002 [Video; English]

[notmanaging]

[The communicator flickers on, showing a shaky video footage of a ceiling moving from side to side. In actuality, Adrian is fiddling with it in her hands, as she tends to do with objects when she's nervous or restless, and is unaware that the video feed is even on.]

...so many people here.

I miss the privacy. It's been...

[And the video feeds

Comments

[vonkarmic]

You're quite right, Adrian Andrews; the living situation here is remarkably tiresome.

[notmanaging]

[Wow, had everyone in the apartment heard her complain about them? Adrian suddenly feels extremely embarrassed that Franziska had heard her too.]

Ah! No, it's not too bad, really.

[vonkarmic]

You should really stand by your statements.

There's no need to retract what you've said now, not when everyone's already heard it; besides, as I said, you're correct. The noise level in this apartment is severely out of control. Unfortunately, I highly doubt the capability of the main culprit's father to control her, so we all must suffer for his incompetence.

[notmanaging]

[Well, if Franziska suggested it, Adrian will try it. She exhales heavily before speaking.]

It is rather noisy, but I don't think it's Mr. Wright's fault. There's a lot of people and well, he doesn't strike me as being very well versed in the area of discipline.

[vonkarmic]

If he repeatedly fails to meet the requirements of his responsibilities satisfactorily, then there is no way in which it is not his fault.

[notmanaging]

It must be difficult, arriving in a place of this and suddenly finding out you're a father. You should cut him some slack, Ms. von Karma!

[vonkarmic]

He's been here for almost two years, Adrian Andrews; if one cannot learn an effective way of dealing with the situation in that long a time--without anything much to distract him, I might add--then I am forced to conclude that he is nothing but an incompetent fool.

[notmanaging]

[Her loyalty to Phoenix overrides her admiration of Franziska for a moment.]

He's not that foolish!

...W-wait, did you say two years?

[vonkarmic]

(Franziska immediately realizes that she could've presented that particular tidbit a bit more delicately, but--being Franziska--she figures that it's already out in the open, and can only follow it up with a confirmation.)

Almost two years.

(...)

But I've heard that the stays of most others are quite a bit shorter than that.

[notmanaging]

[Adrian sighs, looking quite sad all of a sudden.]

...It's any wonder...he still remembers who I am, if it's truly been that long.

[vonkarmic]

(Any emotional undertones that may have been within that statement have gone right over Franziska's head.)

Though I will refrain from commenting further upon the state of the rest of his mind, there's no reason his memory would've suffered the same fate.

[notmanaging]

You don't find yourself forgetting about the more insignificant people you come across in your life? I suppose someone with a mind like yours wouldn't have to.

[vonkarmic]

(Franziska preens inwardly at the compliment, but shows no outward signs of hearing it.)

It's unwise for a lawyer to allow oneself to completely forget the cases they try, as they often end up becoming significant in some way later on--and even if the particulars themselves do not again become relevant, there's often something to be gained from retaining the information about the procedures and intricacies involved in them.

(She pauses briefly.)

Not to mention the fact that that case wasn't exactly ... ordinary.

[notmanaging]

[Adrian nods, but she's only really half listening. She wonders why she's still staying here, when it's obvious that she was just part of the job for Phoenix - it wasn't as though she was his client or anything; he shouldn't have to bear any responsibility for her. Yet, she stays silent on this matter - she knows Franziska will think it silly, no, perhaps even foolish.]

I suppose you'd know, Ms. von Karma...but is there ever such a thing as an ordinary murder?

[vonkarmic]

(She considers the question briefly and shrugs.)

There are those that I would deem far less complicated than others in a variety of categories, yes. Why do you ask?

[notmanaging]

They're not ordinary for those personally involved, are they?