IC Contact

[throwsdown]

 

Takeshi may be too busy fighting giant monsters or watching Power Rangers. Please leave a message after the beep, okay? Cool.

Comments

[jurisimpudent]

[There's no question who it is; there weren't many children running around the ship before, and there are even fewer now. So, maybe out of protectiveness or maybe out of grief or maybe something else, Edgeworth rises at once and crosses the room to greet the boy.]

Good day. You're Takeshi, right?

[throwsdown]

[He perks immediately at that, and for a moment, he kinda forgets that he needs to reply to something spoken as a question; whoops. His back goes straight and he's bright-eyed and ready to help.]

Yessir, I'm Takeshi! Just Takeshi.

[Maybe he'll ask what his last name is, when he sees his dad again. His new last name, anyway.]

[jurisimpudent]

Right.

[Edgeworth does perhaps tend to be a little bit...awkward and nervous around children. So he's not precisely natural when he says:]

Please, have a seat right here, young man. I'll show you what I'm working on.

[But by God he's trying hard.]

[throwsdown]

[Oh--! He double-takes with a little sound and moves to the seat, quickly and quietly, and totally just waits with his comm in his lap.

Whenever you're ready, bossman. He's coo'.]

[jurisimpudent]

Right.

[He clears his throat and turns around a map of the ship.]

Well. First, this is what I have of our known territory. It's where we run our patrols - where we know the hallways don't shift around. Do you know what a patrol is?

[throwsdown]

[He considers some of the shows he used to watch; such a word is surprisingly in reach for his little mind to wrap around. He's a little enthusiastic when he replies, looking down at the map and then up to the man.]

It's when you keep a eye out for trouble!

[Close enough, right??]

... The halls really move? Is it true?

[jurisimpudent]

It is.

[Edgeworth nods.]

We don't know how or why, but they do shift around. So some of our maps are good, but the ones that try to show what's further out there aren't.

But yes; that is, essentially, correct. It's when you walk a pre-determined path looking out for, er, trouble. And so it's my job to help decide what paths people need to walk so that no spot goes unchecked for trouble.

[throwsdown]

I understand! I get it! [He really does, though. Back home, anyone could go anywhere at anytime. Sure, it's the places that move here and not the people, but the principle of it is the same in his mind.]

So you let security people walk and make sure no one's in trouble.

[He can't help but smile a bit at that, looking at the map.]

I like keeping people safe, too... I never got to before. My papa and my friends always helped me, but I never could protect them...

[jurisimpudent]

[Oh. There's a slight twinge of sympathy and recognition, beyond what he should feel for the child; he tells himself sternly to harden his heart.]

Well. It's not the job of someone your age to protect. You still get to be protected.

[throwsdown]

[He looks down, and he thinks no one protected Chase. She was young, too, and gentle. She didn't get saved. Takeshi... has started to wonder if maybe it's not enough for people to protect him. He recalls the frightening moment at home in which he ended up all alone, surrounded by monsters. There was a very real, still tangible fear in his heart as he'd frantically fought them away.]

Sometimes people can't protect me... I gotta' protect myself sometimes.

And sometimes grown-ups need to be protected, too.

[jurisimpudent]

[Edgeworth hesitates. When he speaks, his voice is gentle.]

You...shouldn't think like that. You should feel content that - we'll always do our best to protect you. All right? It's fine for you to look out for yourself, but grown-ups protect other grown-ups, and grown-ups protect you.

[throwsdown]

But if I always think that way, I might die... and I don't wanna die again.

[jurisimpudent]

[A pause.]

What do you mean, "die again"?

OH NO I found this bychance, if you're not up to backtagging don't mind it!

[throwsdown]

I died once! ... Then I woke up in a aparpment. I met my new dad there... And new friends. We all died and then we were alive again... And we had to make points! [Takeshi doesn't speak much of it, but then, it hasn't really come up a lot... Takeshi's really not sure how it works, but he's really sure of this much.]

and...right...back...at...you

[jurisimpudent]

Um -

[He hesitates, then uncertainly shakes his head- ]

That's...quite a...story, young man.

[throwsdown]

It's not a story! It's real life.

Dad said I couldn't talk about it or my head would a'splode before. But it doesn't do that anymore.

[in fact the explodey chip is still implanted in his head tbh]

[jurisimpudent]

Why...would your head explode?

[throwsdown]

'Cuz there's a chip in my head! A chip!

Right here!

[He taps his finger to his head, nodding, sure of himself.]

I think it's on this side. I think. But it's somewhere in here.

It makes my head a'splode if I talk about the games. And the aparpment. But it doesn't do that here.

[IT'S A GOOD THING TOO

OR HE'D BE DEAD A FEW TIMES OVER]

[jurisimpudent]

And how did...that get in there.

[Um kid...]

[throwsdown]

... I don't know. I think someone put it there when we didn't know.

[A+ explanations]

It doesn't hurt, though. Don't worry!

[obviously that's why you're asking about it more]

[jurisimpudent]

I'm less worried about the pain and more the danger of it, if it is indeed in there. Have you been to one of the doctors?

[throwsdown]

No!!

...

I don't like doctors.

[THEY MIGHT GIVE ME A SHOT???

FUCK THAT]

[jurisimpudent]

But doctors are...good. They help you. They bring you better health. They're there to help.

[throwsdown]

... I guess....

But they might cut my brain open to see. I don't want that...

[jurisimpudent]

No, they won't, Takeshi.

[Firmly:]

They'll just do a scan.