006: [Talk] -> [Red PlumbBob] [OPEN]

[truthsnomiracle]

Who: Miles Edgeworth (truthsnomiracle) and YOU!
What: Come reassure and (verbally) hug Edgeworth!
When: July 3rd, noonish
Where: Thor, Food Court, a small tea-serving stall
Warnings: Distinctly angsty falling action. (Can YOU lead him to a happy denouement?!)

Comments

[pishirogane]

Having failed to visit the planet just yet, Naoto didn't have a crystal above her head, but it was obvious that she was most likely unwell. Her hair was a little more untidy at least, the parts that poked out from under her cap and her skin was a shade pale. The slightly dark circles under her eyes appeared darker under the cap's brim.

Arthur barked and she blinked, looking up. Ah, her tea was ready. She paid the stall owner and picked up her cup, turning... pausing. Naoto stared at the crystal and then dropped her eyes. It was hovering above a man she'd seen on the network by chance... Oh wait. The captain's post had mentioned something about those things. Hm, she couldn't recall anything right now. She shook her head. Maybe... should she...?

The small black fox at her heels hopped along as the young detective approached.

"Excuse me..."

\o/

[truthsnomiracle]

Edgeworth blinked and glanced up at this disheveled teenaged stranger. The combination of attention to clothing and serious unwellness was striking... strikingly familiar, that is. How many times had he seen a similar appearance in his own adoptive sister, both despite and because of perfectionism?

More importantly, why the attention?

"Yes?"

[pishirogane]

Disheveled or not, perfection wasn't what kept the small girl in boy's clothing going. It's just... someone had to in the absence of her team. Naoto held herself upright still before giving a glance at his red crystal.

"What exactly is that above your head?"

[truthsnomiracle]

"A forcible handout by the residents of this planet," Edgeworth explained, sounding rather like a weary man mustering annoyance. "I've noticed that other refugees have been similarly saddled with these upon visiting."

[pishirogane]

"... Guess I should make note to avoid going to the planet."

She sighed, shaking her head. They were both worn out, but Naoto didn't have a crystal hinting at it like the Prosecutor. Arthur took the moment to sniff at Edgeworth's shoes.

[truthsnomiracle]

Edgeworth nods, then takes a sip at his now-lukewarm tea. "My first impression of the natives is that they are simple-minded. I primarily hope to discover whether the strikingly Earth-like environment has yielded any similarly Earth-like teas."

The fox-like creature sniffing at his feet soon caught his attention. "What is this?..."

[pishirogane]

"The similarities are uncanny so there's a high probability..."

Still, simple-minded residents and tea were not about to make her go down there if possible. Such, she was curious about the planet for it's Earth-like quality, but chance subjecting herself to some God? No thanks...

She glanced down, "Ah... that's Arthur. He's a Pokemon or some strange species around that. I... picked him up from an abandoned ship a few months ago."

[truthsnomiracle]

If not for the fact that Edgeworth had spent the past month and a half with a Pokemon gym leader as a roommate, that response might have earned Naoto a strange look. As it was, though, he half-frowned for a moment as his grey eyes took on an awkward, conflicted appearance. Pokemon might not mean anything negative to him in and of themselves, but they were a reminder of the degree of strangeness surrounding his fellow refugees. "I... see. I merely have my dog. ...Is he friendly?"

[pishirogane]

"Yes, he is. He only becomes unfriendly when we're on a case..."

Arthur looked up at Edgeworth. Blue irises, but white pupils, the fox was rather strange looking, but his tail wagged once before he barked, "Zorua..."

"... Is something on your mind, sir?" Naoto asked after a moment's pause.

[truthsnomiracle]

Edgeworth was at a loss for where in this small nook to avert his eyes to at first. Soon, though, he settled on staring into his cup again and considered how best to dodge the question. At length, he broke the tense silence with, "It seems an imposition to burden a stranger with such thoughts."

[pishirogane]

"... Sometimes if you share what's on your mind helps lightens the feeling it weighs down. If someone listens, it... helps even more to clear your head."

Senpai had done that before; helped her by listening, but he was someone everyone trusted. Naoto was a stranger to this man. It's true; why even bother sharing with her? She wasn't anyone special.

[truthsnomiracle]

Special, perhaps not, and a stranger, perhaps so... but even if he wasn't comfortable sharing his feelings with just anyone who asked, Edgeworth had noticed one thing this youth had said earlier in the conversation... "You mentioned something about cases?"

[pishirogane]

If this was an attempt to change the subject, she supposed she didn't really mind. Naoto nodded slowly.

"Yes. My job last month was an Anti-Smuggling Agent. It... isn't exactly my usual line of work, but it's close to it..."

[truthsnomiracle]

Edgeworth's eyes lit up, and even the crystal hovering above him shifted from scarlet to tomato red. "Truly? I was a criminal prosecutor on my home world. Beyond having acted as a consultant for someone of roughly your age who found herself assigned to that role in error shortly before my arrival, however, I have yet to do more than study and attempt to acclimate here."

[pishirogane]

"I've never spoken directly to a prosecutor. The police usually don't require me at that point." She noticed the crystal change; how strange...

"Ah... yes, it's difficult getting use to the SS Thor. When I arrived originally, I wanted evidence to prove my world was actually gone. They couldn't honestly expect me to believe some digital paperclip was responsible for the world's destruction."

Naoto sighed, "Still, some of my..." She trailed. They were still friends, right? "... friends have gone on the Loki. Hopefully they've come across something that proves or disproves the Vogons' documents."

[truthsnomiracle]

"You acquired only the basic documentation?" Edgeworth queried with a sudden smirk. "I suppose that at your age it is unreasonable to expect you to be used to navigating a bureaucracy. With a week's effort spent filling out optional forms, I was able to squeeze a number of leads from the Vogons."

At the mention of the Loki, Edgeworth nods. "The same young woman I assisted with the unintentional prosecution assignment is also on that mission. I likewise hope to hear these results; though my on world is not on the itinerary, if several worlds were indeed destroyed as it is claimed that they were -- particularly in the case of unbelievable tales such as that of your own world's destruction -- that would lend credibility to the claim that all refugees' worlds are destroyed. While that hardly constitutes proof of any given world's destruction, it would support an otherwise solid case." By this time, Edgeworth's Guide is out on the table, and the crystal has faded to a medium, carrot-like orange.