dream 003 ☄ when I was little, I thought I could be...

[yatagarasu]

[ Warnings: None? Yeah, pretty much. Unless you consider pictures of younger!Kay and her father spoilery, but they're in link form so you can opt not to click on them.

Effects: Don't be surprised if you find yourself reminiscing about your parents, or your childhood in general. Warm and fuzzy feelings. General nostalgia. ]

The hallway was lit by a single bulb that shone over the area just outside the bathroom, where a little girl about nine or ten years old and clad in carnation pajamas was just coming out. She stood there for a moment, and her bright green eyes wandered toward the door to her right. It was ajar, and a sliver of light shone through.

That was odd; the clock in her bedroom had told her that it was already 1 AM when she woke up to go to the bathroom. She walked over to the door, took one peek, and pulled it until more of the light filled the hall. Blinking, she looked inside.

The room was actually an office, its west and east walls dominated by file cabinets and shelves filled with books, awards, framed photographs, and odd little things such as bottles, containers of fingerprint powder, and what looked like bits and pieces of weapons. Those items, of course, were too high for the girl to reach. Outside the window behind the desk, the sky was as dark as it should be in the wee hours of the morning; not even the moon or stars graced the world with their presence. And as for the desk, it was almost lost under a pile of papers, books, files, pens and pen holders, a framed photograph of the black-haired girl wearing a bright blue dress, and a few clips that held some of those papers together. The man seated behind it had been poring over a thick dossier, but he looked up from it when he heard the door creak open slightly. 

"Kay? I thought you were asleep." He blinked, put the documents away, and stood up. 

"I went to the bathroom," the girl answered. "I thought you were asleep too..."

Byrne Faraday sighed, walking over to her. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his little brown ponytail was a bit of a mess. He wasn't wearing the scarf, and a couple of pens were tucked into his pocket. His daughter stared up at him; he looked very tired, and that made her frown sadly. He was working hard and she understood why, but...sometimes he worked too hard.

"Daddy..."

"Daddy can't sleep yet," he said, resting a hand on her head; his other hand, the left, was ink-stained. Smiling weakly, he added, "He has a very important trial tomorrow - I mean, later - and he can't let the criminal get away." Byrne glanced at his watch; sure enough, it was only a few minutes past 1 AM. 

"But you need to sleep too," Kay pointed out, looking down at her bare feet. 

"I will, Kay. I promise." He ruffled her hair a bit. "I'll take you with me so you can watch, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, but she didn't look relieved. "You promise?"

Byrne was silent. Then he half-knelt in front of her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lots of bad guys work really hard to get away with it," he said softly. "Which means Daddy has to work harder, so he can catch them." Despite his weary expression, there was a spark of determination in his eyes - akin to that of a predator ready to do whatever it took to bring its prey down. "So don't worry. Go back to sleep. Want me to accompany you?"

Kay nodded again. "You'll keep your promise, right?"

"Yes, I will." 

He opened his arms, and embraced her. She clung to his neck, resting her head on his shoulders and telling herself that her father was a hero; he would bring criminals to justice, like he always did. Still, that didn't stop her from worrying. Once, he had gotten sick after one too many sleepless nights. And it broke her heart to see him stumble around in the kitchen, exhausted from his work but still managing to take care of her. 

Yet, this was an important case for him, she knew. Kay understood why he pushed himself.

She hugged him more tightly, and slowly smiled.

"Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, Kay."


[The dream ends, and anyone who has been to Edgeworth's apartment will recognize the couch Kay is lying on. She is still fully dressed; clearly she had not intended to fall asleep on his couch.

Somewhere in her gaze was a glint of longing, of nostalgia.

And then the feed ends as well.]

Comments

[nonsacrifice.livejournal.com]

[... Really, how nostalgic. She remembers when she was that age.]

Was he a lawyer?

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

[She nods slowly.]

Yeah. He was a prosecutor.

[nonsacrifice.livejournal.com]

Hmm. The workaholic type, I'm guessing?

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

I guess you could say that. He was always doing so much.

[AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH EXACTLY. High Prosecutor, father, and everything in between...and so much more besides.]

[nonsacrifice.livejournal.com]

Is that so?

[Well, Mayuko's far from oblivious, and she hasn't missed all the signs, so.]

Did something happen, then?

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

Yes.

...

He was murdered for getting too close to the truth.

[nonsacrifice.livejournal.com]

... Oh.

[...]

Well, it's good if you can cherish your memories of him, then.

[bearrific.livejournal.com]

... I guess any girl would want to be with her daddy huh?

*It rather like watching Nana-chan.*

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

Yeah...I wish I could, but he's gone now.

[bearrific.livejournal.com]

Oh I, uh - ... *face falters.* I guess I shouldn't have mentioned him.

Sorry.

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head.]

...it's okay.

[bearrific.livejournal.com]

*His face is not entirely without uncertainty but he gives her a small nod in return.*

Mm! W-while just because he's gone, doesn't mean he isn't with you anymore right? Even if you're far away, I'm sure he can hear you.

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

He's dead, but...I'll keep his legacy alive. For his, my, and everyone's sakes.

[video]

[fiveminutefail.livejournal.com]

[It's odd for Kotetsu to see something like this. He's the father that works too hard, the father who never keeps his promises. Viewing it at a perspective such as this can do nothing but make him frown a little.

The dreamer of this dream is no longer a little girl, from what he can tell, so he just has to know.]

Did he keep his promise?

[video]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

[Kay nods, smiling ever so slightly.]

He did. I remember...he didn't change into his pajamas.

[video]

[fiveminutefail.livejournal.com]

He seems like a very dedicated man. [He smiles back, perhaps a tad enviously.] It's very admirable.

[video]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

Daddy was dedicated...even until the end.

...I'm going to do the same.

[video]

[fiveminutefail.livejournal.com]

[And the smile falters.]

Until the end?

[video]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

Until the end. [She nods sadly.] He didn't live...to see the answers to all his questions.

[action]

[prosecutes]

[This isn't the first time Kay's fallen asleep here, and Edgeworth isn't surprised. He just ignores it for the most part since arguing about it never seems to yield any results. His days begin early, so by the time she wakes up, he's already had breakfast, read the newspaper and seen her dream. All that remains is to go and get dressed so that he can take Apollo for a walk -- he's just walking around in pajamas and a bathrobe right now because in spite of waking up early nearly every single day, he is not a morning person.

On his way back to his bedroom, he sees that Kay is awake and speaking with someone on her Dreamberry. Polite enough to not interrupt, he waits until she is done, then walks into the room.]

...Good morning, Kay.

[action]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

[Kay sits up slowly, and when she yawns widely, she covers her mouth with her free hand.

Normally she's okay with mornings, but...the fact that she spent yet another unexpected night on Edgeworth's couch instead of her own bed...]

'Morning...what time is it?

[action]

[prosecutes]

Seven thirty.

[And though he probably shouldn't be insulting her for this, it's just the way he is, so he must point out the glaringly obvious.]

I see that you've neglected to keep track of time once more. Or have you simply been working too hard to stay awake?

[action]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

[Would you rather have Kay fall into a sleep coma on your couch? Which I may or may not be planning while I'm gone?

She stands up, pulling that giant key out of her hair and undoing her ponytail. While her black hair falls gently into long waves past her shoulders and down her back, she narrows her eyes at Edgeworth.]

Hey, being your assistant isn't always easy, you know!

[action]

[prosecutes]

I never said it would be.

[He doesn't mean to be so short with her, but now, even more than usual, the prosecutor is under a lot of stress. It's not the first serial killer to go on a rampage in Somarium, but it's the first one who attacked someone so close to him. This is personal to the point where Edgeworth really shouldn't be involved in the investigation, but he refuses to let it go until the mystery is solved and the killer is brought to justice.

Yet bit by bit, he's been learning to pay closer attention to visual cues. The narrowing eyes and resulting glare would once have resulted in a glaring contest. Now? He takes a moment to think and realize that Kay is agitated, and even if partially, his words are responsible. Save for falling asleep in the wrong apartment, she really has done nothing wrong.

The tension in his brows lessens as much as he can force it to, and his tone becomes less bitter as he speaks again.]

...Breakfast is on the table.

[action]

[dedikayted.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[With a neater ponytail and after smoothing out her skirt, she nods. Then she wanders over to the table, then plops down into a chair very unceremoniously. But before she could eat...]

...sorry for falling asleep on your couch again.

[Really. She means it. Even if her tone is more deadpan than usual.]