INBOX (IC)

[shroudedinsecrecy]

 

"This is Iris.  I'm so sorry I missed your call.  As soon as I'm able, I promise to get back to you."

Comments

[prosecutory]

...

[Edgeworth had gotten that so many times back home. But now it gives him...a great sense of pride to be compared to his father. He can't help but smile softly, looking a touch sheepish in the process.]

Er...thank you. I don't know what he'd say if he found out about how I defended you, however.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

I'm sure he would have been as proud as I was grateful. After all, you...

[She trailed off as she looked up at him. Really looked. Because it was then she realized that, within her line of vision aimed at his face, she could also see his shoulders. Bare shoulders. And a quick glimpse down showed--]

[The tiniest squeak of embarrassment followed as her head darted away so he wouldn't see the way she turned into a bright tomato.]

[prosecutory]

...Deceived a judge and illegally posed as a defense attorney.

[He finishes her sentence dryly as he finally lets go of her. It looks like she can stand again.]

But the truth, at least, was brought to light. And so was your innocence.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

[Stand? Yes. Make eye contact? ...not for the next several minutes. Minimum.]

You saved my life.

No other defense attorney would have believed me. But...you did. Enough to risk so much on my behalf.

[prosecutory]

Wright was the first to believe you. In fact...he was the one I saw in your memory.

[Yet again, Edgeworth doesn't notice Iris averting her eyes for most of this conversation. He does bend down to pick up his towel though.]

[shroudedinsecrecy]

He...was?

[It was her turn to wonder what he saw. So distracted by his memory, it had yet to dawn on her to ask.]

[prosecutory]

Yes. I presume this was when he was in college.

[And distracted by his body y/n]

[shroudedinsecrecy]

[There was the smallest of flinches, before she remembered...ah, Edgeworth would have already known about that, wouldn't he? Her deception.]

[And besides...not all of those memories from that time were bad. In fact, some of them...]

Might I ask...what...exactly you saw?

[prosecutory]

You were posing as Dahlia. [At least he's just stating the facts. He doesn't sound like he's judging her.] Wright, of course, didn't know the truth yet, and this was before he was accused of murder, I believe.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

[She knew he wasn't judging. He knew the story. And yet...]

It feels so wrong to say, considering everything, but...that was truly one of the happiest times of my life.

I only wish...I had been honest with him. That I'd told him before Dahlia decided to act on her own.

[prosecutory]

It's too late to change the past, but Wright has already accepted you despite that, has he not?

[Still stating the facts, but Edgeworth is well aware that Phoenix has more than accepted Iris.]

[shroudedinsecrecy]

...he has, yes.

[She wasn't about to argue that. He'd more than accepted her; he'd accepted her back into his life. And heart. More than she could ever have hoped for.]

It's just...still hard. Especially when it feels like this place enjoys having my past come back to haunt me.

[prosecutory]

I understand how you feel. [He nods slowly. Edgeworth is one who doesn't like being reminded constantly of the past.]

It's difficult, but we can only move forward...no matter what happens next in Cerealia.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

What...do you think will happen next?

[There was no way of knowing for certain, of course, but one could speculate.]

[prosecutory]

I don't know. [His voice is steady and grim.] We'll find out soon enough.