23 - dictated

[takethat]

[It's late at night when Phoenix spots the cat, as he's traversing the halls of the castle, headed back to his room.]

Oh--uh, hey there?

[Although the creature is a little too deep in his uncanny valley, he still puts on a friendly smile. It's not that much stranger than meeting a lion here, after all, right? Probably just a new resident from some weird world with bizarre cat things.]

...are you new around here?

[But the cat doesn't say anything. Phoenix shrugs and is about to wander on toward his destination, when suddenly there's a heavy weight flung into the left side of his body; he's knocked over, the journal skidding some distance away and falling open, to record the full attack.]


What--aaaaggghh!!! Get off me! Get... get away! No!

[The sounds of a struggle are plainly evident for a few moments more, before a rustling as the journal is quickly retrieved, and desperate panting, running--]

GLaDOS!!

[He reaches her door, on the same floor as his own room but further down the hall, and bangs frantically, begging to be let in.]

GLaDOS, please please open the door, please...!

[But no answer comes quickly enough, and the cat is there again, and Phoenix takes off once more, already knowing the sprint to his own room is fruitless--]

H...help! Somebody, please--it's following me! It's--

[And then a scream filled with fear and agony... and then silence, for a long while before Phoenix speaks again.


This time, his voice is hollow.]

Oh my god...

Comments

[cantacquityou]

[Running towards you now.

He pauses when he sees the figure on the floor in the distance, and quickens his pace...]

[takethat]

[Phoenix is curled up there, clutching the shoulder still remaining from the theft of his arm. Somehow, the wound never bled and still isn't, but it feels strange--not painful, but certainly not pleasant, either.

When he sees Miles coming, he stares at him with wide eyes, his face tinged a sickly green.]

B-be careful... it could be anywhere...!

[cantacquityou]

[He drops to his knees beside Phoenix and ats his side to make sure that his arm isn't hidden inside of his shirt and that this is not some sort of Halloween prank on Phoenix's part.

Then again, it still could be some sort of prank... The castle wouldn't hesitate to take a limb for a laugh.

Upon realizing that there was no arm there, Edgeworth attempts to pull him up and towards the room door.]

Inside. Inside, now!

[takethat]

[He whimpers, but with Edgeworth's help, gets to his feet and more or less falls into the door to his room, shoving it open with too much effort and causing it to bang into the wall.]

It's still out there, it's out there--it'll get someone else too--what if it's in my room?!

[cantacquityou]

[He closes the door behind him and proceeds to examine the...lack of arm.]

You're...not bleeding. How do you feel?

[takethat]

I don't know!

[Frantic? Terrified?]

I... kind of... I think I'm gonna puke.

[cantacquityou]

Calm yourself. [His voice is not commanding. He attempts to soothe his frantic partner by rubbing his back.]

This is very likely a loss.

[takethat]

A loss?!?

[This is calming himself.]

My arm is gone. The castle doesn't take away limbs, Miles--the cat took it!!

[So much for trying to maintain some semblance of sanity; he sits down in his office chair and bursts into tears.]

[cantacquityou]

[Well, shit. How do I handle something something like this?]


...Phoenix...

[takethat]

[He cries for a brief moment before apparently realizing himself once again and trying to still his tears. It doesn't entirely work, but the effort is there, although he's still quite panicked.]

What if it gets someone else?? We can't leave it out there! We should go stop it--

[And he's on his feet again, looking at Miles expectantly.]

[cantacquityou]

Will you sit down!? Just what the hell do you intend to do in your position?

[takethat]

Something! The castle needs to be warned and... and protected...

[Still, he sits back down. Miles can be very commanding when he wants to be.]

[cantacquityou]

Protect yourself before you go worrying about others!

[takethat]

[He's still crying and quivering, but staring at his own feet now, apparently ashamed by his own behavior.]

I... I don't know what to do. That thing... it just... pounced, and then ripped my arm off... ah, I can still feel what it felt like...

[He's clearly troubled by this, shaking his head slowly, trying to erase that memory.]

[cantacquityou]

[At this point, he doesn't know how to react to this. He was right, this was odd, even by the Castle's standards. This causes for more worry.

He gathers Phoenix into his arms, speaking lowly, stroking his back in an attempt to soothe him...]


We will figure this out. It will be alright...

[takethat]

I'm scared.

[He presses his face against Edgeworth's shoulder, hiccuping with tears.]

I'm so afraid it'll hurt you or my friends or Trucy... and I'm...

[He falls silent then, content for the moment just to cry noisily with his single arm wrapped around Edgeworth, gripping the back of his shirt tightly.

Fix it, Miles.]

[cantacquityou]

[He couldn't recall Phoenix crying like this since...well, many, many years ago. Phoenix was the more sentimental type, yes, but Edgeworth was very aware that Phoenix had always tried to subdue certain feelings and even curb his impulsive behaviour in his presence. For Phoenix to behave this way, this must have been far more horrid than he could imagine.

He simply sits and strokes his back, allowing him the time to cry it out.]

[takethat]

[After another round of sobbing, Phoenix is finally able to calm himself and clear his head at least enough to speak a little bit more coherently. He stares at Edgeworth's jaw, unwilling to make eye contact and afraid to look at the left side of his body.]

How will I... how can I manage like this?

[cantacquityou]

[He eases out of the embrace to look at Phoenix. He turns his head up gently by his chin.]


As I said before, Phoenix, I suspect that this is merely one of the Castle's antics. A temporary loss.

[takethat]

I hope you're right. I... I don't know.

[It's very reluctantly that he lets go of his grip on Edgeworth.]

I just want to live a peaceful life for a little while. Surely... something good has to happen to me again sooner or later... right?

[cantacquityou]

It will.


[Rubs at Phoenix's side, where the arm used to be. It may be a bit of a morbid question, but Edgeworth wants to gauge the extent of Phoenix's discomfort..]

How does it feel? Tell me what happened.

[takethat]

[He winces at the rubbing, not because it hurts, but because it just feels so wrong.]

It... when it happened, it hurt like you wouldn't believe.

[His eyes are distant.]

...I could feel ripping, like my tendons and muscles... it was a nightmare.

[Or he wishes it was, again.]

Now it doesn't hurt as much. Just a dull kind of throbbing feeling. But it... feels all weird, and tingly even though it's gone...

[cantacquityou]

[So, even though there's no blood, it seems as though the "cat" didn't even spare the pain...

That's downright horrifying. And Edgeworth's eyes stung at the thought.

He placed a kiss on his forehead - a rather uncommon gesture for him.]

[takethat]

[And Phoenix's thoughts can't escape the cat, his mind replaying the whole horrible scene over and over again.]

I hope it doesn't go after anyone else, but... it had human hands and one human arm already. I think it's been getting around.

[cantacquityou]

It had what?