ataraxionlogs | ( mostly closed ) when we were young the future was so bright

[Edgeworth is usually steely-nerved - or at least puts forth the appearance of having steely nerves. He's trained himself assiduously over the course of several years to be controlled, composed, firm - but he's found lately, in the past few weeks, that he's lost a lot of that control. So he reacts more strongly than is his wont, tensing and leaning forward and turning towards the man with thin lips - ready to go on the defensive, or on the attack.

After a moment, he forces himself to calm down; it's nearly a visible effort. But once he is calm, he pushes himself to his feet, and once standing he at least cuts a fairly impressive figure: tall, handsome, broad-shouldered, with a truly impressive and venomous and near-constant glare. A few years younger than Snape, though, and with something nervous about the way he stands and folds his arms.]

Of course. You do such vital work.

[That's said with an acid twist of sarcasm - a very unfair twist of sarcasm, truth be told. Edgeworth hasn't any idea what they actually do in Snape's department; Tyke had handled all dealings with them, and Sirius had thoroughly convinced him that any endeavor of Snape's wasn't really worth looking into.]

I would have appreciated a message warning me of your lateness. That would have only been polite.

What do you wish to speak to me about? [ --is said practically over Edgeworth's last few words. Severus keeps his voice quiet, forcing him to pay attention if he wants to hear him.

(For the record, Miles, insulting his work isn't polite either. You get what you put into something.)

His gaze is critical, but not remotely intimidated, even when the other man stands up and attempts to loom at him. Shocking, truly, that Black's friends are going to exude tendencies toward physically bullying as well. ]

[And Edgeworth's lips thin further in displeasure at Snape's soft tones. Clearly a calculated gesture; clearly a grab for the upper hand in the conversation. When someone is speaking quietly, they're expecting to be paid attention to - or trying to enforce an image of themselves as someone to be paid attention to. Edgeworth endeavors to sneer, trying to in some way demonstrate his contempt for this tactic. (He doesn't know whether he succeeds.)]

And now you compound your rudeness by pretending your time is of value when you've disrespected mine. How altogether charming.

[And he tilts his chin up.]

It's rather appropriate, though, considering that what I wish to speak with you about is your disrespect.

[ Oh. So this is to be a personal issue, then.

Severus hikes one eyebrow up, and says nothing. He simply stares at Edgeworth. All right, asshole, since your time is so valuable, get the fuck on with it.

He knows the other man wants an argument - all lawyers do - but he's not going to give it to him that easily. ]

[Edgeworth waits, and waits a breath more, expecting some acknowledgment - but Snape can't even bring himself to engage in a social nicety even that basic. Edgeworth has been feeling a sluggish sort of annoyance, a slow impatience, all this time, but this kindles real anger within him.

When he speaks, his voice is clipped; his enunciation is flawless.]

You are familiar, I think, with Sirius Black.

[ In turn, Severus waits.

And waits some more.

Right when it seems as though he might not respond at all he offers one, drawling word: ]

Unfortunately.

[ Despite being shorter than Edgeworth, there's a sense that Severus is looking down on him. It's a long-practiced skill, this air of aloof disdain and superiority without being aggrandizing about it. As if he knows that he's in the right at all times with such certainty that he doesn't even feel the need to try and assert it. He simply is. ]

Edited 2014-05-19 23:10 (UTC)

[And Edgeworth's expression darkens considerably at that; his glare (bad enough) turns into a scowl (far worse), and his defensively crossed arms tighten, and his fists clench. His voice grows more clipped. The pace of his speech increases as well.]

I would respectfully request that you cease this absurd campaign against him.

I would be completely happy to.

[ ... What.

Severus moves his arms from back to front, posture still austere but less closed off. Deceptively cooperative. ]

If you would point me to what, exactly, I have done or said against Black, I will immediately apologize.

[ Meanwhile, something in his expression has twisted just slightly - somewhere behind his eyes and difficult to pinpoint. He doesn't trust this, not one bit. Severus hasn't done anything to Sirius except fight back when attacked and, to date, prevent him from being killed. Twice.

Something is going on here. ]

[Admittedly, this whole thing has been reckless. Edgeworth contacting Snape was reckless. He has no idea what Snape said to Lupin - indeed, Sirius doesn't even know what Snape said to Lupin - and so he can't cite that evidence. There's no evidence at all to cite, not within his grasp. And, hell, the stupidity continues: after all, this isn't going to make Snape change his ways, and if Sirius gets wind of it he'll just be angry.

But, if Edgeworth is being charitable to himself, he'll just tell himself that he's zealous in defense of his friend. (And if he's being honest, he'll tell himself that he's spoiling for a fight.)]

This, to begin with. You have to date shown me uncommon rudeness due to your awareness of my association with him - once, by refusing the information I offered you in a spirit of helpfulness, and now by your general churlishness. Do you deny this?

Are you referring to the time when, despite professing friendship with a wizard, you insulted my - our - entire culture by dismissing it in the very first instance in which you ever spoke to me?

[ His voice, always quiet, takes on a bladed edge. Dark eyes fix on Edgeworth's. Yes, he was predisposed to rudeness based on his known association with Black, but make no mistake: Severus would have been just as curt with him even if that was not a factor, given what was said. ]

Then yes. [ Without really waiting for an answer to his pointedly rhetorical question. ] I do deny it. Unless he's been controlling you and forcing you to behave in this abysmally ignorant fashion, then it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone but you.

[Edgeworth scoffs, and stares right back, and begins his counterattack with an acidic:]

It's not precisely in Mr. Black's nature to engage in control.

[Which is very pointed, and very much pointed at Snape. Sirius has told Edgeworth enough of his world for Edgeworth to know the sorts of things Dark wizards did, and enough of Snape to know that Snape has probably done these things. Spells of pain, spells of death, spells of control, those are the sorts of things that men like this do.

(And that thought is accompanied by a wash of nauseous hatred; Edgeworth isn't fully cognizant of where it comes from, but it is keen.)]

So your claim is that you were wounded by having your methods questioned, then? I am truly sorry for having caused you such insecurity, that I professed skepticism regarding something unproven - but oh, it was insulting your culture. Of course.

[He jerks his chin upwards.]

For some reason, sir, I suspect that you might be lying. Either that, or you are pathetically emotionally frail.

[ The blank look Edgeworth receives in response to his little fit there telegraphs the total lack of impact his words have had. He's going to have to up his insult game to even register on the scale of things that bother Severus. W o w you're so mean, mister muggle lawyer, he's going to go cry himself to sleep, nobody's ever called him dumb or a baby before. How about you tack 'ugly' on there, too, this is all so unheard of. ]

You're not really very good at that, [ he says softly. ] Cutting people down to size, I mean. You've left me quite intact. Perhaps you should ask Black for pointers. It's a hobby of his.

[ Severus is, of course, assuming that Edgeworth is aware of the number of times Sirius has hit him - attacked him, made him bleed, left him with broken cartilage in his face and split skin - so far in his short time on board. They are both members of security, after all. Obviously it's sanctioned, the pathetic excuse for law and order here. He may concede cooperation with Tyke for xenogen's sake, but he'll never respect her or anyone she employs. They're all like this. ]

I -

[He's slightly thrown by that comment. In truth, Edgeworth isn't good at it; he's tried very hard to be, for a very long time, but he lacks a certain fundamental viciousness to really be devastating. He'd tried to study cruelty, but it had always come to him with difficulty, and the acquisition process had been curtailed by circumstance. But he'd always convinced himself that he was skilled with an insult; having this man just brush him aside -

He tries to recenter himself. Tries to bring back his focus, to be as devastating as he wants to be.

But instead all that comes out is this:]

Sirius Black is a good man.

[ Maybe if Edgeworth weren't lost still in the storm Morgoth made of his mind, he'd realize that trying for something he has no stomach for is wrong and not what he should be doing. Maybe if Severus weren't so self-righteously irritated about this confrontation, he'd be able to see it.

But no.

Instead, he cracks a smile. It's uneven, unpleasant, and if there's mirth to his eyes at all, it's a very spiteful sort. ]

That tells me everything I need to know about you.

[And Edgeworth hates that smile at once. He hates the falseness of it, the unpleasantness of it; he hates its mockery. It needles his hatred.

He bites out:]

Oh, of course. Because Mr. Black is mean to you, and so now I suffer guilt by association, I suppose. Is that what you're trying to imply?

Are you listening? [ His face is more expressive now, and cruel. Mocking. ] I don't like you. You are the ignorant, pompous imbecile wasting my time right now, you are the one who thinks it's acceptable to come shove your face into business completely irrelevant to you.

If you think being loyal to a violent criminal who sold his family out and used his so-called best friend as a murder weapon makes you any more worth my time than the inbred moron in question then you need to go get some more oxygen, Mr Edgeworth, because you're not feeling up to the highest brain function possible today.

[Perhaps to Edgeworth's credit, or perhaps not, the insults towards him don't even land; ignorant, pompous asshole gets nothing more than a twitch of his chin, a slight motion to the side like he's sweeping it away. Edgeworth truly isn't even so very loyal by nature, but two years of close friendship with Sirius Black tends to inculcate a few tendencies in a person. Stubborn, blind protectiveness is one of them.]

Sold his family out? His family is nothing more than a lot of nasty, manipulative, blind, hateful idiots. [Here, he speaks with certainty; he's heard enough of them to know.] They disowned him. For the crime of having qualities distasteful to them. The betrayal didn't come from him.

[He gestures impatiently.]

And he has been nothing but good to his friends. And he is no murderer, so I don't know what nonsense you're speaking of there.

[ Severus rolls his eyes. He actually rolls his eyes. What a complete bore this man must be in court. Watching Lucius Malfoy eat him for breakfast while doing his taxes with half his attention might be funny, but Merlin. No wonder he can't conceive of Black doing anything wrong; he'd be shocked to learn Edgeworth's ever won a case in his life. ]

That'll be enough out of you for today, [ he says dismissively. ] Maybe you should go think about why you're so preemptively defensive if you really don't believe me.

[ Instead of Disapparating, Severus begins to walk by him towards the exit. Not even worth wasting magic on to get away from. ]

[It's unprofessional of him, of course. It's unsporting, too. He's spent every day for the past year and a half training assiduously for security; Edgeworth has become strong, and is certainly stronger than this thin, sickly-looking man. So to use force is simply unfair, but Edgeworth's patience is so thin, and that feeling of hatred in him so consuming, that he steps forward and grabs Snape by the upper arm and yanks him back.

And he snaps at him:]

Don't you dare walk away from me.

[ Edgeworth is stronger than him, likely by far. Severus is not frail, but his strength is wiry and underutilized-- he's jerked back and he pulls against it, almost wrenching his shoulder in the immediacy of his instinct to get away, but doesn't break free.

He is livid. The look he gives the other man might as well be sending flames shooting out of his eyes. ]

You're just alike-- [ he hisses, furious, ] Let go of me.

[And Edgeworth shoves him away. No matter his anger, he isn't a bully, and won't ever be; this was to get Snape's attention rather than to rattle him around.

But there's also no apology. He bites out in return, matching fury for fury:]

No. You will hear me out.

[ The force of it sends Severus back into a table, almost tripping over. ] Go to hell.

[ It's immediate, almost growled. Never. He's never listening to a thing this man says, ever again. Whatever possibility there was - if any existed - has evaporated completely and permanently. Severus looks like he'd like to spit on him or curse him or anything. Looks like he's liable to, as well, right hand (wand hand) seizing into a fist and not leaving his side. It doesn't have to, though - wizards don't throw punches. ]

Edited 2014-05-20 03:58 (UTC)

[But Edgeworth doesn't respond to that curse. Instead, he raises his index finger, and he directs it right into Snape's face.]

Sirius has proven himself here time and again. He's saved the lives of a dozen people on-board this ship, myself included. You've done nothing except snipe at his back. Leave him alone, and stop trying to sabotage his friendships out of spite.

[ It doesn't matter what Edgeworth is saying. As soon as his hand flies in Severus's face, he reacts. He's wound tightly now, and what happens when someone who's spent over half the years of his life either in training for or fighting a covert guerrilla war gets pressed into a corner like this and suddenly feels distinctly threatened is that he goes on the defensive. And for a Slytherin, the best defense is a good offense.

His own hand jerks up and an invisible force snaps between them, shoving Edgeworth away like a physical push harder than Severus ever could with his slight frame and slim muscles. It stings, too, like foil over his nerves and leaving his head dry and brittle inside.

It's a warning shot, but it's far from a miss. ]

[That show of magic - it brushes against something irrational and terrified in Edgeworth. It's stupid - it's stupid - but the last time he had something like this used against him, it was in the dark hold of that dark house, people all around him, unable to help them...

So he stumbles back, tripping over his feet, in response to that force. But his retaliation (spurred on by fear rather than spite) comes a moment later; a burst of telekinetic force slams into Snape, hard and brutal and unfocused. It's less an attack than a blind strike, and so depending on where it lands it might do considerable damage to him or very little.

Edgeworth himself doesn't look up when it happens. He's barely even cognizant of the exercise of his power. He's staring down at his feet, trying to get his bearings.]

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