ataraxion | 001 ↓ [video]

[Larry is sitting cross-legged on his bed in his cabin, looking pretty bored. He tries to put on a grin that ends up looking more sheepish and clueless than anything, and takes one more moment of valuable transmission time to glance up at the ceiling, presumably in thought. Then he sighs, and faces his device. At least he is no longer panicking the way he was during his first few days on the ship.]

Um...hi, I guess. I'm Larry Butz, and one day I woke up in a tube with weird gunk that took forever to get out of my hair. Gum is worse, though.

[A pause. He wonders what else he should say.]

Thought I'd introduce myself since we'll be on this ship for a while. In space and all that.

...

By the way, I got a couple of questions. First, are there any art materials on board? I'm kinda bored. [As if that wasn't obvious from the fact that he has decided to lie back down, his eyes half-closing in a dazed expression.] And second, are the numbers on our arms supposed to mean something, or did we all get random ones while we were asleep?

[Because his reminds him of something. Something more than just an age, or a birthday, or any sort of date.]

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[ And just to be safe from the possible prying eyes of family, Franziska sets this communication to private. ]

Would you be referring to the murder trial of Miles Edgeworth?

Duh, what else would I be talking about?!

The other times that you made a mockery of everything the courtroom stands for! [ the fact that this all happened in his future nonwithstanding... ]

I did not!

...and even if I did, I haven't! Yet! Besides, it was either I testify or Edgey gets thrown into the slammer!

[ Franziska is forced to reluctantly admit to herself that what Larry Butz is claiming is true. She would, however, never admit it to him. ]

Whatever. I suggest you pay better attention to what you say in court next time.

[ If he finds his way off this confounding space ship, she's certain there will be a next time. After all, she's already lived it and even if this whole alternate timelines nonsense changed something, she knows Larry Butz is simply incapable of staying out of trouble for long. ]

[Larry lets out a snarl and glares at Franziska the best he can, because he IS trying to glare at a von Karma.]

If I paid attention...

[He grits his teeth, then sighs and pouts, crossing his arms and deciding not to point out that if his testimony had gone some other way, it would have ended differently. Possibly with Manfred von Karma winning because his witness did everything he was told.

The glare is gone, replaced by a more evasive expression.]

Fine, fine!

Good. See to it that you do.

[ A beat. ]

Or I will.

Edited 2012-12-04 14:54 (UTC)

[Larry keeps trying to glare at Franziska - or rather, at his communicator. Which he's been doing for a while as if he's imagining her face right now.

Not that she'd notice.]

Y-You don't need to do that...

Don't worry. I'll enjoy it.

...

You really like watching me suffer, don't you?

Hmph. Don't take it personally.

I can't have been that big of a klutz in the future!

...Can I?

... You're as useless now as the day you were born, Larry Butz!

Oh, yeah? I still saved Edgey from a guilty verdict! Me! Just when it was handed down!

I showed your dad I meant business!

[ The corners of her lips twitch at the mention of her father, but she forces her mouth into an easy smirk. ]

You mean that you showed the world that you really are a fool.