video;

[stringent]

I demand to speak whoever is in charge!

[ the woman on the line, despite her rather harsh tone is looking as calm as she possibly can. the only thing revealing franziska's anger is the way that she clenches her sleeve, as if indicating that she doesn't have time for any of this nonsense. ]

Abduction is a criminal offense. I fully plan to prosecute the fool who dared to take me, a von Karma with the full force of what that entails!

[ there's the sound of a whip and the flash of something in the background hitting the wood desk in the standard Hinoto-Ri apartment very hard. she doesn't look happy at all and it shows openly now. ]

My father is dead. You will not extract any ransom from him. The von Karma estate is held by me, so asking my brother will be of no use either. If I have to negotiate a fee for my release, then so be it. I refuse to talk to these kinds of lowlifes in a normal circumstance however since all that has occurred in my flawless memory is waking up in this barely adequate apartment, I feel I have no other choice but to use this... device to hear the kidnapper's terms.

[ franziska won't even mention the dream she had. it is not relevant. however she is painfully reminded of one of her cases, and she involuntarily clutches her shoulder again, remembering the pain of the bullet once there but cuts the feed soon after ]

Comments

Video

[unbroken_chain]

Here, have a cheerful 16 year old girl responding to your demands.

"Hi! My name's Kotoha; I'm about to send you a text file with details. Please read it carefully before you reply, alright?"

BEEP BOOP BEEP COMPUTERY NOISES

video;

[stringent]

Is this some sort of elaborate joke? Is this what our captors have reduced you to, to raise morale in such fantasy?

[unbroken_chain]

Instead of replying, Kotoha just smiles a little bit before a blue glow surrounds her body. With a sound like breaking glass, she summons her Persona.

"It's not a joke. If you're here, you had the dream, and you agreed to come."

[stringent]

An agreement obtained under duress or obscure circumstances is no agreement...!

[ stop trying her patience, little girl ]

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha dismisses Mitra and stares frankly at Franziska.

"Okay. Obscure circumstances I'll grant you, but you're not actually being held hostage, you know. You can actually go home any time you want."

She quickly holds up one hand to forestall questions before continuing.

"I don't actually know the exact method to do so, mostly because I'm not really interested in living out the rest of my life knowing that innocent people are dead because I couldn't be bothered to help, but I can direct you to someone who would know."

Slight pause.

"Also, might I recommend you stop by the Ichiban Market before you leave? They sell a detergent that's great for getting bloodstains out."

[stringent]

Innocent people die. Whether we like it or not.

[ franziska looks at kotoha, eyeing her up and down with an unflinching gaze. ]

I am a prosecutor. I am the one who reaches the root of the problem and forces it out, through the law. I have sentenced those who have committed criminal acts to justice. So perhaps I have done more as a frail, simple human than you have with your phantasms.

[ she puts a hand on her hip, and a small smile graces her lips. ]

I take it that you are too naive to understand how the world works, so while I thank you for your cheery welcome, it is unnecessary.

[unbroken_chain]

"Well, let's see...without my 'phantasms', as you put it, I helped the legal authorities of my home country disassemble a militant terrorist network, but that's the only thing I did that came close to enacting legal justice. On the other hand, there were also the various civic works programs I helped get running if you want to get into 'quality of life' debates."

Pause and smile.

"This was when I was fourteen, by the way, so you can blow your comments about 'frailty' out your ear, okay?"

[stringent]

I became a fully fledged prosecutor and passed the Bar at thirteen with a perfect win record in Germany. Your point?

[ you're looking at a child prodigy grown up, kotoha, it's probably no use arguing with her about who did more as a kid. ]

[unbroken_chain]

Blink blink.

"...what's 'Germany'?"

Yes, that is what she focuses on.

[stringent]

My home country. Are you not familiar with geography?