Fandom: Code Geass, Noir
Characters: Clovis, Kirika
Summary: "It's best to draw in whatever way you want." - Noir, episode 13
Looking back, Clovis could not have said what it was that made him notice her.
She was pretty, yes, but that didn't explain anything. There had been a lot of attractive women present – women who wore eye-catching clothes and knew exactly how to carry themselves to get people's attention. They were good at making conversation, making witty and funny comments whenever an opportunity arose, and some of them had a habit of drawing people to them as a candle in a dark room would draw moths.
Neither of that was true for her. There was nothing striking about her, nothing that would normally spark someone's interest. Her choice of attire was nothing spectacular, boring even, and consisted of barely more than a plain white dress, not unlike something one would expect to find on a bridesmaid. There was no jewellery, no make-up, and she wore her dark hair short in a way that was not distinctively feminine.
And she was quiet. Quiet and isolated from those around her, even when she was surrounded by the crowd. No one seemed to notice her as she stood there inmidst the mingling nobles, a silent observer looking like she didn't really know what to make of what she was seeing – not unsure, exactly, but the expression on her face was anything but befitting of someone attending an exquisite party hosted by the governor himself.
So when it became late and things got more hectic, he decided to give in to his curiosity and shook of the usual admirers and flatterers to approach the strange girl. She was standing in front of one of his paintings, a somewhat sad look in her expressive auburn eyes and apparently too absorbed in what she was doing to notice him stopping right beside to her.
"A beautiful lady shouldn't be making such a sad face," he commented lightly. "Is it that hideous?"
She turned to him, surprised, but not really startled, and finally shook her head. "No," she said and turned back. "It's beautiful..." Her voice was soft, quiet, and fit with the first impression she had given him perfectly.
"Are you interested in art?"
"I... don't know."
Clovis raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?" he asked, a hint of amusement reflecting in his tone.
The girl looked at him, really looked at him for the first time, and she couldn't be older than nineteen – yet there was something about her that seemed to imply otherwise. "I... think so. I used to paint... once. It was nice."
"Used to?"
"Something happened." She turned back to his work, her gaze transfixed.
"I couldn't imagine ever giving up on painting", Clovis commented honestly, and he noticed that his voice had also become soft. Once again she looked at him in surprise, and he added, "If you enjoy something, you should continue doing it, shouldn't you?"
She only proceeded to stare at him, as if she had no idea what she should think of his, admittedly rather simple, logic concerning this matter, and suddenly, he really wanted to convince her. "Why don't you give it a try?"
"I..."
"Come."
He urged the perplexed girl outside, providing her with a sketch-block and something to draw on it with, and even though she was hesitant at first, she did as he had asked. No one had noticed him leaving, and he was glad for that – ever since he had arrived in Area 11, this was the first time he actually felt a genuine inclination to interact with another person for an extended period of time, and he would have hated being interrupted.
Especially when he looked at the girl's sketch-block again after half an hour patiently sitting next to her and waiting.
She had decided to draw the landscape, which happened to be the top of the government building and therefore an exact replica of Aries' Imperial Villa – the place where he had first met Lelouch and Marianne vi Britannia. And even though it was far from finished yet, there was no doubt about the quality of her work.
She may not have been on his level of skill, certainly not, and she had a peculiar style of painting, starting with the brush right away and creating something that looked bold and almost childish. But the picture still was very nice, and it seemed more that she lacked practice than talent.
"How long had you been painting before you stopped?"
She looked up, surprised. "I'm not sure," she said, slowly. "More than a month, I think."
Clovis didn't try to hide the fact that he was taken aback. "Well. You certainly are gifted."
For a moment there was confusion written on her face, but then a tiny smile appeared on her lips before she turned back to her work. Clovis was pleased to note that the air of melancholy surrounding her lessened after that.
They spent the rest of the evening sitting in comfortable silence, until it started getting dark and the girl declared that she had to go looking for a friend of hers. Clovis nodded, deciding that he, too, should return before he was missed.
"Wait," he said when she turned to leave. She looked at him questioningly. "What's your name?"
She hesitated. "Kirika," she finally answered. "It's Kirika Yuumura."
Clovis blinked. "Isn't that-"
But before he could finish, she had already disappeared, like a shadow vanishing into the night.