The Velvet Key

[All over Prospero for the next couple of days, though primarily near the courthouse, Prosecutor's Office, and Bay View Hotel, you may encounter Miles Edgeworth looking amiss in a couple of ways.

First off, he's not wearing his usual suit. Instead, he's wearing a stiff (and lightly armored) burgundy trenchcoat over a dark grey bulletproof vest that fully covers his torso, shoulders, and neck (though the latter is less obvious since his cravat's tied around it), which in turn is over a plain white shirt. Plain burgundy pants and heavy-duty dark grey knee pads (and matching elbow pads, to judge by the way the coat is hanging) complete the ensemble.

Second, he's clearly extraordinarily fatigued, yawning with bags under his eyes and sluggish in his movements... if he hasn't already fainted, or isn't collapsing before your very eyes. There's likely a paper or styrofoam cup full of tea involved, whether he's awake and holding it in his hand or asleep and its contents have spilled nearby.

Miles Edgeworth may not be under the Devil Arcana's direct influence yet, but being one of the few sane people left on the island is taking its toll nonetheless.]

[[OOC: This post is the fun-for-all-ages stage of things! The scary parts come later.]]

[Edgeworth is looking the part of the stern father and projecting a cold air of confidence, certainty, and determination to a level not many here have seen before as the video feed begins.]

Concerning the recent news, I feel it important to assure all of you that this case is not going ignored. Unfortunately, given the disposition of many within our ranks, I feel it necessary to spell out basic precepts of justice before anyone does something ill-advised and exacerbates the situation.

What I have to say is simply this: if you find someone who you believe to be the serial killer, do not simply kill him or her. Incapacitation prior to turning them in is acceptable, however. Even a criminal as abhorrent as this deserves to be tried and sentenced fairly, and it is my hope that the structure that currently exists is sufficient to the task.

Even if it is not, however, starting a cycle of vengeance is not the answer -- that would only reduce those involved to his level and erode what community we might possess. Now more than ever, we need to show restraint. I realize how foreign that concept must be to many of you given what apparently happened during my time abroad, but we have a responsibility to each other as kidnappees even more so than we would as members of a normal community.

I am not asking you to stand idle as such brutality takes place. I merely insist that any vigilantes keep firmly in mind that your role is not that of executioner, particularly not prior to any attempt to bring any suspect to trial. Even if you should catch them red-handed, steel yourselves against that temptation, capture the murderer if you're able, and do what you can to preserve the evidence. Prove that we can be better than a pack of wild animals.

[With that, the feed ends.]

[The feed that starts is at a strange angle. It's looking up at two men sitting on a bench outdoors, though the one in a black trenchcoat and burgundy pants is more clearly visible than the the one in a similarly black coat and green scarf. The former man looks rather irritated and pulls his hand up from the bench as he begins to speak to the latter. Maybe what jostled the phone loose was him striking the bench?]

( Technicolor chat between Edgeworth and Diarmuid here, with a plot-relevant namedrop at the start! )

[As Edgeworth runs out of words, Diarmuid pulls his "son" into a hug. Edgeworth looks awkward for a moment, then raises his arms to at least attempt to embrace his "father" in return. Shortly after that, the feed cuts out.]

[[OOC: Joint accidental post! Either Edgeworth or Diarmuid may reply or threadjack.]]

[Hello, Prospero! This is a very disapproving and irritated Edgeworth with a display shelf full of various polearms behind him.]

In light of the results of a certain recent expedition, the general quality of the armaments I've observed among those who favor those that aren't firearms, and the length of the case thus far, I've been forced to conclude that either your collective observational skills could be reproduced by someone wearing headphones and a blindfold or your collective problem-solving skills are on par with those of cartoon villains.

As it seems that I must do your work for you, I spent today seeking out an arms dealer. As it only took me this long to discover this "Felix's Finds" which serves as the closest thing available, I would imagine that it would take someone unused to investigation roughly a week. Given that the kidnappings began in late June and no small number of us contend with murderous beings of an improbable nature on a regular basis, that the existence of this collector's shop isn't common knowledge begs explanation -- even should that explanation prove to further undermine my faith in humanity.

I unfortunately feel it necessary to clarify that he cannot afford to be open about his efforts to cater to our needs, and that his understanding of the situation is limited at best. As such, discretion is necessary in our dealings with him.

[The following message is accompanied by a close-up image of a pair of round silver cufflinks with this design etched into them. They're apparently pinned to the end of a burgundy sleeve, and are small enough to make it unlikely that the design was hand-carved.]

While I can appreciate the craftsmanship of these cufflinks, I don't recall owning a pair like these. I have as little idea concerning how they came to be pinned to my suit as I do of how I came to be on this unfamiliar island. If anyone has seen a pair of silver cufflinks studded with a pair of half-carat garnets each or can shed light onto the origins of this pair, I would appreciate the lead.