Hi! So next to Lelouch and C.C. as my otp in Code Geass, I am really fascinated with how Julius Kingsley and Director C.C. would have interacted if they lived in the same timeline. So here is a oneshot of how I think they would have handled each other if they got to meet in the Geass universe.
Sorry, if this messed up the timeline and some events just like the fall of E.U.
Hope you like it.
Julius Kingsley is never a man of scientific experimentations. Give him a map, a government to destabilize, resources and manpower, and he can easily destroy and rebuild an empire from the foundations of his brilliant strategies even the emperor can barely comprehend. It excites his blood whenever his plans come to fruition with foolish officials falling into his elaborate traps and begging him to spare their lives. Just like what recently happened with the fall of Europia United. Ah that was a sweet victory, earning him much more needless praises from the nobilities and giving them more useful and amusing reasons to fear him.
Julius Kingsley sometimes dream of becoming the emperor but he never dream of becoming a god. So as much as he is a genius tactician and military advisor, the de Facto leader's interest in creating new specimens and testing out theories is next to non-existent. He is a man of results after all.
Therefore, when his guard dog Kururugi delivers a letter enclosed in a purple ornamented envelope, inviting Julius to meet the director of Britannia's top experiment order, the advisor almost dismiss and pile it along with the useless requests sent to him.
"The emperor himself specifically insists for your presence. So I suggest that you attend the meeting," Kururugi informs.
Julius scrutinizes him from his seat. Kururugi Suzaku, an honorary Britannian personally assigned by the emperor to be Julius's personal guard. There is nothing bad that he can say about the lad, in fact, he is quite impressed by the efficiency and ability Kururugi had executed as his right-hand man during their trips. Impressive indeed for an eleven like him. There is only one thing, though, that irritates the advisor about him. The guard is too good for his liking and that makes Julius wary and untrusting of him.
"Is that so? I guess I have to commit then even though I have more important things I'd rather do like overtake Japan." The guard glares at him and he basks at his hatred. "Let's pray that this meeting will turn out interesting and useful."
On the day of the meeting, Julius wears his usual Britannian black ensemble, giving more attention to his elaborate eye patch. This eye patch is one of his prized possessions. It is decorated with the Britannian symbol embroidered with the finest silk in gray, and amethysts that dangle from its apex and side. Other people might find it a nuisance, a symbol of weakness and vulnerability. Well, truth to be told, it is really a serious matter when you cannot fully utilize your eyesight especially to someone like him who specializes in formulating tactics and strategies. But for Julius, it is never an obstacle to achieve his goals. This eye patch is an effective tool to intrigue people. To make them wary and careful. To intimidate and frighten his enemies. For what could a person have terribly experienced to cause him to lose an eye and survived it.
That is if he indeed lost an eye or a sight. His eye patch gives born to assumptions and Julius likes to bathe in these assumptions especially when he proves them wrong.
The meeting is being held at the Aries Villa in the middle of the day. Julius purposefully arrives earlier than the set time. Better to take the upper hand first and have the control over the meeting. Not that he is worried that whoever he will meet has a chance to outwit him. Julius just likes to be always one step ahead in his game.
He is on the second cup of his tea when a handsome white steed comes galloping towards his direction and halts right beside his chair. The rider is in a full equestrian uniform and is looking down at him blankly with her golden eyes.
"Are you the infamous Julius Kingsley?" she asks. Her voice soft but authoritative.
Julius stands displeased that he is looking up at a stranger. And more displeased by the fact that the woman does not know him.
"And who is asking?" he asks back.
Though he cannot see it through her helmet, he knows that she raises a brow at him. "The Director."
One of Julius's many talents which made him a great strategist is reading people, and now, he can read that she is not lying. "Then, I am Julius Kingsley."
"Hmmm..."
Julius offers his hand as the woman goes down the steed but she ignores it, or in Julius's more preferred language, she doesn't notice his hand.
She then removes her helmet revealing long striking green hair that sways with the wind before landing on her waist.
Sticking her hand out, she says, "You can call me C.C."
"Just initials?" Her hand is pleasantly soft that Julius almost smile until she continues, "Shall we sit down?" As if she is the host. As if she is the one who arrived first.
This is not starting the way the tactician likes.
The woman, C.C., sits down, methodologically removes her gloves, and starts making herself a tea.
"So we are only waiting for the emperor, then," Julius observes.
"Oh, Charles won't be coming. It's just the two of us."
Charles? How familiar can you be with the emperor to call him with only his first name? But he doesn't ask it.
"So what is the point of this meeting?" he inquires, getting irritated by the whole situation.
C.C. just shrugs and takes a sip of her tea.
Julius would definitely ask to talk to the emperor later. He should have been formulating plans to expand the empire but instead he is stuck here with a nonchalant, almost emotionless woman who is leisurely sipping her tea as if she has all the time in the world. Well, Julius does not agree with her disposition.
"Then, please pardon me, but I have more important things to attend to. I'll just con-"
"I see. The mighty Julius Kingsley is not good with discussing scientific matters. And here I thought you're really the brilliant tactician they made out to be." C.C. places her elbows on the table and puts her chin on her palms, all the while looking at him through her lashes with a smirk on her face. Julius wants nothing but to remove that mocking smile on her pink lips.
He glares at her. "Being uninterested and unknowledgeable are two different matters, Director."
"So you're uninterested in this meeting."
"Actually, yes. I don't see how knowing the process of your experimentations could contribute to my formulating strategies. Just provide me with your products and I'll do the rest to utilize them."
Checking her nails, C.C. eyes him exasperatedly. "For a tactician, you're quite arrogant but unimpressive." Wh-What? The guts of this woman to insult him! "A master who does not care to know his own slaves and how they work is easy to poison or murder in his sleep."
It's his turn to smirk. "So you admit that I am the master."
She smirks back. "And I am the poison."
For a few seconds, they hold their eye contact until C.C.takes another sip of her tea. She waves to a servant who immediately serves them slices of strawberry cakes. Julius leans back and observes the woman before him. Now, this is somehow turning to be an interesting conversation. In all of the meetings he had attended, almost all of Julius's counterparts were submissive, or if they dared to challenge his pronouncements, he could easily deflate them and steer the conversation towards his desired path. No one has ever won against his wit and 'persuasive skills'. But talking to C.C. and watching her respond to his words with equal smarts and class, he can't help but enjoy the new environment. It is not often that he can find someone who matches his way of thinking and catches up with where he leads the conversation too quickly.
And someone who is pleasant to look at, too.
Julius admits that he finds the director attractive. Her silky emerald hair, nonchalant golden eyes, and smooth fair skin visibly reflect the stealth wisdom of her tongue.
Crossing his legs, he says, "Then pray tell me, what can you do that can benefit me and the mission of this empire to conquer the world?"
"I can give you the power of kings."
Julius laughs unkindly. "I do not plan to overthrow the emperor. Manipulating people and bending their will is enough to bring me pleasure"
"Not that kind of power. What if I tell you that I can give you an ability that is beyond manipulating another person? The power to make your most desired wish come true?" C.C. bestows him an unwavering stare - her golden eyes piercing his amethyst one. "What is your deepest wish, Julius?"
His deepest wish? Easy. His wish is to win every war and bargain he makes. To always have the upper hand in all the games he play. For every tactic and strategy to work.
But those are not his deepest wish. He already has the intelligence to turn the tables his way. What Julius truly wants is to gain full control of his destiny. To stop being wary that something may not work and ineffective. Because no matter how brilliant or ingenious he is, there is always the risk of losing everything he had worked hard for.
Raking his fingers through his hair, he answers, "You haven't gain my trust to confide you with my personal thoughts yet. And what you are saying seems too ambitious and impossible."
C.C. just smiles. "That is quite a flamboyant eye patch you have there. I assume it is not just there for decoration."
"It isn't." He grins menacingly. "Let us say that I survived something so terrible and evil that it left a damage in my left eye."
"Is it still there?"
"It is."
She nods. "I can make it work, that eye of yours. I can make it very useful to you."
Intrigued, Julius leans forward on his seat. Making his left eye useful again? Now that is something new to hear and to be offered with. He never thought of being able to utilize it again. Not that it's a nuisance to him and his work. It had never been a problem to him and he won't let such a disability be a weakness and a burden.
"And how will you do that?"
If it is possible, C.C. looks down at him despite them being on the same level. "I thought you are not interested with my work. Oh how fast your mind has changed."
Did she just...
Never one to be insulted and outsmarted, Julius stands up abruptly. "Tsssk. Stop playing with me! Enough of your childish games. If you really have something good to offer, just say it so we can end this meeting and go back to our own fields. Do not waste my time."
"I can give you the most powerful soldiers." The director stands, too, giving him a levelled gaze, tilting her chin up. "And when I say 'powerful', I mean that they have the abilities that normal soldiers don't have - abilities normal humans cannot acquire naturally. They can destroy and build kingdoms in a blink of an eye. Now, that doesn't sound so childish anymore, does it?"
Julius narrows his eyes. "It sounds supernatural. Does this have anything to do with the 'power of kings' that you've mentioned? What exactly are you doing with your experiments?"
"It is incomprehensible and unbelievable to explain. It is better if you can witness it with your own eye. That is if you are okay with wasting your time with me again." C.C. starts putting back her gloves on.
Julius watches her. She moves so gently and deliberately. Like a dandelion swaying with the breeze. How can her slender hands create the things she had said and offered? How can this slight of an individual make enormous promises? And throughout their conversation, she had never raised her voice at him unlike most of the men he had talked to. She had kept her cool and remained calm - composed like queen.
The woman herself is dangerous.
"Is it fine with the emperor to show me your secrets?"
C.C. raises a brow at his words. "We can keep it a secret from Charles. After all, I am the leader of my own order, not him."
A secret from the emperor? That sounds tempting.
Julius smirks. "You enjoy playing god, aren't you?"
The soft laugh that she unexpectedly releases is pleasant to hear. "Oh, Julius Kingsley, I am not a god. I am far from it." Walking towards him, she stops when she reaches his shoulders and whispers to his ear. "I am a witch."
Surprised, his eye follows her as she leaves the villa. "I'll see you around, Julius," she waves without looking back.
When Julius turns back to the table, he finds her forgotten helmet. A witch, huh? Julius laughs silently with how the conversation went. In fairytales, witches are being chased by soldiers and princes. Kings and queens are frightened by their magical powers. Kingdoms fall asleep for hundred of years, and royals are poisoned by their apples.
Yes, C.C. seems like a true witch with her cunning tongue and striking eyes. Enchanting and beautiful at first, but cruel and heartless in her real nature.
A witch indeed who he is unaware of controlling the whole conversation by herself.
And it looks like Julius just falls in her spell.