bakerstreet | That's not my waist.

I'll send Nunnally or Suzaku to check up on you later, if that's all right?

[He nods.]

Of course.

...Later in the day. As late you can. I don't know how I'm going to look or feel over the next few hours. [Don't want either of them catching her crying since they would want to know what was causing it to try and stop her from crying. Nunnally would do that, at least.]

I'll try to be presentable by early evening, at least...

Of course. Before dinner? Then I can send either one of them under the pretense of fetching you.

...I'll try to be up by then. [Enough time to change clothes and wash her face. From the dress and robe to probably pjs and then to a nice casual dress for dinner. No need to eat in your pjs around royals, after all. That was just bad manners, she thought.

Good.

[Although he wouldn't protest if she did show up in her PJs. It's not a formal dinner, after all, just one among some friends.]

I'll send a message when it's near time in the event that you don't wish to attend.

[Amongst friends or not, she will still feel under-dressed if she just shows up in pjs. At least let her feel like she put some effort into being around people today by putting on proper clothes.]

...I will try to be there. I'll be there if I can.

[He supposes he can give her that much.]

That's all I ask, Ryou.

[She might be pale and sickly looking with puffy, red eyes, but she will be there and dressed. Count on it.]

[She moved to take off the robe, looking towards her untouched pjs, feeling the material under her fingers.]

[Unless Ryou needs anything else, Lelouch will take his leave to take care of various things before putting his appearance as Emperor. After, he has a wayward Chief of Planning and PR that he needs to have serious discussion with.]

[And she will probably remain in her room, not eating or drinking anything all day, just staying under the covers with the curtains drawn and the lights off. She doesn't remember if she locked the door or not, not that it matters really. Most of the people do knock before entering.]

[She probably will be sleeping the majority of the time, only waking up a few times to find herself crying again. Once dinner time does roll around, she forces herself up to get dressed and run a brush through her hair. She could probably do better on a good day, but right now, she just doesn't feel like doing much else.]

[She'll wait patiently in the chair at the desk for whoever Lelouch sends to fetch her. She did promise that she would be there for dinner, if only to keep up appearances.]

[Lelouch had asked Suzaku to fetch Ryou for dinner, even if he wasn't exactly sure why. He didn't know the girl very well, although apparently she had had ties with the Black Knights and like a lot of people Lelouch had kept around him following everything that had happened, had nothing or no one to go back to.

He might have teased the other about taking in strays, if he himself didn't happen to be one as well.

Shaking his head to dispel his thoughts, he knocked slightly on her door.]

Ryou-san? Are you in there?

[Oh hai, Suzaku buddy, how are you today?]

[She didn't mean to jump when she heard the knocking on the door, not really. Still, with how the past twenty-four hours had been going for her, a little jumpiness was probably expected.]

Y-yes, I'm here. I-I'll be out in just a moment.

[A brief glance in a mirror told her she still looked like death warmed over, but there wasn't much she could do about that now. She promised Lelouch that she would be there, and she would be.]

[One final check and she was opening the door to see none other than Suzaku Kururugi, Lelouch's personal bodyguard and friend. She didn't know much about him other than having those titles, and the title of Knight of Zero. And that he was also an Honorary.]

[Not that that mattered much to her. If Lelouch trusted him, then he has to be... not that bad of a guy, right? And, just out of pure instinct, she bowed towards him. It was quite... Japanese of her.]

...Sorry, if I kept you waiting long, Kururugi-san.

[He's great, actually, thank you for asking.

He'd ask you, but you kinda look like death warmed over.

The bow took him slightly by surprised, other then Sayoko and Kallen, he hadn't really been around people who tended to do that, unless it was in deference to his titles and position. Not because of culture and heritage and knew what it meant. He returned it with a slight curl of his lips.]

You didn't keep me waiting that long. His Majesty sent me to escort you to dinner.

[Lelouch had said that he would be sending Suzaku or Nunnally to come and get her for dinner. Guess he decided that Suzaku was a better choice, even though she didn't know him that well.]

[Though, having someone bowing to her, since it hasn't happened in such a long time, it surprised her as well. She didn't expect him to bow back, a person in his position.]

Y-yes, His Majesty did inform me about wanting to see him at dinner.

[And yes, she noticed how formal and stilted her words sounded. It made her feel all kinds of awkward.]

Y-you can lead the way.

[Suzaku hadn't been thinking of position when he did it, he had been thinking of his culture and his heritage. Something he really never got a chance to express unless he was with Lelouch, Nunnally, Kallen or Sayoko. So it was a nice change. He nodded once.]

Of course.

[He started off, every so often glancing behind himself to make sure the quiet girl was still there. He didn't really know her, so he couldn't think of anything to start small talk with her over.

... this was an uncomfortable silence. Not for the first time, he wondered why Lelouch hadn't sent Nunnally here as well.]

[Because, at times, Lelouch can be a sadistic bastard. Maybe he had a feeling that Suzaku wouldn't ask if she was feeling all right where he felt that Nunnally would. Maybe he wanted the two to start getting along better for some reason. Or he really was just a sadistic bastard. It could be just that.]

[She kept looking down as she walked, trying not to make contact with him whenever he looked back. Of course, they would make eye contact once in a while, causing her to quickly away. And it was uncomfortably quiet as they walked. So much awkward. She didn't really want to start a conversation if she had to, but, again, she didn't know him that well.]

[Well, he was at the ball last night. As much as she didn't wanted to remember... certain aspects of that evening, it was at least something to talk about.]

...Did you have a good time at the ball last night? I noticed that you were with Nunn-ah, Her Highness Princess Nunnally most of the time I was there. [Well, that felt awkward. Especially referring to Nunnally by her title. She wasn't even completely sure she called her by the right one. What do you call princesses in Britannian royalty again?]

Edited 2014-01-05 14:46 (UTC)

[As much as Lelouch would lay claim to the title of 'sadistic bastard', he had done it because he wasn't sure how well Ryou would put up with an interrogation. Or, at least, wanted Nunnally to know something was wrong - his sister was intuitive after all, and very good at knowing when people were lying to her. At least this way, he could hold it for a little while, since he knew Nunnally wouldn't ask in front of a crowd.

At Ryou's question, he nodded.]

I was. The Emperor is rather protective of his sister, as I'm sure you've noticed. And you? I noticed that His Majesty spent some time with you as well. There were a lot of jealous young woman I heard. [A pause.] Well, the ones that were in their right minds at the time. I'm not sure any of them remember yesterday now.

[So, it wasn't just a feeling she had last night, that someone actually was giving her the evil eye. She knew that it was to be expected, given how Lelouch was popular amongst the ladies, even if he usually brushed them off save for family and close friends. Still, it did make her nervous if any of them did remember.]

I did spend some time with His Majesty. [Still so awkward in calling him that.] I spent two dances with him, which was probably why there were so many jealous young women there. The Emperor is selective in his dance partners, I assume? [Was that the slightest hint of a tease in her voice, as bad as she's feeling? Nah, couldn't be.]

His Majesty is at least a forgiving partner, to someone who doesn't have the experience in ballroom dancing...

Probably, which is amusing, because none of them had a chance of dancing with him. [He chuckles softly at the question.] He can be, yes.

[He glances back at her.]

That's probably why he did it, so you wouldn't feel awkward. And because he can trust that you weren't going to try and get something out of it - some sort of secret agreement, marriage... those sorts of things.

I... take it he doesn't dance often at events? [Maybe he only danced with Nunnally at events to make sure she at least had a good time. And maybe Milly because he was guilt-tripped into doing it. Maybe.]

[Well, he had at least two official dance partners at that event, despite her lack of knowledge of any of the steps involved in that style of dancing.]

[Still felt awkward though. Though at the mention of secret agreements and marriage, of all things, it at least brought some color to her otherwise pale face.]

I'm... not the marrying type. Not in this kind of world, anyway. I'm not even that good at making any sort of agreements or deals like that. [Nah, she's too soft-hearted to even attempt something that devious.]

Not often, no. And normally, if he does, it's with people he's deemed safe, his sister, Kallen and now you.

[He nods at her worlds.]

You're one of the very few then, Ryou-san.

[It probably had more to do with the fact that she wasn't royalty or from some sort of noble family. Or even had any special skills, like what she's read about Lelouch's and Nunnally's mother, Lady Marianne. She, for all intents and purposes, was just a regular common girl that had a regular life up until the Invasion. She was even Japanese, something that would no doubt put a sour first impression on some Britannians.]

I have no royal blood, nor do I come from a noble family. It's my reasoning for saying I am not the marrying type. Some men would rather spit at my feet rather than greet me warmly once they find out my... origins or my past. [She's also not a virgin anymore since she did just sleep with your best friend and lord sovereign last night. That probably killed her chances for marriage even more, but she wasn't going to say that aloud to him.]

His Majesty likely could easily see through any plot I had for him by now and act accordingly. I'm nowhere near his level of intellect, so... deceiving him would be a pointless endeavor for me. [So much waxing of poetry there, Ry.]

I'm sure that someday you'll make a man very lucky, Ryou-san. I'm sure that there are those out there who wouldn't care one way or another about your past or your origins.

[Suzaku really couldn't comment about the noble family thing, even if Japan hadn't operated along the same lines as Britannia, he had still been born the son of a powerful and traditional family - one he had shunned once he had enlisted in the Britannian Military.]

There are very few people who are, Ryou-san. Present company included.

[She'll probably be lucky not to be alone for the rest of her life, she felt. With her connection to the Ring, having anyone being close to her was a blessing, not just a man. She is slowly coming to terms with the idea that no man would want her, as scarred and hurt as she was. Worst yet, her first time she could barely remember, only just silvers of the experience, at best. And it was a drug-induced experience as well.]

[No man would want her after that. But she won't say anything about it, to explain it to him as to why no one would. Instead, she just held onto her other hand, fingers curling up tightly to keep herself quiet, and trying not to bite her lower lip. She had already had enough of crying today. No need for the Knight of Zero to see her tears as well.]

I'm sure that you do have an intellect all your own, Kururugi-san.

Hah. You never saw some of my school work.

[It's said lightly, of course. He looks back over at Ryou, his eyes narrowing slightly as he takes her in, but says nothing, instead choosing to keep the tone light.]

There was a reason he tended to try and tutor me. Of course, I guess I could blame some of it being in the military, but...

slow dancing

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I have a feeling he might send Suzu, since he did see her stumble last night and is likely concerned

Probably.

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