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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[ 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.]

[Edgeworth glances at his watch during the explanation, then looks back up to Ledah.]

I see. Thank you.

(So that much, at least, is no dream. If I can only verify the rest...)

Did you see the moments leading up to my unconsciousness -- and, more importantly, the cause?

Think nothing of it.

You awakened your Persona. Summoning one during the daylight hours can be draining.

...

(How can something so preposterous actually be the truth? All the facts seem to converge on this point, and yet... how can this possibly be right? Even that damned phosphorescent rock constituted borrowed power, not...

Is this truly a power that belongs in the hands of one such as myself? A man of science, and of no peculiar pedigree?)

...

[TL;DR: have one stunned and confused man having both his worldview and his very self-image turned upside-down.]

Is something else the matter?

[Of course, Ledah understands none of the causes for this shock.]

...This must be some form of mistake. For such power to be placed into hands such as mine... I can conceive of no motivation aside from cruel mischief.

If you feel unworthy of the power, then simply strive to become worthy of it. We aren't well off enough that we can afford to have you reject it.

[Edgeworth sighs.] It isn't that I deem myself undeserving of power; rather, I can think of others better suited to the task of wielding power of this nature, others who have long since accepted the touch of the supernatural on their lives... or... w-were even... born into it.

[Boy, was that last part hard to admit.]

...All of this is happening entirely too quickly.

Return to the hotel and rest. There's no reason to take everything on yourself at once.

...But I do think there is a reason for each of us to be here.

Chapter 08 ~ Action

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