himagsikan | she spreads her wings and takes to the skies.

[That...honestly scares her a bit. She backs away with a small fearful sound, raising her hands as if in surrender, eyes wide.

Kay is not sure if telling him to calm down will have the opposite effect and agitate him further.]

[Edgeworth takes on the air of a cat who just missed a jump even as he dog-paddles the rest of the way to the rock.]

I don't care for exposing my belly to others.

[Kay is silent, watching him cover the rest of the distance, feeling a bit guilty even though she does believe he needs to conquer that fear.

In fact, she doesn't even move yet, looking a bit apprehensive. Ugh...that didn't go so well.]

[Edgeworth climbs up onto the rock as best he can given his wetness, then turns around to see what's keeping Kay... only to notice the expression on her face. His discomfort at what he sees competes with his discomfort at having his emotional weaknesses dragged to the surface again, leaving the prosecutor visibly conflicted and awkward.]

Er...

[Kay slowly swims over, now more apologetic as she opens her bag and offers him the choker. She meets his eyes for about a second before glancing away and whispering:]

...s-sorry...

[She's not sure what to be sorry for. What she's sure of is that she feels that it had to be said.]

[Edgeworth is quiet as he accepts the choker, but he doesn't put it on right away... or do anything else immediately, for that matter. It doesn't take long for the prosecutor to find his words, however:]

I owe you as much of an apology, given my behavior when my weakness overcame me. I suppose that entails another reason why this particular fight is best fought alone.

[Kay rests her arms on the rock, folding them and then resting her chin on top of them, looking like an inquisitive and wistful child staring up at the vast sky. Her tail moves slowly and gently with the ripples of the water.

For a moment she remains quiet, until:]

Well...at least what you did was a start, right?

One which suggests a rather steep climb ahead, but yes. For the moment, however, I believe I should focus on the opportunities your assistance affords me instead.

[With that, Edgeworth lies down on his back in the center of the rock, then uses both hands to fasten the choker around his neck.]

Ah...!

[The prosecutor's eyes pop wide at first, then he grits his teeth. His legs fusing together and the complete change of structure below the waist hurts, and his entire respiratory system hurts, especially his lungs; that much he expected. What he's not ready for, however, is the deep discomfort in his arms, lower back, ears, and eyes as subtler changes take place, and especially not the headache and vertigo. He rocks a bit as he struggles in vain for some way to mitigate any of these sensations...]

[...but as long as it seems to stretch on from Edgeworth's perspective, it's over in about five seconds. He's confused and still disoriented, but glances down at his tail — a dark silvery one, as though to match his storm-grey hair and steely grey eyes. An experimental swing of said tail comes as simply as he remembers a step forward having been.]

(It's strange; the idea that I ever walked seems oddly surreal to me. But I was human, was I not?...)

[Edgeworth shakes his head at himself.]

(I must enter the water. All will become clear then.)

[With that, he rolls to the right until he slips off the rock, finding himself reflexively exhaling as he enters the water and muscles that seem at once familiar and not shifting inside him as his mode of breathing changes.]

[Sadly, Kay has nothing for the pain Edgeworth just experienced, and in any case, she knows it doesn't take long. Once he returns to the water, Kay lets go of the rock and sinks. Before she approaches him, she whips out her phone. If she tried to take a secret video, Edgeworth would instantly know what was up and she'd get bad angles. So she also takes out a lanyard (everything in her bag is water resistant, thankfully), fastens it to her phone, and wears it around her neck before switching on the video function. Look, he would thank her later for recording this.

Kay isn't so heartless as to also video Edgeworth's agonizing but brief transformation.

She swims over to him with a bright smile that shows him how much she is enjoying this.]

Well? How are your first few seconds of being a merman?

Edited 2014-11-29 14:05 (UTC)

[Edgeworth swims in place as Kay approaches, surveying the surroundings as he tries to reorient himself. When Kay questions him, he answers with a more striking version of his voice:]

They're... confusing. I clearly remember being human, including having had to hold my breath underwater mere moments ago, yet at the moment all of that seems strange.

[The prosecutor swims a circle around the underwater portion of the rock.]

I understand how to use this body despite having no memory of having done so before. I felt as though submerging myself would solve my immediate problems, despite the fact that they aren't physical. What's more, I feel an odd urge to sing.

Yeah, it's a bit jarring, isn't it?

[Kay nods as Edgeworth speaks, seating herself primly on a smaller rock underwater.]

But if you want to sing, go for it! Of course, you won't be able to make me do anything. [She smiles smugly.] I'll listen, though.

(It does make sense that it would be safe to do so, given that there are no human women around. Now, what is this song welling up within me...?)

[Edgeworth pauses to let just what he's feeling compelled to sing grow clear in his mind.]

(I don't remember having heard it before, and no lyrics are coming immediately to mind, but even thinking about this melody makes me feel... strong, and regal. If I simply let this power I sense loose and channel it through this song, I...)

[Edgeworth begins to fill the water with his baritone, and he can feel power rushing through his throat and pouring into every note he sings. The song is a moderately slow one reminiscent of some sort of royal anthem, and the act of singing it makes him feel so authoritative that he feels more like a prince than a prosecutor. He should have people swearing fealty to him right now and begging him to sing specific laws to follow into their minds, shouldn't he? For the moment, he's so caught up in the power rush of his own singing that it doesn't yet occur to him that this idea shouldn't feel so right, let alone why not.

Even to someone unaffected, Edgeworth's singing as a merman would put professional human singers to shame — not that this is an unusual feat for a merperson.]

[Kay rests her elbow on her tail...where her lap would be if she still had legs, and then rests her chin on her hand, listening intently to Edgeworth's song. It's beautiful, she must admit, even if it has no effect on her whatsoever...except arousing awe within her, apparent in how her eyes are sparkling and how her expression is rapt.

And she can understand exactly what he's conveying through his majestic song. She can imagine scores of women dropping to their knees and vowing to do whatever he asks them, to go forth and take care of anyone who does not respect the law.

But Kay still retains the use of her voice, and can't help but comment.]

Wow...

[Edgeworth notices Kay's attention through his haze of wordless singing about his sovereignty, and it helps put his addled mind at ease. Yes, this is what he should be seeing, if not to the degree he needs to see it. Nevertheless, it feels good to see even this much. He's inspiring awe in a mermaid with his very first performance, and that bodes well. He needs to keep practicing...

Without fully understanding the implications or properly questioning it, Edgeworth does everything he can to summon more of the power rushing through him and squeeze it into this song he's sure he needs to use to bring order to the world. He meets Kay's rapt gaze with an intensely purposeful one, trying to convey his sovereignty as much through his glare as his powerful voice as he continues to refine his performance of his important song.]

[The awe from the first several bars of the song is wearing off and is being replaced by uncertainty. Kay's rapt expression fades into something more lucid, more alert...and more worried. Edgeworth hasn't stopped singing, and Kay can feel that he is really pouring as much power as he can into every single note. If he doesn't stop, he might end up exhausting the power of the choker. It's a good thing only Kay can hear him right now.

She straightens up from her rock, and raises her voice and a hand to be heard and noticed.]

Whoa, that's pretty intense. But shouldn't you be getting back to...y'know, learning about how merpeople tick instead of spending your half hour singing?

[Edgeworth appears frustrated at first by Kay's change of expression, then confused as she addresses him. He still doesn't stop singing, but he's not straining his newfound ability to put power into the music like he was a moment before and isn't quite as focused as he was. Isn't singing this song what he's supposed to be doing? Isn't it important?...]

...

[Uh-oh, Kay was not expecting this. Edgeworth seems so absorbed in the song - too absorbed to absorb what she just told him.

She approaches him, grabs his shoulders, and shakes him, yelling:]

Mr. Edgeworth! [Don't make her have to sing you out of singing...or remove that choker right now.]

[Shaking Edgeworth has an immediate and profound effect. His singing is cut off with a sudden choking noise — but at the same time, his eyes widen and the movements of his tail and arms stop, causing him to begin sinking briefly...]

[...but it only takes a couple of seconds for him to shake off the fear spike being shaken inspired within him, swim back up to a few inches above where he was, and aim a glare at Kay that seems like it ought to be creating ice crystals in the salt water between the two of them.]

Was that absolutely necessary?!

[Kay lets go of him and moves backward by a few inches at the glare, but steels herself, clenching her hands into fists.]

Yes! You were getting carried away with your singing and you could've mesmerized a hundred women by now!

[She lets out a relieved but exasperated breath, letting her arms fall limp to her sides and placing her hands on her hips (or at least, where they normally would be) instead.]

Didn't I tell you that you get less time as a merman if you sing? It uses up more power from the choker!

Edited 2014-11-30 13:04 (UTC)

[Kay's insistence that he was getting carried away clearly gives Edgeworth pause.]

(Now that she mentions it... my word, what was I thinking?! And yet, part of me still feels like I should never have stopped singing and should just start again!)

You also claimed that it would last for half an hour even with singing involved... but that's rather beside the point, is it not?

[The point being, his song seems to be a danger to himself and potentially everyone around him.]

[Kay's expression is serious. Her tail switches back and forth, reminiscent of an impatient cat's as she nods.]

I know the singing part is useful and can save people sometimes, but you gotta be careful with it. Don't make me have to shake you again...or worse!

[Extremely justified seriousness at that. That is definitely one thing Edgeworth respects about Kay: as prone to mischief as she may be, she can still be serious when it matters most.]

Apparently so. Is it normal to feel such an urge to sing, or to lose oneself in one's own power?

Open Post: The Kay Faraday Edition
This is my permanent Kay Faraday open post. Spam me with prompts, picture prompts, AUs, and the like. Indicate canon point or universe when necessary. Please note that I don't do slash, smut, anything sexual or anything overly and excessively violent.
Canon	Future AU
Choose a canon point, any canon point! Even from AAI2, why not.	7-8 years later, AJ/DD era. Prosecutor who studied under Miles Edgeworth. Still hyper and makes thief jokes. Still the Yatagarasu.
Somarium	Mask or Menace
Lived with Edgeworth and Stitch. Recruited Ema, Trucy and Maya into the Yatagarasu. 19 years old. Had college plans.	Can command and talk to crows, replicate voices and sounds perfectly, and use Charter Magic. Juror for Teen Court.

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