[RL: Sunday, Noon - Lunch [Freud!Virus] | Phoenix; Edgeworth]

[attorneyatlol]

Phoenix stared at the piece of paper in front of him. The prospect of eating raw fish didn't seem as appetizing as his lunch companion made it out to be, and the fact that he didn't recognize a single item on the list only served to make him more skeptical. Magura? Hamachi? Kani kama? Perhaps if there had been some kind of explanation, he may have been less inclined to set the paper aside in favor of the regular lunch menu, although that was a very large if.

As he scanned the selections, he sighed in relief. At least you couldn't go wrong with a teriyaki beef bowl, right?

Comments

[samuraiprosecutor]

It was that last sheepish word that finally broke Edgeworth's resolve. His former irritation melted into laughter. It was clipped and somewhat subdued, but it was laughter nonetheless and Edgeworth's shoulders shook gently with it.

It wasn't long before he managed to bring himself under control, but a slight smile remained, the only indication that anything unusual had indeed occurred. "You approve of that one as well?"

[attorneyatlol]

The laughter hadn’t escaped Phoenix’s notice. His gaze immediately shot up and landed on Edgeworth, food momentarily forgotten. He wondered when the last time he’d seen the other man laugh was and realized, with hitched breath, that he had never seen this man laugh, not once since finding him again after fifteen years. While the sight was warming, the thought saddened Phoenix and he attempted to bury the sudden melancholy when he finally swallowed his food. He smiled slightly. “Little rubbery for my tastes. Was it squid?”

[samuraiprosecutor]

Wright's focus caught Miles' attention, and as it lingered his brows furrowed slightly. Eventually he dropped his gaze to the table, suddenly and inexplicably self-conscious, though he attempted to cover the movement by reaching for his glass. "Octopus. You've had squid before?"

[attorneyatlol]

Under normal circumstances, Phoenix may have balked at the idea of eating octopus, but he was otherwise distracted by studying Edgeworth, struck by a sudden sense of self-awareness over his admiration of the other man's features and demeanor.

He quickly shook his head, and it took a moment for the question to sink in. "Uh, yeah. I tried it once. It wasn't as rubbery, but it had the same kind of consistency. Not bad, just... you know..." He trailed off with a shrug and dropped his gaze to the remaining piece of sushi.

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth glanced up, found Wright's gaze still fixed on him, and hid behind his glass as he took a long sip of water. When he finished and set the glass down his eyes remained on the spread of sushi still laid out on the table. "It's generally favored by the more...adventurous sushi enthusiasts." His gaze traveled across the table, landing finally on Wright's plate. "One piece left, though...you're welcome to more, if you'd like."

[attorneyatlol]

Phoenix glanced at Edgeworth before bringing his attention back to the food. "Yeah... thanks."

What Edgeworth called unagi bore more of a resemblance to chicken than any cut of fish Phoenix had ever seen and, much to his relief, also bore a resemblance to something that was cooked. Not wanting a repeat of his last blunder (though it may have been worth it for the reaction, he didn't want to press his luck), he grabbed the sushi with his bare hand, dipped it, and took a bite after only a single beat of hesitation. He chewed slowly, mulling over the taste.

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth finally looked up again, and watched his associate with a mild interest before settling back into his lunch. He was silent as he ate, and didn't bother to raise his gaze from the table.

[attorneyatlol]

"I kind of like this one," Phoenix confessed, offering the sushi an appraising look before he dipped what remained and popped it in his mouth.

[samuraiprosecutor]

At his words Edgeworth finally deigned to look up at his companion. He held his gaze for a few moments, then picked up his napkin and cleaned his fingers with a few quick, careful swipes. "You haven't yet told me your reason for bringing me here. Doesn't this violate some sort of...unspoken rule?"

[attorneyatlol]

Phoenix stopped chewing, brows furrowed as he quickly surveyed the restaurant before his gaze fell back on Edgeworth. He swallowed. "What do you mean? I thought we both agreed to come here."

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth blinked at him, his expression blank. "I agreed...?" A small wrinkle crossed his brow momentarily. "I agreed under the assumption this would be a professional meeting. Anything else lacks a certain...propriety." He leaned back in his chair, gesturing open-palmed across the table. "Now that the pleasantries have been observed, was there something you wished to discuss outside of our sessions?"

[attorneyatlol]

Phoenix frowned, somewhat taken aback. If this was supposed to be a professional meeting, it was a fact that Edgeworth kept him blissfully unaware of until now. "Our sessions?" His eyes briefly flicked to the flask that set between them and he forced a short, apprehensive laugh in hopes of alleviating the sudden tension. "Maybe you should lay off the kanzake..."

[samuraiprosecutor]

Brows furrowing more deeply, Edgeworth eyed the flask suspiciously, then turned a glare on his companion. "You're slipping. By now you should have made at least some attempt to mine my emotional depths. You've yet to even bring up past traumas. It's quite unlike you."

[attorneyatlol]

At a loss and becoming increasingly uncomfortable, Phoenix simply stared. While digging was certainly a habit of his, he liked to think he knew when and where it was appropriate; past traumas weren't exactly on his list of ideal lunch topics. "Mine your emotional... what? Edgeworth, I don't..." His frown deepened as he considered his friend more closely. "Are you feeling all right?"

[samuraiprosecutor]

"A loaded question. Hardly up to your usual standards, but at least you're making some attempt." He shook his head dismissively. "I'm feeling as well as I generally do during our sessions."

[attorneyatlol]

Phoenix looked around the restaurant once more, as if it would somehow provide him with a clue as to what was going on. As expected, he came up empty and immediately returned his attention to Edgeworth, further tensing under his companion's distrustful glare. He shifted in his seat and glared back out of habit. Was it getting warm, or was it just him? "What are you trying to say?"

[samuraiprosecutor]

"I haven't made it plain enough?" He crossed his arms, his glare fading to a cold disinterest. "You've obviously brought me here to discuss something. You're aware I'm not one for evasive tactics so stop employing them. Is this about the two...colleagues we discussed? Or perhaps Wright. He seems to be a subject you enjoy visiting. And revisiting. At length."

[attorneyatlol]

"Wright?" Whatever frustration had been mounting was quickly diminished by that single word, and Phoenix soon found himself tense for a completely different reason. He leaned forward, searching the prosecutor's eyes for a hint of something. Anything. "Edgeworth, it's me. What's going on?"

[samuraiprosecutor]

That was an...unexpected reaction. Eyes widening, Edgeworth leaned further back against his seat, carefully studying his associate. "Is there a problem? You're acting...strangely."

[attorneyatlol]

Edgeworth seemed entirely lucid, a fact which only served to worry Phoenix further. "Other than you're talking to me like I'm not here?" He leaned back and ran a hand over his face, pausing to cup his chin in thought. "Maybe we should get you to a doctor..."

[samuraiprosecutor]

An acidic glare met that suggestion. "Amusing."

[attorneyatlol]

Once more, Phoenix matched the glare out of habit, but it quickly softened to its prior concern. Edgeworth was certainly acting normal, but something clearly wasn’t right. "I’ll get the check,” he decided. Sitting up, he searched the restaurant and tried to flag Kim down a second too late; the waiter disappeared into the kitchen and Phoenix sighed, drumming his fingers on the table.

After a moment, he looked at Edgeworth, trying not to let his worry get the best of him, even as he asked, “Are you feeling okay? I mean, are you dizzy? Blurred vision? Anything?”

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth watched the display with a growing uncertainty that was reflected in the slight wilting of his glare. The situation was quickly taking on a sense of surrealism that was disconcerting. When his companion turned his attention back to Miles, he responded with a clipped, "I feel I should be asking you the same thing." Sweeping his gaze pointedly across the table, which was still covered with half-eaten (and quite expensive) dishes, Miles' brow was raised questioningly when he looked back up.

"Our lunch is unfinished and you've yet to explain why we're here. Until both of these are rectified I plan to stay." As emphasis he calmly lifted his bowl of rice and resumed eating.

[attorneyatlol]

It was obvious they were getting nowhere. With yet another defeated sigh, Phoenix glanced down at his own food and frowned; it seemed decidedly unappetizing now, but with little else to do, he retrieved his chopsticks and quietly mixed the contents of his bowl. "What did you mean before?" he asked after a few seconds of silence, affording Edgeworth a curious glance. "About me- I mean, about Wright being a subject we... revisit."

[samuraiprosecutor]

Edgeworth paused, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, and glanced up curiously at his associate. "Just as I said. In the past you've seemed inordinately interested in him. One might almost say you were fixated."