associate was listening carefully, and will be able to repeat what you have told him, with any kind of clarity, to me." He nodded, not a deep bow, but still a formal greeting, a gesture of propriety.
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Any longer, and Edgeworth was definitely going to notice his scrutiny. Phoenix sighed, clearing his throat before turning his attention back to Nodoka. She had been saying something about knowing a person's true name, and having a way to figure that out... But then she'd sort of clammed up, and Phoenix didn't want to push her. Not yet, at least. Part of being a successful lawyer was knowing when to further press a witness and when to ease up on them.
"From the sound of things, she's able to read minds," Phoenix said, taking care to keep his voice down. He didn't think Nodoka would mind him sharing her secret with Edgeworth, since she'd come here to tell it to him in the first place. He just had to hope Edgeworth would believe her.
As far as Phoenix knew, he didn't have much experience working with spirit mediums. Except regarding the DL-6 incident, and there was no way in hell he was going to trigger any of those memories while they were here. Things were bad enough already.
"She came all the way here by herself, Edgeworth," Phoenix added, just in case his associate--that was a weird thought--was having doubts. It probably wasn't safe for a young girl to be out wandering alone like that, unless she had some kind of special power to rely on. That was a kind of proof. Something told him Edgeworth was going to require a lot more than that to be convinced, however.
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Taking a deep breath, she smiled. "That's how it works at home. Here... I-It doesn't work right. I can only... Feel what people are thinking, I-I think. I tried it on myself, but no one else, so I'm not sure." The book that normally illustrated a persons thoughts with pictures and words was no longer functioning as it should; instead it illustrated an emotion, feelings, and it confused Nodoka to no end. The thought that, now, she wouldn't be as useful to her teacher made her heart ache a little.
"I think it should still be helpful, though!" She cried, eyes wide. "I... I think I could tell if someone had bad intentions, and if they were lying, o-or... Things like that. Surely that would help if someone needed protection?" Her eyes darted between Wright and Edgeworth nervously.
Though the man in blue had believed her, Nodoka had no idea how Edgeworth would react. If things like thing were normal where they came from too, then that would be fine - she would be accepted. Otherwise... Nodoka didn't want to have to face being called a liar or any other things along those lines. She could prove herself, and she would, if she had to.
Nodoka's eyes turned back to Wright as he spoke again and she flushed. "I-It wasn't far, and it wasn't dangerous, so..." She looked down at her feet. "I've been in worse situations that having to walk from one hotel to another! I-It was perfectly safe, Wright-san."
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At the same time, he wasn't the sort of person who offered comfort when there was nothing tangible, nothing explicitly comforting to be found. In fact, it would probably better if he did not speak.
Yet, he had agreed to this, for better or worse. At the moment, he was regretting it.
The girl clearly wished to help; there was no denying that. But in her eagerness she was offering services that appeared to be no more possible than what Cid Amon himself had been promising--threatening--and as it so happened, crushing dreams and disproving childhood fantasies was all part of a day's work for Miles Edgeworth. When it came down to it, the truth was more important than a flight of fancy.
"You say you can read--sense--thoughts?"
His tone made it clear how difficult he found that to believe. She seemed to think she could prove it.
"Perhaps it would be best if you gave us a demonstration."
That was the quickest and most efficient way to handle this, rather than a prolonged debate. Not his preferred method of dealing with things--it felt far too much like indulgence for his liking--but if there was no other way...
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"Adeat!" With the word, light began to surround the girl, a small gust of wind blowing her clothes. The light slowly manifested into a brown, leather bound book that hovered in front of her, waiting for her hand to reach out and take it. As the light faded, she did just that, clutching the book to her chest with an awkward nervousness.
"This is the Diarium Ejus, Edgeworth-san, Wright-san," Nodoka began slowly, holding the book out so that they could see. "It allows me to read the thoughts of others. Um, I-I hear those things - the thoughts, a-and now feelings, in my mind because of this," She moved her hair back to show a bluetooth, winged in appearance, clipped on her ear. "Instead of hearing the thoughts now, I hear... I-It's like I can hear the emotions. I can't explain it very well..."
Nodoka nodded, and held the book out so it hovered in front of her as she whispered a quiet "Miles Edgeworth-san!" The pictures inside the book changed and adapted into pictures that, somehow, portrayed the emotions Nodoka could feel Edgeworth feelings, albeit weakly.
"Edgeworth-san, y-you don't believe a word I say. I... You feel as though I am lying to you, but... That's not it. You're confused, because you don't know where you are, but you're scared too. You're not... I don't think you're scared about being here, however. I... I think it's something else, but I don't know what. I'm sorry."
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Still, the proof was sort of undeniable.
He did his best not to listen as Nodoka quietly revealed what she'd learned from reading Edgeworth's innermost thoughts. Not that he wasn't curious of course, but it just didn't seem right. Edgeworth was a pretty private guy--it took a lot just to get him to speak his mind, let alone having his thoughts pulled straight out of his head. It seemed like the sort of thing he'd hate, actually, and Phoenix felt awkward just being there. He didn't want to make it obvious by covering his ears with his hands or anything, but still.
This girl's powers were real, then. As real as Maya and Pearls' were, at least. Phoenix had never encountered a mind reader back home, of course, but did that mean... Don't go there, Phoenix, he tried to tell himself. But it was already too late.
Did that mean all those people who'd been talking about witches and magic weren't totally out of it?
"What about me?" Phoenix asked, before he could help himself. As far as he was concerned, it might go a ways toward making Edgeworth feel less self-conscious. He'd just have to hope that Nodoka wouldn't mind giving more than one demonstration.
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