Whew, finally finished this. A few more filler chapters left before i start with Rebirth3's story. Before we start i want to give a shout out to one of my readers who proposed the idea of introducing Rolo as a CPU candidate. I'll admit that i was contemplating on a way to add more CG characters into the story (Not all of them, mainly just a boy with a strong sense of justice, if you catch my drift ;D), though that suggestion completely blew me off my game. It made me start to think up different ways that i can have V's story to go. Anyway, enough of my comments for now, please enjoy.
Chapter 25: Mishaps in Leanbox
The day started out normally, though there was something off.
Lelouch was travelling to the Leanbox Basilicom. Usually he would feel excited or curious to see how things in another nation stood. This time, however, he felt, let's say, displeased. He didn't have much appreciation for the oracle, Chika Hakozaki, and so far the small time he had spent with Vert didn't let on to things being better.
When he arrived he immediately put a sour face on. Chika was standing inside, apparently tasked with waiting for him, and noticed his arrival.
"Oh look, it's Lelouch. Did you finally break through your shyness and realized that you are in love with me?" Asked Chika, giving him a playful smile.
Lelouch's expression didn't change.
"Hello to you as well, Miss Hakozaki." Replied the young man, ignoring her for the most part.
"Oh, come on, you'll be staying here for the next month, so let's make friends, or if you want to go further I can always oblige." Joked Chika.
"*Sigh* I'm starting to think you are doing this on purpose. Is it that funny to irritate me?" Lelouch asked.
"Well since you asked, yes. The face you make when things don't go your way is so adorable." Chika said.
"I assume you have work to do so you can return to it. I'll be fine on my own." Said Lelouch, hoping that he would be left alone.
"How thoughtful of you, Lulu. Don't worry, I'll come play with you later." Chika winked at him and went off.
"Why not change my name from Lelouch to Lulu, huh!? I'm really starting to get annoyed by that nickname, too many people are calling me that." Lelouch thought to himself.
Lelouch decided to go to Vert's office to see if she was working.
To his surprise, the woman was nowhere to be seen. The most important part, however, was the fact that apparently she had left, finishing only a third of her work.
"Oh great. I was really hoping Neptune would be the only one who didn't do her job, and yet here I am standing in front of the harsh truth." Lelouch sighed.
"Might as well occupy myself with her work. It's not like I have anything else to do, really." Lelouch said to no one in particular, as he sat down on the desk and started to go through the documents.
Having focused his attention to the paperwork, he failed to overhear faint sounds coming from the room next door. It was when he finished that he caught on to the noise.
"What is that strange sound coming from the next room?" Lelouch wondered, as he organized the documents and headed towards the room in question.
Opening the door came like a punch to the face. Lelouch couldn't believe what he was seeing. Vert was standing there, headphones on her head, playing something on her pc and was occasionally saying something to the microphone on her headphones. She didn't even notice Lelouch was in the room.
Lelouch stood there for a couple of minutes, in an effort to take everything in. Managing to come to terms with what he was seeing he decided to act, as harsh as he could. He noticed where the power cable for the pc was plugged and went over there. Sadly, for Vert, the cable was behind her and she couldn't see the terrible deed about to befallen her. She had just clicked save, when everything went dark.
"What?! No! No, no, no!" She started to panic.
She turned around and saw Lelouch with the cable in his hand. He didn't look very happy.
"A-Ah, Lelouch, you're here. You arrived sooner than I expected." Vert tried to cover herself up.
"Hello, Vert. I'll let you know that I've been here for the last hour or so." Lelouch replied.
"Is that so, my how rude of me, to keep a guest waiting." Vert said, nervously.
"You looked like you were enjoying yourself there. Hope I didn't put an end to your fun." Lelouch said sarcastically. "Oh and by the way I did your work for you, gratitude is unnecessary."
"Could you please plug in that back? I already finished with my game." Vert said.
"Sure." Lelouch plugged the cable and was on his way out. "Oh and by the way, could you show me where I'll be staying?"
"Of course, follow me." Said Vert, as she stood up from her chair.
She escorted the boy to the room prepared for his stay and showed him around.
"Are you feeling hungry by chance? I would personally enjoy lunch right about now." Said Vert.
Then, as if fate had summoned her, Chika appeared.
"What would you like for me to prepare, my darling Vert?" She asked, with the cutest expression she could make.
This behavior creeped Lelouch out.
"Well, how about some chicken stew?" Suggested Vert, as she then turned to Lelouch. "Is that alright with you?"
"Yes." Replied the boy.
"I'm off then. I'll make the best chicken stew just for you my darling!" With that Chika flew off to the kitchen.
Lelouch was seriously confused.
"Is she always like that?" He asked.
"Sadly, yes." Replied Vert. "Anyway, how would you like to past the time while we wait for lunch?"
"I don't really have any proposals, so if you think of anything let me know." Lelouch said, as he was about to leave for his room.
"Why, I think I know the perfect way for the two of us to spend our time together." Said Vert with a smile.
Lelouch couldn't help but feel something was not right with all of this. His intuition turned out right, as the two were now in the living room, with Vert preparing her console.
"If it's another one of those gaming sessions which all of you enjoy, then forget it!" Lelouch said.
"Oh, silly. This will help you solve your insecurity problem around girls." Said Vert, as she took out a game disc.
"The only problem I have is you thinking I have a problem." Lelouch complained, as he tried to protest against whatever the blond woman was trying to make him go through.
"Relax, it's just a dating-sim game." Vert said, as she turned the game on and handed the controller to Lelouch.
"A what now?" Lelouch was confused.
Per Vert's instructions he started playing the game, though reluctantly. She would watch from the side, as the boy would scroll through the story. It was your typical school romance dating-sim. Suddenly a choice bar popped up.
"What the?" Lelouch was dumbfounded as he read through both choices.
One was a cheesy way of expressing gratitude, while the other was a stern reply.
"The way this game works is for the player to make choices, and depending on the choices the player makes the story progresses along accordingly." Explained Vert.
"I see. Then it doesn't really matter what I pick, for the story still continues." Said Lelouch.
"Well, not really, but you'll figure that out later on by yourself." Sighed Vert.
Naturally Lelouch went for the wrong choice, as there was no video game safe from his terrible prowess. Vert wanted to face-palm herself, looking at the boy just deciding thins on his own logic, not investing any care for the characters and their relationships whatsoever.
When the game finished, guess what, Lelouch received the bad end.
"What the hell?! Why did that girl commit suicide just like that?!" Lelouch couldn't understand the gibberish that was the game he had just wasted his time on.
"Well, you deliberately shunned her and made her existence unknown to your character, so I think it was to be expected." Sighed Vert.
"What does my choice to not pay attention to that girl have to do with her committing suicide? It's illogical and stupid." Lelouch complained.
"Heavens, this is going to be really tough." Sighed Vert at the boy's stubbornness.
Chika entered the room.
"I'm all done! You can come and enjoy your supper." Chika said cheerfully, until she noticed the game screen.
"What happened here?" She asked confused.
"Nothing, that's what! Games are a total waste of time." Lelouch grumbled on his way to the kitchen.
"Is he really that bad at games?" Asked Chika.
"It's worse than you can imagine." Replied Vert.
The three ate their food without any commentaries on the subject of Vert's failed attempt to make Lelouch a bit more extroverted. (I actually tried a visual novel dating sim once, and guess what, the girl died at the end XD That's Japan for you.)
Chika decided to start a conversation.
"Hey, Lulu, what's your type of girl?" She asked playfully.
Lelouch glared at her.
"Stop calling me that already." He replied.
"Oh, my, then it is only fitting that I call you Lulu as well, Lulu." Smiled Vert.
Lelouch was starting to get really irritated by the two.
"So back to my question." Said Chika, eyeing Lelouch intently.
"And I will answer you just because you asked? Think again." Lelouch said, returning to his food.
"Oof, you're the biggest killjoy ever, you know that?" Complained Chika.
"Don't worry Chika, Lelouch is clearly not the type to open up about his personal tastes, but with the right methods anything can be achieved." Reassured her Vert.
"Hmph, I'd like to see you try." Taunted them Lelouch.
"Well, since you asked so nicely." Vert stood up and hugged Lelouch, placing his head in between her chest.
There was a few seconds gap, before Lelouch started to frantically pry himself from the blond.
"What do you think you are doing?! Haven't you heard of personal space?!" Lelouch complained, finally breaking free.
"You're so mean, boys your age would normally jump at the chance to spend time with ladies." Replied Vert.
"I see what you meant my dear sister Vert." Said Chika, who had snuck behind Lelouch and embraced the boy, putting her chest in contact with his back.
"You too?! Get off me already!" Lelouch pried the green haired oracle from his back.
Chika was with a curious expression for a moment.
"Is it just me or do you look somewhat different from the first time we met?" She pondered. "I think you were a lot skinnier back then."
The young man started to realize the trouble he had gotten himself into. Sadly, it was too late. Chika was already pressing him against the wall giving him a creepy stare.
"Have you been training? How much can you lift? Can you undress and show your muscles?" Were only some of the questions that she barraged Lelouch with, while eyeing him head to toe.
Lelouch turned to Vert with a begging look on his face.
"*Sigh* That's enough Chika." Said Vert.
"Aww." Chika whined while she sat back in her seat.
Lelouch managed to regain his composure.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I shall be taking my leave." Lelouch said, leaving the two girls.
Entering his room and locking it, ensuring he isn't bothered, he thumps on his bed.
"Uuugh, I think I'm going to have more trouble surviving here than in Planeptune." Lelouch complained, lying on the bed.
He took one of the books that lay on the desk on the far side of the room and began reading it on his bed. Sadly, it wasn't very interesting and he wound up falling asleep.
Lelouch woke up around 2 AM. He felt like there was nothing for him to do, so he decided to go and take a bath.
The bath was really spacious, as it had a bathtub, which looked like it could fit at least three people in it, and a few shower cabins. Lelouch decided that he wanted to relax himself, so he prepared the bathtub. He entered it and loosened himself. It was very calming to enjoy some alone time.
He failed to realize, however, two important mistakes that he had made. One, he had left the door unlocked. Two, he had spent more time in the tub then he originally planned to. Things soon took a turn for the worst, as he heard Vert and Chika's voices while he was washing himself from the soap from the tub.
"Chika, I don't require your assistance to take a bath." Tried to protest Vert.
"Whatever it is that you might say, I'm here to help you clean yourself and look gorgeous, my darling!" Replied Chika, ignoring the statement of the CPU.
Lelouch immediately ran for his towel, as he put around his waist and was about to leave when things became critical.
He was staring at Vert and Chika, both covered in towels, but naked nonetheless, and his face was that of shock, embarrassment and fear.
"Lelouch?! What are you doing here?" Asked Vert, confused to see the boy inside the bath.
"I, uh… I-I was…" Lelouch was in a state of disbelief of how bad his luck was. He couldn't even make proper sentences.
Chika, on the other hand, instead of questioning the stuttering boy, looked him over. A grin appeared on her face, as she saw that his muscles were toned and that he had even a six-pack. Vert too noticed that and the two girls entered the bath, staying in front of the boy, preventing his escape route.
"Oh my, you were hiding such a perfect body underneath all those fancy clothes." Commented the oracle.
"Since the three of us are here and all, we'll wash your back and hair for you." Said Vert happily placing her hands together.
"B-But, I… No!" Lelouch tried to protest, as the two got closer to him.
Unable to escape their grasp, the two took hold of him. It seemed like they really enjoyed terrorizing him.
"Your hair is really nice. It is straight and really soft." Complimented him Vert, while washing his head.
"T-Thanks, I guess." Lelouch said, trying to hide his embarrassment as best he could.
"You're so cute trying to hide your embarrassment." Said Chika, not helping the case.
"Well, aren't either of you embarrassed at the fact that you are sharing a bath with a person of the opposite sex?" Lelouch asked, which earned him a hug from Vert behind him.
"Not everyone's as insecure as you are. Besides both Chika and I are wearing towels so everything's fine." She said with a playful smile.
"P-P-Please, let go." Lelouch wimped, as he was feeling two very big things touching his back.
This was starting to become too much for him to handle. Thankfully, Vert let go of him.
"You're free to go, for now." Said Vert, who seemed to had had her share of fun for the time being.
Lelouch dashed off, like a rabbit that's heard gunfire, grabbing his clothes along the way and slammed the door of his room shut.
"He's hilarious. It would've been nice if he was the more assertive type, but this is fun too." Chika said, a perverted smile appeared on her face, signifying that her thoughts started to go 18+.
"Hmm…" Meanwhile Vert pondered something.
"If what he told us of his origins is true, then he had a girlfriend, who died. It's strange, considering the way he is, that she was able to make him open up to her. Whoever she was, hats off to her. I'm starting to think that boy has a natural fear of interacting sexually with women." Vert thought, as a smile appeared on her face.
Lelouch was in his room, already dried and changed into his clothes, contemplating how he was to go about things.
"Ok, calm down Lelouch. You were just in a bath with two women. Two very large women. If this is how things are going to go about here, I need to think of a way to either turn their attention away from me, or make them hate me. I'd prefer that it didn't come to the latter." Lelouch was frantically strolling left and right in his room, trying to sort out the mess in his head.
The images of the two girls in towels wouldn't leave him be at peace.
"Aargh! God damn it, hormones! Get those two's chests out of my head!" Lelouch was struggling with his nature as a man.
He started counting irrational numbers in his head to calm himself down.
The next couple of days went on with Lelouch mostly ignoring and staying away from the two girls.
"Come on, you can't act like this forever!" Protested Chika, who didn't enjoy being ignored.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." Said Lelouch.
"You should be grateful that my darling Vert and I took such good care of you. You're acting like a little kid who is too shy to face facts." Said Chika.
"Your opinion has been rejected. You can, however, be useful and bring some tea to Vert's office." Lelouch stated, as he went past the green haired oracle, who started to pout.
Lelouch went inside Vert's office, which was empty as per usual and her work was half done. He got to finishing the documents left. Normally he would be done with them and leave, but this time Vert got entered the room.
"Oh, Lelouch, you didn't need to worry yourself with those, I was just about to finish them." Said Vert.
"This is the only thing that I can enjoy doing here without being nagged on, so please don't mind me and return to your own matters." Lelouch replied.
Vert smiled at him.
"Come now, you can finish these later. Today I shall teach you how to become good at video games, or at least enjoy playing them." Said Vert.
Lelouch raised his eyebrow in suspicion.
"Really now?" Asked the young man.
"Yes, I've already had Chika make tea for us in the living room." Replied the blond CPU, as she left the room.
Lelouch gave a sigh and followed after her.
The two now stood in the room with the gaming screen in front of them. Chika had left, because she had matters to attend to.
Lelouch was holding a controller, while Vert was standing next to him.
"And what pray tell is this game?" Lelouch asked.
"It's a racing game. I think it's obvious what the goal is so there is no need for me to explain it to you." Replied Vert.
"Okay, let's see just how bad I'm going to be at this one too." Lelouch grumbled.
Lelouch played a couple of races and lost every single one. He was last place most of the time, until on his last attempt he finished 6th.
"Finally, for the first time I'm not last at a video game!" Lelouch exclaimed, beaming full of gratitude that some divine force had allowed him to achieve at least something.
"See, it's fun, you just need to have the proper mind set." Smiled Vert.
"I don't think that being satisfied with not being last is a good mind set." Lelouch remarked.
"Yes, it isn't, but it's the best that you can manage for now." Replied Vert.
"Hey, Vert, mind if I ask you something?" Said Lelouch.
"Sure, but I want the privilege to ask you a question, too." Replied the blond CPU.
"Am I getting in the way of your lifestyle? If so, I will cease to bother you. You're by far the most complex out of the current CPUs. All of them have a goal or idea to follow, while you are open minded and are capable of adapting your point of view." Lelouch said.
"Why thank you for the compliment, it is really nice to hear words of kindness from your mouth. In all honesty, I actually enjoy your company, Lelouch, though you maybe don't really enjoy mine." Replied Vert.
"I-It's not that I don't enjoy being with you, it's just that unlike the other three you are trying to figure me out on a different level. It's a welcome change of pace." Lelouch quickly said, in an effort to not insult the girl.
"You're a good person for you to put how others feel before your own needs, a shame that you had to go through what you did." Vert replied sitting next to the boy.
This time he didn't move or run away.
"You said that you wanted to ask me a question?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow, curious of what he was going to be asked.
"Yes, I wanted to ask you what is your favorite color and why so." Smiled Vert.
"My favorite color…" Lelouch thought for a second.
"I guess it will have to be black." Said the boy.
"Why is that?" Asked Vert.
"Because it is a color, which forgot that needed other colors, resulting in its appearance." Lelouch smiled.
"A satisfactory answer." Vert smiled back. "Mine is green, because I believe it to be a color of safety and prosperity."
"A good choice." Replied the young man, as he continued losing the racing game. "GOD DAMN IT!"
Ok, so far so good. Once more i thank you for your feedback and the fact that you are enjoying the story. I won't confirm anything of what i said in the beginning of the chapter, because i don't intend to make the same mistake like i did early on (You know, the one where i spoiled that Lelouch still had the Geass and the one where i said that i would bring Celina "C.C" in XD). What happens next is for me to know and for you to find out :D. I hope that i'm able to provide you guys with a really enjoyable continuation. Anyway, thanks for reading and i hope you guys have a great day!