tvk | Chapter 08 ~ Action

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archer (gilgamesh)

Chapter 08 ~ Action

[ If you happen to decide to visit the bookstore today (or, you know, you work here), you'll notice there is a fairly large amount of books laying in front of the store, as if they were tossed out with little care. We're talking piles of books, guys. You can probably take them if you want, because it doesn't seem anyone is actually paying attention to what the hell is going on. Just be careful if you walk into the store, because you may or may not be pelted with even more books. Why? Because Gilgamesh. Do we really need to say more? He's been busy going through literally every book in the store, and discarding any he finds offensive. You can already tell where this is going, right?

Gilgamesh. In the bookstore. Disposing of books. While wearing this. Yes, your worst nightmares have come true. Gilgamesh is the new owner of this fine establishment, much to the horror of two certain servants who just so happen to work here part-time. How will they react? How will you react? Let us find out on today's action packed episode of Goldie Takes Over The World! ]

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[ But see, this is Gilgamesh. He kind of takes pride in angering people. And so Edgeworth's steel glare is met with a most amused look. ]

I believe my thought process while checking each book was something along the lines of "Do I agree with this subject? Would a King actually want this in his collection? Would it actually benefit his people?"

That is all.

OBJECTION! [Have a hand smacked on the desk between the two of you, Gilgamesh. Seems you're doing pretty well at pushing Edgeworth's buttons!]

You've removed entirely too much for the benefit of others to have truly been one of your priorities! The boxes outside include not only classic literature, but several books about history and science -- subjects vital to the functioning and advancement of society!

[ And that little outburst will just leave him staring at Edgeworth like he's either stupid or crazy. Or both. ]

If they want that heretical bullshit, they can go to a library. This is my store and I will run it whatever way I wish to, mongrel. What I deem or do not deem worthy of my subjects is of little concern to you. Now, unless you want to wind up being thrown through a bookcase like the last fool who questioned my authority, I suggest you leave.

[Not so much stupid or crazy as passionate about the subject and ignorant of the circumstances.]

You would call heresy all that makes the world outside this very window possible?! [He points to the side, out at the street.] It is knowledge that gives mankind such power!

Considering how vile and corrupt this world is? Yes, I would. Humanity has lost itself since the times when the world as still united as one. If I can not truly take my rightful place as king once more, I will at least ensure none of this filth is left to further contaminate the minds of these mongrels. Even if they are past saving.

[Edgeworth actually smirks at this, an expression both cruel and knowing.]

Hah! You speak of a time that never was, sir. Though efforts might have been made to conquer the world throughout history, only through ignorance of the Earth's size would anyone think themselves to have succeeded! Humankind had spread far and wide by the time agriculture and cities came to be, let alone empires.

Furthermore, while mankind's heart may be dark, this isn't a matter which has worsened with time. Quite the contrary, in fact -- as we have come to understand one another, we have opened our eyes to the basic humanity of more and more people. We continue to learn how to distinguish the diseased from the merely unusual, the dangerous from baseless fears, and others' weaknesses from our own. We've even created machines that have made it possible to abolish slavery.

Knowledge is not merely the basis for power, but the ladder which can lead us away from our darker impulses. There is a reason why the word "enlightenment" came to be.

[ Edgeworth may have noticed that during his entire little speech, Gilgamesh was hardly paying any attention. He actually turned to one of his books and was lazily reading of it, only half listening to what was said. ]

Yes, yes. I've heard it a million times by now. How much you mongrels think the world has improved since the origin of man means little to me. I know what I've seen over these past few years, and it doesn't show me any improvement. Mongrel technology and architecture has gotten better, but that says nothing for the fools themselves.

Everything is made by machines. There is no heart and soul. No blood, sweat, or tears. Humanity is not much more than a lot of lazy bovine, waiting for the grass to grow for them to eat. This is why I wished to erase humanity during that war.

[As horrified as Edgeworth may be at Gilgamesh admitting to a desire for genocide, he makes a point to further chill his glare rather than allow Gilgamesh a glimpse of weakness.]

That you cannot see the heart and soul of the modern man only proves that you haven't the faintest notion of where to look, that you haven't any idea what you're really doing. You're right that it isn't to be found in the practice of mass production. Instead, you've thrown it out your own door!

[...Was that a flicker of blue behind Edgeworth's eyes? Whatever it was, Edgeworth doesn't seem to have noticed, instead continuing without pause.]

Today, it is the mind rather than the body that sits at the root of a great man, and it is creative ideas and the pursuit of truth that the best of us strive and toil to make bear fruit. Perhaps not all of humanity rises to that challenge, but that is certainly no reason to deny the merely unexceptional the chance to overcome their own weaknesses!

[ And this is probably where they really start clashing horns. Still, Gil is all too amused by just how serious this guy is. Though he does have to wonder if moving towards the man will make him falter even a bit. Even without his servant status, his crimson eyes do still have something oddly entrancing and intimidating about them. ]

So you believe what proves a man to be worthy is not by his strength, but his mind? Do you really believe that? Tell me something. How good is intelligence when you're facing a horde of mindless creatures you can't even begin to explain? Just how will all the knowledge in the world save you from their hungry jaws?

[The movement only prompts Edgeworth to move his head as necessary keep his gaze locked on said red eyes. His own mentor's were nearly as intimidating, after all, That final question, however, prompts a strange sensation for Edgeworth -- a headache accompanying a faint whisper from nowhere that paradoxically is both familiar and unfamiliar:]

(If all the world's knowledge isn't enough, we'll just find more, won't we, Miles?...)

[Outwardly, though, all that's clear is that Edgeworth is struggling to keep his glare focused on Gilgamesh's eyes, not out of fear but an apparent headache given that the prosecutor is now lifting a hand to rub his temple.]

Power is a thing that can be undermined with cunning application of the proper knowledge. A small yet correct effort in the proper place and time will win over blind applications of excessive force -- even in those cases where both will work, one most often achieves a more complete victory with the former than the latter.

On that subject, given your particular bias, can you say for certain that you haven't on multiple occasions mistaken well-placed effort for the laziness you cite as being ubiquitous?

[ Okay, that last bit triggers one of his defense mechanisms. Even if it wasn't Edgeworth's intent, it works pretty well. His eyes narrow, and in mere seconds he's only a few inches away from the prosecutor. He may be used to the same treatment from the infamous von Karma, but at least von Karma never had any intent of killing for merely speaking in his presence, right? ]

Are you trying to suggest any of my judgements have been wrong in some way? You must really have a death wish to say that in the presence of any king, much less myself.

[Keeping up a brave front is becoming a struggle. Edgeworth had seen threats like this in the eyes of others, primarily defendants about to be convicted of murder, but it was generally from several feet away with desks barring the way of a direct assault. If this reminded him of anything, it was the moment when the so-called "Callisto Yew" leveled a gun at him from across a deserted courtroom several years ago.

Edgeworth was a somewhat braver man now than he was then, but that didn't stop fear from coursing through him. What's worse, now that headache was becoming pounding. The golden king might notice that the blue flicker that passed through Edgeworth's eyes moments ago returns a second before the prosecutor clutches his forehead, staggers back...]

The age of kings... is long past... precisely because... a king's wisdom... pales before the wisdom... of a hundred... of humanity's finest.

[...and somehow manages to continue making his argument.]

(We know our stuff, don't we, Miles? Knowledge is power, and more knowledge is more power.)

[As the voice in Edgeworth's mind speaks again, he finds himself extremely disoriented.]

Wh...wh-who are...

(Thou art I and I am thou...)

[ Wow, Edgey. Good going with that one. For a guy who's ego has been thrown into the mud and trampled on since he's gotten here, he doesn't show it at all. In fact, he's even going to attempt to grab hold of the man's collar and lift him up, bringing him face to face with the eyes of history's first hero, a man with more pride and arrogance than should be legal. No, he won't kill the fool. He'll only show him the way out. It wouldn't do any good to get his hands dirty with the blood of so mongrel, would it?

But then that last bit snaps whatever mindstate he might be in and caused him to fall into another bout of laughter, a little more sinister and mocking this time. ]

What, mongrel? Do you have the memory of a goldfish? I'm Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes!

[ Because obviously he can't hear who the hell Edgeworth is actually talking to. ]

(I am Forneus.
Starting today, my greatness will multiply your own!)

[For some reason, Gilgamesh's hand starts to grow colder instead of warmer as he holds Edgeworth in the air, as though he were holding up a well-iced drink instead of a human being. This serves as a second's notice of a weak, uneven blue light playing over the retrained prosecutor's body.

Next, it seems almost as though an unfelt gust of wind has caused a somehow-unnoticed wide cape of blue see-through fabric to billow out from the prosecutor's back -- but it only takes a second for it to become clear that this isn't a cape at all, but some sort of giant ethereal manta ray with minor humanoid features rising out of Edgeworth.]

Edited 2011-12-24 04:30 (UTC)

[ ...Welp, that's enough to cause Gil to drop the guy to the floor. Not really out of fear, but anger. Anger, because he has yet to awaken his persona. Because some mongrel is technically superior to him due to the circumstances of this stupid place. It seems like everything has been going horribly wrong every since that night, and he isn't happy about it in the least bit. ]

Get out.

[ A simple demand. His voice DOES sound rather irritated. It might be best to listen to him for once. ]

[Edgeworth is too disoriented to even attempt to keep his balance, and so collapses roughly to the floor; only survival instinct and what little consciousness remains allow him to use his left arm to halt his collapse just shy of the floor with a grunt before he can get a head injury. Of course, his head was in so much pain that he might as well already have one, to say nothing of the injuries from that short drop.

Edgeworth's arm hurt, his legs hurt, his rear hurt, his side hurt, and most of all, his head and what felt like his very connection to reality itself hurt. Was it the being above him -- Forneus, his Persona, that much he sensed clearly -- or himself who was stretched across the gulf between realities, dreams, and things that are neither? Was the difference anything more than academic?

Gilgamesh's demand is a vague, distant thing to Edgeworth -- something processed less as a command to obey and more as a beacon showing which direction to collapse in.

To Gilgamesh, what happens next seems simple: the insolent mongrel who barely caught himself groans, the weak blue light fades from him, he slumps the rest of the way to the ground, the sea monster floating above him fades away... then nothing save the soft heaves of continued breathing. Edgeworth is unconscious.]

[This is about the point where someone who had been paying small attention to the two's argument from across the bookstore steps in.]

This is not proper behavior for a bookstore. Please step aside and I will return him to the hotel.

[Ledah doesn't know anything about Gilgamesh, this is just ridiculous.]

[ Wow. Just... wow. There is now some mongrel laying unconcious on his floor. His first thoughts SHOULD be something along the lines of 'oh fuck am i going to get sued for this', but seeing how Gil will be Gil, his first reaction is to cackle hideously. ]

Damned fool. You can't even handle such power. I'd hate to see how you would have reacted to my ow--

[ And that's when Ledah cuts in. He'll shoot a quick glare to the man, but eventually shrug his shoulders and walk back to his desk, flopping down in the chair. ]

Do what you must.

[Ledah picks up Edgeworth in his arms, glances back at Gilgamesh (still linefacing), and moves to head out the doorway.]

I do not believe I will be gracing you with my patronage.

[Out the door.]

[While a full-grown and reasonably well-built man, Edgeworth is fortunately not unusually heavy for his size, and his external injuries don't seem to be serious. On the other hand, small trickles of blood come from his nose and ears depending on how he's held. Something to do with that Persona-summoning outside of the Dark Hour, perhaps?]

[Hm. That isn't something he would be able to explain to a doctor. The reasonable option, then, is to exert himself.

He sets Edgeworth down on a nearby bench. For a brief moment, he calls forth his own Persona, a red-skinned warrior who happens to be blessed with the power to heal.]

Dia.

[The healing glow washes over Edgeworth, and the Persona disappears.

Ledah waits to see if the bleeding continues. If it's something that requires medical attention, he will seek it, even if it will force him to lie about the circumstances.]

[Fortunately, a simple healing spell proves to be enough; not only is the psychic nosebleed gone, but his bruises are as well. He grunts faintly at the unfamiliar force, but doesn't seem to be waking up immediately.]

[Since there is no immediate danger, Ledah sits down on the bench beside him to wait for him to wake on his own. If anyone asks what an unconscious man is doing out on a bench, he will look at them until they decide not to ask that again.]

[It takes over half an hour, but Edgeworth does eventually come to, pull himself to a sitting position, and rub sleep from his eyes. He then looks around in confusion.]

Where is this...? [Quickly, skeptical grey eyes settle on the stranger sitting next to him.] Are you responsible for my being here?

I did. I stepped in after you fell unconscious and removed you from the bookstore, as well as healed you.

You are outside, not very far from bookstore, in a park.

[Ledah answers both questions simply and clearly.]

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