dog day afternoon [OPEN]

[prosecutory]

Who: Miles Edgeworth, his faithful canine sidekick Pess, and YOU!
When: Any day after the intro log.
Where: Errywhere, pretty much. See prompts for locations.
What: Edgeworth takes his dog around, and runs into people. Adorbs ensues.
Rating/Warning: Dog. Grumpy prosecutor being a little less grumpy.

---

[OPTION A: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

Edgeworth is taking his dog out for a walk around the district. And before he can do anything, the big and very real tricolor border collie suddenly stands up on his hind legs and barks excitedly at the first person he sees (which is you, sorry). Pess may or may not brace his front paws on your thigh or any part of you he can reach, tail wagging with anticipation. It's a new friend. New friend!!! On the bright side, he's a pretty clean dog. NEW FRIEND!!!

Edgeworth doesn't care, and gasps at this public display of affection.]

Pess, no. [That firm "no" is all it takes for Pess to behave, although his tail is still wagging like crazy and he's panting and grinning as a dog would. Edgeworth sighs, shaking his head. He's quick to apologize.] I'm sorry; he enjoys meeting new people.

[Far more than his master.]

[OPTION B: SHOPPING DISTRICT

There's a cleaning robot. It's doing its business, sweeping up some debris from a nearby food stall. Suddenly, out of nowhere comes this border collie. He bounds over to the robot, starts sniffing it, and promptly raises one leg ominously over the poor thing.

What do you do, responsible citizen of Cerealia? What do you do - well, while Edgeworth hasn't caught up with his dog, anyway?]

[OPTION C: GARDENS

Pess is a pro at getting people to play with him. So while you're there, you may just find this dog walking up to you with a stick, or a ball, in his mouth. He drops this at your feet, wanting a game of fetch. If you take too long to decide what to do, he'll just sit down, tail wagging happily and staring up at you with those big pleading puppy eyes.

Edgeworth is close by. He'll be looking for his dog when Pess takes a bit too long to get back to him.]

[OPTION D: GARDENS/SHOPPING DISTRICT/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT/POLICE DEPT.

Drop something? If you did, you might just find this dog picking it up and offering it back to you suddenly before Edgeworth can act. Yeah, I guess Edgeworth is in this prompt too. Thank his dog. And the master, maybe. THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLES...er, peoples and doge.]

[OPTION E: WILDCARD

Do you want doge somewhere else? Let me know if you want another prompt!]

Comments

[sortileges]

[ He pauses, finally looks down at Pess a moment later. ]

That depends on what's an automatic refusal in your eyes, doesn't it?

[prosecutory]

Don't hurt my dog.

[That's definitely an automatic refusal. This is one (1) icy glare, extremely cold and clearly telling anyone to not mess with Pess.]

[sortileges]

...Why would I want to hurt your dog?

[ Like really Edgeworth, he might not paint the best of impressions but he isn't an animal abuser??? ] If anything, I was helping him have a good time.

[prosecutory]

[He eases up on the glare, but:]

I'm just reminding you to be careful.

[sortileges]

I'll be very careful.

[ He gives Edgeworth a look as if to ask if he can go ahead, it's only when Edgeworth seems a little less... grouchy that he kneels in front of Pess. He cups his hands in front of himself, smiling as he murmurs: ] Ye-wircan leef.

[ The words themselves would be barely audible, and his whole movements make it half look like he caught the butterfly that leaves his hands when they open. It flutters to rest on Pess' nose, then starts flying in circles as if to encourage the poor dog to follow it. ]

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth doesn't object further or do anything else; he stands there respectfully, watching the butterfly Merlin seems to have caught...but Edgeworth hadn't noticed butterflies fluttering about.

Anyway, Pess gazes at the butterfly on his nose, and when it takes flight, at first he just follows it with his head, watching where it goes, but the whine he gives makes it clear that he's close to jumping after the creature.

Edgeworth is more interested in watching Pess' next move than the butterfly's.]

[sortileges]

[ Merlin rolls his wrist a little, trying to make it look like there's a crick in it, but really he's using the movements to actually control the poor butterfly's movements. It ducks in and out, landing on Pess, landing on the floor then circling back.

Even Merlin isn't sure if Edgeworth was correct in whether he had been disciplined enough to control this. ]

[prosecutory]

[Pess can't take it anymore. He starts tailing the butterfly, nosing along on the ground after it and then leaping up when it takes off to circle.]

Pess.

[Edgeworth's tone is a warning. His voice is even but firm, and this time he doesn't have the added element of wondering what on earth that butterfly was doing. The dog halts, perking up his ears but continuing to watch the butterfly weave this way and that.]

i thought i tagged this back gomen ...

[sortileges]

[ There we go. Merlin grins stupidly when Pess' concentration breaks and turns to look at Edgeworth. ]

Even if you got it under control again, he still stopped for a minute.

No, I'm gomen for being slow

[prosecutory]

[He shrugs, watching Pess. The dog is still watching the butterfly longingly and just lies down in the grass with a whine.

Ugh, he wanted to chase it.]

But that's not long enough for him to try and walk me, as you say.

not at all!!!

[sortileges]

[ He raises a hand to his mouth, the other hand holding his arm and winces. ]

But look at how sad he is now...

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth sighs, his lips curling into an amused smile.]

I think I've made my point, so he should be allowed to carry on.

[Dogs will be dogs.]

[sortileges]

[ He definitely didn't expect that outcome at all. It's visibly obvious with the look he gives him too. Edgeworth is even... smiling??? ]

You're serious?

[ What is even going on anymore... What is real... What is a lie... ]

[prosecutory]

I'm firm, but not heartless.

[Or is he?]

[sortileges]

Was that a joke?

[ Merlin, that's rude... In fact: ] Sorry, it's just that for a moment there I really thought you might just pick him up and march off in a huff.

[prosecutory]

[The smile fades into a more deadpan "srsly Merlin" expression.]

I would, had you hurt my dog. All you've done is given him a magical creature to play with.

[sortileges]

That's what I was trying to tell you. Y'know, if you'd just listened this really wouldn't have been a problem at all.

[ He shakes his head sadly. ] Are you always this distrustful?

[prosecutory]

I don't always have experiences like this [He gestures to his dog.] with magic. Sometimes, I have worse.

[Edgeworth nods to Pess.] Fetch. [And Pess is happy to oblige, finally bounding toward the butterfly.]

[sortileges]

That isn't to do with magic. [ He glances at Edgeworth properly then, a lot more serious, a little sadder than before, too. ]

The problem doesn't lie with magic, it's the hearts of men that are the problem. A person with a blade could either leave you be or cut you down where you stand. This... is no different.

[ He indicates to Pess. ]

[prosecutory]

[...

Admittedly, Merlin has a point. But at the same time, Edgeworth could more easily deal with a(nother) person with a blade than strange magic. Not to mention, spirit channeling played a part in the DL-6 Incident. He doesn't want to talk about that, so he'll back down, lowering his head slightly and looking quite contrite.

Who knew this kid he was talking to turned out to be a pretty wise one? Edgeworth sighs.]

I apologize. [A pause as he looks Merlin in the eye. There's still much Edgeworth has to learn about people's hearts, and his own.

But...]

You could have asked me first if you wanted to play with Pess, though.

[sortileges]

[ Well, these things happen when you don't share names right at the start and don't really know each other. Though he is surprised to hear an apology. ]

Well, next time I'll know who he belongs to. It'd be easier, then.

[prosecutory]

Good. [He's back to his usual stern self.] My name is Miles Edgeworth. [Now Merlin can identify the dog's owner by name.]

[sortileges]

[ Ah, well, that was short lived. Though Merlin is leaning down to try and give Pess a quick pet, doing it briefly before he offers a hand. ]

Merlin.

[prosecutory]

It seems I'll expect to see you around more often.

[He takes Merlin's hand and shakes it.]

[sortileges]

Well that definitely sounds ominous.

[ He still shakes his hand though. ] I'll see you around then?