ACE ATTORNEY AU

[enigmaster]

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[agoodname]

...okay. [his voice wobbles again, slightly, and he clears his throat--getting all of that under control before he drops his hand]

Well, in that case, my condolences. [drawled, because sarcasm is a very good defense mechanism h e y]

"I heard that! Naughty boy!" [speaking of, Gertrude sits on the table, tsking] "Teasing his mother like that."

[enigmaster]

[Well. Well, that's a response, alright. And Edward blinks a little at Gertrude's appearance.] She says she heard that. And you shouldn't tease her.

[agoodname]

[and Oswald blinks--yeah that's going to take him a moment, and his face does a sort of weird thing where he's not sure if he should be happy or sad or not so he just ends up looking confused] It's a son's job to keep his mother on her toes. "Yes, and my heels have never touched the ground in twenty-one years." [her response is automatic, practiced, like this is a common conversation.]

[enigmaster]

She says her heels haven't touched the ground in twenty-one years. [It's easy enough for Edward to repeat things. He's done this before, though usually the circumstances are... different. Worse.] ...I know this is... very weird.

[agoodname]

[when Edward says that first part, his expression starts to morph, and Oswald drops his head to hide it. It takes him a moment to actually respond] Ah. A bit. [his voice is...very quiet.]

[enigmaster]

...Yeah. I mean, it's... you know, normal for me, but. Very unbelievable for anyone else.

[agoodname]

[Oswald barks out a strangled laugh at that, though it hiccups a bit in the middle--and he swallows. What does he even say right now?]

[enigmaster]

Are you-- [oh my god no stop talking don't finish that sentence] ...okay? [goddammit Edward what the fuck do you think]

[agoodname]

...it's been a pretty strange day. [his voice wobbles a little--and he clears his throat, trying to get himself under control somehow. For all that Oswald has seemed almost a force of nature at times, he's...almost small now. Young. A kid who lost his parents a little over six months ago. Both of them at the same time.]

[enigmaster]

[Every day is strange on his end. He doesn't say that, because there's no point to that. That's not... what this is about, right now.] I'm sorry. About... what happened. [It feels like it needs to be said.]

[agoodname]

[he curls in on himself a bit more at that] ....did my mother tell you? [he manages a small, wet laugh] She's always been a gossip. "Ah, liebchen..." [Gertrude hovers her hands over his shoulders, looking down at him sadly]

[enigmaster]

She... did. Yes. Though I did ask her about it.

[agoodname]

[it takes a moment--but then] ...the other night. When you asked if I used to be a defense attorney.

[enigmaster]

Mhm-hm. After you... left, I asked her what happened to make you switch like that. I wanted to understand.

[agoodname]

...as I said. A gossip. [this is...he doesn't even know how to handle this, honestly. It's a lot. Especially to be told his mother is here] "A mother should always want to talk about her son." [quietly, sadly, and if Gertrude could cry like this, she might]

[enigmaster]

[...] ...It's personal. I probably shouldn't have asked.

[agoodname]

[Oswald shakes his head at that, once] It's fine. It's pretty well known anyway.

[enigmaster]

Oh. I wouldn't really know. [And then Edward goes quiet. Not... sure what to say, exactly.]

[agoodname]

[Oswald...sucks in a breath. What can he even say? He feels....lost.]

I'm...honestly not really sure what to say. [quietly]

[enigmaster]

If it helps at all, that makes two of us. I've never really gotten this far before.

[agoodname]

[Oswald scrubs at one of his eyes a bit, still blinking a little too rapidly] Seriously? What normally-- [but he's not actually able to finish his full question as the door to the interview room opens and a man walks in. Oswald startles, starting to turn in his seat] "Well. Oswald. I didn't expect to see you here." [Oswald spine immediately stiffens and he turns the rest of the way around.] Theo. How lovely to see you again. [clearly, what with the way he says it, it isn't. He pushes to his feet.] "I must say I'm surprised. What's the lead prosecutor on this case doing here, talking to the accused?" [Oswald lifts his chin just slightly] Gathering information, of course. Mr. Nygma is rather reticent but-- "Well, yes, as he should be." [Theo leans around Oswald a bit to smile at Edward, winking] "Don't trust this one--he's as wily as they come." "Ha!" [Gertrude, unseen by the others, chimes in, arms folded] "If anyone is wily, it is you! Snake in the grass!" "Anyway, Oswald, if you wouldn't mind giving me a moment with Mr. Nygma...I'm just curious to see what all the fuss is about, after all. Considering how many defense attorneys he's sent skittering back to the department. So...if you don't mind?"[Theo arches an eyebrow, and Oswald turns to glance back at Edward.] ....Mr. Nygma. I'll see you tomorrow, I'm sure.

[enigmaster]

[It's easy enough, slipping back into calm, unaffected, emotionless. Edward has plenty of practice with that and it's a good shield to have. Especially now. He doesn't know this man, but the reactions of both Oswald and Gertrude are... not promising. So he doesn't respond, really, at the man's wink. He just has that same blank stare as always. And he looks over, calmly, at Oswald.] ...I'm sure. [He has his guard up too much to say much more than that. And that softness in his voice is gone now.]

[agoodname]

[Oswald just snorts, before turning and striding out of the room. The door closes behind him with a snap--and Theo moves to sit]

"Hi there, Edward. I'm Theo Galavan." [he smiles rather gamely, holding his hand out to him]

[enigmaster]

[Edward doesn't reach out for his hand. He hasn't shaken the hands of any other lawyers, he's not about to start now.] ...Yes. Hello. [Utterly blank.]

[agoodname]

[Theo blinks once, before retracting his hand, still smiling] "Not much of a hand-shaker, huh? Fair enough." [He sits back in his chair a bit, legs stretching out in front of him] "So! Edward. You've garnered quite a reputation! They're trying to figure out who to send down to you next."