bakerstreet | That's not my waist.

[Nunnally glances up, pausing in her work.]

Oh! You mean like how the writing used to look on the ancient paintings and things like that?

[Yes, not everything had been destroyed when Britannia invaded and Nunnally had made it a point that once she could see, to look up such things. Especially since she had wanted to know more about the country she had been living in.]

Something like that, yeah. It's been a while since I've seen some of the old, ancient painting. Probably not since I was a kid in grade school. [Been a while since she's been to a museum or even looked at pictures of the old painting.]

Oh! When we go back to Japan, you'll have to come along then! I would love to get to see the country. You and Suzaku and Kallen could give us a tour and everything.

[Someone seems excited.]

[Don't mind her if she blushes a little bit. She can barely even remember what her original hometown looks like, let alone what it looks like now.]

Japan has a lot of places to visit. It is made up of four major islands after all. We might not have time to visit all of it.

It's Lelouch. Do you honestly think that we won't get to see all of it? Not in one trip, perhaps, but I'm sure that if we wanted to, we could.

That's still a lot of places to go. [Not to mention both of you can always be on vacation all the time. You have responsibilities and all that.]

There are probably some places that I've never been to before.

[Not all the time, but she's sure Lelouch will have to be make good will ambassador trips to Japan.]

Then will be an experience for both of us!

[Also, not all the time, because he's the Emperor of Britannia. He can't just go on a trip around the world just because he feels like it.]

Not to mention what time of the year it would be if such a trip should take place. There's the cherry blossoms viewing in the spring and the summer festivals.

[Well, he could, but it would probably look bad.]

Oh, I didn't even think of that.

[And he certainly didn't that on him, certainly not.]

[Though, she might just be giving Nunnally more and more ideas with the way she was talking about her old home. Better stop her while she can.]

Well, your brother will probably spend most of the time there delegating and all that. There probably won't be much time for sight-seeing.

[She reaches out, gently patting Ryou's hand.]

That's what cell phones are for.

And he can delegate. Heads of State can take a day or two off, Ryou. Besides, he needs it, I'm afraid that that all the stress will be bad for him. He takes so much onto himself, he always has, but he never gives too much thought to himself.

[Her fingers curl as Nunnally pats her hand, not expecting the small gesture. It takes a lot of her will power to keep her hand in place.]

[Though, at the mention of Lelouch taking so much onto himself, and with Suzaku previously not knowing about the incident about the drugged water, she feels guilty, seeing as Lelouch took on more today, for her sake. She still doesn't know if he even cleaned up or changed clothes after leaving her in her room. Nunnally was right about that, even from the morning's events. Maybe she should have done more to help him.]

S-sorry... I didn't know.

Don't be. There are very few who even realize it, and even fewer who are allowed to see it. I'm one of the former, but I'm unfortunately not of the latter. That's normally Suzaku or C.C.

[She looks sad for a moment, pulling her hand away from Ryou.]

But that's my fault, I'm afraid. I shouldn't have allowed myself to believe Schneizel's lies.

[She can understand him hiding his fatigue, even lightly teased him a little bit about it, but to show practically no one he needed a chance to rest, it made her feel a little more guilty. She has a feeling that him hiding his weakness has been going on a lot longer, especially with as long as he had been looking after and caring for Nunnally. He wanted to be strong for her in trying times, as he was likely the only one that cared about the two of them at the time before meeting Suzaku. He was likely hurting a lot, but he didn't want Nunnally to feel that. Maybe it's more of a habit now that he vents to Suzaku and C.C. more than to Nunnally.]

[Then again, she probably had accidentally caught him in a weak moment this morning, waking up naked beside him, realizing what they had done. He had apologized numerous times, even in the text he sent once he found out about the drug, feeling so guilty.]

I don't think it's completely your fault, Nunnally. For the relatively short time that I have known your brother, he does to project the image that he is strong and powerful. And he is, don't get me wrong. But, I get the feeling that he feels he needs to project that image no matter whose around him and usually can't control when it slips, or he can, it's just around certain people. He's probably been doing that since the two of you were very young, yes?

Edited 2014-04-11 03:42 (UTC)

Yes. Believe it or not, despite our father and the way the politics of the Royal Family worked, our childhood was relatively happy. We spent a lot of time with Cornelia and Euphie and Clovis would get so mad when Brother would beat him during a chess match.

[She goes silent for a moment.]

After Mother's death, is when that all changed. He didn't laugh - not the way he used to. And with Suzaku.... they were each other's first friend, Ryou. Up until then, Brother never had anyone that he had that bond with.

[She might not have known the names that well, but she can definitely understand how times used to be happier, when it seemed like nothing could go wrong. Yet, it still did, when everything went horribly, horribly wrong.]

M-maybe now, we can try to help him to trust again? Not everyone, of course, but at least the ones closest to him? Maybe even get him to laugh like he used to... as a long shot goal, of course. [He was the Man of Miracles, after all. How do you pull a miracle on the Man of Miracles?]

Well, we all need to a goal to work on. Perhaps that should be our's.

[There was a thoughtful look as she said it.]

Remind him that he's human too, just like the rest of us.

We'll have to be really subtle about it. He'll be immediately suspicious if he thinks we're up to something. [Though, probably by some dumb luck chance, he probably will hear about this conversation, if not just intuitively knowing someone is talking about him. Somehow.]

This is Lelouch we're talking about. Since when isn't he suspicious about anything?

He has no reason to be suspicious of us [Yet.] We're not conspiring against him, so he has no reason to be suspicious. [Even if you totally are conspiring against him.]

[It's for a good reason, anyway.]

My brother lives to be suspicious. Of course, I often don't blame him, considering.

But then again, we could always turn it into some sort of game.

[No, she doesn't blame Lelouch for being overly suspicious, all things considered.]

...A game might be better, yeah. [He has mentioned he liked games, so maybe they can keep him on his toes since he does it to them too.]

The ultimate goal is to get a true smile and laugh out of him. Not a chuckle or anything, but a real laugh. [And not a condescending laugh either. No laughing at someone's else expense or misfortune. Though, to be truthful, she hasn't fully smiled or laughed in the longest time either, given her own circumstances. She wouldn't even know what a real laugh would sound like from Lelouch, let alone herself.]

[Nunnally pauses, perusing her lips in thought.]

A chess match. Try to catch him in check.

[Because she knows that Lelouch would get a sort of kick out of that, when he finally found out.]

Yes. Exactly. I'm sure it can be done.

[She has heard that he liked playing chess, but there was a small problem with that. One that had her looking down and embarrassed, scratching the back of her neck.]

I've... never played chess before, to be honest. I don't even know how to play. No one has shown me how... [Well, there went that plan.]

I'm not the player my brother is, but I can hold my own so to speak.

[Nunnally gives the other a smile.]

I'd offer, but honestly, if you want a good teacher, you're better off at asking Lelouch. [And then she gets an idea.] Actually, that's a good idea.

slow dancing

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