[4th wall]

[miniworth]

[ The feed sputters on to one Miles Edgeworth giving the network the most confused face. ]

I woke up this morning and went outside for a walk... did the hotel in Olivine always have this wriggling piece of plywood outside its doors?

[ He pans the camera around to show a ragged-looking mascot dancing pitifully, on and on. ]

Comments

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

[ What are manners. ] ...likewise. [ probably. And there's a Mightyena slinking by and sitting down next to him now. ]

You're here with Ken?

[miniworth]

He should be nearby. I was taking him-- [ He gestures to one Growlithe that's bouncing around that moving badger ] --out for a walk.

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

Yours? [That's a strange dog, he thinks, before reminding himself that it's a pokémon and not a dog and the term 'strange' doesn't really apply. The Mightyena cocks its head at him, considering.]

[miniworth]

[ The Growlithe, a tiny thing of pretty much nothing but orange fur, bounces at the badger for a few seconds before bounding back to his trainer and perching by Miles' feet. ] His name is Pip.

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

[And the big, grey and black thing now trots over to Pip, sniffing curiously and nudging him with its nose.]

Where'd you get him?

[miniworth]

[ Pip nudges back, excited to meet this new -- friend? We're friends? ]

I've raised him since he was an egg. His mother was the Pokémon I met when I first came here.

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

Those hatch from eggs?

[The Mightyena would like to be Pip's friend, yes, even if she looks a little intimidating. Not... exactly excited, no, but definitely friendly.]

[miniworth]

It appears that all Pokémon hatch from eggs, regardless of the species.

[ Pip is okay with a little intimidating.. you don't live with Nemesis and your eight-foot mother without getting used to intimidating. He gives a friendly bark of greeting! ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

This place is weird.

[Shinjiro shakes his head slightly, while his pokémon growls playfully at the much smaller Growlithe.]

[miniworth]

[ Miles shakes his head as well, rocking on his feet. ] It's safer. [ An implied "safer than yours" ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

[He considers this. ... ...and finds that Miles has a point.]

Probably.

[But he's not just going to let that implication slip by.] ...he told you, huh.

[miniworth]

He did... about you, as well.

[ It had been one of the first things he learned from Ken, back when the boys related to each other mostly through shared feelings regarding their parents. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

[He'd be lying if he said he was surprised to hear that. It may be noticable how he lowers his head a little, but without the beanie on that doesn't quite obscure his eyes.]

...

I see.

[miniworth]

[ But Miles is short, looking up at Shinjiro. He can still see his eyes easily. ]

... It's not about revenge. [ That's not what Ken's life should be about. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

Not anymore, huh. [He'd hoped it wouldn't be.]

[miniworth]

He tried to stop you. From dying. [ And when he couldn't, there was attempted drowning. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

You know I would've died one way or another, right? [Suppressants can do that... do do that, without fail.]

[miniworth]

It wouldn't have been from protecting him. [ It's just that tiny, meaningless comfort. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

Why does that matter so much? [Wasn't it better the way it happened?]

[miniworth]

... [ You forced him to watch two murders. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

... [ He saw someone die that he'd been meaning to kill himself. ]

[miniworth]

[ Not this Ken. This Ken wanted to stop that. ]

I want to be able to protect him. [ Not the kind of thing one eleven year old would say about his best friend, but he means it. ]

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

From what? [Unconciously, Shinji speaks more quietly as well. But his is still a gruff voice, so it does next to nothing to really soften it.]

[miniworth]

Whatever that tries to harm him. [ Whether it be Strega or Team Rocket or even Ken himself. ] It's something I wasn't able to do for my father.

[useddeathbound.livejournal.com]

...


You're a good [kid-]friend. [It's a good thing Ken found someone like you.]