oohhh it's only me and i walk aloonnneee

[highhealplz]

WHO: Miles Edgeworth, Ashraf Salib, and SOON VERY SOON the Doctor
WHERE: a street! then a secluded area where nefarious things would like to happen.
WHEN: not long after Edgeworth's post
WHAT: Two well-meaning kidnappers do their thing, Edgeworth does not appreciate.
WARNINGS: naw

He feels his heart sink when Edgeworth doesn't respond to knocks at his door, but all is not quite lost. He knows that he was to get a car, right? Have it dropped off somewhere and the key left with it? So... a car lot, maybe? There are a few of those around. Ashraf casts a quick spell for speed over himself, and blinks out of existence.

He reappears a second or two later out on the street, looks around, and — there! Down the sidewalk is a retreating back and a head of hair that looks an awful lot like Mr Edgeworth's. Bolstered with hope, Ashraf disappears again. This time his reappearance is instant (and lucky), as he reappears about five feet ahead Edgeworth, already smiling.

"Hey, hello!"

Comments

[glassinine]

Edgeworth shies away from that hand like it's poised for a slap. That reminds him of his fear; he takes three full steps backwards, away from Ashraf, shoving his clenched fists into his pockets. It's obvious that it's physical contact he's afraid of, which is certainly answer enough as to what the mechanism of the power is.

And yet he continues stubbornly. "This isn't my pride, Mr. Salib. And you both can go to hell for continuing to think it is. It isn't my pride any more than a man who refuses to surrender to his would-be murderer, who refuses to simply hand over his possessions to a robber, is being prideful."

He straightens his back.

"I refuse to cooperate with those who think that they can force others to bend to their will. I refuse to reward your behavior. I refuse to let you think that this is an acceptable way to do things."

[highhealplz]

He'd known that would be the effect — he'd heard from the Doctor just how the power was activated. So he lowers his hand, although he takes two steps forward to compensate for the distance lost. It's a concession, but not a surrender.

"This isn't about you. You're not being murdered or robbed. Others are being protected from you. Do you understand that?"

[glassinine]

Edgeworth grinds out a single, miserable, furious, frustrated question.

"And why the hell do you think that I haven't taken the steps necessary to protect them?"

[highhealplz]

His tone stays the same, low and steady, and his eyes stay on Edgeworth. "You don't know me, like you've pointed out, and I don't know you. How could I trust a stranger in a matter as important as the safety of others? That's not something I'm going to take on faith."

[glassinine]

Edgeworth stares at him. There is in that moment a hard, harsh sort of rage that boils in him. He hates this man. He hates the fact that he would think that's a reasonable line of thought. He hates that arrogance. He hates him. He hates him.

And so, furiously, he chokes out:

"Burn in hell. And leave me alone."

[highhealplz]

He smiles, but the result makes him look old, tired, and sad.

"Would you like me to call the police here, to verify how much of a threat you are? I'll happily do it, if that's the only way you'll be content. But I don't think that they'd allow you to leave as soon as you'd intended to go."

[glassinine]

"Call them." The response is immediate and firm. He half wants to scoff, to remind Ashraf of just whom Edgeworth was trying to reach before - but if the man is considering this, if this is a possibility, he may be getting out of here. The police know everything; they know the details of his power, and they know where he's going and why. He told them in full, as was his professional responsibility. If they show up here, then Edgeworth will be freed and these miscreants will go to jail.

"Go on. Call them. I have the number saved, if you'd like to use my phone."

[highhealplz]

"That's alright," he says mildly, "I have the number saved too."

He pulls out his phone from a pocket, but his attention is more on Edgeworth than on the phone. He watches him thoughtfully, mainly his eyes, but he doesn't miss the stance and set of his shoulders, either. It's the look of a man in the right, who knows what he's doing. Ashraf doesn't doubt that should the police arrive, he would know exactly how to handle them... and the fact that Edgeworth, so obviously hateful of Ashraf right now, hasn't used his so-called destructive power on him, says a lot about his determination to do right. It likely wouldn't just be an abuse of his knowledge of the law, he does legitimately believe the authorities would find him without fault.

After a long, solemn pause, he slips the phone back into his pocket.

"But let's save you some time." He waves his hand, crushes another of those blue gemstones kept in his pocket with the other, and another portal springs open. This time it's set on the ground between them, a silent blossom of blue light.

"This will take you back to the housing, I'm sorry I can't get you closer to your destination—" He waves his hand again, this time toward Edgeworth, and he should feel a light breeze. Any movements after that will be at double speed. "—And this will make up for a little of your lost time."

[glassinine]

It's over, then. The man's giving up. God forbid there be an apology - the only sorry he hears is a tag of politeness, the remorse of a goddamned taxi driver who can't go down a one-way street, no admission of wrongdoing - but he's giving up. And that's all that Edgeworth needs. At long last, he half relaxes. At long last, it's over.

Unless that portal leads somewhere else, of course. Somewhere worse. It would be just like the man to set a transport that will put him into a locked room, or at the bottom of a well, and all the while be assured of his own righteousness. Wouldn't it. But God - if that's what this is, he doesn't care; he's tired; he just doesn't care.

Or at least he doesn't care until he feels some wind, and sees that his hand is moving faster. That brings his fury to the fore once more. He points at the man, and snarls -

"Don't you dare cast a spell on me without my permission. I don't care if you think it's a blessing, or if you think it helps me. That's not for you to decide. Take this off."

[highhealplz]

He can't help it — for a second, he looks startled and absolutely incredulous. His spells are coveted at home, people love to have holy magic used on them. Sometimes they even beg for it. And here's this man, demanding it be taken off. He shakes his head in mute astonishment, and has to fight back the urge to refuse. Really, he's done enough to the guy for one meeting, the very least he can do is oblige a ridiculous request.

So he waves his hand again, and there's another quick, gentle gust. Edgeworth's movements will be normalized.

"There, back to normal." He offers another small smile. "Sorry about that. And for... well, all of this, too." He waves toward the portal, a clear invitation. "You'd better hurry, it won't last forever."

[glassinine]

Fine. Good. Fine, then. He jerks his head in acknowledgment of the change, and jerks his head in acknowledgment of that apology (hateful though it is, since he'd wanted to continue to have grounds to despise the man and an apology undermines those grounds). So he just bends down to pick up his suitcase once more. And he spares no more words until he's up against the portal. Only then does he speak.

"It doesn't matter who you were at home, Salib. Here, you don't get to decide others' fates for them."

And then he steps through the portal. He's quick about it; he wants the last word.

[highhealplz]

Ashraf is content to let Edgeworth keep the last word, and he only watches him disappear silently. But there is a crease in his brow for it. That's a little needlessly dramatic. But then... this entire situation had come from needless dramatics, didn't it?

His shoulders slump down once Edgeworth is gone, but in a moment he steps around the portal and heads for the Doctor in the car. He pulls open the passenger side door, slumps in, and sighs heavily.

"That went well."

[mmiab]

The Doctor's had a little time to cool off. Not a lot, granted, but enough that he's started pulling those gaseous innards that had so traitorously crawled out in the face of a reminder of his wretched fallibility back in, and by the time Ashraf slumps back into the car he's busy aimlessly fiddling with the light of his sonic. Staring at it mainly for an excuse to not have to look anywhere else. "Mm."

He'd made a mess. And Ashraf is probably fully aware by now that it was the Doctor, was absolutely the Doctor who let it all happen. Or maybe he isn't. Maybe not. But the Doctor is fully aware, and so it's no more than a pause later that he follows his agreement with a quiet, if directionless, "Sorry."

[highhealplz]

He stares out the windshield, looking about as dispirited as he feels. Edgeworth had seemed like a good man — it's a shame to have made an enemy of him.

"Me too," he says honestly. Then, a short moment later, "Do you know what his power actually is? I'd love some reassurance that I didn't send him back to go accidentally kill someone."

[mmiab]

He doesn't really want to say. For a moment, he seriously considers just not divulging. But he does know. He knows, and for all he was preaching that Edgeworth give the best man of the three of them something, he really ought to concede his own point.

"Guilt. He makes people feel guilty." And in the light of that, the Doctor's rage likely seems entirely disproportional - and it was, it had been, would have been. Only Edgeworth's power was never the forefront of his argument.

[highhealplz]

He glances over for the answer, and — pauses. Seriously? Guilt? He'd been expecting something far more... destructive. Ashraf lets out a slow breath, nods, and turns his eyes forward again.

"Well, at least no one's in any actual danger." And he can't help but add, a touch grumpily, "Despite what Mr Edgeworth thinks."

[mmiab]

It's all a bit ridiculous, isn't it? And probably a lot worse too, now, than it was before. The Doctor reaches up to rub distractedly at the inside of the bridge of his nose, wipe away thinking about it for the moment. He'll have plenty of time for that later.

"Right. I should get this back." A hand patted on the steering wheel, an attempt at a familiar smile that's more worn out than anything. "I don't know about you, but I could do without rounding off my day with a chat with the authorities."

[highhealplz]

"Right." The little matter of the stolen car, almost forgot. And he doesn't doubt that Edgeworth will check to make sure they've returned it, too. He reaches to pull on the seatbelt.

"Thank you, though. For coming along and humoring me." His own smile doesn't look too far off from the Doctor's worn and tired one.

[mmiab]

The Doctor just— scoffs. A surprised little laugh. Humouring you? The smile on his face is a little more genuine, if a little quieter, for that. Ashraf really a good man.

Then he's pressing sonic to startup and the engine rumbles into life and they're off on their way.