鏑木・T・虎徹 ᴋᴏᴛᴇᴛsᴜ ᴛ. ᴋᴀʙᴜʀᴀɢɪ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
earnedmystripes) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
maskormenacelogs2014-04-27 08:02 pm
earnedmystripes) wrote in maskormenacelogs2014-04-27 08:02 pm
the elevator inspection certificate is on file in the building office
WHO: Kotetsu and Edgeworth
WHERE: An elevator in City Hall
WHEN: April 27
WHAT: Elevator trauma
WARNINGS: UHHH I think some PTSD(?) stuff, will update as necessary
[Work here in Heropa was like all his least favorite parts of being a Hero back home without the parts he actually cared about. It was a never-ending parade of paperwork and publicity bullshit that he couldn't care about less if he tried, and didn't come with the benefit of an actual, efficient system for being a Hero like the government supposedly wanted. He was working on fixing that last part, but in the meantime he had to keep on working.
That's why he's in City Hall today, to file some papers about some new registration promotion event his place of employment wanted, and it's meant to be his last stop before he goes home and spends his evening scrolling the network and watching TV.
He's starting to get used to the layout of the building, and he finds the elevator easier than he did last time. The 'up' button gets pressed, and now to wait.]
WHERE: An elevator in City Hall
WHEN: April 27
WHAT: Elevator trauma
WARNINGS: UHHH I think some PTSD(?) stuff, will update as necessary
[Work here in Heropa was like all his least favorite parts of being a Hero back home without the parts he actually cared about. It was a never-ending parade of paperwork and publicity bullshit that he couldn't care about less if he tried, and didn't come with the benefit of an actual, efficient system for being a Hero like the government supposedly wanted. He was working on fixing that last part, but in the meantime he had to keep on working.
That's why he's in City Hall today, to file some papers about some new registration promotion event his place of employment wanted, and it's meant to be his last stop before he goes home and spends his evening scrolling the network and watching TV.
He's starting to get used to the layout of the building, and he finds the elevator easier than he did last time. The 'up' button gets pressed, and now to wait.]
no subject
The past two days, he's worked from home, and that has been fine. He can stump around the lower floor without any significant difficulty, and scowls have kept people from commenting for the most part. But on this, the third day, he has to go in for a file; normally, he'd take the stairs and find no great difficulty in it, but with his knee in this state he simply is not physically capable.
And he can take the elevator. He is able to do it. In the past years, he's taken elevators on a few different occasions - he's able. He just ensures that he's in there alone, so that there's no one to comment on his breathing, or his pallor, or the way he grips hard at the banister.
But today, he's concentrating on his walking. So instead of looking up to make sure there's no one to get on with him, he keeps his eyes trained on the ground - and, too late, he spots the other man. It's clear that he intends to get on the elevator, by his trajectory, and he's too close to be able to hang back. And social niceties overwhelm his fear; he doesn't look at the other man, keeps his eyes averted, but goes over and waits silently with him.]
no subject
Hey, what happened to your leg?
[It's a casually spoken question; one that clearly has more to it than pure curiosity, but it's not particularly pressing in nature, either. He's leaving Edgeworth plenty of room to brush off the question if he wants.]
no subject
Damn it all.
So Edgeworth's answer is clipped, unfriendly, unpleasant - all in the hopes that Kaburagi will be offended and stop talking to him for the duration of the elevator ride.]
I fell.
[The elevator dings; the doors slide open. Edgeworth feels like he's facing down execution. His head spins, and his stomach is knotted with nausea, and he can feel his palms becoming damp. Even so, he hobbles into that elevator, his eyes narrowed with the sheer effort of looking normal and unafraid.]
no subject
Aah, that sucks. Hope it gets better soon.
[In other words, subject dropped, no worries. When the elevator dings, Kotetsu goes on ahead, holding the "door open" button to make it easier on the other man. Edgeworth's narrowed eyes are missed, and he presses the button for his own floor before turning to his companion.]
So, where you headed?
no subject
[Again, that's clipped, and cold - though this time it's not because of any deliberate desire to rebuff Kaburagi. This time, it's purely unconscious. He has to concentrate on his fear, and managing it, and not allowing any overt signs of terror to escape; this distracted, he can't force politeness, but instead reverts back to his older and more natural habit of defensive rudeness.
He keeps his eyes fixed on the ground, concentrates on the pattern of the carpet. Sometimes, he is braver; at other times, he's more afraid. This time, in this elevator, the fear is intense and difficult to deal with. He is hoping, desperately, that it goes quickly and smoothly.]
lemme know if i need to change anything
But he doesn't get much time to think about it before suddenly the whole elevator bucks with an infernal amount of noise, the elevator lights flickering and dying.
He tries the various buttons, the door open and close, the floors, the emergency call button. He tries pounding on the elevator door with a fist. Nothing.]
You've gotta be kidding me!
Not at all :>
No.
[That tremulous plea spills numbly from his throat. Terror swells in him. He becomes suddenly, intensely aware of the size of the elevator. Three paces front to back, five right to left - the ceiling high above him - the emergency lights illuminating the building, ghostly, cold...And his ears ring. His hands tremble.
He sinks back against the wall behind him. There's no hiding it now; his face is frozen in a rictus of terror. His eyes are wide behind his glasses. His hands clench on his crutches. He sags against the wall behind him. He doesn't even see Kotetsu; he's too focused on the doors before him.]
8D
What a pain in the ass. Looks like we're--
[...And then he notices the expression on Edgeworth's face, the way he's half-slumped and shaking against the wall. Kotetsu approaches carefully, his own expression shifting easily from irritation to gently reassuring as he places a hand on the man's shoulder and squeezes, concern evident in his eyes.]
It's probably just some sorta electrical thing, like a fuse going out, yeah? Someone'll come get us soon, I'm sure of it.
no subject
He shrinks back from the man's grip. He doesn't shrug out of it, but it's clear that the touch is unwelcome. His eyes are wild and unseeing. He answers, but when he does, his voice is distant, panicked.]
Don't...Please don't.
[And then he squeezes his eyes shut. He takes a shaky, rattling breath through his nose, and struggles to control himself - but the fear is too powerful.]
no subject
He scans around the elevator, looking for something that might give him an idea on what to do, and then suddenly he remembers his communicator.
...Only to groan in frustration when he finds no signal on the display.]
Damn...
[Now what? He can't even bust the doors open, because he'd used his powers a short while ago to snatch a kid out of the path of an oncoming car, so they're going to be on cooldown for a good forty minutes at best.
There's a distressed moment as he debates what to do, and then he just launches right into babbling.]
Oi, so Miles--or did I settle on Edgey, I forget--how'd you get hurt, anyway? Like you said you fell, but was it more like a 'tripped over something' sorta deal, or a 'fell down the stairs' type thing? Or maybe some combination of both...?
[If he's as obnoxious as possible will you be pissed off at him instead of freaking out, please let this work...]
no subject
Calm down, you idiot. Calm down. You're not a child anymore. You're stronger than this. You're better than panic.
But his scalp prickles with adrenaline, and he can feel the beat of his terror in his throat. The other man in here with him is talking to him, chatting away, and Edgeworth just wants to curl into the corner and disappear into nothing, wants to stop breathing so that no more air is used. He's going to die here; they're both going to die in here. And there's nothing, nothing, to be done...
The man asked some question. Edgeworth can't remember what it was. He struggles to find something to say - finally just mumbles:]
What?
no subject
There's a beat, then:]
Oh, I was just wondering where you got that stupid tie from.
[He's well aware it's not a tie, though he's not sure what the word for it actually is.]
It's so weird and ruffley, why the hell would you even wear something so ugly?
[Come on, focus on him, dammit. Call him rude, insolent, obnoxious. Tell him to shut up. Pay attention to how irritating he is; he doesn't know what else to do.]
no subject
[His voice falters. Still, it's starting to get better for a moment, a scant moment, and he finishes:]
I don't see the relevance of that question.
[All right. It's all right. There's no earthquake; neither of them have a gun; nothing ill will happen. His fears are irrational, and he knows they're irrational. He's fine. He is fine -
But then he makes the mistake of taking a deep and steadying breath. He can already feel the denseness of the air in his lungs. He can feel how it thickens, how the oxygen is lost, how they're trapped and will suffocate in here and his tenuous courage crumbles; his knees give out, and he falls to the floor of the elevator, uttering a noise of pure terror.]
no subject
--...when the lawyer suddenly crumples to the ground and cries out. Distraction isn't enough, he realizes then. He crosses over to the other man, and bends down to be at eye level with Edgeworth, gripping his shoulder to try to get his attention. Edgeworth had told him not to touch earlier, and he'll let go if the other man asks him to again, but he doesn't know how else to break through whatever fog is clouding the lawyer's thoughts right now.]
Hey, look at me. Hey. Nothing bad's gonna happen to you, okay? I won't let anything hurt you. I promise, I'll protect you with my life.
no subject
He's - He covers his face with both hands, his eyes pressing closed. He can hear, distantly, tinnily, something that sounds like a long scream. His crutch lies beside him; he grabs onto it, onto the cool metal, trying to use the sensation to bring himself back, to shake himself from the spiral of fear...]
I said get away from me.
[Even just that much is difficult to say. He leans forward, tries to make himself small.]