14th Letter; video

[hisdiscretion]

[It's just after sirens and Franz is looking tired and considerably rumpled, though his eyes sparkle with a kind of world-weary amusement. His white-gold glow is cast all about the features of a motel, where he's seated at a table.]Hi everyone. Daedalus and I sort of had our house broken into today. We weren't robbed - rather a murder suspect and

Comments

[Action]

[gaveherwings]

[He waits until after the NV recording is done before he speaks up lazily in a mumbled half-groan from the bed, lying back with his eyes shut.]

You say it as though something terrible came out of the mistletoe incident.

[hisdiscretion]

[He wanders over to stretch out beside Daedalus, nuzzling his cheek.]

Not everyone had as much fun as we did. I'd been meaning to do some kind of PSA. Must be all the time I spend with you.

[gaveherwings]

Don't make fun of my concern for public health awareness!

[He pouts, sulking a bit as he tries to find some gentle way of easing the Pomeranian off his stomach without disturbing him, wanting to turn over onto his side.

A little cough, nose wrinkling, and the little jump of his stomach rouses Mr. Muggles anyway. He tucks the dog against his side, and swallows, an irritating tickle at the back of his throat.]

I can tell why this room is 'pet friendly'. (Oh, I miss my air purifier.)

[It's plaintive, the look he fixes Franz with. He isn't exactly in the brightest and best of moods, after everything. This displacement is so very different from taking one of their usual 'holiday' nights out at the mall. Security has been compromised.]

[hisdiscretion]

[Franz is similarly unsettled, though he'd scarcely admit it. It doesn't feel right to be here like this tonight. He does the only thing he can think of and kisses Daedalus on the nose.]

It's only for tonight. If there's a problem with the apartment, we can couch-surf until we found a new place. God knows we know we enough people.

[gaveherwings]

[Daedalus makes a funny sound like a squeak of protest, turning his face into the pillow, but that's mostly so that he doesn't wind up sneezing on poor Franz.]

I know...it's just- hah, just when I'd finally felt like we were settled- [A yawn, and he tucks his head against Franz's shoulder, nuzzling to nestle this time.] ...it's always something.

[hisdiscretion]

[Franz leans over enough to plant a kiss into Daedalus's hair.]

It's always something, but we always get through it.

[gaveherwings]

Optimist.

[He groans, though there's something very grateful about that grumbled accusation, burrowing against him further.]

And here I thought we'd picked a peaceful neighborhood.

[hisdiscretion]

Criminals can hide in the most secure-seeming places. [He gently combs his fingers through Daedalus's hair.] We know that better than most. We'll rebuild.

[gaveherwings]

Of all the apartments in all the city to turn upside down- [He yawns and sighs, for the sheer sake of grumpy moping, though he tips his head towards the path of Franz's fingertips, the hard crease on his brow relaxing.] ...it had to be ours, huh?

We spent all of our luck just hooking up, I guess.

[hisdiscretion]

Yes. My good luck is probably used up for a lifetime after meeting you.

[He settles next to Daedalus. He should get ready for bed, but... it's already so warm right here.]

[gaveherwings]

We should really stop fooling around with all of these silly stolen lines that sound like they belong in movies!

[He laughs, and brushes a quick kiss to his cheek.]

...even if all of that nonsense felt straight out of some movie- Swinging off your chandelier! I can't believe it.

[hisdiscretion]

[Franz groans dramatically, faceplanting a pillow.]

I don't want to think about it...

[gaveherwings]

[And a hand is there, soothingly, at his back]

It's only a light fixture, in the grand scheme of things.

[hisdiscretion]

It's not about the damned chandelier [though he sulkily adds under his breath:] (Even though I was fond of it and I paid for it all myself, so it's my hard work, damn it...).

It's our home. We're lucky we're safe, but I'm worried that the next scrape-by, near-miss with the darkness and these criminal elements [the Edgeworth monster, the vampire, the darkness proofing failure in the mall...] will be... somewhat less so.

[A direct hit. They could be seriously hurt.

They could lose each other, or the dog, or some other dear friend, permanently.]

[gaveherwings]

I know, I know, after you've picked everything out, and worked hard to make it all so nice... [He consoles and dotes, petting, because although he has no sense of taste, and just as well live in a functional box, he can recognize that Franz takes pride in it and acknowledge the effort gone wrecked.

For that, he won't be forgiving officer or criminal for quite some time, nursing a grudge like he's nursing Franz's ego for the moment.]

Too many close calls. It's a dangerous world.

But if anything did happen, you know, you couldn't be in better hands, than to be living with a doctor? I'm the best.

[hisdiscretion]

[Franz is a creature of basic needs, mostly, and he relaxes and responds to the petting, and the soothing quality of Daedalus's words. In the back of his mind he knows he's being 'handled' but he doesn't care. He sulks for sometime, face in arms, words muffled.

Sometimes it's nice to be handled.]

You are the best.

I'm glad that I'm stuck going through this garbage with you. [He peers out with one brown eye, but there's a hint of a mischievous smile in it.]