hisheartsdesire | [ic] Contact

[Edgeworth goes tense again. He doesn't need Toby's help and he never did, and the insinuation is nothing less than insulting. But... even if he didn't need his help, he did appreciate his company. He appreciated the distraction from weightier issues. He appreciated how Toby stood by his side, despite the rumors that came out. A weight settles on his chest as his face tightens in a grimace, and when Toby finishes, he shakes his head.]

That... that won't be necessary. But as for you...

[He takes another heavy breath. Another sip from his drink.]

I thought that you were kind. Patient. Gentle, even. But unfortunately, I've known my fair share of kind, gentle people, none of whom were genuine about it. For them, softness was nothing but a mask, a distraction to hide a darker, more vicious nature. When I heard the news of what you had done, I assumed that you were cut from the same cloth as them. However...

[He swallows the lump in his throat and shifts in his chair, adjusting his position]

However, none of them would have taken responsibility for their actions the way you did. They would have continued their act for as long as they could get away with it, and as long as it suited them.

[The first words Edgeworth uses to describe what he'd thought of Toby are definitely not the words Toby would ever use to describe himself. But given thought, he could see where Edgeworth got the misconception, even though it wasn't Toby's intention to mislead the other man.

More importantly, Toby is still misleading people about the fact his power here doesn't work the same way it did back at home. It took some measure of adjusting to, and the fact is that he had performed many deceptions back home. Things might not be so different, Toby himself might not be so changed if it weren't for that. Should anyone here discover this, then what? The thought terrifies him.

Toby thinks that he should come out with it sometime. He maintains a neutral expression.]

I see. I understand now, Edgeworth. And I thank you for seeing some good in me—as well as change. [A pause. It's important to tread carefully.] For the longest time, I have been a believer that there is a certain level of deception involved in any relationship. That people will always have some secret or other.

What are your thoughts on that?

[He purses his lips together, breathing in through his nostrils, not quite meeting Toby's gaze]

There was a time where I had taken that fact for granted, assuming it was the natural state of things. And that's what made relationships so dangerous. You could never tell what secrets a person held in their heart, nor what they would do with yours should they uncover them.

[He breathes out and grips his glass, not lifting it up]

So I avoided them altogether. It seemed safer that way. However...

[He shakes his head]

I've started to question the wisdom in that.

[He nods, understanding. But all the same, he still has something to hide.] So have I.

[He exhales a long, airy breath.]

Since coming here, hiding what I am and what I did has only caused problems. Not just for me, but others. Keeping these secrets... really hasn't been worth all of that. That said, I'm trying to be more open about it and am discovering people are far more accepting about it in this place, during these times.

[That's his way of dealing with the other secret he still keeps. Maybe in time, he'll mention it, but he doesn't want to ruin what's happening now.]

So, I guess all of this begs the question... What now?

[Where do they stand? Is this how it ends, a peaceful, accepting, and fairly understanding parting of ways? Are they starting sort of from scratch but not quite square one? Or are they at something of a neutral in-between?]

To be honest?

[He shrugs and shakes his head]

I don't know, and to be frank, I'm surprised that you still want anything to do with me. Our friendship, as it were, was based on misconceptions. Neither of us were as... kind as the other had hoped for. However...

[He meets Toby's gaze, his expression serious]

Whatever happens, I will hold no grudge against you. I will not hound you, I will not seek punishment, I will not rub salt in your wounds. It's true that you can't change what you've done. However, piling on additional penance won't do any good, either. Simply put, you're not the man I assumed you were when we last met. Like I've said, you've taken responsibility, as best as anyone in your situation can. So long as you continue to do so, I have no reason to mistreat you.

[Edgeworth is right that Toby isn't who Edgeworth thought he was or expected him to be. And Toby wonders that perhaps he'd projected his own thirst for companionship on Edgeworth when they first met. It's possible both of them saw something they desperately wanted or needed to see in the other. Not necessarily from the very beginning, but as something that planted itself in their relationship and only continued to grow as time wore on.

At any rate, they're not exactly starting from scratch or a blank slate, nor are they writing each other off. It's like finding neutral ground, and if their paths cross, then so be it. So again, he solemnly nods.]

Thanks. I think I get it.

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wrapping this thread up, i think