[SCENE] Trucy and Edgeworth in: Gatewater Shenanigans
((Backdated a week or two ago. A result of this conversation.))
Trucy: *Trucy is sitting at the police station, swinging her feet, REALLY not wanting to be there anymore*
Edgeworth: *there's a momentary ruckus in the department as various officers and detectives seem to fly into action-- or at least stop slacking around. A few seconds later it's clear why: Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth is in the room, being led by the Head Detective over to where Trucy is sitting-the words "pay cut" and "monthly review" hang heavily in the air*
Trucy: *perks up a bit at the sudden change in demeanor from the officers, curious as to what caused them all to start working so quickly. When she sees the Head Detective with Edgeworth, she jumps to her feet-- immediately recognizing him as the man who said he would help her on her LJ* Mr. Pink Suit!
Edgeworth: *stops his conversation with the Head Detective and bows low, extending out his hand to her at that easier to reach height* Trucy, I take it? My name is Miles Edgeworth. *a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth* I see you're ready to leave.
Trucy: *giggles a little, not used to seeing anyone do that in real life before* Yeah, I'm Trucy *takes his hand* Nice to meet you Mr. Edgeworth *smiles her best smile* I'm ready to go, so please can we go?
Edgeworth: Of course. *gives her a light handshake before standing back upright, keeping her hand as he guides them over to the door* The detectives here would have brought you back to your family before this, but... they don't have any of your relatives' addresses on file. You're able to direct me to one of their homes, correct? Or, given the hour, a workplace?
Trucy: *nods, holding his hand a little tighter than she thinks she is* Yeah. Our family is all performers like the great Troupe Gramarye, so we'll probably find him at... Gatewater Land!
Edgeworth: *raises an eyebrow* .....Gatewater Land? *his expression darkens somewhat, but he carries on down the front steps* Very well, we'll head there then.
Trucy: *looks up at him* Do you not like Gatewater Land, Mr. Edgeworth?
Edgeworth: I'm not too fond of the place, no. *and he leaves it at that, unlocking the doors of his car as they approach it*
Trucy: *takes one look at his car and her eyes widen a bit* Wow, Mr. Edgeworth, you have a nice car!
Edgeworth: Thank you. *helps her onto the passenger seat before walking over to the driver's side and letting himself in* This individual we're looking for... is an uncle? A grandparent of yours?
Trucy: A cousin.
Edgeworth: Hm, alright. *remains silent as he starts up the engine and directs the car back into traffic--- clearly... not too good at making conversation with children. He doesn't seem too eager at their destination, either*
Trucy: *is quiet too. She feels partly guilty for making him go to Gatewater Land, but she doubts she'll get another chance if she doesn't go now*
Edgeworth: *remains silent for the majority of the short drive over to the amusement park--and when the colorful signs and the rides come into view, he (surprisingly?) doesn't express any displeasure* Well. Shall we get started on finding him, then?
Trucy: *looks around from her seat in the car. She'd seen parts of the park in passing before, but today she can actually go see everything...!* Yes! I think he said that he was going to help out in the Western area.
Edgeworth: The Western area? Then we should look there first. *exits the car, and waits for her to do the same before heading to the main gates* Do you know if he's dressed up in Western apparel, or if he one of those badgers?
Trucy: Uuum... not sure.
Trucy: Do you think they're still doing that "badger get" thing? I mean... we could pull two doves from one hat, right?
Edgeworth: *raises an eyebrow warily* Two doves from one hat? Don't tell me you want to "capture" badger photos as we search for your cousin.
Trucy: *shifts from foot to foot* If that's not too much trouble Mr. Pink Suit...
Edgeworth: ............................. ....... *crosses his arms* ......
Edgeworth: Alright. But we focus on looking for your relative, agreed?
Trucy: *grins* Of course! Thank you! *bounces up and down* To the Western area!
Edgeworth: *clearly somewhat taken aback by her enthusiasm* Let's not be... jumping about all like that. *leads Trucy over to the gates, where he approaches one of the ticket counters. There, he explains the situation to one of the admissions staff-who promptly waves them through free of charge, even offering Trucy a Kids' Park Map*
Trucy: *to the lady* Thank you, ma'am. *takes the map and looks at it* Oh, the Western show is starting soon! Come on, Mr. Pink Suit! ....He might be in it!
Edgeworth: *a frown crosses his face, but he forcibly sponges it off* ... Here. Before you start dashing off, take this. *retrieves his phone from his suit pocket, handing it to her* To take the badger "catch" photos with.
Trucy: *practically grins from ear to ear* Thank you! Can you show me how to use it?
Edgeworth: Press that button on the side, and then the circle one when you want to take a photo.
Trucy: *watches carefully as he explains* Okay, I got it.
Edgeworth: Good. *glances about as they walk, noting the steady increase of cacti in the landscape* Do you see your cousin?
Trucy: *looks around at all the western-style buildings* Not yet.... *spies the cowboy shootout show, which is just about to start* Maybe he's in the cowboy show! Let's go see! *hurries off*
Edgeworth: H-hold it! *for such a small girl with such tiny legs, he's startled to see just how quickly she can dash off* Just take one look--we can't stay for the whole event, understand?!
Trucy: *doesn't hear him--she easily slips into the front thanks to her small size. She watches in wonder as the good cowboys fight the bad cowboys that lead to an all-out "shootout"--right in front of the Saloon*
Edgeworth: *he's left, unfortunately, trying to work his way through the audience-- a difficult task that takes him quite some time* Excuse me. Pardon. Pardon. Ma'am, I fail to see how I could be blocking your view as your hat is already doing an admirable job of that--for you and all those directly behind you. Excuse me.
Edgeworth: *when he finally gets to Trucy, he places a hand on her shoulder--frowning, unfortunately, rather severely* We should go.
Trucy: *jumps a little when she feels that hand on her shoulder. When she looks up to see who it is, she sees Edgeworth frowning and bows her head* Sorry.
Edgeworth: *her downcast apology seems to soften him, somewhat* You can enjoy yourself while we're here--but not for lengthy shows like this. You wouldn't want that cousin of yours to leave while you were distracted, would you?
Trucy: *bites her lip, so tempted to tell him... and yet, if she does, the trip would be over. She lowers her head a bit more* I guess not... *clutches his phone tightly*
Edgeworth: *crying or imminently crying children clearly aren't his forte--as is apparent with Edgeworth's speedy glance around, and his equally quick and admirable attempt at excitement* Oh, look. Isn't that... one of those badgers. Why don't you take a photo?
Trucy: *her head almost instantly pops up* Ah, it's the Proto Badger! *rushes over to him* Mr. Proto Badger, Mr. Proto Badger, can I get a picture?!
Trucy: *the Proto Badger stops for the young girl, and Trucy tries to remember how to use the phone. When she remembers, she snaps the picture*
Trucy: Badger get! *grins*
Edgeworth: *breathes a sigh of relief as he walks over to the girl* Well. Shall we continue on? *a cursory glance* I don't see anyone of particular interest in the vicinity.
Trucy: *looks around, pretending real hard to look for her "cousin"* Hmm.. Yeah I don't see him... *looks at the kid's map she got* Hmm.... Maybe he's at the haunted house?
Edgeworth: The... haunted house. *raises an eyebrow* You want to go in there?
Trucy: ...Is that wrong?
Edgeworth: *flatly* No. *frowns* I... suppose that cousin of yours could be in there. *glances about, then points towards the west* It's in that direction.
Trucy: *looks up at him so she can see him more clearly* Do you not like the haunted house?
Edgeworth: *is startled momentarily at the intensity of her stare-he takes a moment to ponder before walking towards the direction he'd indicted* I don't have fond experiences of it, shall we say. *as they walk, the cactus scenery changes to a graveyard-like one, with tombstones and bare trees-there are a few sightseers, but no park staff to be found*
Trucy: *looks at the map again* ....What happened?
Edgeworth: Nothing worth mentioning, but it's nothing against the place itself. *as they approach the entrance to the decrepit mansion, there's a hoot of an "owl" in the distance, followed by a very stock bloodcurdling yell*
Trucy: *looks around with wonder* Was that a real lady screaming? *she's more excited than scared*
Edgeworth: Real screams sound quite a bit different from that. *the large doors opening "on their own," he gestures Trucy inside*
Trucy: I thought you were a pro....pro...sec...utor... *walks into the "old" building, taking in the sight of the broken mirrors and "torch" lighting* You hear screams a lot?
Edgeworth: More than you would think. *walks along, letting the magician girl take the lead as he searches for any sign of park staff* Hn. There doesn't seem to be anyone in this place.
Trucy: *looks around, trying to figure out what's supposed to be so scary about it* I bet I can do a magic trick in here... *looks behind her at Edgeworth when she realizes he's talking* He said he liked to take his breaks here...
Edgeworth: *stops, crossing his arms* Trucy. You didn't come here to look for your cousin, did you.
Trucy: *slows down to a halt and winces; quietly* No...
Edgeworth: *a slight smile tugs at the corner of his lips* I suspected as much from the beginning.
Trucy: *quickly looks up at him, surprised* ....Really? *lowers her head again quickly* I'm sorry Mr. Pink Suit, but I REALLY wanted to come to Gatewater Land... I came with my dad and Uncle Valant for the magic showdown against *makes a face* that stupid, STUPID Max Gallactica... *calms down a bit* But I wasn't allowed to look around...
Trucy: I didn't think I'd ever get to go if I didn't go now, because you're going to call.... um... what did Mr. Rock Star call it again... um... right! Child services. And I'll be thrown in an orphanage... That's what they do on TV.
Edgeworth: There's little I can do about the situation regarding your custody, unfortunately. But let's enjoy the remainder of the day without any more deceptions--alright?
Trucy: ...But you don't like it here...
Edgeworth: Trucy... do you know why I came out here with you, in spite of that? *raises an eyebrow* And in spite of suspecting your story.
Trucy: *shakes her head and slowly looks up at him* No. How come?
Edgeworth: *glances off, tapping a hand on his arm* I won't lie to you--you have a long, potentially arduous journey ahead of you. If you truly have no other relatives remaining, foster care and adoption is in your future, as well as further time with the police to assist them with their investigations. I know this, because...
Trucy: *before Edgeworth can get to the point of his story, Trucy slips off. It's not quite a disappearing act worthy of Troupe Gramarye, but it's good enough*
Edgeworth: *drones on, oblivious to the mini magician's disappearance* ...you see, there was a time long ago when I was in a similar situation as you. I remember it well--detectives asking an endless stream of questions, to which I was unable to produce any satisfactory answers... *that same slight smile again* It was concerning my father, as well.
Edgeworth: *studies his reflection from one of the cracked, dusty mirrors on the wall* I faced a similar prospect as well--with no sure place to go after that, no remaining family to my name... and I wanted to be elsewhere, anywhere at that time. *glances over* Your message... resonated, shall we s-- ....
Edgeworth: ................
Trucy: *has long since left*
Edgeworth: W-what in the devil-- *spins around in bafflement--only the cobwebs, mirrors and the dusty corners of the haunted house remain as his audience. He mutters what may very well be another expletive under his breath, hesitates, and then stalks off to begin what promises to be a very fruitless search*
Trucy: *Trucy is sitting at the police station, swinging her feet, REALLY not wanting to be there anymore*
Edgeworth: *there's a momentary ruckus in the department as various officers and detectives seem to fly into action-- or at least stop slacking around. A few seconds later it's clear why: Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth is in the room, being led by the Head Detective over to where Trucy is sitting-the words "pay cut" and "monthly review" hang heavily in the air*
Trucy: *perks up a bit at the sudden change in demeanor from the officers, curious as to what caused them all to start working so quickly. When she sees the Head Detective with Edgeworth, she jumps to her feet-- immediately recognizing him as the man who said he would help her on her LJ* Mr. Pink Suit!
Edgeworth: *stops his conversation with the Head Detective and bows low, extending out his hand to her at that easier to reach height* Trucy, I take it? My name is Miles Edgeworth. *a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth* I see you're ready to leave.
Trucy: *giggles a little, not used to seeing anyone do that in real life before* Yeah, I'm Trucy *takes his hand* Nice to meet you Mr. Edgeworth *smiles her best smile* I'm ready to go, so please can we go?
Edgeworth: Of course. *gives her a light handshake before standing back upright, keeping her hand as he guides them over to the door* The detectives here would have brought you back to your family before this, but... they don't have any of your relatives' addresses on file. You're able to direct me to one of their homes, correct? Or, given the hour, a workplace?
Trucy: *nods, holding his hand a little tighter than she thinks she is* Yeah. Our family is all performers like the great Troupe Gramarye, so we'll probably find him at... Gatewater Land!
Edgeworth: *raises an eyebrow* .....Gatewater Land? *his expression darkens somewhat, but he carries on down the front steps* Very well, we'll head there then.
Trucy: *looks up at him* Do you not like Gatewater Land, Mr. Edgeworth?
Edgeworth: I'm not too fond of the place, no. *and he leaves it at that, unlocking the doors of his car as they approach it*
Trucy: *takes one look at his car and her eyes widen a bit* Wow, Mr. Edgeworth, you have a nice car!
Edgeworth: Thank you. *helps her onto the passenger seat before walking over to the driver's side and letting himself in* This individual we're looking for... is an uncle? A grandparent of yours?
Trucy: A cousin.
Edgeworth: Hm, alright. *remains silent as he starts up the engine and directs the car back into traffic--- clearly... not too good at making conversation with children. He doesn't seem too eager at their destination, either*
Trucy: *is quiet too. She feels partly guilty for making him go to Gatewater Land, but she doubts she'll get another chance if she doesn't go now*
Edgeworth: *remains silent for the majority of the short drive over to the amusement park--and when the colorful signs and the rides come into view, he (surprisingly?) doesn't express any displeasure* Well. Shall we get started on finding him, then?
Trucy: *looks around from her seat in the car. She'd seen parts of the park in passing before, but today she can actually go see everything...!* Yes! I think he said that he was going to help out in the Western area.
Edgeworth: The Western area? Then we should look there first. *exits the car, and waits for her to do the same before heading to the main gates* Do you know if he's dressed up in Western apparel, or if he one of those badgers?
Trucy: Uuum... not sure.
Trucy: Do you think they're still doing that "badger get" thing? I mean... we could pull two doves from one hat, right?
Edgeworth: *raises an eyebrow warily* Two doves from one hat? Don't tell me you want to "capture" badger photos as we search for your cousin.
Trucy: *shifts from foot to foot* If that's not too much trouble Mr. Pink Suit...
Edgeworth: ............................. ....... *crosses his arms* ......
Edgeworth: Alright. But we focus on looking for your relative, agreed?
Trucy: *grins* Of course! Thank you! *bounces up and down* To the Western area!
Edgeworth: *clearly somewhat taken aback by her enthusiasm* Let's not be... jumping about all like that. *leads Trucy over to the gates, where he approaches one of the ticket counters. There, he explains the situation to one of the admissions staff-who promptly waves them through free of charge, even offering Trucy a Kids' Park Map*
Trucy: *to the lady* Thank you, ma'am. *takes the map and looks at it* Oh, the Western show is starting soon! Come on, Mr. Pink Suit! ....He might be in it!
Edgeworth: *a frown crosses his face, but he forcibly sponges it off* ... Here. Before you start dashing off, take this. *retrieves his phone from his suit pocket, handing it to her* To take the badger "catch" photos with.
Trucy: *practically grins from ear to ear* Thank you! Can you show me how to use it?
Edgeworth: Press that button on the side, and then the circle one when you want to take a photo.
Trucy: *watches carefully as he explains* Okay, I got it.
Edgeworth: Good. *glances about as they walk, noting the steady increase of cacti in the landscape* Do you see your cousin?
Trucy: *looks around at all the western-style buildings* Not yet.... *spies the cowboy shootout show, which is just about to start* Maybe he's in the cowboy show! Let's go see! *hurries off*
Edgeworth: H-hold it! *for such a small girl with such tiny legs, he's startled to see just how quickly she can dash off* Just take one look--we can't stay for the whole event, understand?!
Trucy: *doesn't hear him--she easily slips into the front thanks to her small size. She watches in wonder as the good cowboys fight the bad cowboys that lead to an all-out "shootout"--right in front of the Saloon*
Edgeworth: *he's left, unfortunately, trying to work his way through the audience-- a difficult task that takes him quite some time* Excuse me. Pardon. Pardon. Ma'am, I fail to see how I could be blocking your view as your hat is already doing an admirable job of that--for you and all those directly behind you. Excuse me.
Edgeworth: *when he finally gets to Trucy, he places a hand on her shoulder--frowning, unfortunately, rather severely* We should go.
Trucy: *jumps a little when she feels that hand on her shoulder. When she looks up to see who it is, she sees Edgeworth frowning and bows her head* Sorry.
Edgeworth: *her downcast apology seems to soften him, somewhat* You can enjoy yourself while we're here--but not for lengthy shows like this. You wouldn't want that cousin of yours to leave while you were distracted, would you?
Trucy: *bites her lip, so tempted to tell him... and yet, if she does, the trip would be over. She lowers her head a bit more* I guess not... *clutches his phone tightly*
Edgeworth: *crying or imminently crying children clearly aren't his forte--as is apparent with Edgeworth's speedy glance around, and his equally quick and admirable attempt at excitement* Oh, look. Isn't that... one of those badgers. Why don't you take a photo?
Trucy: *her head almost instantly pops up* Ah, it's the Proto Badger! *rushes over to him* Mr. Proto Badger, Mr. Proto Badger, can I get a picture?!
Trucy: *the Proto Badger stops for the young girl, and Trucy tries to remember how to use the phone. When she remembers, she snaps the picture*
Trucy: Badger get! *grins*
Edgeworth: *breathes a sigh of relief as he walks over to the girl* Well. Shall we continue on? *a cursory glance* I don't see anyone of particular interest in the vicinity.
Trucy: *looks around, pretending real hard to look for her "cousin"* Hmm.. Yeah I don't see him... *looks at the kid's map she got* Hmm.... Maybe he's at the haunted house?
Edgeworth: The... haunted house. *raises an eyebrow* You want to go in there?
Trucy: ...Is that wrong?
Edgeworth: *flatly* No. *frowns* I... suppose that cousin of yours could be in there. *glances about, then points towards the west* It's in that direction.
Trucy: *looks up at him so she can see him more clearly* Do you not like the haunted house?
Edgeworth: *is startled momentarily at the intensity of her stare-he takes a moment to ponder before walking towards the direction he'd indicted* I don't have fond experiences of it, shall we say. *as they walk, the cactus scenery changes to a graveyard-like one, with tombstones and bare trees-there are a few sightseers, but no park staff to be found*
Trucy: *looks at the map again* ....What happened?
Edgeworth: Nothing worth mentioning, but it's nothing against the place itself. *as they approach the entrance to the decrepit mansion, there's a hoot of an "owl" in the distance, followed by a very stock bloodcurdling yell*
Trucy: *looks around with wonder* Was that a real lady screaming? *she's more excited than scared*
Edgeworth: Real screams sound quite a bit different from that. *the large doors opening "on their own," he gestures Trucy inside*
Trucy: I thought you were a pro....pro...sec...utor... *walks into the "old" building, taking in the sight of the broken mirrors and "torch" lighting* You hear screams a lot?
Edgeworth: More than you would think. *walks along, letting the magician girl take the lead as he searches for any sign of park staff* Hn. There doesn't seem to be anyone in this place.
Trucy: *looks around, trying to figure out what's supposed to be so scary about it* I bet I can do a magic trick in here... *looks behind her at Edgeworth when she realizes he's talking* He said he liked to take his breaks here...
Edgeworth: *stops, crossing his arms* Trucy. You didn't come here to look for your cousin, did you.
Trucy: *slows down to a halt and winces; quietly* No...
Edgeworth: *a slight smile tugs at the corner of his lips* I suspected as much from the beginning.
Trucy: *quickly looks up at him, surprised* ....Really? *lowers her head again quickly* I'm sorry Mr. Pink Suit, but I REALLY wanted to come to Gatewater Land... I came with my dad and Uncle Valant for the magic showdown against *makes a face* that stupid, STUPID Max Gallactica... *calms down a bit* But I wasn't allowed to look around...
Trucy: I didn't think I'd ever get to go if I didn't go now, because you're going to call.... um... what did Mr. Rock Star call it again... um... right! Child services. And I'll be thrown in an orphanage... That's what they do on TV.
Edgeworth: There's little I can do about the situation regarding your custody, unfortunately. But let's enjoy the remainder of the day without any more deceptions--alright?
Trucy: ...But you don't like it here...
Edgeworth: Trucy... do you know why I came out here with you, in spite of that? *raises an eyebrow* And in spite of suspecting your story.
Trucy: *shakes her head and slowly looks up at him* No. How come?
Edgeworth: *glances off, tapping a hand on his arm* I won't lie to you--you have a long, potentially arduous journey ahead of you. If you truly have no other relatives remaining, foster care and adoption is in your future, as well as further time with the police to assist them with their investigations. I know this, because...
Trucy: *before Edgeworth can get to the point of his story, Trucy slips off. It's not quite a disappearing act worthy of Troupe Gramarye, but it's good enough*
Edgeworth: *drones on, oblivious to the mini magician's disappearance* ...you see, there was a time long ago when I was in a similar situation as you. I remember it well--detectives asking an endless stream of questions, to which I was unable to produce any satisfactory answers... *that same slight smile again* It was concerning my father, as well.
Edgeworth: *studies his reflection from one of the cracked, dusty mirrors on the wall* I faced a similar prospect as well--with no sure place to go after that, no remaining family to my name... and I wanted to be elsewhere, anywhere at that time. *glances over* Your message... resonated, shall we s-- ....
Edgeworth: ................
Trucy: *has long since left*
Edgeworth: W-what in the devil-- *spins around in bafflement--only the cobwebs, mirrors and the dusty corners of the haunted house remain as his audience. He mutters what may very well be another expletive under his breath, hesitates, and then stalks off to begin what promises to be a very fruitless search*