who let the dogs out??

[jurisimpudent]

CHARACTERS: Miles "Fergie" Edgeworth and will.i.graham
LOCATION: The gardens what keep folks alive
WARNINGS: If you are allergic to dogs stay away
SUMMARY: Dogs meet up for a play-date.
NOTES: Slightly backdated.


[Mr. Graham stated that he has little interest in idle socialization. That should be a comfort, truly, yet for some reason, instead, it just leaves Edgeworth uneasy. Perhaps it's simply that his mentality has been altered by this ship, by the way the passengers occupy themselves through chatter, and he does not fully believe that the man will be content with silence. Perhaps he's nervous that the man will rebuff him as before, with that strange uncomfortable sort of humor. Perhaps he's intimidated by the man's career - because he's not a real prosecutor, never was, and how easy would it be for a member of the F.B.I. to look down on a mere security officer?

Stupid to be nervous.

Pess doesn't sense that. She's as cheerful as she ever is on a walk, prancing into the oxygen garden at the agreed-upon location with energy. She can clearly sense that an adventure is in the offing, and she seems delighted.

Edgeworth, though, just takes her around silently and unsmilingly. He's dressed in dark suit and tie; his manner is clearly standoffish.]

Comments

NO DON'T BE

[look]

[ it's highly possible that the way edgeworth is visibly and suddenly overcome has a lot to do with will's concern for his physical health, later on: such an abruptness of emotion, his face gone pale, body rigid, it could almost be a stroke or a pain or some other illness. ]

[ but he also has the look of a man who has simply suffered a great fright. will isn't... he isn't sure how to handle it. he leaves the young man be. ]

It's more common than you'd think.

[ he murmurs, though will graham's world is riotous with evil, populated nearly wholly by people with minimal ethics or conscience to speak of, both committing crimes and catching them. he thinks of chilton, of freddie lounds. of hannibal. ]

[ but he can actually take social cues, especially ones so plainly spelled out for him, and he takes a few steps away from edgeworth to call his own dog, knowing he might have to chase salem a little. ]

Okay then I'm not

[jurisimpudent]

[Pess is - now, like always - a calming presence; it takes a few moments to break away from her play with Salem, but when she does she comes to him and leans sweetly against his knees, after a moment putting her muddy paws up on his thigh in an attempt to lick his chin. He encircles her with his arms; she wriggles in happiness; he lets out a sigh, some of the panic from that monstrous epiphany leaking away from him.

It's a full minute after Graham's last comment that Edgeworth replies.]

Perhaps you're right.

[He doesn't really register how long it's been, how strange and awkward that is. Instead he just scratches behind Pess' ears, staring down at her big doggish smile, and is quiet another moment. Finally:]

I do want to thank you for agreeing to this. She seems much cheered.

good. .... i think.

[look]

Yeah.

[ will's still looking askance at him, but it's not as though he can cast stones in his own glass house of personality deficiencies and awkward pauses. he looks away instead, shifts, and then takes a few steps to call salem. ]

It's been good for them.

[ he drops into a crouch, braces himself for a lap full of wriggling collie. ]

We'll have to do it again sometime.

[jurisimpudent]

[Edgeworth nods, working his fingers under Pess' collar. He's relaxed visibly.]

Yes, sir. By your leave, perhaps we might establish something semi-regular?

[look]

[ by my leave will mouths to no-one, somewhere between amused and horrified. ]

Sure. Sure.

[ he wonders how offended edgeworth would be if he suggested trading off accompanying them. ]

[jurisimpudent]

[Edgeworth's looking down, though, so he misses that expression.]

Very well. I'll contact you regarding an arrangement once I've taken a look at my schedule.