I'm not really sure why this chapter came so easily for me. Vera is a hard character to write, so I realize that she's probably all kinds of OOC; but give it a chance. I think after being inside for long, seeing this man with the golden hair, offering a way to get back outside, I think she would most definitely be laughing; I also think she would be obsessed with him. Do you remember how you felt after someone touched you, or said just the right thing, and made your world all bright and beautiful? I think Vera feels the same way, and I think, because she is coming of age, so to speak, she's going to have certain feelings welling up inside of her that need to be expressed. Also, I AM NOT making Kristoph out to be a pedophile. I believe he sees the person that Vera could be; a beautiful young woman with a talent that stretches beyond what her father is making her out to be. ACH! So much to be said in the story of Vera and her father. Maybe a character study is in order.
Speaking of character studies, the song lyrics I used for this chapter are by a very respected musician and songwriter, Sarah McLachlan, whose album 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' inspired, and possibly awoke the writer in me back when the album was released in 1993. Anyway the lyrics I chose I think represent Kristoph and Vera respectively. (The first part being K and the second being V.) The lyrics are at the end.
**I realise Vera's age contradicts what was stated in the game. However, as we all know by now, there are a lot of age contradictions in the game, so I hope you will forgive mine.**
...and without further ado, I give you the next chapter! Enjoy!
"Papa, I'm frightened," Vera Misham said the next day. "Why can't you just stay in the other room?"
"Oh dear," Drew Misham looked down at his feet to think of the best way to respond to his daughters plea. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Our client insisted on staying anonymous and I would be tempted to look while you were talking to him."
Vera bit her thumb nervously as she clutched her sketchbook close to her. He kissed her forehead to try and reassure her then rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Please Vera, be polite and don't stare, and at the very least say hello to the gentleman. And don't forget to offer him tea or coffee. I love you, you know that right?"
Vera wrapped her arms around her father as he reciprocated.
"I know," she sniffled into his shoulder. "I love you too, papa!"
"Now Vera," he said as he carefully pulled her away from him and held her at arms length. He smiled at her as he reached in his breast pocket for his handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "This client is very important to us. After today, I promise everything will be okay."
Drew paused as his daughter nodded her acknowledgment.
"Remember your twelfth birthday is next week. I will be just down the street buying your gift. Be strong, please, for me?" She nodded again and sniffed as her father smiled and wiped her eyes one more time before he stood up. He cupped her chin sweetly, then pulled his jacket closer as he walked out the door.
"Papa," Vera whispered as she stepped up and put her hand on the door. She felt her heart beating hard and found herself shaking. She chewed on her thumb to try to calm herself as a single tear rolled listlessly down her cheek. She tried to say something to the door, but her voice only came out in a strangled whisper. Vera sniffed and turned to face the loft apartment that her and her father occupied. It seemed huge now that her father wasn't there ambling about. The paintings that Drew was currently working on were tucked in the corner on her left along with the copies that she was making. Other paintings and sketches were hung in random patterns along the walls.
The girl sighed loudly and it seemed to echo throughout the empty apartment. Hearing a creak coming from their bedroom made her jump a little and she took a step backward.
She found it hard to breathe suddenly as she looked frantically around the room. Another noise and she squeaked and backed right into the door.
A knock on the hollow door sent her head in a whirl as she spun around and stared at the dark wood. She had her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream as another knock sounded on the door.
Taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes, Vera lifted her hand to open the door. She gasped at the beautiful, tall, blonde man standing on the other side of the threshold.
"Vera?" The man's voice was kind as he smiled down at her. "Vera Misham?"
She nodded frantically, afraid to speak.
"I am Kris-..." The attorney stopped himself immediately. He couldn't take any chances. The anonymity of everything was key to the whole game. "I am the client requesting your services. May I come in?"
Vera was too shocked at the man's beautiful looks and voice to move.
"Miss Misham, are you alright?"
The sound of her name being spoken by the alluring angel brought her to her senses as she nodded again and stepped aside to let the man in.
Kristoph cocked his head, curious at her reaction at him, but stepped inside the apartment anyway. He looked around thoughtfully at his surroundings, not sure what he was expecting.
"W-Would you like s-some coffee or tea?" Her voice sounded so small, she wondered herself if she said anything.
"Yes, tea sounds good, thank you." Kristoph smiled down at the curious girl as she quickly walked into another room Kristoph assumed was the kitchen. He couldn't help but think that this timid girl could grow into a beautiful young woman some day.
Kristoph pushed such thoughts out of his head as he looked around again. Large puffy clouds rolled by the sun, throwing weird shadows across the wood floors through the picture windows ahead of him. A painting on the wall to his right caught his attention and he walked to it. It was exactly what he thought it was; 'Vase with 12 Sunflowers' by van Gogh. As he looked closer he saw the texture of the oil paint and the waves it created. He tried to resist the urge to touch it, just to make sure. Was this a copy? Was this the talent the girl in the strange purple outfit and awkward legs possessed?
"M-Mister, please don't touch," Vera's tiny voice startled him as a small gasp escape his lips and he turned to look wide eyed at the girl. "The paint is still drying."
He watched her lips move and heard the words, but couldn't comprehend what she had said.
"Amazing..." He said in a low whisper.
The cups on the tray she was holding started shaking slightly as her heart started beating in her throat. She realized that this man might be here to take her away from her father, from the haven that was this apartment. A small whimper escaped her throat, as she set the tray down a little too hard and the lid to the sugar bowl slipped off. As she reached for it, another hand came into view and she pulled away quickly.
"I'm sorry Vera, I didn't mean to startle you," Kristoph said kindly. "Please be assured that I have no ill intentions against you or your father."
'Liar,' Dahlia's honeysuckle voice was in his head again and he reached up to rub his forehead to try to ignore it. He watched her tug nervously at her dress, trying to pull it down to cover herself. The dress she wore draped along her tiny thighs that were covered in striped tights. She pulled her sweater closer to her tiny figure that was just beginning to form.
Kristoph cleared his throat, hoping to clear his mind of the thoughts he knew would come next.
"I wasn't going to give this to you until the end of our conversation, but I can see that you are still not comfortable with me being here," Kristoph paused as he opened the front pocket of his soft brown leather briefcase, and brought out the elegant bottle of Ariadoney polish that he had specially prepared for Vera.
Her eyes widened as he held the bottle out for her.
"Wha...What is it?" She reached out to touch it. Kristoph smiled as he watched her bite her thumb on her other hand.
"It's nail polish, magic nail polish. If you wear this, it will protect you from whatever evil spirits surround you, should you ever leave the house."
Vera gasped.
"Wouldn't that be grand to be able to go somewhere on your twelfth birthday?"
"How do you know about my birthday?" Vera suddenly drew in on herself again and Kristoph cursed himself.
"Your father told me." He held the bottle closer to her as he stepped to her. She was mesmerized as she couldn't take her eyes off the bottle.
"It's so...pretty," Vera started to reach for it again, but paused before she touched it.
"Go ahead, it's yours. Take it." Kristoph could almost see the internal struggle in her innocent dark blue eyes. He was close enough to her that he could smell her lotion, or shampoo or whatever flowery scent she carried on her. He watched as her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. She seemed to suddenly focus on his face as her expression changed from frightened curiosity to one of slight confusion. "Go on."
The last time Vera had been this close in proximity to another man other than her father, he had harmed her, scarred her physically and emotionally. But there was something different in the eyes of this man. There was only kindness and he hadn't laid a hand on her. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch his long hair, which to Vera looked ten times softer than her own. Her curious eyes memorized the lines of the mans face and striking blue eyes.
"Vera?" His angelic voice brought her out of her reverie. She shook her head and blinked as she realized that her hand was lingering above the bottle of polish.
"May I?" Now his hand was suddenly lingering above hers. She studied his hand and her brow furrowed for a moment. The imperfection on the back of his hand seemed so out of place on this beautiful man, that it made Vera curious.
Kristoph mistook the expression and explained his actions as he adjusted his glasses. "Please, I promise I won't hurt you?"
'Kristoph, you are such a sly, slick bastard! Anything to touch the girl!' Again, Dahlia's voice haunted him. He hid his anger at the voice behind a sickeningly sweet smile.
Vera was staring at him like she had seen a ghost. The mark on his hand formed the face of a devil and her mind went back to the stories that her mother would tell her of strangers and not to speak to them because they possessed the devil in their hearts. But this man couldn't be the devil. He was too ethereal, too light, too...gorgeous to be the devil.
Kristoph gently grabbed her tiny hand and was instantly relieved at the trusting bond that formed between them. Her hand was soft as he turned it and placed the bottle in her palm, then closed her delicate fingers around the bottle, resisting the urge to kiss them. He held his hands there for a few seconds. They were warm and Vera suddenly felt safe. No, this man was definitely was not the devil.
"Now, promise me that you will not tell your father about this magic charm I'm giving you." Kristoph said firmly. "If you do the magic will wear off and you will be vulnerable to the evils of everything outside your door."
Vera's eyes were wide with fascination and fear as she bit her lip and nodded.
"Good. You are a beautiful young lady, Vera. I would hate to see an innocent spirit as yours be destroyed." Unable to resist the urge, he carefully placed a chaste kiss on her fingers, then let go of her hand.
Vera's mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as she felt her heart leap into her throat when the man kissed her hand. She drew in a breath and held it as his soft lips touched her knuckles. A warmth spread throughout her body and seemed to settle in the pit of her stomach. When he let go of her hand, she felt the warmth explode into what felt like tiny butterflies and she finally let go of the breath she had drawn.
"Vera, I can leave. I feel that I've overstepped my boundaries..."
"N-No!" She said a little too loudly and clasped her free hand over her mouth. She never wanted this man to leave. The way he was making her feel was way too good to be true. "Please stay. I-I'm sorry, I'll be right b-back!"
Vera ran into her tiny bedroom that was cornered off by a makeshift wall and a gauzy blue curtain. She collapsed to her knees in front of her bed. She felt like a fish out of water as she tried to find air to breath. Her hand was clutching the bottle of polish so tight it was starting to hurt. Willing herself to relax, she unclasped her hand and stared at the delicate ocean blue bottle. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, watching as a blond angel danced in the darkness behind her eyelids. Sighing and smiling she finally felt her heart calm to its normal pace. Her eyes flew open as she heard the man call her name from the other room. Vera slipped the bottle of polish into her pocket, then stood shakily and felt her stomach doing flip-flops. She wasn't sure of the strange sensation that was coming over her. It was an excitement that she had never felt before. Grabbing her bearings and her Gramarye sketchbook, she walked out of her room.
As soon as the girl ran into her room, Kristoph put his briefcase down and clutched his head in his hands to contain the evil laugh that was Dahlia's that floated through his mind.
'You're a foolish man, Kristoph.' It was almost as if she was whispering in his ear. 'If you weren't such a capable lover, I would write you off as worthless as Phoenix Wright.'
Something inside him snapped.
To be compared to that insignificant man was enough for Kristoph to control his urges and fuel his need for ruining the contemptible defense attorney.
The silence in the apartment was suddenly overwhelming and it felt like the walls of his mind were closing in on him. He swallowed hard and clutched at his collar, willing the sudden claustrophobia to go away.
"Vera," he called. He had to get out soon before something terrible would happen that he would have no control over.
Kristoph had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking out in hysterics as Vera walked out of her room clutching a sketchbook with the likenesses of the Gramarye Troupe on it. He was going to get on this girls good graces, and the Gramaryes might be that ticket.
"Are you okay, Vera?"
"Y-Yes, I'm sorry," she looked away. "I'm not very good around strangers."
"I should be the one apologizing," Kristoph started as he picked up his briefcase. "I shouldn't have touched you like that. Shall we sit?"
She nodded as she walked over to her favorite overstuffed chair. Kristoph sat on the couch that was next to the chair and laid his briefcase on his lap.
"I see you like the Gramaryes?" He gestured to her sketchbook.
"Yes," she turned the book to look at the three magicians and a smile appeared that lit up her beautiful face. "I do very much."
"Very good." Kristoph pulled the Gramarye journal out of his briefcase and thumbed through to the page that he wanted as he continued. "The service I request of you involves a page that I need you to copy. It will help to keep the Gramaryes out of jail."
Vera gasped. "Jail?"
"Yes, Vera," Kristoph paused. He wasn't sure he should go into the details, he didn't want to scare the poor girl more than he had already. "One of them has been accused of doing something that they didn't do, and this journal could be the evidence that keeps them free."
He watched as several emotions crossed Vera's face, then held the journal out to her so she could see the page. "Do you think you could make a copy of this page, with a couple of altered details?"
Vera's wide eyes watched Kristoph as he spoke, then looked down at the simple penmanship that adorned the page. Licking her lips, she slowly raised her hand to touch the page. The paper was of a high quality and the handwriting would be easy to copy.
"Gramarye..." she whispered, starstruck.
"What was that?" Kristoph leaned in towards the girl.
"N-Nothing," Vera paused, looking at the page one last time and touching the paper. Her eyes met Kristophs curious expression. "I can copy that, easily."
A smile crept onto his face.
"Good." He closed the journal and slipped it back into his briefcase, then pulled out a large manilla envelope that he handed to the girl. "There is a blank page from the journal in there, a sample of the handwriting, and what I would like you to write."
"D-Do you want me to do this n-now?" She asked as she took the manilla envelope.
"Yes, please." Kristoph folded his hands on his lap, feeling satisfied with himself. "The trial for the Gramarye's is tomorrow. You don't want your favorite magicians to go to jail, do you?" He adjusted his glasses.
Vera suddenly gasped and her eyes went wide. "N-No!" She fumbled with the clasp to the envelope and brought out the items inside. She traced her finger over the Gramarye symbol and smiled. "If you'll excuse me for a second, I need to find the right materials to make this copy."
"Please do," Kristoph smiled sweetly at her and watched as she got up and walked over to what looked like a drafting table. There were paints and pens and pencils spilling from all the cubicles that were mounted on the wall above the drafting table. He squinted and thought he saw sketches of the members of the Gramarye troupe depicted in various states of their different acts. He heard Vera give a satisfied noise and she returned to her chair with her arms full of supplies and a small version of the drafting table. She set the table on the coffee table that was in front of her and set up her supplies and the paper and the sample of handwriting.
The attorney watched with quiet satisfaction and curiosity as Vera hummed a familiar tune as she was working. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and she looked wise beyond her 12 years. She flipped her unusual blue hair behind her shoulder and glanced at Kristoph as she did. She suddenly turned a slight shade of pink as she noticed him watching her.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare." Kristoph looked away and started fiddling with his briefcase. "The creative process has always fascinated me."
"I-It's okay," Vera smiled almost as brightly as before, making her look older than she was. "It's nice to know that someone other than my father enjoys my work."
Kristoph was determined to make her smile more; her father had briefly mentioned the kidnapping to him and the elder Gavins heart immediately went out to the poor young girl.
'So, for her to smile like this must be a rarity.' Kristoph thought, as he returned the girls smile. 'It's infectious, even I don't smile like this. I must find a way to make her laugh, and leave her laughing.' He thought about how he would take Klavier to Circus Krone and how happy he would be walking amongst the animals and watching the acrobats in the evenings performance.
"M-Mister?" Vera's tiny voice broke into his reverie.
"Sorry, Vera what did you say?" Kristoph shook his head slightly.
"I was just wondering what you were thinking about," Vera fiddled with her pen nervously. "You had a very thoughtful smile on your face."
Kristoph raised an elegant eyebrow. 'She's very intuitive.'
He cleared his throat and told the shy girl about what he was thinking about. As he was talking, the memories flooded over his mind and made his and his brothers childhoods seem warm and kind. These were the memories that he should hold onto, not the ones that resurfaced every night and woke him up in a sweat, or worse, sleepwalking.
A sound suddenly echoed throughout the room that was unfamiliar to both Vera and Kristoph, for different reasons. Vera had laughed out loud at a comment that Kristoph had made about a clown chasing Klavier. Now she was red-faced with her hand clamped over her mouth.
The silence was palpable before Kristoph spoke.
"I...You don't laugh very often do you Vera?"
She shook her head, afraid to speak, afraid she would break the spell she was under. It had to be a spell. She had never felt this warm, this outgoing, this excited before.
"I'm sorry Vera, I wish that you didn't have to be so scared of going out -"
"But, you've brought me this," Vera interrupted as she pulled out the nail polish bottle. "I can go outside now. And do you know the first place I'm going to go?"
"Er...no...I don't," her childlike innocence caught him off guard. He had almost forgotten about the polish, and it's deadly contents. He wanted to take it back and tell her the truth. But the look on her face was so sweet, so trusting, he couldn't bear to break her heart. Especially after everything she had been through.
"I'm going to have papa take me to the Gramarye Museum." She nodded satisfied with herself, then went back to what she was doing.
Kristoph sat in turmoil over his conscience.
'Why do I always end up with the soft-hearted fools?' Dahlia's bitter voice brought him quickly down to earth. 'Don't forget what you have to do, Kristoph. This little girl is part of a bigger plan that will make you famous beyond your comprehension. Don't forget that.'
"Okay," Vera said as she took a deep breath and looked over her work one last time. Then she handed it to Kristoph as she spoke. "I believe I am finished. If there is anything I can fix, let me know."
Kristoph looked over what she had done and the sample handwriting. He started to say something but was so flabbergasted at the amazing work that Vera had done, nothing came out when he opened his mouth. He took the journal out of his briefcase again and opened it to the appropriate page.
"What's the matter?" Vera's pretty features were edged with concern as she chewed on her thumb. "Is there something wrong?"
Kristoph looked up at her, dumbfounded.
"No...no, there's nothing wrong at all," he said breathlessly as he looked back down at the page. "It's perfect."
Vera smiled again, relieved that her work pleased this golden angel. "Thank you."
Kristoph shook his head again to gather his thoughts about himself.
"Yes, well," Kristoph gathered everything and placed it in his briefcase. "It is I that should thank you. You have a lot of talent Vera, I really hope you come into your own someday."
"What do you mean?" She asked as the attorney stood up. He rested his hand on her shoulder lightly and paused on his way to the door.
"You will find out someday, Miss Misham." Then he adjusted his glasses, exposing the scar on his hand. Her smile faltered. "In the meantime, I wish you a full and happy life."
The weight of Kristophs hand lingered on her shoulder as he walked to the door. She stood up quickly as he paused at the door. "Please, stay!"
He smiled a small smile. "As much as I would like to stay, I mustn't linger any longer. I have clients of my own to see to."
"Mister," the young girl paused and looked down at her hands. "Can I at least know your first name?"
The man sighed. Seeing no harm in her request, he told her his name, then added: "If you repeat my name or reveal my identity to anyone, the magic in the polish will not work anymore. Please remember that."
"Kristoph," She repeated it almost reverently. "It's a very nice name."
"Thank you, Vera." He opened the door. "I bid you good day."
"I'll never forget you, Kristoph." Vera clutched at the nail polish in her pocket as she turned back to the mini-workstation she had set up. Turning her sketchbook to a blank page, she started drawing a golden haired angel in blue.
'Possesion'
Through this world I've stumbled,
So many times betrayed
Trying to find an honest word,
To find the truth enslaved.
Oh, you speak to me in riddles,
You speak to me in rhymes
My body aches to breathe your breath
Your words keep me alive.
Sarah McLachlan