Chapter Thirty-Seven :: Turnabout Secrets :: Trial :: Day 2 :: Part 2
Trance State? What was that? Nathan opened his mouth to ask, but he found he couldn't operate his jaw. The rest of his body was just as unresponsive.
He allowed himself a moment of panic. Was this what being poisoned felt like? But how could he have been poisoned? He had brought everything he had consumed. What if they'd been in his apartment? What if it was too late for him, and he was going to succumb like Kiria had been fated to just yesterday? He shivered at the thought that this might be his last stand, his life ended, thread snapped, his eyes closed for the final time.
Okay, he realized he might be acting a bit melodramatically.
It was time to focus. What was causing this? Poison? But as he'd already pointed out, everything that he'd ate and drank he had made himself. There was no possibility that anything he'd consumed had been poisoned.
Time to move on to theory two. What was a Trance State? He remembered his bible studies from childhood: it was a state that brought one closer to God, if he remembered correctly. Was that who was speaking to him in the back of his mind? God? Was he having an out-of-body experience?
It was kind of a lame one, if it was. He could still see the courtroom, albeit in black-and-white. He could hear the conversations, but they had been slowed to an extremely sluggish speed, as if someone had remastered the video and slowed it down.
He eliminated out-of-body experience.
Wait, he was spending quite a large amount of time thinking this over. In a normal instance, he would have lost the trial by now. He wanted to look around, to see a clock and estimate how much time had gone by, but he still couldn't move anything. The voices were a dull roar at the back of his mind, their words all smashed together as to be indistinguishable.
Well, it was the only thing going on. He focused on the words, on the voices, on anything he might recognize.
Maya. One of the voices was her voice, speaking as cheerfully as she normally would have. When he focused on her voice, it seemed like the rest of them fell away, almost as if they had decided they were suddenly FM and he was looking for an AM radio station. He was so focused on that change that he missed the first half of her sentence. " . . . instead we found Elias Whitman in the photo album. A family photo, no less."
He puzzled over the words as the rest of the voices came back. She'd said them yesterday, he remembered, when she and Edgeworth had reported back after going to Lysander Triton's home. But what did it mean? He still was missing the motive; what could he have benefited from if Hermia Laytonne had been proclaimed guilty?
He listened again, this time picking up a thread from Franziska's tones. "How did she know the witness was dead? She's been detained, correct?"
He racked his brain, trying to remember what she'd been talking about. It wasn't too hard; Franziska hadn't interacted with them the day before. It had to have been the day before, when Hermia had predicted Lysander's death.
The sound byte wasn't done.
"In the Detention Center the whole time. She hasn't been let out since she was arrested three days ago." That was Maya, seemingly in response to Franziska's question. But what had it meant? Obviously, Hermia hadn't been let out of the Detention Center; there had been a mistrial.
A mistrial.
That was what the intended outcome had been. Even if Kiria had ended up dead, the result would still have been a mistrial, not a guilty verdict. Someone needed more time for something, and Kiria Nomura had figured out something that she wasn't supposed to have figured out.
He wanted to put his head in his hands. He had a bunch of puzzle pieces that didn't fit together. The only common thread between them was Elias Whitman, and without Kiria's ability to testify about the case, he was lost.
A lower, scratchier tone stuck out from the rest, and Nathan focused on that one, still trying to put together the pieces. "Hermia said something that had me confused today. She said that she'd been the one to break up with Lysander. Or more, she'd told him to break up with her. When I tried to ask her why, she clammed up and wouldn't tell me anything. I can force it out of her with evidence, but . . . if we don't have the evidence, we can't find out why. Or what happened."
Kiria and Elias weren't the only two who knew what had happened. There was one more witness, someone who wouldn't talk. As he realized the potential, the world seemed to right itself, returning to color and normal speed like The Wizard of Oz. The voices in the back of his head quieted.
Only the one who had spoken first remained. "Trance State Completed."
The courtroom was still up in arms over the news that Kiria wouldn't be able to testify about the Laytonne case. Edgeworth was trying to reason with the Judge while Holcomb shook her head in disapproval. As he leaned forward on the desk, he tapped Edgeworth's elbow, a sign for him to back down. He had Kiria fixed in his sights, hoping to communicate to her that he'd need her in the next cross-examination. She stared back at him with dark eyes, concern written all over her face at this new development in the case.
"It's going to be alright," he said quietly, knowing she would know what he was saying, even if she couldn't hear him. "Everything will be fine."
She smiled a small smile, nothing large, but enough to let him know she was reassured.
He cleared his throat. "The Prosecution would like to call a witness to ask about possible motives."
The Judge swiveled around to look at him, looking back to Kiria in the next moment. "Miss Nomura, I think you can be dismissed from the court for now."
"Your Honor, I believe it would be helpful if Miss Nomura stayed. The Prosecution would like to call Hermia Laytonne to the stand."
Understandably, chaos broke out over the crowd. Edgeworth hissed, looking incredulously at the lead Prosecutor in confusion. "Have you forgotten she won't talk to us?" he asked, anger written on his face. "You're throwing the case away!"
Nathan shook his head. "I think she'll talk if Kiria's there. Obviously, Kiria knew something that none of the rest of us knew. If I can get them some time alone, just enough for Kiria to convince Miss Laytonne to testify, everything should be fine."
"And if she refuses?"
Nathan shook his head. "She can't plead the fifth forever. Another reason why I want Kiria there; she'll inevitably remind Hermia what refusing to testify implies. We've got to force the testimony out of her."
"And why aren't we just attempting to get it out of Elias Whitman?" It seemed like the logical choice, in all of this.
Nathan shook his head. "Holcomb's got him eating out of the palm of her hand, or the other way around. I don't know which. Since we can't cross-examine him, it's of no use."
The look on Edgeworth's face read as understanding, but not pleased with this twist.
Inside, Nathan was hoping he hadn't just shot their case to smithereens.
A recess was called as Hermia Laytonne was retrieved from the Detention Center. As everyone filtered from the courtroom, Nathan couldn't help but think about the Trance State again. That had been . . . strange. And what had it meant when it had said it was completed?
He went back over what he knew. It had slowed down time, allowing him to think about the case. But that wasn't all. It had pulled out tidbits of information for him to string together, looking for a common thread between them. He drew imaginary pictures on his leg with his index finger as he thought, trying to figure out what had happened.
"You've been acting strange since this trial started." Edgeworth wasn't asking, and Nathan knew he couldn't escape it by just brushing it off.
He nodded. "Some weird things have happened in this trial."
Edgeworth grunted, the only response he could make to the statement. When Nathan didn't elaborate, he looked over at his younger colleague. "Did something happen in there that I'm not aware of?"
Nathan shrugged, saved by the entrance of the rest of the gallery. "Nathaniel Price, what do you think you are doing?" Franziska shrieked, her face crimson. He stepped back in self-defense, waiting for the whip to hit him. She wasn't done; instead, she walked towards him, and although she was several inches shorter than he was, even with her high-heeled boots on, she seemed much larger in her fury. "Are you attempting to lose the trial?"
He spluttered, terrified of the small woman demanding information.
"I'll admit, it's a strange tactic, calling someone to the stand that refuses to talk to an attorney," Phoenix said, his voice breaking the tension. Franziska stepped back, wheeling around to glare at him. "I'm not saying it's a good tactic," he said to placate her, holding his hands up in a stance of innocence. "Just interesting."
"Where would have you gone from here?" Edgeworth asked. "If you were in Holcomb's spot, that is."
He shook his head. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Her client is obviously guilty; that much she has to know. But she found the weak part of your case, alright. I'd probably have Whitman testify."
"About?"
"The weakest part of your case isn't the motive; it's the fact that no one actually saw him administer the poison. He could circumvent the pressure from him to the barista, claiming it was meant for him."
Franziska crossed her arms, nodding in agreement. "And then it would have put both Kiria Nomura and Hermia Laytonne in a weak position. If the intended target was Elias Whitman, the question of motive comes up. Motive in regards to the Laytonne case is that he was a witness. Lysander ends up dead, he gets poisoned; it would be a great move for the Defense."
"So why isn't she doing it?" Nathan asked in confusion. "I mean, if this is such a great plan—"
Edgeworth shook his head. "Because if it comes out that the barista didn't do it, it's considered perjury, and as the lead Defense Attorney on the case, Holcomb would be charged with falsifying testimony."
Nathan thought back to his law days. "Right. Because you can omit testimony, but you can't change it on purpose, right?"
"Exactly."
He looked around. "Where's Kiria?"
"Obviously you weren't listening when you left. Holcomb demanded the right to question her. They're in questioning right now." Maya giggled, smiling broadly. "When I passed by, Kiria looked calm and Holcomb looked more than ready to strangle her."
"It's hard to question someone who knows their laws. Nomura is no different," Edgeworth explained.
"What about Tessa and Mariko?" Nathan questioned.
"They're waiting for her to get out of questioning. Speaking of Mariko, has anyone seen Yoshiya today?" Phoenix asked. "I'd expected him to be here for the trial."
There was a collective shaking of heads. "I'll call him," Franziska volunteered, already getting out her Cranberry. After a long moment, she sighed, a frown on her thin features. "He's not answering."
No one wanted to voice the concern echoing in their heads.
Luckily, they didn't have to ask. A distraction appeared in the form of a furious Arielle Holcomb storming out of the interrogation room, followed by a smiling Kiria. The latter walked up to them, Tessa and Mariko flanking her. "I guess she didn't like my testimony," she quipped, an innocent expression on her face.
Edgeworth chuckled. Nathan merely patted her on the back, proud of his best friend. "How many questions?" Lang asked, sounding amused.
Kiria looked up. "Well, there was the one about the coffee I'd drank, and then another one about what I believed my status in relation to Rydeine was, and I think she gave up when I couldn't truthfully answer what Elias Whitman's role was in the Laytonne trial. So, three." She laughed at her own antics. "Honestly, what did she think she was going to get out of me after she forbid me to talk about the case?"
Nathan cleared his throat. "Well, you might not be able to talk about the case, but do you want to drop any clues?" he hinted, hoping she'd take it.
She looked down, her expression deep and thoughtful. After a minute, she nodded. "Search for Elias Whitman. Who he is, I mean. I had the file in my evidence, but . . ."
Nathan looked around for his bag. He'd been given all of the case files before they'd went to talk with Hermia Laytonne. To tell the truth, he hadn't really looked at them, more interested in the evidence, but if she said there was something interesting, he'd look. After a few long moments, he pulled out the file. The police tape still bound it closed, proof of its unread status. After breaking the seal, he opened up the file, surprised when a pile of newspaper clippings fell out. Kiria's handwriting was all over the folder, some in Japanese (he assumed for the privacy rather than the inability to translate), some in English. He looked up to ask her, but found that she had walked away to talk with Mariko, their conversation floating to him in short bits of English mixed with an unintelligible rush of vowels and consonants.
"What's all of this?" Edgeworth asked. He'd moved to pick up the fallen clippings, holding them in his hand as he peered at the small print.
Nathan looked over the folder to stare at them in confusion. To tell the truth, he didn't know what they were either. The headlines were no help: "Interpol Wasting Its Time," read the first one in bold print. The next few were just as vague, and Nathan didn't feel like reading them all. He sighed, having half of a mind to give up, before picking up the next one.
"Kronos is a Lie," was all it said. The article wasn't included, but the clipped portion did give an author. "By Elias Whitman?" Nathan said loudly, surprised.
"So is this one," Edgeworth said in a much quieter voice.
Franziska picked up another. "And this one. Why are all of these in here?"
"Are they all related to Kronos?" Nathan asked, digging through them to attempt to find one that wasn't talking about Interpol or the international crime group. On each of them that were, there was pencil scribbling on the side, symbols barring their comprehension.
Lang shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. Damn, Kronos is involved?"
Nathan looked over at the Agent. "You know about Kronos?"
"To work at Interpol, you have to know about Kronos," he said with a barking laugh. "It looks like Nomura was a good three steps ahead of us this time."
"You think he's working with them?" Edgeworth asked, his blood having turned icy. There was a constriction in his chest that he didn't like, and it had nothing to do with Kiria Nomura this time. They were going after him this time; it was their lives on the line, not just hers. He hated the fear that coursed through him, felt even more anger at the relief he felt when he realized she was the only one on the radar at the moment. It was cowardly, and cowardice was hardly a gentlemanly trait.
Lang shrugged. "If the evidence points to it . . ." he said, his voice trailing off for implicature.
"Fool." Franziska's voice was as hard as violent as the whip she possessed. "Jumping to conclusions will only lead to a harder situation to get out of." She looked around. "Where is that goddamned Phoenix Wright when I need him?"
Phoenix had indeed disappeared, along with Maya. "Ten bucks says it's for food," Nathan volunteered, remembering Maya's seemingly endless hunger.
Edgeworth couldn't help but grin, and even one corner of Franziska's mouth quirked up in amusement. She quickly righted her expression, pulling on her whip. "Focus, Nathaniel Price!" she demanded. "Is there any proof for Elias Whitman to be part of Kronos?"
He looked through the evidence, shaking his head.
"Court is getting ready to reconvene. Please reenter the courtroom," the bailiff informed the room from his post at the door. Nathan sighed, shaking his head in irritation at the lack of time to prepare. This was a new bombshell that had been dropped on them, and he needed another day if he was going to get to the bottom of this.
"Court has reconvened for the trial of Whitman v. the State of California," the Judge announced. He tilted his head towards the right side of the courtroom, his eyes locking on Nathan's. "I'll allow the Prosecution to take over the proceedings."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Nathan said, attempting a small half-bow. "Before the recess, the Prosecution had called Hermia Laytonne to the stand. So, please, Miss Laytonne, if you would?"
Hermia Laytonne looked murderously angry. Her dark eyes bored holes into Nathan's skull, hateful expression seemingly etched on her face permanently. She didn't waver even when he cleared his throat and smiled appealingly.
Oh, this was bad. An angry witness was a bad sign, and Hermia Laytonne could be holding up the white flag for their case if she still refused. He looked across the courtroom at Kiria, who sat in a designated chair. As Hermia was still her client, she could object if she believed questioning was going too far. Nathan hoped to use her as a bargaining chip, although he knew that the next few proceedings wouldn't make her happy. In fact, he was already planning a trip to that little bakery she liked as damage control, because she was going to get really angry in the next five minutes.
"Witness, please state your name and occupation."
"I'm not a witness."
He sighed. "You're a witness. Now, Miss Laytonne, please answer the question."
"I'm not testifying."
Kiria stood. "Why not?" she asked. "You haven't even been given a topic yet," she appealed.
Hermia's expression softened as it passed over her attorney's form, but she still shook her head. "They can't know."
"Hermia, you have to tell them. I can't tell them. But you know, and you can. Please, just one cross-examination!"
"Objection!" Holcomb tossed lazily. "Obviously, the witness does not wish to testify, and cannot be forced to do so, under the fifth amendment."
The Judge nodded, looking sympathetic. "Indeed, the Defense is right. Miss Laytonne, are you pleading the fifth amendment?"
"Objection!" Edgeworth leaned forward, finger extended. "The fifth amendment, or the right to refuse testimony, is a measure against self-incrimination. This implies that testimony must be requested. The Prosecution has simply asked for the witness's name and occupation, which is invalid to plead the fifth against!"
The Judge reconsidered. "Mr. Edgeworth is completely right. Witness, you are obligated to tell the truth until asked to give testimony. Please answer the Prosecution's question."
Hermia looked murderous now. Kiria had her hands laced together, watching the proceedings with a nervous expression on her face. "Hermia Laytonne. Pathologist."
"Thank you," Nathan said, tilting his head in acknowledgement. "Now, Miss Laytonne, I realize that you don't want to testify, but what I'm about to ask you has nothing to do with anything you could incriminate yourself with. Okay?"
She stared him down, not saying anything.
"What was your relationship to Elias Whitman?"
She still didn't say anything.
Kiria cleared her throat to draw attention to her. "Hermia, it won't hurt you. Answering that question will be just fine. They won't find out what you're afraid of, I promise." Her voice was soothing, similar to the tone one would take with a child afraid of the dark.
The woman didn't look convinced. "I . . . I don't think it's far enough away from it."
"We're at an impasse," Holcomb announced, looking bored. "The witness won't testify. The Defense requests Elias Whitman be brought to the stand instead."
"I could do it . . ." Hermia finally said. "But I don't want to be alone."
Nathan leaned forward. "You'll testify?"
Hermia looked over at Kiria. "If Miss Nomura is with me, I suppose I could try it."
There was little question of what to do. Kiria almost leaped from her seat in her haste to stand by her client on the witness stand. The proximity of the lawyer seemed to calm Hermia down, and the witness took a deep breath before looking around the room. "I know Elias Whitman through Lysander."
"Triton?" Nathan clarified.
Hermia nodded. "Yes, Lysander Triton. He and I were dating. Mr. Whitman is—was—" she paused momentarily as she stumbled over the tense to describe her now dead ex-boyfriend, "—was Lysander's uncle."
"Why was he brought as a witness to testify against you in the Laytonne v. State of California trial?" Nathan pressed, hoping that she'd answer the question.
Hermia looked over at Kiria, stopping when she saw her lawyer. The woman, although she looked normal on the outside, was trembling, her fingers tapping out a nearly-silent cadence. From as close as she was, she could see a light sheen of sweat adorning her face, a nervous expression in her eyes. She reached over, taking one cold hand in hers, hoping to bestow strength onto the woman who had previously believed so much in her. It was only appropriate to give that same support, especially since the woman had just bounced back from a poisoning. "He claimed he had seen me kill my sister."
He couldn't ask the obvious question without raising an objection from Holcomb, so Nathan instead moved on. "Did you observe any negative feelings towards Miss Nomura during the trial?"
Hermia shook her head, dark curls bouncing. "No. Not at all."
He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to figure out the question he wanted to ask next. Of course he wanted to ask about the Laytonne case, but what could he ask without raising hell from the Defense?
He took a deep breath, gearing up for battle. "Miss Laytonne, the Prosecution requests that you testify about Lysander Triton's death."
"Objection! What does this have to do with the current case?" Holcomb asked, but it was useless. Hermia had already clammed up, which was exactly what he'd not wanted her to do. Her jaw was set again, staring at him with the same rebellion she'd exhibited earlier.
"I plead the fifth amendment."
He waited for Kiria to plead with her, but she didn't. Looking at her again, he realized she was rather pale, and immediately felt bad. She was still battling with exhaustion. Court took a lot out of anyone on a normal day, but the way she was now, hoping he caught on to the case she'd laid before him and catching every fastball he threw, she must have felt like slug inching along on hot pavement. He took over, giving her a chance to recover. "Miss Laytonne, pleading the fifth implies a degree of guilt. Are you guilty for what happened to Lysander Triton?"
She looked uneasy.
"She's not answering because she's guilty of my nephew's death, of course." It was the first time Nathan had ever heard Elias Whitman speak, and he couldn't stop the shiver that darted down his spine. "If you let me testify, I'll tell you all about it. I'll even tell you how I didn't poison Miss Nomura right there."
Nathan proceeded to plead silently with his eyes to the unresponsive witness. Holcomb was getting angrier by the second. "The Prosecution has been attempting to keep my client from testifying this whole trial, which is unconstitutional and illegal. The Defense requests testimony from Elias Whitman."
The Judge looked at all of them for a long moment. He'd been quiet, listening to all of the proceedings with a careful ear. But as he looked at Hermia Laytonne, he could tell they weren't going to get much out of her. "If Miss Laytonne refuses to testify, then Mr. Whitman will take the stand," he finally compromises. "Are you finished testifying, Miss Laytonne?"
Hermia nodded curtly. "Yes, your Honor."
"Then you are dismissed as a witness. Elias Whitman, you may take the stand."
Nathan exchanged glances with Edgeworth. This wasn't going so well. In fact, so far, this trial had been a complete nightmare. They'd extracted very little information from Hermia, and they didn't expect to gleam much from Whitman either. Nathan took the chance to rub his eyes with his palms as the witnesses changed seats.
Two things happened simultaneously. Whitman walked to the Witness Stand just as Kiria stumbled over the steps descending from it. He caught her arm as she fell, and while she stayed on her feet, her face went a very pale shade of ivory.
Nathan launched himself over the desk as chaos broke out. The gallery was shouting, he was shouting, Lang had stood up and was saying something, but it was like they were all trapped in a glass house, and the sound reverberated back into the room, making him impossible to understand.
"ORDER!" the Judge said, having to bellow it over the deafening din. "ORDER IN THE COURT!" By this point, Nathan had taken his best friend from the villain's grasps, and he could feel her tremble under his hands, shaking like there was an earthquake originating from her insides, affecting only her.
The noise in the court abruptly stopped.
"Mr. Whitman, please take the stand. Mr. Price—"
Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Your Honor, if I may, I will take Miss Nomura out and make sure she is alright before she returns to the courtroom?" he volunteered before Nathan could. "You need to be in here," he hissed at the Lead Prosecutor, making the exchange of one tiny, pale Asian Attorney. "You need to hear Whitman's testimony more than I do. I'll make sure she's taken care of." With one hand on her waist and another clasped in a cold, clammy hand, he led her out of the courtroom.
They made it as far as the lobby. Her knees finally gave out, and he hoisted her over to a couch, allowing her to sit for a moment. She hid her face in her hands, taking giant, gulping breaths. Edgeworth lowered himself down next to her, his hand brushing aside her bangs to take her temperature. She was warm to the touch, and sweat was beginning to bead up around her temples.
"I'm sorry," she finally apologized, sitting back up. "I'm such a mess right now."
He shook his head. "Nothing to apologize for. What did he say?"
"Nothing," she lied, but the lie was obvious, written all over her face.
"Did it scare you?"
Even in her state, she couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. "Mr. Edgeworth, I deal with murderers, thieves, and mob bosses in my normal life. If I broke down every time one of them touched me, I'd always be like this."
"None of them have poisoned you. This man has."
She shook her head. "It's not that. I'm not frightened." She knew she should have just passed it off as fright, should have pretended, but it was almost like her pride would have been wounded if she had.
He saw through her too easily. "It's not about this, is it?" Everything suddenly lined up in his mind, and it was eye-opening. "It's withdrawal," he finally said, his voice quiet and gentle. Just like she had been with Hermia Laytonne.
She looked down, nodding. She was still shaking; no matter what, she couldn't seem to stop, and they ravaged her whole body, leaving nothing undisturbed. "Yeah," she said, unable to hide it any longer. She'd always assumed that if she'd fallen back on the habit, she'd end up with worse withdrawal than she'd went through the first time. Her body craved the drug like it craved oxygen. It was like they were mutually compatible, and having one without the other was ridiculous, unthinkable. "Yeah, it's withdrawal."
"Do you want me to get Tessa?" The question surprised her, just as the kindness in his tone. She'd expected him of all people to push her away and decry her weakness, and yet, here he was, offering to get her help.
She shook her head. "No. I don't . . . want her to know."
"You realize she'll know eventually, right?"
She nodded. "Eventually. But not yet."
"What can I do for you?"
This felt oddly intimate, he realized, as she was stripped past the intellectual he was used to and instead preoccupied with the most basic needs. He was willing to do whatever she needed him to do, if it would help her out. When had he become such a softie? Just a few years ago, he would have walked away.
Just a few years ago, he would have never socialized with Kiria Nomura.
She coughed lightly into her hand, and he brought his attention back. "Just some water would be nice." A particularly violent shudder ripped through her, making her jolt suddenly and wrap her arms around her middle, a vulnerable look if he'd ever seen one. He stripped his jacket off, wrapping it around her shoulders as he ran for the nearest vending machine to find a bottle of water.
A/N: I know I promised a week . . . it's been a little more. So sorry, but it's a longer chapter than most? Does that make up for it?
So, Trance State! Still pretty much a mystery, but it's really not much more than the psychological definition. It'll play more out in the story, promise.
Haha, and I'm not going to make that end of February deadline. It's just not going to happen. Between midterms and turning 19 (oh no, I'm getting old!), the fanfiction got lost under all of the piles. D: So, instead, we're shooting for the end of March! That sounds better right now. xD
I think—unless anyone protests—that I'm going to go back to answering comments this way rather than PMs. While it gave me some ability to chat with you all, it just was a little too much work. If you want to talk, just send me a PM, and we can talk all you'd like! c:
Comments:
Zan: Welcome to the story! Haha, or welcome to commenting! D I'm so glad you like it! I hope to hear from you more as the story goes on!
Blaze: Oh, I know that feeling. D: It's hard to sit down and write these days. I just don't seem to have as much time! Especially with midterms going around again. Spring Break is coming up soon (at least for me, it is!), so hopefully I'll have time to wrap it up then!
KnightofDestiny: I always look forward to your reviews now, do you know that? c: If only because it's a giant boost to my ego! Haha, thank you so much. I think Franziska should be as deep as every other character, and I'm glad you agree. Ah, I did hear about GS5 (and meant to comment about it last chapter, but forgot!). I don't know that I'm a big advocate for bringing GK2 to the states though; I wasn't really much of a fan of GK1 (I think it's because I'm not fond of Kay), and from what I've heard a lot of, it's got a lot of cultural elements to the story that most people in the states don't know much about. I guess the last reason for not being too worried is that I can buy it and play it in the States and understand it; the upside to knowing Japanese and that recent DS games are devoid of region locking. :D [Okay, nerd time over!]
Kaitlintheowl: Awwww, thank you! I try to put the characters first, so any of that admiration should really go to them. I just play with them and put them back later. Haha, I hope to finish it someday too! The last volume is actually almost written completely out (2-6 aren't, but 7 is!), so I'm planning on finishing it, believe me! I hope you keep reviewing, and keep enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it!
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