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

[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?

[takethat]

It had human body parts. On its cat body.

[It's okay, Miles. Maybe he's just going a little nuts from the shock...]

[cantacquityou]

[I can't even begin to picture that.]

[takethat]

...please don't leave me alone tonight.

[cantacquityou]

Of course not. [He cups his face into his palm, rubbing at his cheek with his thumb.]

[takethat]

...I'm considering never leaving my room again...

[cantacquityou]

How large was this creature?

[takethat]

It was just a regular cat size, but for the human bits...

[cantacquityou]

That sounds absolutely terrifying.

[takethat]

At first I just thought it was a new resident.

[cantacquityou]

...and...?

[takethat]

...and so I tried to talk to it. ...if it's a new resident, we need to kick it out... fast.

[cantacquityou]

Forgive me if I may sounds a bit discriminatory but if I were to see something like that, my first thought would not be to fraternize with it...

this icon isn't 'wounded'

[takethat]

[He gives Miles a wounded look.]

Judging my actions isn't going to get my arm back.

[cantacquityou]

I am so sorry.

[takethat]

Anyway, I... I've met some pretty strange characters here... I even talked to a real lion once...